Chapter One

Tina lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Not again…

It was the unmistakable sound of her mother having sex. She felt sick to her stomach. She pressed her hands up to her ears, trying to block it out, but her mother’s screams of joy echoed throughout the house.

“I can’t take this,” she whispered, grabbing her headphones. But even with them on, the image still haunted her.

Tina ran down the hall to her sister’s room and knocked frantically. When the door finally opened, she rushed inside, her face pale and anxious.

“They’re at it again. I could hear everything,” Tina blurted.

“I know,” Emily replied. Her room was farther away but she could hear it too. “It’s getting worse.”

Tina nodded. “It’s like she’s not even herself anymore. He’s turned her into a…” She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat.

“I know,” Emily said calmly. “We have to figure out how he’s doing this.”

“But how? He’s always so careful.”

“I don’t care. We’re gonna fix this. We’re getting Mom back.”

Tina felt a sense of comfort from the look of determination on her sister’s face. There was a fire in her eyes. When Emily set her mind to something, there was no stopping her.

It all started a month ago when Dr. Cooper moved into the spare room. Tina found it strange that her mom agreed to rent the room to a man, but when Dr. Cooper showed up, confident and charismatic, she seemed compelled to say yes.

At first, everything seemed fine. He was polite and kept to himself. Then one day he offered to help their mom with her “outlook”, providing free therapy sessions to lift her out of her depression. She’d been struggling ever since she lost her job, spending hours each day searching for work with no success. That’s when things started changing.

The transformation was slow. So slow that the sisters didn’t notice at first. But day by day, their mother—the strong, independent woman who had raised them—began acting differently.

It started with her clothes. Slowly her outfits became more colorful and revealing. Their mom had never been the type to show off her body, so Tina was surprised when each day her necklines dipped lower, and her skirts got shorter. She seemed to enjoy all the new attention.

Next was her personality. She became spacey and forgetful, not as sharp as her usual self. She started giggling and flirting, becoming ditzy and submissive. She grew increasingly dependent on Dr. Cooper’s suggestions, letting him make all the decisions for her—obsessed with doing whatever he said.

Then came the sex. She used to be discreet. But now, the loud, passionate sex had become a daily occurrence, sometimes more.

Worst of all, the sisters worried they were running out of time.

***

“We can’t keep letting this happen,” Emily said, pacing back and forth.

Tina nodded in agreement. “But what can we do?”

“We need some kind of evidence. He’s doing something to her—hypnosis or brainwashing—we just need proof.” Emily leaned closer, lowering her voice. “We need to record him during one of his ‘sessions’ with her. But he’ll never let us get anywhere near them. So…you’ll have to do it.”

Tina’s eyes widened. “What?”

“It’s the only way. We’ll hide a microphone and record the whole thing. Something we can use to prove whatever he’s been doing.”

“What if he messes with my head too?”

“I’m sure he’ll try,” Emily said firmly. “But it took weeks for Mom to start changing. It didn’t happen overnight. If it was that simple he would’ve already done it to us.”

Tina hesitated, her mind racing. The thought of being alone with Dr. Cooper made her skin crawl. But she’d do whatever it took to save her mom.

Emily placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

Tina hesitated, thinking for a moment before she nodded. “Alright,” she said quietly. “I’ll do it.”

***

Tina stood outside Dr. Cooper’s office. It used to be her mom’s office, but like everything else, he’d taken that from her too. Her heart pounded, and for a moment, she thought about turning back. But Emily’s words echoed in her mind.

We have to figure out how he’s doing this. We need to save Mom.

Tina took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Her hand was shaking. The door opened and there he was—Dr. Cooper. His smile was cold, and his stare made her shiver.

“Tina, come in. I’m glad you decided to take me up on my offer.”

She forced a smile, trying her best to act natural. “Yeah, well, I figured it couldn’t hurt to talk.”

The room was dimly lit with a large recliner chair set up in the middle. Everything was perfectly arranged. This was the room where he’d been manipulating her mom. Dr. Cooper gestured to the chair. “Relax, don’t be nervous. We’re just going to talk.”

Tina nodded, trying to steady her breathing. She felt small under his piercing gaze. Hidden underneath her baggy clothes, the tiny microphone silently recorded everything.

Stay calm, she told herself. Just get through this.

“So, tell me, what’s bothering you?”

Tina hesitated, unsure where to start. Should she bring up her mom? Talk about school? Or just make something up?

