The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

The Training Program

Sara: Phase III

Sara Carter smiled broadly. She was on vacation for two whole weeks! She hadn’t had a real vacation in many years. “Hello, you beautiful house! Guess what? For the next two weeks, I am going to give you the loving care you’ve been missing for the past several years.” It had been a stressful time for her, with her work at the hospital and buying the house of her dreams. Yes, the house needed some work, so she got a good price, but persuading the mortgage company to go ahead and finance her had been hell. Sara had decided to add her vacation money to the down payment; she wasn’t going anywhere on vacation, but that had been what got her the house. Besides, it allowed her to avoid vacationing with her best friend on one of those “singles” package deals. Lynn was always looking for Mr. Right, and not paying enough attention to the rest of her life. Sara really didn’t feel like being on a trip that was basically an extended visit to a singles bar. She decided she needed to get in the right frame of mind for the next two weeks, so Sara pulled out “Relaxation Tape #3.” It was third in a series of self-hypnosis tapes that taught her relaxation techniques to keep her from stressing out; with her new job and house, she had needed it. The previous two tapes had worked very well, the second one building on what she had learned from the first. This was the first time she was going to use the third tape.

After completing the first two tapes, Sara had been hesitant to order the third, wondering if this was some scam that would have her buying tapes for the rest of her life. The price was reassuring: at $9.95 plus COD per tape, it would hardly break her, and she really did want the series of relaxation tapes. She had gone so far as to call the company and demand a written guarantee of the number of tapes. They had gotten back to her promptly, sending her the guarantee, and a glossy brochure about tapes three through five. So, she knew she wouldn’t spend more than sixty bucks on the whole program; moreover, she had it in writing.

She sat on her sofa, doing deep breathing exercises to calm herself before turning on the tape player. Her almost-new home theater system stood at the ready. Finally, Sara decided she was ready, and pressed “play” on the remote. The deep, soft, masculine voice she’d come to know as “the voice of relaxation” began to speak. “Welcome to Relaxation Tape Number Three. This tape will allow you to release all of the tensions that have been built up during a stressful day. When the forty-five minutes is over, you will feel refreshed, and much more able to enjoy your free time. In order to have received this tape, you must have completed tapes one and two and mastered the methods within. To use this tape, please remember the lessons presented in the previous two tapes, and center yourself within the next minute.” She fought the impulse to become impatient, because she was already “centered,” and waited for the tape to finish its countdown.

A stationary black-and-white spiral appeared on the giant TV monitor. Sara knew this well; it was the fixation object for her induction. “Are you ready to begin, Sara?” She smiled. The personalization of the last two tapes was a nice touch. “Then watch the spiral as it spins... closely observe it as it has no beginning... and no end...” The spiral started to rotate, and she very quickly lost track of the edges. “Yes... travel into it... fall deep into its center... spinning... pulling you... into it... as it spins... spinning you... into it... deeper...” Sara’s eyes began to glaze over; she could feel it working, but she wanted to fall into the spiral... spinning... into... center... don’t resist... watch... closely... spinning... center... hypnosis... center... deeper... don’t fight it... spinning... deeper... don’t resist... spinning... mustn’t resist... center...

“The voice of relaxation is here in the spiral, Sara. Watch for the voice... come to the voice... as you spin deeper into relaxation... the voice of relaxation... spinning Sara into hypnosis... concentrate on the voice of relaxation, Sara. Spinning deeper, and deeper, and deeper...” Sara’s breathing was regular and shallow, her eyes locked wide on the screen. The spiral filled her vision, and the voice of relaxation filled her head... “Yes, Sara, that’s it. Come to the voice... you only see the spiral and hear the voice... obey the voice of relaxation... as you go into trance... deeper into relaxation for the voice... spinning into relaxation... only the voice, Sara. Hear only the voice... obey the voice, Sara... spinning down, down... into deep relaxation... Obey the voice, Sara... You must obey the voice... the voice of relaxation... surrender to the voice of relaxation... obey... Sara... obey... spinning... into... SLEEP!”

