The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

There was the usual squealing when she arrived. Solo. Met by the girls who gave her outfit the once over, which happened to be a nice knock-off of a black Versace that left all the right bits of flesh exposed, a little shoulder, a lot of leg, and just enough cleavage to get her seated at an expensive restaurant, but not enough to get her arrested on a street corner. Still, the line was thin, wasn’t it?

She did everything but spin, though she was tempted. But, she was free now, not exactly on the prowl, but shall we say open to new adventures? Why shouldn’t she parade a little, see what, if anything, she could attract? Laura was two weeks past the break-up and ready for the hurt to go away. Even if that meant replacing it with something temporary.

“God, I love it! You paid too much, you bitch! I hate you!”

That was Carol, who smiled and tossed her head just enough to draw attention to a new pair of diamond earrings.

Laura made bug eyes at them. “Someone has been either very good or very naughty.”

Carol showed her white teeth and pressed back her hair—stiffened to perfection by hair spray and mousse—displaying her new prize. “Tod got them for me.”

“They’re beautiful!”

“Not as beautiful as your dress!”

Laura rolled her eyes. “Thank you. And I did pay too much, but after everything, I just felt like I deserved it.”

Carol touched her arm, whispered in a sinister tone, “If I ever see that bastard Kevin again I swear I’ll run him down in the street.”

“So he’s not here then?”

“No. Not yet.”

Laura looked sick. “But he’s coming?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Is he?”

“No, I was asking.”

“Not that I know of. Was he supposed to?”

Laura’s constrained features relaxed. “Well, you know how it is . . . same friends and all.”

“Oh, but you-know-who is here?”

“Who?”

“Guess.”

Laura sighed. “I don’t think I have that much energy, Carol. Sorry. It was all I could do just to show up tonight.”

“Forget it. I should be mad at you anyway, just for that dress. God, look at the sleeves. I love the way they split like this, but my arms are so freckly it would look terrible on me. But they SO work for you. Hm, they’re kind of ‘haremish’, aren’t they?” She giggled.

It had been a running joke among all of Laura’s friends that with her olive complexion, lush lips, and thick eyebrows (that just begged to be plucked), she should be wearing long robes and golden slippers which curled at the toe. “A regular Pakistani princess.”

But the truth was if she could removed all of her father’s genes and be left with only the skinny nose and bronze complexion of a regular California girl, she’d jump at it. Not that she was ashamed of her heritage, and not that she really knew much about it. Her father had been MIA for most of her life, and her mother was American to the core, which left her with the heart, soul, and personality of an American, but the exotic features of the East.

She didn’t mind the hair though, thick and luscious, black and silky. It, at least, was the envy of her friends.

Carol continued, “remember Sindy?”

“Is she here?”

“No, but her S.O. is.”

“Reeeeeeallly,” Laura grinned. “Have you checked him out yet?”

“No, I was waiting for you.”

Sindy was headstrong, more so than anyone Laura had ever met. Not a girly-girl by any means. There had been a lot of conjecture that she might be a closet lesbian, but the acquisition of a boyfriend had squashed that theory. And that’s what made Sindy so interesting, and such a good friend: she could not be categorized, could not be pegged, always shocked and surprised. Laura had always admired her independence.

Arm in arm, she and Carol approached the makeshift bar. Carol pointed him out.

“Him?” Laura asked.

Carol nodded. “They met in a bar. She and Heather were hanging out.”

“Heather? Oh please!”

“I know. What a mix-match? Who would’ve figured them for roommates? Anyway, apparently, Sindy hated him almost from the minute they met.”

“Oh, of course,” Laura laughed.

“So, you know it was true love, right?”

“Definitely. How long before Sindy broke all her rules and bought the saddle?”

Carol almost choked on her drink. “You’re so bad. A couple of weeks.”

“Weeks? God, what a struggle that must’ve been!”

Carol got them a couple of Margaritas and promptly began licking the salt from the rim, attracting a roomful of wolfish eyes. “Want to meet him?”

“Of course. What’s his name?”

“Del.”

Del was cute. Not GQ gorgeous, but cute in a computer nerd kind of way. And, both of them, he looked fit. He was busy fending off the attention of some unknown hussy who scurried off the moment they approached.

“Del, right?” Carol asked.

He nodded. “Yes.”

“So . . . " Laura looked him up and down, spotting a little five o’clock shadow which actually worked on him, gave him a touch of the ‘Russell Crowe’. She frowned disapprovingly. “You’re the guy dating our sweet Sindy, hm?”

Del glanced back and forth between them, feeling very much under scrutiny. “Uh-oh.”

“I don’t know, Carol. What do you think?”

“Maybe we should check his teeth.”

Del laughed. “You’re Laura, I know. And you must be—”

“Carol.”

He nodded, offered his hand to them one at a time. “Sindy you’d be here.”

Carol took one arm and began to lead him away. “And where is Sindy tonight?”

“She, uh, had to go visit family.”

Laura took the other arm. Del glanced around the room nervously. “Nuh-uh,” Laura told him. “There’s no help for you. You’re ours now. We have to grill you like a shark.”

Del nodded, sagged, resigned to his fate.

Just before they got him out on the balcony, Del glanced down at Laura and said, “I’m in big trouble, aren’t I?”

They started with the basics. Family. Friends. Money? College? Job? Future? Then moved on to juicier inquiries. How did he and Sindy meet? How did he feel about her? Had there been any talk of marriage? And so on. Del was putty in their hands. He stuttered occasionally, stumbled now and then. He started out trying to be honest, but they only fed on that, twisted his words playfully, used them against him. He changed tactics, told them what he thought they wanted to hear, but they saw right through it and busted him at every turn.

Finally, he got a breather.

While Carol went to freshen up their drinks, Laura smiled at him.

