Voodoo

I was starting to get the feel for being PG (Platoon Guide) today. People began listening even when the DS wasn't around, and I knew what to do and when. Then, on the way back from chow, something quite out-of-the-ordinary happened. It concerns a female I will refer to as Private Hocus-Pocus. Ever since the first day here, Private Hocus-Pocus has stood out as being quite odd, and a troublemaker. She loves to tell people what to do, but never listens to people around her. She has not recognized that in order to be a good leader, you first have to be a good follower. She also seems to be confused...among other things about her religion. We have one female (Private "Be Real") that practices Druidism, which I gather is similar to Wicca. Private Hocus-Pocus also claimed to be Wiccan. The next day, she told someone else that she's Catholic. On the third day, she claimed to follow yet a third religion.

Getting back to the after-chow formation, I was just taking a headcount when I heard a loud "thunk!" I looked up just in time to see that Private HP had just thrown her M16 violently on the ground (thank God we're not issued any ammo yet!) and began shaking and convulsing as if possessed. I went to her, along with several other people and asked "what's wrong?!" She appeared to be in a trance or something, staring with a blank expression and shaking as if trying to cast off something, but acted as if oblivious to the world. Then she just sat down and continued to ignore the world. The DS came over and tried to find out what was going on. After she ignored him as well, he told her (in a loud DS voice), "when you decide to tell us what the hell is going on, we'll try and help you." He then directed me to take the platoon back to our classroom. He and Private HP joined us a few minutes later. She was "normal" again (for her). Most of us put her behavior down to a "voodoo attack".