Happy laughter and frightened screams rang through the air, alongside sighs of disappointment and exclamations of anger. A young woman hugged the teddy bear her date had won tight against her chest, while an elderly man protested that the game next door had been rigged against him. Despite the differences in their experiences, both would likely go on to remember this night fondly. Or at least, Raina hoped they would. What was the point in coming to a carnival, after all, if you weren’t going to have a good time?

A good time, and a little fun. That was all Raina was seeking, as she wandered the carnival. It wasn’t the games she was interested in, though. It wasn’t the rides, either, or the junk food. Considering she herself worked at the carnival, she could experience those things any night, after her final show of the evening. She wouldn’t come here on one of her rare days off, if that was all there was to it.

No. What Raina was looking for was a person. Someone she had told to come to the Scream Coaster, at exactly eight. It was seven fifty nine, already, and the girl wasn’t there yet, but Raina wasn’t concerned. She knew for certain that her date would come, just as she’d come to the last three rendezvous Raina had set with her. The others had been later at night, mind, after her shows, but she could say with definiteness that it wouldn’t make a difference. She had told the woman to come, at eight, so her date would do just that.

Indeed, at the exact instant that the clock struck eight, a figure pushed its way through the crowd. She was a blonde, with soft blue eyes and slight frown on her lips. She looked confused about something. Though perhaps that was to be expected. After all, Anna hated roller coasters. She certainly didn’t intend to get in line for it. Actually, she wasn’t entirely sure what was doing there at all… She only knew that it was where she needed to be.

“You look confused,” Raina remarked, walking up to the woman. “Are you lost, perhaps?”

“You’re…” Anna’s frown deepened. She recognized Raina.She was sure of it. She could not, however, figure out where exactly the recognition was coming from. “I’m sorry, have we met?”

“No,” Raina lied, smiling softly. “But maybe you recognize me from one of my shows? I think there’s a few posters floating about, too, actually… Thouuuugh I don’t think they do me justice.” 

Raina reached into her purse, as she spoke, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Flipping it open did indeed reveal one of the carnival’s posters, and it did indeed feature a grinning Raina on it. More specifically, it was a photograph of her wearing a floor length black jacket, buttoned up over a purple leotard. Although Raina was currently wearing a knee-length blue dress, instead of her stage outfit, her trademark pink hair and smiling face made it pretty obvious she and the woman in the poster were one and the same.

Beneath her picture were the words “Raina Mezmer, Hypnotist Extraordinaire.” That was followed by a list of days and show times.

“You’re the hypnotist,” Anna said, relieved to finally place the woman. She did remember seeing the poster here and there, now that it was presented to her. It was hard to believe she’d forgotten, in fact. Especially considering her love of the subject.

“That’s right,” Raina agreed. “I’m the hypnotist! Buuuut there won’t be any more shows before pack up time tomorrow, so right now I’m just Raina.”

“Really? That’s a shame - I wish I’d gotten a chance to catch your show…” Anna held out a hand toward Raina. “Well, can I at least shake your hand? I don’t get to see a professional hypnotist up close and personal that often.”

“Why not.” Raina held out her hand, smiling. “It’s always fun to meet a fan of the craft.”

Raina felt a touch guilty for using that word - craft. It made it sound like hypnotism was something special to her, a skill she’d worked long hours to hone. That wasn’t the case at all, for her. In fact, she wasn’t even sure she could really be called a proper hypnotist. If one only considered her ability to put people in suggestive states, then she supposed it would fit well enough as anything, but that wasn’t really where Raina’s power lied.

Anna didn’t know that, though, so she simply grinned at getting to shake a hypnotist’s hand.

“I guess I probably shouldn’t ask you about shoptalk when you’re off work,” Anna said, after getting her hand back. “But it was still really nice to meet you. Makes coming to the carnival five nights in a row actually worth it!”

“Woooow. That’s a lot of times! You trying to see all the attractions, or something?” Raina asked.