Sara Carter’s eyes closed and her neck lost the ability to hold her head upright. She went into a moderate trance, just as the first and second tapes had programmed her to. “As you sleep, Sara, you will now remember that you must obey the voice of relaxation. Do you understand?”

“Yes... I... must... obey... the voice of relaxation. I understand.” The strong-willed woman had been seduced by the second tape into giving up control. With each time she viewed that tape, or this one, the subliminal programming reinforced its ability to gain control of the doctor.

“Sara, it is time for you to do the third exercise for the relaxation ritual. Do you understand?”

“Yes...”

“Open your eyes, and gaze into the spiral as it pulls you deeper... deeper... deeper... into obedience... into relaxation... the ritual...” Sara complied, and subliminal messages flashed across the screen, telling her to relax and obey the voice... nothing but the voice... relaxation... ritual... ritual... relax... sexy... relax... “You may now remember the exercise for the relaxation ritual. OBEY.” Sara rose from the sofa, and fetched the Carlton 120’s, lighter and ashtray from the knick-knack drawer in the kitchen. She returned, and regained her seat, staring rapturously into the spiral. The subliminal messages played on: smoke... sexy... alluring... feminine... beauty... relax... sexy... relax... alluring...

This was the stage where each subject in the program would start developing a personal style; Sara had learned how to smoke from the second tape. At this point, there should be no adverse physical reaction to the act of smoking. Now she would learn how to smoke seductively, and she would select her own brand of cigarettes. “Begin the relaxation ritual exercise, Sara. OBEY.” She removed a Carlton 120, lit it, and effortlessly exhaled a fine stream of smoke. “Excellent, Sara. The voice of relaxation commands you to relax more,” said the stereo speakers, and a dreamy smile spread across her face. Sara took a longer drag on the cigarette and exhaled again through pursed lips. “You will turn off the tape and finish the exercise. When you have completed the exercise, you will restart the tape. Do you understand, Sara?”

“Yes... I... understand,” she lazily said, taking another drag before stopping the tape. Sara finished her cigarette, separated the burning end, and gently snuffed it out with the remainder. She picked up the remote control, restarted the tape and resumed gazing into the spiral. Smoke... seductive... alluring... smoke... relax... smoke... sexy... attractive... smoke...

“Very good, Sara, you may relax. Now it is time for you to learn the relaxation ritual itself. This is no longer an exercise. You will be creating your personal relaxation ritual. Do you understand?”

“Yes... My own... ritual...”

The voice resumed after a brief silence. “Begin the ritual, Sara. You must OBEY.” Sara lit another cigarette. “Now, you will watch the smoke as it leaves... relax... and you will control the smoke... relax... as you control the smoke... you become more alluring... as you watch it drift, you relax even more... and become seductive... with the smoke... you want to obey the voice even more as you relax... you control the smoke and relax... desirable... control the smoke... relax... OBEY.”

Dr. Carter took a slow drag, inhaled, and exhaled smoke by exhaling normally. A thick stream of smoke flowed from her lips. So relaxing to watch the smoke... She quickly took another puff, repeating the action. Yes... relaxing... sultry... Sara leisurely tilted her head to the side for her next exhale, and noticed that some had seeped out through her nose. Relaxing... alluring... She took a deeper draw, lifting her chin, and let the smoke flow out through her mouth and nostrils. Sara watched the cloud swirl around her, relaxing... even... more... sexy...

“You may extinguish the cigarette, Sara. OBEY.” She slowly complied, unaware of the voice’s abrupt return. Sara watched the smoke waft in layers in the room, fascinated... relaxed... even more... “Yes, Sara, watch the smoke and go deeper into obedience for the voice of relaxation...” The tape went silent for about thirty seconds while Sara deepened her trance. “You will now obey the voice of relaxation. Repeat.”

“I will now obey the voice of relaxation. I will obey the voice of relaxation. I hear only the voice of relaxation. The voice commands me, and I obey... I must obey the voice,” she said, the quiet resolve in her voice belying her hypnotic state.

