“Are you certain this is the right book, Ms. Kent?”
Well, of course it was… ‘The Subtle Art of Hypnosis’… just as he had requested. It was very old and I had to go through all of the trouble of checking it out from special collections. “Why do you ask? Is this not what you were expecting?”
He seemed irritated and disappointed. “I’m not sure. I’m not actually a hypnotist myself, but I’m interested in the topic. A colleague of mine told me that this book would provide me with everything that I’d need to get started. This looks kind of like what she described… but… the cover is not exactly right. I thought the spiral design would be far more intricate. Perhaps this is just a cheap copy.”
I glanced down at the cover of the heavy and dusty leather-bound tome and examined the spiral design more closely. It was embossed and gilded with a reflective material that glittered in the light. I could see myself reflected in the slightly mirrored and facetted surface inlaid beneath the spiral design. The crystalline material somehow shattered my image into a kaleidoscope of brilliant color and random flashes. It was beautiful now that I really took a closer look at it. “Intricate” was an understatement. This had to be the right book.
“Ms. Kent?”
My lips parted to form a reply, but then I noticed the most amazing pattern within the texture of the spiral. It seemed to grow even more elaborate and sophisticated as my eyes traced the outer edge of the spiral moving towards the center.
“Ms. Kent... can you hear me?”
Of course I could. I was going to tell him that, but I was too busy trying to examine the symbols along the edge of the spiral. I hadn’t noticed them before. They seemed to form words, but I didn’t recognize any of the letters. I decided to answer him so that he wouldn’t distract me from the spiral.
“Yesss.”
That was odd. My voice sounded strange and breathless. I realized that I was concentrating on the spiral so intently that I had allowed my breathing to slow. I was feeling pretty relaxed and I could hear the drowsiness in my voice. Not that it really mattered.
“Oh… oh my gosh… are… are you… in a trance?”
Having never been in a trance before, I had no idea what he was talking about, nor did it really concern me. I just wanted him to leave me alone so that I could continue to examine the spiral. The flow of the symbols seemed to be leading me towards the center of the design and I could sense that whatever I found in the middle would be even more amazing than the details that I had already discovered. I really wanted to see what was in the center of the design and I thought about just peaking… but that felt a bit like cheating. Why spoil the fun? I was determined to enjoy the journey and to explore the entire spiral from start to finish. Unfortunately it was becoming quite a strain on my eyes to keep track of all of the various tiny lines and engravings.
“Oh, wow... you really are!!! Oh, my gosh… this is amazing...“
The spiral WAS amazing. So many tiny details. What was it made from? I’d never seen anything quite like it. So gorgeous.
“Erhm, hmmm… what do I do now... Let’s see… perhaps you’re… you’re feeling very sleepy? “
What a strange thing to say… but he was right. I was finding it difficult to keep my eyes open and I did feel a bit tired. There was really no point in lying about it, so I told him…
“Yes.”
I heard him giggle softly about something, but it didn’t really concern me. I had discovered a tiny sliver of silver laced into the golden material of the spiral design. It was absolutely fascinating…
“You don’t want to look away from the spiral… but it’s becoming harder for you to keep your eyes open, isn’t it?”
How did he know that? I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the kaleidoscopic pattern. My eyes seemed to be sliding closed of their own accord. I blinked, but it took quite a bit of effort to open them again. Oh, that’s right… he had asked me a question. I should probably respond, so as not to be rude.
“Yesssss.”
Suddenly his arm was around my shoulder. I was vaguely aware that at some point he had gotten a bit closer to me. For a moment I considered stepping away, but he gently pulled me towards him and I realized that this actually made it easier for me to stay on my feet. More importantly it was easier for me to focus on the spiral. I was feeling even more tired, perhaps even a little light-headed. It felt nice to have someone to lean on and to support my weight. It felt safe. And besides, I was getting very close to the center of the spiral now…
“Ms. Kent... I want you to listen closely to the sound of my voice. Can you do that for me?”
He was speaking slowly now; his voice seemed deeper with very smooth and even tones. It was really quite nice. That powerful and masculine voice seemed to wash over me, making me feel even more relaxed, and perhaps even a little aroused. Oh, I almost forgot to answer his question!
“Yesss.”
I felt sooooo tired. It seemed to be increasingly difficult to open my eyes again after every blink, so I tried to avoid blinking, though somehow that just made the urge to blink even stronger. My eyelids were so heavy that I couldn’t really get them to open all the way. Despite my best efforts, my eyes slid closed.
But, no… please, not yet… I just had to find out what was in the center of the spiral and that motivated me to pry my eyes back open again. They seemed to open very, very slowly… but at last I could see the glittering spiral again. Not much further now before I discovered what was at the center of the design. I just knew it would be something wonderful.
“This is incredible! What shall I do with my very own hypnotized librarian?”
Did he just say “hypnotized”? That was ridiculous. I wasn’t hypnotized in the slightest. I was far too busy concentrating on the spiral to have time for any sideshow silliness. My eyes were nearing the center of the spiral, but all I could see was darkness. I realized that my eyelids had slipped closed without me being aware of it. I tried to open them, but the effort was exhausting. I managed to pry them open just long enough to get another look at the spiral… but… I had lost my place. I couldn’t remember which symbol was the last one that I had seen. I’d have to start all over again from the beginning.
Just imagining the effort that might take was exhausting. So much easier just to…
“Ms. Kent… it’s time for you to… SLEEP.”
What a wonderful idea…
I was just… going to… to…
…
TO BE CONTINUED
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Utterly delicious...had me thinking about peaking too, and so early in the morning. Look, Mother...no hands...
Pray do continue...
e'a
Hmm... No, I'm drawing a blank. No ideas. Nothing.
This is very good IMO, really entertaining, and it makes a great short story in its own right
Or at least I hope so... I really like the scenario of two villains playing in the same sandbox and not even knowing
the other one was there, and constantly wondering why their nefarious plans never seem to go quite right.
How exactly would a hypnotist make an uptight prude do the chicken dance when they are sleeping like a baby? That's what got me investigating the hypnosis-sleep myth. Something didn't fit.
The word "peeking" applies to catching a glimpse. The term "peaking" could apply to the shape of her nipples when the masculine voice washed over her. This manly force turning her on calls into question whether she really is les as the ladies she has loved are or bi. Is there another story in which you clearly define her sexual motivations? Is lesbianism a cultural tradition for her Amazon group? Has living among men now as well as women affected her desires? Ordinarily, it isn't important to know this about a character or even a real person, but you've suggested many times that she is a sexual creature.
You can stare at spirals all day and you won't find yourself suddenly hypnotized. I was suggesting that the book itself has some sort of magical properties, so realism is a non-issue. Also I indicated that the patron is not actually an experienced hypnotist, so he has no idea what he's doing either (hence the clichés) and he's just taking advantage of the situation. Hypnosis itself did not make me sleepy, rather it was the "suggestion" that I was feeling sleepy that then lead me to realize that I was feeling that way (but mostly falling asleep is an easy way to indicate that I've entered a trance state and to thus end the story on a clifhanger). As for peaking, if you'd like to see the shape of my nipples that's something you'd have to earn.
Also as Chrys Kent I am not an Amazon, nor do I know anything about them. Chrys Kent is a completely seperate persona with her own belief system and sexuality and (vague) memories that is entirely new and seperate from the Amazon Arrow persona. Amazon Arrow is bi-sexual, though she has been pining for her female ex (Pyrrah) for a long time and has not actually had sexual relations with anyone in nearly 70 years. Chrys Kent would probably consider herself to be bi-curious, but is definitely into men.
And... as you said... this is fantasy after all.