“I guess I’ve just been feeling overwhelmed lately.” It was the truth.

Dr. Cooper’s expression softened. “That’s perfectly understandable. Change is difficult. Especially when we feel like we’ve lost control. But you don’t have to deal with it all on your own, Tina. I can help you.”

Tina felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She had to stay strong.

“I don’t know…” she stammered, trying to sound uncertain. She needed to lure him into revealing something. “What exactly would you do to help me?”

Dr. Cooper smiled. “It’s all about changing how you see things. Sometimes we need to let go of certain…burdens and embrace a new way of thinking.”

A strange feeling washed over Tina, and her thoughts began to slow. His voice seemed to wrap around her mind.

“Let me help you, Tina. Just let go of those worries and focus on my voice.”

Tina blinked, trying her best to shake off the feeling and stay focused.

“All you need to do is relax.”

Tina’s breathing slowed as Dr. Cooper’s relaxing voice flowed through her thoughts. Each word was like a gentle nudge, urging her to sink deeper, to relax, to let go. Her eyelids grew heavy, her body giving in despite her mind still trying to resist.

“You’re doing so well, Tina,” Dr. Cooper said. His voice was warm and approving. “You feel relaxed now, don’t you?”

Tina struggled to keep her thoughts clear, reminding herself why she was here. I have to stay strong. But his voiced continued, like a soothing rhythm.

“It feels good to relax, doesn’t it? To not think. To not worry. To just let go.”

Tina blinked, her head dipping as she sank deeper into the chair. There was something about his voice that made it feel so easy to…let go.

“No more worries. Just my voice, guiding you.”

Tina’s muscles relaxed, her hands resting loosely in her lap. Her mind felt distant as Dr. Cooper’s words drifted through her thoughts like a thick fog, making it hard to think. She tried to focus but couldn’t.

“Good girl.”

His words were soft, barely a whisper, but they hit her hard, overwhelming her senses and igniting something deep inside. Her breath slowed as a rush of warmth spread through her chest. The phrase echoed in her mind, growing louder and louder.

Something about being called a “good girl” made her feel…safe. It felt good. She didn’t question it.

She wanted more of that feeling.

***

Tina and Emily sat quietly, the glow of the laptop screen lighting up their faces as Emily scrolled through the files.

Tina’s heart was still pounding. She hadn’t told her sister about everything that happened during their session—how strange it felt, how hard it was to focus when Dr. Cooper spoke to her. She kept replaying the words in her head.

Good girl.

It was such a simple phrase, but she couldn’t get it out of her mind.

Emily clicked on the file from Tina’s session. There was nothing but silence. She slammed her fist on the desk. “What the hell? Where is it?”

“…Maybe we set it up wrong,” Tina said nervously.

Emily stood up, pacing the room in frustration. “I can’t do anything without proof! This recording was supposed to be it.”

“I’ll go again,” Tina blurted. “This time we’ll make sure the mic actually works.”

Emily turned around. “No. Absolutely not. I’m not putting you through that again.”

Tina felt conflicted. Part of her wanted to listen to her sister, to stay far away from Dr. Cooper and his strangley relaxing voice. But another part of her…almost felt like she wanted to go back. Like something was left unfinished.

“We have to, Em,” Tina insisted. “It’s the only way to save Mom.”

Emily paused to think. “Are you sure nothing felt weird? It didn’t seem like he was trying to manipulate you?”

“What? No! Everything was fine. We just talked for a little bit.”

Dr. Cooper hadn’t done anything to her. He couldn’t have. She would’ve known.

“Talked about what?”

“School,” she lied.

Deep down, Tina knew she shouldn’t go back. It was dangerous. But every time she thought about it, it wasn’t fear she felt—it was…anticipation.

“I can handle it, Em. Trust me.”

Emily hesitated. She knew it was a bad idea—too risky, too dangerous—but it was their only chance to save their mom.

“Fine,” Emily sighed. “But if we do this, we need to be smarter. I’ll triple-check everything. And if you feel even the slightest hint of him messing with your head, you get out of there right away. Understood?”

Tina nodded, feeling a surge of excitement. Just one more time, she told herself. One more and I’ll have it all figured out.

But deep down, she wasn’t so sure.

The next morning, Emily sat at the kitchen table with her laptop, scrolling through article after article about hypnosis and mind control. She’d barely slept, her thoughts filled with worry.

