The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Vanessa got out of line and sat down at a table in the back corner of the shop. She hated her job and was going to spend every possible second of her break enjoying her latte. She cursed herself for not taking the job for the financial services company. Instead, she took an entry level job working at a fashion magazine catering to African American women. She gambled that her brief, teen career as a model would have opened the door for her there. Unfortunately, the bosom that blossomed in her late teens seemed to prevent her from being anything other than a gopher or a walking piece of eye candy for sponsors and investors. Therefore, she was frequently sexually harassed by married male (and occasionally female) executives. As somewhat of a sexual agnostic (bordering on lesbian, but not entirely sure), she resented this type of treatment. Her parents were devout Baptists and had worried that her choice of career would lead her astray. “Basically, I hate my life,” she thought ruefully.

Her attention was drawn to an approaching man. He was white, well dressed in a conservative suit. His sandy blond hair framed a not significantly attractive face, but he had deep, blue eyes that seemed to draw her attention. He stood roughly her height. While not particularly toned, he seemed in reasonable shape for a man his age, which Vanessa reckoned was in his early thirties. When she realized he was heading her way, she moaned under her breath, “Why can’t people just leave me alone?”

“Hi,my name is Tom. Would you mind if I joined you for a few minutes?” he asked, in a pleasant voice.

“I suppose, but I’m about to head back to work,” she lied.

“I only need a few moments of your time. Unless, you decide to stay longer,” he smiled disarmingly.

“Like that will happen,” she thought. Instead, she muttered her affirmation.

“I was wondering what you think of me?”

“You seem harmless enough,” she grinned evilly, attempting to put him in his place.

The man laughed and clutched his chest. “You wound me, Milady,” His self-deprecating laugh brought on a laugh of her own. “Seriously, I’m not gruesome or anything?”

“I suppose not, though you are older than someone I would regularly date and to be honest, I don’t tend to date white guys.”

“Or any guys for that matter,” she thought before verbally adding, “Especially married ones,” she said, observing a gold band on his finger.

“My wife died some years ago,” he said.

Normally this kind of remark would have made Vanessa suspicious within the context of their meeting; however, she decided that she would play it safe and respond with kindness. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It was a long time ago.”

“Yet you still wear your wedding band.”

“In some ways, part of my wife is still with me.”

Vanessa sadly smiled back. Having been young and unconcerned about forming any romantic entanglements; let alone serious relationships, she had no real point of reference, other than her parents. They were rapidly approaching their fortieth anniversary. Being the second youngest of six children, she got to see them age; yet dote on each other from a close up perspective. She could not imagine one without the other and believed that neither of them would either.

“I can see how that could be true,” she said.

He smiled at her in a way that went to her very heart. It seemed to take ten years off of him. “Thank you. You truly are a beautiful woman in every sense of the word.”

“So that’s his game, the ol’ sweet talker,” she thought, as her look darkened. “Well, I must really be going…”

“Do you know what would make me happy?” he interrupted and then her entire perspective changed.

“No. What would make you happy?” she asked, suddenly really wanting to know what would make him happy.

“If you could spend some more time with me.”

Vanessa felt her face break out in a smile. “Of course. I’d be happy to spend some more time with you.”

The man broke into a sad smile. He was not sure about this one, but he really wanted her to be the one. Perhaps he was reaching too high. “No guts…” he thought to himself. He then became more animated. “That’s wonderful. I seem to really enjoy your company. Do you enjoy mine?

“Would it make you happy for me to enjoy your company?” she asked.

“Only if you want to,” he said, holding his breath.

Vanessa thought. Did she really like being with this man? Of course it was important to do what she could to make him happy, but did she honestly like his company? She guessed that perhaps she did. “You seem like a nice enough man and pleasant.”

“So can I take that as a yes?”

“Would it make you happy if it were a ‘yes’?” she asked.

The man groaned. This was going to be hard and he had to be careful. “Only if you really feel that way.”

Vanessa thought again. This man seemed to be quite pleasant. She had felt a bit sorry for him about his wife, until she thought he might be coming on to her. Then she realized how important his wants were. If his wishes were important to her than he must be a special person, she reasoned. “I guess I like your company.”

