And I couldn't. Instead of feeling excited, I was in shock. When I'd entered, it had been something of a joke. Now it seemed the joke was on me, because I'd won.

Everyone watched the show, whether they admitted it or not. And when the contest was announced, the reaction was like that movie with the gold ticket. Not as public, not as obvious, but everywhere you went people were whispering about the contest.

The prize, the first prize, the grand prize, the only prize, was a night with Melissa, star of The Hypno Show.

As I said, I'd entered on a dare. Lynn thought the show was a joke, that everyone was acting, and that Melissa herself was a first-class con artist. She conveniently ignored the testimony of several of our friends who had been in the audience and said yes, they had gone under and found themselves doing whatever Melissa said. Lynn was certain they had played along in order to feel like they were a part of things.

I had never seen the show live, and had only seen it two or three times on TV. I think I might have gone under watching, but I can't be sure, and I think the reason I didn't watch again was because I was afraid I really would go under and then enjoy it too much.

A week or so before the drawing, Lynn asked if I was hoping to win. I confessed I hadn't entered, and she laughed. "See? You don't really believe it either."

"And maybe you're not entering because you're scared it will work," I shot back. It took me a few seconds to realize that was exactly the reason I hadn't entered, but I didn't say that. Lynn frowned.

"Yeah. Right. Not. Come on, enter it, I dare you. Tell you what, if you win I'll even go with you, so I can laugh when you realize how fake it all is."

"All right, Miss Know-It-All, I'll enter. And if I win, you are really going with me when I meet her."

To this day I'm not sure why I agreed. I filled out an entry, sent it in, and waited nervously for the drawing, even though I knew there was no way I'd ever win. I was so sure that I actually watched the show the night of the drawing.

And so, when the red-haired hypnotist stared into the camera and whispered my name, I stared at the TV in shock. It was some time before I realized the phone was ringing.

"Hello?"

"Signed up for your acting lessons yet? Looks like you'll be needing them," Lynn gloated. Melissa was still staring into the camera, saying something, but I wasn't ready to hear whatever she had to say just yet. I clicked the TV off as fast as I could.

"Yeah," I said, not really knowing what I was talking about. I was going to meet Melissa. I was going to be hypnotized. I was going to spend the night with her. Lynn was still babbling on the phone as I suddenly realized that there could only be one reason for an overnight session. Why in God's name hadn't I thought of that before?

"Oh Jesus."

"Does he give acting lessons?"

"Um. No. Probably not. I'll call you when I find out where and when and all that." She was still babbling as I hung up.

The Hypno Show ended at midnight. At twelve thirty my phone rang again. I was sitting on the couch, not doing much of anything, trying to imagine what was going to happen and yet trying not to think about it.

"Hello?"

"Hello. This is Melissa. Congratulations on winning the drawing."

Stunned, I could not reply. After a few moments there was a soft chuckle on the other end.

"Yes, I have that affect on people. And one week from tonight, at nine PM, I will have an even more powerful affect on you. You will be ready, won't you?"

It was so weird. A woman I'd seen on TV a few times, a legend who could entrance with a word or gesture, was speaking directly to me. She was talking to ME. Her voice seemed even more powerful than it did on TV. And she was talking to me. Just me. Only to me. Was I hypnotized already? Was I ready?

"Yes." In my mind I think I was answering my own question, but I said it out loud. Melissa laughed softly and a thrill shot up my spine, making me quiver and sit up straight.

"I'm sure you will be. I'll be there at nine."

"Nine. Yes. OK. Nine. Here. Oh. Here?"

"Yes. There. I'll see you then, and again, congratulations."

For a long time I sat there, the silent phone still in my hand.

Melissa was going to arrive at nine, and I was sure she'd be punctual. Lynn arrived at eight thirty, wearing faded jeans and a denim shirt. I had spent two hours in my closet trying to decide what to wear. I'd finally decided on a rather generic skirt and blouse. It looked nice enough, and besides, I kept imagining that she'd have me undress as soon as she walked in the door, and I couldn't tell whether that thought made me more nervous or excited.

