Falling Ashes

"I'm going to go get our badges and the program of events," Ashes said to the group she was travelling with. "You guys go find out when the next demonstration is."

Ashes, a 25-year-old redhead, was part of a group who traveled through three states in a rented van to attend Bewitched!, a hypnosis fetish convention held in the DuPont Hotel ballroom. A hypno-fetishist as far back as she could remember, the magic of the internet showed her she wasn't alone. After years of scouring message boards, talking in chat rooms and joining any number of hypno-kink servers, Ashes had found a small group of like-minded folks from all over the country whom she truly considered her friends.

A blue-eyed stunner with a body that earned a second glance from every man, and many of the women she passed on a normal stroll down the street, it was her fiery red hair, and personality that inadvertently made her to focus of any room she entered. A mixture of childlike glee and wonderment, mixed with hard-earned independence, and an unmistakable sensuality made the very air around Ashes pulse with overcharged energy just waiting to burst.

"Welcome to Bewtiched," a youngish man with black hair, a pale complexion, and a black collared short sleeve shirt asked Ashes as she got to the check in desk. He, as well as the rest of the event staff, had red and white spirals emblazoned on their uniform shirts. "Did you pre-register?"

"We did," Ashes said, retrieving her ID from her purse and giving it to the check-in clerk. "I'm part of a group of five. We registered under 'The Forsaken Ones.'" As he took her license, the clerk almost, but not entirely, hid an eye-roll at the clever name of the group.

"Yes, here you are," he said, crossing their name off his list and presenting Ashes with a handful of lanyards. "You will need these to come in and out of the convention floor, as well as to attend any demonstrations, shows, or classes. Please take the time to go over all the rules of the convention before engaging in any sort of hypnosis with anyone."

Ashes nodded as she took the badges. Just then, two large, heavily muscled security personnel were dragging a man from the floor to the hotel lobby.

"I didn't break any rules," he was shouting. The giant men in the black shirts with 'Security' in white block letters across their backs continued on as if they couldn't hear him. "This was exactly what she wanted. She said she wanted to be surprised, and all I did was give her what she wanted. I paid a lot of money to be here!"

Ashes watched the scene with wide eyes as he was ejected from the event.

"The most important rule, of course, is you must get clear consent before trancing or hypnotizing anyone," the clerk said before looking past Ashes to the next person in line.

"I suggest you take that rule very seriously," a voice came from behind Ashes. The voice was calm, low, and what could only be described as dark and mellow. It left a pleasant feeling in one's ears as he spoke. Ashes' ears were already tingling. "They obviously tolerate no deviation from their consent clause."

She turned to find a man in his late forties, possibly early fifties with dark hair, a salt and pepper beard that spoke of his age and experience, wide shoulders, a slight smile and kind, welcoming eyes.

"Oh, um," Ashes stammered, her thoughts suddenly a bit jumbled. "I don't have to um, worry about that. I'm not a tist, I'm more of a sub."

"Well, then, be sure to grant, or more importantly, withhold such consent very clearly," he said, his eyes smiling wider than his mouth. He offered his hand, big and strong; more suited to an iron worker or a lumberjack than a hypnotist, Ashes thought, as she watched her small, pale fingers disappear into his grip. "Liam Fitzgerald. A pleasure to meet you, Miss?"

"Ashes," she said, barely over a whisper. What's wrong with me, she thought. "My name is Ashes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fitzgerald."

"Please," he said, placing his other hand atop hers, making small, soft circles with his palm. "It's Liam. To some, it's the Amazing Fitzgerald, to others, it's simply Master. To you, lovely Ashes, it's Liam."

"Liam," she repeated, looking into his eyes. Were they blue? Clear blue? The color of summer, she thought; the color of the wind. Perhaps the calming color of...of..."Sleep."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Liam asked, still holding her hands. Her arms had gone somewhat limp, but she either hadn't noticed, or more likely, didn't care. "I didn't catch that."

