shark wasn't usually that interested in haunted houses. they'd been through a few with friends before, but it usually just kind of felt like being rushed through dark claustrophobic hallways, barely even getting to see any of the decoration, or do much of anything except walk and see things jump out at you.

there were a few people doing haunted houses of their own nearby, in their own houses, letting people come through for free. the fact that they were so close by, and they were free, did at least make shark consider it as just something they could do, if they were bored. if nothing else, it was fun to pass by the yards, see the decorations outside. but when they saw the lines of teenagers outside of the doors, the idea of actually going in was a lot less appealing.

there was one house that was different, though. they'd skimmed discussions and comments on the various haunted houses beforehand, and while most of it was just people saying it was scary or it wasn't scary, there was a little more variety in people's comments on one of them. some people said it was lame, that it was weird, some people said it was actually really creepy and unsettling, that maybe it really was haunted - but there was one single comment that convinced them they had to at least check it out, a comment saying that it was kind of hypnotic.

of course, the more time they spent walking down the street, getting closer to it, the more they started to slow down and linger, staring at houses that they already knew they weren't going to go into, trying to find any excuse not to keep moving. as curious as they were about it, they really didn't know what to expect. what did the person even mean by saying it was hypnotic? was the guide dressed up like dracula or something? was there some giant spiral playing somewhere? what if the whole thing was unbearably stupid and embarrassing and awkward? no one had said anything about the guide's behavior being inappropriate or anything like that, at least. but then again, maybe no one wanted to say it. maybe he really was a creep. did they really want to walk through some creep's house? they could just turn back.

still, begrudgingly, they kept walking, figuring they could at least see how long the line was, take a look at the yard. maybe that would be enough to satisfy their curiosity.

when they finally got there, there wasn't a line at all, and the yard didn't have a single inflatable ghost, or skeleton, or fake gravestone, no speakers intermittently playing witch cackling and howling sound effects. the only halloween decoration was a simple little jack-o-lantern on the porch. the haunted house wasn't advertised in any kind of flashy way, either - actually, it was hard to even notice, just a sign on the door.

they just stood there on the sidewalk for a minute, looking at it, staring. it wasn't satisfying at all, just seeing that. as much as a part of them dreaded the idea of going up there, alone, there was no way they could just go home now.

they slowly walked up to the door, looking at that sign, that very simply said "haunted house - visitors welcome" on it. they couldn't help but think it was on purpose, that he didn't actually want that many people coming by.

even when they'd gotten to the front porch, they took a second just to look more closely at the jack-o-lantern. it was cute, actually. it didn't seem like it was carved to look scary. not that jack-o-lanterns were ever really scary. but that one wasn't even the halloween version of scary. it wasn't even made to be some kind of popular character or anything, either. just a cute pumpkin with a face. not so cute that they got the vibe that it was meant to trick them or anything, just cute in a way that made them think he carved the pumpkin the way he wanted to carve it.

actually, it was pretty endearing. it was still kind of weird to be at this stranger's door, but it at least gave them some kind of idea of what type of person he might be, what kind of impression he wanted to give off.

there was a little iron garden table and a couple of chairs on the porch, too. they always thought those kinds of long shaded porches were nice. they wondered if he spent much time sitting there.

at this point, they were really just stalling. they finally turned back toward the door.

if they didn't like it, they could just leave, right? if they got bad vibes, they could just leave. or even if it was just embarrassing, they could live with it.

there was a knocker on the door, so they used it, waiting for the answer. their heart was pounding.

the door opened, and a tall man with long hair wearing a turtleneck answered. "are you here for the haunted house?" he asked.

he was kind of cute. now they had something else to worry about - what if this wasn't going to be stupid and embarrassing, what if they were going to like it? a lot? too much?

"yeah, i am," they said quietly.

"i do want to let you know that this isn't a particularly exciting attraction. if you're just looking for scares, you won't really find that here. is that alright?"