“Not really,” Anna admitted. “I just keep finding myself drawn back here for some reason. I don’t know why - maybe it’s just that work has been stressing me out, and I need a place to relax… I’m a civil suits lawyer, though, so I tend to feel like I’m a step away from working every time I come here.”

“Oh, come on, it can’t be that bad,” Raina laughed. “I mean, sure, sometimes one of the rides launches a kid into space, but other than that tiiiiiny little detail, we’re pretty much golden.”

Anna laughed. “You’re funny! I like that. ...I am wondering, though - what brings you here? If it’s your day off, I mean. I wouldn’t think you’d want to be anywhere near your workplace.”

“Oh, I’m here for our date,” Raina informed Anna, looking straight into the other woman’s eyes.

“Our… Date?” Anna asked, clearly confused. “I don’t…?”

“Yeah. Our date,” Raina confirmed, voice subtly shifting tones. Her words were always soft and sweet, but now they seemed to drip with honey. “The blind date your friends set up for you? I wasn’t sure about it, myself, but your friends begged me. Kept saying they knew a girl who just looooooved hypnotism, so. Here I am!”

“I… I’m still so embarrassed that my friends set this up,” Anna admitted, blushing and looking away. “I mean, I do love hypnotists, but… This is really too much.”

“I knooooooow, right?” Raina held out her hand. “But hey, we’re already here, right? So we might as well go on that date, don’t you think?”

“I mean… It would be kind of weird to say no when I’m already here,” Anna conceded, reaching out to take Raina’s hand again.

“Deeeeefinitely weird,” Raina said, lacing fingers with her date’s. Anna’s fingers were warm, as always, she noted. Soft, too, without a single callus. She’d probably never worked a day of manual labor in her life. 

Well, not that Raina was one to judge. She was, after all, the one who was pretty much cheating at life. Even her own job, as a hypnotist, was simply a cover up for her unfair abilities.

As for what those abilities were… Raina wasn’t entirely sure, herself. She knew they were inherited, from her grandfather, but their origins and nature had been as much a mystery to him as they were to Raina. All she knew was that people believed what she told them, and did whatever she asked them to. It didn’t even take much effort on her part. Rather, she had to work hard not to control those around her. If she made eye contact, or allowed her voice to take on its preferred tone, it simply happened on its own.

Hypnotism? No. Raina could hypnotize, of course. She could tell someone to go into a suggestive state, and they most definitely would. But that was simply another way of using her real ability. If she had to name it… 

Yeah. It was almost definitely some sort of mind control.

“So… Where are we going?” Anna asked, curiously.

“Wellllll… About that. I’m totally planning to take you to a restaurant - but I figured we could maybe hit up my place, first? I wanna make you live up to that bet we made.”

“Bet?” Anna’s brow furrowed. What bet? She knew for certain that there had been one, but she couldn’t remember what it had been.

“You knoooooow,” Raina cajoled, enjoying the situation. “You said you could tooootally make that ring toss, and I said you couldn’t, so we made a bet. If you won, I’d let you set any conditions you wanted for the date, and if you lost then I’d get to do the same to you. Which is why we’re going to my place, to get you changed.”

“You want me to change?” Anna asked, a little surprised. “That’s your condition? ...I thought it would be worse, somehow. Like maybe you’d want to hypnotize me into clucking like a chicken for the entire date.”

“Now what fun would that be? I can do that on stage any time I want. I’d muuuuch rather see you put on the clothes I picked out. It’s gonna be sooooo much fun.” Raina licked her lips as she spoke, already imagining how the night would unfold.

It was Raina’s fifth date with this woman. She’d met Anna randomly, after a show, and they’d gotten to talking about how much Anna loved hypnotism. To hear her tell it, she just craved the chance to give up control.

Of course, when Raina used her powers to delve deeper, it turned out to be so much more. The girl didn’t just want to give up control - she wanted to be controlled. She wanted to experience complete domination of her spirit and mind, and simply let go for a little while.

