✅ Potty Genius [NaNoWriMo 2022]

Four

This chapter is dedicated to Jay, with thanks for all your support on Patreon. Thank you!

¿Why didn't you uninstall the app?

Getting rid of it right away would have been a logical choice. And I did think about it. But when I thought about what had happened the last time I looked, I didn't even want to see the icon. I considered the options, then decided that for now it would be easier to turn off the tablet and stick it in a drawer. I was just putting it off, really. I didn't think it was actually going to be a problem; I knew that I certainly wasn't going to press the 'accident' button again, but apart from that I was in no rush to get away from it. So really, I just wanted to avoid the reminder of what had happened.

If I didn't think about it, it would go away.

¿Did it?

Of course not. I wouldn't have much of a story to tell if it had ended there. But I really thought it would happen. I mean, I didn't think it would vanish on its own, but if I could avoid worrying about it too much, there would be no problem uninstalling the thing the next time something prompted me to sort out my apps on the tablet. Or just drag it into a folder where I would never look at it again, so the uninstall thing wouldn't be bugging me to leave a review.

Once I had a new blanket on my bed, and my room looking like the domain of a three-year-old neat freak, I didn't think about it again for another hour. Then I heard the washing machine stop spinning, so I could go downstairs and get my clothes back. Secrecy accomplished. I got a couple of old teddies out of the cupboard as well; took some photos to symbolise leaving my childhood behind. That would explain why the blanket was out, as folding it tightly enough to return to its cupboard was something I had never gotten the hang of. I bunched the blanket up, put the covers back on my duvet, and gave a sigh of relief. I put the blanket back on, because I had nowhere convenient to put it while I sorted all the freshly-washed clothes back into my closet.

Of course, the problem with doing a big batch of laundry is that then I have to fold everything and put it back in the right place. But now that I'd started, I could find enough motivation to sort myself out. I hated how much time this stuff took, and I didn't see why I couldn't just put everything in a big bag to pull out when I needed. But once I started folding, it was always natural to do just one more. When I finally had the whole pile put away, it seemed like no time had passed. The only thing to tell me that my cleaning and tidying spree had lasted several hours was the pressure in my bladder. And that was where everything went wrong.

Or wronger.

¿Did you wet yourself again?

No!

I'd tried the accident button once, and found out exactly why I didn't want to do it again. I'm not dumb enough to do something like that twice, especially when cleaning up after the first time had taken so much of my evening. I just went to the bathroom, like a normal person. I did all the things I always do in that situation.

Everything was normal.

I went into the bathroom. I closed the door. The invasive thought drifted into my mind that I should be recording this on the Potty Genius app, but I shook my head and put that thought to one side. I was an adult, there was no reason to record every time I did a wee. I didn't need to use that thing. I pulled my shorts down, turned around, and sat on the potty. And waited.

And waited.

I just needed to pee. That should be simple enough, shouldn't it? But I couldn't. I tried, but I just couldn't remember how to access those muscles. I sat there for probably five minutes, hoping something would click in my brain, but it didn't make any difference. I'd pulled my pants down and sat on the toilet; but when I tried to remember the next step, the only thing that came to mind was tapping the button on that app to record that I was trying to use the potty. I couldn't understand what had happened, but I wasn't completely stupid. It must be somehow connected to the hypnosis. Had that thing seriously conditioned me so I couldn't pee without recording it?