"You've reached Mark and Sonia, we wish we could take your call, but we're out having too much fun right now. Leave your name and number after the beep and we'll get back to you."

The sharp tone rang through apartment, which remained still and calm save for the light ticking of a clock and the occassional breaths of the tennant, hunched on the sofa, his eyes sat dull and heavy, gaze boring a hole into the floor. His face sullen with a blend of depression and apathy. He made no effort to retrieve the phone, nor did he show any outward signs of listening to the message which began trailing out of the speakers built into the phone unit.

"Hey, Mark? This is Phil. I read on Facebook what happened with Sonia... it's been two days and we've not heard a thing from you anywhere. If you need me to drive up there, man, let me know. We're all really getting worried on the site. We know she meant the world to you." the speaker's friendly voice continued rambling on a long winded message about how Sonia just didn't get it and she was never the right person for him. Whatever he was saying, Mark no longer heard nor did he care. He was drowning himself in turmoil, regret and memories.

---

Sonia was typing away her coursework at a furious pace. After quitting her job at the office where she and Mark had met, she'd finally been given the opportunity to focus on her schooling, a dream come true. Mark worked tirelessly during the daytime to keep the roof over their head and she was always mindful to match his enthusiasm and drive. If he was at work and she was not at college, she at least owed it to him to be doing some work.

The two shared a computer, a laptop was always on the Christmas gift list, but one income was barely enough to maintain the status quo, dreams could wait for another day. Sometimes Mark would leave his chat client open in the system tray by mistake, today was one of those days and it would cost him dearly.

AngelicPriestess: Hey, Mark, honey. Not working today?

Sonia raised her eyebrow at the strange IM window, before noticing the "for recent history, click F3" message. Curiosity and jealousy sparked and moved her hand before reason could raise the moral questions such as "is this an invasion of privacy?" as she opened the history page.

What she saw was years and years of correspondance between her boyfriend and this random woman, an online dominatrix even. Through each message was talk of fantasies of control, domination, submission and triggers. The one common theme was hypnosis, and every message she could see Mark's yearning desire to be under this person's thrall. She swallowed in clenching her fist, before finally returning the scroll to the present and typing a response.

Marksman2112: Who is this?!

Her blood was boiling as she typed, perhaps it was not the best thing to type, but it was what she did. Impatiently she watched the screen, willing the bottom of the window to indicate that the woman was writing a reply.

AngelicPriestess: Is this Sonia?

She all but screamed at the computer at that moment. Her skimming through the chat history had only been the earliest conversations, instigated before her boyfriend had even begun their relationship, but she burned at the idea that her Mark had been telling this demonic succubus (as she was painting quite the unfortunate mental image from her first impression) about their relationship. She immedietly logged off the IM program in a rage and spent the rest of the afternoon reading the offline logs in detail, waiting impatiently for her boyfriend to return.

It had been two painful hours before the the door finally clicked open and Mark walked in, looking as wrinkled and worn as the business suit which hung to his thin and gangly body. "Hey there, hun. Get much done today?" he asked in the brightest voice his work fatigued soul could manage.

Sonia stood cross armed watching him, her cold eyes examining him from head to toe. She was still wearing her pyjamas, a loose fitting XL t-shirt, far too large for her and a pair of shorts which were enough to lounge around in. "Welcome home." she said slowly, coldly, still willing daggers through her gaze. "Did you have a nice day?"

Right away, Mark knew something was up. He wasn't sure what. His mind trailed across all the possibilities. Did he leave the cap off of the toothpaste, put the dishes in the wrong place, forget to clean out Astrix's foodbowl? Whatever he thought about, his mind drew an absoloute blank. He sighed and through caution to the wind, giving a look like a child who had stolen a cookie and not understood it was not allowed, he asked "...did I do something wrong?"

"Who the hell is AngelicPriestess?!" she demanded, stepping her foot on the spot. Not approaching at all, but she seemed to be far more looming for the small action. "She IMed me today and it looked like you two were really close. Are you seeing some online floozy behind my back?"

