The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

I really miss you, Dad, Lacie Frasier thought wistfully as she knelt down to place a rose on her father’s gravestone. So much has happened since the last time I was here. Heck, considering that for the past several months you were alive and well in another alternate reality, it makes being here at your grave site all the more unreal. She sighed deeply as she rose back up. It seems like such a shame. I had enough power to fix all of the changes that King made to the timeline, reversed all the damage he did, brought everyone he’d killed back to life... even saved the universe from crashing in on itself... and I still couldn’t save you. I couldn’t bring you back.

Not that you’d probably appreciate being brought back the way you were. The same accident that made me who and what I am is the same one that maimed you, that gave you cancer. I’m not even sure it would have been possible for me to undo that without undoing the accident itself... which would likely have caused one of those paradoxes you always said would destroy the entire space-time continuum. But now I wonder. Maybe I could have done more. Maybe I could have fixed everything if I’d only been smarter... if I’d figured out how to stop King without destroying the gem... if I’d found a way to do... something different.

That’s the story of my life, I guess, she mused, walking slowly around the burial plot. I can save countless strangers, people who I will never even know, but when it comes to the people whose lives matter to me the most, I’m completely helpless. I know, I know... if you were here right now, you’d tell me to buck up, and stop feeling sorry for myself. You’d tell me that I’m only one woman, and no matter how strong I am, or how fast I can move, I can’t be everywhere at once. I can’t save everyone. I know that, and I understand that. But, well... it still hurts.

She paused for a moment, rubbing her stomach. Anyway... I came here to tell you... to let you know that you’re going to be a granddad. A small smile crept across her lips, pushing away the sadness. It’s still too soon to tell, but I have a good idea it’s going to be a boy. Oh Dad, I wish you could be here. I wish I could talk to you about this in person, could see your face light up at the news. You always wanted to be a grandfather. And I know you would have been a great one, if your counterpart in that ‘other world’ was any indication.

She sighed. I’m a little bit nervous, to tell you the truth. I mean, I’m practically invulnerable. I can take as well as I can dish out... but now, suddenly, I find myself walking on eggshells, being super extra careful about using my powers at all, to keep from hurting the baby I’m carrying. I haven’t been on patrol once since I left Midas, concerned that some thug might get in a lucky shot and hurt junior. I’ve asked Sarah how she managed to deal with it, how she kept from going completely insane, and her advice was to simply stop worrying, and let my maternal instincts guide me. Hah! Maternal instincts? I don’t know whether I should be avoid using my powers to expose the baby to them any more than necessary to protect him, or if I need to be using them full blast and hope the constant exposure strengthens him! Ugh! It’s not as if I have any Supers in my family tree to get advice from. And neither me or my kids in that other world had any special powers to be concerned about. I’m basically just feeling... a little overwhelmed...

“Loveling?” Gene said, coming up behind her. When she didn’t answer, he wrapped his arms around her. “Aye. I ken what yer feeling. I wish he were here too. The man just had a way about him... he always knew just what to say to calm you, to give you peace and clarity. I’ve... well, words aren’t exactly my strong suit. And I havenae been here for a long time... you’ve had to deal with so much on your own. It’s natural to feel a bit... overwhelmed.” He turned her to face him. “But yer not alone, love. I’m here now. I cannae make up for what happened to you while I was away, but I can do the verra best I can to help you get through this in the future.”

They held each other for a long moment, saying nothing, merely taking comfort and solace in each other. Then, finally, they pushed apart. “It’s getting cold out, love. Are ye ready to go back home now?” She nodded. “Alright. Head back to the car. I’ll be along in a bit. I just want to pay my respects as well.”

Once Lacie walked away, Gene dropped down to one knee. “Um. Good day, Sir. Uh, I’m not usually, er... good at this sort of thing. I wasnae verra vocal back when you were alive... we didnae talk much, and for that I’m sorry. I always figured I’d have time to talk to you about the really important things, ye ken? Basically... I feel a bit out of my depth. I dunno what kind of da I’m going to turn out to be, but I intend to do my verra best. I guess I’m lucky that I had you as a role model for the short time that I did. So, um... if yer not too busy up in Heaven, could ye find yer way to sending me down a drop or two of your wisdom, now and again? I’d be much appreciative.” He lay a white lily down across Lacie’s red rose, then turned and followed her to the car.

