"Alright, Patrick. Forgive me for making you wait, my receptionist gave me the wrong set of files." The therapist sat behind his desk, in front of me. "So, what brings you to me?" he asked, still organizing papers and giving me only a brief look.
"I've heard you're good at hypnosis," I said, anxiously looking down at the tips of my shoes. "I thought you could use it to help me..."
Doctor Reed raised his eyebrows as he finally focused his full attention on me. My heart began pounding. I was scared of what was about to happen.
"I suppose you could say I'm a decent hypnotizer," he admitted. "Why would you like to be hypnotized, though?"
"To make myself more confident," I responded without hesitation. For days I was overthinking this session, getting ready for what was to come. To a point, it made me emotionless.
I thought he would begin questioning me now, but surprisingly, he stood up and pointed me the cozy couch in the back of his room.
"Let's continue here," he offered. I sat down in the corner and he chose the place right next to me, in an armchair. "You seem rather nervous, Patrick, so if you consent, I'll place you into a surface level trance. It should make you feel safe and relaxed, while allowing me to offer you the help you need."
"Okay," I nodded. "But I'm worried it won't work on me."
He smiled rather confidently.
"Don't worry about that. There are multiple different ways of putting someone in a trance. Statistically, it takes about three to four tries on an average person and seven to nine on someone very resistant to influence. Help me by following my instructions and I will help you. Alright. Close your eyes, rest the back of your head against the backrest, release the tension from your muscles. I will now stand up, but you calmly remain that way."
I heard the squeak of the leather as he stood up and then took place right next to me. It scared me a little bit, as I felt totally vulnerable, but I didn't open my eyes.
"I'll sit closer to you, so that you can hear me," he whispered almost straight to my ear. His presence being so close to me felt odd; intimate. I smelled the scent of his cologne and in some weird way he seemed to be radiating cozy warmth that made me focus my full attention on him. "Listen to my voice. Ignore all the other sounds you may hear. You don't need the ambience around you. You need only to listen to my voice," he kept whispering gently in a slow, monotone way. "Allow your thoughts to become blank. Give up your consciousness, allow your instincts to be in power. Calm down your breath. Imagine a great, peaceful darkness, the same that you see when falling asleep. Don't be afraid of it. Don't be afraid to get lost in it. Let yourself to slowly drift away. Let yourself sink into the calming darkness. Don't be afraid to do so, I'm here for you. Just keep listening to my voice. That way I can keep you safe. Safe and feeling good. Feeling good and relaxed. Don't be afraid to let go but don't feel pressured to do so either. You can doze off, take a short nap, regenerate. I'll keep watch. Whatever your choice is, I'm here to keep you safe. You are protected. You're taking short, slow breaths. Your body is adjusting to your relaxation. You're sleeping, but you're still hearing my voice. It's not loud enough to wake you or bother you, but you can hear it just fine. You enjoy hearing my voice. You know that it means that you're safe and protected. When you hear my voice, you can relax and let go. When you hear my voice, you have to listen." Some pleasant warmth touched my chest in a light pressure, and began massaging it gently, sensually. "Relax... You must be so cozy right now. No cold or danger could touch you, because I'm here with you." The warmth began spreading. It was now caressing my stomach, then my thighs, then touched my crotch. Wherever it showed, it left heat that wouldn't disappear. "It's so warm and nice as if you were sitting next to a fireplace. You can sense that warmth as it removes any cold you could sense." The touch returned to my chest and it doubled on the warmth I felt before. I sensed droplets of sweat forming on my forehead, my armpits getting moist. "It looks like you're becoming too warm... too hot... how about you stand up for a moment and take off your clothes? It will cool you down a bit..."
"Nooo..." I protested weakly, frowning.
"As you wish. Don't worry about that. You won't be forced to do anything against your will. You can trust me to keep you safe and protected." Then yet another warm touch arrived to my chest, rubbing my body passionately and spreading the heat, slowly becoming unbearable. I could feel that one of the droplets on my forehead formed and slid down to drown in my eyebrow. "You're safe and relaxed... you're warm and protected... you can let go and sleep comfortably..." It wasn't true. I couldn't. It was too hot. Way too hot.
"It's so hot..." I whispered.
"Would you like to take your clothes off to cool down?"
"No..."
"You can trust me, Patrick. I'm here to keep you safe and relaxed. I want you to feel good. You have nothing to be ashamed of. I'm a doctor, the sight of a naked body doesn't impress me. Just make yourself comfortable and relax..."
I stood up and began undressing. I felt like ripping my clothes off but I lacked the strength to do it.
"Please, help me..." I moaned helplessly, not being able to even unbutton my shirt.
"As you wish. You just sit back and relax, I'll free you from this heat." I gasped in pleasure when he freed me from my shirt and the t-shirt under it. My torso felt fresh and cold, as if the hot day has ended and now it was the cool evening. It became even better when he released me from my pants, then from my sticky, sweaty underwear. Even when he removed my socks, my skin felt relief I could not describe with words. "You're free now, Patrick. You can lie back and relax. You're cool and safe. You don't have to worry about anything. How do you feel, Patrick?"
"I feel great," I said, smiling and spreading my arms comfortably, among the great, dark void, that was not endangering me, as the voice was protecting me. "But please, stay with me."
"I'm not going to leave you, Patrick. You know you can trust me. You're protected and loved. You deserve to feel good and relaxed. You deserve to rest." As long as I was listening to the voice, it would keep me safe. As long as I was listening, I could relax. "Do you feel a little tickle, Patrick? Down in your body, it touches you very gently, barely noticeable, but slowly grows in strength as we speak. Do you sense it?"
I giggled.
"Yes," I admitted cheerfully.