The Touch

By Princess Kate

Lily and Sophia have been roommates for a few years, having met in college and hitting it off almost immediately. They are friends all throughout college and decide to move in together after they both graduate. Rent prices are high in the city, and they enjoy each other’s company enough to figure it is the best choice for them.

Sophia, a five-and-a-half-foot brunette, has just gotten home from work for the day, a little after 6 p.m. She gets off at 5, but of course, the public transit commute takes quite a while at rush hour. But she loves the city and doesn’t really mind.

Lily is self-employed, running a holistic health business—teaching meditation, selling crystals, you name it. Half a head taller than Sophia and platinum blonde, she always holds her head up high and exudes a confidence that is endearing to everyone she meets and talks with. She is comfortable in her skin, not condescending or cocky. Maybe that’s why she is so good at running her own business. She has a way that is… persuasive.

Well, maybe that is also because she has been practicing hypnosis for most of her life. Who is to say, really? Maybe she is naturally persuasive, or maybe she incorporates aspects of hypnosis into conversation to influence her customers. It’s not like people aren’t being manipulated by marketing campaigns and advertisements from big companies anyway, and she is helping people! Maybe she upsells a crystal they think they really need after attending one of her meditation classes. If they believe it will help their meditation practice, it will help—even if the crystal doesn’t innately do anything.

Lily gets home a half hour after Sophia does. She has been at the gym and stays a little later to try and avoid the rush-hour traffic.

Lily greets her roommate as she walks through the door. “Hey, hun, how was your day at work?”

Over the three years they’ve lived together, they have become increasingly comfortable with each other. Neither of them wants to push it and risk misreading or misinterpreting flirting or signs, making their living situation awkward—despite the obvious romantic tension between them. They greet each other like a married couple. That one night… but they don’t talk about that night. They both agreed that they had just been lonely.

But in the past few weeks, things have started to heat up more. They are more touchy-feely with each other, more straightforward and obviously flirting… There is a more transparent thing growing between them, and they both know it.

“It was fine, you know how it is. Work. How was the gym? You’re looking hot in more ways than one,” Sophia responds.

It is true—Lily is still sweating a little bit from the gym. Their apartment is only a short bus ride away from the gym, especially with rush hour having subsided, so she hasn’t had much time to cool down.

“It was a little too crowded, but what can ya do? Do you have any dinner plans? I thought maybe we could go out somewhere nice if you don’t.”

“Nope, no plans. I’m all yours for tonight. I mean—I’m free, yeah.” Sophia blushes slightly. She hadn’t meant to be so forward.

“Great! The reservation isn’t for like, I think, two hours or so? So we’ve got some time to relax before we have to get ready and all.”

“Can I ask you something that I’ve been meaning to? Can I… can I be h-honest?” Sophia looks down, clearly embarrassed and nervous. Lily thinks she knows what she is going to say since she has just basically asked Sophia on a date. She isn’t trying to shy away from it anymore, either, like they had tried to do for years—ignoring the clear feelings they have for each other. Lily gives Sophia a few seconds to start speaking again. She hadn’t seemed like she was going to stop talking. Maybe she is waiting for Lily to say something first before she goes on.

“You can go on, hun. What did you want to say?”

“Well, I uhm… I wanted to ask, like… never… never mind, actually. It’s okay, it’s not that pressing…” Sophia regrets even saying anything. First, the “all yours” comment, and now this? Is it even possible to make more of a fool of herself, she thinks.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me if you truly don’t. But it seems like you do. Do you want me to help you be able to say whatever it is?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, for work, I’ve studied hypnosis—do you know anything about that? Not the version you see in movies and TV, but the real-world version of hypnosis?”

Sophia pauses. She has really only seen hypnosis in movies. She has never really even thought about it existing otherwise. It seems like it is just a plot device—a thing for movies to tell interesting stories. It couldn’t be real?

She finally says, “I didn’t think it even was real. It seems like a made-up thing for movies.”

Lily smiles. She has heard this before, as everyone who is into hypnosis has. It’s such a pervasive thing. But that’s fine. She can have some fun with this.

