Time was immeasurable in the dark. Had it been minutes or hours? Gabby couldn't tell. She had calmed down just a little but only because she rested in the security of her father's arms. She focused on his breathing, the smell of his breath, and the strength of his embrace. His plastron was hard, unlike the professor's fleshy chest. But its rigidity offered stability for her. Gabby was still very frightened and wide-eyed with distress. But her breathing had leveled out from a panic staccato to quiet even gasps. She was still shaking, though, and it was something that was going to take time to settle.
Leo had sat on the other side of her, book-ending Gabby in case she tried to bolt. Between himself and Raph, they were going to work her through this fear of the dark, even if it took all night. He was going to have to eventually speak with the professor to see why it was he hadn't dealt with this fear of hers before. If it had been up to Leo, he would have conquered it early on before it had taken root. Now, there was no telling how long it was going to take to undo the damage.
Finally, after some time allowing her to experience the calm of the inky blackness, Leo asked Gabby to stand up. She only shook her head, which Raph felt. Her father then he told her she was going to stand. Gathering himself up, Raph stood, taking his daughter with him. Gabby's legs buckled and she would have fallen back to the floor, but Leo took her other arm to steady her. She started hyperventilating, feeling weak and lightheaded. "I can't do this. Please!" She begged them, "I just want to see some light." She cried.
But Leo and Raph said nothing in reply as they forced her to walk around the darkened gym, pulling her along gently while they encouraged her with words. They worked her this way for quite some time until they no longer had to physically make Gabby move. When it appeared she was taking steps on her own as she paced herself with them, they knew she was ready.
First, Leo let go of her and in that moment, Gabby reached out for him. But, her sensei was instantly beyond her immediate reach. In desperation, she grabbed Raph's supporting arm all the tighter with both hands, not wanting him to let go, too, "P-please d-don't l-leave me!!" she whimpered as she stuttered the words out.
"Not in a million years, Gabs." Raph replied softly. "But, you need to overcome this. You can't let something like the dark overpower you."
" D-did you find this out from the professor? Did you question him a-about me? Is that how you found out?" Gabby asked her father, seething the words out. Her voice was shaky and raspy from her crying. But it was edged with a discernable undercurrent of anger. She was appalled that her surrogate father, the Professor, would do such a thing. Had his health affected his memory of that awful day? Gabby felt deeply betrayed.
"We talked to him at great length this morning while you were in here cleaning the floor. Yes, he did tell us about your fear of the dark - and how it happened. "Leo explained, standing close enough to hear their conversation, but far enough way so Gabby couldn't reach him.
"What else did he tell you about me?" Gabby asked, angry that the professor would divulge what she considered to be a very private matter.
"He gave us enough information to give us an idea on how to train you and what to work on first." Leo answered her.
She began to cry, again. But she swallowed it back before it could overtake her. She then shuddered. If Leo and Raph were aware of all her fears, she was going to have one awful week. Still, there was one terror that the professor didn't know about and that was her fear of the ocean. Only Seth knew and he was in Japan. But, if they did find out, considering the proximity of Mike's place with the coast, Gabby knew they would challenge her on that as well. Hopefully, Seth didn't say anything to Devon about it; she was sure her brother wouldn't waste such an opportunity!
Suddenly, without warning, Raph pushed her hands off of his arm and let go of her. She immediately reached frantically out for him, but he was not there. She was amazed he could move so quickly! One moment, she was holding onto him as if for dear life. In the next, he was just – gone! Gabby felt her legs buckling in her renewed terror and she started slumping to the floor.
"Don't sit down, Gabby!" Leo warned.
She stood there in a half crouch, shaking in fear. She felt the blackness of the room nearly suffocating her. Gabby clenched her fists in anger, mad that they would leave her there unsupported. But she finally stood back up as instructed. In that moment, she disliked Leo an awful lot. Her father was coming in a close second, but she really couldn't apply the same feelings of anger towards him. She felt despair at herself for even thinking that way. Raph had shown considerable understanding and patience. Leo, too, but he was the one who started this so Gabby felt justified in how she felt towards him. And, for a moment, she allowed the professor to share a little bit in that honor!
"I want you to walk now!" Leo instructed.
Gabby stood there frozen, unable to move; barely able to breath.
"Gabby, I want you to take one step; just one!" Leo said.
Gabby's heart started to race. Her breathing began its staccato pace again. But, obediently, she managed to put her right foot forward and then brought the other to rest beside it. Both her feet felt like lead weights to her.
"Good" Leo encouraged brightly. "Now, take a second one!"
"How can you tell what I'm doing when it's so dark in here?" she asked huskily, amazed that both Leo and Raph were able to see her.
"We can hear you breath and the sound of your clothing against your skin. We can even discern your scent. We train in the dark regularly, Gabby. It's not that hard, really. Now, take that second step." Leo instructed intently. He was aware that she had stopped addressing him in the way he had taught her. For now, he decide, he would let it slide. Later, though, Leo would re-implement the lesson.
