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“And whatever is out there,” Jason mumbled.
“Yes, well, I think they’d be the ones in trouble if they came inside with ill intentions. You’d protect me, right?”
Jason laughed. “Um, sure. If you had a heart attack or something. Otherwise, I don’t think you’d need it.”
Sabum sighed and nodded back to the floor. “Okay, back to business. I’m going to try something, Jason. Humor me, all right?”
Jason nodded and stood across from him. His heartbeat thumped in his ears as Sabum stepped toe-to-toe with him.
“Don’t move,” his instructor said. “I want you to root yourself to the ground.”
“Root myself to the ground,” he muttered to himself. “Okay.” Jason froze and watched the instructor’s hand reach out and hold his shoulder. “Don’t move,” he said again as Jason started to flinch away.
He froze and imagined Hannah there, casually touching him as she talked about one of her students. He pictured her face, her laugh, her touch. He smiled, remembering how she lit up the room whenever she laughed.
“That’s it,” his instructor said, drawing his thoughts back.
Jason looked down and saw both of Sabum’s hands on his arms, holding him.
“You’re doing great,” he said softly. “Now, lift your arms and hold my shoulders.”
Jason’s arms were lead, but he tried anyway. He closed his eyes and pictured Hannah in front of him.
“Well, I didn’t expect that, but . . .”
Jason opened his eyes and found himself against Sabum’s chest, hugging him tight. As if realizing he was holding a hot potato, he dropped his hands and stepped away. “Sorry. I pictured that you were Hannah.”
“I see.”
The light from outside dimmed behind them.
They both turned and saw a guy in a black hoodie and black pants step in. “Is this—is it just you two?”
Sabum tucked his arms behind his back. “Yes,” he said politely. “I’m in the middle of a private lesson. Regular classes are—”
The guy grabbed a gun from his pocket and pointed it right at them. “I don’t care, old man,” the guy snapped. “Give me your valuables, cash, whatever you got.” He shook the gun at him. “Now!”
Adrenaline pumped through Jason’s blood as he stared from the butt of the gun back to his instructor’s face. The talk earlier had given Jason bravery, but even as Sabum shot him a look of determination that said they shouldn’t take this sitting down, he wasn’t sure he could do it.
“You,” he said, pointing at Jason, “Stay there. No funny business.”
Jason would have laughed had the situation been less dire. “It’s not me you have to worry about.” He wasn’t sure how he could joke at a time like this, but as Sabum continued edging closer to him and the man, his confidence grew.
“That’s right, young man,” Sabum said, addressing the intruder and taking another giant step toward him. “My student can’t touch anyone without it causing him great pain. That’s why he’s here.” Another step. “Maybe I can help you too.”
The guy shook the gun at them. “Oh, no you don’t.”
Sabum took a tiny step back and held up his hands. “No problem, but listen, I don’t have anything here for you. My accounts are all digital, though I may have a dollar in my pocket leftover from lunch.”
The guy smirked, and Jason got a good look at his face. A long scar crossed under his right eye and ended at the joint under his ear, as if someone had dragged a knife down his cheek. The more he looked at him, the more Jason knew the guy really didn’t want to do this. This was his last resort and he needed help. “My bag,” Jason said, pointing to the door. His voice shook, but it was there. He was doing this. “It’s on that chair.” He pointed to his duffle bag and change of clothes.
He stilled as the guy picked up the jeans. Not that.
“Jason, are you ready to go?”
All three of them turned to the door where Hannah was. Jason’s heart squeezed.
“G-g-go,” Jason said hoarsely.