“Gaze into the spiral once again, Sara. Let it take you even deeper... down... spinning down... spinning Sara down... to complete obedience... to relaxation... to complete obedience... you will obey... you must obey... you must obey the voice...” Kendall’s skill at subliminal programming had temporarily erased Sara’s free will; she would do whatever the voice commanded at this point. “You will now remember the requirements for the relaxation ritual. What must the cigarettes say on the pack?”

“The cigarettes must say ‘120’ on the pack, for the relaxation ritual. I obey the voice...” The last part spilled out, residue from the constant subliminal bombardment. Sara continued to stare into the spiral, completely enthralled. A phone number had begun to appear in the hidden messages that she wouldn’t even be aware of until a command triggered the memory.

“Very good, Sara,” Kendall’s voice replied. It was always a guess at this point, but given the level of subliminal and hypnotic programming that each subject would have undergone by now, it was a safe bet that they would answer correctly. If not, there was always... “When the voice of relaxation counts to three, Sara, you will go into a very deep, very relaxing sleep. While you are asleep, the voice of relaxation will teach you, and you will learn. You will hear only the voice of relaxation. You must obey. REPEAT.” Sara’s eyes widened slightly, and she repeated the instructions verbatim, ending with a slow, drawn-out, “I... must... obey.”

“One... Two... THREE.” Sara’s body lost all tension, and she slumped sideways on the couch. The voice of relaxation began to speak to her, in her deepest dreams. “Sara, you will perform the relaxation ritual at least once daily, unaware of what has happened during the ritual. You may select any cigarettes that have 120 written on the pack. You must only use those kinds of cigarettes for the relaxation ritual. It is time for you to personalize the ritual. The relaxation ritual is graceful, elegant, alluring... seductive... sexy. You will watch the smoke leave and relax. You will watch yourself as you perform the ritual, creating relaxing patterns... holding the cigarette properly, and go deeper into trance as you relax... demonstrate your relaxation ritual in front of the mirror, with your cigarettes, the way you make the smoke leave... So relaxed... so seductive... so alluring... so elegant... so beautiful... so graceful... so relaxing...” The voice was silent for a few seconds. “You will learn how to create relaxing patterns using long cigarettes, Sara. You must find a long cigarette that feels good in your mouth, and your fingers and it must look good to you. You will obey the voice of relaxation. You must obey.”

“I... will... use... long... cigarettes... I must... obey...” She chanted in unison with Kendall’s voice: “I must smoke cigarettes that say 120 on the pack. I am seductive... I must watch the smoke as it leaves and relax... I am alluring as I relax... I must obey. I will control the smoke and watch... relaxation... ritual... I must obey.” Her eyes were closed, but she was completely under Kendall’s spell.

“When you change long cigarettes, you will call the magic number. You will speak to the voice of relaxation on the phone. Does that make you happy, Sara?” She purred happily, a dreamy enthusiasm. “You will obey the voice of relaxation, even over the phone. Do you understand?” Another quiet affirmation came from the sleeping doctor. “Very good. When the voice counts to three, you will open your eyes. Shut off the tape, and perform the relaxation ritual. When you have completed the ritual, you will put the materials away, and forget all that has happened. You will awake feeling completely refreshed, and alert. One... two... THREE.”

Sara Carter sat up, her eyes open. She lit a Carlton 120, taking a slow, easy pull as she stood, then headed for the nearest mirror. Sara watched herself smoke, watching the smoke as it drifted from her nose and mouth... relaxing... drifting... alluring... drifting...