Shaking her head as clear as she could, she smiled, giggled nervously and withdrew her hand slowly.

"I said, I haven't had much sleep," she lied. "My friends and I drove across three states to be here."

"Oh, where are your friends now?"

She looked around the room, scanning every gathering, every crowd and line before spotting them.

"They're over there," she said and pointed. "I got their badges while they got in line for the NLP demonstration."

"Oh, that's a fantastic and informative lecture," he said. "A friend of mine put it together. But, I'm afraid it's one of the more popular rooms at the con. Your friends are going to be in line for at least 45 minutes."

"Oh, dear," she said. "Maybe we should wait."

"Oh, no," Liam quickly dismissed the thought. "The wait won't get better all through the convention. If they are in line, it's probably best they stay there. In the meantime, would you allow me to buy you a cup of coffee? Perhaps help perk you up after your multi-state journey?"

"YES!" he mind screamed, the volume in her head making her blink before she spoke.

"Oh, that's very kind," she said. "But, I have to get these badges to my friends, and they will worry about where I've gone."

Without a word, Liam took the badges from Ashes, who offered no resistance as he plucked them from her hands. As luck would have it, one of the security guards who had ejected the errant hypnotist had returned and was walking by.

"Excuse me," Liam said, getting the large man's attention. "Would you please see that those young people over there receive these badges? They mistakenly left them at the check-in table."

"Sure," the man said, pleasantly. "Happy to."

"Oh, wait," Ashes said, stopping the guard. She plucked her own badge out of the pile, smiled at him innocently, and said, "Thank you!"

"There's a coffee shop right in the lobby," Liam said. "M'lady?" He offered his arm, and, blushing like a teenager, Ashes giggled and took it as they walked from the convention room floor.

Sitting in a dimly lit corner of a Bohemian-style café, the new friends sat in a booth with a circular, over-stuffed couch around a white, Formica table.

"So, you've been to many of these conventions?" Ashes asked, sipping her coffee. The normalcy of drinking coffee in a public place, along with the strong bean-brew seemed to clear her mind a bit. "This is only my second."

"Oh, I've been to dozens or more," he said, adjusting himself in his seat, and landing a bit more that an inch closer to Ashes. She didn't seem to notice. "Part of the price of doing this professionally."

"That's so exciting," she said, trying not to sound too much like a fan girl. "How long have you been a hypnotist?"

"Oh, since before you were born, I'm afraid," he said, chuckling. "Before the internet, most hypnosis was considered to be either quack science, or a nightclub act. Hypnotists were villains in movies and comic books. We were never mainstream, and erotic hypnosis was barely even heard of, let alone spoken about.

"I couldn't imagine," she said, taking another sip of coffee before setting it on the table. "It's been such a big part of my life and identity. I'd feel so alone back then, I think."

"Oh, we did," he said, in an almost forlorn tone that mad Ashes feel for him. "But we made due. We got to be part of bringing it all out in the open, and that was truly exciting."

She smiled as his attitude perked up. Somewhere inside of her subconscious, she was slightly aware that his happiness made her very happy. She really wanted Liam to be happy. She placed her hand on his, which was resting on the table, leaned in a little and said,

"Well, thank you for paving the way for us all." And kissed him on the cheek. He smiled sweetly and proudly, and Ashes was so focused on that, she didn't notice when he reached up a big finger and grab two of hers, holding her hand helplessly down on his. As she leaned back to her seat, Liam stared with interest at her ears.

"My, but those are beautiful earrings," he said. "Are those little silver spirals?"

Ashes blushed again. She couldn't remember a time when she felt herself go flush so often in so short a time. She giggled and said,

"Yes, they were a gift to myself. They have a small garnet in the center, too."

