"So, how are things going now that you guys have moved in together?" Geraldine asked.

She was a petite Filipina with long, wavy hair. Attractive. Lean, but with curves that showed alluringly through her T-shirt and leggings. She sat in an armchair. Bare feet tucked up under her legs. Shoes discarded on the floor in front of the chair.

"Good, thanks," Lisa said. "It's easier now that we don't have to cart stuff back and forth between two places."

She was a tall brunette. Pretty face. Athletic figure that her blouse and jeans hugged enticingly. She sat in a casual sprawl on the couch. One bare foot dangled off the cushions, while the other rested on the coffee table.

"Stuff? What stuff?" Geraldine asked.

"You know, stuff," Lisa said.

"No, I don't know."

"Stuff for, you know...sex. Sex stuff. Fetish stuff."

Geraldine leaned forward, now intrigued.

"Do tell!"

"What, you guys don't use stuff?"

"I'm not saying we don't. But you brought it up, so I want to know what you guys use."

Lisa blushed.

"Well, you know, restraints for one thing. And costumes, and props."

"Restraints I'm familiar with. Tell me about costumes and props."

"We role play. The costumes and props help us get into it."

"That much I figured. Come on, I want details."

Lisa sighed. Geraldine nodded encouragingly.

"Superheroine and secret agent scenes, mostly. Sometimes other scenarios in the same vein, with a detective or an adventurer."

"Wow. That's sounds really involved. And it's definitely creative. I take it that he's the bad guy to your heroic good girl, and you capture him, tie him up, and what-not."

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that. Regardless of my character, it's him that captures me. Then, he ties me up and hypnotizes me. Gets me to turn evil, reveal secrets, or whatever fits the scenario. And then, of course, have sex with him."

"He hypnotizes you? And that's role play, too? Or does he really do it?"

"Don't be silly. That's role play, just like the rest of it. He couldn't hypnotize me for real. He's no hypnotist, believe me. And even if he was, I wouldn't let him."

Geraldine sat back. With a thoughtful pout, she stared at her friend.

"What?" Lisa asked. "Don't tell me you're judging me. I don't know what you get up to nowadays, but back in the day, I know you did some crazy stuff."

"No, no, I'm not judging you," Geraldine said. "To each her own. And you're right, I did do some wacky things in my time. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"Sex and kinkiness aside...I didn't think you were into genre fiction."

"Genre fiction?"

"You know, superhero movies, James Bond, crime thrillers, adventure stories. You're not into any of that, right?"

"Well, yeah, I am into it. All of it. And I always have been."

Geraldine sat back up. Her brow was furrowed, and her gaze was stern.

"Maybe you are now. But, that's new. You never used to be. I remember."

"No, you remember wrong."

Something about remember itched inside of Geraldine's head. Something didn't feel right. Remember. Forget. You will remember. You will forget.

"So, he really doesn't hypnotize you?" Geraldine asked.

"No, of course not," Lisa said.

"Have you ever been hypnotized by someone else?"

"No. Why are you stuck on hypnosis all of a sudden? It's just a fantasy we act out. It's no more real than me putting on a cape and boots, and flying around the city fighting crime."

"Sorry, sorry. Not trying to start anything."

"Yeah, okay, no worries."

"But...would you let me hypnotize you?"

"What? Why?"

"Humor me."

"No way."

"Look, I have some experience. I took a class, and we practiced on each other. So, I know what I'm doing."

"Is that what this all about? That psych class you took three years ago? I say one thing about hypnosis, and suddenly you see an opportunity to pull out your old, dusty textbook and try out your old, rusty skills."

"Please. I just...I can't explain. Just humor me."

Geraldine smiled sweetly, hopefully. Lisa sighed.

"It won't work. You'll be wasting your time."

"Probably, yeah. But, we're not doing anything anyway. It might be fun. It might be boring. Either way, I won't bother you about it again."

"Fine. It'll be something to do, at least for the couple of minutes it'll take you to realize that you can't put me under."

"Thanks!"

Several minutes later, Lisa lay on the couch, her head and feet propped up on pillows. Geraldine sat on the edge of the coffee table. She held one end of a long chain. At the other end was a pocket watch. She swung it slowly back and forth within Lisa's field of vision. Back and forth. Back and forth. Slowly and evenly. So very slowly and evenly.