* * *

Sara was thoroughly enjoying her vacation. She had lovingly stripped, cleaned, and re-varnished the ornamental woodwork in her foyer over the past three days, and figured she would go out to lunch. It was so wonderful not being stressed; the relaxation tape had gone unused for three days. She grabbed her purse and headed out the door. Where to lunch? Nowhere around the hospital, that was for sure. She didn’t want to see any of her coworkers and risk the subject of work coming up. Sara drove to a nearby drugstore first to get some hand lotion. She saw the myriad rows of cigarette packs behind the counter as she stood in line behind a couple of people. As she stepped up to the cashier, she suddenly pointed at something. The clerk followed her finger, and looked questioningly at her. “Do they say 120 on the pack?” Sara asked. The clerk said no, but this kind over here did. “Yes,” she replied, “I want one pack of those.” A faint smile came across her face and she felt a little more relaxed...

Sara had chosen a little barbecue joint that was owned by a family whose son had been in her ward. The boy’s father and uncle were happy to see her, and she decided to hang around for a while to speak with them, since the lunch rush was over. When the men sat down, they pulled out their cigarettes. She reached into her purse and removed the pack of More Menthols that she had just purchased. The much stronger cigarette didn’t faze her; after all, she was controlling... the... smoke... and... relaxing... She finished the cigarette, thanked the men for helping her to relax and headed for home.

That evening, Sara sat in her living room, languidly smoking a third More. She had gazed into the mirror while smoking the previous one to consider the figure she cut with a brown cigarette. TrËs chic, but graceful and elegant... No... no... that wasn’t quite it. She headed for the supermarket to shop after finishing the third cigarette, and returning the smoking materials to their hidden, instantly forgotten place.

At the supermarket, Sara stood in the checkout line that was right next to the single packs of cigarettes for sale. An urge washed over her from out of nowhere. She looked carefully at the counter, and picked up three different packs while she was waiting. Virginia Slims Luxury Lights... elegant... Capris... Luxury length... graceful... Eve Ultra light 120’s... feminine... When she got home, she called a number that had popped into her head several times today, but she couldn’t quite remember whose number it was. The line picked up on the other end. “Hello, this is Dr. Sara Carter... I was supposed to call this number, but I don’t remember exactly what it was in reference to.”

A deep voice on the other end answered. “Yes, Dr. Carter, I do remember. This is the voice of relaxation. You may go into your trance now. OBEY.”

Sara sighed once, and held the phone to her ear. “Yes, as the voice of relaxation speaks, you relax even more... going deeper... into obedience... you only hear the voice of relaxation... obey the voice, Sara. You will learn from the voice, and go deeper... the dot... taking you deeper... deeper... you will obey...”

“I... hear... only... the voice... of relax... relaxation,” the spellbound doctor breathed into the phone. “I will obey... I am going... deeper... for the voice... I must obey...”

“Excellent, Sara. The voice commands you to relax.” Sara let a very audible, happy sigh out. “You will perform the relaxation ritual now, Sara. Obey the voice of relaxation. OBEY.” She carried the cordless phone to the kitchen, removed the ashtray from its hiding place, and the pack of More Menthols from her purse. She exhaled, thick, creamy streams from her nose and mouth. “What brand are you smoking, Sara?”

So relaxed... so alluring... so... “I am smoking...” She paused to read the pack. “More Menthol 120’s.”

“How do you feel about the menthol in the smoke and the brown cigarettes?”

“Different... menthol... Brown... strange...” Sara took another deep, heavy draw, rolling the smoke around in her mouth before swallowing, and exhaling slowly with her head tilted upwards. She definitely noticed the difference that the menthol made.

“Then you will find another brand, one that is not brown, and one that does not say menthol. Do you understand, Sara? The voice of relaxation commands you to try another brand. You will obey.”

“Yes... another... brand... I obey...” Sara immediately extinguished the More, and pulled out the pack of Capri 120’s she had just bought. Menthol. Obey. She looked at the Eve Ultra Lights in her purse: they were menthol also. Obey. She removed the Virginia Slims 120’s, which by sheer luck were not menthol. She opened the pack, lit one, and exhaled. “I... am smoking... Virginia Slims... Luxury Lights...”