"yeah, i heard this one's different, and everything... i heard it's like... kinda hypnotic?"

he had already been wearing a polite smile, but it widened when they said that. "yes, you could say that," he replied. "is that why you're here?"

they weren't prepared to be asked that question. he was still just looking at them, watching them, with that placid look, as they froze there, not really feeling capable of lying but not wanting to just tell him that.

"uh, yeah, i guess," they said, stupidly. "i mean, like... i was just curious, like, what this... was. what this is."

he stepped back, holding the door open. "just come in," he said gently.

they stepped in, taking in more of the room. it was... classy, actually. still no cheesy halloween decorations to be found, but the antique style of a lot of the furniture and the dark wood and the colors, along with the kind of dim lighting, did still give it kind of a spooky feeling.

"can you flip the sign for me, please?" he asked.

"oh, sure," they said, turning it. the other side of the sign told people to wait. they guessed he wouldn't want someone knocking on the door while he was in the middle of... whatever you call it. a tour? whatever it was supposed to be.

"thank you. now, just step inside, and close the door behind you."

being given that exact instruction already did make them think of hypnosis, although it was probably just because it was already on their mind. they were just a little flustered as they did it.

"now just lock it for me."

well, it was probably better to make sure someone couldn't just get impatient and walk right in, or something, but it still felt a little weird to do.

"there you go," he said. "now, it's like you've closed out everything else... as if everything outside has disappeared. it's just this house now. this house is different from the outside world."

the curtains in the windows were all closed, and they were still looking at the door, anyway, so it was kind of easy to imagine that everything outside could just be gone. more than that, the things he was saying definitely struck them as hypnotic.

they liked that framing, too. it was fun. the idea of using hypnotic suggestion for a haunted house was fun. the anticipation they already felt for whatever this experience was going to be was kind of scaring them. the guy was hot, and had a nice voice, and he seemed to have fun ideas - they felt like they might really die from liking it too much.

"just follow me," he said. "you wanted a tour, didn't you?"

they turned back around, wondering if they'd spent a little too long just staring at the door. "yeah," they said quickly.

his house definitely gave more of the vibe of a fancy old haunted mansion in a movie, or something, although it was clean, and more obviously lived in. they had a feeling this was more or less how his house always looked, and something about that was also endearing to them.

"do you believe in ghosts?" he asked as they followed them.

"no," they said, before realizing they wanted to communicate that they'd still like to play along with whatever he was doing. "i mean, like, not normally, but..."

"but this house is different from the outside world," he said.

it was so good, it was such a good way of saying that, such a good way of communicating that it was pretend without just saying that. they were kind of in love with that phrasing. "yeah, exactly."

he stopped next to a grandfather clock. "you know, this clock is special," he murmured, his voice slowing down just enough that they noticed it. "if you just take a look at it... it can be any part of it, it could be the clock, the hands, gradually ticking, or the pendulum at the bottom, going back and forth... but if you just focus on it... you might just feel something."

the slight shift in his voice, combined with the very obvious hypnotic language, almost made them shiver. they stared just as they were directed to, focusing on the clock part.

they could tell he was looking at their eyes, seeing if they were really staring. "that's right," he said. "just like that..."

they were gonna die. this was just regular hypnosis. this guy had to be a hypnotist.

tingles ran down their spine. they hoped their face wasn't as red as it felt like it was. or even if it was, hopefully he couldn't see it too well in the low lighting.

"there are ghosts living in some of the furniture in this house..." he said softly. "i keep them here... because i enjoy the company. and if you just focus on that furniture... they'll notice you... and come closer... do you feel them approaching...?"

they weren't really sure what that was supposed to feel like, but they felt something, a creeping feeling. "yeah..." they mumbled, even though it felt kind of embarrassing.

"some people are more sensitive to it than others... some people... like you... are very sensitive to it..." he said. "now... these ghosts are perfectly harmless... the ones in this clock just enjoy... keeping up a specific pace... an order... a rhythm... would you be comfortable... allowing them inside of your head? they would just slow your thoughts... and help you direct them... on the important parts of this experience. they'll return back to the clock before you leave... they can't exist outside of this house... so they'll only be there a while. is that alright? would you allow them inside of your mind?"