“Well, it’s not like you see in the movies in real life. All that hypnosis is, is an increased state of suggestibility. We’re all naturally suggestible to some extent—it’s why advertising is so valuable. But when you’re under hypnosis, it’s heightened quite a bit. You wouldn’t do anything you don’t want to do, but you’d be surprised how much stuff you actually want to do when your inhibitions are lowered.”

“Uh huh, that still… doesn’t really sound real? I mean, I know you do meditation stuff, but that’s different from what ‘hypnosis’ sounds like.”

“Well, meditation and hypnosis are different, but they share some similarities. But I assure you, hypnosis is very real. And my suggestion here is I hypnotize you to make you have an easier time saying whatever it is you want to say. It can’t hurt to try, right? How about this: if I can’t hypnotize you, I’ll pay for dinner tonight, and if I can hypnotize you, then you pay for dinner. Deal?”

Sophia considers it for a moment. “Deal.”

Lily goes into her bedroom to grab her pocket watch. Sophia has surely seen a pocket watch used in some movie, so it is familiar enough to her—she has the association, Lily thinks. Plus, it’s a classic! Someone’s first time being hypnotized with a pocket watch is just so stereotypical in all the right ways.

She comes out with the pocket watch in hand and goes over to where Sophia is sitting, taking a spot on the couch. She begins waving the pocket watch in front of Sophia.

“All you have to do is follow my instructions. Just listen to my voice and do as I say. As I speak, I want you to look directly at my necklace. Let your eyes lock onto my pocket watch, becoming more and more fixated on it with every word. Let your breathing steady—slow, deep, and comfortable. Notice how pretty it is... beautiful and swinging. Back and forth. Back and forth... Pretty and perfect. It’s so easy to stare at as you listen to my words. Let everything else fade into the background. Nothing else is important—only my words and my pocket watch matter right now.”

Sophia’s eyes lock onto the pocket watch. Lily is right—it really is a beautiful watch, so easy to look at. The way it glimmers in the light is almost overwhelming, and for a fleeting moment, Sophia wonders when and where Lily got it. She has never seen her with it before. It’s not like it’s the 1800s and people actually need pocket watches anymore. But as quickly as the thought pops into her head, Lily’s voice cuts through, telling her she can let any stray thoughts drift away as soon as they appear. She can simply notice them and then refocus even deeper on the watch, letting the silly distractions fade into nothing.

“It’s easy to let this happen because it’s easy to stare and listen to my voice. Such a wonderful thing, being guided down into this relaxing state, a state where you don’t have to worry about anything but my pocket watch and my words. It’s natural to let yourself accept that I am your guide, and you will follow my words. It feels right because it feels good—my words help all your muscles relax, all your thoughts drift away, and all your worries melt into a puddle.

“There is only my voice guiding you. Everything else has faded away, replaced by my words. Letting them in feels so right because it feels good. You can let my words in. It’s easy to do right now, to let them sink in and drift further down for me.”

Sophia has never felt anything like this before. It’s so lovely to listen to Lily’s voice. Warm waves of relaxation wash over her, like she’s bathing in the sound. Despite all the time they’ve spent together, she has never really noticed how enticing, how powerful Lily’s voice is. Maybe, subconsciously, she has always known. But now, she can feel it—undeniably, completely. Lily’s voice doesn’t command in an intimidating way. It simply guides. It holds knowledge, security. It makes her feel safe. Safe and sound, listening and following.

It’s hard to think. Her brain is always so wound up, so overworked, and it’s so much easier to just let go and listen. Lily has known her for so long—she wouldn’t lead her astray. She is safe with Lily. There is nothing to worry about.

“The only thing to focus on is my voice, following my words as you drop deeper and deeper. With each word, you can feel yourself accepting my power, the power my words have over you, because it feels right and good to listen. To let me take the reins is so much easier. Choose the easy path. Choose to listen. Choose to accept.

“Now, Sophia, I’m going to count down from five to zero. With each number, you can accept this path even deeper, dropping further into trance. You accept that you are meant to listen to me, and that feels right because it is. It’s exactly what you want. You want to fall into a deep, hypnotic trance with me.

"As we start at five, you know you want to go deeper with me. It’s the most obvious choice in the world. It feels really good to go deeper, and so you follow me down to four. Feeling so good in your choice to accept my words, to accept me as your guide, as we drop to three. Such a warm, wonderful feeling. So happy to be here with me, so happy to come down to two. Getting close to zero feels perfect. It feels perfect to sink down to one. So close to complete bliss, as you drop into a deep trance for me when we reach zero.”

