"The seating chart has been updated, Ms. Hunt," the man behind the large desk said with a smile as he hung up the phone. "And a new act has been added to the entertainment for the evening."

"Really, Mr. Santiago, that's fantastic, though I am learning to never be surprised when you get things done," the brunette replied. "Let me guess, the Fantastic Hannah Hypno Show has been added to the roster of entertainers?"

"Of course it has, Ms. Hunt," Santiago replied with a smile. "You know I get what I want."

Hannah Hunt, a highly successful hypnotist with an impeccable reputation and a highly entertaining hypnosis show, smiled. Her reputation and history as a well reputed hypnotherapist ensured she was above reproach, which made her an unlikely ally with Damon Santiago, international crime lord who always beat the odds and the rap. It was a challenge she welcomed, as the show circuit and therapy sessions began to bore her. She sought a new challenge, and Santiago provided her with a very interesting one.

"So I am finding out," Hannah replied. "Tell me what I need to know, Mr. Santiago. I needed a new challenge and here we are. This should be fun."

Santiago threw a file on the large oak desk, as a picture and papers slid out from the plain unmarked folder.

"Emily Tobias, 42, Assistant District Attorney state level. Picture, personal information, career info it's all there for you to read." Santiago told his new hypnotherapist/ hypno show employee. "Befriend her, get her under your control- that way nobody suspects you in any way."

"How do you know I will be able to do that?" Hannah asked with a smile.

"I don't, and I don't even care," Santiago replied. "You have 1 million reasons that you will now do what I am telling you to do. I am sure you will be very professional about the assignment I am giving you."

"I understand," Hannah began. "Let's see, she is pretty, 42, single mother, no father listed on her kid's birth certificate, nice neighborhood she lives in. Kid's now 18 and at college. Perfect. Any idea about her dating and personal life?"

"Keep reading, Hannah, everything is there. And no, she hasn't had a boyfriend or girlfriend in awhile as far as my investigation says. And my investigations are ALWAYS correct and thorough," Santiago said. "But I assume you can handle the challenge?"

"Of course I can," Hannah said with a wry smile. "And she will be seated next to me at the Save Children from Slavery dinner and auction?"

"Yes she will," Santiago said. "Now don't disappoint me, Miss Hunt, I have big plans for our future State District Attorney."

"Of course not, Mr. Santiago," Hannah said with a confident, eager smile. "I know exactly what I need to do."

****

"I can't believe I have to spend the night at this event, I never have enough time in the day with my caseload," Emily Tobias thought as she arrived in a whirlwind barely on time for the charity event her boss was sending her to as representative of the state Attorney's office. She looked forward to a nice quiet evening at home to catch up on sleep and relax, but instead she arrived flustered, almost late and mentally exhausted after arriving by taxi.

Once inside, the visibly tired assistant AG was escorted to her table for the dinner and auction before the shows began after. It was a large hall, and tables extended throughout the venue. Emily estimated there were at least 750 people in the building for the event. Her seat was off in the corner, her back to the exterior wall of the building, and it was a small table with five place settings. Emily was the first to arrive, and she took her seat and looked out at the crowd. As the building filled with guests for the charity event to end human trafficking, Emily realized her table was empty still and it appeared the other guests may not show. She sat, put her purse over the chair and her work bag containing her computer, employee badge and files under the table out of the way, and observed the crowd. The line at the cash bar was long, so she decided to just sit and wait for a chance to leave the event as early as she could.

It was at that time that a pretty brunette was shown to the table by the same woman who escorted Emily to her seat. The woman being shown to the table was tall, perfect figure, brunette with pretty hazel eyes, almond in shape and easily the main feature of her pretty face. Emily, in her role as a prosecuting attorney, was used to looking at people and sizing them up. Before she could say a thing, the woman, still standing, held out her hand.

"Hello, I'm Hannah Hunt," the woman said as she accepted the hand of Emily, who stood and reciprocated the gesture, placing her hand into the one being extended toward her. "Doctor Hannah Hunt."

Hannah aggressively took control of the first interaction, authoritatively shaking the hand of the Assistant DA, who did not say a word in response.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Assistant District Attorney Emily Tobias," Hannah offered confidently.

"You... know who I am?" Emily said with a nervous edge, unsure why, or how, anyone would know her.