Shame struck at Mark and he hid his face, which grew a sharper red. Now he felt like the same child who did in fact know that taking the cookie was a bad thing. He sheepishly raised his head, slid his suit coat off and sat down on the sofa. "Sonia, babe, hear me out." he pleaded, trying desperately to reorganize his thoughts to justify what had always seemed like an innocent relationship, but seems so--- impure--- out of context. Building a bridge of context sounded easy, but required so much explination.

"She's... well. Someone important. In the community that I'm in. I guess..." he mumbled, not daring to look up at his girlfriend's face. "I'm... well, I go to an online community for hypnosis..." his unsturdy voice wobbled for a moment as he added "erotic hypnosis... I have a really strong fetish."

Sonia's frowned face did not soften at his confession, she did not make a motion to approach him or comfort him in his self-inflicted sorrow. Arms still crossed, she asked the simple question, "And how long were you going to wait to tell me about all of this? I told you about my thing with restraints right off of the bat."

She was right, of course, and he knew that. It made the whole thing worse. "...I just didn't think you'd get it, and I didn't want to distance you... then I guess I just got scared that if I told you, I'd lose you..." it sounded so weak and pathetic coming out of his mouth like that, but in all honesty it was how he felt on the situation.

"So you'd rather just get your fix online?" she scoffed. She didn't know why, but hearing all of this was only fueling her anger further and she had started to consider just how well she'd get along if she stormed out and left right there and then. Jobless and homeless, but with her pride.

Mark was silent. He starred down at the floor, shaking his head. So many years of being reassured that his fetish was not wrong and nothing to be ashamed of, and now it was about to destroy the most promising relationship of his life.

The silence lingered for a beat. Sonia looked at him. She weighed her options. She thought about how considerate he normally would be, how much he had sacrificed to keep her in college, and how far he was willing to go with the relationship. It took her a few moments, but she nodded in resolve, understanding and compramise helped keep a relationship healthy.

"...Mark, honey. Just tell me all about it, okay? I'm willing to learn... for you. For us. But no more secrets, okay?"

Mark looked up from the floor and to his lover's eyes, wearing a spark of hope and enthusiasm to compliment his wide smile.

---

Years after that conversation Mark was still lost in thought, unsure of how much time had been consumed while he was drifting off into space, remembering how the entire mess of a relationship became complicated in the first place. He was startled into alertness by a tabby ginger cat jumping on his lap. His eyes blinked and regained their surroundings, as he began petting the neglected cat, idly wondering if things would have been better had he have sworn off his urges and ignored his own needs in favor of hers. He was always so willing to put her before him, suicidally so. But no matter how guilty he felt or how hard he fought for it, the relationship still crumbled around him.

"You've reached Mark and Sonia, we wish we could take your call, but we're out having too much fun right now. Leave your name and number after the beep and we'll get back to you."

Another loud beep startled him back to alertness, as a different voice spoke over the speakers this time.

"Mark, it's Angelica." her voice was less friendly and casual than the previous caller. This one spoke with authority, "Get yourself to a computer and talk to us. Better yet, answer this phone. We are your friends and we're not going to abandon you, but you can't just sap about on your own. Get to a phone or computer now."

He grunted out and shook his head. No part of him wanted to get to a computer, answer the phone or speak to the people who drove him away from her. Sonia was all he wanted and she was gone. She didn't want him and so he could not go to her. He couldn't do a thing, but sit there starring at the floor and remembering.

---

Months had passed since the big argument that had revealed Mark's secret and Sonia had mellowed out a lot. Mark was quickly back to his usual habits, spending some hours at the computer each night, or going out with the lads to the bar and coming home a little tipsy on the weekend. Normal behavior, and certainly nothing weird or devious like she had feared.

The days continued as they always would. Mark got suited and went to the office and Sonia lingered in the laziest of attires, the cotton t-shirt that was a couple sizes too big and some underwear. Socks if the tiles were too cold. Sonic reasoned that she needn't get dressed when distance learning allowed for pure comfort all day every day. No more sweaty bra rashes.