The man smiled and reinforced her choice. “That makes me quite happy.”

Vanessa smiled brightly at his words. She had made him quite happy and her heart fluttered at his words. “I’m glad. You must be a special man and I’d be happy to spend some time with you,” she beamed.

“Good. It makes me happy to think I am special to you. As I said, I think you are a beautiful woman, but more importantly, you’re a beautiful person.”

Vanessa felt a flush come over her. At work, she was treated like a piece of meat instead of the bright, young lady she was. It appeared that this man appreciated her for more than just her looks. This touched her heart in a surprising way. “That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“People are often unable to look beyond physical beauty to see real beauty. When you are blessed with both as you are, that becomes your curse,” he smiled sympathetically, before adding. “Would you like to take a walk?”

“Would it make you happy to take a walk?”

“Would it make you happy?”

Vanessa thought again. This man was not only exceptional and enjoyable company, but he was quite kind and intuitive. For the first time in a while, she believed that someone finally understood her. She might catch hell for being late back to her desk, but a short walk with someone who made her feel so good about herself seemed like something that would make her happy. “I think it would,” she smiled.

“That really makes me happy,” he smiled and she felt giddy.

“By the way, my name is Vanessa.”

“I’m happy to know you,” he said and her smile somehow got wider.

“I think I really need to get back to work,” she said with a sad smile, after a short walk around the park across the street.”

“That’s too bad,” he said, making her feel a little sad. “Still, I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

“I’m not too late.”

“Well, that’s good. Still, I hope that we can spend some more time together. Would you like to give me your phone number?”

“Would it make you happy if I gave you my phone number?”

“Would it make you happy?” he asked somberly.

As a rule Vanessa never gave out her phone number to men she would meet. Still, this was no ordinary man. She was actually feeling quite good about herself and believed that it was in no small part due to this kind and sensitive man she had just met. Of course, if it had made him happy to have her phone number, she would have offered it without objection. Still, he had given her the choice. “Sure Tom. I think I would like you to have my phone number very much. Give me your phone and I’ll enter all my numbers in,” she smiled.

Tom smiled, as Vanessa added cell, home and work numbers to his phone. He enjoyed watching her shudder when he told her how happy having all her phone numbers made him.

Vanessa’s afternoon really dragged. While she had not gotten into trouble for being ten minutes late from break, she was again, harassed in a typically veiled way by her boss and was denigrated for her work on a project. She had hoped that Tom would call her at her desk, but he did not. She was dying for a kind word and Tom’s words were the only kind ones she had heard from someone other than her parents lately.

As she headed out of the building, she hoped against hope that he would be standing outside the building, but he was not. She felt like she wanted to cry as she walked out to her car until she saw heard her cell phone.

“Hi Vanessa. It’s Tom”

“Hi Tom!” she cried, a bit too eagerly.

“I know it is short notice, but I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner tonight?”

Vanessa had planned to go to a movie with her oldest sister that night and she really could not see how she could break her date. “I’m sorry, Tom. I have plans with my sister.”

“I’m sorry to hear about that,” he said, not bothering to hide the disappointment in his voice.

Vanessa felt miserable. She had a chance to be with a kind man who made her feel good about herself and instead, she would be stuck hanging out with her disapproving big sister who would denigrate her choices and her lifestyle. She knew if it would make Tom happy, she would immediately call Tasha and break her movie date, but Tom was not indicating this… if only he would. She had to know how he really felt. “Would it make you happy if I broke my date with my sister and went to dinner with you?” she asked.

“Would it make you happy?” came his reply.

Vanessa was in a quandary, but then began to reason. Of course she preferred Tom’s kind company to her sister’s condescension. Still, he was leaving it up to her. Then it suddenly dawned on her that Tasha and the rest of her family were constantly harping on her to find a boyfriend. Unfortunately, she had been the butt of some (very true) rumors that she had had a lesbian affair in college. While she had denied these rumors to her family and they seemed to believe her, her lack of romantic male company was causing these attitudes in Tasha and the others. Then she decided on a great idea. She would call Tasha and tell her she had a date with a new guy in her life. While she did not necessarily see Tom in a romantic way, her statement would not be a lie. It would be Tasha’s fault if she took her date with Tom as a romantic one. She smiled at her cleverness. “Tom, I was thinking… I’d love to go to dinner with you.”

