Chapter 94: Shaniqua broke down in tears

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“OUCH” she hopped around on one foot.”Kicking you is like kicking a wall!”

Then she realized what she had done and broke down in tears.

“Oh...I’m so sorry!” she said and she cried. She cried for a long time, then she got the hiccups. I stood very still when she stood up and walked to me.

“I need a hug” she said.

I held my arms out for her and she flinched, then gritted her teeth and stepped forward. I kept my arms wide. She stood on her toes and put her face on my chest.

“I’m sorry.I don’t know what’s come over me. It just started happening. I’m afraid of men and I HATE it. I’m not afraid of YOU, but your body terrifies me.” she sobbed.

“That’s ok...there there and stuff like that”. I muttered.

She giggled and looked up at me.

“You sound so sincere.” she said.

“Sorry...above my pay grade. I can tell you two things though.” I said.

“What’s that?” she tried to smile.

“First off John Wayne said” ...and I stopped...she looked puzzled.

“You don’t know who John Wayne was?” I said in horror.

“Nope..no clue.” she replied.

“Kids these days.” I replied...she hit me...not too hard.” Look it up. He said ‘Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.”

“Saddling?” she questioned.

“A horse silly. Which brings me to the second thing. My grandfather was a cowboy. He always told me "When you get bucked off a horse get right back up on him right away.”

She thought about that for a moment..then looked at me and grinned. "Giddy Up Horsy.”

After that I swear she went out of her way to be provocative as possible, wear revealing clothing when she bothered to wear anything at all, bump into me and rub against me at every opportunity. She was ‘getting back on the horse’ so to speak.

“Oh...and one other thing.” I said one day.

“What?” she asked.

“I can help you with your hand to hand fighting technique. I used to be good at it.” I replied.

“Used to be?” she looked dubious.

“Oh I’m MUCH better than merely ‘good’ now.” I replied. "But WAIT..there’s more. It’s absolutely impossible for you to hurt me barehanded.”

She looked dubious.

“Go ahead..try it. Give it your best shot.” I said.

She telegraphed her blow so bad she could have been western union. I didn’t want her to hurt herself hitting me on the jaw so stopped her punch with my open palm. I didn’t close it for fear of frightening her.

“No fair. How can I hit you if you won’t let me...” then she realized what she had said "Oh...now I feel stupid.”

I laughed.

“You’re right about that.” I said. "but that wasn’t the reason I stopped you. First lesson. Never hit anything hard with something fragile . It’s a losing proposition. Your fist is fragile. Hands have those dinky little finger things. They break very easily.”

“But I’ve seen at the movies.....oh.” she looked sheepish again. "I’ve said something stoopid again haven’t I?”

“Yup.” I agreed.

“ If you have to hit someone with your hands or feet always hit something soft. Like their solar plexus or throat. Go ahead. Punch me in the belly...as hard as you want.” I told her.

She did that. She punched and punched and kicked and really worked up a sweat. Soon she was sweating and panting. The flimsy thing she was wearing stuck to her like paint. She looked up at me again and wiped the sweat off her face. I wasn’t looking at her face. ...She giggled.

She looked down..not at herself but at me..

“Are you happy to see me or...”

“YES” I interrupted her...” I’m very happy to see you, and no..that’s definitely NOT a roll of quarters in my pants.”

She giggled. "Oh I wasn’t thinking of quarters...more like a flag pole”

“Get a poker from the fireplace” I said in exasperation. I was trying to take my mind off a subject that needed to be avoided. She wasn’t helping "Hit me with it.”

She looked dubious but did as I told her. She wound up good and if she had connected with a baseball she would have hit it out of the park.

‘THUD’...I didn’t even flinch.

“Do it again...harder...hit me anywhere” I said.

“I dunno about that.” she said "Some things I want to preserve for possible future use....... BUT!!”

She let loose with a flurry of swings with that iron poker to match what she had done with her fists and feet.

“Thud..thud..thud..thud’...she hit me everywhere except for my face and crotch.

Finally she wore out. She was wringing wet with sweat now. She peeled out of her garment and tossed it in the floor then turned to me and said.

“Didn’t do any good huh?” she panted. She was breathing hard.

“Nope.” I said. "you can NOT hurt me.

“Knife?” she asked.

“Try it.” I used the Q to float a butcher knife from the kitchen to her..handle first.

She looked at the floating knife with wide eyes and open mouth. Then she looked at me. "I remember you doing stuff like that before...and wings. We were flying weren’t we? I thought I dreamed it.”

“It was all real” I assured her.”Soon you will be able to control the Q too.”

“Go ahead...take it...stab or slice.” I coaxed her.

I held out my arm. She tentatively tried to slice it. Nothing.

She tried harder...still nothing.

She looked up at me. I was afraid she might be frightened but the opposite was true. She dropped the knife and ran into my arms.

“Hug me.” she commanded.

I did so...very gently. I could feel her flinch just the tiniest little bit when I closed my arms around her...but it didn’t last. She snuggled close.

“No one can hurt me when you’re with me”. she muttered.

“Nope. I promise.” I agreed. "Not while I’m still alive...and I take a lot of killing.”

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