"The more precisely the position is determined, the less precisely the momentum is known in this instant, and vice versa." So said Werner Heisenberg in 1927. If you know exactly where something is at a precise moment, you can't tell where it's going.

No one at the table was thinking about Heisenberg, though. In fact, only one of them had ever heard his name. But the conversation wasn't about physics, or quantum mechanics, anyway. It was a typical conversation between five women who hadn't gathered together in more than a year.

It had started out as a series of random, unrelated phone calls. After a few days of, "Oh, guess who I talked to recently?", the calls became less random. Arrangements were made. Soon, five women who had known exactly where they were found themselves somewhere they hadn't expected.

"I can't believe this," Julie said with a grin. They had all said the same, or something similar, since meeting in the lobby of a well-respected downtown restaurant. Now they were keeping three waiters busy with a constant stream of cocktails, salads, and appetizers. Two nurses, a teacher's aid, a counselor, and the county's first female assistant District Attorney sat around the large table, catching up on gossip and rumor.

In all such situations, everyone involved naturally has one or more tidbits they're dying to bring up, or to call attention to. This leads to the practice of half listening to everyone else, while at the same time trying to find a place to bring up your particular topic and make it seem relevant.

Ginny was thrilled when her favored topic was the first to be brought up. Tammy looked at her, tilted her head, and said, "You've lost a few. Looks good. Which diet did you do?"

Smiling broadly, and yet blushing, Ginny nodded. "Yeah, I lost almost twenty. It wasn't a diet, though. Not really, I mean. I went to a hypnotist and she changed my eating habits a little."

There was general laughter, and Beth pointed at Ginny's plate, which contained a few leftover fragments of lettuce. "Yeah, he told you to eat like a rabbit before clucking like a chicken."

Ginny smiled good-naturedly, but shook her head. "It wasn't like that, really. I talked to her for a while, and then she told me what she thought we could do, and I said OK. It was nice, really. I sat there and listened to her and just sorta... I don't know... drifted for a while. We met a few times and now, eating better is just... habit. It's not like I have to eat this way, I just... eat this way."

The table was quiet now. Despite themselves, three of the others were finding that a first-hand account of being hypnotized was very interesting. One merely watched, smiling gently.

Then the questions began.

"Were you asleep?"

"Do you remember it?"

"Did she have you stand there with your arms out like a zombie?"

Ginny answered as best she could, but found it hard to explain just what being in a trance actually felt. Help came from an unsuspected source.

"You know," Randy said, "being hypnotized is a different experience for everyone. And the only way to know what it's like - is to experience it."

The others looked at her. "You've been hypnotized too?" Julie asked after a few seconds.

Randy nodded, grinning. "Yep. And I've hypnotized people, too. I got my certification, my license a couple years ago. I use it in my practice now, and Ginny's right, it really does work."

There was a long silence, interrupted by the waiter clearing the salad dishes. At length, Tammy asked, in a very hesitant voice, "You mean, you could hypnotize me? I mean, us?"

Randy thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I could, if you want. There is so much you can do with it, and being able to use it would make all sorts of things possible for you. Losing weight, smoking - none of us smoke any more, right? - Good."

"Are you serious? You could? You would?" Beth looked almost eager.

"Yes. I could. Yes. I would. I will. If you want. After dinner, of course," she added. There was a chorus of simulated discouragement as the waiter arrived and began taking dinner orders.

Dessert was unusual. As everyone but Ginny and Randy dug into cakes and pies and what have you, Randy looked over at Ginny.

"You've been hypnotized. You're obviously a good subject. Would you like to do a little demonstration for them? Just going under and coming up?"

Ginny looked shocked. Red-faced, she looked all around, then looked at Randy. "With everyone around? It would never work!" Randy grinned.

"OK. I'll make a deal. If it works, we give them a demo. If not, we don't. How's that?"