“Thank you, Vanessa. You don’t know how happy you just made me,” came his excited voice.

“I’m so glad, Tom. I just love to make you happy,” she exulted with excitement in her voice and in her heart.

Tom took Vanessa to the most expensive restaurant in town. She felt happy, as Tom continued to build her self-confidence. She began to realize how close a friend he had become to her in such a short time. She felt giddy and laughed at his witty banter. He was such a smart and educated man and appreciated culture and the arts. She was even able to quote passages from Shakespeare and Toni Morison and Tom answered back with quotes of his own. She realized that she had wasted her Comparative Literature major to try to break into the world of fashion magazines. Not only that, but she was trying to do it the wrong way.

“You don’t mind if I’m frank with you?” he asked.

“’To thine own self be true’, good sir” she laughed quoting Polonius from Hamlet and he laughed back.

“You are too smart to be in your current job.”

‘Don’t I know it. Still sometimes I think I’m an idiot. I thought I could take a shortcut to obtaining editorial power, ala Tyra Banks and I wind up getting treated like a cross between a bimbo and a cheap hooker. Maybe that’s all I am,” she said, as she put her head in her hands.

“No, fair ‘Domina’ You are the most amazing woman I know.”

She lifted her head with a smile of confusion. “’Domina’? I don’t recognize that one.”

Tom smiled. “It’s a term of endearment that Dorothy Sayers’ famous sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey uses for his wife, Harriet.”

Vanessa felt an embarrassing flush cross her body as Tom’s comment made her feel uncomfortable. She did not know Sayers’ work that well, but knew the Wimsey character by reputation as a brilliant, urbane, but amusing sleuth. She started seeing Tom in this light. Now he was referring to her with a literary reference for a pet name. Did he want her to be his ‘Harriet’… his ‘Domina’? “Would it make you happy for me to be your ‘Domina’? ‘Harriet’ to your ‘Lord Peter’?”

“Would it make you happy?”

Vanessa was at a loss. She did not feel particularly romantic towards Tom. Yes, she deeply enjoyed his company. He was kind, bright and supportive. He was affectionate and she seemed to be sucking it up like a sponge. She was happier than she had been in many moons. Then she remembered once reading a reference about the characters he was quoting. “Hadn’t they been somewhat separated by something? Hadn’t he saved her from the gallows and she had been reluctant to allow herself to be wooed by him right away out of fear of mixing up love for gratitude?” she thought. She better download some of these Sayers stories tonight to get a handle on this Peter/Harriet business. Still, she realized that if it would make Tom happy, she would be his ‘Harriet’… his ‘Domina’… his… “No,” she could not think it. Still… “I think it might be fun to be your ‘Domina’ someday,” she said, using an innuendo,based on the Latin root. “Not quite what he intended,” she thought

Tom laughed at her innuendo. “You make me so happy, Vanessa.”

Vanessa smiled and despite her original feelings for Tom, she felt a little romance creep into her heart.

That night, she floated into her apartment, after Tom gently kissed her on the lips at the door. He was such a wonderful man and she just loved making him happy and it was really addictive being in his company. She began to think of what it would be like to wake up to him every day. He was so affirming of her. She felt such pleasure being in his company. He made her feel like a queen. As she began to shower, she stopped thinking about waking up with the man and started thinking of falling asleep in his strong, safe arms.

She had never thought of many men sexually, but to fall asleep in his arms intimated having sex with him. Of course if it would make him happy, she would have sex with him. After all, he was making her so happy; why not use her body to make him feel the same way? Her lovers had always loved sucking on her breasts and her pussy. They also loved when she did that for them too. Her college roommate, Aggie, had always said she was a great kisser. Vanessa loved kissing Aggie, as she rubbed her pussy. She realized that she never had any experience with what Tom had between his legs, but if it had made him happy, she would be willing to learn.