“How am I doing?” Del wondered.

“How do you think you’re doing?”

“I feel like I’d like another drink, but I don’t want you guys to think I’m a drunk.”

She considered letting him hang on the line a little longer, but decided against it. He’d been an awfully good sport. “Well, you’re still here. You could’ve made a break for it, but you didn’t. I guess that means something.”

Del laughed. “Maybe I like the attention.”

“Careful.”

“No, I didn’t mean—like from you and Carol—not that I don’t like your attentions, I do—well, not, LIKE—”

She crossed her lips with a finger.

His mouth snapped shut.

She smiled. “There is something though. I’m curious.”

“Okay.”

“How did you ever get Sindy to give you a chance? She’s sort of vicious when it comes to men.”

“So, she’s no different than any other woman.”

Laura locked eyes with him.

He swallowed. “That was a joke.”

Her stern expression relaxed. “I know. Just giving you hell. But seriously, I know Sindy, and she’s pretty rough on guys, especially the ones she likes. How did you manage to get past her defenses?”

“That’s easy.”

“Oh?”

“I hypnotized her.”

Laura laughed.

Del smiled at her, but did not join in.

She gave him a dubious look. “Come on. Seriously.”

“I am serious. I hypnotized her.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “Oh that stuff’s a bunch of bunk.”

Carol returned then and handed Laura her drink. “So? What did you get out of him?”

“Oh, you’re going to love this. He says he hypnotized Sindy into going out with him.”

“Well, not exactly—”

Carol glanced up at him. “So it’s true!”

“What?” Laura cried.

“Sindy said something about that, but I just figured she was putting me on.”

“Oh, come on!”

The two of them stared at him in shock. He shrugged.

Laura couldn’t stand it. “Oh bullshit!”

“No,” Del disagreed. “I mean I didn’t exactly MAKE her go out with me. But I do hypnotize her a lot. It’s sort of a thing we do.”

“Whatever,” Laura said and took a long sip of Margarita. “All I know is that stage magic stuff is a bunch of hooey.”

“Careful,” Del warned.

Carol watched the two of them with twinkling eyes. “He’s right, Laura. He’ll lay his whammy on you!”

“Oh please!”

Del shrugged.

“I mean, come on,” Laura continued. “What century is this? Are we still practicing witchcraft?”

“It’s not witchcraft. It’s psychology.”

“Whatever. It’s fake. It’s make believe. No one is ever really hypnotized.”

“Care to put your money where you mouth is?” asked Del.

“What, like a bet?”

“No, not a bet. Just proof. You think it’s fake. Fine. But at least give me the chance to prove you wrong.”

Cautiously, Laura asked, “How?”

“There’s only one way.”

Carol chimed in then. “Cool! I’ll go tell everyone.”

“Uh, now, wait a minute,” Laura said.

“Hey,” Del prodded. “If it’s fake you have nothing to worry about, right?”

“I don’t know.”

They got everyone settled, dimmed the lights, created a quiet, expectant atmosphere, and placed Laura in the center of the room. She was acutely aware of being on display. How had she let herself get talked into this?

Del addressed his audience. “If this is going to work I need quiet. If you don’t want this to work or have a sudden need to interrupt, please leave. Don’t spoil it for everyone else.”

He turned to Laura and put a hand on her shoulder. “You have the easiest job of all. All you have to do is listen. So, right now, I’d like you just to take a big deep breath.”

He waited, but she just sat there, arms crossed, defiant and closed off.

“If you could just take a big, deep breath now, Laura.”

She glanced around the room, pretending not to hear.

He got the hint. He stood before her, leaned over, and put his face in hers, invading her personal space, catching her off guard.

She flinched, clearly startled.

“Laura, if you don’t want it to work,” he whispered, “it won’t. I told you it’s not witchcraft. I can’t MAKE you do anything. You either go along with it or you don’t. So are you going to cooperate or are you going to disappoint everyone?”

She swallowed, rolled her eyes, dropped her hands into her lap. “Okay, okay.”

He backed away, stood upright, raised his voice so everyone could hear. “So, you’ll go along with it?”

She nodded, couldn’t help sighing.

“I’m sorry?” he queried.

“Yes, I’ll go along with it.”

“And you’ll do what I ask for now?” he pressed.

“Yes.”

“Good. Laura, are you ready to be hypnotized now?”

She swallowed. “Yes.”

“Good. Then we’ll begin . . . now.” He snapped his fingers, lifted a finger, and smiled when he saw her eyes naturally fix on on it.

“Actually, it’s all very simple. Your part is easy. You think it’s roleplay and I want to prove it’s a little more. So here’s what I’d like you to do. First, just keep your eyes glued to my finger. No matter where it goes. Keep them absolutely glued to my finger. Just my finger.”

He moved his hand slowly back and forth. Her eyes followed, but strangely, almost as if by instinct, her head did not move.

“Second, I want you to pay very close attention to my voice. Don’t let your mind wander. Don’t worry about whether or not it’s working. Just concentrate on my voice. Let all your thoughts go and focus on my voice.”

His voice had changed then, deepened. It became breathy, stern, and oddly musical: there was a sort of lullaby quality to it.

‘He thinks he’s going to lull me to sleep,’ she thought, and laughed inwardly at the idea.

“Your thoughts, those extraneous, external thoughts are very subtle, very clever. They’re very tricky. They get into your mind without you realizing it. So, I’d like you to pay special attention to my voice when that happens. As soon as you notice yourself thinking other thoughts, hearing them in your mind, all those little meanderings, just let them go, let your mind go blank again and redouble your focus on my voice.”

He fell silent then, and the silence stretched the moment until she couldn’t be sure whether a minute had passed or only a few seconds. She watched his finger moving side to side, and tried hard to keep her mind blank, which wasn’t easy. He was right. Those little meanderings were tricky. She’d be right in the middle of an intruding thought before she even noticed it. Then, as instructed, she’d take a big breath, blink involuntarily, and try to make her mind go blank.

