The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Xanadu: Redux

by J. Darksong

* * *

Chapter 8: Hollow

Dr. David Thorne, Dean of the Psychology Department, drank deeply from his glass, bobbing his head in time with the music. He enjoyed the current atmosphere; under normal circumstances, it was his favorite place to relax and unwind after work. The scantily clad girls jiggling and wiggling before him were merely a distraction for him tonight, however. The Putty Tat Lounge boasted some of the hottest exotic dancers in the county, and yet Thorne found his mind kept returning to the topic most prevalent on his mind.

What to do about Pete Reiley.

“Hey, Professor,” Jimmy, the manager waved to him, dropping into the seat across from him. “You don’t seem to be enjoying yourself tonight. Is something wrong? You’ve been here an hour already, and you’ve barely touched your drink... or any of the girls, for that matter.”

Throne chuckled, despite himself. “Well, we both know the club has a strict ‘No Touching’ policy out here in the main room. Hanky-panky is left up to those very discerning few V.I.P.’s with the cash to afford a private room.”

“As well as the Owner of the club, naturally,” Jim said, chuckling as well.

“Naturally,” Thorne agreed. “Still, you were right. I’ve got a few things on my mind tonight... private concerns, not having to do with the club. It seems one of my protégés has gotten a bit full of himself... thinks he can take over the entire University.” He sipped his drink. “Funny thing is, he’s pretty damned close to pulling it off, too.” He laughed ruefully. “I’m not exactly sure how I should handle it. I don’t know whether to feel proud of the boy for making it this far, or insulted that he thinks he can take over MY school!”

“I’d imagine you feel a bit of both,” Jimmy said, waving over one of his dancers. “But feelings are one thing. The real question is, what do you intend to do about it?”

“Hey, Jimmy, you wanted me?” a young large breasted blonde asked.

Thorne glanced up at the girl. Clear blue eyes widened as she realized who else was staring at her, and a deep blush ran down her lightly tanned flesh. “Oh! Professor Throne! I didn’t see you... um... is there anything I can do for you, Sir?”

Handing her his half-empty shot glass, he merely said, “A refill, if you please.”

The girl blushed even deeper, snatching up the glass and hurrying over to the bar. Thorne gave her a cursory glance as she toddled across the room, then glanced back at Jimmy, he stared back at him expectantly.

“Okay, I take it this was your way of suggesting a method of dealing with my student, then?” Dr. Thorne said after a moment.

Jimmy shrugged. “Well, maybe not EXACTLY the way you dealt with your former teacher’s aide. Your protégé is a male student, and while we cater to all kinds here, we’re not quite THAT innovative. I was merely reminding you of what you’re capable of. I remember what Rebecca was like before you worked your magic on her. She was a regular wildcat, swearing up and down that she was going to turn you in to the police and have this place shut down when she stumbled into our little ‘arrangement’. And look at her now! She’s our second best attraction, and a regular for the V.I.P. rooms.”

Thorne smiled at the memory. Rebecca Moore had indeed been a tough case, resisting him tooth and nail even as he rewrote her personality, changing her from a proud, intelligent, independent, no-nonsense woman into a stereotypical air-headed sex-crazed blonde bimbo. Even he had been surprised at the finished product. For the first week or two, he’d enjoyed humiliating her, fucking her senseless all the while letting her retain the knowledge of what he’d done to her. Eventually, he grew bored with her torment and offered to erase the memories of what she had been, to ease her transition, but to his surprise, she begged to keep the memories intact, including the memories of that first brutal week. She confessed to him that she’d discovered a part of herself that reveled in the shame and humiliation he’d inflicted on her, even going so far as to beg him to bring her lower and degrade her further.

Still, doing something like that to Reiley would be a shame. He has such potential. He reminds me a lot of myself back when I was an undergrad, studying under my mentor, Professor Simpson. It wouldn’t even be an issue if the boy hadn’t decided to take total and absolute control of the entire University. The key to my success has been staying under the radar, avoiding notice, carefully choosing my targets, and discreetly making them mine. Going after so many people in mass is the height of reckless foolishness; it’s bound to attract some attention. I need to bring his little hostile takeover plan to a halt without bringing the whole thing down around him.

‘Becki’ arrived back to the table moments later, placing the drink in front of him. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” she asked, timidly.