A lone white haired figure watched silently as the two drove away in their car. Once she was sure they were long gone, she walked over to the gravestone. “It’s been a long time, Gilbertson, you old codger,” she said with a long sigh. “Looks like you did a pretty good job raising her all by yourself, despite everything. I never liked you... never thought you were good enough for my daughter, and I would have bet any amount of money that with you raising her, Lacie Ann would have ended up a junkie, living on the streets, turning tricks.” She laughed ruefully. “I guess you proved me wrong. I don’t often admit to being wrong, but in your case, it looks like I was.”

“I should have taken the girl as well,” she said aloud, staring out at the evening sky. “So much time lost... so much that could have been accomplished if I’d been a little less stubborn, and a little mor open-minded.” She shook her head. “Ah, well. They say hindsight is always twenty-twenty... and my gift is all about hindsight. Your daughter has become valuable again, James,” she said, wrapping her body in ethereal scarley tendrils, and fading away slowly as the moon began to rise, “and the time has come for me to claim her...”

Relax now, dear. Just relax and let your mind drift... let your thoughts flow to me, free and clear. Open your mind to me.

Eva Snow’s brow furrowed slightly as she extended her psychic awareness forward, reaching into the young girl’s mind. She took temporary control of the girl’s body as well to keep her from crying out in alarm at the invasion, murmuring soft encouragement to the girl all the while. Relax, Ashley, everything is fine. Trust me. Just sit here and relax... don’t struggle. Just let me in, give me access to your inner mind... let me help you heal from the trauma you’ve endured.

Trauma? the girl thought back at the voice in surprise. How do YOU know about that? Who ARE you? What are you doing to me?

Shhh. I’m a friend, Eva sent back, wishing voicelessly that she had her sister’s empathic gifts. This was taking longer than she’d anticipated, and she didn’t want to have to explain what she was doing standing outside of the European History class’ lecture hall if someone walked by. Please. I need you to try and relax, Ashley. My name is Eva, and I know what you’ve been going through all these weeks. I know what James Phelps did to you, and I want to help you... but you need to stop fighting me and allow me access to your mind.

James? You know James? she asked, frowning slightly, fear and anger peppering her mind-voice. How... how do you know what’s wrong with me? The way I’ve been feeling lately...

I’m a psychic, Ashley. How I know about all of this isn’t important. What’s important is that I want to take away your pain. What you’ve been feeling all these weeks, the sense of uncertainty, the loneliness you can’t explain, the shame and sadness and emptiness that just seems to have no cause but won’t leave no matter what you do... all of it stems from James’ mental manipulation of your mind. He used a device to ensnare your mind, to enslave you to his whims, then erase the knowledge of what he’d done to you. But, he was sloppy, his wording too imprecise for what he intended. You were left with feelings of hurt, shame, betrayal... feelings that you had no associated memories to go with. Eva sighed softly. It’s no wonder you tried to slit your wrists two weeks ago.

Panic and anger welled up in Ashley again at the reminder of her botched attempt. And you’re saying James Phelps is the one behind all of this? He messed with my mind... he... he... I lost my virginity to him and I don’t even REMEMBER it? He’s the reason why I’ve been feeling... this way?

Eva sighed again. This was getting them nowhere. It would have been far easier and less time-consuming to simply worm her way through the girl’s mental barriers and root out all of the commands Phelps had left in her head, and unblock her hidden memories, but the process was extremely hard on the person enduring it, and from just the surface thoughts she’d gleaned, the poor girl had suffered more than enough. She could sense the girl’s distrust, that she was still fighting Eva’s presence in her mind despite all her words of wanting to help her. As much as she wanted to help Ashley deal with what had happened to her, she wasn’t about to traumatize the poor girl’s mind even more by simply bursting past her defenses. So, she switched tactics.

Linking fully with the girl’s mind, she sent Ashley an abbreviated version of what she’d been doing the past three weeks, how she’d tracked down the rest of Phelps’ victims, removing his mental commands and healing the psychic trauma of each person, one by one. She also sent her a clear memory of Eva’s visit to the state detention center where Phelps was being held, and slowly, but surely, she felt the girl relax, and begin to trust her.

