It Runs in the Family
Chapter 31
Meeting the Girlfriend: Part 2
“Deeper and deeper now.”
“Deeper… and deeper…” Naomi muttered, blinking slowly.
Connie smirked as she kept the crystal dancing back and forth before her. She’d hardly expected it to work, but Naomi sounded on the edge of trance already, with her attention focused entirely on the crystal and Connie’s voice.
“You’re walking along the beach now. Feel the warm, soothing sun on your shoulders. Hear the waves rolling in, nice and gentle, matching your breathing. Breathing in as you hear the waves breaking nearby, and the waves pulling back as you breath out. In and out, as easy the tide coming in. Can you hear it, Naomi?”
“Yeah,” she replied. Her eyes fluttered closed, her chest rising and falling in a regular rhythm now. Her lips were turning up into a faint smile. “Sounds nice…”
“It is relaxing to walk along the beach, isn’t it?”
Naomi nodded, eyes still shut.
“You can feel your feet walking across the warm sand. Sinking in a little with every step. And as you try to step away you feel the sand trying to hold you back. It takes a little effort to take each step now. The sand is so warm and inviting. Like it wants to keep you in place.”
Naomi mumbled something. Her brow was scrunching up, concentrating.
“But you want to keep walking on the beach. You know the perfect spot to relax, just a bit further. So you keep walking along the beach, listening to the rhythm of the ocean.”
Naomi kept breathing in and out, the sound of the ocean playing in her head.
“Struggling to keep walking through that comfortable sand. Every step it takes a bit more of your strength. Every step you get a little weaker. A little more tired. So eager to stop and relax.”
The words took a clear toll on Naomi. Her breath was coming a little faster now, her feet twitching occasionally. Her whole face was tensing up, although her eyes never opened.
“You want to rest, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Naomi muttered, sounding weak.
“You want to let all this stress go. To just be completely relaxed.”
Naomi let out a needy grunt. “Yes.”
“You’re so close though. You can see a blanket laid out, right in the perfect spot. As soon as you reach that spot all your stress and tension will drain away. Nothing but complete relaxation. So relaxed you won’t even have to think. It’s just ten steps away, Naomi. You can just count out the steps now.”
“Tennineeight—”
Connie was caught off guard. Naomi must have imagined herself sprinting to get to where she could relax.
“But you’re so exhausted!” Connie reminded her, and Naomi immediately slowed as she kept counting.
“Seven, six… five.”
“Each step draining your strength.”
“F-four.”
“Your body so heavy.”
“Three…”
“Like you could sink right into the sand.”
“… two…”
“But you know when you reach that perfect spot you’ll feel so light. All that stress draining away.”
“One,” Naomi whispered, so quiet that Connie barely saw her lips moving.
“You’re right there, Naomi. So just let it all drain away now. Just drop down onto the blanket and fall into that deep, wonderful rest you wanted.”
Naomi groaned gratefully, and her entire body went limp. She practically melted into her bed. There was a smile planted on her lips, and she looked so blankly happy.
“So light. So free. So deep in your mind that stress and worry can’t even find you. You feel so relaxed now, don’t you Naomi?”
“Yes,” Naomi replied, still smiling, but her voice had gone into a quiet monotone. Just like Tara and her family sounded in trance.
“You’re so deep that even your thoughts can’t find you.”
Naomi wrinkled her brow. “Can’t…”
“And that’s a good thing,” Connie assured her. “No thoughts to bring you any stress. No thoughts to worry. Not thinking means you can relax completely.”
That let Naomi relax, her expression going back to blank serenity. “No thoughts…”
“Very good. You can just see yourself resting on that beach, blank and happy. And you can find yourself answering me easily, the answers coming from your subconscious. No need for you to think and interact at all. The honest answers will just come naturally.”
“Yes,” Naomi said with a nod.