Thorne smiled slowly as an idea popped into his head. “I believe you just did, my dear,” he said with glee. “I now know just how to solve my little problem.” draining the glass in one gulp, he rose to his feet. “Thanks for the inspiration, Becki. Maybe when this is over, I’ll return here to thank you properly.” He walked to the door, leaving her standing there, blushing, if possible, an even deeper shade of red.

* * *

“Alright, it’s time to head to bed now,” Eugene Frasier said softly, leaning forward to kiss his children lightly. “You’ve got another day of schooling in the morning, young man, and you, Katie Ann, have preschool.” He kissed them again. “Go and wash up, and I’ll be up in a little bit to tuck you both in.”

The kids turned to head down the hallway, but stopped a moment later. “Daddy,” Katie Ann said in a soft voice.

“What is it, Katie-love?”

“Did mommy leave... because of us?”

Eugene’s breath caught in his throat. He’d spent the past several hours with his children, trying to explain Lacie’s sudden and angry departure, trying to soothe their hurt and confused minds. Apparently, they hadn’t fully understood his explanation; it was little wonder, since he didn’t truly understand what had happened himself.

“No, loveling. Of course not. Mommy... see, mommy was very upset at daddy, that’s all. It wasnae anything that you children did, I promise you. And she didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, either. Your mommy, she’s... she’s...” He sighed deeply, willing his own pain into submission for the sake of his kids. “Mommy’s just going through a bad time right now. What we have to do is to forgive her, and go on with our lives. If mommy decides to come back, we want to show her that we still love her. And... if she doesn’t come back... well, we’ll be okay by ourselves.” He sighed again. “Alright young ones. Off to bed with you now.”

Gene let out the breath he’d been holding back once the two disappeared down the hallway. Completely drained, he sank back into his recliner, battling the grief and anguish that threatened to overtake him. Earlier, when she’d left, he’d gone into the bathroom and thrown up from the sheer force of the despair pressing down on him. Splashing water on his face, he’d stared at his pale, ashen face in the mirror. For a wild moment, spying his razor of the side of the sink, he’d even contemplated ending it, slitting his wrists and cashing out—anything to end the hurt that pierced him to his very soul. In the end, his love for his children outweighed the loss of his wife, and somewhat composed, he’d exited the bathroom and spoken to Jimmy and Katie Ann.

“Did you really mean what you told the kids just now, son?” James asked, placing a hand on his son-in-law’s shoulder. “About forgiving her, and welcoming her back, if she chooses to come back?”

“Yes, Da, I do.”

The older man sighed wearily. “You truly are a good man, Eugene. I don’t know what kind of mess my daughter has gotten herself into, but I’m very thankful that she was fortunate enough to find a man like you.” He shook his head. “A lesser man wouldn’t have been able to forgive what she did to you. I don’t even think I could have forgiven that, if I were in your place.”

“I cannae help but forgive her, Da,” he replied softly. “I love her... more than I ever even knew until today. And deep in my heart, in my soul, I know she loves me as well... loves US, this family. I don’t understand what happened to her these past few weeks, and I don’t know what happened here tonight, but I know that wasnae her.” He calmed himself. “That was not the woman I fell in love with all those years ago.”

James crossed his arms at his chest, looking away. You have no idea just how close to the truth you are, son, he thought dimly. Out loud he said, “Do you really think she’ll return? The way she left, she made it seem as if she wanted to get as far away from here as possible... and with that much of your money, she can go pretty damned far.”

Gene sat silently for several minutes, not speaking. Then: “If it came down to it, I could find her, if I had to. Let’s just say that I have the means of tracking her down. Right now, though, she really wants to be left alone. Going to her will probably only make things worse. I still need to figure out what happened to make her act this way. Something changed her... and before I can go about bringing her back, I have to know what happened and how I can fix it.”

* * *

“Yessss! YESSS!! OHHGAAADDYESSS!!” Lacie screamed in pleasure, riding hard and fast on her Master’s cock. Sparkles danced before her eyes as she came yet again, floating blissfully in the endless tide of pleasure that stemmed from serving her beloved Master. Sweat ran down her rapidly tiring body like raindrops, and still she felt the desire for more, more, MORE! She’d been a very good girl, after all; her Master was so pleased that she had completed her mission that He’d swept her up into His bed and onto His waiting manhood the moment she finished her report. Coming down from her last peak, she wondered at her Master’s stamina. Seeing how well it had worked on all of them, He’d written a special program for Himself, to give Himself better control of His sex drive. Considering the fact that He’d already fucked two of his adoring sluts into submission, and was busily fucking the third when she’d arrived, she thought His program must have worked really well.

