I gazed down at the brunette athlete sitting before me, eyes closed and breathing slowly. In sharp contrast, my own breathing was ragged and unsteady. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins, as were a typhoon of emotions. Shock, that this was happening. Anxiety, as my brain tries its hardest to figure out what to do next. Fear, as I’d never felt this way before. An ember of lust, which I’d been suppressing rather unsuccessfully. But above all…

Power.

I felt the full weight of control over the person sitting in front of me.

And it felt good.

“Man, calculus is bullshit!” Amber complained, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her temples. “Seriously, why would they make me, a sports major, take this kinda class?”

“Truth be told, I have literally no idea,” I replied. I reached down and grabbed my energy drink can from the floor next to my beanbag chair and took a sip of the precious little liquid left. “For a pre-med like me, I totally get it. But I guess they’re taking that whole ‘the U.S is dead last in education and we need to fix it’ shtick to its extreme.”

Crater City University was actually a fairly good school, all things considered: the dorms (like the one we’re currently in) are plentiful and cheap, the tuition costs aren’t a complete scam, and they support quite a wide variety of majors from many disciplines. Plus, more people actually get jobs in their fields by coming here rather than any other college in Nevada! But their newest headlines have definitely led to some more… questionable academic requirements.

I shuddered, thinking back to physical chemistry. If I ever saw Schrödinger’s cat, I would make damn sure its observed state was not alive for making me suffer through that course.

“Well, not much we can do but just power through,” Amber said. “I could use a break though. Mind passing me a drink, Vi?”

I got up from my beanbag chair (as much as my body protested), walked over to the mini-fridge, and tossed her a sports drink. Apparently her results earned her a sponsorship with one of those companies, so she’s basically got a lifetime supply of sugary, electrolyte-rich beverages. She often tells me it’s fine if I take a six-pack or ten home, but I don’t drink enough water to justify it myself. Today’s an exception though, as my sleep schedule lately has been rocky for some reason and I needed something to help me stay awake.

Amber’s a really nice person when you get down to it. She might look intimidating with her tall, muscular stature, very tomboyish haircut, and her more crass vocabulary, though she’s anything but. I’ve known her since high school when we both took an art elective, and despite the age gap of a couple years we really hit it off. I kept in contact with her during my first few years of university, and when she got accepted to CCU I was ecstatic! She’s helped me get back into shape, and in return I’ve been helping her with the more grueling aspects of her curriculum. 

I glanced at the standing mirror on the wall as I headed back towards my seat. My black bob cut looks pretty good on me, and the purple streaks going through it on each side really help bring together my look. Maybe it’s a little… stereotypical for an Asian girl like me to have dyed hair, but I’ve always thought I pulled it off fairly well. 

I’m a little short and skinny, but I’ve never had problems with my physique; rather, I’ve always had terrible stamina when it comes to physical exercise. Having Asian parents meant I was sort of forced into the bookworm lifestyle, y’know? Amber was shocked when she found out how bad it was, and after rubbing my ribs enough she finally got me to start working out with her. Honestly it was a great decision, I can actually go up more than a single flight of stairs without getting winded now! Today wasn’t a workout day for me, though, so I decided to wear jeans and a loose low-cut shirt. 

“Man,” Amber sighed as she slumped in her cheap office chair. “I really wish there was just like… some miracle drug that could make you good at math.” She craned her neck over the back of it as I plopped myself back into my oh-so-comfy beanbag seat. “Is there, like, a drug that can do that?”

I chuckled. “Yeah, but I don’t think the feds or the athletic board will take kindly to you being on it. I think I saw some articles about stem cell procedures in the Philippines, but that’s both very dangerous and expensive. And also probably still illegal here.”

“Damn.” She pouted back.

And then it hit me. “Oh, right! I forgot I was gonna show this to you!”

“Wait, you actually have drugs on you?” She asked jokingly.

I ignored her comment as I rummaged through my backpack. After a moment or two, I stood up and presented to her a green MP3 player with some generic earbuds. I even hummed a little ‘item found’ fanfare from a game I played, for dramatic effect.

