The Hypnotherapist Trilogy Ch. 03

Alright, be cool, Sammy boy, be cool. You've spent years training for this kind of thing, you can do it. I realized I hadn't even moved since I'd opened my eyes, so with an arch to my back I stood up, ignoring my protesting joints. I moved slowly, hands out in front of me to signify I meant no harm as I approached her, blue eyes following my every movement warily. I carefully sat down next to her. She didn't move but I could see her shoulders tense, that fight or flight animal response glimmering in her eyes. I didn't say anything. As gently as I could I wrapped my arms around her, and hugged her tenderly. She tried to push me away at first before collapsing against my chest and she began to sob hard; huge wracking sobs that caused her whole body to tremble. God she seemed so small in that moment, her slim form completely enveloped in my arms. I knew she had carried the burden of what had happened to her for so long, and that she'd had to keep strong for herself for so long, that finally sharing her most shameful moments with another was cathartic beyond a doubt, but even more so it was unimaginably traumatic.

So I held her like that for half an hour, an hour? I couldn't tell you how long, I held her until tears tapered off and the shivering stopped. She began to sniffle and she pushed back from me a little, trying to regain her composure. She was dabbing at her eyes and I handed her a tissue.

"How about this," I touched her cheek fondly, holding her gaze with my own "I make us a pot of tea, would you like that?"

She sniffled and nodded. I gave her forehead a kiss and retired to the kitchen. I went with Earl Grey, brewing it up in the kettle and pouring two steaming mugs worth. I added a dab of honey to each and a little of the "seasoning" extra for her cup that would help ease her troubled mind. "It's snowing," I heard her say with soft wonder. I looked back and I could see her eyes focused on the bay window and sure enough, gentle flakes were coating the tree branches and window sill. It had been sunny and warm when she'd arrived that day.

"Kinda magical, eh?" I said returning to the living room handing her a cup, and sitting back down next to her.

"Is it alright if I stay a little bit longer? Do you have anywhere you have to be? I'm just..."
"Of course, Alexis," I said soothingly. I completely understood. She didn't want to be alone at that moment. She'd spent the last year alone, tortured by those inner demons that now were free. "You can even spend the night if you like."

"No, I don't mean that" she said, studying my gaze. "I just can't leave right away after all that. I need to decompress, or something...I just need a few moments."
"By all means. How's the tea?"

"It's good," she smiled faintly. "A little sweet but good." And then she was silent and I was silent, and it was kind of nice. One of those comfortable gaps in a conversation. The snow seemed to muffle everything, like they were living in a world without sound. She had her mug cupped between her two hands sipping gingerly, her eyes focused on nothing in particular straight ahead.

After some time, I touched her arm "Alexis, what else happened?"
"What..?" She turned to me, regaining focus from her reverie.

"I know there's more that you haven't told me yet. I think it is best just to get it all

out there. We can start the healing process once it's all on the table, but while you keep it to yourself, it continues to poison you."

She closed her eyes and I could see the pain there, and then when she opened them, there was a glimmer in those blue pools, a pleading glimmer. "I can't tell you the rest. I can't..."
"I can re-hypnotize you. You won't even realize what it is being said, until afterward."

"No, no..." she shook her head firmly once, her voice barely above a whisper "It doesn't work."
"But..."

"I was faking," she turned from me, unable to maintain my steady gaze. "I needed to tell someone. I felt like I was going insane. The memories kept hammering at me and hammering...and you were so nice to me," her eyes were beautiful when they returned to my own, so desperate to make me understand. "I wanted to tell you. I so...wanted... to tell you, but I just couldn't. I was too humiliated. It was too embarrassing to just come out and say it. When you mentioned hypnotizing me, it gave me a pretense with which I could feel comfortable telling you."

"Ok..." I nodded slowly, taking all this in. I let loose a deep sigh "But how is this last thing any different?"

Her eyes were searching my face, as if deciding whether she should even explain this. "It's worse," she whispered.

Worse? How could it possibly be worse? This girl had been sexually molested by her doctor and brutally raped by a boy she liked. What could be worse than that? "Alexis, I don't understand."

She grabbed one of my hands with both of her smaller ones. She looked at me directly, pausing for emphasis before she spoke. I could see she was blushing some.
"Please Sam. You have to understand. It's unspeakably humiliating..." She looked away again.