Every breath and blink was a signal to him. He slowly, slowly, slowly moved toward her, his finger crossing back and forth, raising higher into the air above her.

“Now,” he said quietly, “keeping your eyes glued to my finger, keeping your mind focused on my voice, noticing how each breath helps you to relax more and more, I’d like you to become aware of your body. Think about the position of your feet on the floor as you relax. Eyes glued to my finger. Mind concentrating only on my voice. Letting all those other thoughts go. Think about the position of your knees, how close or far they are from one another, as you relax. Eyes glued to my finger, following my finger no matter where it goes. Mind focused only on my voice, letting everything go, letting go of all thoughts, all thoughts focused only on my finger and my voice. Think about your back against the chair, letting your shoulders go, letting them sag, as you relax. Let them relax now. Let the muscles of your legs let go and relax. Your feet, let go and relax.”

As he lifted his finger higher and higher, her head tilted back and her eyes rolled up, making them dry and tired. He seemed suddenly much closer and she wondered when that had happened, but that was a thought, a meandering, so she let it go and listened to his voice. She took a deep breath, blinked twice, let her mind go blank, and tried to focus ALL of her attention on his finger.

“And soon, I’m going to touch my finger to your forehead, and I’d like for you to let your eyes close then and allow a big wave of relaxation to run through every part of you, allow yourself to completely relax, to relax as much as you possibly can. But until then, just keep your eyes glued to my finger and think about your eyelids and how much effort it requires to keep them open. As you relax.”

For a long time, it seemed to be working, because she WASN’T thinking at all, just focusing on his voice and feeling her body let go. But then, that realization was another of those clever thoughts, and she tried to let it go and focus again on his finger, which was now directly overhead. So much so that her chin pointed nearly to the ceiling.

Slowly, his finger started to come down.

“Waiting for the touch of my finger on your forehead, the first HINT of contact. At the absolutely first second you feel the touch I’d like you to close your eyes and let that big wave of total relaxation run down the length of your body and let yourself totally relax and let go. Totally relax and let go.”

His hand was directly overhead. She could almost feel the warmth of it, and it was everything she could do to keep her eyes locked to the tip of his index. Slowly, it descended, and she felt a strange physical anticipation, a spot on her forehead that was ready to be touched, that was nearly tingling with readiness.

Finally, it made contact with her forehead and he drew out the word, “Sleeep!". She let her eyes drop as instructed. They dropped hard. It felt good to have them closed. She let her body relax, which also felt really good. Just to let go and relax. And there was a strange kind of blank feeling, though inside, she knew, she was clearly not hypnotized. Just going along with it.

He had his hand on the back of her neck, and was shaking her gently back and forth, saying, “Loose and limp, loose and limp. Falling into that wonderful sensation of total relaxation, just like after a full body massage, all your limbs warm and relaxed, loose and limp all over.”

Slowly, he lowered her down until she was draped over her knees, telling her again to relax, relax, relax, whispering, “Let go. Alllll the way down. Relax and let go. Loose and limp.”

She’d forgotten about the room full of people, forgotten about her challenge, about Sindy, about Del, but still, she knew she was not hypnotized, just really relaxed.

He picked up one of her hands and began to shake it gently encouraging her muscles to let go until, when he dropped it, it fell heavily and without strength. He picked up her other hand and repeated the motion until it too fell loosely against her leg.

Finally, his hand back on her neck, he said in that same deep, sing-song whisper, “Now, Laura, you can feel you’re totally relaxed, completely and totally relaxed, and listening only to my voice, focused only my voice. Everything else has faded, all other sounds, all other thoughts, everything but my voice, and in a moment I’m going to count to ten and I’d like you to open your eyes and feel completely awake and refreshed, but when I touch your forehead again and say the word ‘Sleep’, I’d like you to close your eyes again and relax back down to this state, completely and totally relaxed, just like you did this time. Do you understand, Laura?”

She was quite the sight, bent over her legs, hair in a mess down over her face. She took a deep breath and whispered, “Yes.”

“Good.”

He counted to ten, adding little comments between numbers, and when he was finished, she opened her eyes, straightened up, and fixed her hair and her dress.

Everyone was staring open-mouthed at her.

“What?” she begged. “I didn’t do anything. Nothing happened.”

“What did it feel like?” Carol asked.

“It didn’t feel like anything. I was just really relaxed.”

Carol laughed. “You looked really out of it.”

“But,” Laura protested, “I didn’t do anything. He didn’t make me do anything. I just went along with it.”

“But you were hypnotized,” Del told her.

“It didn’t feel like it.”

Del smiled. “That’s all hypnosis really is though. It’s not some bizarre spell that someone puts on you, it’s just being really relaxed.”

“Gosh,” Laura replied with sarcasm, “I guess I must be actually going under hypnosis every night instead of falling asleep.”

Del laughed. “You do pass through the state.”

“But, you didn’t make me do anything.”

“I told you, I can’t make—”

“You know what I mean,” she countered.

He nodded. “Yes, I know what you mean. Okay, so you want to experience a suggestion. Is that right?”

She shook her head in disbelief. “Well, duh! Isn’t that the whole point?”

He laughed. “Okay, let’s try that then. Are you ready to go back under hypnosis now?”

“If I was even really under.”

“Are you ready to go under hypnosis now, Laura?”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

“No, not ‘whatever’. Yes or no. Are you ready to go back under hypnosis now?”

She thought about it and relented. “Yes.”

“And this time when you fall back into that state of total relaxation, loose and limp, I’ll give you a suggestion. Will you accept the suggestion I give you?”

“Yes.”