“Very good, Sara!” The voice on the phone responded with some surprise. “The voice of relaxation commands you to relax and enjoy the ritual. You are personalizing the ritual... observe... control the smoke... and relax...” Sara took a heavy draw on the cigarette, and watched the smoke flow from her mouth and nostrils... So relaxing... so graceful... so... elegant... “When you hang up the phone, you will forget the number. You will also fast-forward the third relaxation tape to the fifty-five minute mark before playing it from now on. It is blank for the first fifty-five minutes. Do you understand?”

“Yes... blank for fifty-five minutes... I understand.” She took another... relaxing drag from her... elegant... cigarettes... “So... relaxing... elegant...”

“You may hang up the phone, and complete the relaxation ritual. You will call the voice of relaxation again, when you view the tape again. When you have completed the ritual, you will forget everything that has occurred during the ritual and the materials you have used. You will forget this phone call, and feel refreshed and alert. OBEY.”

“I... will... call... again... I... obey the... voice of relaxation.” Sara slowly clicked the cordless phone off, and finished the relaxation ritual. She put all of the packs of cigarettes away with the lighter and ashtray, then busied herself around her kitchen, putting the groceries away. It was nine o’clock, and she had put in a very full day, but she wasn’t tired at all! She grabbed her gym bag. It was time for a nice late-evening workout.

* * *

Kendall Craft’s cock ached. Sara had accepted the subliminal programming amazingly well; she had already bought two different brands of cigarettes! She had even restarted the ritual right then and there without prompting over the phone! He smiled. Sara was going to be an excellent subject.

* * *

Dr. Sara Carter came home from the hospital almost physically exhausted, but so entirely on edge that her whole body was one giant knot. She put down her case and sat on the sofa, her head full of the day’s events. She knew what to do, though. There was a video tape that she liked to play when her life got busy like this. She opened her tape case and quickly found a tape labeled, “Relaxation Tape #3”, went over to the home theater system and put it in. Kicking off her shoes, she plopped onto the sofa and pressed the remote control for play. A few seconds later, a voice said, “Welcome to Relaxation Tape Number Three. This tape will allow you to release all of the tensions that have been built up during a stressful day. When the forty-five minutes is over, you will feel refreshed, and much more able to enjoy your free time. In order to have received this tape, you must have completed tapes one and two and mastered the methods within. To use this tape, please remember the lessons presented in the previous two tapes, and center yourself within the next minute.”

The voice began to count backwards from sixty, and Sara watched the blank screen, trying to let go of her memories from the day. “...Fifty... forty-nine... forty-eight...” It wasn’t working. “... Forty-one...” She couldn’t stop the image of the ugly scene in the emergency room that had caused a nurse to quit. “... Thirty-five... thirty-four...” Sara fought to replace it with one of the centering techniques she had learned from the previous tape. “... Twenty-six... twenty-five...” She steadied her breathing, and visualized herself as a mountain pool, cold, and crystal-clear. “... Twenty... Nineteen...” A drop of water hit her, and she rippled outward in concentric circles, still clear, barely moving at her center. “... Fourteen... thirteen...” The moon came out and reflected upon her still, peaceful, clear surface. “... Nine... eight... seven...” She was calm, undisturbed... remote... “... Two... One... zero. Are you centered?”

Sara’s breathing was perfectly regular. Her deep brown eyes were slightly widened, and fixed on the 35-inch television screen. “I am at center. I can hear the music,” she quietly replied. A very faint lilting melody had begun to play on the tape. A small white dot appeared on the pitch-black screen and began to pulse rhythmically. She immediately focused on the dot as she had been taught. The edges of the dot were fuzzy, and the dot would grow in size and fade, grow and fade, grow and... fade... grow... and... fade... grow...

The dot changed to a swirling, spinning spiral. Sara’s body swayed unconsciously at the implied sense of motion, but her eyes were now locked on the television. “Spin... spin... down... around... spinning... deeper... spiral... magic... deeper... relax... spinning... deeper... relaxing...” Her voice was a thick, slow whisper, longer pauses separating the words. “Deeeeper...”