And then she came one more time and was unable to think at all.

Coming to a while later, she stretched, sitting up from her spot on the bed. She giggled slightly, jerking her foot away as Bianca, the young black girl, licked it in passing, still busily slurping away even in slumber. A quick glance showed that Master wasn’t in the room, so she decided to go ahead and shower, and make herself more presentable for when he returned. Leaving the room, she paused, hearing the sound of her Master typing away at his keyboard. She smiled.

Hard at work again, she chided gently. You would think on the night before His big day that He would be relaxing, taking it easy, and enjoying more of His loving obedient slave girls’ attention. Staring at Him through the open doorway, she briefly toyed with the idea of slipping in, unnoticed, crawling underneath His desk, and surprising Him with a little oral pleasure while He worked.

Mmmmm... that would be totally yummy... but no. He doesn’t like to be disturbed when He’s working, unless it’s an absolute emergency. As much as she enjoyed the idea of tasting His marvelous love juices, and even the idea of being ‘properly punished’ for interrupting His work, the directive to obey overrode her own personal needs and desires. Content with the notion of a little private playtime in the shower, she turned to head into the bathroom when a knock sounded at the front door.

Lacie froze. Someone was outside the door, knocking. Obviously, it couldn’t be a planned visit from one of the Master’s slut; like herself, they had all been issued keys so they could enter and strip, rather than interrupt Him with something as tedious as letting them inside. It was just after midnight, so it was unlikely to be a social call from one of His neighbors either. Which meant that whoever had come knocking was trouble.

Indecision pulled at her. What should she do? Master had yet to emerge from His study, so either He hadn’t heard the knocking, or He was choosing to ignore it. Did He want her to answer it? Or should she likewise ignore it, and hope the unwanted visitor went away? And if He simply hadn’t heard the knocking, should she interrupt Him to point it out to Him? She tried to think logically about what to do, but her preprogrammed need to obey, and to please, and to obey her Master’s instructions were clogging her thought processes. As the knock sounded again, her Master stirred from his desk.

“Ah, shit... who the hell would be out there at this time of the night?” He muttered as He walked into the hall. “Lacie? What are you doing here, just standing around outside my door?”

“I... I heard the knock at the door,” she began, blushing furiously, “but I didn’t know whether You’d want me to answer it or not?”

He sighed deeply. “Alright. You go into my study and close the door, but keep it cracked, and listen in. I might need you if this visitor turns out to be trouble... like, say, your EX-husband managed to track you down and wants to have a few words with me.”

Lacie gasped, clutching the door handle tightly, obeying by staying hidden and listening, but all the while fighting down an overwhelming feeling of shame and panic. Ohmigod, ohmigod... I never thought of that... but what if it Eugene? I should have known better... I should have been more careful on my way over here. Dammit. I know how stubborn, how intractable he can be... I should have anticipated this. Should have expected it! If anything happens to Master... The thought sent a shudder through her that nearly made her knees buckle. Fuck. I should have just killed him when I had the chance—

“Ah, good evening, Petey my boy,” a familiar voice sounded from the doorway.

“Dr. Thorne? What the heck are you doing here, at this time of the night?”

“Manners, dear boy, manners,” the older man chided. “Aren’t you going to invite me in? I have something to discuss with you, and chatting in the middle of a doorway out in the wee hours of the night like this is in terribly bad taste.”

“Oh, well then, by all means, come in,” Pete replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Perhaps I should summon my maid and have her serve us fresh scones and tea while we talk?”

Thorne laughed. “No, no, don’t go to the trouble, my boy, though I do appreciate the offer.” He sighed softly. “You know, Petey, I really admire a man that has such a well developed sense of humor. It shows that he has spirit. Show me a man that can’t learn to laugh at himself now and again and I’ll show you one very maladjusted person.”