"That's why it's so important that you tell me what happened." I gave one of her hands a firm squeeze and tried to catch her eyes. "You know you can trust me, Alexis."

Her lips quivered, she looked down, and when she looked up, tears were streaming down her cheeks "I didn't deserve what happened. I didn't ask for it."
"I know, Alexis, I know. You know you can trust me. Tell me what happened," I said softly, touching her cheek fondly and then more firm: "Tell me."

She shook her head stubbornly, tearfully, her eyes downcast. She wasn't even looking at me.

I lifted her chin, maybe too roughly. I needed her to meet my gaze though. "It's important that you tell me."

"Please don't make me," her tearful gaze was radiant at that moment, she was squeezing my hand urgently. Then just a whisper: "Please..."

I probably should have acquiesced. I was trained to acquiesce in this kind of situation. But the words that came out were this: "I need to know, Alexis. I need to know. So tell me." Then belatedly: "to help you."

Her wide blue eyes were searching my face for something. She must not have seen what she was looking for because he look she gave me then chilled me to the core. I can't even really describe its liquid intensity, all her tears were gone but her eyes still shimmered, and she was looking at me like she was seeing me for the first time. She gently, but coolly disentangled her hands from my own, watching me the whole time. I thought she was going to stand up and walk out right then, but she didn't move. She merely undid her ponytail, shaking out her hair, before retying it. She pulled her legs up beneath her to sit Indian style, her eyes focused on her hands at her lap. I noticed she was shivering.

She wasn't facing me anymore. She was faced forward, and her eyes were downcast so when she started speaking I didn't even hear. Her voice was an almost completely inaudible whisper. I was shocked. After all that she had submitted to my demand. She had begun to tell the third story.

*****

She hadn't wanted to comeback for the Fall, but CU was the only place she had a scholarship so she didn't have much of a choice. As it happened she had a horrendous lottery number and couldn't get a single, so she was randomly assigned a roommate. She ended up with a fiery Indian girl named Sariya. She was pretty and petite, and Alexis had figured she was respectful and demure like most of the other Indian girls she had known. But she had a wicked wolfish smile and would talk so matter-of-factly about fetishes and sado-masochism, swinging both ways all other kinds of erotica that would leave Alexis blushing. Still she liked Sariya's boundless energy and feistiness and it wasn't long before she became more a friend than just a roommate. She was persistent too. Every weekend she'd beg Alexis to come out with her to a party or Pearl Street or a Frat House, but each time Alexis refused. She was paranoid enough about going to class everyday, and being in any kind of crowded social scene would have been enough to send her into a panic.

Still Sariya was gradually wearing her down, and Alexis appreciated what the girl was trying to do. "We'll get you out of your shell yet," Sariya would say with a mischievous smile. "I think we'd have a lot of fun together." Come homecoming weekend, Alexis finally relented to join Sariya for a drink at Pearl Street. Just one drink, and then they were going home. That was the terms. With a smile Sariya agreed. Sariya knew the owner of a place called the Red Peacock, and they'd be able to get in even though they were both underage.

Fittingly, Sariya glitzed up with heavy make-up, a short red miniskirt and haltertop, her usually straight raven-black hair, frizzed and teased. The girl loved attention. Alexis didn't. It was a warm night so she went with a simple black tanktop, jeans, sandals and a ponytail. The only makeup she wore was the mascara and eyeliner she'd taken to wearing after the rape. It hid the bags under her eyes from the consistent lack of sleep, but moreso, it matched her appearance with how she felt; like a ghost. It felt like she just haunted places now, and was invisible to the world. Her life had been taken from her. She just wanted to be normal again and going out with Sariya was supposed to be the first step.

With a reckless smile Sariya took Alexis' arm and guided her down the cobblestone way of Pearl Street, between store fronts and lamp posts, but more than anything just the pressing mass of humanity. Everyone was in high spirits and had definitely dabbled in high spirits, either drunk or well on their way there. Still, petite little Sariya blazed a path through the revelers with considerable ease, dragging Alexis through the crowd before ducking out a side street and then descending down an almost hidden stairwell just off the main strip. Out front the lamps were red and adorned with Chinese characters, and the windows were stained glass.