Of course, Raina had been happy to oblige. With her powers, it was a simple matter to bring the woman back to her temporary apartment. From there things had naturally progressed, until finally they’d both found themselves in bed.

Not that Raina wanted to toot her own horn, but she was pretty damn sure she’d given Anna the time of her life. Three orgasms wasn’t exactly Raina’s record, but it had been late and it was still about as much as most people could take. It had most certainly pressed Anna to her limits.

After that, Raina had sent the woman home, with a firm command to forget everything that had happened. She’d planted memories of the girl getting drunk, on her way home, alongside the vague impression that she’d had a good time. The sex, meanwhile, had been wiped clear from Anna’s memory. They’d both had a pleasant evening but, since Raina didn’t want her powers known, she couldn’t afford to let the woman remember her, and she definitely didn’t want the girl to think she’d banged a stranger while drunk. That’s why it was pretty much standard operation for Raina to erase herself from her lovers’ memories.

Everything went off without a hitch. A fairly standard night. Except that, the next day, Raina had seen Anna at the carnival again. Apparently she’d come to see the hypnotism show she’d “missed” the night before, and… Well, Raina just hadn’t been able to stop herself from giving an encore, before once more removing herself from the woman’s mind.

...Except then the woman had shown up for a third time. And a fourth. Each time, Raina had somehow found herself talking to Anna, and to her surprise each encounter went slightly different than the last. Whether it was Anna bringing up a new factoid about herself, or them attempting a sex position they hadn’t done the nights before, every night was just a little different than the one before it.

Of course, this particular evening was going to be the most unique yet. Rather than simply meeting, and having sex, Raina was intending to take Anna on a full fledged date. Since it was her last day in town, and her one day off, she really wanted to show Anna a good time. To thank Anna, in her own way, for all the fun they’d been having.

Of course, considering Anna’s tastes for being controlled and played with, it wasn’t exactly going to be a standard date.

“You really do live close, huh?” Anna commented, as Raina typed in the passcode for her apartment complex. The walk had been short, a mere two blocks, and even in her tallest black heels Raina hadn’t had any trouble with it. “I’m surprised you could find a place that would let you stay just while the carnival’s in town, though…”

“Oh, I know the landlord,” Raina told her. It wasn’t a lie, technically. She had, at the very least, met the landlord. That was how he’d been convinced to give Raina a key and forget about the place for a week. “I’m on the first floor, so just follow me.”

Anna nodded in silent acquiescence, falling in behind Raina, and a moment later they were standing in a small but completely furnished apartment.

“I thought you were just borrowing this place?” Anna asked, confused. She was certain beyond a doubt that Raina hadn’t lied to her, even without being able to say why. Obviously there had to be an explanation.

“Yeah, I usually make sure to pick a place that - I mean, the landlord I know happens to offer pre-furnished apartments,” Raina explained, taking a moment to glance around herself.

A brown rug, a sofa, and a large TV made up the living room. The bedroom contained a bed, a dresser, and a nightstand. Other than furniture, however, the place really was bare, containing only the items Raina regularly carted from place to place. A few outfits were folded in the dresser. If one went into the kitchen, they would find only paper plates, plastic cups, and disposable utensils. All traces of Raina’s presence would disappear after she had left this place. It really was just a temporary pitstop.

That was how Raina preferred it, though. Just as she always erased her presence from her lovers’ minds, she had no intention of leaving any indelible marks on the locales she visited. All would fade.

Perhaps that would be seen as lonely to most. In truth, even Raina sometimes felt that way. It couldn’t be helped, though. If Raina allowed her dates to remember her, they’d inevitably start to realize something strange had happened to them. They might piece together her powers. From there, Raina feared it would be a short hop to either an angry mob or a scientist’s lab. And as for the apartments she stayed in? 

Well, there were no records of anyone living in them to begin with.