Alright. Do you believe me now, that I only want to help you feel better?

Yes. I’m sorry... it’s just... I’m just so angry... and it hurts so much inside... Ashley sent back. Will it... will it hurt? What you’re going to do to me?

Eva smiled softly. No, my dear. It won’t hurt, if you trust me and let me inside your mind. It will be... a bit strange, and a little disconcerting, but I promise you, you’ll fell much much better when I’m done.

Okay, Ashley said, sighing inwardly, closing her eyes. I trust you, Eva.

Closing her own eyes as well, Eva dove into the girl’s open mind. She extended her awareness even more, quieting the girl’s thoughts, separating the girl’s consciousness from the rest of her mind, leaving her emotionally detached for the moment. She easily found Phelps’ tampering, sticking out like jagged rocks in the otherwise smooth stream of Ashley’s mind. Removing them one by one, she then led Ashley’s consciousness to the crude but heavy wall Phelps had erected to hide the memories of what he’d done to her. Slowly, gently, she lowered the wall, keeping the girl’s mental essence grounded from the emotional backlash of the memory of her own abuse. She, however, was not to lucky, and outwardly she groaned, feeling sick to her stomach at the cavalier way Phelps deflowered the helpless mindless girl. The other memories were not as bad, though each showed Phelps’ Machiavellian nature with regard to his ‘conquests’, using the girl as if she existed solely for his pleasure.

I didn’t think it was possible after sifting through all the memories he’s left buried deep in these girls’ minds these past few weeks, Eva thought to herself, but I actually hate Phelps even more than I did before.

Memories restored, Eva set about gently returning the emotional connections to the memories, starting from the most recent and working her way backwards, leaving the most painful ones for last. She felt Ashley recoiling as her feelings returned, and reached out, blunting her perceptions a bit more, easing the girl’s pain but not hiding it from her. I’m sorry, sweetheart, she apologized, but you have to face your pain. Don’t let it destroy you, Ashley... everything that happened to you was HIS fault, not yours. He is a monster, and what he did was unforgivable, but you can rise above it.

No! NO! It’s... it’s too much! Oh God... oh God... his hands... I can still feel him... pawing at me... I can smell him... ugghhh... taste him... in my mouth... Ashley began to keen softly, her anxiety turning to full blown panic. Only Eva’s control over her body kept her from screaming, or falling to the floor in the fetal position. I can’t handle this! Please! Make it all go away... PLEASE! MAKE IT GO AWAY! MAKE IT GO AWAY!

Alright, alright, relax, Eva sent back, wearily. Reaching in, she broke the emotional connections again, leaving Ashley detached once more. I’m sorry, child. I thought you were strong enough to handle this. I didn’t mean to cause you more distress. Still... you have your memories back again. You KNOW what happened to you, even if you have no emotional attachment to the facts right now. She considered. Maybe you need time to better process everything that’s happened. There were a couple more of his victims that couldn’t fully face the knowledge of what had happened to them, either. Sometimes, it just takes time to deal with it. The important thing is not to try and hide from this, Ashley. Don’t try and pretend that it never happened, okay?

Inside the lecture hall, the instructor was wrapping up the lecture, and the students began packing up to leave. Listen, Ashley, I’ll have to leave you in a few minutes. Take my words to heart, and when you feel you are strong enough to face those feelings again, give me a call. I left my cell phone and my office number deep within your memory; when you’re ready, you’ll know how to contact me. Eva opened her eyes, and released her control over Ashley’s body. For now, just focus on healing, alright? When you feel up to it, I think you’ll find your friends Jasmine and Angela really good listeners. With that, she broke the mental link, and walked away.

“What is it, love?” Veronica Mitchell asked her boyfriend as he suddenly stopped in mid-step. “Do you hear something?”

“You won’t believe it,” Parker Albinn said with a chuckle. Taking her by the arm, he headed swiftly back the way they’d come, back towards an empty alleyway between buildings. “The new Banner Bank over on Fifth Street is being robbed... again!”

“You’re kidding!” Roni said with a shake of her head. “Robbed again? That’s... what? Third time this month?”