Within, it was dark, but too finely decorated to be considered a dive bar. The walls were lined with expansive wooden booths, while the center was just open space with people vibrating on the dance floor to thumping House music. Overwhelmingly the theme was red, red lights and red stools; even the bartender wore red and it cast a sinister light on everything and everyone. The bouncers didn't even accost them, as they both gave a nod of recognition to Sariya as she walked right on past them with nary a second glance. Even the bartender and Sariya exchanged a meaningful look, and Alexis caught a twitch to his lips; he must've been her contact at the bar. Alexis wanted to get acclimated to the place, but Sariya was like a whirlwind and she nodded and smiled over at another guy sitting alone in the corner booth. She guided Alexis in that direction.

"Ranji!" She said with an easy grin "How are you?"

Ranji's head lolled up to her. He had been peeling the label off his half-empty Budweiser Bottle. He squinted at Sariya, before a smile of recognition crossed his face. It was clear he was very drunk. "Ah, Sariya!" He slurred. "I didn't think you'd be here."

"I didn't think so either," She said, ushering Alexis up next to her "But after weeks of nagging, I got my girl here to come out and party. Ranji, this is my friend and roommate Alexis."

"Alexis, oh so nice to meet you!"

She smiled faintly in return and then he was standing and draped over her in an awkward hug, before nearly missing the booth entirely as he sat back down. Sariya emitted a high pitch giggle and turned back to Alexis "Go, go, sit down. I'll get the drinks. What's your fancy?"

"Just, oh I don't know, whatever you're getting." Alexis said distractedly; she was scanning the room, warily noting all the people who surrounded them and keeping tabs on the various exits. With an easy smile, Sariya was off through the crowd. Alexis sat down across from Ranji, who was once again intent on the Budweiser label, but he couldn't seem to keep his head from lolling. He seemed so focused on this one thing that he didn't even seem to notice Alexis was there. She looked over to the bar. Sariya was exchanging whispers with the bartender for what seemed like quite a while. And then she was off back through the crowd with two martini glasses filled with a greenish liquid. She handed one to Alexis and sat down next to her.

Catching Alexis' questioning look, she took a sip and said: "Apple Martinis, drink up my friend. Drink." And to Alexis' surprise, Sariya was lifting Alexis' cup and pressing it to her lips. Alexis could only drink it all down and for the most part it was very good, but the aftertaste was surprisingly bitter, and she was left trying to wipe the taste from her lips.

Sariya saw this and laughed "Ray makes 'em strong doesn't he?"
"Yeah, wow" Alexis said with a faint curl to her lips "Been awhile since I last had

a drink but I don't recall it tasting like that." She paused, and noticed that Ranji was slumped in his seat, his eyes half-lidded, grinning at the both of them for no reason.

Alexis glanced over to Sariya who just rolled her eyes. "Most of the time he's like this. Completely drunk." Alexis could almost empathize. Her head was pounding from the House beat and the red light everywhere.

"So I heard you played tennis last year." Sariya turned to her.

Not her favorite subject. "Yeah I played some."

"I didn't see you in the team photo. Did you not stay until the end?"

Alexis shifted uncomfortably. "No. I just...lost my interest in the sport." She turned her gaze towards where the bathroom might be. That martini had gone right through her and she had to pee. It also left her feeling off somehow, but that could just be the strange club, or the fact that she was out in this crowded place and was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

"I heard you were good too," Sariya looked confused, clearly not taking Alexis' hint. "Seems odd that you would quit when you were winning all these matches."

"I...suppose I just wasn't having a good time."

"Seems fun enough to me. I mean to play tennis at that level, and be able to hang out with all those fun people. I heard the guys team is cute too" Sariya was laughing now, but there seemed an edge to it. She couldn't help feeling like Sariya was hinting at something.

"I guess," she said noncommittally. God how her head was pounding! And the room seemed to be spinning on its axis. She really had to pee now, but at the moment she didn't want to risk standing, at least until the dizziness spell had passed.

"I admit I heard something about you," Sariya had completely turned to her. She couldn't see the Indian girl's eyes, but she could feel their intensity.

"Oh?" She put her fingertips to her temples and massaged, eyes shut. Equilibrium was eluding her.

"Yeah, you're going to find this funny," Sariya said with amusement in her tone as she touched Alexis' arm. "I heard you had sex with that senior Tim." Alexis felt a chill go up her spine. She tried to center on Sariya, but her eyes didn't seem to focus.

"No, never!" Alexis exclaimed "Where did you hear that?" With extreme care she tucked a tendril of her chestnut hair delicately behind an ear; a nervous gesture.

