Free Tremble in the Dark: A Gwen Farris Novel by P. S. Power Page B

sticky, that hangs on
your energy system. It's like a very poorly constructed radiative, most of the
time." He wasn't out of breath at all, and Beth was in the lead, with
Manly behind her, as if she might just try to run away. That was probably
protocol as well, because the idea really did occur to her.
    After
a moment, he continued.
    "What
will be needed is for you to align all the energy of your body, and to hold
that state until the information and energy that makes up the curse is wiped
clean. We'll start with the one that's on you. I'll hold the proper state and
you'll feel my energy, until you understand it. Then you'll try."
    They
finally got to the last bedroom suite on the fourth floor, and moved into the
hindmost room. Then Bethany got a chair for her to sit in while Manly unpacked
the little bag. He laid things out, on a clean, but clearly rather old and well
worn blond wood table, and then moved in, taking her hand. He didn't hesitate
first like everyone else would have.
    It
actually took her by surprise. She was used to people not wanting to touch her,
but Manly wasn't forcing himself, he was just doing it. Except that those
feelings were old, weren't they? From her life before. People didn't really
hesitate to touch her here. Not because of her being warped, at least.
    "Now,
focus and follow along."
    It
did take a lot of concentration for Gwen to feel what was happening, but after
about a minute she had it. Then she tried it herself, still holding the man's
hand. It was warm. Strong too.
    He
barked at her.
    "No.
That's too rough and haphazard. Do it again. Match what I'm doing."
    It
took about ten tries and he finally let go, seeming happy enough with her.
    "Hold
that state then. Four minutes should do."
    Beth
stood back, her hands clasped in front of her skirt, the heavy material making
her look a bit like someone from an old cold war movie for a moment. The sexy
spy, about to be sent away from mother Russia...
    She
focused harder and held the correct energy for the needed amount of time,
finally feeling the faintest hint of relief. It was a slight drop in pressure,
which was hanging around her head and shoulders mainly. Suddenly, it faded into
nothingness.
    "And
done." Manly smiled. "Good. Now, we'll work on a variety of things
here, to help condition you to the correct mode, in case this happens again,
and you're going up against someone actually good and not just an angry
woman with emotional problems. We'll work on the clarity of your energy first.
I'll lay a small curse on you, one about four times more powerful than the one
you just broke, and you'll have four minutes to break it. If you fail, then
you'll be punished." He set that part up with a few deft moves, a box with
a brass case that was about the size of a pack of playing cards with a single
cotton wrapped wire coming out of it.
    On
the far end was a single dime sized lead colored piece, which was fixed to her
left forearm with a tiny bit of adhesive.
    A
sense of dread came over her then, and the man nodded.
    "Go,
you have four minutes."
    She
didn't make it, of course. Not even close. That meant she screamed as horrible
and wracking pain tore through her for nearly five seconds. Punishment for
failing. It hurt a lot, but when it was over, it vanished totally.
    The
man gave her a blank stare and shook his head.
    "Gwen,
focus on the clarity of the field. Do it again."
    That
was the refrain for the rest of the night. When she managed it, she was given a
new task, and when she failed at those, she screamed. It was less fun that it
sounded like it would be to begin with.
    A
lot less.

Chapter
five
     
     
     
     
     
    The
next morning, after ten grueling hours of hard magical work, not to mention
pain that was intense enough that she was kind of afraid of Manly Westmorland
now, as if she hadn't really been before, they let her go. Or, that was what
they said. What it really meant was that she got to take a shower before
running, possibly literally, to