She reluctantly complied. It was a slow process, but little by little, Gabby made her way across the length of the gym. After a time, she was less frantic and she breathed more evenly, but her fear was still there. It was only because of the serious tone of Leo's voice that she moved at all. It helped, too, that she was doing something physical to distract her from the overwhelming darkness. Finally, as she neared the far end of the room, she sensed a wall or a door. It was the restroom.
"If you need to use it, you may!" Leo offered.
Quickly, Gabby opened the door and retreated inside the room. It was a fully functional bathroom with a shower, commode, and sink. She frantically tried to find the switch. When she did and attempted to activate it, nothing happened. She realized with a sinking heart that the circuit breakers for the restroom were turned off as well. Sighing, Gabby made the best of it.
After washing her hands, she splashed some of the water on her face to freshen herself. It cooled off her frustration just a little. She cupped her hands and caught some of the liquid and gulped hungrily. She hadn't realized how thirsty she had become and it tasted good. Gabby was surprised that she could get so dehydrated from her experience. She drank some more.
She allowed herself time to regroup her thoughts and resolve. There wasn't any way out except through the one door. She knew that from when Don had her down in the gym the week before. Gabby thought of barricading herself in, but knew that would have been a waste of time. With the way both Raph and Leo could open locked doors, it would have been a futile attempt on her part.
Finally, she reemerged back into the gym, resigned to the vast expanse of darkness once again.
Over the next hour, Raph and Leo worked with her to get her calmed down enough so she could start learning to use her other senses. Gabby was a quick learner once she settled her emotions, but it took a while. Occasionally, her fears would resurface and they would have to work with her again to refocus on relaxing. But, little by little, the frequency of doing so diminished.
At first, they had her just listen to the darkness. Then, Raph would move silently off in one direction. Leo would instruct her, then, to find her father and it almost made her laugh.
"How can I find him when I can't even see!" she exclaimed almost derisively.
"Listen for him. Use your senses to tell where he's at." Leo directed her, then he corrected, "And please address me properly, Gabriella!"
She quietly said, "Yes, Sensei."
Because Gabby had become familiar with the smell of his breath from when he was holding her earlier, she gradually learned to detect where Raph was. She wasn't sure, but the first time she was able to pinpoint his whereabouts, she thought she felt him smile! Leo might have, too, but Gabby was more in tune with her father at that moment. The more success she had with this exercise, the less afraid she was. Eventually, she became adjusted to the inky blackness of the gym. Her obvious recovery from her hysteria was quite noticeable to both Leo and Raph.
Then, Leo led her carefully over to the equipment box. He had her think about where each tool was placed from the afternoon when she worked the sai.
"I want you to find the sai, Gabby. Use your memory from this afternoon." Leo instructed.
"Yes, Sensei." She replied. Gabby then felt along the bottom edge of the display box until she could detect where the sai was stored. Leo instructed her to take it. He wanted her to work it in the dark, now. Gabby still didn't like the weapon, but she did was she was told, going back to the gym floor with it. She went through the prescribed motions that Leo had taught her that afternoon. She felt uncomfortable at first working in the dark, remembering that Leo said it was Raph's favorite tool. With her father watching, she was self conscious. But, as she focused on the exercise, she forgot that he was there and zoned in on what she was supposed to do.
Finally, after she had completed the sets, Leo told her, "Now, I want you to put it back."
"By – my self?" she asked, then added quickly, "Sensei?"
"Yes, by your self. You can remember where the box is, can't you?" her instructor asked her.
"I'm not sure, Sensei." Her fear was resurfacing just a little. It was easy when he led her over to the box, but now she had to remember where it was. Had she just stayed still in one spot while she was working the sai, it would have been easy. But, the exercise had her moving around a little and she had momentarily become disoriented in the dark. She hesitated.
"Gabby, please put the sai back!" Leo repeated impatiently.
So, Gabby took a deep breath and listened. Steadying her nerves, she opened herself up to the atmosphere in the gym, the sounds or lack thereof, and the smells. Faintly, she could detect a subtle current of air. It was slight, nearly indeterminable. But once she had calmed her emotions down, Gabby could feel it. The only way a current of air could be possible in the gym was if it were coming from an exterior door. The stairwell! Realizing she had her back to the stairs, Gabby turned a one-eighty. She felt the current and followed it. When her feet stepped off the gym, she noticed the difference in the flooring almost immediately. Once she reached out and felt the railing, she knew, then, exactly where the equipment storage box was! Walking carefully up to it and touching the length of the display, she carefully fingered where the sai belonged. Placing it into its receptacle, she felt triumphant!
Immediately, Leo asked her to close her eyes. Gabby did as instructed and through her lids she could see light! It was a wonderful and beautiful light that gave her a sense of relief. She tried to open her eyes, but the brightness was almost too much for her. She quickly closed them, screwing up her face out of reflex. Leo came over and told her to just sit down and let what little light that was coming through help her adjust. Finally, after a while, she could open them. Relieved, she looked back at the equipment wall to make sure that the sai was where it should be.
