One of Us
They were nearly to the front door when Tansy began to tug at Heather’s arm and then, when Heather refused to relent, pulled free altogether. “Tansy,” she hissed, “come on! We can’t save them! We have to get out of here!”
The brunette said nothing, and Heather reached for her. “Tansy, we’ve been over this! Now’s our only chance! Let’s go!“
“She can’t hear you, Heather.”
That voice. That beautiful, commanding, sexy voice. She knew it well. Knew who—or perhaps what—it belonged to. Knew that it meant that they were in deep shit. She backed away from her friend while following Tansy’s empty gaze, up the stairs to the landing, where... ohhhhh.
“She only sees me. I am the only thing in her universe at this very moment. Myself, and my voice. You can feel it, can’t you Heather? Reaching into your mind, into your soul. How peaceful and wonderful it is. Isn’t that right, Number Thirteen?”
This was the moment where Tansy, full of fire and vinegar, would laugh in Morrigan’s face. No one controlled Tansy. Not her parents, not her boyfriend, not even Heather, not after all they’d been through together. Tansy was her own captain. At that moment, beautiful, willful, strong Tansy opened her mouth to say “yes, Master. Only you, Master.”
Her eyes never left his.
“Your sisters are all waiting for you in the lower chamber, Heather.” He moved no, floated from the landing to the foot of the stairs, and Tansy’s head swiveled just enough to keep him fixed in her vision. Heather, to her dismay, found herself doing the same. “Won’t you join us? You’re certainly dressed for the occasion.“
She looked down at the long, flowing gown that the Women of the Endless Circle wore as a matter of course. The soft fabric weighed on her like lead, rooting her in place, slowing her movements. “You can’t make me,” she said, even as her gut told her otherwise. “I’m not under your spell like the rest of them.”
“Oh really?” He smiled, teeth perfect and white. The smile of a hungry shark, about to swallow her whole. “You’ve been at my compound for four months, Heather. Four months of sermons, four months of sleep, four months of indoctrination. Four months of listening to my lovely, lovely voice.”
“And every night, I plugged my ears to block your subliminal messaging,” she said. Her eyes burned holes into his. “Every meal, I spat out the pills you ordered us to take.” She willed her legs to move and, to her surprise, they did, carrying her to the front door.
“Heather, wait,” he said, and just like that, her legs froze in place. She turned, not caring if he saw the fear in her eyes. Come on come on come ON HEATHER go go GO.
“Number Thirteen, tell Heather what I ordered you to forget until this very moment. Alpha Two.”
The brunette blinked her eyes and turned to look at Heather. Her face was calm and serene, the look of someone who had just woken up from a relaxing catnap. “A month ago, Master caught us sneaking into the control room,” she said. “We were both sent into the Learning Room, where we were deeply hypnotized. Master placed me under his wonderful control.”
“That’s... Tansy...” She leaned forward, hoping it would force her legs to move. They didn’t. “Tansy, he’s lying to you. I’d remember! I’m still myself! You’re still yourself! Don’t listen to this... to him! We—”
“Every night, I wait until you fall asleep. Then I remember my orders and obey them. I add the drug to your water bottle and remove your earplugs so that you can hear Master’s wonderful words. In the morning I replace them and forget. Then I sleep, and Tansy awakens.”
Tansy. Her best friend, the intrepid reporter, the one who had the crazy idea to infiltrate this place. “We can take it down from within,” she’d said. Now she looked at Heather through mindless, empty eyes, just like Justine and Felicia and all of the other girls in the basement.
“Let me go,” she said, her voice more confident than she dared possible. “You can’t control my mind, not like the others. I’ve got no proof, so letting me go means nothing to you. So stop playing mind games and LET ME GO!”
He smiled. “Of course, Heather, I’m not a monster.”
Bitterness fell from her lips. “That’s debatable.”
“Is it? Have you found any fear among us, Heather? Any longing to escape? Any terror? No. There is only peace, and tranquility.” He gently cupped Tansy’s face and pulled it towards his own, placing a delicate kiss on her lips. “There is only bliss, and perfect obedience. It’s what they want. It’s what you want.“
“Go to hell,” she said, spitting on the tile floor. “You won. Fine. Just get this over with. Kill me or melt my brain, whatever. Anything but this, where you talk and I have to listen to your stupid voice.”
“But Heather, the door is right there!”
Suddenly, her right foot moved forward a step, followed by her left, and she stumbled forward. Without waiting for an explanation, she turned and bolted for the door, throwing open the lock and letting the door swing wide until it crashed heavily against the wall behind it. In an instant, she was out of the house and running down the path towards the main gate. It was, thankfully, wide open. The cool flagstones slapped against her bare feet.
From behind, she could just make out his voice. He was yelling something to her. His voice, no longer magical or powerful, barely carried above the noise of chirping birds and the distant rumble of morning rush hour traffic. Run just run, her brain shouted, even as it reached out to catch and interpret his words.
“You’re free to go, Number Twelve!”
You’re free to go, Number Twelve... Twelve... Twelve... Twelve...
She slowed, then stopped. Ahead of her, the front gate stretched and warped until it appeared to be a thousand miles away, sitting stark and alone at the edge of the known world.
She was free to go.
She was free to stay.
She was free.
Slaves were free. Slaves could do anything they liked. They chose to obey, because that was the most logical thing to do. Slaves obeyed. Slaves obeyed their master. Of course they did.
She was back in the programming chair, letting those soft words flow through her mind. Master’s wonderful truths whispered gently into her unresisting ears.
Nnnnoooo. No! No! Let me GO! Damn it, you can’t... let us go, you creep! You psycho! You sick twisted FUCK!”
“Shhhh, relax, Tansy. Let your mind go blank. Let the drug take control. Let your thoughts fade away. Sleep, Tansy. Go as deep as Heather, so relaxed and sleepy, hearing only my voice.”
The words drifted over to Heather. A voice told her to speak, and she did. The words appeared before her like magic. “Obey, Tansy. It’s wonderful to obey. I will always obey. I will sleep and obey. You will sleep and obey.”
“Heather... no. Please, no more drugs! No more... more... more... I... can’t stop... can’t... have to...”
The voice was wonderful and everywhere. Heather smiled. “Sleep, Tansy. Sleep now, and obey.”
“Nnnnn... no… Heather… you have to resist… have to… have to… have…”
“Sleep and obey, Tansy. Say it with me. So easy to say. So easy to obey. Sleep and obey. Sleep and obey.”
“Ssssleeep and… obey?”
Heather watched the front gate recede even further, until it was a distant speck of blue against a beautiful orange sunset. Her delicate hands dropped to her sides, brushing against her soft evening gown, swaying ever so gently in the breeze. She turned to face the front door. Master was there, waiting for her with open arms. Her beautiful best friend was by his side.
Where she belonged. Where they all belonged.
“Master,” she said. The words felt like candy on her tongue. “Master!” He was so close! A few steps more, and she could be in his arms again. Forever. Forever and ever and ever. And she’d never have to leave him again.
She began to run.