Lunch turned out to be as pleasant as the conversation that preceded it. A vegetarian since her teenage years, Melanie opted for a Portobello mushroom burger topped with vegan cheese and caramelized onions, and Alan went with his favorite dish of all time, a venison steak with Stroganoff sauce and shoestring fries. He accompanied his dish with a glass of Pinot Noir with notes of raspberry and red plum, while she favored a refreshing blend of pomegranate and grapefruit juice that was too bitter for him.

“How can you drink that?” he frowned. “That thing is nasty.”

“I could say the same about your drink, but I won’t,” she replied.

“You don’t like red wine?”

“Not my favorite, no, but to each their own, right?”

“I suppose, yeah...” he shrugged as he took another bite of tender meat to his mouth. “I hope you’re enjoying your meal.”

“It’s all very good. I’d never been to this place before, so thank you for showing me something new.”

“My pleasure,” Alan said with an enigmatic smile.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Oh, still thinking about how great you looked in that costume. Are you sure you’re not a genie for real, pretending to be human?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Melanie chuckled. “But why the strange compliment so suddenly?”

“It’s just you made all my wishes come true until now, so...”

“Why, Alan, I didn’t know you had that kind of flattery in you... Impressive!”

“Please don’t laugh.”

“I’m not laughing at you, silly, but laughing with you. I don’t mind a good old cheesy pickup line, don’t worry.”

“Thank God for that because there are plenty more where that came from.”

The friendly banter continued throughout the meal as if they had known each other for years and were perfectly at ease with whatever bit of randomness came their way. They had a lot of things in common but also many differences, none of which made their enjoyment any less fulfilling. After expertly emptying their plates, Alan suggested they share the dessert.

“Fine by me, just as long as it doesn’t have any chocolate,” Melanie replied.

“Is that a vegan thing as well?”

“It could be, but I’m actually allergic.”

“Really? I didn’t know that was a thing.”

“True chocolate allergies are quite rare, but it seems I’m one of the unlucky ones affected by it.”

“Sorry to hear that. Can I tempt you with a blueberry and apple crumble, then?”

“Consider me tempted.”

After they finished eating, Alan took care of the tab and they headed outside, walking along the beach under a cool, yet radiant sun. A heart-shaped rock formation protruding from the golden grains of sand invited them to take a seat and enjoy the soothing lullaby of the waves rolling in. Her legs crossed, and feet dangling over the turquoise sea, Melanie looked livelier than ever.

“God, I love this!” she said.

“The sea?” Alan asked, hands to the side resting on the slippery rock surface.

“Yes. I love nature as a whole, but the sea has always been my favorite.”

“Any reason in particular for that?”

“Fairy tales.”

“Like the story of The Little Mermaid and things like that?”

“Yes. My father used to read them to me when I was a child and I lived by the ocean until I was twelve. You can’t imagine how wonderful it was to wake up every morning and be greeted with a sight as wondrous as this. I don’t think there’s anything more beautiful on this planet.”

“It sounds like you had a happy childhood.”

“It was the best, yes. How about you?”

“I can’t say I relate.” Alan’s longing gaze fell over the shadows of the water beneath their feet.

“May I ask why?”

“Too many bad memories. My parents divorced when I was seven, but things around the house had been a mess for a while before that. My earliest recollection of that time is seeing them fight in the kitchen when they thought I was asleep. Everything after that is one big blur with custody battles in-between and whatnot...”

“Hmmm... would you say you had to grow up too fast because of it?”

“Yes, I think so. People are always saying children shouldn’t be used as ammunition in a couple’s war but, for what felt like an eternity, that was all I was, and I’ve always resented it on some level,” he sighed. “Apologies. I didn’t want to ruin the mood just now.”

“You didn’t.” she brushed her fingers against his. “but I’m sorry, too. I didn’t intend to make you uncomfortable, either.”