I shouldn’t let her go back, Emily thought. But what choice do I have?

The sound of Tina coming down the stairs interrupted her train of thought. She was dressed casually, in jeans and a hoodie, but something seemed off. She looked too calm.

“You ready?” Tina asked.

Emily nodded. “Yeah, I triple-checked everything. It’ll work this time.”

As they walked down the hall, Emily kept looking over at her sister. “You sure about this, T?”

Tina took a deep breath, then smiled. “I’ll be fine. Really.”

Emily watched from a distance as Tina knocked on the door and went inside. Now all she could do was wait.

Inside Dr. Cooper’s office, Tina sat down, her heart pounding.

Dr. Cooper smiled. “Welcome back, Tina. How are you feeling?”

Tina shifted in her seat. “I’m okay, I guess.”

“Good. Let’s pick up where we left off. You did so well last time. Just relax. Feel yourself let go, just like before. You remember how easy it was, don’t you?”

Tina’s eyelids fluttered, her mind slipping into a pleasant haze. She wanted to resist, but each word pulled her deeper, leaving her feeling so…calm. So relaxed.

“I remember,” she whispered, her body sinking into the chair.

“Good girl.”

Tina took a shaky breath. Her fingers curled into her palms. That phrase again. It had haunted her thoughts. She could feel it pulling at the edges of her mind. But she couldn’t let it in. Not again. She needed to focus—had to…remember why she was here.

Outside, Emily paced in the kitchen, filled with anxiety. This has to work.

By the end of the session, Tina’s mind had drifted far away, her body melting into the chair.

“You’re really starting to let go, Tina. It feels good, doesn’t it? You need more, don’t you?”

“Yes, Dr. Cooper…”

Dr. Cooper smiled. “Good girl.”

Good girl. Good girl. The words echoed through her mind, louder and more insistent.

“I know it feels strange now, but the more you think about it, the more you’ll understand.”

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door to Dr. Cooper’s office opened. Tina stepped out, her face calm, eyes glazed over.

Emily rushed over. “Well?” she whispered. “How did it go? What happened? Did you feel anything strange?”

Tina blinked a few times, as the fog cleared from her mind. “No,” she said softly. “It felt…normal. Just like last time.”

Emily’s brow furrowed. “Okay…well, let’s listen to the recording.”

They hurried back to Emily’s room, her hands fumbling as she inserted the memory card into her laptop. The audio file loaded, showing it had recorded the entire session. Emily pressed play, holding her breath—but there was nothing but silence. No voices. No sound. Just silence.

Emily’s heart sank. “No. No, no, no!” She pressed play again. Silence. “What the hell? It was working! I know it was!”

Tina stood quietly, watching Emily frantically search through the audio file.

“How does this keep happening?” Emily groaned, clenching her fists. “This was supposed to work. We were supposed to get proof. Something’s seriously wrong.”

Tina shifted nervously, her hands fidgeting. “Maybe...we just need to...try again?”

Emily snapped her head up. “No! I’m not letting you go back. It’s not safe.”

Tina wanted to say something but didn’t. Deep down, she knew Emily was right. But despite that, part of her wanted to go back. Part of her craved the calm, the warmth, the certainty that came with listening to his voice. And that scared her.

“I know, Em,” Tina said quietly. “I… I just want to help Mom. Maybe if I go just one more time, I can figure out how he’s doing it. Maybe he’ll slip up...”

“No!” Emily shouted. “It’s too risky. We don’t even know what he’s done to you already.”

“He hasn’t done anything,” Tina said quickly. “He’s not—we just talked. It’s not like what he’s doing to Mom.”

“I’m not letting you go back,” Emily insisted. “I’ll figure something else out.”

Tina was torn between wanting to listen to her sister and the growing urge to see Dr. Cooper again. She tried to push the thought away, but it stuck with her.

“You’re right,” Tina finally said. “I won’t go.”

Emily let out a relieved sigh. “Good.”

Later that night, Emily sat in her room, searching for more information, while Tina stood quietly outside Dr. Cooper’s office. Her hand hovered over the door. The temptation to knock and go inside was overwhelming. It had only been a few hours since her last session, but the urge was already creeping back in.

One more time, she told herself. Just one last time.

She could hear Emily’s voice in her head, pleading with her to stop, to stay away. But it grew quieter, replaced by something else. Something that urged her to just…let go.

Tina’s hand slowly reached for the door.