Leo asked her, "Tell me, Gabby, how you determined where the storage display was."
His student replied, "I could feel the air current coming down the stairwell, Sensei. I knew that the display was just opposite from there."
Leo smiled at her, "That's what we're trying to teach you! With your sight, you don't learn to sense things. You rely on what you can see. Sometimes, the important things, the more dangerous things, are not what you can see - but what you can't!"
Raph added, "That's why we work in the dark regularly. We have to always keep our senses sharp. You will be expected to repeat this exercise from time to time, but more frequently now until you can willingly go down the stairwell when it's completely dark! Remember your personal victory this evening! Don't forget it! Your old fear will still try to trip you up, but remember that you conquered it today. It will take time, but eventually it will leave you for good!"
Gabby was quiet, not want to think that she would have to be in the darkness again. Yet, she felt elated that she had managed to not panic during the last two hours. She thought she'd never overcome the fear that had petrified her for years.
Gabby could never forget being locked in that cabinet in the basement of her Connecticut home so many years ago. She had been locked in there the whole day while the professor was stuck in New York during a freak snowstorm. She was only twelve at the time. The cabinet was deep and she had been curious to what was in it. She hadn't known that it only opened from the outside. The door had an automatic closing hinge on it and when she was distracted in her pursuit of hidden 'treasures' inside, the door had shut her in. Due to the storm, the power in her town had gone out for the entire day, plunging the basement into complete blackness. She was nearly comatose with fear by the time the professor made it home. He had called throughout the house for her, not realizing that she was down in the basement, nearly unconscious from hysteria! When he finally found her, she grabbed onto him, not letting him go for hours. The memory of that experience had haunted her for years. From that terrible day, Gabby always had a nightlight on in her room as well as in her closet and in her beloved attic. The darkness had become her most feared enemy - until today!
When she emerged from the stairwell and spied the kitchen clock, Gabby was surprised to see that it was only ten in the evening . Her experience made it seem a lot later than that!
Raph and Leo chose to stay down in the gym. She didn't know what they were going to do or talk about, but it was pretty certain they were probably going to discuss her! What did it matter? Gabby had survived something that had always petrified her. The victory gave her a bit of confidence and a good feeling.
Devon was in the family room and noticed his sister right off. "So, Novice, how'd it go in Hell Hole?" and he gave her a wicked grin.
Gabby chose to ignore him. He was only trying to bate her and she was determined not to let him.
"Hey, Novice - I asked how it went down there." Devon repeated, but more intently, putting down the surfer magazine that he was reading.
Gabby turned around to face her brother, "It went fine, if you need to know. Now, I want to go to bed. If you will excuse me!" and she turned back around and walked towards the stairs.
Devon jumped up, walked over to her and grabbed her shoulder, turning her around, "Don't like the tone of your voice!" he warned.
Gabby just looked at him, saying flatly, "My apologies! No offense was intended!"
Devon nodded, eyeing her suspiciously. Then, he acknowledged, "Okay, so you're learning respect. But, I'm still pissed at you!" He stared at her long and hard. Then, with a crooked smile, he added, "Heard Mike is planning a day at the beach; surfing and everything! Ever surfed before, Gabs?"
After enduring the inky blackness of the unlit gym, Gabby's response wasn't as severe as it would have been earlier. She replied, " Really? Well, can't wait. I like the beach!" Then she paused, finally asking, "May I go, now?" and waited.
After a moment of scrutinizing her, Devon nodded, clearly disappointed with her lack of display, "Yeah, you can go!" and snorted in frustration. Gabby turned and walked calmly through the room and to the stairs. If Devon had been able to see her face then, he would have seen Gabby with the biggest grin she'd had on since last Christmas!
Gabby was so glad to be up in her room. What a day! The sad part was she missed out visiting with the professor! Still, she had accomplished a lot. Learning was what she loved to do and even though this kind of learning was painful, she relished in her success. She never would have believed that was how she would feel, not after going through what she did. Her response surprised her!
Sleep was not hard to come by, but she did make sure to set her alarm beforehand. Gabby decided that she would get up at four-thirty in the morning to resume her laps in the pool that she tried to start last week. This time, though, she would start out with a smaller number, not wanting to risk another leg cramp!
When the alarm went off, she had a hard time getting up. All that work yesterday with so few breaks and she was dead tired. But, she had made up her mind this was going to be part of her routine. She took off her nightclothes and slipped into her swimsuit. Tying her hair back then snapping up her pool towel, robe, and her watch, she quietly made her way out the bedroom and down the stairs.
The pool water was cold! The sky was still dark and the stars were bright in the sky. The air felt frosty, but Gabby was determined to do this so long as the weather held. She gasped as she slipped into the shallow end. Not wanting to take forever in acclimating to the water's temperature, she dove in the rest of the way headfirst. Coming up quickly from the shock of the cold water, she sucked in air. Then, Gabby started her laps, letting her muscles work up her core temperature. She did a slow twenty laps and then went over to the side of the pool to check the time. It was five-fifteen! Just enough time to get toweled off, grab some fruit and a muffin, then head back upstairs to dry off completely and dress for training!