“You had no way of knowing, and that’s okay. I wouldn’t have opened up if I didn’t want to.”

“I’m glad you trusted me enough to do that. Are you ready to open up a little more now?”

“I don’t know yet. How is this going to play out?”

“In whatever way you choose. I would like you to offer a gift, but you need to be willing to accept it, so I’m going to ask again. Do you consent to have me access your mind for a bit?”

“I’m not exactly sure what I’m consenting to, but I think I can trust you, so my answer is yes. Show me what you mean, Melanie.”

“Okay. There are many ways a person can enter a trance state and it’s something so natural that most of us do it many times over one day without realizing it. Whether you are reading a book that suddenly draws you in or listening to a piece of music whose notes touch the very core of your soul, it matters not. In hypnosis, the most important thing is not how it begins or how it ends but the connection that happens in between. To be in a trance is to find something you rarely perceive, and this is what I would like to show you. For that, I’m going to start by asking you a series of questions which I hope you’ll answer as truthfully as possible. However, there’s a caveat: try not to dwell too much on them, don’t think. Let the words and whatever it is you experience come to your lips on their own terms, unburdened by expectations or aspirations of any kind. The purpose of this little exercise is to make you feel better and nothing will happen unless you willingly agree to it so if at any point, you get distressed or uncomfortable, just ask me to stop or grab my hand if you’re unable to speak. Remember, if you’re not safe, then neither am I. Do you understand everything I just said?”

“Yes, I do. Do I need to be looking at you or something?”

“Not for now. Instead, look straight ahead as if I’m not really here. Focus on the sea and how it stretches into the horizon and tell me. What do you see when you look at this vastness before your eyes? What does the sea mean to you?”

“I see beauty,” he replied, the rhythm of his breathing matching the sounds of the coming tide. “Like you, I also like the sea, but I fear it at the same time.”

“What’s there to fear, Alan? What is it about the sea that makes you afraid of it?”

“Just how big it is, and how many secrets it contains. I mean, what do we really know about it? We’ve only explored a fraction of its extension, and most of our knowledge is superficial. There’s so much more in its depths that we don’t know, and that realization is both astounding and terrifying. What lurks in the depths? Will we ever find out or be forever ignorant?”

“The sea has many mysteries, agreed, but you know what else does? The mind, and how certain parts of our brain operate. Our conscious experiences are like the surface of the waters warmed by the morning sun or bathed in the glow of moonlight, but our subconscious, the realm where the very foundation of our being resides stretches almost infinitely under it and to go deep inside is to acknowledge that in all its splendor. We shouldn’t be afraid of the unknown but accept that without it, there wouldn’t be much meaning to Life itself. We thrive on the sense of discovery, on finding out new ways to engage with the world and with ourselves. To be face-to-face with what we don’t know is to enrich ourselves, and that is a source of beauty as well. Keep this in mind as you continue to listen to my words.

“Beyond you lies the horizon, an imaginary line separating what you can see from what you can’t, but both are equally important. Staying on this side of the line is to play it safe and not dare anything beyond what we’ve grown used to, but crossing it, to go past that threshold where anything is possible, is to welcome change and new opportunities. The horizon shouldn’t be a goal but a step in reaching other goals and even though, sometimes you may feel that such an endeavor is impossible, remember that so was once everything imagined. How many ideas of old were considered fantasy or science fiction until the day it was demonstrated they could be real? If a single one of those great pioneers had given up instead of persevering, our accomplishments would be a lot less significant than what they are now, and that is unacceptable.

“Eyes on the water for me now, and beyond it. Notice how up ahead, the sea appears calm, a reflection of pure tranquility, and yet it’s not still at all, but ever flowing with perfect intent. If you stare closely, you can see the undulating ripples on the surface, the hints of foam between the splashes of water, and the shimmering reflections of sunlight. The colors of the ocean don’t remain the same but also shift and ebb like paint spreading over a canvas that houses the infinite masterpiece of the world. See all these little details becoming clearer within your mind’s eye and what you can’t easily grasp will be filled by your subconscious, by the power of imagination, so do that. 