Between her normal coursework, she had given herself a little side project. Every now and then she would tab away from her latest paragraph of coursework and open up a website which she had fished out, focused on erotic hypnosis. She was not too eager to learn, and the sites that she found had chilled her to the bone, but she was willing to try, for love and for the man who often dropped everything to give her a full body massage and leave a few knots digging into her skin when she felt like she needed it.

The day drifted on and eventually there was the sound of a key going into the door, he was home. She tabbed back and swivelled around on her chair. Tonight she felt she understood enough to do that which Mark had always craved. She watched him as he stumbled over to the sofa and plotted himself down, heaving out a breath which seemed the carry the entire week's worth of effort. Sonia smirked deviously as she slipped across the room, sliding in the position next to him.

"Long day, honey?" she asked, leaning in to his ear, lightly stroking his hair.

"Yeah..." he grumbled, leaning back against her hand, a gentle smile igniting on his lips from his girlfriend's unexpected passion.

Sonia drew her hand a little lower and found his temple. Drawing slow circles she watched as her boyfriend's expression changed from exhaustion to confusion to muted delight. As the realization began to dawn upon him she drew a second hand to place a finger to his lips. Maneuvering his chin so that their eyes met. Already he seemed so meek and subdued.

Sonia's voice lowered half an octave, taking on more of a seductive and suggestive tone, as her lips primed closer to his ear. "Shhh..." she cooed, lowering her fingers to his neck where they lightly kneded at his stiff muscles, strained from starring at a monitor all day. "Breathe in for me, darling. Take in a nice firm deep breath and hold it." her voice cracked those final words with such rapid intensity that Mark startled back, his wide eyes and tense throat betraying just how impacted this all had made him and how quickly he fell into formation.

Sonia certainly found the moment to be quite agreeable and rewarded him with a coy peck to the lips, "And breathe out." she commanded, delighting in the relieved sigh her boyfriend exhaled as hiis shoulders melted like butter to her touch. She was firmly in command and only after a few seconds. An afternoon of study had surely done wonders for her, though the years of reading and practice that Mark had committed likely helped some.

"You've had such a long day, honey... you deserve to rest. Let Sonia take care of you, okay, sweetie?"

Mark's only responce was to murmer out an agreeable sound, he had no idea what he had done to earn Sonia's favor, but he certainly enjoyed the attention. He simply assumed she was buying herself some extra attention in bed the best way she could.

Her spare hand began running with a ghostlike touch along the very edge of her stubble. She was having fun with this whole seduction that she'd read on the Mind Screw forums, and as she noticed how happy and excited this was making her boyfriend only spurred her more into the role. The hand stroked down his chest and towards his comfortably present erection. The most gentle contact causing a whimpering shudder of yearning bliss.

That had struck a chord with Sonia and voice growing thicker with anticipation, she continued "That's right, honey, I'll take care of you now... you can just rest... relax..." and she paused a moment, watching his euphoric expression as her hand more or less shifted his head's direction with it's feather touch. The people on the website said all he needed was one push, and his mind would go where it wanted to go, she wasn't entirely positive it would work, but she was ready to try.

"And sleep!" she commanded suddenly, drawing his head forward and craddling it against her shoulder as she stroked his hair and continued quickly, "Very good, honey, that's right, just like that." her heart was racing and she could scarecly focus, somewhere in her heart she had just assumed this wasn't going to work and yet it was happening just as the forums had suggested. Taking the moment of pause she took a second to regard Mark, who was buried against her, he looked like he was fast asleep. She was unable to see a smile, but the way he was breathing on her, the gentle simmering sighs, she imagined there would be have to be a giant grin from ear to ear. She felt a wave of pride fill her. She was able to do it first try.

"That's good, honey." she continued, her voice still in the low seductive state, a state she then decided she would use for all of their little foreplay games. "How do you feel?"

She heard a giant heaving breath, it seemed that Mark needed to pull himself from the deepest sleep of his life just to have the energy to answer that question, his lips parted against her exposed shoulder, a small drool puddle already forming, and he answered a single word, "Wonderful."