“…That doesn’t look like any drug I’ve ever seen.” She replied.

“It’s an old MP3 player from high school, loaded up with hypnosis files!” I told her.

“Hypnosis? Really? I never figured you for the kind of person to buy into that kinda bullshit.” She said, leaning back into her chair and crossing her arms.

I scoffed. “That’s because hypnosis is pretty real, and it helped me out a lot! I tried it in high school, and it did wonders for my social anxiety. Apparently you can use it to help cure addictions or lose weight, and there’s even a story I read of a guy using hypnosis in place of anesthesia for a surgery! Plus, unlike a lot of other quack sciences, hypnosis has actual scientific research and results behind it! Hence, why I actually buy into it.”

Amber scoffed, stroking her chin theatrically. “I dunno, that sounds like a scam. Kinda like, uh… shit, what’s it called? Placenta?”

“That’s the thing that comes out after a baby, ‘placebo’ is what you’re thinking of,” I said, giggling as her cheeks turned red. “And no, it’s a real thing! If you don’t believe me…” I gave her a mischievous grin, gazing directly into her eyes, “…how about we make a bet out of it?”

That immediately raised her eyebrows, and she swiveled around in her chair to face me. She matched my gaze, eyes full of playful suspicion. “Oh, really now?”

“I’ll try to hypnotize you - I know how to do it from listening to these files and studying it on my own - and I’ll give you some suggestions to help you study. If it doesn’t work,” I paused for effect, “then I’ll be your ball bitch at practice for the next week.”

Immediately, her expression went from surprise to a smarmy, cocky grin. “You really didn’t learn your lesson last time, huh? Alright, what if your voodoo magic somehow works?”

A sneaky, utterly mischievous smile I couldn’t contain crept up on my face. “Then I’ll mess with your pretty little mind while you’re under, and give you a few suggestions of my own choosing. You have my word that by the end I will give you those suggestions to help you study, but I’ve always wanted to mess with someone while they’re hypnotized.”

Amber contemplated for a moment, her hands clasped in front of her mouth. I could see her furrowed eyebrows twitching as she thought it over, her hazel eyes burrowing into mine. She knew I wouldn’t make that gamble if I wasn’t confident I’d win. Unfortunately for her, I knew exactly how to push her buttons, just like I did the last time. 

And unlike last time, I’m almost certain I’ll win.

“After all, if hypnosis isn’t real then you haven’t got anything to worry about, right~?” I said, winking and sticking out my tongue at her in the most obviously taunting way possible. “So, whaddaya say? Bet?” I extended out my hand to initiate the contract.

And right on cue, her expression turned to determination.

“Alright, bet!”

She clasped my hand in a firm handshake, sealing the deal.

“I want you to focus all your attention into my finger, staring right at it as intently as you can. Imagine that with every deep breath out, all the stress in your body is being exhaled out, and going into my fingertip. With every breath in, you feel a wave of relaxation flow over your body, filling in the empty space where that stress used to be with pure, relaxing energy…”

“…78…77…76…”

“That’s right Amber, every number you say sends you deeper into hypnosis. Hearing yourself say those numbers plunges you even further. You’re going so deep now, that it’s becoming harder and harder to think. You’re so relaxed, and your mind is becoming so relaxed, that remembering each number becomes harder and harder with each step.”

“65…64…sixty…three…” 

Her eyebrows twitched an almost imperceptible amount.

“That’s it, letting yourself relax deeper. Letting those numbers float away, disappear into nothing, as you relax. It’s okay if you forget what number comes next, just keep taking those steps further and further down into the depths of relaxation…”

I gently picked up her wrist, then let it drop onto the bed next to her. No response, just deep, quiet breathing.

I took my thumb and carefully lifted her eyelid. Her eyes were completely rolled back, and she didn’t seem to notice anything. 

Wow, she’s even deeper than I’ve seen most people in the videos I watched. Heh, and to think she was talking sooooo much shit before about it being fake and how she wouldn’t get hypnotized. Joke’s on you, Amber, I am not going to be your golden retriever for the week!