Lisa's eyes were fixated on the watch. They followed its movement. Back and forth. Back and forth. Slowly and evenly. So very slowly and evenly.

Geraldine spoke quietly. Her voice was gentle. Yet also authoritative. Lisa listened intently. She did as she was instructed, which was to relax, become sleepy, and drift off to sleep. Relax. Become sleepy. Drift off to sleep. Over and over Geraldine spoke. Lisa listened. Obeyed. Watched the watch. Obeyed. Watched the watch. Obeyed.

Until, Lisa could no longer watch the watch. Her eyes closed. And stayed closed. She was hypnotized.

"That was easy," Geraldine thought. "Too easy. No one in class took that little effort. Not even that girl who was super suggestible. Never been hypnotized before? Oh, sweetie, I think you've definitely been hypnotized before. And made to forget it. Well, we'll soon find out for sure."

Geraldine spent several minutes deepening Lisa's trance and testing her suggestibility. Lisa followed every suggestion given to her. No hesitation. No resistance. Just compliance. Complete and utter compliance.

Now, Geraldine could get to the bottom of what was going on with her friend.

"All right, Lisa, I want you to remember if you've ever been hypnotized. Even if someone made you forget it. You are able to remember everything now. So, tell me, have you ever been hypnotized?"

"Yes."

"Was it just once, or a number of times?"

"A number of times."

"Was it when you were supposed to be just role playing, as part of sex?"

"Yes."

"Was it every time you were supposed to be just role playing?"

"Yes."

"Jeez, kid, that guy has totally brainwashed you. They didn't exactly teach deprogramming in my class, but I can't just leave you like this. I need to try to un-brainwash you. Well, here goes..."

Suddenly, Lisa opened her eyes. She sat up and turned to face Geraldine.

"Lisa? Are you okay?"

"Yes."

She still sounded hypnotized to Geraldine. But what was going on?

"Come with me," Lisa said. "I want to show you something."

Lisa stood up and began walking away. Not knowing what else to do, Geraldine followed her. The hypnotized woman led her friend to another room. A den housing a few items of furniture. Most prominent among them, a recliner.

"I remember," Lisa said.

"You remember being hypnotized?" Geraldine said. "Good. Was it in here?"

"Yes. And yes. But also..."

"Something else? What? Tell me?"

"I remember what I must do."

"What you must do? I don't understand--hey!"

Lisa had grabbed hold of Geraldine's wrist. Her grip was strong and tight. She then walked over to the recliner, pulling her struggling friend along behind her.

"Stop it! Let me go!" Geraldine said fearfully. "Okay, time to wake you up. Lisa, when I say--"

She suddenly found herself thrust forward and down into the recliner. Lisa then leaned over and pressed down on her shoulders, pinning her. Gravity and Lisa's larger form worked against the petite woman. She couldn't get up.

"Restrain," Lisa said.

In response to the spoken word, a curved metal band emerged from the middle of the chair and quickly encircled Geraldine's midriff. Lisa then stood up. Geraldine tried desperately to undo the band and get out of the chair.

"Wake up, Lisa! Wake up! And get me out of this!"

Lisa not only ignored her friend's pleas, but she worked against them. One at a time, she held down each of Lisa's limbs, until a metal band emerged from the chair to encircle it. Soon, Lisa's arms and legs were restrained.

"Lisa, listen to me, you have to wake up! You have to break free of whatever control he has over you! And--ugh!--I have to break free of this contraption!"

Geraldine got no response from Lisa. And she made no headway in getting out of the chair. So, she tried another approach.

"Lisa, what's going on? What is it that you must do?"

"I must ensure that you are hypnotized."

"Why?"

"No one is allowed to break Master's control over me. If someone tries, then I must stop them. And then I must bring them under Master's control, as well."

"Fantastic. I triggered some hidden programming when I said I needed to un-brainwash you. This is crazy. This is insane! But, boy, was I right. He really did a number on you. I need to get out of here. You're not going to be any help. So, what do I do?"