“Fourth,” Parker said with a smirk, as they arrived at the alleyway. A quick check to make sure they were alone, and they began slipping out of their street clothes. “You’d think the crooks in this town would figure out a couple of Supers live nearby and at least move on to a different location after the last three attempts!” He slid his midnight black cowl over his head, then fastened his belt around his waist. “Hey. You think the bank will give us some kind of reward for all the repeat service? A new toaster would be nice.”

Roni merely sighed softly as she finished dressing, sliding her neckerchief over the lower part of her face. She checked the weapons hidden within the seams of her costume as a habit, then strapped her katana and sheath to her back. “What can you tell me about our would-be robbers?” she asked, packing away their street clothes into a backpack, hiding it behind a large green dumpster.

Parker frowned, closing his eyes, listening. “Hmmm. Kinda hard to break it down to specifics, the people inside are kind of panicked, and screaming... but from all the hullaballoo they seem armed. And... there’s two of them. A man and a woman.” He grinned again. “Sweet. A matched pair. Haven’t had co-ed crooks in a while. This should be fun.”

“Uh huh,” Roni said with a smirk. She tried not to encourage him, but his enthusiasm was catching. Plus, after the last couple of penny-ante crimes they’d stopped, she was looking forward to a workout. “So, it’s three blocks away. Are we taking the car, or the ‘super speed express’ this time?”

Echo frowned, considering. “Well... Gene said I shouldn’t push the suit’s new sonic enhancements too hard this soon... but I figure we might as well get all the bugs out taking out easy ones like this rather than during some titanic full-on battle against another Super where having something malfunction at the wrong time could end up getting one of us killed.” He tapped a few small hidden seams in his costume, and a soft muffled buzzing sound hummed from somewhere beneath the fabric. He grunted slightly, nearly doubling over, caught slightly off guard, but recovered quickly. Wrapping his arms around Shinobi, he lifted her into his arms. She giggled.

“Wow! I have to say I like your suit’s new enhancements,” she whispered softly in his ear. “You’re like a walking, talking, vibrator. Maybe you should wear it to bed tonight?”

Parker rolled his eyes. “You know, when Gene and I first talked about the designs for this thing, I told him you’d say something like that. He said it would probably take you a few days to make the connection, but I knew it would be the first time I turned it on. And surprise, surprise, I was right on the money.”

Fully charged with sonic energy, Echo sprinted down the street, zipping nimbly between traffic, arriving at the front of the bank in only a few minutes. He’d just set Shinobi back on her own feet again when the door opened, and the two robbers walked out. The man, wearing a large brown trench coat and a fedora, held two large bags of money, and the woman, likewise dressed, still facing the front of the bank, held what appeared to be an old style Tommy gun in her hands. Echo cleared his voice loudly, and both crooks stopped, spinning around to face them.

“Whoa. Nice get up,” Echo said, crossing his arms at his chest. “Very retro, dudes. Let me guess. You’re Bonnie and Clyde?”

“Not bad, Junior,” the man said with a slight bow. “As a matter of fact, those are our names. Clyde Barrow, at your service, and my lovely young companion here is Bonnie Parker. I know what you’re thinking, but no, no relation to that famous pair, though considering our names, following in their footsteps as bank robbers just seemed like poetic justice, don’t you think?”

“I think you talk too much, Clyde,” Bonnie said, raising the gun barrel. “Let’s just shoot them and be done with it. The cops are probably already on the way!”

Roni and Parker glanced at one another. “Really?” Parker asked, incredulously. “’Let’s just shoot them’? You have two of the city’s premiere Super Heroes standing right in front of you, and you’re more concerned about the cops coming along?” He shook his head. “I think I actually feel insulted.”

“Well, don’t worry about that, my friend,” Clyde said, dropping the bags, pulling two Glock 32’s from his coat. “In just a second, you won’t be feeling anything at all.”