I had pretty much accepted the idea that there would probably be sex. Perhaps Lynn would get bored and leave before Melissa did anything too overt. I'd never been with Lynn, and I had no burning desire to, but thinking of Melissa made me hot the past few days.

As I waited in the living room, half listening to Lynn babbling, I wondered what it was like to have an orgasm under hypnosis.

Fake or not, the night was going to be interesting.

At six seconds after nine, by my watch, the doorbell rang. I could feel my face burning as I ran - yes, ran - to the door, trembling all the way. Lynn had risen too, and was lurking behind me when I opened the door.

There she stood, thick red hair framing an absolutely lovely face, wearing an almost see-through mesh sweater and slacks. She carried - nothing.

I had read about handshake inductions, and yet when she held out her hand I could not keep myself from taking it. Was I going under? Her eyes were incredible. Her body was... was... wow. Her voice... was saying...

"Good evening. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too," I whispered a few moments later, after realizing I was not, apparently, in trance, nor did the cat really have my tongue. "Come in," I whispered.

She smiled, and it was very clear how people were overwhelmed by her presence. As the door closed, she noticed Lynn.

"A guest. You are...?"

"Lynn. Hi." She waved casually, grinning.

"Are the two of you partners?"

"Nah. I'm just here to pick on her." Lynn laughed and gestured to me.

There was a long silence. My face got even redder. I felt terrible, wondering why I'd let Lynn actually come here tonight.

Melissa looked from Lynn to me and back again several times, then asked, "And why would you be doing that?"

Lyn actually knew better than to come out and say she didn't believe in hypnosis. She shrugged and said, "Have a little fun. I won't get in the way or anything." The way Melissa looked at her made it clear that Lynn was already in the way. There was a long, increasingly uncomfortable silence.

"I'm sorry." I hadn't meant to say it, and I barely said it out loud, but Melissa looked sharply at me. After a moment's consideration she nodded, once.

"Hey, why be sorry?" Lynn asked. She was oblivious to the look Melissa gave her. "I'll just hover in the background. No big deal."

At that, Melissa seemed to make up her mind about something. She straightened, squared her shoulders, and took several steps toward Lynn. For Lynn's part, her grin slipped a little and she too stood up straight.

They faced each other, Melissa looking down at Lynn's now-nervous face. "I would guess that you are one of those narrow-minded people who do not believe that hypnosis is real." That got Lynn going.

"Well, since you mention it, yeah, I am. I think it's bullshit and I don't watch your stupid show. I got her to send the entry because she wasn't going to even though she actually thinks this crap works. I told her that if she won I'd be here to laugh at her."

There was another silence, but it was the sort of silence that descends before a thunderstorm. Melissa was staring down at Lynn, who was grinning back.

Suddenly Melissa's hands shot up and she cradled Lynn's face between them, more or less pulling Lynn up towards her. Lynn's eyes flew open wide, but before she could say anything, Melissa was speaking - and it was that soft, soothing, and yet totally irresistible voice that so many people on her show had fallen under the spell of. As she spoke, she moved Lynn's head back and forth ever so slightly.

"I think you are mistaken," she said, her face so close to Lynn's that Lynn's eyes were almost crossed. "I think you need to think about being more open-minded. I think you need to think about what you would think about if I told you what to think about. I think that you would think about what I want you to think about even though you might not think you're thinking about anything at all. And even if you're not thinking about anything at all I think you would think that what I think is so much more interesting that what you think. So if you think about thinking about what I want you to think about then you can easily think about nothing at all and let me think about what you are going to think about. I think that not thinking at all might be the easiest thing in the world for you. I think you will think it is so easy not to think that even thinking about thinking becomes so hard that you can no longer think about thinking any thought at all. I think that trying to think has become so hard that you find it much easier to just let me think for you. I think that you want to think about not thinking and letting me think for you. So if I think you think you let me think for you then you obviously think what I think as soon as I tell you to think it."

I watched, even more stunned than I had been the night I'd won the drawing. As Melissa spoke, she was now gently - at least it looked gentle - guiding Lynn down with her hands. Lynn's eyes were frozen open, locked onto Melissa's face. She hadn't blinked once. Her jaw hung wide open, but there was clearly no way she was going to say anything. Melissa pushed down, and Lynn went down, her knees sagging, her arms dangling limp, forgotten. There was no sound at all except Melissa's voice and I shivered as I realized I too was being affected by her words. I took a deep breath and kept watching as Melissa drove Lynn to her knees - literally.