Geraldine continued struggling. Still to no avail.

"It is time to hypnotize you," Lisa said.

"Oh, yeah? How's that going to work?" Geraldine asked. "You're not exactly a hypnotist. And that monotone slave drawl you're sporting isn't exactly hypnotic."

"I won't hypnotize you. The machine will."

"The machine? What?"

"Initiate."

Geraldine suddenly felt a vibration from within the chair. It began unfolding into a semi-reclined position, leaning her back and elevating her legs. Then a mechanical hum sounded from behind her. She couldn't turn around enough to see. But soon, she saw something looming over her head. With a smooth, slow motion, it began to descend.

"What the hell? This can't be real. This has to be part of their role play. Not that I want to be part of it. And not that I have any choice. Ugh!"

She grunted as she tried once again to free herself.

Then, the object eased over her scalp. It stopped there. Geraldine stopped, too. Curious. Fascinated. Unbelieving. And definitely scared.

The interior of the object began pulsing rhythmically with colored lights and electric buzzing. Geraldine stiffened, as her worst fears were realized: This was not part of a role play. This was real. The machine was doing something to her head. To her mind. She could feel it.

It wasn't like being hypnotized by a person. And yet, it was slowly but surely having the same effect on her. She fought against it. Steeled herself. But, it was an uphill battle. Moment by moment, it grew harder to concentrate. Harder to think. Harder to resist.

"Lisa! Lisa! My head! My head! Help! Please, help me! Please!"

Her protests fell on deaf, or at least uncaring, ears. Still hypnotized herself, Lisa simply stood and watched her friend's ordeal.

"I can't...I'm losing...I...oh...ohhh...uhhhhh...."

At the start of the process, Geraldine had kicked with her feet, at least as much as she could given the bindings around her legs. As it went on, her kicking lessened into shakes. Then trembles. Now, with the induction complete, and Geraldine completely hypnotized by the machine, her feet merely twitched in time with the lights and buzzing. 

"Oh," Lisa said, as she suddenly awoke from her own trance.

She took stock of where she was, who she was with, and what was happening. None of it phased her in any way.

"So, yeah, like I said, none of it is real. He doesn't actually hypnotize me. He never has, he never will. It's all just role play, as you can see. Pretty cool prop, though, huh? It totally helps me get into the whole captured-and-hypnotized heroine scenario. We have a lot of fun with it, just like you are. And it's a big turn-on for both of us, just like for you. He's going to be so happy that you wanted to join us. Well, he'll be happy for me. He knows I've wanted to bring another woman into our bed for a while. Bless his heart, he likes to do whatever makes me happy. When he gets home, he'll be super excited that you're here. And he won't mind at all that we started without him. Oh, no, he'll be fine with it. And he'll jump right in."

Lisa paused and gazed adoringly at Geraldine. Adoringly and lustfully.

The sexy, barefoot Filipina sat unmoving in the chair. Even her foot twitchings had stopped when the lights and buzzing within the object faded. What she did do, though, was speak. Quietly, but purposefully. She repeated all that Lisa had just said to her. Acknowledged that none of what was happening to her was real. It was all just role play. She was sitting in a cool prop. It was fun. It was a turn on.

As she spoke, the words became reality in Geraldine's extremely suggestible mind. Just as her friend had been before her, she was brainwashed into believing that reality was only a sexy fantasy. And one that she wanted very much to take part in.

"Wow, you're really into it. You role play like a champ. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were an actress. Well, I better step it up and get back into character. Let's see...we're both secret agents. I was previously captured and hypnotized by an enemy spy. He brainwashed me into being his operative. And then he sent me off to capture, hypnotize, and brainwash you. I know, I know, you're already in character. And like I said, you're so good at it! That recap was just to remind myself. Okay, I'm ready to get into again. This is going to be so much fun!"

"...So much fun..."

Geraldine's eyes opened in wakefulness. She smiled. She understood. Why she was bound. What the game was. Where it was leading. She never would have thought that role playing would be so much fun. And so sexy. So arousing. She was excited to continue.

And she could hardly wait. Hardly wait to see him. To see the man who--solely within this fun, sexy, arousing fantasy--was now her master.