“Imagine yourself walking along the surface of the water with me and seeing the trembling shadows undulating underneath. If you focus hard enough, you can actually visualize some things the sea holds in its heart: swarms of rainbow-colored fishes zig-zagging across the currents, majestic coral reefs whose branches intertwine on the ocean floor to create a magical forest where one can easily lose themselves in and trenches so deep they go all the way to the core of the heart, just like you’re going all the way deep inside your soul right now.

“See the beauty I’m describing and hear it as well in the waves splashing at your feet, in the songs of the whales that, like mythological mermaids, pull you in more and more, deeper and deeper. Welcome the sea into your heart and your mind, for you two are alike: endless and perfect. Flow with it and it will flow with you in a cycle that knows no bounds and accepts no defeat. When you see the sea, you see yourself.

“Deeper now, Alan, sinking into the awareness that anything you think, you can do. Anything you imagine can be real. And anything that has ever hurt you can be easily washed away. You can lose yourself in this infinite ocean but also find the next big thing, a new challenge to push you forward, a new way to look at the world. The sea is bliss and so are you when you accept these possibilities instead of running from them and all promises of happiness come alive.

“Deeper still, swimming with me in the depths of your soul. It’s so good to be here, open to new suggestions and different experiences, your heart glowing from the inside out. If you’re enjoying what you’re feeling, then stay for as long as you want, but if you’re not, and you want to see the world with your own eyes, then swim back up and let the sun kiss your cheeks. Either way, I’ll be here with you and for you, ready to welcome you and continue our conversation. It’s your choice, my dear. What will it be?”

Alan remained silent on the socks, drifting slightly below the frontier of his conscious self. The full extension of the ocean sang to him, and a bioluminescent paradise flooded his senses with unparalleled glee. A single tear rolled down his left eye as he realized that such a magnificent and breathtaking vision had been created by the power of Melanie’s words inside his brain. She really was a genie.

Timed moved slowly as he savored every single moment of his newfound altered state of mind. Then, following his own heartbeat back up, he blinked and looked at her, completely overwhelmed by everything that had just bloomed within him.

“Welcome back, Alan. How are you?”

“That was... Wow! How the hell did you do that?”

“I didn’t.”

“Huh?”

“I didn’t do more than you. My words were there to set the mood, but what came out of your brain is yours and yours alone. Hypnosis is a journey of the mind and a tribute to imagination. I may have given you the paper, but you were the one that wrote in it.”

“Everything was so vivid and real.”

“That’s because it was. For you at least. You’ve put yourself in the fantasy and made it even more vibrant than what I had in mind. Tell me what you’re really feeling.”

“Peace, contentment, but also this wonderful drive to push the limits... I... it’s so difficult to put into words.”

“That okay. You don’t have to if you can’t. Everyone processes the trance state differently and if this was indeed your first time, it will take a while to come to terms with it. What matters is whether you enjoyed yourself and everything about your body language is telling me you did. I’m pleased.”

“It was wonderful, thank you. I can’t wait to try it again.”

“Oh, you want more, do you? Are you sure about that?”

“As sure as I am that our first lunch won’t be our last. Melanie, how about a second date tomorrow? We can go to dinner instead and perhaps catch a movie at the theater if you’re so inclined.”

The gentle hypnotist subtly touched the back of her head and smiled. Remnants of trance still swirled in his pupils, making him even more extroverted than what he demonstrated at the restaurant. If that was the first thing on his mind after the suggestions she had given him, it was a wonderful sign.

“I would like that very much,” their fingers interlocked as the sea breeze blessed them with a kiss. Everything happens for a reason, and the ocean is never wrong. Alan and Melanie’s love story was no longer an unlikely possibility, but true destiny in the making.

The End.