“Yeah, um, thanks, Doc, that’s good to know... thanks for coming all the way over here to tell me that, but I’m a little busy right now—”

“However,” the doctor continued, seemingly nonplussed, “a man that doesn’t take ANYTHING seriously is just as disturbed. Showing respect is the best way to receive respect in turn.” His voice suddenly went hard. “And showing disrespect is the quickest way of getting one’s skinny little pimply ass kicked! Now SIT DOWN and LOSE the attitude before you really PISS me the fuck off!”

Lacie’s hand clenched on the doorknob. Though Dr. Thorne’s sudden appearance was strange, she’d hardly considered him a threat. Particularly, as she had hand delivered her Master’s special subliminal-laced CD to him hours before. The sudden change in the normally reserved and jolly man was as confusing as it was frightening. She picked up a heavy bronze bookend from the desk, preparing to use it as a makeshift club if her Master called for her.

Pete sat down, stunned at the change in the doctor’s demeanor, and a little scared. “Wh.. wha... what do.. you want?”

Thorne sighed softly. “It’s all about respect, Mr. Reiley,” he said calmly once again. “I was perfectly content to let you run your little game at my school, perfectly happy watching you turn every lovely young thing that caught your eye into a mindless fucktoy.” Pete gasped in surprise. “I was young once too, you know,” Dr. Thorne said with a small chuckle. “Truth be told, I encouraged it. I even helped pave the way with your first encounter with dear sweet Samantha... softening her will, making her a bit more susceptible to your.. rather crude induction, I have to say.”

“Huh? You... wait, how did you know? About all of this? ANY of this? How did you know about what I planned to do to Samantha?”

“Petey, my boy, I’ve been a psychologist for twenty-two years. I can read a person more accurately through facial expressions and nuances in body movement than most people can in conversation with them. Obviously, there was a mounting tension between the two of you, and when you started digging up my own early research in advanced hypnosis techniques and case studies in subliminal training... well, you don’t need a 3.99 GPA to figure out what you had planned.”

Pete couldn’t believe his ears. He’d thought he had been clever, careful, and clandestine, than no one had known what he did. Not only had Dr. Thorn figured him out, he’d even helped him enslave Sam’s will that first time, doing the prep work on her to weaken her will and make her susceptible to his apparently clumsy attempt at hypnosis. Damn... so I wasn’t a natural at this at all. I thought it had all gone down a little too easily.

“As I said, I was more than happy to let you play your little games... to let you have your fun with your little harem of girls. But then, you decided to get greedy.” He rose to his feet. “You decided that it wasn’t enough to have control of all the girls in your class. No... you wanted to have control of the entire class itself—the boys, the girls, and even the teachers. You wanted control of the entire school...MY SCHOOL... and THAT is something I refuse to allow!”

“Hey, back away from me, man!” Pete yelped in panic, jumping up, moving behind the couch, trying to keep it between him and Dr. Thorne. “I mean it! Stay away from me! I... I mean it!”

“Oh really?” David said with a smirk. “And what will you do if I don’t? Sic one of your hot sexy little sluts on me?”

Pete’s expression changed swiftly from fear to vindictive pleasure. “Well, since you asked so nicely.”

Pain exploded in David Thorne’s left shoulder with a sickening crunch. Gasping, he sank to his knees, clutching weakly at his broken shoulder, glancing back behind him. A very angry Lacie glared down at him, still holding the heavy bronze bookend like a cudgel, ready to swing again at the slightest provocation. Moments later, Pete came to stand beside his lovely protector, chuckling darkly.

“Well, Doc, looks like maybe you’re not as smart as you think you are. Coming here in the middle of the night, threatening me.. here? In my own apartment?” He laughed again. “Pathetic. Surely you had to know that I would have someone else here with me. I mean... what was your big plan? Come in here, beat on me for a while, then threaten to expose my little plot to the police if I didn’t back off? Heh. Who would believe you? I own the entire University now, students and staff. No one would collaborate your story... no one would believe you without proof. And once I’ve firmly established and cemented my control of the school, its just a matter of time before it spreads to the police and local government. Who knows? Maybe it’ll even grown beyond that, taking over the entire state... then the country...”

“And then the world?” Thorne remarked snidely. “Listen to yourself! You sound like a cliché comic book villain! You’re a damned fool! It’s one thing to attempt something like this on a small scale, on a few people in a closed environment. It’s something else entirely when you go for the big time.” He turned to glare back at him, wincing the slight movement send another wave of pain crashing through his injured shoulder. “The only way to ensure success is to anticipate every possible outcome, and prepare for every eventuality. In short, you have to expect the unexpected.”