"It is so easy to think what I tell you to think, thinking about thinking the thoughts I think you should think. It is so easy that there is no need for you to think about doing anything except relaxing. Think about thinking about relaxing your body, think about thinking about letting go, and feel how relaxed you become as soon as I think those thoughts for you. Relax now, relax your body, let go of your muscles, and think about my thinking about telling you that kneeling is the most relaxing position there is. I am thinking about you thinking about kneeling, and so you think about kneeling, which relaxes you totally. Think about kneeling, think about how good it will feel to be on your knees, how completely and totally relaxed you will be, and how much easier it will be to think only the thoughts I think you should think."

Melissa backed up, keeping Lynn's face firmly in her grasp and her eyes firmly locked onto her own. Lynn was sinking more quickly now, her knees buckling.

"I think you should kneel now. Kneel now. Kneel, relax, and think only the thoughts I think you should think."

Lynn dropped to the floor at Melissa's feet, staring upward as the red-headed hypnotist towered over her. Lynn's eyes were still open and staring, glazed and blank. Her head was tipped almost straight up to remain fixed on Melissa's enthralling eyes. Her hands rested on the floor, wrists bent at odd angles.

I have never in my life seen anyone look more helpless.

And it was the single most arousing thing I had ever seen.

I moaned, or groaned, or whimpered, or something. Melissa ignored me.

"I think you are hypnotized, Lynn. I think you are deeply, totally, completely, helplessly hypnotized. I think you think being hypnotized is the most wonderful thing you have ever done. I think you will do anything to be hypnotized again. I think you think you want to be hypnotized again and again and again and again. You love being hypnotized. You love being on your knees and totally under my hypnotic control. From now on, whenever you want to be hypnotized, whenever you feel the need to experience this deep, wonderful, trance state, you will get down on your knees and beg me. I think you think you know you will do this, again and again, because it feels so good to be so deeply hypnotized. Hypnotic surrender is fascinating, and you love to surrender yourself to hypnosis. You love being hypnotized, you want to be hypnotized, you dream of being hypnotized, you even fantasize about being deeply and completely hypnotized by a powerful hypnotic woman."

"I am that powerful hypnotic woman, Lynn. I can put you in a trance any time, any place, instantly. Your desire to be hypnotized is so great, so profound, that you cannot help telling people how easily I hypnotized you, and how completely you surrendered to me."

"I think you know this is true, Lynn. I think you know that every word I say to you is true. I think you think that surrendering to hypnosis is the most wonderful thing in the world. I think that I am going to count down from five to one. With each number, I think you will feel your eyelids becoming heavier and heavier. With each number, I think you will feel your body becoming more and more relaxed, every muscle melting and letting go. At the count of zero, your eyelids will become too heavy to keep open, and your body will become too limp and relaxed to remain upright. When your eyes close and your body goes limp, I think you will allow yourself to sink deeply, totally, completely, into a hypnotic trance which I control. My voice will be the only sound you hear, and my words will form the only thoughts in your captivated mind. Five. Heavy and relaxed. Four. So ready and willing to let go of yourself. Three. Hypnotized and helpless. Two. I think you think you want this more than anything. One. You think you are ready. You think you want this. You know you are hypnotized."

As Melissa spoke, she slowly and carefully removed her hands from around Lynn's face. It was overwhelming to watch as, with each number, Lynn's eyelids fluttered slightly, and her body seemed to sink a little. She still struggled to stare up at Melissa, but it was clearly becoming more difficult. At the count of one, Lynn's eyes were almost rolled back into her head, and she was leaning a little to the right and back.

"Zero."

At that instant a number of things happened. Lynn's eyelids slammed shut for good, she toppled to the floor - and I felt something very much like a miniature orgasm wash over me.