"yeah," they said quietly, almost breathlessly. "that's fine..."

"good... then just keep your mind open... as you keep staring... and listening... to the clock. just relax... and take slow, steady breaths..."

their breathing was already slowing, their shoulders already sinking.

"that's it... you're very good at this..."

he could probably guess that they'd already been hypnotized before, although they were getting relaxed enough that they couldn't even feel much embarrassment about it anymore.

"how do you feel?" he asked. "how does it feel, as they start to slip deeper into your mind?"

the suggestion made them shudder, their spine tingling, almost like an electrical shock going through it.

their face must have been bright red now, their breathing heavy, the relaxation interrupted.

"it's, uh..." they were very quiet. "it feels... i can feel it in my head."

"they're going to help you relax again now... just let your shoulders sink back down... let them slow your thoughts..."

they did relax again, so quickly that it felt kind of weird and unnatural, even as someone who had been hypnotized before.

"there you go... how does it feel now?"

"it feels... nice... kinda quiet..."

"it is a nice feeling, isn't it? having quiet, slow, orderly, easily manageable thoughts..."

it was hot. this was just for the haunted house experience, but it was hot.

"why don't we continue our tour?" he asked. "there are no ghosts in that clock anymore, so there's no need to continue staring."

"right, yeah..." they said, following him again.

even just stepping along with him through the house felt different now. their thoughts had been in a frenzy earlier, the nervousness and anticipation kind of putting them on edge - now, they were relaxed, each step happening almost mindlessly, awaiting whatever was going to happen next without really giving it much thought, looking ahead without letting their eyes wander.

he stopped them in front of a mirror next, and they saw their own blank look in it.

"there is a ghost in this mirror..." he said. "it's taking the place of your reflection. can you tell? in a normal mirror... the reflection follows your movements... but when the ghost in this mirror moves... you will be the one following the reflection..."

they continued to stare, trying to process that, trying to imagine it. thinking of that reflection as something that wasn't really them. something that was just copying them.

"you can feel it, as you look, can't you? you can sense that it's a ghost in the mirror... that it's backwards... that you... are going to follow it..."

they saw the reflection nod. it wasn't functionally that different from a usual suggestion to dissociate from your own movements, but there was something about that kind of mystical feeling.

"that's it... and when it begins to raise one of its hands... by the wrist... like a puppet on a string... yours will follow. just look at one of the hands... focus on it... every movement the ghost makes... every little twitch... you can see it, can't you? and you can feel how it happens... to you. is it starting to lift yet?"

the wrist did twitch and jerk, just a bit. they watched it move up, like a puppet.

"this ghost likes playing with people like this... treating them a bit like puppets... you can just let it play. it will let you go when it's done... so just relax... as it lifts your wrist... moving it up... as if it's hanging by a string..."

they weren't normally that into the arm levitation, but they were completely immersed in this. it really did feel more like they were just watching it happen.

"very good... and now, it's just going to drop your hand back down."

the reflection's arm went to its side.

"and now... it just wants to lift your other hand... in the same way... lifting it up... just like a puppet."

this time, it went up a little more quickly, a little more smoothly.

"and back down again... just like that."

at this point, they just kind of liked doing whatever he said. it didn't really matter what the suggestion was, or if it was interesting in itself.

"now, it's just going to wave... to show you that it's done playing... and you'll be able to move on your own again."

there was a childish vibe to it, which might have felt kind of weird and patronizing if they didn't like the guide, but they did, so it didn't really matter.

"i'd just like to show you one more ghost... just come with me."

they followed, just as obediently as before, as he took them to another room.

he stopped them near a chair, this time, across from a chair with a ragdoll sitting on it.

"this ghost... is inside of that doll..." he murmured. "and, if you would just sit down in this chair... it would like to turn you into a doll... just for a little while..."

they did sit down, staring at it.

