The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Perfection Unchained

(by S.B.)

4 — After the Storm has Passed...

For almost a month, he kept that promise. Twenty-seven days in which life returned to normal and dreams of hypnosis, dominance, and submission faded into the background as if they were nothing more than remnants of a fictitious reality he was never to explore. He buried himself in work to escape unwanted memories. He laughed, he cried, he did both things at the same time. He also had more ‘conversations’ with alcoholic stupor that he usually did.

During that period, he got drunk twice, one at his baby sister’s wedding, and the other right after after finding out his father had been hit by a runaway car on his way to work and was now barely hanging to his life halfway across the country. The joyful ecstasy of the first was short-lived compared to the depressive state of affairs of the second, made worse by the refusal of his manager to let him anticipate his next holidays to visit him.

Albert was on his way to his office, and about ready to do something stupid when fantasy knocked at his doorstep again. It had gentle tones.

Gentyst29’s new message read:

“Hello again, descoberta,

Apologies for reaching out to you like this again but I noticed you haven’t been around for a while and I wanted to know how you were doing. Sadly, one of the staples of the community is that people often come and go without warning though I try not to let it happen on my watch so... I hope you didn’t leave because of something I said as the last thing I wanted to do was put pressure on you with my inquiries. You seemed like an intriguing person and I would really love to get to know you better. If it happens, great. If not, that’s okay, too. Can you at least get back to me and let me know if everything is okay? Thank you, and have a wonderful day.”

He stopped the car two blocks away from his workplace and gazed at the clouds above. They were as grey as his disheveled thoughts, a new standard he loathed, yet couldn’t shake off. Despite not feeling up to snuff, politeness begged for a response. “Best to take care of it as soon as possible before anything else,” he thought.

“Hello.

It’s true I’ve been away and I appreciate the concern. It was nothing you did (far from it!), although I can’t say the same about others who made me feel quite unwelcome. Too much going on at the moment. You seem an intriguing person as well but this is probably not the time for us to get to know one another. Thank you for your kindness. Please take care.”

There. Simple and to the point, more than enough to close a chapter and start another. He drew a cigarette from the ruffled pack in his jacket’s inner pocket. The cell phone screen flashed again.

“I’m terribly sorry you’re going through what seem to be rough times. I totally understand if you think I’m prying but... do you feel like talking about it? I know from experience it helps to blow off some steam and I’m quite the good listener. If you need me, I’m here, okay?”

Did he want to talk about it? Yes and no. There were words choking on his throat that needed to be set free but why would they become a burden on someone else’s life, especially a stranger? It would probably help him on some level, but not her. In silence, he banged his head against the dashboard. Minutes languished underneath his heavy breath before he reached a decision. Fighting the tears in his eyes, he typed:

“Actually... I do feel like talking a bit. Can you set up a private room like before?”

“Sure. Give me a second... All done, the password is: ‘tête-à-tête’, okay?

Albert logged into the site and found its way to the new room. This time, he envisioned it as a small cubicle with a metal table at the center, two dark chairs and nothing else. It was neither comfortable or appealing to the eye, yet all that made sense. A veil of shadows fell on their faces as if they were ghosts trying to find their way into the world of the living once more.

“Hi.” He muttered.

“Hello. I’m glad you’re here. What happened?”

“For starters, I just want to say again the reason I’ve not been around has got nothing to do with you, okay?”

“Mistress Heather again?”

“That obvious?”

“Educated guess after what happened. What did she do that bugged you so much?”

“Nothing I deserved. She made me feel like shit, treated me like disposable goods, not really sure why.”

“She can be quite aggressive, it’s part of who she is. Sorry she pulled a number on you. I can understand how shocking that must have felt.”

“It was more than shocking. I reported her, but I’m pretty sure my message was ignored.”

“Why do you say that?”

“It’s been more than three weeks. If I were to hear anything, it should have happened by now. She did warn me though so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“Warned you about what?”

“About how the Admin would side with her no matter what because she’s popular and whatnot and I’m just a man.”

“Oh wow, she really crossed the line there! Don’t tell me you believed that load of horseshit!”

“I didn’t, and yet... fuck!”

“Why do you care so much about what she said? It’s obvious she was just trying to crawl inside your mind. You shouldn’t give her that power if that’s something you’re not comfortable with.”

“I’m certainly not, which is why I left.”

“Can I be honest with you?”

“Of course.”

“I think you did the wrong thing by running away.You gave up too quickly. Real dominant women don’t bully others into submission. I hope you know that.”

“I do, but I hate confrontations. I really do.”

“Boundaries are important, descoberta. You’re the only one that can set up and uphold your own. I would have stood my ground and try to enjoy myself despite the circumstances, but different people react in different ways. Don’t go too hard on yourself because of it, okay? Can you promise me that?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Good. That’s not the whole story though, right? What else is troubling you?”

“It’s a family thing. I... I don’t feel comfortable talking about it. Not right now, at least.”

“Are you sure? Whatever it is, I promise it won’t bother me or shock me in any way. Trust me, I’ve heard it all.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. There’s just something I have to do that I’m not sure I’m strong enough to do it, that’s all. Thank you once more.”

“You’re welcome. Have you given some more thought to what I proposed last time?”

“I have, actually.”

“Any conclusion yet?”

“I... I would actually love to try something but only after the storm has passed, if that’s okay.”

“Of course, it’s okay. Hypnosis is and should be fun, but not the bread and butter of life. Take care of everything you need to take care of first and, just like today, I will be here. Just a friendly advice: be careful to temper your expectations, okay? Many people want their first experiences to be perfect so badly that they fail to enjoy anything that doesn’t meet their impossible standards. I’ve seen it happen countless times and I would hate it to see it happen to you, too.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.”

“Excellent. And don’t worry about Mistress Heather. As successful as she is, she’s not really worth the trouble. If she harasses you again, let me know.”

“What are you going to do?”

“That’s between her and I.”

“Please don’t do a thing.”

“Why not?”

“If you want me to stand my ground, then I need to fight my own battles when it comes to her. I won’t let her get to me again if she tries anything stupid.”

“Are you sure? Because I wouldn’t mind bringing her down from her pedestal... In fact, I’ve dying for a chance to do so for quite some time now.” He could almost hear the sound of cracking knuckles in the virtual room.

“Positive. She won’t even know what hit her.” He chuckled.

“That’s the spirit. So glad you seem to be feeling a bit better about this this, at least.”

“I am. You were a great help.”

“Just as I hoped as I would be then. I should let you be on your way. Don’t be a stranger, you hear?”

“I won’t.”

Albert logged out and smiled. Funny how such a simple thing had been enough to make him more at ease. She was right, of course. He was a man, not a doormat. No fake “Mistress” or insensitive boss would keep him from doing what he needed to do. Renewed trust irradiating from his body like a torchlight, he drove back home to pack his bags. He could lose his job for all it took. Family came first.

(to be continued)