I had just watched the poster girl for non-believers get taken down in a matter of minutes. Melissa knelt on the floor beside her and whispered in her ear for a moment. Lynn didn't react at all. And then Melissa left her hypnotized doubter lying on the floor and rose. She went to the couch, made herself comfortable, with one long leg crossed over the other, and gestured vaguely at the floor in front of her. Even to me it was clear she wanted me to kneel. Heart pounding, face flaring, I went to her and knelt before her. She smiled.

"Not yet. You can sit down. Be comfortable. Cross-legged is OK no matter what they say. If I want you under, you'll go under whether you're comfortable or not." Her obvious skill was matched by her confidence. I settled on the floor, and I did cross my legs under me. There I sat, Indian-style, looking up at the woman who would probably be controlling my every thought and action very soon. I shivered slightly, but I don't think it was from fear. She smiled again.

"Did you ever see that lost ark movie?" she asked. The question made no sense whatsoever, and I began to wonder whether it was part of some confusion induction. Curious, puzzled, and more than slightly hot, I nodded.

"Remember the one scene where the guy holds up the watch and says it's just a watch? But if you bury it for a hundred years it's something more?" I nodded again, recalling the scene, feeling my scalp tingle. Where was this leading?

The chain led down between her breasts. I'd noticed it before - how could I not have? - and now she tugged on it, revealing the shimmering crystal and holding it before me.

"This is just a piece of jewelry," she said. "But since I'm wearing it, it becomes much more to people. They assume that because I wear it, it must have some irresistible power, some overwhelming way of making all who see it fall under my spell. Incidentally, did you know that the goddess Aphrodite had a girdle that made anyone who saw it fall in love with her?"

It had to be confusion. Or something. The crystal dangled there, swinging in a short arc, her fingers clasping the chain just a few inches above it. What did Aphrodite have to do with anything? Melissa's voice had become low, soft. She was going to hypnotize me, I knew it. I wanted to hear Melissa's voice again as that crystal moved back and forth. I wouldn't care if she gave me the entire history of Aphrodite's undies.

"And so I show this to people, and because they expect me to put them deep, deep, into hypnosis, it doesn't take much for me to actually put them into trance. You would go under right now if I let you, wouldn't you?"

I made a sound like a sigh that, to me, meant yes. I was still staring at the crystal, totally captured by it, as it slipped back between her breasts. At some point after that my mind finally registered the fact that the crystal was gone. I blinked, trembled, and looked at her, surprised and more than a little disappointed. She chuckled.

"The best trances are the ones you don't see coming," she whispered. "For instance, you would never expect to be hypnotized by something as mundane as a shoe." Instinctively I looked at her shoes, wondering briefly if that very act would entrance me. Her shoes were expensive, rather high heeled, and went well with her outfit. The shine on them would have done a Marine recruit proud. I noticed, with an odd feeling of envy, that her shoes actually glistened almost. I had never seen shoes so well-polished before. What I did not notice was that she was moving her foot ever so slightly. It was so slight and so subtle that the way the gleam shifted back and forth barely registered in my mind. I just stared, not knowing why, and after a while, not really knowing at what. Melissa's voice drifted through the fog, not clearing it, yet clear in and of itself. At some point, somehow, the fog did clear. I blinked again, inhaled deeply, and looked at her. She smiled gently as she reached down and took off the shoe that had so nearly captivated me. "Look at me." My eyes darted from her ankle to her face. This was it, I thought. I hoped. I wanted. She smiled and shook her head.

"Not yet. You're not going to see it coming. This is too obvious. Staring deeply, helplessly, into my eyes, feeling yourself falling, drifting, sinking... deeper and deeper... deeper and deeper... no, it's too easy. Don't slip away yet. Not yet."

So great was her power, so great was her influence, that I snapped out of it as easily, if not as willingly, as I'd begun to go under. Her eyes were incredible, and I knew deep inside that I could never resist them if she were to actually unleash their effects on me.

"The mind sees what it wants to see. The hypnotized mind sees what it is told to see. Do not do it yet, but in a moment I am going to tell you to look at my toes. You will notice I have very unusual polish on my nails. They alternate, black and white polish. I think it's very hypnotic, actually. When I tell you to look down, you will look at my toes, at the big toe. You will see the black polish. I will say the number nine, and you will say the color of the nail. I will then say the number eight, and you will look at the next nail and tell me what color it is. We will do this all the way down to one. You can go back when you reach my pinky toe. Look at my toe now. Nine."