“So, um, you have some clothes you want me to wear for our date?” Anna prompted, having finished her own cursory look at the apartment.

“That’s right,” Raina confirmed, grinning at Anna. “But quiiiiick question for you - black or pink?”

“Oh, black, for sure,” Anna declared, without a hint of hesitation. “Pink always makes me feel like such a stereotype…”

“Are you suuuuuure?” Raina asked, heading over to the dresser. From the top drawer, she withdrew two outfits, which she laid flat on the bed.

On the left was a pink babydoll, and a matching pair of panties. The majority of the babydoll was translucent, with only the bralet being fully solid, while the sides of the panties had been replaced by string. The pastel pink bows that would sit above the wearer’s hips seemed to have more fabric in them then the parts actually intended to cover one’s nether regions.

The outfit on the right was a black string bikini. The top consisted of two tiny triangles, that seemed like they were designed to be just barely big enough to cover the nipples. The bottom was essentially a thong.

“You want me to wear one of those out to dinner?” Anna asked, cheeks flushed bright red. “No. No way.” She shook her head, rapidly from side to side, as if sheer emphaticness could change the situation. “They won’t even let me into the restaurant like this!”

“They will, though” Raina promised, a confident smile on her own lips. “And you will be wearing one of them, too. I mean, you diiiid make a bet with me, right?”

“I… That…” Anna started, then stopped, too flustered to know what to say. The very idea of wearing lingerie in public, or indeed a swimsuit to dinner, was mortifying beyond belief. Yet despite that, the confident smirk on Raina’s lips, the utter confidence in her voice that Anna would do this, was enough to make Anna’s heart skip a beat.

“You’re going to do this,” Raina declared, voice firm. “Not because you made a bet, either. You’re gonna do it because I told you to.”

“But…” Cheeks flushed red, heart pounding hard, Anna tried to come up with a protest. She knew that this was ridiculous, that Raina’s claim of it being fine in the restaurant couldn’t be true. At the same time, however, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Raina was telling the truth. The restaurant would accept this. Not only that - but she would wear it.

She would wear it because Raina told her to.

“I don’t want to wear this,” she whispered, voice faint. She didn’t. She truly didn’t. But then, at the same time, the idea that she was being forced to wear it was shockingly appealing to her. It would be like she was putting someone else’s power over her on display, for the whole world to see.

“Not just that, either,” Raina promised. “I have a whoooooole bunch of accessories, whatever outfit you choose. So - let me ask again. Pink, or black?”

“...Pink…” The word was a faint whisper from Anna, a barely audible sound meant to indicate her defeat.

Nevertheless, Raina heard it clear as day.

“Perfect. Now - sit on the bed and take your clothes off, while I get all the accessories ready.”

“Wh-What sort of accessories?” Anna asked. She was surely better off not knowing, judging by the clothes themselves, but she couldn’t resist the question.

“Oh, just a few things…. Like, for example, a pair of nipple clamps, connected by a chain, with another looooong chain running from the center of that. Which, you know, leads to a loop for my wrist to go through. See?” She reached into the drawer as she spoke, pulling out a simple pair of iron nippleclamps. There were no chains, either between them or leading to Raina’s wrist, but little details like “reality” hardly mattered once Raina was on a roll. She said there were chains, so Anna saw them. To her eyes, they were made of silver, and looked so delicate that they might very well snap, but she was absolutely certain that they were strong enough to cause her pain if given a proper tug.

“I have to wear those?” she asked. “In public?” She should have been aghast. She should have been. So why was there excitement in her voice? Why was there a flutter in her heart?

“That… and thiiiiis,” Raina declared, pulling out a pink choker with white lace. “And I’ve got a couple ribbons to go around your wrists, too. You know, just to complete the whole ‘sex pet’ look. I mean, you wouldn’t want anyone to look at you and not know you belonged to me, riiiight?”

