CHAPTER 28: Hypnotized By Her Mom Part 1

My body feels fragile, broken, drained—the feeling’s incomparable to the frailty of my mind. All of Mitsuko’s bullying, suggestions, inductions, teasing… My awareness is hanging by a single frayed thread. My subconscious is desperately working overtime to repair itself in case of a new onslaught. If Mitsuko didn’t drop the intensity intermittently when I was about to shatter, I’d simply be an empty shell incapable of thought. I still hear her whispers like echoes in the rift.

A door opens upstairs. Movement. Bare footsteps on the stairs. I straighten my spine.

Mae’s blonde hair is frazzled. Her sleeping shorts look like they’re being swallowed by her thick muscular thighs. Mitsuko follows at a distance, twirling her fingers anxiously. Her mother doesn’t look surprised to see my bruises. I wonder what exactly Mitsuko told her… Mae approaches like this is my regularly scheduled doctor’s visit; all that’s missing is a clipboard in her hands.

“Good morning, Jin.”

“Good morning, Miss Williams—I mean, Mae.”

She smiles, but there is a cold calculation in her eyes, like an interrogator on a mission.

“May I?” she asks, presenting her hand. I accept. She gently grasps my chin, tilting my face side-to-side, then upward to expose my throat... I blush at the familiarity of this. Mae notices my increased heart rate and lets me go. I try not to pant like a dog, but the more I try, the worse it gets.

Mae glances at her daughter and points to the couch to the right of me. Mitsuko takes a seat, nervously crossing her legs and fidgeting impatiently. I covertly take in the sight of her pink soles winking at me.

Mae positions a cushioned chair in front of me.

“M-mom? What are you—”

Mae puts her hand up, casting her silencing spell. “You asked me for help, yes? Then we’re doing this my way. Understand?”

Mitsuko slinks her shoulders. “Fine…”

Mae crosses her legs, her feet almost touching my knee… I never had inherently lewd thoughts about Mae, but there is no denying her allure. Mitsuko seems off-the-rails at times, but her mother is an aged version of her daughter—more reserved, stoic, mysterious… A woman who radiates hidden power. It takes all my strength to keep my eyes above leg-level.

Mae yawns deeply and rubs her blue eyes. “Mitsuko, be a dear and brew me some coffee. Make it strong.”

Mitsuko apprehensively does what she’s commanded. Mae silently studies me with no remorse. Neither of us say anything. Mitsuko returns with a pot of coffee, three cups, some sugar cubes and creamer in an unmarked glass container.

“Good girl,” Mae says. I’m shocked by the pet name. It doesn’t have the same perverse energy as when Mitsuko calls me a ‘good boy’, but it causes me to blush a little. I notice Mae’s still watching me intently, never breaking focus from me. It’s like she’s writing notes in her mind, cataloging my every reaction…

I don’t know how to act. My mind is spinning faster than Earth, too fast for me to clutch a single though, too fast—

“My my… Mitsuko, is he always a nervous wreck like this?”

“Yeah,” she replies. “But he’s only this bad after… uh…”

“After you hypnotize him?” Mae finished for her. Mitsuko nods and hands her mother a cup. Mae takes a sip and her cheeks warm up. “Lovely… Thank you.”

Mitsuko makes me a cup. I’m not in the mood for coffee right now, but I take a sip anyway. It’s perfect; not too sweet, not too bitter. Mitsuko could be a barista! I imagine her in those cute green uniforms—

Snap! I flinch and some coffee spills on my shorts. Luckily it didn’t hit my flesh or I’d be burned. “Sorry about that,” Mae says, staving off her amusement. “You were getting lost for a moment there. Care to share with the rest of us where you were?”

“N-nothing! Nowhere, I’m right here…”

Mae curls her lips, smiling devilishly like Mitsuko does. “I can tell you have a lot of resistance right now. That’s ok, but if we’re going to get to the truth… If you really want a ‘doctor’s note’,” Mae makes air-quotes with her free-hand. “You’re going to have to undergo my treatment. I’m concerned and need an authentic diagnosis. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Miss Williams…” I remember her instruction to call her Mae, but in this setting, I choose not to correct my blunder.

Mae greedily chugs the rest of her coffee and requests more. “I’m going to hypnotize you to get the truth out, but before we begin the induction, I need your consent. So I’m going to need you to use your words, and tell me that you’re ok with this. Go ahead.”

I feel a wave of submission wash over me. Use my words… just like Mitsuko tells me to. “I… I consent.”

Mae shakes her head. “Be more clear.” She points her chin at me. Her blue eyes resemble Mitsuko’s but are the original source and feel infinitely more powerful, trained, all-knowing, all-seeing… The longer I stare, the more I shake, like I’m turning to ice.

“I… I’m ok with… being hypnotized…”

“Good enough… Mitsuko, dim the lights.”

Mitsuko slides her fingers down the holographic square that controls the lighting. Not only do the lights dim, they change to a purple hue, making both women look like they’re on an alien planet.

“I’ll try to be quick, ok? Just take a deep breath for me. 1, 2, 3, hold… and exhale, 3, 2 1… Good… You’ve done this before, haven’t you?”

I blush and look to Mitsuko for guidance. Snap! A jolt of euphoria rushes over me as my eyes travel to the sound from Mae’s fingers. I see the auditory shockwave, an echo of the residue rippling through the room. “Don’t look away from me,” she says sternly. “Keep your eyes on mine. Keep breathing, 1… 2… Drop.” Snap!