The moment she entered the back of the house, she smelled coffee! Who would be up at this time making coffee? Gabby had her hair wrapped in the towel as she went into the kitchen. The pot looked like it had a serving missing from it, so she looked around the family room. Mike was in one of the overstuffed recliners, reading the newspaper.
" Morn'n, Gabs!" he chirped, obviously in a good mood. He put the paper down and, with his partially emptied mug of coffee, stood up and sauntered over to the breakfast bar where he could engage himself better with his niece. Slipping onto one of the stools, "Have a good swim?" he asked looking at her, and then taking a sip from his cup.
"Yeah, I did actually!" she replied as she poured herself some coffee. She grabbed a banana and started to peel it. Gabby felt better this morning, though she had no clue what Leo had in mind for her. She thought maybe he'd have her clean the floor again; might be some traditional thing that precedes the actual training. Gabby had thought a lot about what might be in store for her today while she was doing her laps. Yesterday was quite monumental for her, all things considered. She had also thought about what Devon said the night before about surfing. While she had done her laps, she wondered if maybe Seth had shared that bit of trivia with him. Or, maybe Devon had not been as asleep as he appeared when she and Seth played along the water's edge in Carmel last week.
"Glad to hear you beat that old demon!!" Mike exclaimed, his smile wide.
"Don't know if I beat it, but I feel better about it. At least while I'm standing here with the lights on!" and Gabby smiled.
Mike laughed at her jest. He studied her a bit and then ventured, "Say, maybe Sunday we could all go to the beach! You know, catch some rays, do a little surf'n, and stuff like that? Whadd'ya say?"
Devon was not baiting her after all. Mike was indeed planning a beach trip. Gabby remembered what Don had said, though, when he outlined her training schedule. She replied, "Can't. Have review on Sunday." and she took the last bite of her banana. Gabby grabbed a blueberry muffin and sat down on one of the kitchen stools. She took a bite and chewed, watching Mike as he studied her. She sipped her coffee in-between nibbling her muffin
"Well, I'm sure that we could squeeze in an hour or two over at the cove. I mean, how much review is there going to be? Won't take all day, I think!" and he smiled, waiting.
Gabby was getting pretty good at recognizing bait when she heard it. Taking him up on it, she replied, "Hey, if there's time - sure thing! You have boards?" and she stared back, watching for his reaction.
He blinked, not expecting that kind of response from her. "Ah, sure! 'Nuff for everyone, actually. You surf?" Mike was a bit puzzled. He was positive Devon said she freaked when Seth went into the water.
"No, not really. Never had the opportunity. Would love to watch, though, and see how it's done. Maybe you could give me a few pointers!" Gabby finished the last of her muffin, and then said, "Whoops gotta go! Great talk'n to you, Mike! "And she slipped off the chair and walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Mike looked after her, scratching his head, making a point to discuss some things with Devon!
Gabby had all she could do to keep from busting up. Though she was mortally afraid of deep water, just seeing Mike's reaction when she tried to feign nonchalance was priceless. She made it to her room before letting out a muffled laugh. She rolled on her bed in near hysterics, thinking about his puzzled look, his dropped jaw! It was worth every effort to remain calm.
Looking over at the alarm, Gabby noticed she had less than 10 minutes to be down in the gym! She quickly tore off the towel from her head and ran into the bathroom to pick out her hair. She applied a little gel for control and then wrapped her hair up into a ponytail. She took off her swimsuit and draped it over the tub side. Then, she went into her bedroom, donned some underwear and then swiftly jumped into her doji. She put her slippers on and quickly left the room. She took the steps two at a time, landing lightly in the foyer and then head quickly through the family room. Mike had left, but Gabby noticed through a side window that Leo was coming in from the guesthouse where he was staying, caring for the professor until the medical help arrived on Wednesday. His head was down as if in deep thought. Quickly, Gabby opened the stairwell door and scooted down the steps. It was dark, but she wanted very much to arrive first. She flipped the light switch on when she hit the bottom step and then tried to get control of her breathing. She had paid attention when Don did his meditation. Gabby focused on taking in an even amount of air, keeping the rhythm paced and not hurried. Before Leo had entered the top of the stairwell, she had her breathing down to normal. In that she felt the smallest of victories.
"Good! You're here already!" Leo said as he descended the stairs. He seemed pleased to see his niece ready to go. Gabby smiled back, pleased with her self as well. She bowed towards her sensei and he returned the gesture, in kind.
Leo then brought up the bucket and the toothbrush, which didn't surprise Gabby one bit. In fact, she was expecting it. She smiled to herself, feeling quite smug. Then, what Leo said next, just about stopped her heart, "You will be cleaning the floor, as you did yesterday! However, you will be doing it with the lights off!" and he handed her the bucket and the toothbrush.
Gabby stared at the items in her hands and then looked up at Leo, " Ah, it will be difficult to tell if I've covered the entire floor or even if I cleaned it thoroughly!" She started to feel that old fear again creeping up her back.