"Very good, honey." she assured, as she lightly set him back on the sofa again, his head lulling gently to the side. She was now able to take in how passive, relaxed and calm he was. Every motion seemed to take him further into the wonderful state that he had desired for so long. It was then that she realized she had no idea what he wanted to do when he was hypnotized. She only knew he was turned on by the idea, not it's implimentation. Her hand ran across his work pants and she knew instantly that her efforts were not in vein. "Honey, it's after work now. You don't need to be dressed like that." she said lightly, in her normal tone.

Mark did not budge, he just sighed in deeply again, made a soft motion with his head that indicated he heard something, but did not really take it on board.

Sonia pursed her lips and tried again, lowering her voice this time, "Mark, honey, take off your clothes. You don't want them to get dirty before tomorrow."

This time he did stir, his head nodded gently against the fabric of the sofa and he whispered "k Sonia...", his hands lazily went to pull away the outer layers of his clothes, fumbling with the buttons in an empty-headed fervor before peeling away the layers. Sonia watched the entire display with eager eyes, enjoying how suggestive the simple removal of clothes could be when done at the right tempo. 

The whole experience was not exactly her kink or speed, but she was growing increasingly aware of the power that she seemingly held over her boyfriend's sleepy head and knowing that Mark would do anything for her in this state was giving her some enticing ideas.

As he finished up, not having lifted himself from the sofa onces, Sonia discarded her tank-top with a quick throw and slipped her hand around one of Mark's. "Mark, honey. Follow me, okay?"

Deep as ever, Mark simply replied, "Okay..."

She slowly lead his sleepwalking form across to the bedroom where she lay down face down on a pillow, before coyly turning to look at Mark who stood emptily at the foot of the bed, lost in his happy dream.

"Mark, honey. I'm going to lay down on the bed, and you're going to pull out the restraints and then you're going to make love to me."

Obediently, happily and fully aroused, Mark followed and found his body pilotted towards the mattress, pulling out a restraint web from beneath and efficiently hooking each clasp to the appropriate limb. All the while Sonia's face began to glow with radiant bliss.

Now all Sonia could do was top from the bottom. She longed to reach up and tease his obvious arousal, now unbound by layers of clothing. Her own attire hardly an obstacle for Mark's commanded gropes and teases.

"Just there..." she cooed, as he gently teased around her nipples through the shirt. His touch far more confident and firm than anything Mark would nervously enact before this date. Her legs writhed against the strain of the leg binds. Mark through either experience or intuition pressed his knees down and lock her further in position. That was neither a command nor a suggestion. But it was perfect for the moment. Sonia mewled in delight and accepted the further firm commanding touch.

His expression was just a little vacant as he worked. Like he was far off. His only intention and focus was her pleasure and it was as if there was nothing of her boyfriend left and it was just an empty husk pinning her down and pleasuring her. It was haunting and slightly horrifying but there was something Sonia couldn't quite put her finger on. An allure, a hint of danger. Like he wouldn't stop until he had completed his commanded mission. That was not true, of course, Sonia held all the power. He would stop at a word. Drop with but the barest whisper of the order to "sleep"... and within the mingle of comfortable safety and enticing danger; Sonia found a new wave of pure pleasure.

---

He wasn't fully sure if he truly experienced trance that first day. He was so excited by the idea that he went along with it out of pure lust and happiness. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought that he would ever be able to spend a real life relationship with a hypnotist, even if it was his existing girlfriend who took the time to learn for him. It was truly the best night of his life, and yet he now looked back on it without the fond happiness. The memory had been poisoned by the events of the present.

He continued to bore holes into the floor with his eyes and wondered if he had disappointed her somehow, perhaps he was too focused on his own fetish to satisfy her needs during their love making, or perhaps his entranced self was not able to fulfil her emotional needs along with her physical ones.

"You've reached Mark and Sonia, we wish we could take your call, but we're out having too much fun right now. Leave your name and number after the beep and we'll get back to you."

The beep fell on empty ears once more.