With his free hand, Liam reached out to touch the small bits of jewelry. He leaned in closer, and as he did so, he started making small circles over the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Exquisite," he said, barely over a whisper, and Ashes could feel the gentle breeze of his breath glide across her skin. She shivered. He smiled. He started softly rubbing her earlobe with the same pattern and speed as the thumb rubbing her hand. Without realizing it, Ashes sighed and craned her neck to the side to give him better access. "You have always loved hypnosis," he whispered. It wasn't a question.

"Mmm..yes...I have..." she agreed, shifting in her seat, but making no attempt to pull from him. "I've always love...loved...hhypnossisss..."

Liam scooted closer to her, never letting go, and never stopping the slow, relaxing onslaught of circles on her freckled, alabaster skin.

"You love being hypnotized," he whisper/growled into her ear. His mouth was barely a half inch from her now, and the heat from his body, combined with the breath on her skin made Ashes melt into her seat and lean further into him. He responded by giving her ear a small, gentle nibble.

"Oh," she said, not startled, but suddenly overwhelmed with a rush of tingling pleasure. She tried to open her eyes, but they immediately crossed, unfocused, and rolled back into her head. Letting her eyelids flutter closed once more, she whispered, "Love to be...hypn...hyp..tize..."

Liam moved his hands from her ear and slowly began raking his big fingers through her long, red hair. Lightly scratching her scalp back and forth, while rubbing spirals on the back of her hand, the experienced hypnotist was combing tactile joys with simple truths, whispered to her in such a way that every word he said made her hair stand on end, and her body squirm, if only a little.

"Good girl," he purred into her ear, and Ashes nearly moaned as her body and mind were assaulted with a wave of indescribable pleasure. "Such a good girl."

"I pleased him," her fuzzy mind was nearly able to comprehend. "I'm such a good girl." She straightened up in her seat to pull even closer into him; into his words; into his warmth, when the lanyard she had put around her neck caught the edge of her cardboard cup, spilling it across the table. It didn't spill on either of them, but the unexpected event was enough to bring her slightly out of the Amazing Fitzgerald's thrall.

"Wait..." she said, slowly looking left and right, unable to comprehend the situation. She made no attempt to pull her hand from his, and as he continued to rub his thumb on her tiny hand, he also began to shake and wiggle her limp arm a little.

"Shhhh," he hushed her, and his compassionate, yet calming response was enough to make her smile and sink into her seat, but only a bit. "This is where you belong. This is where you want to be."

Liam began wiggling his fingers in front of her eyes while making magnetic passes with his hand. The passes were almost imperceptible to anyone who may be looking their way, but to Ashes, they were like the ebb and flow of the tide. Her eyes, heavy with trance, followed left and right...back and forth...

"But, my...my friendsss..." she said, barely audibly. "The con...the...convenn...shun...rules...nnneeeeed...mmmmmm...connnnsssssennnnt..." Her eyes were rolling now, and she couldn't help but smile. Something seemed wrong, her mind told her, but her world felt more comfortable, more pleasure-filled than she could remember. Liam kept shaking her arm, rubbing her hand, and dripping honey-sweet words into her open, fuzzy mind.

"A hypnotist needs clear consent before engaging in trance or hypnosis," he whispered, still making wiggling, magnetic passes before her sleepy eyes. Her head was so heavy, it was difficult to keep upright, and started bobbing slowly to her chest.

"Mmmm...conssssssennnnt..." she cooed. It was impossible to determine if she meant she was giving consent, or merely parroting his last statement. However, it made little difference.

"Those are the rules for the convention, sweet, dear Ashes," he said, his passes becoming more pronounced, the shaking of her arm harder now. "But we're not at the convention, are we? The convention is at least fifty feet away. We walked fifty feet from the convention, Ashes...50...40...30...20...10...9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2...one!"

On one, Liam dropped his magnetic hand, causing Ashes' eyes to slam shut. Simultaneously, he gave her arm a quick jerk towards him, and she collapsed, happily sleeping in lullaby trance into his chest. He immediately began stroking her hair, running his big fingers across her scalp and whispering deepening mantras into her welcoming ears.

