[Author's note: Yes, there's more to this story than meets the eye.
Snow
is forecast]
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It seemed like one of Teresa's dumb ideas but we went along with it anyway. Or more precisely, Campbell went along with his wife's idea, then of course Miles was in because Campbell was in and I was left tagging along behind the three of them in the early evening down the main strip in Las Vegas to a show that I had no interest in seeing. I'd much rather have been doing anything else.
"C'mon Lacie," Miles muttered to me, "Cheer up. It's gonna be fun."
His hand slid down my back as we walked, his fingers curving around my hip, pulling me to him, my dress crushed momentarily against his pants, just that little bit of physical contact.
"Watching people cluck like chickens? Seriously, it's all made up anyway," I replied.
Teresa overheard from in front, and looked back at me as we walked.
"You're such a downer Lacie, how do you know?" she called over her shoulder.
"You can't just make people do things. You can't just dangle a pendant in front of their faces and all of a sudden turn their brains off. It's just dumb."
"It's supposed to be hilarious," Teresa countered, shrugging, turning her attention back to Campbell like that was the end of it.
"It's only an hour," Miles told me, "Then we can get dinner after, then drinks, maybe a club."
I just nodded. Their minds were made up and I didn't want to spoil the mood. It was only an hour, then we could go do something fun.
The place was off the strip and we found it easily enough. There was a sign in front of the door with the close-up picture of a woman's face staring wide-eyed back at us, a little knowing smile on her lips, and the words, 'The Marvellous Ms. Mer' emblazoned along the top. I refrained from making a comment on her name. I was surprised how young she was, maybe mid-twenties. I wondered briefly how a girl the same age as us had gotten herself onto the stage performer career path, when we'd gone the complete other direction. Miles and Campbell were making good money at a consulting firm, busting their balls on contracts, working their way up. I'd done accountancy and Teresa was in HR, all professional people in large corporates, a world away from performing a show every night in some downscale place in Vegas.
We filed into the venue to find ourselves seated at a table on the main floor, with an area cleared in front of us and lit with spotlights. I had expected rows of seats and a stage, but this felt a lot more intimate. Miles got the drinks in from the bar and we settled into our seats, the three of them babbling animatedly. I found myself sipping my beer and listening in. My husband gave my knee a little squeeze under the table, his strong hand on my bare skin, a flash of his smile. I forced a smile back, trying to look like I wanted to be there for their sakes, to not suck the life out of the night. It was still early, it would all be up from here.
In truth, I'd have watched dancing rabbits, or anything else instead, had I been offered the choice. The whole idea of hypnotists left me cold. It looked fake, getting drunk people up on stage, whispering into their ears and then suddenly they were clucking like chickens, but there was more to it than that, for me. I found the entire idea deeply unsettling, that you would let a stranger inside your head, that if it was real, if it really worked, you could find yourself completely powerless, obeying someone else's will. My guts churned at the thought of that, of standing blankly on the stage while someone else told you what to think.
The main lights went down and the music started. Miles gave me another reassuring pat and turned to the cleared area in the middle of the venue. I put my hand over his, resting against my thigh, the warmth of his skin a welcome distraction from what I was going to have to endure for the next hour.
The Marvellous Ms. Mer strode into the middle of the room, coming to a halt in the spotlights, occupying all our attention. She was made up immaculately, long platinum-blonde hair flowing over her shoulders, black eyeliner and ruby red lips smiling as she swept the audience with her eyes. Behind the make-up I could see that she was maybe even a little younger than us, but her air of confidence, her poise, gave her an effortless command of the room that I found myself envying. I was also in envy of her figure: full-breasted in a leather corset that narrowed her waist, a gap of skin showing her belly-button, and then tight leather pants down to black stiletto heels. She turned slowly, taking in the room.
"Thank you for coming," she began, and I realised there was a tiny microphone bud alongside her cheek, amplifying her words. She had a vaguely international accent.
"This evening, we will be exploring the landscape of the mind. We are going to push the frontiers, to discover what we are all truly capable of."
I cringed. This sounded like just the sort of circus-talk I'd been dreading. Ms. Mer's eyes sparkled as she completed her sweep, locking onto our table. I felt a cold shiver inside.
"Hypnotism," she continued, "What is it? How does it work? Can I be hypnotised?"
Ms. Mer shrugged, letting her words hang in the air.
"Is it really possible to slip into a mental state where you are both awake and dreaming, transported to a world that exists only inside your head?"
She clasped her hands in front of her, grinning broadly, the ruby lips parting to show even white teeth.
"Shall we find out?"
She turned again, raising her arm, pointing, including everyone in turn before coming back to us again. I watched her fingertip hovering in space, seeming to point directly at me. I cringed back into the gloom, trying to make myself as inconspicuous as possible. Her eyes appeared to lock onto me for a moment.
"I can see we have some doubters. That is perfectly understandable, after all, it sounds incredible. Well, perhaps we need a demonstration and then you can judge for yourselves."