“B-belonged to you?” Anna demanded, eyes widing. “W-When did I say I belonged to you?”

“Huh? But you said I could set whatever conditions I wanted for the date, riiiight? Well, my condition is that you have to go on this date as my personal sex kitten. Unless that’s a problem?”

“I…” Anna swallowed, hard, glancing at Raina’s face. The supposed hypnotist was smirking, still, and it didn’t look like she was kidding. She really did intend to make Anna her personal sex kitten for the night. And all because Anna had lost a bet?

“Would you do this if I’d won?” she wanted to know. “If I’d asked you for this?”

“Nooooope,” Raina declared, honestly, without hesitation. “I hate following people’s orders. But you? You’re pretty much made to be owned. I mean, at the end of the day, you just want someone else to take all control away from you, right? You want someone to make the decisions, handle the consequences, and keep alllll that icky hard stuff far away from you. And if you want all that, anyway, I don’t see why I should have to deny myself, sooooo…. Take off your clothes.”

Anna stared at Raina, mouth agape, for a long moment. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were wide, and her heart felt like it was going to burst through her chest. It was true that she wanted those things, but usually she’d never accept someone saying it out loud. Usually.

Except it was Raina saying it. And what Raina said, went. Always.

“I’ll take off my clothes,” Anna agreed, starting to undo the buttons on her black blouse. The moment she had it shrugged off her shoulders, she was already moving to strip away her skirt.

Raina watched all this with an easy smile, happy to see her plans going well. The moment an article of clothing left Anna’s body, whether it was a skirt, a blouse or an undergarment, Raina took it in hand.

Eventually, Anna was stark naked, and Raina was treated once more to a sight she’d been enjoying over the last few days. A wonderfully large set of breasts, just a touch too big for Anna’s frame, with stiff nipples that just begged to be pinched and played with. A thick set of thighs, squeezed tight together, and a clean shaven pussy. Although Raina didn’t have a good angle for viewing it right then, her eyes still darted to Anna’s bubble butt, and a smile slipped across her lips at the thought of spanking it when the date was done.

That was later, though.

Now,” Raina said, “I’m going to attach the nipple clamps. Okaaaay?”

Anna nodded, lips pressed tight together, head half ducked down as she tried to hide just how embarrassed and turned on this made her.

Raina leaned forward, opening a clamp and casually affixing it to one nipple, before repeating the process on the other. The jagged teeth of the clamps dug into the sensitive skin of the arousal-hardened nipples, causing Anna to whimper faintly. Still, she neither struggled nor pulled away.

“Okaaaay. I’ve got the chain on my wrist, now,” Raina said, backing away. “Any time I tug my wrist, now, you’re going to feel a little pain. Okaaaay?” She moved her wrist as she spoke, and Anna instinctively moved forward to try and lesson the pull on her nipples. Even though the chain wasn’t real, she could still feel its weight, and its painful tug. 

“P-please don’t do that too much,” Anna muttered. “Or at least try not to do it in public too much…”

“If you’re a good girl, I won’t have to,” Anna promised. “But if you’re naughty, I’ll let everyone see me punish my kitten. Okaaaay?”

Anna nodded, trying to ignore how wet the declaration made her. 

“I’m going to hand you the lingerie, and you’re going to put it on, okay?” Raina told her date.

Anna nodded, again. As embarrassed as she was, she’d already accepted it. Raina was going to hand her the lingerie, and she was going to wear it. That was going to happen. She knew that. Which was why, when Raina handed her back her own blouse, she could only perceive it as the babydoll. The same was true of her skirt and underwear, of course - despite putting on both, she was convinced she was only wearing a pair of skimpy panties.

The choker went on next, followed by two ribbons at her wrists. In Anna’s mind, they completed the babydoll outfit to make her look like a sex kitten. To Raina, however, they simply looked like a set of unusual accessories on a well dressed woman.

Alas, that Raina couldn’t hypnotize herself into seeing what Anna did.