“Good advice, Doc,” Pete said, reaching around to caress Lacie’s bare right breast, causing the nipple to harden. “A pity you didn’t take it to heart yourself. That’s why you’re hunched down there on your knees right now. For all your bravado, you’ve got nothing. The only real question now is what to do with you...” He grinned. “Since you didn’t like my last CD, I think I’ll give you a taste of the same program I gave to the football team. Lacie, go tell the girls to bring in my laptop.”

“Wait. A moment, please,” Thorne said, managing to get back to his feet. “I have something to say.”

Pete gestured to Lacie to wait. Crossing his arms at his chest, he nodded. “Do tell. Alright. Even a condemned man gets to make a last request. Not that anything you say right now will change your fate.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Thorne rasped, still clutching his shoulder. “I have just two little words for you: runagate circumvolve.”

* * *

Gene sat up in his bed with a deep sigh. He couldn’t sleep. Not that he’d expected to get any rest after the events earlier that evening... still, with the fact that Lacie hadn’t really been herself in a long time, he’d half expected to have gotten used to sleeping alone. He glanced at the clock: 1:42 AM. Grunting in disgust, he lay back down in bed, slamming the pillow over his head. He laughed bitterly; for the first time in a long while, he was glad he didn’t have to go into the office bright and early in the morning.

Still, I do need to get up early enough to get the kids dressed and ready for school, he thought dimly. It’s so not fair... to have to convince them both that nothing is wrong, that life goes on as usual even without their mom... having them go to school like nothing was in the least bit different. I feel like a damned hypocrite. How can I convince them to keep going when all I want to do is break down myself?

Feeling restless, he kicked off the covers, and slid out of bed. Stepping into the hallway, he decided to check on the kids. Opening the door quietly, he peeked his head in, then yelped in shock at the empty beds. Flicking on the light switch to be sure, he yelled, calling out loudly to his children. “Jimmy! Katie Ann! Where are you? Answer me, dammit! Where are ye?”

Irrational panic filled him as he began searching the house, going from room to room. “Oh, Merciful God, not this, not now!” he murmured as he checked under the bed and in the closets. “First me wife and now me bairnes... no... I cannae do this! I cannae!” Heading downstairs, taking them three at a time, he checked the kitchen and the living room, to no avail. He was about to grab his coat and head for the door when he saw it: a trickle of light shining from underneath the door of Lacie’s study. Praying silently that they were there, he pushed open the door—and sighed in relief.

“Ah! There ye are. What’s wrong with the both of ye... didnae ye hear me calling you?” He frowned, as both kids merely stood there, still as a pair of statues, watching something on the computer. “Jimmy? Katie? Answer me!” Still, they refused to respond, completely enraptured by whatever they were watching. “What in the blasted sam hill?” Stepping into the room, he glanced at the computer screen, curious as to what was so enthralling.

The screen showed a hi-def still shot of a beach. Frowning, he shook his head. Eh? I don’t get it. It’s just a picture of the shoreline. It’s a nice picture, yes... but not really so... hmmm... what’s that... kinda shimmery...

With an effort, Eugene shook his head, turning away from the display. The room seemed to shift slightly under his feet as he regained his bearings. Realization came shortly thereafter, and he grabbed both children by the arm, dragging them out of the room. His head continued to spin, and he felt an incredible urge to return to the room, to peer deep into the shimmering picture again, and let it suck him in completely. Gritting his teeth, closing his eyes, he entered once more, moving to the computer, reaching out blindly for the power button.

With his eyes closed, he finally noticed the soft hissing sound coming from the speakers, a soft white noise that he hadn’t even noticed before, but that seemed to resonate inside his head, draining away his energy. Frantically, he dropped to his knees, searching for the surge protector underneath the desk, all the while feeling the need to succumb growing exponentially. His fingers felt numb and weak, and for a moment he could almost swear he felt sand underneath his palm instead of carpet. Give in, the hissing seemed to say, give up the fight and let yourself drift... escape the pain and the anger and frustration you’re feeling... let it all just slip away..

For a long moment, Eugene sat there, panting heavily, not daring to open his eyes. It was only after he felt a soft touch on his shoulder that he noticed the only sound filling the room now was his own labored breathing. Opening one eye, then the other, Gene stared down at the computer outlet plug, clutched tightly in his hand. Raising his glance, he saw Jimmy and Katie, standing beside him, looking confused and disoriented.

