The Challenge
Chapter 2
Shayla pulled up to the run down apartment building with a half hour to spare. She looked over the building making sure she had the right one from the half dozen scattered haphazardly across the poorly paved parking lot. “Well this looks like the place,” Shayla said to herself as she wondered how her mouth had gotten her here. “Girl get your ass in there and see what it’s all about.” Making her way into the building she walked down a few stairs to the one lower apartment that was half buried in the ground. “Basement dweller,” she chuckled as she knocked on Kyle’s door.
Kyle opened the door looking slightly surprised to see Shayla standing there. “A bit early are we?”
Shayla just gave a grin, “Hey I wanted to make sure I could find the place. Better early than late anyway. So can I come in or are you just going to stand there in the doorway?”
Kyle stepped back and swung the door wide, “Of course. Come on in and make yourself comfortable. We’ll be working in the living room. I tidied up a bit but don’t look too closely,” Kyle laughed.
Shayla stepped into the apartment and turned left into Kyle’s living room. She was prepared for a typical guy’s room with scattered pizza boxes and a game system strung out across the floor. Greeting her was a much better arranged space than she had expected. The game system was there but was neatly sitting on a shelf under the TV with the controllers tucked beside it. The scattered, half-empty food containers were missing and the coffee table actually had a scuffed but clean surface that was bare of anything but a couple of text books, a notebook, and a candle. The couch was worn but Shayla had to admit it was pretty comfortable as she seated herself there. A recliner that had seen better days sat diagonally from the couch. From the way the books were angled it looked to be the spot that Kyle sat in.
“Would you like something to drink before we get started?” Kyle asked.
“Nah I’m good,” Shayla replied turning around in her seat to look over at Kyle. “Is this where you wanted me? Am I supposed to lie down or anything?”
“You’re fine either sitting up or laying down. Just make yourself comfortable enough to relax. We’ll take it slow and see if we can ease you down into a simple trance,” Kyle said, lighting the candle before sitting down in the recliner.
“I’ll sit, that’s fine. So what do I need to do? How is it you are going to work your magic?”
“Just relax and focus on this candle,” Kyle said shifting the candle so it was directly in front of the girl’s position. “Just relax and breathe as you watch the flame and listen to my words. Its pretty easy.”
“You mean I’m just going to watch this candle and that’s it?”
“Yes. It’s nice and easy. You’re just going to listen to me talk for a bit. Shouldn’t be too hard at all.”
“Fine. How long before you just admit you are going to fail?”
“Shayla you are arguing just to argue. Why don’t you focus on the flame and let’s see how real or fake it all is? Just relax and watch the flame.”
“Fine. Whatever makes you happy,” Shayla said looking at the small flickering flame dancing at the tip of the candle.
“Just focus on the center of the flame. Breathe in deeply and let it out slowly. Let yourself relax as you watch the flame dance back and forth. Focus on the center of the flame and watch as it becomes crystal clear.” Kyle’s voice had a soft resonant tone that slipped inside Shayla’s mind without forcing its way in.
Shayla watched the flame of the candle flickering before her and simply listened to Kyle. His voice was nice but she knew she didn’t feel particularly sleepy or anything else.
“Let everything else around you blur and fade. Focus on the flame and see the center deep inside it. All around you everything but the flame and my voice fading away,” Kyle continued. “Feel your body relaxing. Let your mind focus deep into the candle’s flame as your body gets tired and heavy.”
Shayla saw every detail inside the dancing flame and didn’t even acknowledge that her posture had begun to slump forward slightly as she watched the candle more intently.
“You can see the flame inside your mind now,” Kyle continued. “Even as your eyelids slide closed you can still see the flame. You’re so relaxed and tired just let your eyes close and watch the flame inside your mind. Nothing else exists but the flame and my voice.”
Shayla knew she wasn’t tired at all and didn’t even realize that her eyes had drifted closed. She was still intensely focused on the flame that she could still see clearly in her mind’s eye. Her body slouched forward more as she slipped under.
Kyle smiled as he watched Shayla slip under but continued to lead her down deeper. “Follow the flame and my voice and I am going to take you deeper. You want to follow don’t you Shayla?”
“Yyyesss,” Shayla said her voice slightly drawn out.
“I am going to count down from 10 and leading you down deeper into sleep with each number.” Kyle counted down watching Shayla’s soft, steady breathing remaining unchanged through the process. “You are very deeply asleep now aren’t you Shayla?”
“Sleep,” Shayla admitted groggily.
“Now listen closely to my voice. Feel my words become a part of you,” Kyle said continuing the induction. For the next half hour Kyle continued to deepen the trance making it part of Shayla’s subconscious. He wanted to make sure that she could go under again easily for him so he spent time implanting a trigger phrase to make that happen. Shayla sleepily replied to each command he gave her. Before long, Kyle felt confident that he could take the ebony skinned girl back under with no problem during their next session if needed. “...and wake.”
Shayla blinked and stared at the candle, coming out of the trance but not saying anything.
“So how are you feeling?” Kyle asked since Shayla hadn’t said a word yet.
“Same as I did when we stared this shit,” She responded. “Well maybe my back’s a bit stiffer since this couch isn’t as comfy as it looks.”
“So you don’t feel any different after going under?”
“There ain’t been a damn thing that has happened. I’ve sat here looking at your dumb candle while you keep talking on and on. I haven’t ‘gone under’ or any other damn thing. I told you this hypnosis stuff was bullshit.”
Kyle just stared over at Shayla. The shock was apparent on his face, “So you don’t remember any of it?”
“There wasn’t anything to remember. I’ve just been sitting here winning the bet. One session down and two to go before you get to tell everyone how wrong you were,” Shayla said smiling over at the stunned co-ed. “You gonna have that same dumb expression on your face when you tell them too?”
This unexpected outcome was even better than he had imagined. This was opening up some very interesting possibilities. “So are you free for the next session tomorrow night?”
“Heck yeah. You must be in a rush to admit how wrong you were. We can do the next one tomorrow and the last one Sunday and you can pout your way through class come Monday. Sounds like a plan to me.”
Kyle nodded smiling, “Tomorrow night same time?” He stood up and offered a hand to help Shayla up.
Shayla took the offered hand and stood up off the couch. “Same time works. I got a few things to do earlier in the day so that’ll work.”
Kyle led her to the front door and held it open, “I’m looking forward to it.”
“So long as you are looking forward to losing ’cause that’s what you’re doing. See you tomorrow.”