Leo just stood there and smiled, saying, "I'll let you know if you did a good job. I'll be back in two hours!" and he turned and walked lightly up the stairs, turning the light off as he went. When he closed the stairwell door, Gabby found herself in complete darkness - again!
Leo had sat on the other side of her, book-ending Gabby in case she tried to bolt. Between himself and Raph, they were going to work her through this fear of the dark, even if it took all night. He was going to have to eventually speak with the professor to see why it was he hadn't dealt with this fear of hers before. If it had been up to Leo, he would have conquered it early on before it had taken root. Now, there was no telling how long it was going to take to undo the damage.
Finally, after some time allowing her to experience the calm of the inky blackness, Leo asked Gabby to stand up. She only shook her head, which Raph felt. Her father then he told her she was going to stand. Gathering himself up, Raph stood, taking his daughter with him. Gabby's legs buckled and she would have fallen back to the floor, but Leo took her other arm to steady her. She started hyperventilating, feeling weak and lightheaded. "I can't do this. Please!" She begged them, "I just want to see some light." She cried.
But Leo and Raph said nothing in reply as they forced her to walk around the darkened gym, pulling her along gently while they encouraged her with words. They worked her this way for quite some time until they no longer had to physically make Gabby move. When it appeared she was taking steps on her own as she paced herself with them, they knew she was ready.
First, Leo let go of her and in that moment, Gabby reached out for him. But, her sensei was instantly beyond her immediate reach. In desperation, she grabbed Raph's supporting arm all the tighter with both hands, not wanting him to let go, too, "P-please d-don't l-leave me!!" she whimpered as she stuttered the words out.
"Not in a million years, Gabs." Raph replied softly. "But, you need to overcome this. You can't let something like the dark overpower you."
" D-did you find this out from the professor? Did you question him a-about me? Is that how you found out?" Gabby asked her father, seething the words out. Her voice was shaky and raspy from her crying. But it was edged with a discernable undercurrent of anger. She was appalled that her surrogate father, the Professor, would do such a thing. Had his health affected his memory of that awful day? Gabby felt deeply betrayed.
"We talked to him at great length this morning while you were in here cleaning the floor. Yes, he did tell us about your fear of the dark - and how it happened. "Leo explained, standing close enough to hear their conversation, but far enough way so Gabby couldn't reach him.
"What else did he tell you about me?" Gabby asked, angry that the professor would divulge what she considered to be a very private matter.
"He gave us enough information to give us an idea on how to train you and what to work on first." Leo answered her.
She began to cry, again. But she swallowed it back before it could overtake her. She then shuddered. If Leo and Raph were aware of all her fears, she was going to have one awful week. Still, there was one terror that the professor didn't know about and that was her fear of the ocean. Only Seth knew and he was in Japan. But, if they did find out, considering the proximity of Mike's place with the coast, Gabby knew they would challenge her on that as well. Hopefully, Seth didn't say anything to Devon about it; she was sure her brother wouldn't waste such an opportunity!
Suddenly, without warning, Raph pushed her hands off of his arm and let go of her. She immediately reached frantically out for him, but he was not there. She was amazed he could move so quickly! One moment, she was holding onto him as if for dear life. In the next, he was just – gone! Gabby felt her legs buckling in her renewed terror and she started slumping to the floor.
"Don't sit down, Gabby!" Leo warned.
She stood there in a half crouch, shaking in fear. She felt the blackness of the room nearly suffocating her. Gabby clenched her fists in anger, mad that they would leave her there unsupported. But she finally stood back up as instructed. In that moment, she disliked Leo an awful lot. Her father was coming in a close second, but she really couldn't apply the same feelings of anger towards him. She felt despair at herself for even thinking that way. Raph had shown considerable understanding and patience. Leo, too, but he was the one who started this so Gabby felt justified in how she felt towards him. And, for a moment, she allowed the professor to share a little bit in that honor!
"I want you to walk now!" Leo instructed.
Gabby stood there frozen, unable to move; barely able to breath.
"Gabby, I want you to take one step; just one!" Leo said.
Gabby's heart started to race. Her breathing began its staccato pace again. But, obediently, she managed to put her right foot forward and then brought the other to rest beside it. Both her feet felt like lead weights to her.
"Good" Leo encouraged brightly. "Now, take a second one!"
"How can you tell what I'm doing when it's so dark in here?" she asked huskily, amazed that both Leo and Raph were able to see her.
"We can hear you breath and the sound of your clothing against your skin. We can even discern your scent. We train in the dark regularly, Gabby. It's not that hard, really. Now, take that second step." Leo instructed intently. He was aware that she had stopped addressing him in the way he had taught her. For now, he decide, he would let it slide. Later, though, Leo would re-implement the lesson.
She reluctantly complied. It was a slow process, but little by little, Gabby made her way across the length of the gym. After a time, she was less frantic and she breathed more evenly, but her fear was still there. It was only because of the serious tone of Leo's voice that she moved at all. It helped, too, that she was doing something physical to distract her from the overwhelming darkness. Finally, as she neared the far end of the room, she sensed a wall or a door. It was the restroom.