"Mark, this is Walter at Cormat. It's been two days and no call, no show. Just calling to let you know that unless we recieve a call tomorrow, we're going to have to assume you have left us. Please call as soon as you get this. After six years, we deserve to know if you're going to quit."

He raised his hand up to his sullen face and he regarded the ring on his left hand. He slowly twirled his hand, focused on the small golden band. His mind reeled back to the happiest day of his life.

---

It'd been two more years since they had started adding hypnosis to their relationship, and for the most part it was going well. Outside of the bedroom they were Mark and Sonia, but the moment they went into their room with intent to play, Mark became Miss Sonia's doll. It certainly made things more healthy and happy for them. One day at work Mark sat pondering this and had made the firm decision that it was time to get married.

It was to be a small ceremony, in a local church. Only a few friends and family were invited, and though Sonia protested, Mark was able to invite his most prominent friends in "the community", as they referred to it. Both Angelica the hypnodomme who had set this whole hypnosis situation into  motion to begin with, and Phil the one who introduced Mark to "the community" in the first place.

Before leaving the apartment they argued at length on the subject, she was upset he was bringing sex workers to an event which included the reception where both their parents were present. Mark pleaded desperately that his friends were not deviants and infact just normal people with an interesting hobby. He had joked that they wouldn't enslave the maid of honor or anything stupid like that and Sonia had not been charmed by his attempts to make light of something which was giving her serious concerns.

They agreed that if they were going to get upset on their wedding day it was going to be after the service when something has actually happened, rather than argue impotently over the possibility of something happening, but Sonia maintained a grudge in Mark's uncharacteristic refusal to back down when pressured. Her disapproval lingered behind her eyes the entire day,

As the ceremony drew closer Mark was in one of the rooms to the side of the chapel, fixing his bowtie. His blood was still boiling. All of his gratitude for the understanding and tolerance that Sonia had been showing had been tarnished by her one simple ignorant outburst and he was even starting to doubt committing to her when she refused to understand something which meant so much to him. He was too worked up to make any sense of his feelings, but he knew it was not how he wanted to feel on his wedding day.

While he was pacing, wondering how to calm himself down the door opened. He paid it no heed, perhaps it was the priest or Phil to go over ceremony stuff. Perhaps even Angelica ready to get one last look at the bachelor version of one of her best friends. 

"Mark, honey, sleep for me."

Sonia caught him and held him up, his ear right next to her ruby red lips as she craddled him softly. "Good boy." she cooed, seductively, "No worries now, the door is locked, and you're not seeing your wife before her wedding day, so it's not a bad thing is it, honey?"

"No Miss Sonia..." he slurred, bobbing against the rich fabric of her wedding dress. She reached down and felt for confirmation that this sudden induction had impacted him. Sure enough a bulge was forming against his tuxedo pants.

"Now, now, honey. Let''s not make a mess of our wedding outfits. No drool on my shoulder right now." as she spoke she guided him down to a chair and tilted his chin up to look at him. "I know you're feeling upset. Tell me, honey, you know you will never lie to me."

"Never lie to you..." he parrotted from conditioning, "feel awful."

Sonia sighed and smiled, patting his head, "It's okay, honey... I love you, you know that? And I know you love me. Don't you?"

"...yes Miss Sonia."

"How much do you love me?" she asked, watching his dull expression as he heaved in another breath to muster out two words.

"So much."

"Very good, always love Miss Sonia, wont you?" she asked, smirking.

"Always..."

"Forever love Miss Sonia"

"Forever..."

"Good boy... then when the door closes, you'll wake up. Ready for the greatest day of your life with the bride you love so perfectly. Do you understand?" she embraced him as he nodded weakly, pressing the softest kiss under his earlobe, "I love you, honey."

When the door shut at last, Mark was brought back to awareness, his chest did not feel like it was filled with fire any longer. He was lucid, calm and certain of his commitment. Wearing a smile, he waited patiently, no longer doubting himself.