Sophia’s head slumps forward. It’s an automatic reaction, happening the instant Lily utters the final number. Her eyes, as if commanded by some unknown force, close the moment zero is spoken. It isn’t a choice—it’s just natural.

A warm, wonderful feeling envelops her entire body, like being wrapped in a soft, heavy blanket. It feels safe. It feels comforting.

It feels right.

Sophia knows this is exactly how things should be. Things should feel this right. That’s why it feels so good to listen to Lily—because it’s comforting. Lily knows best, and Sophia knows this simple fact. It’s obvious, after all.

Lily lets Sophia have this moment of sinking deep into trance, staying silent just like Sophia’s mind is now silent. She’ll speak again in a moment, but for now, she allows her friend to fully enjoy the descent into deep relaxation. Truthfully, though, she just wants to admire her for a moment. The droopy, sleepy look on Sophia’s face during the induction had already sent warm, fuzzy feelings through Lily’s chest, and now, with Sophia’s head slumped forward, Lily has to admit it to herself—Sophia looks absolutely adorable in trance.

“You’re doing very well, Sophia. I’m really proud of you,” Lily murmurs, her voice soft and sweet. “You’re doing so well, listening and following. You know my words are right, that my words keep you safe. That’s why you’ve accepted them. That’s why you’ve let yourself sink so deeply into trance for me. There’s no need to question my words because you know my words are true. If they weren’t, you wouldn’t have fallen so easily, so naturally, into this trance.”

Duh. Of course, that’s true. Sophia knows that. It’s just so obvious. Lily has always been right—she was the one who got better grades, the one who understood the world better, the one Sophia always looked up to. It’s funny that she’s only just realizing it now, when really, it feels like it’s been true all along.

“You’re so happy. So happy you’ve learned this truth,” Lily continues, her voice like honey, soothing and warm. “It’s so easy to accept your place in the world, to accept that this is where you’re meant to be. You love being in trance. You love my voice. You love obeying my commands. Simple, yet total truths. You’re safe here, and that’s why you love it. You love how safe I make you feel. How comforted. How happy.

“You know I would never lie to you. And you, in turn, can’t lie to me. We operate on complete honesty. You know that, deep inside you. You know I can’t lie to you, and you can’t lie to me. Even the thought of holding something back, of lying to me, feels absurd. It’s laughable. You can’t even fathom it.”

Sophia sinks even deeper at those words. She can’t even imagine lying to Lily. Why would she ever want to? That wouldn’t make sense. Lily is right about everything.

“You love being my roommate. You love living with me. Because I make you feel these wonderful, warm, happy feelings. You love spending time with me, you love doing as I say. You love my suggestions on books and movies. You love my suggestions on restaurants and stores. You deeply value my opinion. That makes sense, doesn’t it? I have very good taste. The best taste. You’re constantly awed by it. Everything about me is basically… perfect, isn’t it? Nod your head, sweetie.”

Sophia nods automatically. She doesn’t even think about it—Lily tells her to, so she does.

Lily watches, her stomach fluttering. She hadn’t meant to get this dominant. It had just come over her, seeing Sophia so hypnotized, so completely under. She had really only meant to help Sophia open up and say what she wanted to say—but she got a little carried away. Still, she refocuses, reminding herself of the goal.

“Sophia, I want you to understand that you can tell me the truth. You can let the truth spill out of you, automatically and easily, the truth of what you wanted to tell me earlier. When I count to three, you’re going to wake up and find yourself unable to hold back. The words will just tumble out of your mouth. But once I tell you to go back to sleep, you’ll drop right back into this state for me.

“Now let’s go from one… up to two… and finally, to three.”

Sophia’s eyes flutter open. She locks eyes with Lily, and the words rush out of her before she can even think to stop them.