The next day was Friday and she was too happy to let her obnoxious boss or annoying co-workers get under her skin. At lunch, Tom materialized and took her out to eat. He held her hand for a while after they finished. She felt a little uncomfortable at first, but after asking Tom if it made him happy and him returning the query, she realized she liked it (after some thought on the subject). When Tom admitted that it made him quite happy, it became her favorite thing to do in the whole world.

With lunch over, she was shocked to discover that her boss was demanding that she go on a business trip with him over several nights next week. She almost gave her notice on the spot but decided to ask Tom what he thought that night over dinner.

“You really are too good for that job,” he said.

“But I need that job… as much as I hate it… as much as I hate my boss and know he is just going to use the trip as a chance to try to get into my pants.”

“I wouldn’t like that,” said Tom.

“If it would make you happy, I won’t go.”

“What would make you happy?” he asked.

“For me not to go.”

“Then that makes me quite happy,” he smiled.

Vanessa smiled. Tom’s reaction immediately put everything in perspective for her and she instantly felt better having made her decision. “Well, I guess I really don’t want that job. As much as I need it, I don’t want it even more.”

“That, my dear Domina, is why I love you so,” he grinned.

Vanessa felt a strange warmth begin to spread across her body. She knew she should not feel this way about Tom, but the affection she was feeling was overwhelming. She wanted to be his ‘Harriet’, ‘his Domina’… his… “Tom?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Would it make you happy for me to love you? To desire you? To give myself to you, as a woman would a man?”

Tom sighed. This was the hardest part of the process. He could just say ‘yes’ and take her home. She would then bend over the table and let him take her from behind. The problem would be that would be all she would be able to do. He had twenty-nine women throughout the world who would do that whenever he wanted. They would do anything they could to make him happy. The problem was that they were limited by his failure to keep their personalities intact. After each failure, Tom had managed to mute their obsessions whenever he was not around them. Still. he knew if he came back into their lives the obsession would return with a vengeance. These women would do anything to make him happy. This happiness would come at the expense of any other relationship they had since formed in their lives, no matter how stable.

It had saddened Tom that he could not pursue a relationship with one of these women. They were unable to give him the one thing he needed: Their real love. He was down to his thirtieth and last chance to find the love he needed to replace the one that had wrongly been taken for him. The aliens responsible for his tragedy had given him this power, but the caveat only allowed him thirty chances. It had taken him a while to figure out how to make this all work. Now, to ensure his future happiness, this must work.

He responded the only way that would give him that chance. “I want you to be happy, Domina. That is all I’ve wanted since the moment we met. I hope I’ve helped.”

A pained look crossed Vanessa’s face.“You have, Tom. You’re the sweetest man I’ve ever known. I really want to be your ‘Domina’, your ‘Harriet’… your…. Your wife… I just don’t know how to be those things,” she said as a tear ran down her cheek.”

Tom reached out and hugged her and gently kissed her gently on the lips. After breaking the kiss, he smiled into her tear-stained eyes. “There’s no rush, Vanessa. You will have plenty of time to learn how to be any or all those things and I’ll have plenty of time to get to know you.”

“Even though I may lose my job?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll help you until you can find another job… one that is worthy of your mind and talent.”

Vanessa hugged her body tightly to Tom’s and he felt Tom’s erection against her thigh. “I guess I really do make him happy,” she thought. I bet I could make him happier. “Tom?”

“Yeah?”

“Would it make you happy if I touched your thing?”

“Do you want to touch it?”

“I do, if it would make you happy, I’d like you to touch me down there too,” she smiled.

“I’d only be happy if you were happy…” he started before realizing his mistake.

“Then I guess I’m happy,” she smiled as she pulled him into her apartment.

“Shit!” thought Tom. I manipulated her into being happy because of my happiness. “Stop!” he cried.

“What Tom?” she asked with a look of panic.

“I think you misunderstand what I mean. I only want you to touch me, if you want me to... I mean REALLY want to,” he clarified, hoping that he had not blown it.