"From a few different people," Sariya said with a casual shrug.

"Well it's not true," Alexis murmured rising to her feet. She really had to go, and by this point she was going to take her chances with the dizziness. "Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom."

Sariya hand gently but firmly caught her wrist, ushering her back to her seat. "Wait just a sec. What happened then?" Her brown eyes were rapt upon her own.
For the life of her, Alexis could not figure why Sariya was harping on this. She shook her head confused. "What..? Does it matter?"

"It does. Talk," Sariya wasn't her usual bubbly self, she was just...intent. She noticed Sariya was still holding her wrist. The music sounded distant now, the hammering drumbeat relegated to a dream.

"Whoever told you that lied," she whispered. She could feel her bladder convulse, it was getting painful trying to hold it in. "Now if you'll excuse me." She moved to rise again, but Sariya pulled her back down with surprising strength. The girl was smaller than her, but strong, or at least stronger than her at that moment. Alexis tried to meet her gaze, bewildered.

"C'mon, why the hurry? Let's just figure this thing out." Sariya smiled, but even in the dark club Alexis could tell it didn't reach her eyes. "See it's funny you say that."

Boom-boom-boom, her head was still pounding and now the room was spinning faster and faster and she was feeling sick. She had to shut her eyes to regain some composure. She had no response to Sariya.

"See it's funny," her voice was coming from very close. She could smell the musky perfume on Sariya. It was intensely strong and intensely close and it all added to her nausea. "Because Tim told me himself."

She could feel Sariya's nails digging painfully into the flesh of her wrist. Her roommate's sudden nastiness was like a slap to the face. She opened her eyes looking for a source of help somewhere. But Ranji had passed out and was snoring softly with the back of his head against the booth. "What, Tim?" Alexis couldn't seem to think clearly. "How do you--?"

"How do I know, Tim?" Sariya snapped. Then she laughed; a bitter sound. "How do I know Tim," She repeated mockingly. "I was his girlfriend. I know you seduced him you fucking whore."

It was all too much. "Sariya...no, it's not like he said," she hated her voice then, sounding weak, like she was backpedaling. She had to squeeze her legs together, increasingly afraid of peeing right then and there.

"Oh how was it then?" Sariya sneered. It was clear she was taking pleasure in Alexis' extreme discomfort. This wasn't the same girl she thought she knew.

"It...." But she couldn't tell the girl what had happened. Not here. Not like this. "Please, Sariya...I really, really have to go," she was trying to blink back her tears.

"Oh do you?" Sariya mocked. Then her hand was under Alexis' tanktop, pressing hard against her, just beneath her abdomen, massaging her there. "Well, c'mon slut. Then go!"

It was agonizing. She realized in a sick instant that the Indian Girl was literally milking her. She tried to push Sariya's hand away but in her disoriented state, she couldn't even fight off this small girl. She gritted her teeth, but she was breathing hard and she could feel the control over her bladder waning. "Why are you doing this?" She moaned.

"Just humiliating you, like you did me when you fucked my boyfriend. He dumped me after that, and everyone was talking about me behind my back and laughing. Laughing! The things they said. That an Indian girl wasn't good enough for Tim. That he wanted a little pale white slut the whole time." Her strong little fingers were kneading into her harder and more urgently. It was so intensely wrong what Sariya was doing to her. She was trying to cause Alexis to lose control over her body and it was working. Sariya was tugging a little bit on her ear lobe, mockingly sensual. She whispered huskily "C'mon, Alexis. Just let go."

"No!" She moaned, but her resolve was weakening.

"Let go, let go, let go," Sariya chanted slow and sultry. Her massage was relaxing the only muscles that Alexis wanted to keep tight. She wanted to fight this girl, desperately she did, but she couldn't. Sariya was forcing her to urinate with expert hands, like she'd done it before. Then she felt it: the slow, warm, sickening trickle of pee down her leg. She gasped at the feel of it. She had never been so abased, and in public too!

Sariya noticed too, the dark spot at the crotch of her jeans was clearly visible, and barked harsh laughter. 'What's the matter Alexis? Having control problems?" And even as she was mocking her, she was still pressing harder and harder against her abdomen, massaging her kugel muscles, wringing every last drop out of her. And it just kept coming. Every second made the situation more humiliating. "That's it, Alexis, let it all out," she soothed.