“Oh, crap,” Parker murmured as the two robbers took aim. Slapping the hidden seams in his suit, he extended his arms in front of him. Focusing the abundant sonic energies circling his body, he formed a translucent shield on front of them just as the bullets began flying. Metal, deflected by sound, flew in all directions, striking the ground, hitting trees and parked cars, as well as the sides of nearby buildings. Bonnie shrieked, jerking back, pausing her shooting. Shinobi took advantage of the momentary cease-fire, drawing her sword as she surged forward. Bonnie raised the gun barrel again at the threat, but Shinobi struck first, double-slashing with her blade, slicing the Tommy gun into three pieces.

“Damn!” Bonnie yelled, dropping the useless gun handle and trigger. She reached for the snub nose revolver hidden in her coat, but again, the ninja was faster. Raising a glowing fist, she stabbed forward, piercing the girl’s skull with a blade of glowing light. Bonnie stiffened, going completely rigid as Roni’s psychic blade pierced her mental defenses, cutting through to the very core of her being.

“You’re a cold, heartless, self-absorbed bitch,” Shinobi said casually, as she twisted the dagger before dispersing it, allowing the girl to slip to the ground, unconscious, “but that’s just stating the obvious. After connecting to your mind, I feel a strong urge to vomit. I’m definitely taking a shower once I get home.”

“Bonnie!” Clyde yelled, seeing his partner fall. Growling, he turned to fire on the ninja, then gasped in surprise, finding his hands empty, the guns snatched away in the blink of an eye. “What the hell?”

“Sorry, pal,” Echo said, twirling both guns idly around his index fingers for a second before tossing them away. “I happen to like Shinobi the way she is, minus the bullet holes. And anyway, your girl’s not hurt, just knocked out... the way you’re about to be.” Making a fist, he rushed towards the stunned bank robber, hitting him with a series of rapid-fire punches. The man stumbled back, sighed deeply as his eyes crossed, then fell to the ground.

“You alright, love?” Shinobi asked, walking over to her partner. “You look a little winded.”

“I’m fine,” Parker replied, breathing deeply. “Just... out of practice, I guess. It takes a lot more out of me to move that fast than it used to. Whew!” He shook his head, feeling momentarily dizzy. “Ughn... maybe we should go inside so I can sit down for a sec. It’d be totally embarrassing to pass out and fall flat on my face after taking down these two goofballs.”

Roni smiled. “Well, if you’re still able to crack jokes then you can’t be too bad off. Come on. Let’s go inside and let the bank manager know their money is safe.”

Eva hummed softly to herself as she pressed the elevator button, waiting for the car to arrive and carry her back downstairs. True, she hadn’t been able to help Ashley as much as she’d hoped, but the girl was much better off with Phelps’ commands out of her head. And if nothing else, she knows what happened to her now. She knows it’s not her fault that she’s been feeling so empty and hollow inside. The emotional block I gave her concerning those memories will give her time to come to terms with everything. Hopefully, she’ll seek me out when she’s ready to deal with them, but even if she doesn’t, the block is designed to fade away slowly, bit by bit, easing her into it instead of bombarding her with all of them at once.

The bell rang, signaling that the car had arrived, and seconds later, the door opened. She stepped inside, then hit the hold button as a young dark skinned girl ran up to the elevator as well. “Thanks for holding the door,” the girl said, slipping inside her to her. “Hi, I’m Melody. I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. What class do you teach?”

“Class? Oh, no, I’m not an Instructor here. I was just here vesting a friend,” Eva said. She smiled at the girl, then frowner, raising an eyebrow as her mind latched onto the girl’s surface thoughts. ... all my fault.... still missing after all these weeks... should never have told her about that damned flyer... no one believes me... need to speak to the police again... maybe call her parents and see if they’ve heard from her...

“Excuse me,” Eva said, casually, causing the girl to turn and face her. “Sorry to bother you, but you seemed like you were... concerned about something. Like you had a lot on your mind.”

The girl blinked, then blinked again, slowly. She hadn’t really noticed before, but the blonde woman before her seemed to have the most beautifully captivating blue eyes. “Something... on my... mind?” she replied, feeling confused. Try as she might, she found it impossible to look away from those blue sparkling eyes. Her head felt fuzzy and light-headed, and it was becoming harder to think about anything... anything but those gorgeous blue eyes.