As he walked up the aisle, he saw his best man, Phil, full of pride. With barely a nod and acknowledgement once he reached the end of the aisle he turned to look towards the back of the room, eyes fixed on the doors where she would be entering. If Phil had any words of advice or comfort, they fell on deaf ears, all Mark could think about was seeing Sonia in her dress, how beautiful she would look, how perfect she would be. 

---

That was the first time that Sonia had ever tranced him outside of foreplay. As he remembered, Astrix was nuzzling up against him, meowing constantly. He had no idea how much time had passed, but the poor little tabby was desperate for attention and food now. There was no real way of knowing how long it had been since his food bowl had been filled, but it was all the way in the kitchen and filling it would not bring Sonia back, nor would it please her. He sighed, remembering the day he found a true focus and meaning for his life.

---

Wedded bliss had it's ups and downs, but for the most part status quo was king. The two remained as they always were, same roles, same duties. Sonia had finished up with college and had herself a fairly decent job which she was able to work from home and even bring home a bigger paycheck than her husband. Mark never questioned the specifics, but was always happy for the woman that he loved so well. It was this which made him stagnate, though. Before she finished college he felt that work was a mission, that if he failed it would kill them both and sink them to the cruel and merciless streets or worse to live with either of their parents. But now work was just an eight hour jail sentance each day with no rhyme or reason.

He came home one day defeated and depressed. He sunk down onto the sofa and starred at the floor in defeat.

"What's wrong, honey?" Sonia asked, sliding next to him. He was unresponsive.

She lowered her voice a little, teasing his ear, "Honey, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Just a bad day..." he grumbled, not moving his gaze one bit.

"Honey, don't lie to me." she stated with her usual authority, and like clockwork Mark was compelled to repeat and obey his programmed reply.

"Can't lie to you..." his voice had taken a distant tone as he continued speaking, "Why am I doing this, Sonia? Five years and no promotion, no job satisfaction. I'm killing myself at that place and it's giving me nothing."

"Oh, honey..." Sonia sighed, kissing his cheek softly. "Listen to me..." she pulled his head around to look at her, "Do it for me. Okay? Whenever you have a bad day, whenever you feel like you're upset and don't want to go on. Just think about me, okay? Remember every keystroke is for me, every bit of paperwork is for me... hell, even every coffee break is for me. As long as you remember I'm the reason you keep going, I know you'll never fail."

He breathed in, looking at the vision of perfection who had offered him a reason to live and he smiled, pulled her into a kiss and whispered into her ear "Yes, Miss Sonia."

---

Work went well from then on. His productivity improved, his networking skills improved. He became a better person overnight because he had been handed the fire from Olypmus to put under himself and propel forwards. But within that burning motivation there was now the cracks which would begin to grow until it broke their marriage apart. The fire continued to burn bright in his mind, day and night. He knew he could do anything, absoloutely anything in the world if it was for Miss Sonia, and over the span of a year he had adapted that way of thinking to do anything in the world from filling litter boxes to mailing taxes, as long as it was for her, he could do it.

But she was not here any longer. And now he not only felt he could not do anything, but most certainly he did not desire to do anything. Somewhere outside of the abandoned living room there was a sharp knocking at the front door. The doorbell had been ringing on and off, but Mark paid it no mind. Miss Sonia said she wasn't coming back. He pleaded her, but she said it, and so whomever was knocking, it wasn't her.

---

"You're pathetic, you know that?!" she yelled. "Seriously. You are absoloutely and utterly PATHETIC." she threw a cup at him, it smashed against the wall in a cascade of cheap pottery, Mark did not even flinch. "Look at you, starring at me with those damned puppy dog eyes! Grow a fucking SPINE!" she threw a pen this time, it hit Mark in the face, he just hung his head in shame.

Mark knew he had done wrong, and he wanted to make it up to Miss Sonia, but he had no idea of how he could do so. She was so angry, though he had no real idea why. He had been saving up for months to go to a hypnosis convention in Las Vegas, booking two tickets and warning in advance. A few nights later she mentioned while they were in bed together that she'd rather not go because she never really got on with any of his community friends.