My eyes were pulled, physically pulled, down. I found myself staring at her big toe. Again, I didn't notice it swinging ever so gently. It really was black polish. For some reason this surprised me greatly, but there was no denying what I was seeing. "Black," I said softly.

"Eight."

My eyes moved to the right. "White." How odd. Black. White.

"Seven."

So very strange. "Black."

"Six."

This went on. My eyes moved back and forth, black nails, numbers, white nails, a faraway sense of unreality, as if I was experiencing a lucid dream. By the time I heard her say one, and I said black for the final time, I was not aware of anything else. All I saw was that shining black toenail, waiting to hear her voice after my barely comprehensible "black".

A soft chuckle. I was too dreamy, too fuzzy, to know what to do about it, but I knew it was her. "Don't go down yet. Not yet. Look at me. Come back to me. Look at me."

With a great effort, I tore my eyes from her foot and looked at her. My deep breath was almost a gasp. She laughed, softly, gently.

"Look at them again. Look at my toes." I looked down again, curious, and almost fell over.

Every nail was a uniform, shimmering, red. Awestruck, I looked back at her. She nodded, her eyes twinkling.

"The mind sees what it wants to see, and the hypnotized mind sees what it is told to see. What does that mean?"

"You said... they... and I... but they... am..." I didn't know what to think. Her nails were red, but I had clearly seen them black and white. What did that mean?

As I was pondering, she swung her foot over, placed it on the floor, and leaned toward me. I looked at her, into her eyes, and time came to a sudden stop.

"You're on the edge right now," she whispered, her eyes boring into mine. "Your mind is drifting, your thoughts come and go at random. It doesn't matter what you think, or if you think, because I am going to think for you. You will allow this, you want this. You are so close, so close to falling into trance. And you will drop into trance, your body will melt away completely, the instant your eyes close. The instant your eyes close, you will melt away, allowing me to control your mind and body."

I was drifting up into her eyes. I was no longer able to consciously make out the words, but the sound of her voice was all around me. Her eyes never blinked, never wavered, staring at me with such power and intensity that I was utterly helpless to look away. I never saw her smile slightly, never saw her lips form a perfect, erotic, 'O', never realized she was leaning closer to me.

There was a soft breeze on my face. Instinctively I closed my eyes - and my mind instantly responded to the words Melissa had whispered to me. There was no conscious decision, no conscious thought at all. In less than a heartbeat my remaining control melted away completely.

Melissa's eyes blurred and disappeared. There was a very faint sensation of motion, of falling. I was totally gone before I hit the floor.

Again, it seemed almost like a dream. At times I could hear but not comprehend, and at times I was aware of movement. I knew, at some level, that I was responding to Melissa.

"Five."

My eyes opened. I was standing in front of the couch, where she was still sitting, smiling, looking perfectly content and comfortable. I tried to blink away the cobwebs, and for the most part succeeded. I felt wonderful, relaxed and carefree and... and... and so very, very aroused. My body trembled, and Melissa laughed.

"Welcome back. Feeling all right?"

"Yes," I said in a small, weak voice. She leaned back on the couch, stretching her arms to the sides and thrusting her large, firm breasts toward me. It was all I could do to keep from whimpering.

"Lynn is in your bedroom," she said as she rose. "You really are a good subject. Responsive, receptive. You go down fast and you go down deep. I asked you a few questions while you were under. I know you didn't watch and I know why. You'd be surprised how many people are like that. They want it too much to let it happen. They're afraid they might get addicted to it."

She paused. Not knowing what she was waiting for, I nodded agreement. I had indeed been afraid of becoming addicted to it.

"The show is on once a week. I don't think letting yourself go for one hour a week means you're addicted, do you?"

I didn't know whether I did or not, but I shook my head no. She glanced at my reddening face and laughed.

"Wanting something isn't addiction, not necessarily. Enjoying something, allowing yourself to become lost in it, isn't necessarily addiction. You do want this, and now you're probably discovering that it's better than you had imagined. So you want it, and you're becoming more conditioned to it."