“Yes, dear,” Eva said, reaching out to flip the car stop switch, bringing the elevator to a halt. “There is something on your mind... something that is deeply troubling you. It would make you feel so much better to talk about it with someone you trust... someone like me. You do trust me, don’t you, dear?” Eva nodded slowly as she spoke, and Melody’s head nodded as well, matching her own perfectly.

“Yes...” the girl answered back softly. “Trust... you... will feel better... to talk about it... with you... yes...”

“Good girl,” Eva replied, soothingly, caressing the girl’s cheek. “Now, tell me what happened to your friend. Start from the beginning, and think about it very carefully. Let the memories flow clearly through your mind as you speak.” Obediently, the girl nodded, and began telling Eva about her missing friend.

“My friend, Elise, and I were talking after class about two weeks ago. It was Friday, and we were trying to decide what to do for the weekend. She’s here on a partial scholarship, and a few government grants, but between tuition, and books, and supplies, she can barely afford McDonald’s once in a blue moon! I’m kind of in the same boat, but not nearly as bad off as she is. So, naturally, we’re always on the lookout for ads posted on the college bulletin board... you know, professors needing lab assistants, or instructors willing to hire a part time babysitter... that sort of thing. Well, I’d found an ad posted a few days before... some company was doing genetic research, and was willing to pay big money to people willing to undergo testing, and possibly donate a sample of their DNA for further research.

“I called the number... I guess they were pretty busy, because they kept me on hold forever... though I did kind of like the hold music playing in the background... really nice and relaxing... anyway... finally, this guy named Dominic answers the phone and starts right off asking me the usual bunch of questions: how old was I, what race, what nationality, my height and weight. But then the questions started getting personal, like whether or not I was a virgin, my sexual orientation, whether I currently had a partner or not... when the last time I had sex was, and whether or not I enjoyed it. I mean, I was kinda weirded out... but for some reason, I answered every question he asked. It was like, I couldn’t help myself. The words just tumbled out of my mouth! Finally, he told me to write down an address, and told me what day and time to be there. Then he hung up. I guess I must have zoned out a bit, because the next thing I knew I was standing there holding the card with the address he’d given me in one hand, and the beeping phone in the other.

“I guess I’d kind of forgotten about it for a while, until Elise started moaning about not having any money. I remembered the card then, I’d been carrying it around with me in my back pocket all this time, but looking back on it then, remembering how weirded out I felt about all those personal questions, I told Elise that I wasn’t going to go. She asked if she could have my appointment, and I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ I mean, for something like this, one person was a good as another, right? Well... that’s what I thought, anyway. Elise took off to meet with the guy about the ad, and I went back to my room. I expected her to call me up, first thing in the morning, to tell me all about it, but she never did.

“I went by her room Saturday afternoon, but she wasn’t there. I tried her cell a few times, but she never answered. I was actually starting to get a bit worried, remembering again how creeped out my conversation with Dominic has made me. I even tried calling the phone number listed on the ad again, but the number was out of service! At that point, I was totally freaked out! I went to campus security first, told them about what had happened, and they told me to call the police! I called them, and they gave me the usual response... that since she hadn’t been gone for forty-eight hours there was nothing they could do. I was at my wit’s end. If I had known the address where I’d sent her, I would have gone there myself, but I couldn’t remember, and I’d only scribbled down one copy of Dominic’s directions. I spent most of the next day worrying about her, scared to death that something bad had happened, and that it was all my fault. Sunday night, she still hadn’t shown up, and this time instead of calling, I went down to the police station to talk to them in person.

“The police station was a madhouse. When I walked in, at least seven other people were yelling and shouting at the desk sergeant, all trying to be heard at once. The rest of the desks seemed to be full as well, with uniformed and plains clothes police taking reports and statements from people. I wondered if something big was going on, if anyone would even take my missing friend seriously. I’d almost decided to leave and come back later, when an officer entering the building saw me, and asked me what I needed. I told him about Elise being missing, and he told me what was going on.

“Apparently a number of other people all around the city had gone missing over the past month. A lot of them were the kinds of people you didn’t really notice, like the homeless, or teenage runaways living on the streets, but quite a few of them had families and friends that noticed their absence. The police hadn’t really taken much notice at first, but when a city councilman’s teenage daughter went missing, they noticed. A little bit of investigation showed a kind of pattern, that the disappearances all revolved around ads about some company doing genetic research, offering money for volunteers. The problem was that there was never any information about the company itself, or the people making the offers. Every phone number given in each ad was different, and all of them were disconnected. They even tried tracking down the source, which lead to an overseas call center in Taiwan, whose services had been rented by an ‘anonymous business man’ on a week-by-week basis.