“I really like how close we’ve been recently, and I want to formally ask you to be my girlfriend I want you I want to make you happy and I just want you so bad and I’ve always been too worried or nervous to say something because I wasn’t sure if you felt the same way but I need to stop being a dumb, oblivious lesbian because there’s clearly something between us, right? I’m not crazy, right? Oh gosh, I’m rambling. Wow, I almost feel like I’m drunk or something, the way everything is just flowing out of me—wow, I—”

Lily cuts her off with a glowing smile. “You can stop now.” She leans in slightly, eyes sparkling. “So you want to be girlfriends? And you thought I’d say no? After asking you to dinner?”

“Well, I—I didn’t think you’d say no, I just got so… nervous earlier… I don’t know why, I just didn’t, y’know? And then I didn’t want to ask after looking like a fool and making you think I was stupid and I just—”

“Of course I want to be your girlfriend.” Lily laughs, shaking her head. “We’re basically dating already. We’ve lived together for years! I’m just glad everything’s finally out in the open.” She tilts her head, grinning. “Wanna kiss about it?”

Sophia barely has time to nod before Lily pulls her in, their lips crashing together.

It’s electric. Their bodies press together in a tangle of limbs, hands grasping, pulling, desperate to make up for lost time. Years of pent-up tension, of dancing around this, of ignoring what they both knew, all come pouring out at once.

As they kiss, there’s no need for words. Just a glance, a shared breath, a silent agreement.

They break apart, giggling breathlessly, and then they run—hand in hand, stumbling and laughing—straight to Lily’s bedroom, where there’s more space, more comfort, more room to get tangled up in each other.

After about fifteen minutes, the thought of their hypnosis session pops back into Lily’s head. She gets an idea.

“How would you feel if I hypnotized you again?” Lily asks.

“I’ll do whatever you want—if you want to, then I want to,” Sophia replies confidently. She really does feel amazing under hypnosis, and if Lily wants to do it again, what harm could it do? Besides, she’s not sure how much more kissing she wants to do. She’s not sure if she’s ready to go further, and more making out would surely lead to further things…

“Sleep.”

The word comes out of nowhere, hitting Sophia like a switch being flipped. She barely has time to process it before the familiar cloudy haze washes over her mind. Even though Lily just asked about hypnotizing her again, she hadn’t expected to be taken down so quickly, so suddenly. There’s no time to think before she’s gone—drifting, sinking, listening. Lily’s beautiful voice guides her down, further, deeper, faster.

“Your mind is emptying. Your thoughts are fading, scattering like leaves in the wind. You only need to listen to my voice. You only need to do as I say, to simply obey. That’s easy enough, isn’t it? Nod your head.”

Sophia obediently nods, lying there dazed and mindless in the bed.

“Very good. Now, let’s do something fun. Just close your eyes, dear. Let this comfortable state envelop you fully. Close your eyes and focus entirely on my voice—just my voice, only my voice. Let my voice continue to guide you, safe and sound, as you fall deeper and deeper under my spell.”

Lily raises her hand and begins to stroke Sophia’s arm once her eyes are shut.

“I want you to feel this, the way my fingers glide over your skin. With every stroke, you feel weaker to my control, more aroused, and oh so happy. The more you feel my touch, the stronger those feelings become. But no matter how intense it gets, you’ll be completely unable to open your eyes. If you try, they’ll only grow heavier—so impossibly heavy, like they’re sealed shut with super glue.”

Lily continues to touch Sophia, running her fingers up and down her arm. She watches with amusement as Sophia shivers, tiny tremors of pleasure overtaking her body. It’s almost funny how in less than an hour she’s taken her skeptical roommate and turned her into a quivering, mindless puddle in her bed.

Life is good.

“It feels so good to be touched, doesn’t it, sweetie?” Lily coos. “It feels so good to let these feelings take over, growing and growing with every second you feel my lovely touch on your skin.”

Sophia is nearly whimpering now. The sensations are so intense, so overwhelming, she can barely contain herself. Everything about this feels right—down to the very core of her being. Lily’s voice is both inside her head and far away, as if she’s speaking from across the room despite needing to be close enough to touch her.

“Sophia, I want you to feel my hands moving now—beyond your arm, down to your legs, up to your face. Let yourself succumb to the amazing sensations my touch brings you. The light brush of my fingers against your skin feels so good, doesn’t it? You’re doing so well, you’re so sweet, and I know how good you feel. I can tell you can barely contain yourself. That’s okay. You can let it out. Let yourself whimper and moan for me. Let yourself make whatever wonderful sounds I inspire.”

