The waiting room was nearly empty, just one other woman sitting and watching TV. June sat down a few seats away, and glanced up and saw a spiral, with some electronic music playing in the background. Some cartoon, probably.

The spiral kept spinning and June watched expectantly, waiting for it to change. It didn’t, but she kept watching. It was pretty compelling, actually, the music getting a bit louder. There were words, but they were too tinny, too distorted to hear. So June kept watching the spiral, trying to figure out if it was getting slower (it was getting slower, right?), letting her eyes start at the edges and get drawn in towards the center, then beginning over again. It was getting harder to even focus on the edges, though, so she just stared directly at the middle, the many black and waves waves blurring into an infinite point.

“I obey,” she heard as distinct words above white noise. Had the woman next to her spoken? June didn’t turn her head to look, didn’t break her focus on the screen.

“I obey.” There it was again. That was weird, but it would be rude to remark. And the spiral was much more interesting, and she was really starting to get into the music, too.

In fact, this was her new favorite song. She wasn’t going to bother to take her phone out to look it up, so she’d have to ask the receptionist later what it was. She privately hoped she wouldn’t hear her name for a few minutes more. Watching the spiral was so pleasant and easy.

The woman next to her was chanting, she vaguely realized, but it was easy to tune it out. As she stared at the spiral, a tear ran down her eye from the constant focus, but she didn’t wipe it away. Soon after, a trail of drool leaked from her lips. She should have been embarrassed, but there was nothing to be embarrassed about. She was doing perfectly. She was watching, and listening.

Everything was simple, really. The spiral spun and the music played and June absorbed it all. A new understanding dawned on her, one that had been building for some time. It all made sense. Whatever the spiral said made perfect sense. Right now it was watching, and listening, and doing just perfectly, but it would involve more, later. She knew, somehow, that could see the spiral if she closed her eyes, and despite her instincts, gave it a try. Yes, it was still there. This was a comfort, but she opened her eyes again and continued to watch the real thing, continued to understand.

“I obey.” The words were clear this time, because they came out of her own mouth.

That was it, exactly. All she had to do was receive, and accept. Be ready, pliable, docile, obedient.

“I obey.” Those words were in chorus, as June heard the another declaration echo her own. The feeling grew stronger.

“I obey. I obey. I obey.”

She was empty except for the spiral, except for the pull of her own compliance towards the center. She was horny, too, hornier than she had ever been, but unable to move. She needed to receive more instructions soon, craved it. She obeyed, and obeying made her wet.

Suddenly, the TV flickered off. The music quieted. June was unalarmed, still seeing the spiral in her mind, but she stopped speaking her mantra out loud. She heard another sound, her name, along with a name she did not recognize.

“Ladies, we’re ready for you.”

“I obey,” came two voices in perfect unison. June stood slowly, like a sleepwalker, and followed another woman towards the receptionist holding door open for them. In the room ahead, she could see more screens, with so, so many spirals.