“I do want to. It makes you happy so I want it,” she said.

“But I only want it because it makes you happy. I don’t want you to do it if it’s not what you want.”

“It doesn’t make you happy for me to touch you?” she said with concern.

Tom stopped. “For the moment, let’s not talk about what makes me happy. Let’s talk about what makes you happy.”

“Being with you makes me happy,” she smiled.

“Good. Making you happy is important to me.”

Vanessa was confused. Was not it her job to make HIM happy? “It is?”

“Yes. You want to make me happy right?”

“Yes. Your happiness is the most important thing in the whole world,” she said, never uttering a truer statement, though not really having a choice either.

“Well, I feel the same way because I love you.”

“You do?” asked Vanessa.

“While I haven’t said those words to you yet, I think I’ve made my feelings clear by actions and affections,” said Tom.

Vanessa sighed. Tom certainly had been exceedingly kind to her. He had been a good, true and supportive friend to her. He had made her feel like a person of worth. He made her feel intelligent. He showed her his affection with a pet name and for the first time, revealed a desire he had for her with his hardened member. The warmth she felt had now spread between her legs. This feeling had been previously reserved for Aggie and a couple of other beautiful women she knew. Was she in love with Tom? It certainly seemed that way to her. “Tom, would it make you happy if I were in love with you?”

“Would it make you happy?” he asked, hoping he had allowed her to build on her own feelings; as he had for the last couple of days. Of course that was before he had perhaps endangered any future with Vanessa. He had hoped that he had reset this error before it had taken hold.

Vanessa frowned. For some reason, she had forgotten all about her own happiness. She was so focused on what made Tom happy, she had forgotten what made her happy. “I don’t know, Tom,” she said with a confused look.

“That’s OK, Vanessa. I think with a little time, you’ll know,” said Tom wistfully. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead and walked away.

Vanessa walked into her room and started to cry.

Tom did not call on Saturday. Vanessa did not dare call because she was not sure it would make him happy for her to call him. She did not go to church on Sunday, hoping he would call, but he did not. She had almost given up hope when he called Sunday night. “I just wanted to call to see how you were,” he said.

“I’m fine now that I’m talking to you,” she smiled. “I was worried that you were mad at me.”

“How can I be mad at you, Domina?” he asked.

“Well you left so quickly Friday and didn’t call all weekend. I thought we were going to touch each other?”

“I figured it would not make you feel happy.”

“That’s silly. It always makes me happy when I get touched down there,” she giggled.

“But not by just anyone.”

“You’re not just anyone. You’re my dearest friend and I love you.”

“But you don’t desire me.”

“I desired that you touch me down there Friday night,” she laughed again.

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“I…” he started.

Vanessa sighed. She knew what she wanted now. “Let me make this easy on you. I want you.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

“I make you happy?”

“Well until Friday night, at least,” she teased.

“You mean I really make you happy?!”

“Again, until Friday night you did.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me when I asked you?”

“Because I didn’t know for sure and I was confused. This was happening so fast and I was more worried about making you happy and less about my own happiness for some reason.”

“Do you still want to make me happy?”

“More than anything in the whole world,” she stated.

“Well I feel the same way about you.”

“Well then come on over so we can play with each other,” she laughed.

“I want more,” said Tom.

‘Would it make you happy for us to have sex?’

“Would it make you happy?’

“Yes. I want it very much because it means that I get to be with you.”

“You can be with me without the sex.”

“I know. But I’m guessing that once we have sex, you’ll want to be with me forever.”

“What if I told you I wanted to be with you forever; even if you did not want to have sex with me?”

“Then I’d ask you two things. How would we consummate our marriage without having sex and how would we have children?” she asked.

“Would it make you happy to be my wife and have my babies?”

“Yes,” she beamed.

Tom grinned. His long ordeal was over. Vanessa had fallen in love with him. She was not like the others who were simply willing to please him to make him happy. She had fallen in love with him because of the way he had treated her. Because of the power given him, his happiness had always been her most major consideration. Despite this, until he had screwed up, he had only used his power over her to reinforce her own decisions based upon her own desires and what had made her happy; not actually giving her these desires. He now knew that his powers over her would vanish once he had said one last sentence to cement her happiness and ensure his own. “It makes me happy too.”

