I've decided to tell the whole story of my time with Katrina back when I was in college. I think this way I may make better sense of the whole experience. It was a long time ago, but some parts come back to me as if it were last year.
I
I was a junior at Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y. I was the lead backstroker on the swim team when the school was very competitive in the sport. The school year was scheduled differently then. The academic semester did not end with the Christmas break. You returned in early January for three more weeks, the semester ended and then there was one more week off called "intersession" before the next semester started. Coach requested his top swimmers stay at school during intersession where he conducted 2-a-day workouts to prepare us for the heart of the season.
It was Friday, late afternoon after the final workout of the week. The weather was cold and snow was predicted for that evening. The weather fit my mood; I was very discouraged. Despite my hardest efforts, my swim times were slipping, and, even worse, My grades were falling badly. If ever I was willing to give my life over to someone else to call the shots, now was that time.
I lived at the fraternity where my room and board had been paid for the full year ahead of time. Accept for the President and two others, the place was pretty much empty for the week. I didn't want to go back there yet, so instead I was at Frank's apartment where he was having an informal kind of gathering. Frank was a good friend of mine. He had been a senior swimmer on the team when I was a sophomore and we had really hit it off. Right after graduation he married his sweetheart, Helen. He had been accepted into Law School and they got an apartment off campus.
Also present at Frank's place were a couple of Helen's grad student friends, including Katrina, and one of Frank's fellow law students. With each of us holding a glass of wine, I found myself sitting with and talking to Katrina. My first impression of her was that she was somewhat overweight and kind of plain looking in that washed out grad student kind of way. Her hair was jet black and fairly short. She had a brightness about her that made talking to her very easy. She was also a good listener. During this time I told her why I felt so blue. She did say that I did need cheering up and she could help.
Katrina was three or four years older than I. She labored as a graduate assistant and was working on her doctorate in early education. Her dissertation concerned the learning styles of second graders. One thing I didn't know then would become important for all that would follow. She was into hypnosis. At one point, for some reason, she hypnotized some of the children in her control group. There was a big fuss and her Department wanted expel her from school. Her faculty advisor was just able to save her position but told her that if he heard that she had used hypnosis for any reason while she was still his student, he would lead the charge to have her dismissed!
Helen spoke up and asked the group if they would like Katrina to give a demonstration of her hypnosis skills. Katrina tried to refuse, but Frank and Helen, with some support from the others, pressed her. One could see that Katrina wanted to perform, but she was clearly conflicted. Finally she agreed provided no one present ever discussed this night to anyone else. All agreed.
She began by describing to us what hypnosis really was and was not. She explained how we all go in and out of trances everyday and that anyone could be hypnotized. All one had to do was relax and go along with her as she acted as the guide. Someone asked if they would be made to bark like a dog or something like that. She said definitely no, she was not into humiliation. When you do go into trance, she will demonstrate some of the positive/interesting things about this art.
Finally, she began. Katrina had us pick out a spot on the ceiling and stare at it. She talked in her soothing, relaxing manner. I soon found myself drifting and floating. I seem to remember walking down a long flight of stairs, then, nothing.
When Katrina woke me, for I was the only one who entered trance, others asked what it was like. Then they told me what had happened. My arm had become so stiff that no one could push it down. There were other things like this, too. Most interesting for me was this very large poster board on the table in front of me. My signature was written many times in magic marker. Towards the top the writing was quite clear. Then, Frank said she took me back to earlier ages: 15, 12, 8, 5. Each signature became more childish, with the last one a confused bunch of printed letters. It was amazing! I also was glad that Katrina had not done anything that made me now feel foolish!
We talked some more, then I noticed that it was snowing rather heavily. I said I needed to get back to the fraternity while the walking was still easy.
Katrina jumped up and said, "I need to leave right away, I forgot I'm meeting someone at the Union. Remember, PLEASE, no one talk about this hypnosis to anyone on the outside!" With that she grabbed her coat and hat and was gone.
It was another five minutes before I could finish my goodbyes. Then I was down the stairs and out the front door of the building. I was surprised to find Katrina in her car, with the motor running, parked at the curb near the door. She motioned me to get in.
"The weather's rotten and I could at least give you a drive home. Besides, the car is nice and warm." she said. I got in the car.
Then, we were parked in front of her apartment building. She was saying, "Yes, I can work with you using hypnosis to greatly improve your grades and your swimming performance. Why don't you come up. I'll make us some hot chocolate and explain how it all could work." It all seemed so logical and possible! I followed her upstairs.
The rest of the night remains largely a blur to me. I remember her making the cocoa, talking all the time. Then sitting opposite me, we drinking the chocolate…..
I seem to recall drifting away, waking up, drifting off and waking, again and again. I seem to remember going down for a long elevator ride towards the basement of a very tall building. I'm not at all sure, but I think we made love sometime that night and later showered together. All I know for sure was that when I awoke, it was morning and the sun was up, shining brightly.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Katrina in the kitchen, fussing over the stove and singing softly. The sun was shining through the window on her. Lord, she looked so beautiful! I pulled on my pants, went to her, put my arms around her and nuzzled her neck.
"Not now," she said, "I'm doing breakfast and besides, we need to talk."
My desire ebbed quickly away. When we sat down to eggs, toast and coffee, she began. "You remember last night how you agreed that for this to work, you would have to move in with me so I can work intensely with you? I will need to use hypnosis almost every day to drop your bad habits and install the good ones that will make you successful. I know you still feel that way."
Yes, I kind of remember agreeing to that now that I thought about it. Hell, the idea of moving in with a beautiful woman who will save my grades and improve my athletic performance--- what's not to like!