“Daddy? What happened?” he asked timidly.

“I don’t know, lad,” he said, standing up, shaking the last of the cobwebs free. Plugging the computer back in, he opened the CD drive, taking out the small, ordinary looking disc labeled simply ‘Relaxation Therapy’. Suddenly everything made sense. Clutching the CD tightly, he led his children out of the room and locked the door behind him. “I don’t know what happened,” he repeated softly, “but I intend to find out.”

“Daddy?” Katie said softly, clutching his hand, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? Why are you sorry honey?”

“Because... because I missed mommy... so I wanted to play in her office.”

Gene knelt down and picked up the crying girl, kissing her gently on the nose. “Dianne worry about it princess. If anything, I should thank you. You see, mommy is in trouble... some bad people confused her, made her act the way she did... and we didn’t know why. But now that I have this,” he said, holding up the CD, “I think we can figure out what they did to her, and how to help her.”

“Does that mean mommy is going to come back home?” Jimmy asked.

“Aye, lad,” Gene said with conviction. “If I have anything to say about it, aye. She will.”

* * *

Runagate Circumvolve.

The universe shifted.

For Lacie, time stopped. The strange words released something inside her, something that had been hidden and sealed away. Like a giant net, those two words wrapped tightly around her mind, paralyzing it, numbing it, trapping her every thought in their irresistible coils. A soft shudder ran through her as a wave of pure pleasure swept over her like a tidal wave, leaving her gloriously vacant and empty.

Pete, for his part intent on Dr. Thorn, hadn’t noticed the change. “Hmmm... not too bad as last words go. My Latin’s a bit rusty... is that something like, ‘what goes around, comes around’?”

Thorne chuckled. “Yeah, something like that. Lacie, my dear, please do me a favor and shut this insolent little whelp up.”

“Hey! Don’t try and appeal to her, Doc. I’m the one calling the shots right nwww—ahhh!”

The first blow stunned Pete enough that it bent him over, but not enough to take him down. Glancing up in surprise, he saw his obedient loving slave staring at him, her eyes empty and glazed, with no recognition in that at all. She raised the heavy bookend once more, preparing to bring it down across the back of his skull.

“No, no, not his head,” Thorne shouted, causing her to pause. “I don’t want you to kill him, just knock the fight out of him a bit. Bash him in the knee!”

Fortunately, the momentary pause gave Pete just enough time to recover. Rolling to the side, he avoided the blow that would likely have crippled him for life. Glancing from Thorne to Lacie and back, seeing both of them standing between him and the front door, he made the only logical move he could. He ran back towards the bedroom and locked the door.

“Shit! SHIT!” he yelled, glancing around for something he could use to get him out of this mess. His three sextoys awoke at the sound of his voice, looking concerned. Growling in his frustration, he pushed them aside, checking the closets and shelves, cursing all the while. “Dammit! Fuck! How the hell could I have stocked this bedroom with all these damned dildos, sex toys, and lube, and the closest thing I have to a weapon is this stupid paddle?”

A knock sounded at the door, and Pete shrieked again. “Girls! Go block the door. No matter what happens, do not let anyone in this room!” Frightened by their Master’s fear, the three girls obeyed, pressing their bodies against the door, determined to protect Him with their lives if need be. As Pete made his way to the window, considering his chances going out the third story drop-off, he head Lacie’s voice speak clearly through the door.

“Runagare Circumvolve.”

Whirling around, he had the chance to see the change in expression as his three sex slaves suddenly went stiff. A look of surprise flashed briefly across each girl’s face before fading into a look of vacant emptiness. Pete cursed again, trying to open the window, figuring that at this point he’d be better off jumping and taking his chances.

“Girls, open the door.”

Moving swiftly and precisely, Bianca, the dark skinned beauty, unlocked the door, twisting the door knob as the other two girls moved swiftly out of the way. Thorne, holding an ice pack against his shoulder, stepped calmly inside the bedroom, followed closely by Lacie. He pointed towards the window and said, “Girls, restrain him. Lacie, dear, bring me his laptop.”

“Ah, shit!” Pete yelled as his former slaves grabbed him, pulling him back into the room. “Fuck! How the hell are you doing this!?!”