The others laughed, realizing there was no way out of that one. Now laughing herself, Ginny nodded, still red, still glancing around to see if anyone she knew might be watching.

"How were you hypnotized before?" Randy asked. Ginny gave a weak smile and shook her head.

"I don't know, really. She just talked to me. I didn't look at a watch or anything, if that's what you mean."

"Good, that's OK. I don't use a watch anyway. I prefer a crystal."

No one had seen Randy opening her purse under the table and finding her pendant. All of a sudden, there it was, right in front of Randy, hanging just a few inches over the short candle that had somehow found its way there as well. No one behind could see, and there weren't many tables on the side that had a view. Randy leaned forward, dangling the crystal above the flame, and saw Ginny look at it.

"This is one of the oldest ways to hypnotize someone," Randy said, just loudly enough for Ginny to hear. "It's been around for so long because it works so well. A crystal, swinging back and forth, shining, glittering, you can't help but watch it. And as you do, you remember being hypnotized, you remember how good it felt to listen to her voice and begin to drift, begin to drift. Remember what it felt like, remember how it felt to drift off, and feel it now, as you watch the crystal swing back and forth, back and forth. It's easy to watch, it's easy to remember, as you also remember that a crystal is a most effective means of inducing trance. Remember what it's like to be hypnotized, and remember that the crystal is hypnotizing you. And as I count down, you will remember more and more clearly, until at the count of zero, you will allow yourself to drift off into deep, comfortable, hypnotic trance, even deeper and more enjoyable than those you've enjoyed in the past. Three, so easy to remember. Two, so easy to watch. One, so easy to drift off. Zero. Deep sleep. Deep sleep. Close your eyes and drift down, deep down, deep down into hypnosis."

Ginny didn't move a muscle until Randy began to count. Only her eyes moved, back and forth, spellbound by the candle-lit crystal. As Randy counted down, Ginny seemed to melt ever so slightly. Her eyelids flickered and fluttered, and at the count of zero, the whites of her eyes showed for an instant before she closed them and tipped back against her chair, her head back and to one side.

Randy was silent, enjoying the awe-struck expressions on the other three - and a few well-positioned spectators, as well.

"And now, Ginny, it's time to come back already, time to wake up, knowing that you'll have another chance to go under very soon. Coming back up at the count of three, one, waking up, two, more and more awake, three, open your eyes, wake up, wide awake."

Ginny stirred, opened her eyes, and straightened. No one spoke as Ginny stretched and looked at Randy. "Wow," she whispered. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Randy replied, with a tip of her head. Looking at the others, she asked, "So. Is this something you want to try?"

Three heads bobbed vigorously up and down, still staring at Ginny, who smiled and nodded as well.

"Where?"

It turned out that Beth's place was closest, and her ex had the kids for the weekend, which worked out perfectly. Heisenberg again?

They soon arranged themselves in the living room, two on the couch, two in chairs, and Randy sitting on the floor in the middle of the room. There wasn't much small talk, as each wondered about the coming experience.

"Are we ready?"

Four heads nodded. Four pairs of eyes stared at Randy.

"Good. Here we go then. Now, remember, this might not be at all like you expect. In fact, like I said before, it's different for everyone, so I really think it's best if you didn't expect anything, as such. That doesn't mean it won't happen, because it will. But I'm not going to tell you how you will feel as you begin to drift off, because it will be different for all of you."

"I'm not even going to tell you what to look at. In fact, you don't have to look at anything. You can close your eyes, or leave them open, you can look at something, or not. It doesn't matter. As long as you listen to the sound of my voice, as long as you even hear my voice, you're going to go into trance. Get comfortable now, take off shoes if you want, loosen tight things, focus on something or close your eyes. When you're ready, say yes."

A brief shuffling, shoes falling to the floor, bottoms working their way deeper into plush couch cushions and soft recliner seats. Four very quiet voices saying yes.

"Good."