“Then get your ass over here so we can play with each other, my fiancée,” she husked.

“Yes, my fair Domina,” he laughed.

When Tom got to her apartment, she let him in and they shared their first lover’s kiss. It was the first time she had ever kissed a man like this and she gasped when he began to touch her clothed body the way that Aggie had. She was a bit nervous when he began to strip her, until he formally proposed as he was down on one knee, with his nose in her bush. “Yes,” she shuddered, as he took her affirmation of his proposal as her assent to begin kissing her lower lips. She gasped when he turned his sweet kiss into a French one. He felt her take his head in his hands and run her fingers through his locks. She had a pleasant smell about her and her kittenish mewls began to increase his already substantial arousal.

She complained when he broke off his efforts, but squealed in delight and giggled when he picked her up and carried her into her bedroom. Before he took her virginity, he licked her to two orgasms.

It was not an easy time for us over the next few weeks. First of all, Tom flew us to Las Vegas and we got married (I was pretty sure that he had sown his seed inside me the night before). We had a one night honeymoon, before we had to come home and face the music.

My father was furious. He wanted to have the marriage annulled until I told him that there was a good chance I was already pregnant. My mother on the other hand, was surprisingly supportive. She and Tom had a good long talk behind closed doors and they emerged laughing. It turned out that she had had a white lover when she was young. She loved my father very much, but had always wondered what would have happened had she married her first love.

My two brothers were split on me. My oldest brother Richard, was the oldest child. Like me (and two of my sisters), he was well educated and was a mechanical engineer who worked for a defense contractor. Richard was about a couple years older than Tom and they seemed to hit it off really well.

My youngest brother was also the youngest child. He washed out of Howard and was really militant. He threatened to kick Tom’s ass and I was kind of scared for a while. It took some time that night, but Tom eventually won him over when he managed to successfully argue against my father that Rap was a form of poetry and that good Rap will be remembered that way. Jamaal hugged Tom as he left and patted him on the back. I overheard him whisper to Tom. “You love her, right?”

“I do and if I ever hurt her, you’ll hurt me.”

“Something like that,” Jamaal grinned evilly.

Tom laughed and I caught his eyes looking into mine as he responded. “I’ve been looking for someone like your sister for years and luckily I finally found her. I’ve given myself to Vanessa completely.”

“Better you than me,” he laughed.

Tom never stopped looking at me and turned his attention back to my brother. “You’re young. One day, you’ll meet a woman who’s sheer perfection. If you’re lucky, she’ll capture your heart like Vanessa captured mine.”

I smiled. Tom was mine. I had never felt so appreciated, loved and yes, happy.

It turned out that two of my sisters, (Wanda and Tasha) were happy about me and Tom too. Tasha (like me) went to Smith and was worried that perhaps I liked girls too much. She was ecstatic that I had gotten married, but was a bit miffed that she could not have attended. We promised her that we would have a small family ceremony in church to “legitimatize” our marriage. Wanda was a Comp Lit major like I was, but she went to Howard. At first, she had been ambivalent about Tom, but after she saw us playing our little “quote games” she admitted she was jealous. “I wish I could do that with Neil, but we usually just wind up talking about ‘the Hawks’,” she lamented. When we were about to leave, Wanda took his hand in hers and uttered, “’Parting is such sweet sorrow’.”

Tom kissed Wanda’s hand and finished the quote, “That I shall say good night till it be morrow.”

I laughed, now knowing that Tom had won over everyone in my family with the exception of the youngest of my sisters and my father.

My sister April was two years older than me. She had made the mistake of getting pregnant out of wedlock in high school; losing a promising college volleyball career and a likely college scholarship along the way. In my mind, she compounded her sin by marrying the father of her child. Trey was a good-for-nothing, lay-about who sponged off of my father. God knows why, my father preferred Trey over Tom (despite Trey knocking up his daughter out of wedlock and my husband being independently wealthy). Poor Trey was always one step away from a good job and constantly discriminated against. April further maintained the illusion that Trey was a good guy, despite the occasional bruise that showed up on her face.