“Good. You remember what to do. It’s easy enough. Even easier once you’ve done it. Like riding a bike. Easier the more you do it. The more you practice, the easier it becomes. So, just glue your eyes to my finger.”

She focused on his finger, but instead of talking her down, he just reached forward and touched her forehead. She closed her eyes and tried to relax herself down, and he was right, it was easier. All by herself, between deep breaths, she got herself pretty darn relaxed. Then she felt his hot hand on the back of her neck again, only this time he was standing in front of her. She felt him nudge her right hand off her lap, and she had to admit she was surprised at how loose and limp it suddenly was. It just dangled by her side, and it wasn’t like she COULDN’T move it, more like she had no desire to. He nudged her left hand off, and it too fell, loose and limp, and dangled by her side.

Then, gently, shaking her loosely by the neck back and forth, making all her muscles let go, he drew her forward, not just down over her lap, but out of the chair, laying her on the carpet, talking to her as if she were an infant, hushed and quiet, soothing her to sleep.

“ . . . this time as you fall deeper and deeper, loose and limp, let your conscious mind, your waking mind, your thinking mind remain up in the chair. Just prop it up on the chair there as you fall away, deeper and deeper, loose and limp, all your muscles totally relaxed, loose and limp. Let yourself drift farther and farther away from your conscious mind, drifting away, drifting away, letting go of all your thoughts and worries, of all your stress, of all your cares, down and down and down and down and . . . . ”

She opened her eyes and found herself on the floor. She wasn’t exactly surprised, she was dimly aware that he’d placed her there, but she had expected, for some reason, to still be in the chair.

She rubbed her eyes, stretched, blinked and tried to wake up. “What happened? Did I fall asleep?”

Carol started to laugh, but covered her mouth with her hand instead. “You were totally out of it!”

Laura nodded. “It felt like it. I got pretty deep that time, didn’t I?”

“Very,” Del agreed.

She searched her memory, but came up blank. “But . . . I still didn’t do anything.”

“What do you remember?”

She thought about it. “I remember laying down on the floor, and feeling really floaty and . . . that was it. Then you woke me up.”

“Think about it,” Carol suggested.

She did, and came up with the same thing. “Nothing happened. I just got really relaxed.”

“Cool!” Carol exclaimed.

Laura turned on her. “What are you saying that for? He didn’t do anything! I could’ve gotten just as relaxed in a hot tub or something.”

“I sure would like another beer,” Del said.

“I mean,” Laura continued, heading around the bar to a cooler, “the whole point was for him to prove it wasn’t just a roleplay kind of thing.” She retrieved a beer and handed it to Del.

“That was nice of you, Laura.”

She shrugged. “Sure.”

Meanwhile, smiles and laughter had broken out across the gathering of people in the room. Laura looked at them, confused.

“You don’t remember anything about the suggestion I gave you?” Del asked.

“What are you talking about?”

“Beer.”

She walked back to the cooler and fetched another beer for him. Everyone began to laugh harder. “What is going on?” she barked at the crowd.

“Well,” Dell explained, “the suggestion was that every time you heard the word ‘Beer’ you’d go get one for whoever said it.”

She was halfway to the cooler before she realized what she was doing. “That’s ridicu—”

She stopped in mid-stride with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. It took only a second before she turned on Del, wagging a finger at him. “No. No, that’s not a suggestion.”

“No?”

“No,” she insisted. “You asked for a beer.”

She turned to back to the cooler before she stopped herself. It even worked when SHE said it. But it didn’t work. SHE was doing it, not him.

“Okay, well then, please, Laura, whatever you do, do NOT get me a beer.”

Her legs twitched. She WANTED to get him one. It was a strange sensation. It was like a pressure building up inside of her. She felt antsy, ill at ease, and like she needed to do something, was forgetting to do something, had something nagging at her uncomfortably. She knew what would end the discomfort, and finally thought, ‘Oh why not?’

She handed Del another beer. “This isn’t what I was talking about!”

“You’re obeying the suggestion.”

“But I’m not! It wasn’t a suggestion! You just asked me to do it, to go along with it, that’s why I’m doing it.”

Someone from the crowd said, “Beer.”

She felt the urge again, more powerful than before. She barked at the audience. “Stop that!”

People were chuckling. Some were exchanging whispers of astonishment, disbelief.

“You want better proof?” Del asked.

“Look,” Laura told him, “I remember you saying that now. When I was really relaxed, I remember you asking if I’d do that, go along with it, and I said I would.”

“But that’s it, Laura. That’s how suggestions work! I gave you something to do and you did it.”

She shook her head. “But that’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“Okay then, what do you want? What will it take to really prove it to you for once and all?”

She sucked on her top lip, tasted lipstick, and decided. “It’s got to be something bigger. I’m just going along with this. I don’t have to do it.”

“Okay, okay. I’m sure we’ll think of something.” He glanced at Carol who nodded eagerly and grinned. “But it would mean you going under again.”

Laura gave him a little sarcastic smile. “It’s not hypnosis if I’m just really relaxed.”

He laughed. “Actually it is, but okay. Are you ready to go under hypnosis for me again?”

She nodded, started to say, “Yes”, but barely got through the first letter when he tapped her on the forehead and said, “Sleep!”

Her eyes slammed shut. She felt all the strength go out of her body, felt her knees buckle, felt herself fall forward. It hadn’t seemed so much like “going along with it” this time. It had been automatic, almost involuntary.

She was a good subject.

She had absolutely no memory of being under for the third time. Whenever anyone asked, she said she’d only done it twice and that she hadn’t really gone under. But whenever someone waltzed over to the stereo and turned on some music, she was suddenly overcome with the urge to dance.

And did she dance.