There was a silence, which Randy let stretch on. She sat very still, knees folded, eyes almost closed, in the middle of the room. Without moving, she glanced through narrowed eyes at the four women around her. Two had their eyes closed. Ginny was staring at her. Julie appeared to be staring at Ginny.

How interesting, Randy thought.

"If you can hear my voice right now, you are going to be hypnotized very soon. You might not know when you let go, you might be too dazed, too drowsy, to ever be able to pinpoint the exact instant you slip into hypnosis. Some people know what's happening the entire time, hearing every word I say without realizing how deeply those words are affecting them. Some people let go so quickly, so naturally, that they might not even realize I'm speaking, even as my voice and my words affect them even more intensely."

"You learn to go into hypnosis. You learn that it doesn't matter if your eyes are open or closed, if your body is relaxed... totally, deeply, and completely relaxed... or if you merely drift along on my words, trusting them to guide you even deeper into hypnosis."

"Some people feel very light, very light, as they drift into trance. Their bodies feel so light that their hands and arms actually begin to float. Their hands and arms float up as their minds float into trance, listening to my voice and trusting it to take them deeper and deeper."

"Some people feel very heavy as they sink deep, deep, down, down into trance. Some people feel their bodies just melt, every muscle and every nerve becoming limp, heavy, too relaxed to move. Their bodies seem to sink down, deeper and deeper, melting away as their minds melt into trance, listening to my voice and trusting it to take them deeper and deeper."

Ginny was still staring at her, and with delight, Randy noticed that Ginny's hands were beginning to twitch. Beside Ginny, Beth sat with her eyes closed, head already tilted back against the couch. To Randy's left, or to the right of the couch, Julie stared at Ginny, and Randy wasn't surprised at all to see Julie's hands beginning to quiver as well.

Also on Randy's left, almost directly beside her, sat Tammy. Eyes closed, she sat upright in the chair, hands in her lap.

"Hypnosis feels different for everyone. The experience is very personal, very individual. There is only one thing all hypnotic experiences have in common, and that is... you are hypnotized."

"And when you go into hypnosis a number of things happen. The most important thing that happens is that anything becomes possible. Your mind is open, clear, empty, and willing to absorb new thoughts, new ideas, new sensations, and accept them completely. Being hypnotized does not lower your resistance to suggestion - it amplifies your natural ability to accept suggestion. This makes anything possible, anything at all. Anything you can imagine can be accomplished under hypnosis. All you have to do is go into a hypnotic trance and your mind becomes a bottomless treasure chest. Anything you can imagine is possible under hypnosis. And the key to the bottomless treasure chest of your subconscious mind is a hypnotic trance."

"You are here right now because you want to be hypnotized. You are listening to my voice, knowing you are going to be hypnotized, wanting it, waiting for it - and yet you won't know when it happens. You might be in an extremely deep trance state and still believe you are in control of what's happening. Under hypnosis, you willingly surrender control to your subconscious mind. You allow the treasure chest to open, and you trust the treasures you will find there. You know, at the deepest, most personal, level that you can safely surrender control. You know that your treasure chest has only wonderful things in it, because any dark thoughts, any negative or bad things are kept away by the power of the deep hypnotic trance you are going to go into. Or you may already be in a deep hypnotic trance. Your body is heavy, or light, or maybe you can't even tell. It doesn't matter. However you respond to trance, you will respond even more profoundly as I count from five down to zero. With each number, you will become more aware, in a dreamy, distant, way, of your personal response to being hypnotized. If you feel light right now, you will feel lighter and lighter as I count. If you feel heavy, you will feel heavier and heavier as I count. Either way, at the count of zero, your subconscious mind will experience a very deep hypnotic trance, and your treasure chest will open. It doesn't matter at all what your body is doing at the moment you surrender control to your subconscious. Five."

Ginny's left hand jumped off her thigh and hovered a few inches in the air. Her eyes were fixed on Randy's face, but it was unlikely she was aware if Randy's eyes were open or closed.