Coming closer to me, she held up her right hand. "If I snap my fingers without saying anything, and you go under, does that mean you're addicted?" Without waiting for me to answer she grabbed me by the shoulders and stared deep into my eyes. "If I look into your eyes and you let yourself go, does that mean you're addicted?" Already falling into her eyes, I did not reply. She let go and came closer. Closer. So close. Her arms went around me. Her face was an inch from mine. "And if I kiss you, will you close your eyes and surrender to me?"

Soft lips against mine. Her arms, her warmth, her scent, enveloped me. My eyes closed automatically. And again, my mind acted upon her words, interpreting them the way it wanted to. My eyes closed, I surrendered, and that meant... that meant... I was... hypnotized.....

Rather that wrapping my arms around her and kissing back, I responded to her passionate kiss by going limp in her arms.

The next time I emerged from Melissa's spell, the first thing I saw was Melissa on the couch - naked. The next thing I saw was Lynn kneeling on the floor, her face buried between Melissa's legs. Melissa's hands were in Lynn's hair, and she was looking at me with a strange smile.

"I think... I think she... believes.... now... don't... don't you?" At that instant her eyes closed and she shuddered. Lynn, the most ardent disbeliever I knew, was helplessly licking a hypnotist's pussy.

I didn't know what to do, but when I tried to move, I realized it didn't matter anyway. I could not move. Lynn knelt between Melissa's legs and I watched, paralyzed.

It was perfectly clear than both of us were totally under Melissa's influence. And my doubting friend was being shown how wrong her assumption had been.

Melissa cried out, writhed on the couch. Then, panting, she did or said something that made Lynn go limp and sink to the floor.

Carefully stepping around Lynn, Melissa heaved herself to her feet, her hair a mess, her body glistening.

"I thought you might want to see that," she panted, grinning broadly. I couldn't say yes, or thank you, or even nod. Her grin widened.

"This is what you were afraid of, isn't it? When it comes down to it, this right here is what you were afraid of. You are standing there, totally unable to move. You know it's because I hypnotized you, and yet deep inside you know damn well that if you really, truly wanted, or needed, to move, you could. But you don't. You try to move, but you can't. You feel like you have no control, but that's not the feeling you were afraid of. You were afraid of enjoying this feeling. Your greatest fear has come true. And yet you are allowing it to happen, because deep inside you know it's what you want, and that you are safe. You are under my control because you have given it to me."

She was right. I stood there, trembling, knowing she was right. I could not move a muscle, and yet my rational mind knew there was absolutely no reason not to move. Somehow I did know, deep inside, that if I really tried to move, I would - but there was no desire to try, no desire to lose this feeling of total comfort, of total blissful abandon. Melissa's eyes were shining as she watched me, she knew what I was thinking. She nodded.

"Yes. You gave control to me. Willingly. And now you obey me."

"Willingly."

Yes. Willing. I was willing. I wanted this.

She laughed, but it was not a mocking laugh. Then she leaned over and suckled my nipples. I could not gasp, I could not respond. I could feel my nipples growing harder and harder.

Staring at me, she placed her palm on my mound. The warmth, the pressure, made me want to cry out, but I could not. Again, something way down deep inside me screamed that I could move, that I could grab her hand and slide it those last few inches down.

But no.

In reality I could not. I would not.

I stood there, shuddering.

Melissa's expression changed slightly. Her smile slipped, and her eyes burned with passion and power.

"God, I'm going to have fun with you," she said, her voice breaking.

Then she was close to me, staring deep, oh so deep, into my eyes.

"You have no control of your body right now. You are well aware of that. You are so helpless, physically, that you can't even look away from my eyes. You are going to continue to look deeply into my eyes while I take control of your mind. It will be very easy to do, because you are going to give me control, willingly. You are going to stare deep, deep into my eyes and give me control of your mind. This is what you want. You want to give yourself to me. I already have total control of your body. Go ahead. Try to move."

I didn't even try. What little of my senses remained knew it was useless. I stared into her eyes, feeling the fuzziness washing over me.