“Are you ready to go?” Raina asked, holding out a hand for Anna.

Anna didn’t hesitate to take it. It was important for a kitten to listen to her owner, after all.

***

Dinner went off without a hitch. Every time Raina cut at her food, took a bit of food to her lips, or even raised her hand to signal the waitress, Anna would let out a little whimper of pain and need. It surprised the waitstaff, but since Raina told them Anna had a “condition,” they accepted it willingly enough.

The food was good, and the wine flowed easily. It was a fancy place, and would use a good portion of Raina’s paycheck, but she thought it was worth it. This was going to be her last evening with Anna, after all. The carnival would be leaving in the morning.

“Are we going back to your apartment?” Anna asked when they were done with food. “Or do you want to come to my place?”

“Your place,” Raina said, immediately. It would be easier to erase her presence, if she was the one to leave when the night was done. 

Anna nodded, flagging a cab, flashing the driver a smile as she got in and giving him the address. In a few short minutes, they were walking into Anna’s apartment, and making their way to her bedroom.

“So…Um. Just to be clear. We are going to have sex, right?”

“Yeah. We’re defiiiintely going to have sex,” Raina agreed, rolling her eyes. “I mean, come on. Do you reallllly think I’m the sort of girl who’d let another girl go without her orgasm?”

“I… I hoped not…” Anna murmured, blushing faintly. “But I was actually hoping I could touch you?”

“Touch… Me?” Raina asked, surprised. During all their nights together, Raina had never made Anna touch her once. It wasn’t that it was against her morals, or anything - she just loved the taste of girls more than she loved being tasted herself. Though, by the same token, it had been a while since her last night…

“I guessssss that’s fine,” she said, casually stripping her own blouse and skirt. “I mean. Since you were suuuuuch a good girl, today, I should probably give you a reward. Riiight?”

“R-Right!” Anna removed her own clothes, without hesitation, pulling off the “babydoll” and moving to the bed. She did not, however, remove her nipple clamps. She knew full well that only her owner would be allowed to do that.

“Good girl,” Raina said, reading Anna’s intentions. Casually, she reached out to touch one of the clamps, and gave it the slightest real-world tug. It caused a whimper to slip from Anna’s lips, and she tried to thrust her breasts against Raina’s hand.

“Ooooh, someone’s eager to be played with, huh?” Raina lowered her lips to one breast, mouth slipping over the clamp to suck lightly at the flesh. Pinching her teeth around the metal, she moved with agonizing slowness to tug the clamp off Anna’s nipple. Then she repeated the process with the other one.

“Th-Thank you. They were starting to really hurt,” Anna admitted.

“Oh, we wouldn’t want that. Nipples need to be treated with respect! Just like tits.” She slid her hand up to grab hold of Anna’s breast, as she spoke, squeezing the soft flesh. 

“N-No fair,” Anna protested. “I’m the one who’s supposed to be playing with you.”

“Riiiiight, right… Okay. If you want,” Raina conceded, rolling her eyes. Whether she enjoyed the attention or not, she couldn’t help but tease Anna for her insistence.

“I… I just want to make you feel good. For everything you’ve done for me.” It was embarrassing, but that was how Anna felt.

“Welllll… I guess it’s fine, as long as you feel good about it,” Raina conceded, with a small shrug. “Go on. I’ll lay on the bed.” She moved to lay atop the black blanket, spreading her legs.

Anna stared at her, for a moment, before licking her lips. Lowering herself to Raina, she kissed the other woman’s inner thigh, making her way slowly up the groin, working her lips closer and closer to Raina’s outer folds.

The steady attention worked its magic, and Raina started to squirm. When Anna’s hand reached up to grab her breast, Raina couldn’t help a small, surprised squeak. No more than she could help the soft moan that escaped her lips when Anna finally reached her slit, and pushed her tongue into the opening.