Beth's head was tilted far to one side, her legs askew. She may have been gone already.

Julie's eyes were on Ginny still, but it was just as unlikely that she had any conscious awareness of what she was looking at. Both her arms were floating, wrists limp, hands hanging down.

Tammy's hands were floating as well, as she continued to sit upright in the chair, eyes closed.

Randy smiled.

"Listen to the sound of my voice. Experience the pleasant, almost sensual, sensations, of a hypnotic induction. You are going to go into a very deep trance at the count of zero. Just listen, relax, and enjoy the feeling."

"Four. Heavy or light, eyes open or closed, it doesn't matter. Your body reacts all by itself, responding to hypnosis as only you do, only you and no one else. You are being hypnotized. You, yourself, you are being deeply, deeply, hypnotized."

"Three. Forget your body now. Just let it go. You don't care where your hands are, you don't care where your legs are, you just don't care. There is no heavy or light any more, and you don't care at all how, or even if, your body continues to respond to being hypnotized. Under hypnosis, your body will automatically respond to your subconscious mind, instantly and without any effort or thought. But right now, let it go, forget your body and allow yourself to focus intently, completely, totally, utterly, on my voice."

Tammy suddenly went limp in the chair, hands falling down to the sides, head down on her chest. Ginny and Julie kept their eyes open, their arms rising higher and higher. Beth seemed to be melting into the couch.

"Two. You can see your treasure chest in your mind now. You can see it. It's so beautiful, so wonderful, and you know your mind will be safe once you let go of all control. Very soon you will be deeply hypnotized, in a few brief moments you will let go all control and allow yourself to surrender to the pure blissful abandon of a deep, deep, hypnotic trance. A deep, deep, trance in which anything at all is possible, a deep, deep trance in which you have full access to the treasure chest of your subconscious mind. If just a few moments you will be able to do anything you can imagine. Anything at all."

"One. Almost there. See your treasure chest, see it clearly. So close, and you can imagine yourself putting the lovely, finely crafted key into the large lock. The instant the treasure chest opens, you will surrender all conscious control, and drift into a hypnotic state deeper than any you may have ever dreamed of in your whole life."

She paused, now opening her eyes fully and looking around. The action meant nothing to the four women around her. Both Ginny and Julie had by now raised their arms high above their heads, pointing up at the ceiling, eyes still open and unseeing. Tammy and Beth were limp, breathing slowly and gently, eyes long since closed.

"Zero. Body limp, body limp, mind empty, mind empty as the treasure chest opens for you, and for you alone. As the treasure chest opens, your body goes limp, preparing itself to respond to the signals from your subconscious mind. Mind empty, body limp, treasure chest open. This is what it's like for you, for you and only you, to be hypnotized. This is what it's like to willingly let go of yourself, and to allow yourself the opportunity to experience things only you can find in your treasure chest. You are in a place where anything is possible. Anything at all."

She was silent for a moment. All four women were limp now, slumped in their seats, deeply entranced. Randy looked around the room and smiled.

Just out of college, Randy had participated in exactly one female-on- female encounter. And she had enjoyed it, make no mistake. Looking around the room at her four enthralled friends, she shivered for a brief instant at the thought of enticing them to pleasure each other.

Sighing, smiling not quite sadly, she put that thought aside. It did not go away, as it hadn't gone away during the past years, but it wasn't a thought for right now.

"Good. Very good. And now, as you look in the treasure chest, your own treasure chest, you will see two things that all treasure chests contain. The first is called a deepener. It may be an image of stairs, it may be a series of numbers. It may be anything. Reach in. Pick it up. Hold it. Look at it."

Randy was overjoyed, and yet not in the least surprised, to see all four women hesitantly begin to stir, reaching out into space, positioning their hands in front of their still-closed eyes and moving them around. Her smile stretched from ear to ear.