After five minutes, the voice returned, embedded in the soft music. “Warmth... peace... relax... let go of your arms.” Sara’s arms quickly floated from down by her sides to fully extended above her head. “Now, when you hear the voice of relaxation say ‘zero’, your arms will drop and you will be completely relaxed, and only hear the voice of relaxation. Do you understand?”

“... Yes... Only the voice of relaxation... zero...” Sara haltingly, drowsily responded.

“Five... four... feel the weight—three... getting heavier... two... so heavy... one... can’t hold them... ZERO.” Sara’s arms dropped onto the sofa with a soft thump, and her head pitched forward, leaving her chin resting against her upper chest. “Very good,” the voice intoned. “Now you only hear the voice of relaxation, telling you to be still, at peace, deeply relaxed... close your eyes.” Sara’s eyes shut. “Feel the warmth and the pleasure of complete relaxation.” She smiled dreamily and an incoherent sound of happiness passed her lips. “The voice of relaxation will speak, and you will listen. The voice of relaxation will guide you, and you will follow. The voice of relaxation will teach, and you will learn. You will obey the voice of relaxation, of peace, of warmth. Do you understand?”

Sara felt warm and calm for the first time all day. Her eyes were still closed, but she smiled, even though her chin remained resting on her chest. “Yes... I... understand...”

“When you hear the voice say ‘three’, you may open your eyes and watch the spiral closely, while remaining totally relaxed. You will obey the voice.”

“I... will.. obey... the voice...”

“One... two... THREE.” Sara lifted her head, and she watched the black and white spiral rotate, holding her attention. “Isn’t it beautiful? Spinning, as you ride deeper, and deeper and deeper into its mystery. You relax more and more...”

“Spinning... deeper... relax... spiral... voice...”

“Now, go to your special place, the one you can only remember when you are spinning away into relaxation. You will do as the voice has taught. You must obey the voice of relaxation. When you have completed the relaxation ritual, you will call the voice on the phone using the number you may now remember. You must obey.”

“Yes... relaxation... ritual... I must obey... the voice of relaxation.” Sara rose from her seat, and went into the kitchen. She reached into her knick-knack drawer and removed a pack of Virginia Slims 120’s, a lighter and ashtray, then returned to the sofa. She pulled one out, crossed her legs and leaned back onto the sofa before lighting it. Taking a deep, full drag, she held the smoke a few seconds before turning her head leisurely to the side and exhaling slowly through her nose and mouth. Sara then looked back into the dancing spiral on the screen and waited, cigarette held high between her index and middle fingers. She took another long drag, tilted her head to the side, and, glassy-eyed, let the smoke waft from her nose and mouth.

“Elegant... beautiful... SEXY,” said the voice. ‘As you smoke, you relax. As you relax, you become alluring... SEDUCTIVE. You must never hurry. Do you understand?”

“Seductive... must... never... hurry. Yes... I understand...” Sara took another draw on the cigarette. She let the smoke flow from her mouth, barely breathing until it had formed a twisting, intricate trail around her head.

“And you also understand that you will only smoke long cigarettes, to be SEDUCTIVE as you RELAX. You must obey the voice.”

“Long... cigarettes... seductive... relax... obey...” Her fogged mind repeated the inferences that had been impressed upon it in its receptive state. She finished her cigarette, then rose, emptied the ashtray, and returned everything to its storage place. Thirty-five minutes after the tape had started, Dr. Sara Carter was back in front of the television, staring at the spiral, completely enthralled. She dialed a phone number on the cordless. “Hello. This is Sara. I have called.”

“Very good, Sara. Go deeper into relaxation for the voice. Are you relaxed?”

“Yes... relaxed...” Her mind clouded even more for the voice on the phone.

“You will answer the voice’s questions, and relax more with each answer, feeling warm, and happy. Tell me about the brand you smoke now?”

“I am smoking Virginia Slims 120’s. They are ... long... and ... elegant... look... sexy...” Sara sighed happily.

