She stared desperately at the pocket watch, carefully tracing its swing back and forth.

It didn't help.

Nothing helped.

"Please" she said, feeling the need grow inside her. She tried and failed to force her thoughts into the familiar pattern. 

The woman above her smirked. "Please what?"

Her gaze stayed on the watch as she felt her voice growing in fervor. "Please let me be hypnotized. I need it."  

The woman laughed. "It's funny how you can get closer and closer to trance and but never quite get there-isn't it, pet?"

A desperate little whimper escaped her mouth.

"Oh, you poor thing," the woman said with false sweetness. "I don't need to hypnotize you. You'll do what I say anyway- you're too well conditioned to disobey me. Why should I let you be hypnotized for me?"

She had been staring so long a tear came down her face.

"I'll be obedient!"

"You're already obedient," the woman scoffed.

"I.. I'll be blankly obedient. Helplessly obedient. Unable to resist any of your commands. Even if I wanted to."

"Hmm....Do you promise?" the woman teased.

She swallowed. "I promise I'll be blankly, helplessly obedient. I promise I'll be entirely unable to resist you." 

That HAD to work. 

"Tempting!" the voice replied. "What else?"

It was like a damn broke. She was promising everything she knew the woman wanted. Involuntary compulsion. Overwhelming submission. Eye rolls and blankness and endless moldability. Anything, ANYTHING just to be back in trance. 

She was so focused on begging, she didn't hear the woman murmering "that's it" and "closer and closer" in her ear. She focused on the watch and her promises, hoping that if only she were sincere enough she would finally, FINALLY be allowed to fall. Everything faded except the need- even the hand approaching her face.

Her begging suddenly became simpler. More broken.

"Please. I need it. Please please please please please...." 

A touch on her forehead and a quietly commanding "sleep" abruptly stopped her torrent of words.

She finally,

blissfully,

worshipfully 

sank