"This is your deepener. It works for you, and only for you. When your treasure chest is open, you can use this to find things you've never seen before. You can use this to take yourself even deeper into hypnosis, as deep into trance as you want to go. There is no limit to how deep you can go, because your treasure chest is bottomless. You may find that you feel better and better as you sink deeper and deeper. You may find that floating at a certain level feels just perfect. It is entirely up to you. You already know how to use your deepener, since you yourself created it, and it is for you and only you."

"And now set that back in your treasure chest and look at what is to its right. This is your wakener. This is what you will use to wake yourself up when you are hypnotized. Just look at it for now, since you don't really want to wake up. In fact, you want to go deeper, so as I explain your wakener to you, you can experiment with your deepener. Take yourself deeper into trance, making yourself more and more open to suggestion, as I explain how your wakener works."

"It is actually quite simple, quite foolproof, and works every time, even if you use it by accident. When you are in your treasure chest, no matter what you are doing, no matter where you are, simply touching your wakener will bring you all the way out of trance, all the way out of hypnosis, wide awake, in less that ten seconds. It doesn't matter how deep you are, it doesn't matter what else you are doing. Touching your wakener will awaken you, every time, no exceptions. And no matter where you are, or what you are doing, your wakener will always be nearby, far enough away that you won't often touch it by accident, and yet near enough that it will always, always, always, be there for you."

"And now you might be much deeper than before, having used your deepener for the first time. It's fun, isn't it? It feels so good, to use your deepener, to feel yourself slipping deeper, sliding deeper, melting deeper into hypnosis. Nothing can stop it. You don't even want to stop it. You use the deepener only when you want to go deeper, and so it will take you deeper, every single time, no exceptions."

"Let's drift here for a moment. Put the deepener away and focus one the sound of my voice. That's right, only my voice. I want you to look at the key that you put in the lock a few minutes ago. See it clearly. See the detail, see the workmanship. This is the key to the treasure chest of your subconscious mind. It works very simply. The key is always with you, safe and sound. It can never get lost. To use it, you close your eyes, and imagine your treasure chest. It may look a little different from time to time and that is perfectly all right. Imagine your treasure chest, and imagine yourself holding the key. You also need a password, because this is a high- tech, modern treasure chest. So right now, think of a password, something simple and yet very personal. You won't ever forget it, simply because it will be implanted deep into your mind where it will always be available to you. When you have your simple, personal password, hold your key out in front of you."

Within ten seconds, four arms were reaching out to Randy, fingers and thumbs closed tightly around the imaginary keys.

"Good. Now I will implant the password into the key as well so it will always match. This is like confirming your credit card by calling the phone number." She fell silent for a few seconds, then continued.

"There. Now your key has your password. You, and only you, have access to your treasure chest. You can take your keys back now, and get ready to try them."

Four hands lowered slowly. Four women again went limp.

"To use your key, you imagine your treasure chest, and you hold your key. As you slip the key into the lock, you say your password silently, to yourself, never ever out loud. You then turn the key and several things will happen in an instant."

"First, your treasure chest will open, and you will sink into a deep hypnotic trance in which you will have full access to everything in your treasure chest. Second, your conscious mind will go blank, as there will be no reason whatsoever for you to think about anything at a conscious level. Third, you will know, deep inside, that in this state, anything is possible. Ginny lost weight using what she now knows was her treasure chest. Many people have quit smoking using their treasure chests. Anything is possible. Imagine it and it will happen. Every time. Every time."

"In just a moment you're going to use your key for the first time. You will notice something is different this time. You will put in the key, and turn it, and the chest will open and your mind will go blank and you will sink into a deep hypnotic trance. This time, though, you will listen for the sound of my voice. This one time, I will guide your hypnotic state, just as I am guiding you now. In the future you will be free to drift wherever your imagination takes you. This time, though, you will allow yourself to follow my instructions again."