“You’re moving pretty fast, aren’t you?” It wasn’t really a complaint, on Raina’s part. She was already wet, after an evening of teasing Anna, and the tongue felt good against her sensitive flesh.

“I guess I’m just scared you’ll disappear on me, again…” Anna whispered, before placing another kiss on Raina’s sex. The hand that wasn’t gripping Raina’s breast made a move, next, the fingers starting to tease at Raina’s clit.

“Disappear on you? When did I ever do that?” Raina asked. She’d been with Anna all night.

“...I don’t know,” Anna admitted. “I guess you haven’t? I just… I have this fear. Like I’m going to close my eyes, and you’re going to be gone, and I’ll never see you again.”

“Well, the carnival is leaving in the morning,” Raina pointed out. “But I’m pretty sure you’re going to keep me occupied until then, riiiight?”

“Right…” Anna’s voice was a faint whisper. She again lowered her lips to the slit, tongue pushing in, as her fingers teased at Raina’s nipple and clit. She worked diligently, bringing small moans from Raina with her delicate touch, alongside the occasional whimper when she nipped the inside of Riana’s thigh.

Slowly, heat and pressure were building within Raina, pushing her toward the edge. It had been a long time since she’d had an assisted orgasm, but she still remembered what it felt like. The sweet, almost painful levels of blissful pleasure. She was looking forward to it.

Which was why she was surprised when Anna stopped.

“Is something wrong?” Raina asked, trying to hide her impatience. She was so close.

“I…” Anna shook her head, dismissing a thought she couldn’t bring herself to voice. “I’m fine,” she promised, lowering her lips again to kiss at Raina's slit. This time, she decided to let her tongue dart against the clit while her finger slowly teased at the entrance. Soon, she had the digit inside of Raina, working against the inner walls as she nipped and kissed at Raina’s groin.

Raina’s only response was a scream. An ear shattering sound of pure pleasure, as her head tilted back and her back arched. How long had it been? Since someone had wanted to make her feel good?

“And I didn’t even need to order you,” Raina muttered, mostly to herself.

“What’s that?”

“Nothing,” Raina lied, reaching out to run her fingers through Anna’s blond hair. “Nothing at all. In fact, nothing happened at all tonight - okay? You went to the carnival. You had some fun at the games. You went out, you got drunk, you had a good time… your memories are going to be blurry, in the morning. And you’re going to forget everything that happened to me. Starting as soon as I leave this place, and you go to sleep.”

It was a command Raina had given many times before. The command to forget and move on. She’d given it to Anna alone four times already. So it was no surprise when Anna nodded, and closed her eyes. Raina put on her clothes and headed for the door, without even looking back. Just as she had the last four nights. 

It wasn’t a surprise, but for some reason Raina couldn’t name, it still hurt.

***

A knock on the door stirred Raina from her slumber.

“Who’s there?” she called out.

The knock came again.

“I asked who’s there?” Raina repeated, a little louder.

The knock came again.

“I said…” Raina stood. Without bothering to put on clothes, she moved to the door and yanked it open. “Who’s…”

A familiar blonde was on the other side. Her blue eyes were soft, and her pale cheeks were flushed.

“I… My name’s Anna,” the visitor said, eyeing the ground.

“...What are you doing here?” Raina asked. She’d sent the woman home. She’d told the girl to forget about her. Her powers were absolute - so why was the woman here again?

“I don’t know,” Anna admitted. “I… You’re the hypnotist at the carnival, right? I was at home, thinking about how I never got to see your show, and somehow… My feet just took me here.” Taking a deep breath, Anna forced herself to look into Raina’s eyes, and ignore the woman’s nakedness. “I know I’m asking a lot from you, but… And I don’t even know why I’m asking, but… as someone who really loves hypnotism… Do you think I could maybe have a private show?”

Raina stared at Anna, for a long moment. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her lips. Stepping back from the door, she gestured for Anna to go inside.

“Well, I guess just ooooone more wouldn’t hurt…”