"If you need to use it, you may!" Leo offered.
Quickly, Gabby opened the door and retreated inside the room. It was a fully functional bathroom with a shower, commode, and sink. She frantically tried to find the switch. When she did and attempted to activate it, nothing happened. She realized with a sinking heart that the circuit breakers for the restroom were turned off as well. Sighing, Gabby made the best of it.
After washing her hands, she splashed some of the water on her face to freshen herself. It cooled off her frustration just a little. She cupped her hands and caught some of the liquid and gulped hungrily. She hadn't realized how thirsty she had become and it tasted good. Gabby was surprised that she could get so dehydrated from her experience. She drank some more.
She allowed herself time to regroup her thoughts and resolve. There wasn't any way out except through the one door. She knew that from when Don had her down in the gym the week before. Gabby thought of barricading herself in, but knew that would have been a waste of time. With the way both Raph and Leo could open locked doors, it would have been a futile attempt on her part.
Finally, she reemerged back into the gym, resigned to the vast expanse of darkness once again.
Over the next hour, Raph and Leo worked with her to get her calmed down enough so she could start learning to use her other senses. Gabby was a quick learner once she settled her emotions, but it took a while. Occasionally, her fears would resurface and they would have to work with her again to refocus on relaxing. But, little by little, the frequency of doing so diminished.
At first, they had her just listen to the darkness. Then, Raph would move silently off in one direction. Leo would instruct her, then, to find her father and it almost made her laugh.
"How can I find him when I can't even see!" she exclaimed almost derisively.
"Listen for him. Use your senses to tell where he's at." Leo directed her, then he corrected, "And please address me properly, Gabriella!"
She quietly said, "Yes, Sensei."
Because Gabby had become familiar with the smell of his breath from when he was holding her earlier, she gradually learned to detect where Raph was. She wasn't sure, but the first time she was able to pinpoint his whereabouts, she thought she felt him smile! Leo might have, too, but Gabby was more in tune with her father at that moment. The more success she had with this exercise, the less afraid she was. Eventually, she became adjusted to the inky blackness of the gym. Her obvious recovery from her hysteria was quite noticeable to both Leo and Raph.
Then, Leo led her carefully over to the equipment box. He had her think about where each tool was placed from the afternoon when she worked the sai.
"I want you to find the sai, Gabby. Use your memory from this afternoon." Leo instructed.
"Yes, Sensei." She replied. Gabby then felt along the bottom edge of the display box until she could detect where the sai was stored. Leo instructed her to take it. He wanted her to work it in the dark, now. Gabby still didn't like the weapon, but she did was she was told, going back to the gym floor with it. She went through the prescribed motions that Leo had taught her that afternoon. She felt uncomfortable at first working in the dark, remembering that Leo said it was Raph's favorite tool. With her father watching, she was self conscious. But, as she focused on the exercise, she forgot that he was there and zoned in on what she was supposed to do.
Finally, after she had completed the sets, Leo told her, "Now, I want you to put it back."
"By – my self?" she asked, then added quickly, "Sensei?"
"Yes, by your self. You can remember where the box is, can't you?" her instructor asked her.
"I'm not sure, Sensei." Her fear was resurfacing just a little. It was easy when he led her over to the box, but now she had to remember where it was. Had she just stayed still in one spot while she was working the sai, it would have been easy. But, the exercise had her moving around a little and she had momentarily become disoriented in the dark. She hesitated.
"Gabby, please put the sai back!" Leo repeated impatiently.
So, Gabby took a deep breath and listened. Steadying her nerves, she opened herself up to the atmosphere in the gym, the sounds or lack thereof, and the smells. Faintly, she could detect a subtle current of air. It was slight, nearly indeterminable. But once she had calmed her emotions down, Gabby could feel it. The only way a current of air could be possible in the gym was if it were coming from an exterior door. The stairwell! Realizing she had her back to the stairs, Gabby turned a one-eighty. She felt the current and followed it. When her feet stepped off the gym, she noticed the difference in the flooring almost immediately. Once she reached out and felt the railing, she knew, then, exactly where the equipment storage box was! Walking carefully up to it and touching the length of the display, she carefully fingered where the sai belonged. Placing it into its receptacle, she felt triumphant!
Immediately, Leo asked her to close her eyes. Gabby did as instructed and through her lids she could see light! It was a wonderful and beautiful light that gave her a sense of relief. She tried to open her eyes, but the brightness was almost too much for her. She quickly closed them, screwing up her face out of reflex. Leo came over and told her to just sit down and let what little light that was coming through help her adjust. Finally, after a while, she could open them. Relieved, she looked back at the equipment wall to make sure that the sai was where it should be.
Leo asked her, "Tell me, Gabby, how you determined where the storage display was."
His student replied, "I could feel the air current coming down the stairwell, Sensei. I knew that the display was just opposite from there."