Her tight little dress was a Godsend to every man in the room. Even the girls cheered her on. She wasn’t obeying a suggestion though. She just felt like moving to the music. The only problem was that every time she did it, she found herself getting a little wilder. The more times she danced, the sexier she tried to make it. Or, rather, the sexier it seemed to become, because she wasn’t really TRYING to do anything.

By the tenth dance, she was rubbing up against the nearest boy, shimmying up and down his body, jiggling her cleavage, teasing him, trying to entice him, having fun. It was almost like she was drunk, but she’d only had two really weak Margaritas. She just felt like dancing. It was a party. Right?

Del was in the bathroom, relieving himself when he heard a rapid knock on the door. “Occupied!”

“Del?” It was Carol.

“Uh, yeah. Can it wait a second?”

“No, I think you better get out here.”

“Why?”

“Just get out here!”

He hurried, zipped up quick, and was still tucking his shirt in as he went through the door. Carol grabbed his hand and dragged him to the living room. The music was up loud, there was a circle of people, the room reeked of alcohol and sweat. On top of the makeshift bar was Laura. She’d lost her dress, was clothed only in hose, heels, panties and bra, and was reaching behind for the bra.

“Jesus!”

He rushed to the stereo and switched it off.

Laura wobbled for a second, stunned, then got a good look at herself and let out a little squeak. Carol handed her dress to her and the two hurried off to the bathroom to get her fixed up.

Del shook his head, knew he was in trouble, and that, at the very least, he was going to get his face slapped. He grabbed another beer and went to the bathroom door to wait.

When the door opened, Carol came out first. He couldn’t read her, couldn’t tell if she was angry or laughing. Laura came out after her looking breathless and a little ashamed. “Okay,” she told him. “I believe you.”

“Laura, I’m so sorry. That was not supposed to happen. I didn’t think for a second you’d take it that far.”

“It’s okay. I think I just—it’s a weird emotional thing. I just broke up with my boyfriend, like, two weeks ago, and I guess something in me was wanting . . . Oh. I don’t know.”

“To let loose?”

“More like get back at him,” Carol interjected.

“I’m so embarrassed,” Laura said.

“Don’t be,” Del said.

“Well,” she smiled weakly, “it could’ve been worse. I mean, I could’ve gotten drunk and done that. At least I can blame this on you!”

Del let out a little choking sound.

Laura couldn’t help laughing.

That relieved him to no end. She’d taken it well, wasn’t angry, and he’d lucked out. Big time. “Now, I think we should get those suggestions out of you. Okay?”

She nodded gratefully. “Please.”

She let Sindy in with a smile. “How are you? It’s been forever.”

“Good, actually. Never better.”

“Oh, I know. I met Del.”

Sindy blushed.

Laura touched her arm. “I liked him.”

Sindy smiled. “Carol did too.”

“Thirsty?”

“Sure. Speaking of you-know-who. Where is he?”

“Oh, he’ll be around. So, who is this guy you’re going out with?”

“Oh, just some guy.” Laura sighed. “I’m trying to get back out there. It’s not easy when Kevin keeps calling and leaving messages and . . . well, whatever.”

They sat across from each other at the table. Laura fetched a liter bottle of Coke and two glasses with ice.

“Uh,” Sindy started, “Del told me what happened last week.”

“At the party?”

She nodded.

Laura poured Coke until the fizz reached the top. “I’m still trying to live that down.”

Sindy laughed.

Laura added, “But it did really piss off Kevin, so it wasn’t all bad.”

“So,” Sindy hinted, not so subtly, “other than that, what did you think?”

Laura sipped at the still fizzing drink, wiped the carbonated moustache from her upper lip, and looked at her confused. “About what?”

“About hypnosis.”

“Oh! Right. Uh, did Dell tell you everything?”

“I guess so.”

“About me totally egging him into it, not believing it would work and all?”

Sindy nodded.

Laura laughed. “I guess I got what I deserved.”

Sindy did not smile. She did not so much as chuckle; it was clear she had something on her mind. “So, you don’t think it’s weird?”

“What, hypnosis?”

Sindy nodded again, staring at the table, hand wrapped around her glass but not drinking.

Laura shrugged. “No. I guess not. Del said something about you guys playing with it a lot.”

Sindy tried to nod casually, but it felt and looked fake.

“You know,” Laura said, “of all the weird things guys are into, hypnosis isn’t so bad.”

“Well, it’s not just him. I mean, I’m into it too.”

Laura stared at her and smiled. “So what? If it makes you happy. . . .”

Sindy smiled, turned beet red, and said, “Thanks.”

“Any time. Carol said you were a little funny about it, and I guess I would’ve been too, you know, before.”

“So, would you want to do it again?”

Laura considered it. “I don’t know. It WAS kind of fun. I guess so.”

They drank in silence.

“What kind of things does he make you do anyway?” Laura asked.

Sindy laughed. “Well, mostly things that surprise me. A lot of, uh, y’know, sexual things.”

Laura’s eyes lit up. “Reeeeally? Tell me about that!”

“Well, we’ve been together for awhile, so we’ve developed a certain rapport, y’know? And he can, well, give me an orgasm with a word.”

Laura stared at her in disbelief. “Get out.”

“No, really.”

“What else does he—”

There was a gentle knock at the door.

Standing there uncertainly, looking a little sheepish, was Del.

Laura greeted him. “Hey, you.”

“Hi. How are things?”

“Good. Your better half is already here.”

He cuddled up to Sindy at the table, gave her a quick kiss, and they exchanged a few soft words. Laura got the strangest sensation that at least one of those soft words was about her.

Del glanced at Laura suddenly, then glanced quickly away.

“Thirsty, Del?”

“No, thanks. So, what were you two talking about? It wasn’t me, was it?”

“Oh please,” Laura said, and took her seat across from them. She looked at Sindy. “They always think they’re the center of conversation.”