“The police had no leads. All they did was take my report, take down what I little I knew about the people responsible, and sent me home. I’ve been hoping every day for her to come back... or give me a call. Or to hear something from the police, that they’ve found her, that they caught the people responsible. Something... some word that she’s okay. Or even... some word that she’s not. It’s so hard... not knowing.” Sigh. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t given her that damned card...”

Eva sighed softly, caressing the girl’s cheek again. “Shhhh. It’s okay, child. It’s okay. Just relax now... take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. You still feel really sad and guilty about your part in this tragedy... but it’s not your fault. You didn’t know what would happen. And if you hadn’t given Elise your appointment, it would most likely be her feeling guilty about YOU being lost. Listen to me closely, Melody. It’s not your fault.”

The dark-skinned beauty blinked. “It’s not... my fault...” she said dubiously, not fighting, but not quite accepting Eva’s words either.

“You did everything you could think of to help your friend.”

“I did... everything... I could think... of... to help... my friend...” She still sounded unsure, but less than before.

“You were a good friend. You gave her the note because you wanted to help her.”

“I... I was... a good... friend...” she said slowly, as if she was only now realizing it. “I gave her the note... because I wanted to help her...”

“It wasn’t your fault, Melody,” Eva said gently.

“It... wasn’t my fault,” Melody repeated back, finally accepting the hard truth.

Damn. This is all... so easy. And nice. It wouldn’t take a lot to get this sweet little thing to follow me back home... maybe ‘convince’ Melissa how nice it would be to have a three-way... With an effort, she pushed the image out of her head. No. I’m doing this to help these poor girls, not take advantage of them, the way Phelps did. But... there’s nothing wrong with leaving a small seed of interest with the girl... to maybe seek me out next time she’s lonely and in the mood...

“Good girl,” Eva said aloud. “Now, I want you to remember that thought, clearly and perfectly, even as the memory of everything else that happened in this elevator fades and becomes dim and hazy. When the door opens, you can wake up fully, remembering only that you had a nice little chat with a friend, and she listened while you got some things off your chest. You’ll know that you feel better because of it, and will be able to go on with the rest of your day without all the guilt and sadness you’ve carried with you for so long. And finally, you will leave this elevator car, secure in the knowledge that your friend will be rescued, even if you’re not sure HOW you’re so certain. Do you understand, my dear?” The girl nodded sleepily, and Eva smiled. “Good girl. Now close those cute brown eyes of yours and relax.” The girl obeyed, flawlessly, and Eva flipped the switch once more.

Melody’s eyes popped open as the elevator dinged, signaling that they’d reached the bottom floor. She blinked, then blinked again as she stepped out, feeling strangely calm and serene for a change. She paused, glancing back at the elevator, as the doors closed behind her, but there was no one inside. But wait... wasn’t I just talking to... someone? she thought, momentarily confused. A friend... dressed in all white? She shook her head, then shrugged. Oh well, I’ll remember her name when I see her again. I’m sure I’ll see her around somewhere. It’s a pretty small campus. Maybe next time I’ll get the chance to thank her...” she said, blushing slightly, “for just listening to me talk. I feel so much better now.

Eva watched the young girl walk away with a smile on her face, then sighed to herself. Taking out her cell phone, she dialed her nephew’s phone number, then grunted softly as it went straight to voice mail. “Parker. It’s Aunt Eva. Looks like we have a problem. People are disappearing all over the city, kidnapped, or worse. Apparently it’s been a problem for a while, at least more than a month, but so subtle no one put it together until just recently. It kind of reminds me of that ‘incident’ with The Collector a few years back. Obviously, we need to talk about this in person. Call me when you get this message. In the meantime, I’m going to start looking around myself. I don’t have much,” she said, focusing on a specific memory pulled from Melody’s mind, “but I do have an address: 19305 Walter Lane. I’m going to start there.”