Leo smiled at her, "That's what we're trying to teach you! With your sight, you don't learn to sense things. You rely on what you can see. Sometimes, the important things, the more dangerous things, are not what you can see - but what you can't!"
Raph added, "That's why we work in the dark regularly. We have to always keep our senses sharp. You will be expected to repeat this exercise from time to time, but more frequently now until you can willingly go down the stairwell when it's completely dark! Remember your personal victory this evening! Don't forget it! Your old fear will still try to trip you up, but remember that you conquered it today. It will take time, but eventually it will leave you for good!"
Gabby was quiet, not want to think that she would have to be in the darkness again. Yet, she felt elated that she had managed to not panic during the last two hours. She thought she'd never overcome the fear that had petrified her for years.
Gabby could never forget being locked in that cabinet in the basement of her Connecticut home so many years ago. She had been locked in there the whole day while the professor was stuck in New York during a freak snowstorm. She was only twelve at the time. The cabinet was deep and she had been curious to what was in it. She hadn't known that it only opened from the outside. The door had an automatic closing hinge on it and when she was distracted in her pursuit of hidden 'treasures' inside, the door had shut her in. Due to the storm, the power in her town had gone out for the entire day, plunging the basement into complete blackness. She was nearly comatose with fear by the time the professor made it home. He had called throughout the house for her, not realizing that she was down in the basement, nearly unconscious from hysteria! When he finally found her, she grabbed onto him, not letting him go for hours. The memory of that experience had haunted her for years. From that terrible day, Gabby always had a nightlight on in her room as well as in her closet and in her beloved attic. The darkness had become her most feared enemy - until today!
When she emerged from the stairwell and spied the kitchen clock, Gabby was surprised to see that it was only ten in the evening . Her experience made it seem a lot later than that!
Raph and Leo chose to stay down in the gym. She didn't know what they were going to do or talk about, but it was pretty certain they were probably going to discuss her! What did it matter? Gabby had survived something that had always petrified her. The victory gave her a bit of confidence and a good feeling.
Devon was in the family room and noticed his sister right off. "So, Novice, how'd it go in Hell Hole?" and he gave her a wicked grin.
Gabby chose to ignore him. He was only trying to bate her and she was determined not to let him.
"Hey, Novice - I asked how it went down there." Devon repeated, but more intently, putting down the surfer magazine that he was reading.
Gabby turned around to face her brother, "It went fine, if you need to know. Now, I want to go to bed. If you will excuse me!" and she turned back around and walked towards the stairs.
Devon jumped up, walked over to her and grabbed her shoulder, turning her around, "Don't like the tone of your voice!" he warned.
Gabby just looked at him, saying flatly, "My apologies! No offense was intended!"
Devon nodded, eyeing her suspiciously. Then, he acknowledged, "Okay, so you're learning respect. But, I'm still pissed at you!" He stared at her long and hard. Then, with a crooked smile, he added, "Heard Mike is planning a day at the beach; surfing and everything! Ever surfed before, Gabs?"
After enduring the inky blackness of the unlit gym, Gabby's response wasn't as severe as it would have been earlier. She replied, " Really? Well, can't wait. I like the beach!" Then she paused, finally asking, "May I go, now?" and waited.
After a moment of scrutinizing her, Devon nodded, clearly disappointed with her lack of display, "Yeah, you can go!" and snorted in frustration. Gabby turned and walked calmly through the room and to the stairs. If Devon had been able to see her face then, he would have seen Gabby with the biggest grin she'd had on since last Christmas!
Gabby was so glad to be up in her room. What a day! The sad part was she missed out visiting with the professor! Still, she had accomplished a lot. Learning was what she loved to do and even though this kind of learning was painful, she relished in her success. She never would have believed that was how she would feel, not after going through what she did. Her response surprised her!
Sleep was not hard to come by, but she did make sure to set her alarm beforehand. Gabby decided that she would get up at four-thirty in the morning to resume her laps in the pool that she tried to start last week. This time, though, she would start out with a smaller number, not wanting to risk another leg cramp!
When the alarm went off, she had a hard time getting up. All that work yesterday with so few breaks and she was dead tired. But, she had made up her mind this was going to be part of her routine. She took off her nightclothes and slipped into her swimsuit. Tying her hair back then snapping up her pool towel, robe, and her watch, she quietly made her way out the bedroom and down the stairs.
The pool water was cold! The sky was still dark and the stars were bright in the sky. The air felt frosty, but Gabby was determined to do this so long as the weather held. She gasped as she slipped into the shallow end. Not wanting to take forever in acclimating to the water's temperature, she dove in the rest of the way headfirst. Coming up quickly from the shock of the cold water, she sucked in air. Then, Gabby started her laps, letting her muscles work up her core temperature. She did a slow twenty laps and then went over to the side of the pool to check the time. It was five-fifteen! Just enough time to get toweled off, grab some fruit and a muffin, then head back upstairs to dry off completely and dress for training!
The moment she entered the back of the house, she smelled coffee! Who would be up at this time making coffee? Gabby had her hair wrapped in the towel as she went into the kitchen. The pot looked like it had a serving missing from it, so she looked around the family room. Mike was in one of the overstuffed recliners, reading the newspaper.