"that's it... just sit back... you can see how limp the doll looks... how comfortable it looks... and as you keep looking... as you feel the ghost, staring back at you... you can start to feel heavy... limp... relaxed... and still... just like the doll... exactly like the doll... just let yourself fall under its spell. it just wants to sit with you for a little while..."

they hadn't consciously thought about it before, but it was kind of cute how he never made any of it seem scary. he really could have leaned into that, but he went out of his way to make the ghosts seem playful and polite.

the thought didn't disrupt their immersion in it at all. they were genuinely surprised how quickly they relaxed, how they kind of slumped over, actually mirroring the pose the doll was in.

"that's it... that's perfect. just stay like that for a while... quiet and still... just another doll... for the ghost to sit with... to spend time with... to keep it company..."

their eyelids were getting heavy, even though he'd never given any kind of suggestion for that to happen. but they'd been staring at things a lot, and they'd been through enough inductions that involved it that it was probably just automatic, at this point. they kept then open, so they could keep looking, but it was getting to be a little bit of a struggle.

"are you alright?" he asked gently. "you can tell me, if there's anything you need to say."

"yeah, my, uh, eyes are just... heavy," they mumbled.

"would you like to close them for a moment, or would you rather just get up now?"

"i mean, i guess i'd... like to close them..."

"just as long as you don't actually fall asleep, alright?"

their eyes closed. his concern for them was kind of cute.

"that's right... just relaxing for a moment now... soon, it will be time to end our tour... but you can just enjoy this for a little bit longer..."

it really did feel nice, but they were preparing to wake up soon. as much as they really would've liked to just sit there forever, while he murmured to them, about ghosts or really just about anything he wanted. it didn't even matter.

"alright..." he said, his tone shifting a bit. "the ghost is going to let you go now... all of the ghosts are going to let you go, and you're going to be just the way you were when you came in... maybe even a bit more refreshed. just take a moment to get reoriented... to begin moving again... and to finally open your eyes, and stand up."

they stretched as they got up, yawning.

of course, being back to normal meant now they were just... standing next to him again. after really obviously hypnotically responding to everything he said.

"how was that? are you feeling alright?" he asked.

"it was... it was fun," they said. "i'm fine, i just, like..." it felt like they couldn't just come out and say it.

"it was a particularly hypnotic experience for you, wasn't it?" he said, his tone still polite. "i know that can be a bit intense."

"yeah, that's true..."

he walked them back to the door, and now that they were fully aware, and had been through the tour, and that anticipation and those trance-y feelings were gone, it was interesting how it almost felt casual now.

"i really did like this better than a normal haunted house," they said. "the concept is really cute."

"thank you," he replied. "i wasn't really sure what people would think of it, but i thought i would try it. it's not really what people are usually looking for, or expecting. i don't think most people really understood it. but, that's alright."

"it's really, like... i guess it kinda makes more sense if like... you like hypnosis."

he smiled again, that more genuine smile. "i think that's true. but i could never advertise it that way..."

"yeah, cuz then it'd be like..."

"it would make it sound like the hypnosis is meant to be scary."

"and then most people would be too scared to like... actually let go at all."

"i'm glad at least someone like you came along, though," he said. "you might be the only one who really had the intended experience."

they both lingered at the door for a second.

"you know," the man said, "you are welcome to come back any time you'd like."

"isn't everyone gonna stop doing the haunted house thing soon?" shark asked.

"yes," he replied. "i don't mean that."

oh. right. he was just inviting them to his house.

they liked him, but they hadn't even considered the possibility that he actually wanted to get to know them, that they could actually just talk normally, and be friends. they were too stuck on the haunted house thing.

"we clearly do have a common interest," he said. "it's up to you, of course. you know where to find me."

"no, yeah, i mean, i'd like that. thank you."

they said their goodbyes and left, but they knew it wasn't going to be the last time they'd visit that house.