A short time later, Ashes and Liam walked out of the coffee shop, her leaning lovingly on his side as he guided the sleeping beauty towards their destination. There were signs and banners up all over the hotel advertising the hypnosis convention, so anyone who may have considered her behavior a bit odd, and truthfully none did, would have attributed simply to the convention.

When Ashes stirred once more, she was in Liam's room at the DuPont Hotel. She was lying upon the pillow-soft mattress of his king-sized bed...or perhaps she was floating on a cloud. Was the warmth of the sun shining on her, or was it nighty-night, bedtime dark? She couldn't quite discern if she was fully clothed, wearing ethereal robes, or perhaps as naked as the day she was born.

With a soft "Shhhh..." in her ear, all those concerns faded away. None of it mattered. She was in her place of pleasure. She was safe. She was safe with Liam. She was a good girl. She allowed her mind to again drift and go blank...like good girls do.

Suddenly, she felt his fingers in her hair again; how she loved that sensation. She craned her neck to press into them, when she felt another set of fingers running their tips softly down her throat, further down her sternum, and then begin to make large, pleasing circles on her abdomen.

"Four hands?" her mind tried hard to form a question...a thought...but before she could, she felt another ten fingers tracing from her shoulder to her wrist of her right hand -- and then the left. Each of her fingers individually stroked, rubbed and kissed as she cooed and moaned, and pressed her head further into Liam's fingers.

Six hands turned to eight and then ten as her legs were pampered, and her body felt as if it was at its limit of pleasure, when without warning, she began to receive a true, hypnotic, thousand finger massage. If she concentrated -- if she focused hard enough on any individual finger, she could feel that each and every one of them cared. Like Liam had said earlier, pleasure was her reality now...pleasure was her reality, and it was all because of him.

Smiling and writhing, cooing and sighing...sinking and dropping...Ashes accepted her reality and let all illusions of her past reality simply melt away.

"Good girl," Liam whispered in her ear, and the resulting wave of pleasure sent Ashes spinning into a pleasure spiral, down, down, down until all went blurry, fuzzy, and then blissfully black.

Blinking heavily to clear her head, Ashes took another sip of her coffee and wondered for a moment why she was sitting there alone while her friends were waiting in line. Surely they had to be wondering where she was.

"You were so worn out from the trip, you needed a coffee very badly. They'll understand," a deep, authoritative and rather attractive voice said in the back of her mind. She was almost on the edge of being aware of it. Instead, she just understood that to be her own thought as she smiled, gathered her belongings and rose to leave the café.

She couldn't quite remember leaving the convention floor for the shop, but the voice...her own thoughts, that is, told her that it was probably better not to think too hard about it, and she happily agreed.

"There she is! Ashes!" she heard, as she walked out of the coffee shop to find her group of friends bounding over to her. "We were so worried," one of them said. "Where were you?" asked another. "You missed the NLP thing," yet another chimed in.

"I just needed some coffee," she said, thinking their concern was more than a little overkill. "I'll catch the demonstration another time."

"But you were gone for hours," her friend, Gia, an African American girl perhaps a year or two older than Ashes said. "We were thinking about calling the police."

The words went in one of Ashes' ears and out the other, making both ears tingle on their journey to her forgetting everything her friend just said. Ashes simply smiled and said,

"I'm fine. We should get back to the con!" Perplexed, but relieved at their friend's return, "The Forsaken Group" members simply shrugged, gave her several hugs and they all made their way back to the convention.

In the corridor was a poster advertising a show taking place later that evening on the main stage. Ashes froze in front of it, and unconsciously began to sway on her feet as she looked into the eyes of The Amazing Fitzgerald.

"Ashes, honey," Gia said, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Is everything okay?"

"Um..uh, yeah," she replied, shaking her head and smiling. "Of course. I just think we should go to this show tonight," she said, pointing at the poster of Liam. "I've heard somewhere that he's very, very good."