Abby had to spend more effort than was respectable in dismounting her chair and entering Phantom’s office. This branch of MirageCorp was an eco-friendly mix of glass and wood. Natural green vines twisted their way through the beech-colored floor. A soft orange stripe went directly from Abby’s very tall desk to Phantom’s very tall doors, guiding visitors and making sure they didn’t stray into any of the other rooms.

Phantom sat at the desk, idly tracing the air with a pen. “Ah, good, Abby! You’re here!”

She crossed her arms and smiled. “Of course I am. You called me.” Of course, she could have just as easily spoken to her via intercom if she had any kind of actual work to do.

“I just wanted to know how you felt about something. If I say the word ‘chestnut,’ what comes to mind?

Abbey raised an eyebrow. “Chestnut?”

“What about ‘gold’?”

Abbey squinted. “Is this a riddle?”

“So, those words apart do nothing, but if I were to activate you by saying ‘gold chestnut,’ what would happen?

Phantom waited for a few moments for Abby’s eyes to completely glaze over.

The cute little thing drooled slightly. Her body went wobbly. She felt her legs bend slightly, her shoulder slack, her head clear out of any thought. Those moments of feeling like she was in a dream, but couldn’t - or chose not to - wake up. Aware that she was asleep, but not aware enough to snap out from the dreamy persuasion.
“So, your conditioning classes went well, then?” asked Phantom. Half of her face was a grin. The other half turned up and she beamed while Abby nodded. “Uh huh.”
“And you’re absolutely, completely in my thrall?”

Abby said nothing. She didn’t need to.

“You’re dangerously cute, you know? Just relax. You hear only the sound of my voice. You know only happy, relaxing thoughts. The only thing that matters is pleasing your mistress. The only thing you need is to follow my every command.”

This time, she did react. Abbey nodded gently, quietly, taking a few steps forward.

“And, as a good little puppet, you’ll obey anything and everything I say. Including disrobing? Including getting totally vulnerable and nude before your mistress?”

Her answer came with the clatter of a belt buckle on the ground as Abby dropped her skirt and blouse.

“Perfect!”

Abbey nodded again, reflexively stepping towards Phantom who gave her a few affectionate scratches under her chin as she leaned up towards her desk.

“Ah, this is just so much fun. I’m taping every moment of this, you know. I’m thinking of having it played back to you when you’re not looking…”

Her mind was utterly, utterly empty. Empty minds always have a tendency to wander. Even though she was absolutely and completely in the moment, reduced to a zen obedience, there was a part of her brain that still heard every word that her mistress said. Words like ‘record’ and ‘playback’ and ‘computer’ and ‘embarrassment’ and ‘mass e-mail’ made her head bow. Something percolated. Coffee? Getting coffee? Didn’t she have a task she needed to be doing?

SNAP.

Phantom snapped her fingers, and her little pet’s mind was wiped clear again. Phantom relished those ‘last looks’ of awareness by those in her power.

“Now, Abbey, I’ve got a camera over here. Step this way…”

Abby responded with all the energy she could muster. The snap had cleared out any doubts in her mind, totally reduced her to a quivering and relaxed little (focus on ‘little) secretary that was utterly and completely devoted to the hazy commands that broke through her mental fog.

Phantom quietly held up the camera, positioning it just so.

“All right, Abbey. When I snap my fingers, you’re going to know exactly where you are. And when I ruffle your hair and say the phrase, you’re going to go back into a trance. Are you ready?”

She didn’t wait for a response before snapping her fingers. Abbey had the briefest, most palpable moment of awareness. She felt the warm breath of Phantom as she sat behind her; hands on her shoulders. The puissance and aura of someone absolutely in charge. And then, a ruffle in her hair, a few honeyed words, and she was once again asleep. At least until Phantom needed someone to send out a mass e-mail featuring herself and a certain hypnotized Abby.

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Image by Saunterwing, who is awesome and talented.

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See story for more details.