"I'm not going to tell you anything you don't already know, but I do follow all the important news of the state, and to be fair, you have been doing quite an impressive job according to the newspapers," Hannah said with a smile, still holding on to the hand of the successful attorney as she assessed her condition as tired and uninterested in being there. "I'm curious to know how you can be so successful with such difficult cases."

"Long hours and lots of research," Emily said, hardly realizing her hand was still being shaken ever so slightly.

"Well it has been said hard work and perseverance are the most important things in being successful," Hannah said as she stopped the handshake and gently held the hand of Emily Tobias. "Don't you agree?"

"Yes, I guess you're right," Emily responded without much thought.

"You can see for yourself the results of those traits, can't you, Assistant DA Tobias?" Hannah asked.

"Yes, I can," Emily answered. "Call me Emily, please."

"Thank you, Emily," Hannah said as she continued to control the conversation. "Don't you think there are some unhealthy results of that hard work and success?"

"Yes, I guess so," Emily said wearily and with a sigh.

"There it is, that's exactly what I mean, Emily," the hypnotist continued. "That heavy, tired sigh, certainly you agree that all those hours, all that reading and all that research, the cases, are wearing on you?"

"Yes, they are," Emily said as she looked into the pretty eyes of the woman she just met, not realizing the heavy, tired breath she took, or that her hand was still being held from the introductory handshake.

"There are solutions to every problem, Emily," Hannah said as she let go of the hand of the Assistant DA, which casually dropped to her side. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes," Emily said, confused where this was going.

"So should we sit and start talking about those problems, Emily, or should we wait a few minutes before we start?" Hannah asked.

"We can sit?" Emily answered, questioningly, and with that Hannah pulled out the chair and motioned for Emily to sit, which she did, and then pulled out the chair to her left and sat and looked at the blonde attorney. Hannah began mirroring the pretty DA's breathing and mannerisms.

"It feels good to sit after such a busy, hectic day filled with research and hard work, don't you agree?" Hannah asked.

"Yes..." Emily responded, not noticing her breathing was slowing or that Hannah's was equal in pace.

"You can see the patterns in your life can't you? Work, stress, reading, research, not enough time to relax, a few hours of unfulfilling sleep- and then starting over again the next day, you DO feel that pattern?" Hannah suggestively asked as she smiled gently and looked into the eyes of the pretty older blonde.

"Yes..." the Assistant DA responded.

"And as you sit here you can imagine yourself breaking that pattern, after a long day of work, so much reading and research, even as we just sit here and have a nice, relaxing chat, you can feel that stressful pattern breaking?" Hannah asked.

"Yes..." Emily responded, breathing slowing further without realizing.

"You can feel more relaxed now or in a few moments you can feel completely relaxed, it's totally up to you, but you do like feeling relaxed don't you Emily?" Hannah asked with a smile.

"Yes..." Emily again replied, looking into the eyes of the woman encouraging relaxation.

"Then if you are ready you can just relax further as we chat, is that something you would welcome, Emily?" Hannah postulated.

"Yes..." Emily replied, her breathing and thought processes slowing.

"That's very good Emily, when people listen to my conversation they can find themselves relaxing, and that feels wonderful doesn't it?" the hypnotist continued.

"Yes..." Emily replied, feeling as relaxed as she could ever remember.

"Then all you need to do is listen to my conversation and when I ask if you want to relax you simply say 'yes'," the crafty, experienced hypnotist asked. "Emily, would you like to relax?"

"Yes...." Emily answered, almost hoping for more.

"Then as we sit here and have a relaxing conversation all we have to do is make sure you get what you want, to relax," Hannah replied. "Emily, would you like to relax?"

"Yes..." the Assistant DA replied, her voice growing more faint.

"Emily, simply listen to my relaxing conversation style and you can relax even more deeply," the hypnoteuse added. "Would you like to relax?"

"Yes..." the blonde attorney faintly replied.

"Then all you need to do now is allow your eyes to close and enter a nice, relaxing sleep for me when I snap my fingers, Emily, do you understand?" Hannah asked..

"Yes...." Emily replied.

"Emily, would you like to relax," Hannah asked.

"Yes....."

"Then what do you need to do when I snap my fingers Emily?" the cunning hypnotist inquired.

"Close eyes..." the increasingly relaxed attorney answered.