Sindy laughed. “No, actually we were talking about hypnosis.”

Del chuckled and shook his head. “You’d think you’d be tired of that particular subject.”

Laura smiled discreetly, enjoyed her friend’s overt happiness, but there was a little pang of regret. She tried not to think about Kevin.

“Well,” Sindy squirmed closer to him, glanced at Laura. “You CAN do some pretty amazing things with it.”

“So I hear,” Laura added.

“Actually,” Del remarked, stealing a sip from Sindy’s glass, “I was surprised at how what a good subject YOU were.”

Laura looked to Sindy who was busy looking at her. She switched her gaze to Del. “Who? Me?”

He laughed and nodded. “Did you finally remember everything?”

Laura’s eyes drifted, rolled a little, fell again on Sindy’s smiling face. “I think so. I’m pretty sure. Why?”

“Why don’t you tell me everything you remember?”

She thought about it. “Well, it was just the beer thing and the dancing, right?”

Del chuckled, shook his head, gave Sindy a queer expression.

“What?” Laura asked.

“You don’t remember the hand suggestion?”

Laura racked her brain, but came up empty. “What hand suggestion?”

Del chuckled again. “Actually, that was the only suggestion I didn’t remove. Well, that and your trigger.”

She thought about when he’d shaken her hands, helping the muscles of her arms to let go. But it couldn’t be that. “I remember the trigger, but not anything to do with my hand.”

“She doesn’t remember?” Sindy asked Del.

They shared a laugh.

“Okay, okay,” Laura said, and eyed him suspiciously, not certain whether he was putting her on or not. “What’s going on? There WAS no hand suggestion thing. Was there?”

“I suggested, and it worked surprisingly well—you really are a good subject—that whenever I touched your hand and said the word ‘Float’, that your hand would get lighter and lighter every time I did it until it floated in the air.”

She studied his face. “Oh, no, no, no. That didn’t happen. I mean, it was a week ago. I would’ve remembered it by now.”

“Well,” Del shrugged, “I tried to tell you. Hypnosis is very powerful. Shall we try?”

Laura licked her lips, blinked, pondered it. Finally, she slapped her hand on the table and challenged him. “Prove it.”

He turned to Sindy. “Do you mind?”

She shrugged. “I think you owe it to her.”

“Okay,” Del relented, smiling. “Just relax your hand. Just let it sit there. Watch it carefully. Don’t try to make anything happen. Don’t try to stop anything from happening. Just let it happen. You know, if it happens, it happens.”

Somewhere along the way his voice had dropped to that low, musical, slightly commanding tone again. She almost hadn’t noticed it, and wouldn’t have if not for the last couple of words: “If it happens, it happens.”

She swallowed, licked her lips, relaxed her hand and glued her eyes to it. “I think you’re bluffing,” she told him, but wasn’t sure.

He didn’t tap her hand right away, but let her wait it out. Then, when she was just about to look up to see what was keeping him, he touched a knuckle with a finger and whispered softly, “Float.”

She waited, but nothing happened. She chuckled victoriously.

“Well,” he said, “it has been a week. It might take a second for your subconscious mind to pick it up again.”

He tapped her finger again and said the word, “Float.”

Nothing.

“Just relax, let your subconscious mind remember. It remembers everything. Let it remember and let your hand—” he tapped it again, “—float.”

“Ooh.” Laura let out a quiet gasp. “That was strange.”

Her hand felt suddenly lighter. It wasn’t very strong, but there was a definite sensation there.

“Float,” he tapped, then again, “Float.”

In a matter of minutes, he had her hand off the table, floating as if pulled up by a string.

“Oh,” Laura said in a hush, “this is strange. It feels sort of disconnected.”

“Let it,” Del whispered. “Let it disconnect and . . . float.”

It was so much lighter now, it was actually pulling her whole forearm up.

She looked at her own hand, then at him in total astonishment. “I can’t believe it. You really did give me that suggestion. I can’t remember it. Even now, I can’t remember it!”

He pressed her hand down lightly, back down to the table, watched as her eyelids wavered a little. The beginnings of a slight trance.

Easily, casually, he reached up and touched her forehead. “Sleeeeeep.”

She was in shock. For half of a second, total shock. As her eyes closed down. Involuntarily. There was a quick wash of cold surprise throughout her, followed by a powerful warmth, an overwhelming heaviness, a lethargy, and a sensation of . . . letting . . . go.

Falling.

Sinking.

Dropping away.

Laura’s face relaxed. Her head began to slowly tilt forward, and he stood to help her, easing her gently down to the table, saying, “Down, down, down, down. . . .”

When it was obvious she was under as deeply as before, he smiled at Sindy. “Told you so.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know why I ever doubted you.”

He chuckled.

“But,” she asked suspiciously, “there wasn’t really any hand suggestion, was there?”

He shook his head. “No.”

She nodded knowingly. “You’ve pulled that trick on me enough times.”

“Well, you’ve gotten pretty good at spotting them.”

Sindy studied Laura’s relaxed face. Her lips were open, smashed sideways, her cheek flat on the table. She looked for all the world like she’d fallen asleep. Her breathing was quiet, her body limp. It was exciting to see her this way. Arousing.

“What are you going to do to her?”

Del considered it. He sat back down beside Sindy, noticed the time, and began speaking quietly to Laura.

“Laura, you can continue to relax, to drift and drift, so far away from your conscious mind. Listen to my voice. You’ll be able to respond while remaining deep in this wonderful, total state of deep, deep relaxation. Each time you go under, you’ll find it easier and easier, you’ll find yourself going deeper and deeper, ten times deeper than the time before.”

He smiled at Sindy. She did not stare back, but was utterly transfixed by her entranced friend.

“You like seeing her like this?” he asked her in a whisper.