The next morning, he simply cancelled the trip. Miss Sonia did not want to go, so what was the purpose of going? That was his logic and there was not a single moment of doubt within his head. He was certain he had done right.

"I'm sick and tired of this. You don't even have a personality any more, you know that? You don't go out any more, you don't go on the computer as much either. All you do is hang around me like a lost sheep. It's fucking pathetic." her rage was not subsiding, there were no words coming to mind which could appease his goddess. Mark could only wonder how he had managed to upset her.

"You know what the sick thing is, you probably thought that would make me happy, didn't you?" she did not pause for an answer, which was for the best because Mark's inevitable answer would have set her off even more, "Somehow throwing one thousand four hundred dollars of flight and hotel down the drain would make me smile. I can entertain myself for five fucking minutes, Mark, it's VEGAS for fucks' sake. Can you breathe even five minutes without my approval?!"

The arguing continued, and Mark added nothing to the debate. By the end of it, Sonia was packing her stuff up. "I'm going to stay with my sister. Fuck this... bullshit. I need a man in my life to share my feelings and passions, not a fucking puppy who just needs to be petted."

Mark's heart froze in his chest, he couldn't let her leave, but still had no words which could do a thing. He reached his hand out, straining for the words.

"Mark. Sit the fuck down and don't you dare come after me. I'll call you when I've calmed down."

And so he obeyed. She left, and he was left sitting on the sofa, waiting for Sonia's call.

---

"You've reached Mark and Sonia, we wish we could take your call, but we're out having too much fun right now. Leave your name and number after the beep and we'll get back to you."

The sharp beeping sound brought Mark's mind back to the present. In the next room there was still the sound of the doorbell resonating through the apartment.

"Mark... this is Sonia--- shut up, I know what to say, you pushy son of a bitch--- Mark. Listen..." she sighed aggrivatedly and her voice lowered "Mark, I need you to go and open the door, okay? --- there, are you happy. Now go the fuck away, you weirdo."

He breathed in sharply and rose from the sofa, Astrix hopped over and followed as he shuffled towards the door and opened it. On the otherside stood a short woman with long blonde hair, a woman Mark would recognize as Angelica, AngelicPriestess.

"Good boy, Mark... now." she took his hand, squeezing the point between his index finger and thumb, pulling the arm forward and then around to his face, while pushing his head towards her "..Sleep..." and the sudden induction caught him off guard, his face buried itself into her breasts as she walked into the apartment, shutting the door behind her. "That's right, good boy. It's okay now. Phil will be over shortly, he just had to make sure we could get in."

She set him down on the sofa, watching the troubled state of trance he was in. She shook her head sadly, years and years with an inexperienced and uneducated hypnotist had left him in such a sorry state. The entire community could see it as he slipped further from reality into his fantasy relationship with a woman who was uninterested in catering to the fantasies that he forced upon her.

Both Mark and Sonia had been dangerously ignorant and negligent in their relationship. It was probably a matter of time before this happened, and Angelica just thought it was time to step in and do something about this situation. She's glad that she had, it was far worse than she'd feared.

She worked slowly and methodically deepened him into a far more total state of comfortable trance, attempting to link nice feelings with hypnosis itself, rather than hypnosis with Sonia. It was a difficult session, any mention or implication of Sonia would only strengthen his obsession and drive him further into his negligent behavior. Wearing a soft smile, she took his left hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. "Mark, dear, you have a bad spell on you right now. We're going to take all this nasty negative feelings away when we remove the artifact that the spell has been cast upon. Do you understand?"

"Yes..." he softly responded, not fully aware of who was trancing him, but very aware it was a trusted friend.

She slowly peeled away the wedding band, "and once it's removed, you feel so much lighter. So much happier. So much more refreshed... don't you?"

And the smile which crept onto his face was worth everything. Deprogramming would take a long time. But the drive to Vegas was a long one, and Mark would have some good friends, and some even better ones when he arrived back. Whether he was able to continue his relationship with Sonia or not was a question to be saved for afterwards, but if they would get back together, Phil was making sure she understood the gravity of the suggestions she had planted in his head and prevent any further abuse.