"Very good, Emily," t(e smiling hypnotist began. "You will enjoy feeling complete relaxation in a moment when I snap my fingers, the deepest relaxation, are you ready to relax deeply Emily?"

"Yessss..." was the sleepy reply.

Emily was still responding when she saw the beautifully manicured left hand with deep red nails in front of her face, as she heard the 'snap'. Her eyes slammed shut as she heard the snap, as she entered the ultimate calm and relaxation oh hypnotic trance. Hannah smiled as she sat back in her chair and looked around the auditorium. Nobody was staring or looking at her, as her companion at the table simply sat with her eyes closed, her chin in her chest as she enjoyed her first taste of hypnosis.

"Congratulations Emily," Hannah Hunt praised, "you have reached the state of ultimate relaxation, Now you may remain in this state of perfect relaxation and when I snap my fingers again you may open your eyes, look at me and focus only on my voice. If you understand you will nod your head."

Hannah smiled, step one was now complete, as Emily Tobias sat comfortably hypnotized, nodding her head in front of her- despite a crowd of hundreds preparing for a charity event creating a buzz around them.

SNAP

Emily opened her eyes, turned her head and looked for the eyes she was supposed to look into. She stopped and felt relief when she found them. Hannah's warm hazel eyes were inviting, perfectly made up to accentuate the slight almond shape to them.

"Very good Emily, do you feel relaxed?" the hypnotist asked.

"Yes..." replied the attorney in a slow monotone.

"Emily, whenever you answer me you will use my name, is that understood," Hannah instructed, seeing how well the hypnotized Assistant DA took suggestion as well as get her new friend to be very used to her name.

"Yes, Hannah," the hypnotized Emily Tobias replied.

"Very good, Emily, you find my voice and my touch relax you, and you find this feeling of relaxation and no stress to be a wonderful feeling, don't you Emily?" the hypnotist continued as her subject nodded affirmatively. "And your mind knows that it is my voice that takes you to this wonderful, deeply relaxed state, do you understand?"

"Yes, Hannah," the hypnotized woman answered.

"Now Emily, while you are in this relaxed state, whenever I snap my fingers you will open or close your eyes. If your eyes are open, they will gently close and your relaxation will increase. If your eyes are closed, you will open your eyes and look into the pretty dancing flame of the candle, which will relax you even more deeply. Each snap, each opening and closing of your eyes will take you deeper into relaxation, doesn't that sound wonderful, Emily?" questioned the hypnotist.

"Yes, Hannah," Emily answered, as the ever elusive relaxation of her job seemingly prevented relaxing at any time, was nowhere to be found in this state.

Hannah moved the candle on the table so that it was between her new subject and the main stage, the candle that was the light to shine on the trafficking of women and children, an irony not lost on Hannah Hunt. To anyone looking on, it would appear that Emily was looking at the speaker on the stage, but Hannah had a different focus.

"Very good, Emily," Hannah started. "Just continue to listen to my voice and let your depth of relaxation sink."

SNAP

Emily's eyes shut, her body sunk deeper into the chair, and she took a heavy, deep breath.

"Very good, Emily, you can feel that relaxation deepening, can't you Emily?" Hannah said.

"Yesss, Hannah," the attorney answered.

SNAP

Emily opened her eyes, took a breath, and allowed her eyes to focus on the flame of the candle that she was instructed to, the candle that would send her deeper into relaxation. The candle that was currently the center of her universe. Hannah smiled as her conditioning of Emily continued.

SNAP

Emily's eyes closed again, as her conditioning continued. Again a deep breath, again a feeling of relaxation taking the attorney deeper.

"Emily, are you enjoying sinking deeper into relaxation as you listen to my voice?" Hannah asked.

"yesss... Hannah," the older attorney answered as she again found her eyes closing and her level of relaxation deepening.

And so it went for a round of speeches, Hannah Hunt just guiding her subject, Emily Tobias deeper into hypnosis as she opened and closed her eyes on command at the snap of a finger. The deepening made it through the opening rounds of speakers and testimonies, before it was soon to be time for Hannah Hunt to take the stage.

SNAP

"Emily, you have done very well listening and relaxing so deeply, I am very pleased. Stop looking at the candle now and look at me," Hannah told her hypnotized friend. "And I know you are so very relaxed, after all it is so easy to listen to my voice as it relaxes you so deeply, do you agree?"