She swallowed, cheeks flushed, and nodded.

“It reminds me of the first time when I saw you put Heather under. How much I wanted it to be me.”

He turned his attention back to Laura. “And you know, Laura, how powerful your trigger is, that anytime you’re open to it, even just a little, how well it will work, how completely you’ll surrender to it when I touch your forehead and say the word ‘Sleep’.”

He let it sink in for a moment, let her drift.

“Now, Laura, I’m going to ask you some questions. I’d like you to answer them as truthfully as possible. Do you understand?”

He waited, and waited, and finally heard her soft, thick voice reply, “yes.”

“Good. Anytime you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to, but when you do I’d like you to be as honest with yourself as possible. Now, I know you’ve been having a rough time lately, after your break up. Is that true?”

Her response came a little quicker this time. “Yes.”

“Do you miss him?”

She licked her lips for a second, considering the question, then let them relax again. She was so relaxed, she was close to drooling. “Yes and no.”

“Yes and no? Could you explain that for me?”

“I miss,” she licked her lips, relaxed them again, “I don’t miss him. I miss being with someone.”

“Do you miss being with a man, Laura?”

Her swallow was a small, wet clack. “Yes.”

“But you don’t miss Kevin. Is that it?”

“Yes.”

“Do you miss being held, Laura?”

“Yes.”

“Do you miss being kissed?”

“Yes . . . very much.”

“I see. Well, that makes perfect sense. It is completely normal to feel that way. I can help. Would you like that?”

Who doesn’t like being helped? “Yes.”

“Would you like me to help you get over your breakup, Laura?”

“Yes, please.”

“Good. With each response, let yourself sink deeper and deeper. Each breath, each exhale sends you down, down, down, down.”

Her voice was sounding a little stronger than he liked. He deepened her trance, waited till he thought she was ready and began again. “Good, Laura. You’re doing so very well. Now, I’m going to help you. In a moment, I’m going to wake you, and when I do you’re going to have a realization. It won’t come to you all at once, but slowly, bit by bit, but the more it comes, the more certain you’re going to be that it is absolutely correct, that it is the absolute truth. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Will you try to do this for me?”

“Okay.”

“Good. Drifting, deeper and deeper, always sinking, relaxing, listening. When you wake up, slowly the realization will come to you that you and Sindy are not just friends, but sisters. In fact, slowly you’ll realize that you’re not just sisters, but twins. And the more you realize this, the more you’ll realize you’re not just twins but very close twins. In fact, you’re so close you can feel everything the other feels. Everything Sindy feels, you will feel. Every touch, every emotion, every single sensation. Do you understand?”

Her head made the slightest attempt to nod. “Yes.”

“Good, very good. You’re doing so well. Drifting always deeper, loose and limp. Now, the longer this goes on, through the evening, the stronger the connection between you will become, the more powerful the sensations will become until you’re perfectly synchronized, until you feel absolutely everything she feels.”

He let her mind digest everything he’d said, then decided to enforce it a little more. “In fact, why don’t we let you see what that will be like. Would you like that?”

“Okay.”

“Okay, good. Then I’d like you to sit up now and when you’re ready, you can open your eyes, remaining in as deeply a relaxed state as ever, perfectly able to continue to drift deeper and deeper even with your eyes open.”

He waited, knowing that she would take his silence as a cue to begin. She sat up right away, loosely, swooning a little, but it took some time for her eyes to pry themselves open, and then, they only managed a sad, droopy effort.

“Wonderful, Laura. Now, watch Sindy’s hand and feel everything she feels. This is what it will feel like. It will be a very pleasant sensation.”

He placed his hand over Sindy’s and began to caress it warmly. After a short delay, Laura’s hand twitched a little. She licked her lips, closed her eyes for a moment, smiled softly.

“How does that feel, Laura?”

She sighed. “Nice.”

“Good, good. And it always feel nice. Sindy is your twin sister and you two love each other very much and only want good things for each other. You both share everything, all sensations, all emotions. You both came from the same source. You were once one and carry that with you forever. How does that make you feel?”

“Good,” Laura admitted. “Warm. Safe. Close.”

“Good, good. Now I’d like you to close your eyes and drift deeper and deeper, knowing in a moment I’ll awaken you and that at least for tonight you’ll have no memory of having been in a trance at all. You can remember it tomorrow. It’s just like the suggestion with your hand that you couldn’t remember. Just like that. It won’t even occur to you that anything happened. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Close your eyes now.”

She did so, her head tilting forward again.

“So?” he asked Sindy. “What do you think?”

She grinned. “I think her date is in for a surprise.”

“Yes?”

“Yes. And I think we’re in for a really interesting evening.”

“’We’ is right.”

She looked at him, confused. “Huh?”

“Goldmine, Sindy.”

Unlike Laura, there was no gradual descent, no sinking, just a sharp plummet into oblivion.

The wine flowed a bit; the food came, was devoured, and went. They all met Rob. Nice guy. It was obvious to all but Laura that he had a thing for her, had probably had one for a very long time.

Sindy was pleased that Del was being especially loving tonight. What she didn’t realize was that he was testing the waters. Looking for reactions, and pretty excited with the results. He hadn’t known what would happen for sure. It was a sort of hypnotic social experiment.

He’d started by squeezing Sindy’s hand early in the evening.

Laura rubbed her palm with a thumb. She didn’t even seem to notice she was doing it, and didn’t remark on it at all.

Introductions were made all around. Rob? Sindy. Sindy? Rob. Del? Rob. Rob? Del. And so on.

Waiting for a table, he gave Sindy a kiss. She pecked him back, but he pressed against her, lengthened it. Made it a little juicier. When he withdrew, her cheeks were pink. She grinned. “What was that for?”

