The screen was large and took up Tammy’s entire field of vision. She watched it intently, as she had been instructed to do.

“What am I watching?” she asked. “Who is that?”

“You don’t know who it is?” the voice asked from behind her.

“No. That is, I don’t think so. She looks familiar, but I don’t know from where. Or when. Is she someone I should know?”

“Not at all.”

“Oh, okay. From the way you asked me, I thought maybe I was suppose to recognize her.”

“I really didn’t expect you to. I simply had to ask as part of the test.”

“Yes, of course,” Tammy said. “Part of the test. Is there much more to it?”

“We have some more to cover, yes,” the voice said. “Could you describe the person on the screen?”

“Sure. She’s a young woman. In her early twenties, I’d say. She has dark hair and a pretty face.”

“What is she wearing?”

“A solid colored T-shirt and leggings.”

“What about shoes?”

“She isn’t wearing shoes. She’s barefoot.”

“What is she doing?”

“Not much. She’s sitting in a chair, looking around. She doesn’t seem happy. She’s frowning.”

“Describe the chair and how she’s sitting in it.”

“Let’s see,” Tammy said. “The chair is big. It totally cradles her body. It has a high back, armrests, and some kind of footrest. Her arms are on the armrest, and her feet are up on the footrest. Her soles are facing me. What’s weird is that it looks like she’s strapped into the chair. I see thin bands going across her forearms. There might be ones around her lower legs, too, but it’s hard to tell. No, wait, I see them over her leggings. I guess that’s why she isn’t happy.”

“What’s happening now?” the voice asked.

“I can see another person at the edge of the screen. Just part of them. Looks like they’re in a lab coat. I can’t see much else of them. She’s looking up at them. Saying something to them. There’s no sound. But it looks like she’s upset. Pleading. Struggling against the restraints. Now she’s looking straight up over her head. Her eyes have gone wide. She looks scared. She’s struggling harder, but she can’t break free. There’s a shadow now above her. It’s getting bigger. What is that? Oh, now I see. Something’s slowly moving down towards her head. It looks like...I don’t know exactly. Sort of like a salon hair dryer. But more streamlined. It’s lowering over the top of her head. She’s trying to squirm out from under it, but she can’t. Too late. Now it’s on her head, and she can’t get it off. Wow.”

“Please continue.”

“The person in the lab coat has stepped away. The young woman is looking in their direction and saying something. Her mouth is opening wide. She may be yelling. Now a light on the outside of the hair dryer thing has come on. It’s blinking slowly. She’s reacting to it. Shaking. Almost as if the chair was moving under her. But it’s not. It’s just her that’s moving. She’s still talking, but it seems like she’s faltering. Now the light is blinking a little faster. Her shaking has reduced to trembling. Her eyelids are fluttering. When they’re open, I can see her eyes are rolling back in her head. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“Go on.”

“The light is blinking faster and faster now. Like someone is flicking a switch on and off, on and off, on and off. She’s not saying anything anymore. Her mouth is just hanging open. Her trembling has stopped. Now she’s just kind of swaying a bit in her seat. Her eyes have closed, and they’re staying that way. The light isn’t blinking. It’s just on. And she’s, wow, she’s smiling now. She looks peaceful and happy. Like she’s asleep and having a pleasant dream. That’s certainly a change from before. I wonder what this is all about.”

“Please continue describing what you see.”

“Yes, of course. So, the person in the lab coat has walked back into view. At least as much as they were before. It might be coincidence, or they might be talking to the young woman. Because now that they’re back, she has begun saying things again. Her eyes are still closed, and she’s still smiling. But her mouth is moving. She stops for a little while. Then she starts again. Yes, it definitely seems like she’s responding to things being said to her. It keeps going on like that. On and on.”

“We’re almost done now. Describe the rest of the scene.”

“The conversation--if that’s what it was--seems to be over. The young woman has stopped talking. She’s just sitting there quietly. The light on the hair dryer thing has gone back to blinking. It’s blinking very fast. Now a little slower. Slower. Very slowly. Now it’s stopped. The dryer is lifting off her head. She’s not reacting to it. She’s just sitting there, looking like she’s asleep. Okay, now’s she’s doing something. She’s blinking. Her eyes have opened. She’s not smiling, but she looks relaxed. Like when you see a hypnotist on TV or in the movies tell a subject that they’ll wake up feeling relaxed and refreshed. She looks like she’s the subject who just woke up. The bands over her arms and legs have opened. She’s free to move now. But she’s not. She’s just sitting there. She’s looking up at the lab coat. They must be saying something because she’s nodding.”

“And that’s it.”

The screen went dark.

“How did I do?” Tammy asked.

“You did fine,” the voice said. “Tell me, what do you think you just saw happen?”

“Hm. Well, it looked like the young woman was being hypnotized against her will by the person in the lab coat. Using that thing that looked like a hair dryer. Maybe not hypnotized, but something like that. It was definitely against her will because she was strapped to the chair. And she fought against it. But that machine was too strong. She lost the fight. And it put her into some kind of trance. While she was in that state, the lab coat brainwashed her. Got her to answer questions or follow suggestions that she never would have otherwise. Then they woke her up. She probably didn't remember anything because she sure didn't seem upset. Just very serene. Yeah, that’s what it looked like to me.”

“Very good observations. Now for the final part of the test.”

The screen slid silently up into the ceiling. On the wall behind it hung something else of the exact same size and shape.

“What do you see?” the voice asked.

“I see...that same young woman. Sitting in the same chair. She’s looking at me. Is that a window?”

“Do you think it’s a window?”

“No. It’s not a window. It’s...a mirror. I’m looking...at myself.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. That’s me. Why didn’t I recognize myself before? Of course it’s me. I know what I look like.”

“If that’s you, then what did you just watch happen on the screen?”

“I just watched...myself being brainwashed.”

Tammy began to tremble. She opened her mouth to say more, but no words came out. She let out a wavering breath. Then, suddenly, she relaxed and went all but limp.

“Have you been brainwashed?” the voice asked.

“No,” Tammy said calmly.

“Are you looking at a mirror?”

“No, I’m looking at a screen.”

“And who are you watching?”

“I’m watching a young woman. She’s just been through some sort of ordeal. I’m not sure exactly what. But she’ll be okay. She’ll be fine.”

“Our test is over,” the voice said. “You’ve done very well, Tammy. Now you can go home.”

Tammy smiled. She liked doing well on tests. She liked it very much.