“Have you no shame, bringing a white boy into our family?!” she yelled at me, after pulling me aside.

“My husband is a good man. I don’t need to defend him from the likes of you!” I snapped, with a new found confidence that shocked her. I soon heard and felt a slap across my face. As it turned out, the slap was heard by a number of other people. It turned out that Tom was one of those people.

He quickly turned the corner where April and I were talking and took my hand.

“What are YOU doing here? This is a private conversation between me and my sister!” yelled April.

Tom did not say a word. He just glared at my sister. She started to say something and he raised his hand, not to strike her, but to silence her. I could see the anger burning in his eyes and the look of terror in hers. My own anger then turned into pity.

“Tom, Darling, we were just finishing up, right, April?”

April mumbled something to that extent.

Tom did not say a word. He just sweetly kissed me on both cheeks (I guess the bruise was not visible yet), before kissing me chastely on the lips. Then he turned to my sister. His look had greatly softened. “You may not know this, but women are supposed to be loved and cherished by those who are lucky enough to hold their affection. One day, I hope you get what you deserve.”

We left April crying. She never said another word to us that evening. In fact, she seemed very quiet in general.

When we got home, Tom made love to me and he then told me the truth of what he did to me.

“So, my fair Vanessa, you were my last hope of happiness and hopefully the best possible. For your sake, I’m sorry what I did to you and had to be handled in this way, but I can only hope that you forgive me.”

I leaned over and kissed him to show that he had not needed my forgiveness. Still, his explanation certainly clarified a number of things for me. I never was attracted to men. For the most part, they were egotistical, violent, lecherous beasts. Aside from my father and oldest brother, I had never met one that I respected (though I put up with Jamaal and some other relatives). Tom had been different. He had honestly appreciated my brains, as much as he admired my beauty. He had been patient and kind and despite his aims and methods, he had treated me with respect. In fact, he had treat me with almost complete reverence, despite my desire to “make him happy”. Most of all, when I heard his story, my heart broke. Had I heard it from someone else, I would have thought they were insane, but knowing Tom and the way I felt when I first met him, I knew he had spoken the truth.

He and his newlywed wife Morgan were coming back from the movies ten years ago, when an alien spaceship caught their car in a tractor beam and attempted to carry it into the ship. While it was being raised, a technological fault occurred and the bean cut off while the car was fifteen feet in the air. While Tom’s seat belt was stuck, Morgan had managed to unfasten hers and was trying to facilitate an escape by trying to undo Tom’s. When the car fell, she was ejected from the car and she fell into a deep nearby ravine; killing her.

Upon his capture, Tom was inconsolable when he was told that the aliens did not know enough of human physiology to save Morgan. She was dead. The alien’s however, had discovered an essence of energy coming from her body and had managed to contain it. This was not Morgan’s mind or personality, but the very essence of her existence. It had caused Morgan the person to fall in love with Tom and it was the thing that was responsible for him loving her. Tom reasoned that it was Morgan’s soul and after consulting with Tom, transferred it into his body. Then the aliens gave him a chance to find someone to be a host for Morgan’s essence. They also gave Tom special powers that would work on three separate woman once a year for ten years. The problem was having one of these woman fall in love with him; not enslaving her.

Why he picked me I could never tell, until I thought about it. His wife Morgan may have been a lovely blond, but like me, she was a Comp Lit major. She was a lovely, intelligent woman and despite our physical difference, our souls were a perfect match. I also knew something else as I wore the same wedding band that she once wore. When I agreed to become Tom’s wife, Morgan’s and my soul merged. I now understood the love she felt for Tom. It was independent of my love for him, but when Morgan and my love for him merged, my happiness truly knew no bounds. Tom’s presence simply made me happy.

When he asked me that night he proposed “Would it make you happy for me to be yours?” I knew the answer and it came out of me without thinking.

“More than anything, my sweetest love. More than anything.”