And with that, Sophia can no longer hold back. Her entire body is alive with pleasure. But it’s not just arousal—it’s deeper than that. It’s complete, unshakable happiness. It’s the feeling of eating all her favorite foods, doing all her favorite hobbies, listening to all her favorite music at the same time. It’s perfect. It’s right. It’s cleansing, like being baptized in Lily’s control.

“You’re so good for me,” Lily purrs. “You’re such a mindless mess. Do you even know that you’re drooling? Do you even have enough awareness of your body beyond my touch to realize your brain is leaking out of your mouth like that? It’s so adorable.”

Only when Lily points it out does Sophia notice the wetness at the corner of her lips. The realization makes her feel even weaker, even more under Lily’s spell.

“I’m very proud of you, darling. You’ve let me guide you into such a wonderfully obedient trance, letting me take control. It feels right, doesn’t it? To let me tell you what to do? To let me tell you what is and what isn’t?” Lily lets her words sink in, then continues.

“As my touch fades now, let these feelings begin to simmer—not completely, but enough to be less overwhelming. Let the warm glow of my touch stay with you, deep inside.”

Lily’s voice shifts, firm yet gentle. “I’m going to wake you in just a moment. When I do, you’ll open your eyes, and these submissive, obedient feelings will remain. You’ll know how good it feels to be hypnotized, and you’ll want me to do it again. And lastly—when you wake, you’ll say the words, ‘Lily wins.’”

She smirks. “Don’t think I forgot about our bet earlier. We got a little distracted, but I want to hear you say it. Admitting defeat will feel so good, you might even blush. Now—wake.”

Sophia’s eyes snap open, and she sees Lily standing on the other side of the bed—about five feet away.

Wait… wasn’t Lily just right in front of her?

Before she can process the thought, her lips are moving, the words spilling out without her control.

“Lily wins.”

The second she hears herself say it, heat floods her face. Being hypnotized was one thing, but being “awake” and still following Lily’s commands? That’s… different. It’s something else. It’s good—but surprising. It just catches her off guard. That’s all, she tells herself.

Lily beams at her, proud and satisfied. She lets the silence stretch, giving Sophia time to process.

“Sophia,” she says at last, “do you remember how my touch felt? Do you remember our little… exercise?”

“I—uhm—I—yes,” Sophia stammers. Her face burns even redder. “You were, um, right next to me, whispering your… lovely words into my ear… stroking my arm, my face, my legs, and—god—it felt so good.”

She shudders, the pleasure of the memory rushing back.

Lily tilts her head, amused. “Aw, embarrassed? So cute. Now, Sophia—I need to ask you something important. Would you believe me if I told you I never touched you at all?”

Sophia blinks.

What?

Lily has to be lying. That makes no sense. She felt Lily touching her.

As if reading her mind, Lily smiles. “I know, I know—you felt my touch. But did you? Did you really? You had your eyes closed the entire time. You don’t know I was touching you. All you know is what you felt. But maybe that wasn’t real. Maybe it was just what I made you feel. Maybe it was me controlling your reality. How would you even know the difference when you’re this deep under my control?”

Sophia’s thoughts spin.

No—this—hypnosis is real, sure, she knows that now. But it’s not magic, right? And Lily had to have been touching her.

She felt it.

It was real.

Wasn’t it?

“But it’s nothing to worry about,” Lily soothes. “Nothing to fret over. You wanted to obey me. And now, I want you to accept the control I have over you. I want you to embrace it. Can you do that for me?”

Sophia pauses. She thinks.

And then—realization hits.

Lily is right.

Of course Lily is right.

The thought feels so natural, so obvious. As true as the ocean is blue and the sun rises in the morning.

A deep, glowing smile spreads across Sophia’s lips.

“Yes. You’re right. Of course you’re right. You wouldn’t lie to me—I wanted it. I want it.”

Lily’s smile widens. “Good girl.”

She pats her lap. “Now, come kneel where you belong.”

“Yes, Lily.”

Sophia moves before she even thinks, sinking to her knees at Lily’s feet. The moment she bows her head, a wave of pure bliss washes over her.

This is where she belongs.

This is home.