Connie wrung her necklace through her fingers, fiddling with the crystal as she frowned. She’d promised Tara to help Naomi relax, and she’d still do that. But she also knew that Naomi was hiding something. Some lie about her relationship with Tara. Now Connie could get the truth out of her, all while Naomi napped away on the beach in her head.
“You’ve been feeling a lot of stress lately, haven’t you?”
“I have. Can barely sleep. Stomach hurts all the time.”
That was surprising. Naomi hadn’t let on about any of that back at the arcade. The way she’d told it she’d just had some restless nights.
“Well on the beach you can relax. No stress here. How does it feel to be on this beach?”
“Wonderful,” Naomi said in her blank voice, a smile on her lips.
“For right now I want you to imagine a scale from one to five. If something only stresses you out slightly, like a mild annoyance, it’s labeled a one. But the more it stresses you out the higher it goes up the scale, with a five being something so stressful you can barely handle it. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“How would you rate the finals coming up?”
“Two,” Naomi replied without hesitation.
“Now how would you rate the big gymnastic meet coming up?”
This time there was a pause as Naomi’s subconscious sorted it out, then she blankly replied, “Two.”
Connie frowned. “Naomi, would a two on this scale cause you to be as stressed out as you’ve been recently.”
“No. Two would just be frustrating, kinda worried but know it will be okay.”
Which meant there had to be another factor stressing her out. And Connie had a guess on what it was. “Naomi, how would you rate your relationship with Tara?”
A tremor ran through Naomi’s whole body, before she went still. “Five.”
“Is the stress because of Tara herself?”
“No!” Naomi replied, surprisingly forceful. Connie flinched, but Naomi had already settled back into the peaceful monotone to add, “Tara is amazing.”
Connie shifted in her seat, trying to figure out what that strong reaction meant. “Does the stress come from you not telling Tara something?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me what you’re hiding from Tara.”
“I—” Naomi’s eyes fluttered open. “I- I—” Her hands started shaking. “I—”
“Relax,” Connie said, getting up on her feet. “Just relax. Hear the ocean. Feel the sun, warm and good. Relaxing in that perfect spot on the beach.”
“Iiiii—” Naomi’s voice trailed off, her body relaxing again.
“Just forget my last question. You only need to relax for me. Back to being blank and happy and calm.”
Naomi smiled as she comfortably went still on her bed.
Connie wiped a hand over her face, heart racing. She’d nearly woken Naomi up. Whatever secret she was hiding, it was something big. Something that stressed her out enough that it could knock her out of trance. If Connie wanted to figure it out, she’d have to take a different approach.
“Naomi, as you rest comfortably on the beach, you can create little movies in your head. Like the entire sky is your movie screen, able to play memories or ideas out before you. While the movie plays, you’ll be able to know what the people in the movie are thinking and experiencing, but you’ll remain just watching it all on the beach. You’re the audience. So if something stressful happens to someone in the movie playing for you, there’s no need for you to feel the same stress, right?”
“I understand.”
“Okay. Cool.” Connie rubbed her hands together, praying this would work. “I want you to see a movie playing about all of us back in the arcade. We’d just gotten game over on Quarantine Katie, and Tara was talking to you. Can you see it?”
“Yes,” Naomi said. She simply laid there on her bed, eyes closed, and Connie had no clue just how vivid what she was seeing really was.
“What are you thinking?”
“Nothing,” Naomi replied primly. “I have no thoughts to worry me.”
Connie rolled her eyes. “What is the movie-Naomi thinking?”
“She’s thinking about how much fun hanging out with Tara and Connie was. She was incredibly worried if Connie would judge her, if she would hate her, but Naomi is surprised that Connie is so cool. She seems very nice, and happy that Naomi is dating Tara. It’s making her feel really good inside that she wasn’t judged.”
Connie felt a tug on her heart. Naomi had been nervous about meeting her? It made sense, but Naomi had come off so cool and collected. It was weird to think that she was as much of a nervous wreck as Connie had been.