She was turning again, surveying the room. The music had faded completely, leaving us in silence. I knew what came next and I shuddered at the thought of it. I could see eager faces on the other tables, and I waited for Ms. Mer to select her victims.
"Who would like to volunteer?"
I glanced nervously at my husband, then at Campbell, willing them to silence. Teresa gave me a smile that made my blood run cold. She raised her hand. The beautiful hypnotist noticed her immediately.
"Good," she announced, "And who do we have here?"
I watched with dread as she stalked over to us.
"Teresa," said Teresa, "And I have a volunteer for you."
"Ah, so you are putting someone else forward. Of course. Who did you have in mind?" Ms. Mer asked, stopping next to me.
I could feel her presence, the way she seemed to fill the room in her tight leather pants and her outrageous top, flaunting her exquisite body. She seemed to have no difficulty commanding attention, perfectly assured in the focus of the entire room. I dared not breathe, I didn't dare to make eye contact with Teresa, focusing on my husband's face instead.
"Miles," Teresa announced.
My heart skipped. His hand was still on my thigh and I gave him a powerful squeeze, trying to tell him no. The beautiful hypnotist turned all her attention to my husband and I felt a twinge of jealousy that my man was receiving the undivided attention of another woman. I wanted to make it clear that this would not be happening, but before I could formulate the words, Ms. Mer was speaking again.
"Miles, nice to meet you. Have you ever been hypnotised before?" she asked.
"Never," my husband replied with an embarrassed smile.
"Would you like to try it?"
I froze.
"Okay, I guess."
His hand slid off my thigh as the gorgeous leather-clad woman slid an arm around his shoulder, turning to address the room, turning her back on me. I found myself staring at the firm curves of her bottom, then at the intricate lacework of the corset, her body close enough to touch. I wanted to walk out and drag my husband out with me. Instead, I sat quietly in my chair, mortified, as I watched her fingers settle on the back of my husband's neck.
"Good sport, thank you Miles. It will be a great show. Now, who else?"
I felt relieved. Somehow it was better that there would be others on display too, that Miles wasn't going to be subjecting himself to this on his own.
"Lacie."
I blinked, my thoughts blanking. I turned to stare into the smiling face of my friend. Teresa was grinning happily at me, even as I fumed at her, relishing my discomfort.
"C'mon Lacie," she cackled, "You said it was all bullshit. Why not check it out? This is your chance."
"A non-believer," Ms. Mer intoned, her voice carried clear across the room by the little microphone, "A challenge."
She turned her attention to me, and I found myself staring up into limitless grey eyes the colour of dead monitor screens. Ms. Mer knew what I was thinking. She smiled and I found my pulse hammering in my throat.
"Why not come and see for yourself, Lacie? Come and see if I can drop you into a trance and fill your head with a few harmless suggestions? It is just for fun."
She was younger, but infinitely more assured, taking control with ease.
"Lacie, let's do it," I heard Miles saying, but I was still locked on her face, on that knowing smile.
Ms. Mer stepped between us, sliding an arm around both of us, and then there was a little tug. That was all it took to get me to my feet. I didn't even know why I'd done it, other than the embarrassment of remaining obstinately in my chair in front of a roomful of people, all of whom were watching me. But, it was clear that Ms. Mer already knew that.
She propelled us into the central space, pausing to retrieve a couple of chairs that she arranged side-by-side in front of one of the spotlights. We took our places silently. Miles flashed me a smile, then turned, dedicating his attention to the leather-clad woman in front of him. She reached into her pocket and extracted a long pendant necklace. A large crystal dangled on the end.
"Now, let us begin. Miles, I will be taking you on an induction. I want you to focus on this crystal, watch the way it sparkles in the light. Just concentrate on that, and slow, deep breaths. Let yourself relax. Good, Miles, good. Just relax and take deep breaths, looking at the crystal."
I sat very still, my eyes fixed on my husband's face while the hypnotist took him gradually down into a trance. I was painfully conscious of being spotlit, in full view of everyone in my little black skirt and my tight black top, my heart racing, pinned on display like an insect in a cabinet. Incredibly, I saw the rugged, handsome features of my husband begin to slacken, his thick neck bend, his head begin to droop. All the while Ms. Mer was repeating the same phrases, deepening the effect.
"Your eyes are heavy, but you need to keep them open. You cannot look away from the crystal, so tired, so ready to sleep, but only when I say."
I wanted it not to work. I wanted Miles to suddenly crack up laughing, like it was all just a big joke, that hypnotism wasn't real after all, but as I watched his expression sag into slack acceptance, I had to confront the reality.
"I will count back from three now Miles, and when I get to one, you will fall into a very deep sleep, perfectly relaxed and ready for my instructions."
The hypnotist came closer, bringing her lips to his ear, every word relayed to the room by the microphone.
"Three... sleepy, so sleepy."
My attention switched to her face, the way she smiled at Miles.
"Two, ready to drop, ready to just let yourself go. Ready to just float away," she murmured.