Slowly, Randy rose to her feet. Her four friends drifted in trance, waiting for her words, and again, a quick, guilty feeling of desire ran through her. With an embarrassed grin and a red face, Randy took a deep breath and went on.

"Are you holding your keys? Good. Now reach in to your treasure chest and simply touch your wakener."

She hadn't expected them to be in a hurry, and they weren't. It was fully two minutes before all four of them were conscious and coherent enough to talk. All were flushed. All were smiling. They stretched, they looked at each other and blushed some more. They looked at Randy.

"Go ahead. Use your key now. Use it. You know what will happen."

They knew. It was obvious from their expressions they knew. They were still looking at her, almost wonderingly, as their eyes closed. A few of them even moved their hands as the keys turned in the locks. One by one, much more rapidly then they'd awakened, all four went limp.

Randy couldn't help it. Biting her lip, she squeezed her already- rigid nipples, closing her eyes and stifling a moan. With a shudder, she let go and straightened. A few deep breaths and she was able to speak without a waver in her voice.

"Good. See how easy it is? Now use your deepener. That's it. Feel it working, feel the effect it has on you. Deeper. Deeper still. Down, down, down, down, just keep going deeper. Deeper. Good. It feels so good. So good."

She paused for a few seconds.

"As you learn more about the contents of your treasure chest, you will find that certain things are only available as you go deeper. Again, you will never, ever find anything bad or upsetting in your treasure chest. Some things, though, will be deeper in the chest, meaning that you need to go deeper to get to them. This is so you will only access them if you mean to, and only you know what is accessible at any given level."

"And now it's time to use this treasure that you now have. I'm going to be silent for a little while. During this time, you will be free to go as deep as you want, and to examine things that you find in your treasure chest. You may decide to lose weight, like Ginny. You may simply drift along amidst the treasures and enjoy the blissful sensation of a deep, relaxing, hypnotic trance. You may find an image or even a fantasy that you'd like to examine and explore. Feel free to do this now."

Randy closed her eyes and stretched, arms reaching to the ceiling. Then she pictured Julie and Ginny reaching upwards and broke out in a quickly-suppressed giggle. Looking around with a happy sigh, she noticed that Beth and Julie wore dreamy smiles, Tammy was as limp as a dishrag - and Ginny was blushing.

That, of course, caused another interlude of nipple-squeezing, this time lasting almost thirty seconds before, panting, Randy managed to quell her unbidden excitement - more or less. She began to wonder what it would it would be like to seduce someone and then, when they were already putty in her hands, to lead them down into trance, a deep trance where anything was possible... anything at all...

With a start, she remembered she was standing in Beth's living room, surrounded by four hypnotized friends.

A chagrined chuckle, another stretch, and she decided it was time to bring them back.

The wakeners worked perfectly, as expected, and the four women were soon overflowing with their thanks to Randy. No one really wanted to discuss what they had found in their treasure chests, and Randy reassured them that perfectly all right - no one else had to know, since no one else could access it. All agreed that it had been a wonderful experience, and each would be further exploring the contents in the future.

They all knew there could be no more small talk that evening. Randy declined a request to make their meeting a regular event, with Randy taking them down each time. AS she pointed out, they could all do it themselves now. She was willing to meet for dinner - a real dinner - again, and so those plans were made. With that they left, leaving Beth free to sink deeper into the contents of her own treasure chest.

Randy was unlocking her car when she heard a nervous voice behind her. "Uh... Randy?" Turning, she saw Beth standing there, looking down, wringing her hands.

"Something wrong?"

"No, no, I just... when you... when I... oh shit..."

Randy waited, sensing what was to come, and realizing that she didn't have any idea how she'd react if she was right.

"Randy... my, um.. treasure chest. When I imagined.. I imagined... um... you... me... um... us....."

The two of them stood in Beth's driveway, staring at each other, wondering who would be able to speak first.