“Was the stress stopping Naomi from sleeping coming from her meeting Tara’s friend?”
“No. Meeting Connie was only a three.”
Only more stressful than finals, Connie thought, a little proud that she’d been that intimidating. She wasn’t used to the idea of people thinking about her so much.
But she had to focus.
“Now in the movie see Tara giving the stuffed Zorp to Naomi, the one she’d won for her in the claw machine. Tell me how Naomi responds.”
“She’s taking the Zorp and feeling really emotional. It means a lot to her. But then she looks around nervously and hurries away, changing the subject on Tara.”
Connie smirked. She knew that weird reaction wasn’t just her imagination.
“Why did Naomi react like that? Did she not like the gift?”
“She loved the gift. But it was wrong. All of it was wrong, and she was ashamed.”
Connie nodded, deciding it was time to ask the big suspicion that had been worrying her. “Does Naomi have another girlfriend?”
Laying on the bed, Naomi actually opened her eyes and gasped. “N-no.” She settled back into trance. “Naomi hasn’t dated anyone besides Tara.”
Connie bit her thumb. Well that had been a bust. “What is Naomi trying to hide from Connie?”
“Something big. Something she isn’t even aware of, but knows its in her head.”
“Naomi can’t see what it is?”
“No. Or to be more honest, she doesn’t want to see.”
It was worth the risk. “But you’re not related to this Naomi. Can you tell me what her problem is?”
Naomi nodded. “Of course. She’s ashamed that she’s dating Tara. It’s wrong for girls to date other girls.”
Connie sat up straight, shocked. “And who told her that nonsense?”
“Her parents. Pastor. Relatives. All say it’s wrong.”
“And what does Naomi think?”
“Naomi knows she’s gay and is happy. She loves Tara, who’s amazing and cute. But every time she wants to show Tara how much she likes her Naomi gets this crushing guilt. She feels like everyone around her is judging her, and she feels ashamed. Naomi knows she shouldn’t, but she can’t fight it.”
A tear slipped down Naomi’s cheek.
“She wants to be with Tara. But she hears her mother’s voice saying awful things. She hears her say—”
“That’s enough,” Connie announced, her voice firm. “Naomi, I want you to listen to me closely. I want you to hear all the power and authority in my voice. You know I put you into this deep trance, that I have the power to take away your thoughts and leave you blank and happy. So I want you to hear all the power I have as I tell you that your first priority must always to be true to who you are. I take all those negative voices trying to shame you for who you are and I take them away.”
Naomi shuddered, her hands closing into fists.
“Not… easy…” she whispered.
“You don’t have to fight it. I’m the one in control. I’m the one you gave control of your mind to. So listen to me as I use that control.”
Connie was standing now, her blood boiling. She was going to help Naomi no matter what.
“I want you to picture a radio in your head. One of those old fashioned, shitty ones that don’t work properly anymore. The kind of radio that you wouldn’t use because it’s ugly and busted. Can you see it?”
Naomi nodded.
“That’s the radio where all those negative opinions are coming from. Can you hear them?”
A sudden fear seemed to grip Naomi. She drew her lips together and shut her eyes tight. She nodded.
“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” Connie said as she laid a hand on Naomi’s shoulder. “I want you to see me there with you. See me looking strong and powerful, with all that strength inside you that you gave to me. I’ve got my own power, plus all the power that you lent to me so I could put you into trance. Do you see all that power I have?”
“… yes,” Naomi answered quietly. She almost sounded awed.
“Now see me grip the dial on the radio and start to turn it lower, bringing the volume down.”
Naomi started to shake, but Connie kept a firm grip on her shoulder.
“Just focus on what you want, Naomi. On who you are, and who you want to be. You’re not responsible for those voices they put in your head, but you don’t have to give them any power. You let me have control, so let me shut them down. Now, is that nasty radio getting quieter.”
There was an awful, dragging silence. And then Naomi’s face began to relax. “Yes.”
