Fascination


“Nothing?” Tuvy asked.

“Nothing,” Alyssa said.

“Really? You’re not even sleepy?”

“Nope. Wide awake.”

“Were you concentrating?”

“Yep.”

“Are you relaxed enough?”

Alyssa reached up with her arms and out with her legs in a protracted stretch. At the same time she flexed her bare feet, which were propped up on a couch pillow in front of her.

“Plenty relaxed,” she said.

Tuvy lowered the pocketwatch dejectedly.

“Well, I don’t get it,” she said. “I’m doing everything the stage hypnotist did, but it’s just not working.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Alyssa said. “Maybe I’m just not a good subject.”

"Maybe not.”

“Can I give it a try?”

“You mean hypnotize me?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t really want to be the subject,” Tuvy said. “I’m trying to see if I can be a hypnotist. It just fascinates me, you know?”

“Sure, but if I can hypnotize you, maybe we can figure some stuff out that will help you. Me from the hypnotist’s side, and you from the subject’s side.”

“I guess.”

“Come on, let’s just see how it goes.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Alyssa got up, walked over to Tuvy, and held out her open hand. With a sigh, Tuvy deposited the pocketwatch in it. Then she kicked off her flip-flops and headed over to the couch.

“Get nice and comfy,” Alyssa said. “Put your feet up. Take slow, deep breaths. Let go of all the tension in your body.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know the drill.”

Tuvy got herself situated. She stretched, wiggled her toes, and regulated her breathing.

“All set?” Alyssa asked, holding up the pocketwatch.

Nodding, Tuvy set her gaze on the round dial at the end of the delicate chain.

“Time to sleep,” Alyssa said.

Tuvy’s eyes drooped closed, and her head fell back against the couch pillow. Alyssa lowered the watch.

“It looks like I need to be more careful with the suggestions I give you,” Alyssa said. “When I hypnotized you yesterday, I told you that you’d become fascinated with hypnosis. My intent was to make you desire being hypnotized, not make you interested in hypnotizing others. I didn’t count on you wanting to be dominant. That was quite a surprise. You’re usually so meek. But I guess you saw being a hypnotist as a way to exert your will over others. Well, that’s not what I want out of you. So it’s time to make some changes. Tuvy, you have an intense desire to be hypnotized.”

“I have an intense desire to be hypnotized,” Tuvy said in a slow, soft voice.

“You have no desire to hypnotize others.”

“I have no desire to hypnotize others.”

“You want to be placed under another person’s control.”

"I want to be placed under another person’s control.”

“But only a person who you trust.”

“But only a person who I trust.”

“The only person you trust to hypnotize and control you is me.”

“The only person I trust to hypnotize and control me is you.”

“The thought of being hypnotized and controlled excites and arouses you.”

“The thought of being hypnotized and controlled excites and arouses me.”

“You want to be hypnotized often to fulfill that excitement and arousal.”

“I want to be hypnotized often to fulfill that excitement and arousal.”

“When I snap my fingers, you will awake with no memory of being hypnotized now or yesterday. You will think that I’m preparing to hypnotize you for the first time, as per our discussion a few minutes ago. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Alyssa snapped her fingers. Tuvy opened her eyes and lifted her head off of the pillow.

“You know,” Tuvy said, “The more I think about it, the more I’d rather be hypnotized than be the hypnotist.”

Smiling, Alyssa raised the pocketwatch back up. It caught Tuvy’s gaze, and she inhaled sharply in anticipation.

“I think this is going to work very well,” Tuvy said.

“Yes, I think so, too,” Alyssa said.

She began slowly swinging the watch back and forth, back and forth, back and forth….