He checked Laura’s face surreptitiously. Her face was tight with a puzzled expression. She’d placed a finger to her lips and was caressing them softly, lost in thought.

“Just couldn’t help myself,” Del told Sindy.

Rob smiled at Laura. “Okay?”

She nodded. “It felt like my lips were buzzing for a second there.”

“How come?”

She shook her head. “I have no idea.”

Del knew then that it was working and working well.

They sat and contemplated their menus. Del leaned over to whisper something in Sindy’s ear, seeing the shudder of Laura’s shoulders out of the corner of his eye.

“Feeling anything unusual?” he asked Sindy.

Sindy gave him a suspicious look. “I feel . . . really nervous for some reason. Like I can’t sit still.”

When Sindy turned her head to listen, he gave her ear a little nibble. Laura’s eyes drifted away from them. She raised her shoulder, tilted her head down toward it, as if to rub the two together. Something was tickling her ear. Not just tickling, but touching, sharp and wet, and it was starting to arouse her.

She glanced at Rob who gave her a broad, hopeful smile.

Laura felt great. Warm, secure, in love. It was odd. She hadn’t felt this way in months. But why feel this now?

She noticed Del’s hand disappear beneath the table, witnessed Sindy tense up, could feel her legs opening, and a hand slipping up her thigh, fingertips pressing into the soft flesh. She couldn’t help leaning into Rob. Her breath had become suddenly shallow. Then, suddenly, a fullness.

“Oh,” she announced, “I’ll be right back. Nature calls.”

A scant second later, Sindy sat upright with surprised eyes, let out a little laugh, and said, “Oh! Wow. Me too. Be right back.”

The two boys were left to fill the silence alone. They waited for awhile, but they were used to it. Women had a time zone all their own. Einstein hadn’t factored that into his equations.

Whatever had happened between the table and the bathroom and back, had set the two girls into an almost perfectly synchronized rhythm with one another. They came back, arm in arm, sat together, picked up their napkins together, sipped from their wine together.

“So,” Rob wondered, giddy from Laura’s sudden closeness—it was more than he’d expected, more than he could’ve hoped for. “What do we do now?”

Laura and Sindy spoke at the same time. “How about a walk along the beach?”

They looked at each other, startled, and broke into laughter. Rob looked at Del and rolled his eyes.

‘If only you knew,’ Del mused. He jabbed Sindy in the ribs and was rewarded tenfold when he saw Laura jump instead.

Laura turned to Rob, giggling. “Stop that!”

“What?”

“You know!”

On the beach, the girls slipped out of their heels at the same time, slipped out of their hose at the same time, wrapped their arms around the boys at the same time.

They were never more than a few feet apart, even with Rob trying to get Laura away for a little alone time.

Laura sat down on the sand, which was unlike her. It was something Sindy might do, but not her. Sindy, on the contrary, planted herself on a rock beside Del and kept thinking, ‘Does he like me?’

But that was a curious thing. Who was she worrying about? Del? No. Rob. And it wasn’t her thought at all, was it? It was her sister’s. She laughed at that.

“What’s so funny?” Del asked her.

“Must be the full moon.”

He glanced up at it. “Oh?”

“We’re way in tune tonight.”

“Who?” Del wondered.

“Laura and me.”

“In tune?”

She laughed again, felt strangely giddy, nervous, almost as if . . . as if she were falling in love, right then and there, for the first time. But that wasn’t her, was it? “You wouldn’t understand,” she told Del. “It’s a twin thing.”

The suggestion had taken, at least in Sindy. But how about Laura. She and Del hadn’t had much hypnotic time together. How effective would her half of the suggestion be? He decided another test was in order.

He nuzzled at Sindy’s neck, starting something, getting her in the mood—which wasn’t hard—getting her warmed, primed, turning up the heat with kisses and nibbles.

Laura couldn’t see them, and there seemed to be no effect. She and Rob were sitting next to one another. Rob was asking her quiet questions. She was answering, enjoying the attention, feeling as if they’d been together for years, as if they knew each other already. What a strange thing to feel! But then, it was probably because she’d spent so much time with her sister this evening.

She heard the quiet sounds of Dell and Sindy making out behind her, and almost at once, felt a terrible heat break out in her, spreading down her neck, swelling over her breasts, trickling down inside her belly to the soft, moist place where her thighs met. She remembered a house she’d visited up north, heated by a wood stove. How hot it had been.

A breeze made her shiver. Rob put an arm around her and was surprised when her mouth was suddenly on his. She was on him, rolling him beneath her, Sindy-style, doing something she’d never done before, being assertive. Her eyes wandered fleetingly over to Del and Sindy.

They were on the sand. He had her blouse unbuttoned, hand under her bra, and suddenly Laura’s breast was being rubbed, her nipple up and sensitive, almost ticklish, but warm too, and sending little jolts of pleasure up and down her spine.

Del bit Sindy’s chin.

The moan that dropped from Laura’s lips didn’t sound like her at all.

Rob couldn’t believe his luck.

He rolled her over. Her skirt slipped up her thighs, exposing her black, silky panties. Laura could hear Sindy’s moaning behind her, and suddenly it was her moaning. She looked up, got a glimpse of them, and a moment later was swept up in a terrible, terrible desperate longing, an aching, an emptiness. She began to squirm out of her underwear, pulled up on Rob’s shirt, fumbled with his belt.

“Are you—” Rob gasped. “Are you sure?”

Sindy let out a long moan, and Laura knew Del had filled her. The effect was instantaneous. Laura felt the filling, felt her thighs falling away, stretching, leaving her vulnerable, helpless, open.

She rubbed herself against the dull lump in Rob’s pants.

He was out. And then in.

Even he was surprised when he two heard voices instead of one, moaning at the same time, in stereo. Every grunt, every gasp, every plea, simultaneous.

They even screamed together.