Thorne sighed dramatically. “I would think it should obvious to such a bright boy as you, Petey. While you spent all your time mucking around with their subconscious minds, programming them, altering them, changing their personalities to your liking, my goal was much simpler. I long ago perfected the art of disabling the conscious mind altogether... of putting a person into a ‘waking trance’ state, and utilizing them to their fullest potential.”

The girls forced Pete into a chair, holding him there despite his struggling. Lacie returned a moment later, carrying his laptop. “But.. HOW did you trance them so easily? You had to have set all this up in advance somehow. I mean, there’s no way you could have known which of my girls I would have had here with me tonight! Hell, I picked them totally at random!”

“Very astute, Mr. Reiley,” Thorne said, taking the laptop from Lacie, setting it on his lap. “As I said before, this is MY school. I have worked my own particular brand of control over most of the student body and staff over the years—though much more discretely than you, to be sure. It was a simple matter to figure out which girls in your harem you found the sexiest and most alluring, and scheduled ‘sessions’ with the one or two I didn’t already have control over. And while I usually hate resorting to such means to accomplish my goals, I’m afraid you forced my hand.”

Dr. Thorn opened the laptop, then grinned wickedly as the main prompt came up. “Oh dear. You don’t even have it password protected, do you? And here I thought this might actually be difficult.” Taking a jewel case from his coat pocket, he held it up to Pete’s face. “I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of borrowing from your expertise in subliminal programming. You’re a very good student, Pete... I have little doubt that were it not for this unfortunate business you would have went on to do big things... possibly a job working for the CIA. But... you’re too much of a loose cannon, and I’m afraid I’m going to have to have you fixed.” He pressed his thumb against the disc drive release, then yelped in pain, pulling his thumb back, sticking it in his mouth.

“Ow! What in the... must be a damned pin loose in there somewhere... it stuck me.” Scowling, he tilted the laptop on its side, peering down at it. A moment later, a soft gasp escaped his lips, and his body jerked, twitching slightly. The laptop slid slowly from his grasp, landing on the soft carpet. A look of horror stretched across his face, only to freeze there as his entire body became motionless.

Pete let loose a sigh of relief. “Wow. That was intense. For a minute there, I thought I was in deep shit.” The smile returned to his face as he gloated. “Again, Doc, you were totally right. I do need to password protect my computer so no one can steal my files. However, just because its not password protected doesn’t mean it’s not PROTECTED. A friend of mine is the TA for Dr. Sterns, the Chemistry professor... hooked me up with a nice deal on some d-turbocuranine a while back. You’re just lucky you didn’t I didn’t get a chance to lock it down, or just opening the case would have showered you with curare quills.”

He tried to get up, only to be pulled back into place by the three girls holding him. Ah, fuck. Hadn’t planned on that. They’re still obeying his last order. In this totally mindless state, they’re not doing anything to hurt me, but being held down this way is annoying. And that dart won’t keep him paralyzed for long. He struggled a bit more, thinking quickly. Hmmm. Mindless state, he said... I wonder if I can command them when they’re like this. Normally, they’d follow his orders, but since he can’t speak right now... what are the chances that he didn’t program them to listen to and obey only his words? Oh well... here goes nothing.

“Bianca, Tracy, Suzette, I am your Master. You obey me. Release me. Now.”

For a moment, nothing happened... then to his eternal relief, then entranced girls let go. Rubbing his wrists, he picked up his laptop. “Bet you didn’t expect THAT, did you Doc?” he said, pressing a hidden switch underneath the computer. Opening the disk drive safely, he slid Thorn’s doctored disc into it, and placing the computer on the table, turned it around to face the helpless doctor.

“Thank you for all your friendly helpful advice, Dr. Thorne. Believe it or not, I’ve learned a lot tonight. The only reason you’re in that chair right now instead of me was luck... pure and simple. For all of my planning, and for all of your scheming, in the end, it was just dumb luck that you fell into that trap, my clever little way of making sure no one ever stole my computer.” He hit the enter key, and the Doctor’s program came to life.

“You came close to stopping me Doc,” Pete said, as he turned to head towards the bathroom. “Damn close. But like my dad always used to say, close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and atom bombs.” Rubbing the small knot on the back of his head, he left in search of some Tylenol.

((to be continued...))