"That's right. You can't. All you can do is stare into my eyes and give me control of your mind. That's what you're doing even as I speak. Your control is being given to me with every breath you take. With every beat of your heart. You lose more and more control, your mind becomes more and more intent on my voice, fixated on my voice, dependent on my words. You need my words to think. You need my words to think. Your thoughts melt away. Your control melts away. There is no need to think, no need to control. I am going to think for you, I am going to control you. I am going to count back from three to zero. At the count of zero, all your thoughts will be gone, all your control will be gone. At the count of zero, your mind and body will be totally, utterly, completely, under my control. Three. Let it happen. You know you want it. Two. It is happening. You can't stop it. You don't want to stop it. One. You will be mine very soon. Let go. Let me control you now."

It was so odd, and yet somehow so exciting, at least for a moment. Her eyes held me captive as her voice swept through my mind, carrying away my thoughts. Things actually seemed to slow down as she counted, and I began to feel light and kind of pleasantly dizzy.

"Zero."

My eyes were still open, but my mind did not register what they saw. The scenes changed, my body drifted from place to place. At times it was dark, at times there were sounds that seemed familiar in some way. At times there were sensations that my conscious mind would have recognized as pleasure. It was like a dream, and at the time I had no sense of what was real and what was not. Maybe it was all real. Or not.

"Five."

All three of us were sitting on the couch, bathed and dressed. Lynn noticed me and turned bright red. Melissa laughed. Was it over already?

"You will be watching every week, won't you?" Both Lynn and I nodded.

Melissa turned to Lynn. "I think you've learned a lot about hypnosis and how it relates to power, haven't you?"

To my amazement, Lynn nodded meekly and replied, "Yes, Mistress." Clearly things had happened beyond what I had experienced. And I wondered if I would find myself calling Melissa Mistress.

Lynn haltingly asked to be hypnotized one more time. Melissa looked at her for a moment, then nodded. She rose, gesturing for Lynn to stand as well. Hand in hand they took several steps. Suddenly Melissa stopped, reached out, and framed Lynn's face with her hands. I felt a sense of deja vu as Lynn's eyes widened. Melissa whispered, Lynn's body gradually relaxed, and then her eyes were rolling back and she was sinking to the floor, deeply hypnotized.

Melissa left her lying there and returned to the couch. To me.

"Would you like to go down once more too?" Her tone was gentle, as if she wanted me to say yes.

"Yes... please?" I felt no compulsion to say Mistress. She laughed.

"It's OK. I gave Lynn some lessons you didn't get. Don't feel left out. She needed a Mistress, someone to keep her in line. You needed someone to show you it's OK to let go now and then."

She took my hands in hers, warm and soft. Her eyes found mine, holding them, unwavering and bottomless. Her voice came to me, powerful and soothing. I don't know what she said, I don't know how long it took. I just sat there, feeling my control slipping away, feeling my thoughts being erased, feeling my mind becoming cloudy and hazy, then perfectly clear.

I knew I was under hypnosis. I don't know how I knew, but I did. Her eyes were still there, her hands still held mine. I was hypnotized, and she was speaking to me, softly, gently. The words meant nothing to me, but deep inside I understood and accepted them. I was floating, drifting, carried away by her voice and her words. Total freedom. Total surrender. Floating under her control.

Letting go.

My eyelids were getting heavy. I felt so good, so warm, so happy. It was like falling asleep. A deep, gentle sleep. So drowsy. So tired. Eyelids so heavy. So heavy. So sleepy. So sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepier..... So very tired..... must... rest... must......

Sleep.

When I awoke, both Melissa and Lynn were gone.

I did not hear from Lynn all that week, but I wondered how she was adjusting to her new status as Melissa's sub.

Friday night, I turned on The Hypno Show. Melissa was sitting at her desk, smiling into the camera. I listened closely, wanting and expecting to surrender to her. I was not disappointed.

"I want to say hello to the winner of last week's drawing," she said, looking straight into my eyes from inside the TV. "I enjoyed myself, and it was clear to me that you did as well. To you, and you alone, I want to say..."

I have no idea what she said. The instant the word registered in my subconscious mind I dropped straight down into trance. I let go. I did not awaken until the end of the show.