"Yesss, Hannah..." was the almost vacant reply as Emily turned with classy eyes and looked at the woman whose voice was relaxing her so deeply.

"Very soon, you will be alone here at this table while I perform a very brief hypnosis demonstration," the hypnotist instructed. "You will be wide awake for my performance, but you will hear my voice and it will comfort and soothe and relax you. When I return to you after my show, I will snap my fingers and you will again enter this relaxed state you are in now, doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"Yesss, Hannahh," the ever deepening subject said.

"My finger snaps will no longer affect you after I wake you until I rejoin you here at the table after my show, which you will enjoy immensely," the hypnotist instructed. "Do you understand, Emily?"

"Yessss, Hannahh," the attorney replied.

"When I snap my fingers you will be wide awake, and I will excuse myself to begin my show, which you will enjoy. You will remember we had a wonderful time so far, remembering me as someone you like, someone you want to know better, someone who can help you relax to take the pressure off of your very important work, do you understand?" Hannah instructed.

"Yesss, Hannahh," Emily replied.

SNAP

Emily slowly returned to consciousness and looked at Hannah as she took a deep breath and stretched to awaken.

"Well I hope I haven't bored you, Emily," Hannah said once the attorney came back to awareness.

"Oh no, Hannah, I could listen to you all day," the attorney said with a smile, feeling relaxed.

"Oh that is so sweet, Emily, thank you," Hannah said as she reached out and grabbed the hand of her companion. "But like I said, I am on next so I will see you after, enjoy the show!"

"Yes Hannah, I will, I'm sure," Emily said as she felt a warm, relaxing feeling enveloping her as Hannah held her hand.

Hannah let go of Emily's hand and headed backstage, where her assistant waited to be the show's subject. It was a brief 10 minute show, but served the purpose of getting Hannah Hunt in the building. As the lights came up and Hannah was introduced, Assistant DA Emily Tobias had a difficult time looking past the dancing flame as she heard the soothing, relaxing voice of Hannah Hunt.

Emily watched, albeit in a somewhat relaxed manner, as Hannah put her subject through her paces, eventually finishing with the young assistant becoming as rigid as steel across two chair backs. Emily's thoughts centered on Hannah, her relaxing voice and enjoying the show. As the show ended, Emily simply sat and again found her focus on the flame, and watched it as her breathing slowed once again.

The attorney was startled from her calm state when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Ohhhh, Hannah...." Emily said as she looked and saw the hypnotist pulling out the chair next to her and sat down.

"Enjoy the show?" Hannah asked.

"Yes, Hannah, immensely," the attractive attorney said, as she saw the perfectly manicured nails of the hypnotist in front of her eyes.

SNAP

Emily's eyes shut immediately.

"Very good, Emily, i knew you would," the hypnotist said as she stared at her once again tranced prey. "And once again you understand my voice has again brought you into this state of deep relaxation. Do you enjoy this feeling, Emily?"

"Yesssss, Hannahh..." the Assistant DA replied as she once again re-entered hypnosis.

"Then you would like to re enter this state again with me, by listening to my voice and sinking deep into relaxation?," Hannah questioned, knowing the answer.

"Yessss, Hhannahh..." Emily replied in the words she was used to saying, and meaning it.

"You know what to do when I snap my fingers, Emily?" the hypnotist asked.

"Yesss, Hannnaahhh..." the attorney, eyes closed and deep in trance, replied.

SNAP

Emily opened her eyes, and focused on the flame on the candle as the auction portion of the charity event continued. Currently she had no interest in bidding on anything, just watching the flame, listening to the voice that was relaxing her, and focusing on the snap of Hannah's fingers.

"Of course you do, Emily, I know how you are enjoying being so relaxed for me," the hypnotist told her subject. "And I know you would like to return to feeling so relaxed again, isn't that right, Emily? You want to return to your deeply relaxed state again, where you have no stress, no worry, just deep relaxation?"

"Yesss, Haannnaaahhh...." the hypnotized Assistant DA replied.

"Of course you do," Hannah told her subject. "We can control when you go deep into relaxation, Emily. when you hear me, and only me, say the words 'deep relaxation' you will allow yourself to sink deep into relaxation for me, do you understand?"

"Yyesss, Hhannahh," was the instant reply.

"You will look forward to your relaxation sessions with me, my voice that relaxes and guides you, my touch that soothes you, won't you Emily?" the hypnotist asked.