Well, better keep it moving. Might as well deepen her trance even further, so I can get to the fun part!

“That’s right, good girl.” Wait, did I just… I quickly checked her reaction, and quietly breathed a sigh of relief when I saw she didn’t react to it. 

C’mon me, mind out of the gutter! I don’t need that can of worms opened right now. Keep it together, do a normal induction!

“Feeling so calm, so peaceful, like a dream you don’t want to wake from…”

“1, 2, 3, wide awake!”

Amber sluggishly opened her eyes, but before she could fully take in her surroundings-

“Sleep.” I snapped my fingers, and her eyes snapped shut as she slumped forward.

“Very good, letting yourself fall deeper and deeper. Deeper than you’ve ever been before. And now on the count of 3, you’ll once again wake up from trance. 1, 2, 3, wide awake!”

She barely managed to open her eyes-

“Aaand sleep. Deeper and deeper, deeper and deeper.” I grabbed her shoulder, gently swaying her from side to side in rhythm with my voice.

“And now one more time, on the count of three…”

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, wide awake wide awake!” I said, snapping my fingers and gently shaking her shoulder. “How’re you feeling?”

Amber slowly opened her eyes, then blinked rapidly a few times. “Huh? I’m, uh,” She let out a big yawn, stretching out her arms for the first time in a while. “Man, I actually feel pretty good! Like I just woke up from a really good power nap.”

“Good! That’s what I was hoping for. What do you think of hypnosis so far?”

The look of realization hitting her face is priceless. “Wow, uh, damn. I guess you won then, huh? Gotta admit, that’s definitely the most relaxed I’ve ever felt. You’ve got a way with words, eh?”

I couldn’t stop myself from blushing. “Thank you, I tried my best! Considering this was my first time doing it with someone else, I think it turned out alright! By the way, just out of curiosity, what do you remember specifically from when you were under?”

She sat there, face resting on her hands as she thought about it. “Well, I remember looking at your finger, and I remember going down those marble stairs… and then it’s a bit of a blank, I can’t remember much past that.”

Marble, huh? Interesting. 

“Well, that’s pretty normal. Once you reach a certain point, most people can’t remember much. Which reminds me, what’s your last name?”

She cocked an eyebrow at me. “What do you mean, it’s… it’s…… uhhhhhhh…” I barely maintained my poker face as I watched all that confidence melt into confusion.

I tapped her nose with my finger, and her face went slack.

“When you return to normal, you’ll be able to remember your name, but your butt will be super glued to the bed. No matter how hard you try to stand up, your butt will not move an inch off the bed.”

I tapped her nose with my finger, and she blinked as she regained awareness.

“Sorry, what’d you say your last name was again?” I said, trying to hide my smirk as best as possible.

“Carlton, why?” 

“Nothing, just wanted to check something. Can you go ahead and stand up for me?”

“Sure, I-” Confusion struck again, this time as she seemed to struggle pulling herself to her feet.

“You need a little help standing up, miss athlete?” I said, taunting her smugly.

She glared at me knowingly as the realization dawned on her. “You sneaky little shit! So, I’m guessing this is part of the ‘messing with my mind’ that you mentioned earlier?”

“Actually, no,” I said, catching her off-guard, “This is only the beginning.”

“Sleep.”

I snapped my fingers.

She slumped forward.

And suddenly, I felt it again.

Shock, that this was actually happening. That I got this far.

Anxiety, as my brain tried to figure out what to do. So many ideas, some that made me antsy at the thought of them.

Fear, towards these new emotions. Towards what might happen.

Lust, which had definitely grown since the last time. I hoped it wasn’t too obvious through my loose shirt just how stiff my nipples were.

But above all…

I felt power over another human being. It was such an exquisite feeling, like ambrosia from the gods giving me a taste of their might over the lowly mortals of the world. A part of me was resisting, telling me to stop here, that I’ve had my fun.

The part of my mind telling me to go further was much, much louder.