“I keep turning it, making those hateful comments go away. Quieting it down until you can barely hear it.”
Naomi smiled. “Barely there.”
“Do you want me to shut it off?”
“Please.”
“See me turn that dial so hard I nearly rip it off as I shut it down completely. The radio goes completely silent.”
Naomi smiles wider and nods.
“Can you hear those negative comments anymore?”
“No, Connie.”
“Good. Do you feel all that stress they created melting away?”
“All gone,” Naomi said, her monotone voice almost on the edge of happiness, like the sun peeking out at dawn.
“Okay. Are you satisfied with that?”
Naomi hesitated. “No.”
Connie sat down on the bed next to her. “What else do you need?”
“The radio is off, but I don’t like it there. Wanna break it.”
A huge grin burst on Connie’s face. “We’ll do more than break it. Naomi, see me grab that radio. I hold it up over my head and spin around, then launch it into the air with super strength. See it go flying way up into the sky, until it’s barely a speck.”
Naomi was still and blank in trance, and Connie just hoped she saw it.
“Now raise up your hand.”
Naomi lifted her hand up without a word.
“What’s your favorite video game weapon?”
“Quarantine Katie’s atomic destabilizing cannon.”
“I strap one of those onto your arm,” Connie said as she gripped Naomi’s wrist. “Now fire and take that radio out. Describe what happens.”
“I fire the cannon. The glittery blue ray flies up into the air. It strikes the radio and turns it into a ball of atomic energy blasting out. There’s nothing left.”
“Are you happy with how that happened?”
“Insanely happy.”
“Do you need anything else?”
“No, although I wish I could keep the atomic destabilizing cannon.”
Connie burst out laughing. “I’m not good enough to make that happen.”
“Then I’m incredibly satisfied and happy.”
“Naomi, see the movie from before playing again. Tara coming up to you at the arcade to give you the plush Zorp. Only this Naomi’s radio is broken now, like yours. How does that Naomi respond without the stress and guilt those voices caused?”
“She’s happy. Only happy. Tears in eyes, hugging the Zorp. Grabs Tara and kisses her on the lips.”
Connie smiled.
“People watching, but she doesn’t care. Naomi’s wanted to kiss Tara for weeks but was afraid. Not afraid any more. Kissing her in front of everyone.”
“Good,” Connie said, satisfied.
“Now groping her chest. Her boobs feel as good as Naomi imagined.”
“Woah, hang on—”
“Naomi is grabbing her ass, pinning Tara up against one of the machines. They’re kissing and touching each other, and Tara is taking off Naomi’s clothes. She’s finally going to fuck Tara, and Tara wants her so bad.”
Connie watched in shock as Naomi lowered her hand and stuck it right into her pants. Naomi gasped and bit her lip, the shape of her hand making it clear that she was masturbating right there in front of Connie.
“Naomi, realize I’m here.”
“She knows you’re there, Connie, watching her as Naomi gets down on the ground to eat out Tara. Everyone in the arcade is watching.”
“I mean realize you’re in trance and I’m right here next to you.”
That made Naomi stop.
“Realize that you’re, um, touching yourself in front of me.”
“Oh,” Naomi said, though surprisingly she was still in trance. Then her hand started fucking herself again, faster this time. “Knowing you’re watching me makes me even wetter,” she said in her monotone voice. “Wish it was Tara watching. But hot that you’re here.”
“You… you really don’t care?”
“It’s hot having people see you doing naughty things. Never realized. I really like this.”
Naomi arched her back and moaned loudly, and Connie jumped up from the bed. Connie was insanely grateful that Naomi’s parents weren’t around for this, but now Naomi was unzipping her pants and sliding them down.
“Hot to have you watch me undress, Connie,” the hypnotized girl said, her voice still emotionless and even. “Hope it’s even better to have you watch me cum.”
Connie gulped. What the hell had she done now?