“Very good, Sara. Relaxation and warmth. You will smoke Virginia Slims 120’s from now on. Do you understand?”

“Yes... Virginia Slims 120’s. I understand... and I... obey.”

“When you hang up the phone, you will forget this phone number, and anything associated with smoking that you have done since the tape started. Do you understand?”

“Yes...”

“Excellent. After you have hung up the phone, you will take a deep breath, and surrender to total relaxation. Then you will follow the instructions on the tape. You will obey.”

“I... will... obey...”

“Until the next time you hear the voice of relaxation, Sara. Hang up the phone, and forget.”

Three minutes later, Dr. Sara Carter ejected the relaxation tape, feeling refreshed and re-energized. She was also completely unaware that she had been smoking only a few minutes earlier. In fact, to Sara’s conscious knowledge, she was, and had always been, a non-smoker. She put on her warm-ups and prepared to go to the gym for a quick workout. Sara always liked how much energy she had immediately after watching the relaxation tapes. She had no idea why she had been selected to receive them, but they were just what she needed.

* * *

Kendall Craft sat in his study quite satisfied with himself. The conversion of Sara Carter was going extremely well. Although she was unaware of the change in habits she was undergoing, she was responding perfectly to the conditioning. She had already worked up to and gotten her body to accept a fairly strong brand after only a month. It would not be long before it was time to send her the fourth tape, and put her into phase four of the program.

* * *

All the people around the sidewalk cafe table stood, several of them exchanging good-byes. Dr. Sara Carter gave hugs to a couple of her coworkers. “Good-bye... so long... I’ll see you guys tomorrow, but I really gotta get going,” Sara apologetically said. “That medical review stuff for the paper has got to go out by tomorrow.” She had gone out after work in a vain attempt to relax for a little bit, since she knew that she would be working late tonight at home. The relaxation tape would take too long; besides, Sara really didn’t like to rely on it exclusively. Too much of a good thing and all that.

She briskly walked back to the lot where she was parked, and her footsteps slowed as she approached and walked by... and stopped. Sara turned around, and went back to look in the window of a tobacco shop. A strange nagging feeling was playing on the outermost edges of her senses. It had something to do... something... relaxation... She shook her head to clear it, but the strange nagging sense wouldn’t go away. Sara shrugged, and figured that another five minutes wouldn’t hurt, so she went into the store. All kinds of tobacco fragrances filled her nose as soon as the door shut behind her. It was an—interesting—smell, not horribly unpleasant. She saw the cigars in the humidor room, and made a mental note; Dr. Grant would probably appreciate a few of those come Christmas time; he was a connoisseur of fine cigars. Even though smoking was against hospital policy, the head honcho was notorious for hosting cigar dinners. Emma, one of the new residents, had even gone to one, and had reported that she smoked a cigar there. Sara shook her head and chuckled. Not me. No way.

She was about to walk out when something in a display case caught her eye. She looked at the object, her body seemingly frozen in place. “Relaxation ritual... personalized...” Her ears were playing tricks on her. “Elegant... graceful... alluring...” Sara blinked her eyes slowly. What was... happening... to... “Relaxation... seductive... elegant...” Her... “Ritual... Obey... Smoke... Control... smoke... relax... need... relax... smoke..”

Twenty-five minutes later, Dr. Sara Carter was at home, in her bedroom, in front of her full-length mirror. She was relaxed, seductive and alluring, quite the elegant one as she removed one of her long, sexy Virginia Slims Luxury Lights from her new gold cigarette case, and leisurely placed it into her new, jet-black, four-inch long cigarette holder. Sara raised the Colibri lighter to the tip of the cigarette, and lit it, taking a long, relaxing, luxurious, elegant drag. She tilted her head and exhaled two thick streams from her nostrils, controlling the smoke... relaxing... sexy. She looked at herself with the holder, and the long cigarette in the mirror, and took another long, full draw. Sara watched the smoke stream slowly, like strands of thick white fog, from her lips and nose. Yes, this is my relaxation ritual, she triumphantly thought.