" Morn'n, Gabs!" he chirped, obviously in a good mood. He put the paper down and, with his partially emptied mug of coffee, stood up and sauntered over to the breakfast bar where he could engage himself better with his niece. Slipping onto one of the stools, "Have a good swim?" he asked looking at her, and then taking a sip from his cup.
"Yeah, I did actually!" she replied as she poured herself some coffee. She grabbed a banana and started to peel it. Gabby felt better this morning, though she had no clue what Leo had in mind for her. She thought maybe he'd have her clean the floor again; might be some traditional thing that precedes the actual training. Gabby had thought a lot about what might be in store for her today while she was doing her laps. Yesterday was quite monumental for her, all things considered. She had also thought about what Devon said the night before about surfing. While she had done her laps, she wondered if maybe Seth had shared that bit of trivia with him. Or, maybe Devon had not been as asleep as he appeared when she and Seth played along the water's edge in Carmel last week.
"Glad to hear you beat that old demon!!" Mike exclaimed, his smile wide.
"Don't know if I beat it, but I feel better about it. At least while I'm standing here with the lights on!" and Gabby smiled.
Mike laughed at her jest. He studied her a bit and then ventured, "Say, maybe Sunday we could all go to the beach! You know, catch some rays, do a little surf'n, and stuff like that? Whadd'ya say?"
Devon was not baiting her after all. Mike was indeed planning a beach trip. Gabby remembered what Don had said, though, when he outlined her training schedule. She replied, "Can't. Have review on Sunday." and she took the last bite of her banana. Gabby grabbed a blueberry muffin and sat down on one of the kitchen stools. She took a bite and chewed, watching Mike as he studied her. She sipped her coffee in-between nibbling her muffin
"Well, I'm sure that we could squeeze in an hour or two over at the cove. I mean, how much review is there going to be? Won't take all day, I think!" and he smiled, waiting.
Gabby was getting pretty good at recognizing bait when she heard it. Taking him up on it, she replied, "Hey, if there's time - sure thing! You have boards?" and she stared back, watching for his reaction.
He blinked, not expecting that kind of response from her. "Ah, sure! 'Nuff for everyone, actually. You surf?" Mike was a bit puzzled. He was positive Devon said she freaked when Seth went into the water.
"No, not really. Never had the opportunity. Would love to watch, though, and see how it's done. Maybe you could give me a few pointers!" Gabby finished the last of her muffin, and then said, "Whoops gotta go! Great talk'n to you, Mike! "And she slipped off the chair and walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Mike looked after her, scratching his head, making a point to discuss some things with Devon!
Gabby had all she could do to keep from busting up. Though she was mortally afraid of deep water, just seeing Mike's reaction when she tried to feign nonchalance was priceless. She made it to her room before letting out a muffled laugh. She rolled on her bed in near hysterics, thinking about his puzzled look, his dropped jaw! It was worth every effort to remain calm.
Looking over at the alarm, Gabby noticed she had less than 10 minutes to be down in the gym! She quickly tore off the towel from her head and ran into the bathroom to pick out her hair. She applied a little gel for control and then wrapped her hair up into a ponytail. She took off her swimsuit and draped it over the tub side. Then, she went into her bedroom, donned some underwear and then swiftly jumped into her doji. She put her slippers on and quickly left the room. She took the steps two at a time, landing lightly in the foyer and then head quickly through the family room. Mike had left, but Gabby noticed through a side window that Leo was coming in from the guesthouse where he was staying, caring for the professor until the medical help arrived on Wednesday. His head was down as if in deep thought. Quickly, Gabby opened the stairwell door and scooted down the steps. It was dark, but she wanted very much to arrive first. She flipped the light switch on when she hit the bottom step and then tried to get control of her breathing. She had paid attention when Don did his meditation. Gabby focused on taking in an even amount of air, keeping the rhythm paced and not hurried. Before Leo had entered the top of the stairwell, she had her breathing down to normal. In that she felt the smallest of victories.
"Good! You're here already!" Leo said as he descended the stairs. He seemed pleased to see his niece ready to go. Gabby smiled back, pleased with her self as well. She bowed towards her sensei and he returned the gesture, in kind.
Leo then brought up the bucket and the toothbrush, which didn't surprise Gabby one bit. In fact, she was expecting it. She smiled to herself, feeling quite smug. Then, what Leo said next, just about stopped her heart, "You will be cleaning the floor, as you did yesterday! However, you will be doing it with the lights off!" and he handed her the bucket and the toothbrush.
Gabby stared at the items in her hands and then looked up at Leo, " Ah, it will be difficult to tell if I've covered the entire floor or even if I cleaned it thoroughly!" She started to feel that old fear again creeping up her back.
Leo just stood there and smiled, saying, "I'll let you know if you did a good job. I'll be back in two hours!" and he turned and walked lightly up the stairs, turning the light off as he went. When he closed the stairwell door, Gabby found herself in complete darkness - again!
