Sonja's Story Ch. 01

*SNAP*

"You've done it Sonja, you did such a good job. This is as high as the pink cloud can take you right now, and you did such a good job letting it take over, letting it guide you, letting it support you, letting it share its pleasure with you. Perfect, Sonja, letting it sap your worries away."

Dr. Dotz watched a contented smile drift over Sonja's face as she was being praised.

"But this much time up in the pink cloud, Sonja, soaring through the nothingness, unclothed, it's beginning to get cold. You feel a cool breeze running across your skin and you shiver."

Sonja spasmed slightly, as if a shiver had gone down her spine. Dr. Dotz smiled at that.

"It's time to come down from the cloud Sonja, back to your den, back to the warmth. Listen to the sound of my voice, Sonja, and when I say 'Drop,' I want you to let the cloud drop you down, and down, and every time I say 'Drop,' it will carry you a little bit lower, and a little bit lower, and a little bit lower until it carries you down into your den."

The doctor looked her client over again, gauging her state before continuing. This girl is clay, she thought.

"Drop!"

On the pink cloud, Sonja could feel the tendril-like wisps around her extremities holding her position as the mass of cloud beneath her guided her body downward. It felt like... falling, but without falling. Was she flying? Maybe not, but she felt exquisite, except for the cool breeze that had been slowly growing in intensity since she reached the apex of her climb. She could feel goosebumps on her skin, and her hardened nipples were making their own wisp-trails as the cloud propelled them downward.

"Drop!"

She was going faster now, and the breeze was getting colder. Sonja shivered again. The wisp tendrils seemed to grasp her tighter, as if to hold her more securely lest she be torn loose from the cloud - left to fall in the nothingness forever.

"Drop!"

Even faster now. And the nothingness that surrounded her was somehow becoming darkness rather than mere nothingness, if such a distinction was possible. The pink cloud bore her down further and further at a breakneck speed, and Sonja lost all sense of her surroundings.

"Drop."

Stillness. Sonja realized she was laying down, not on the cloud, but on a dirt floor. And she felt warm again! Like she was bundled up next to a cozy fireplace. She was back in her den. She wrapped her blankets around her naked form - for blankets there now were, summoned by her necessity in that moment. The den was her safe place, after all.

"Here you are now, Sonja, as you listen to the sound of my voice, in your den, in your safe place. Where nothing bad can reach you and you are always welcome. A place to shelter from the cold winds and the stress of life. Good girl, Sonja, you've done so well today."

The doctor repeated the phrase many times over the course of several minutes, solidifying the den's purpose in Sonja's subconscious mind. She eyed the clock on the wall behind Sonja, measuring her time.

"Okay Sonja, you've done so well today, and as you listen to the sound of my voice, it's time to come back to the conscious world. I'm going to give you a brand new command, Sonja, and when I give it, and not before, and when I give the command you will rise out of your den. And every time I give the command, and not before, you will rise further and further out of the den, out of the pit, and so back to the conscious world. The command is 'Rise,' Sonja, counting down from three... two... one...

Rise."

And Sonja felt herself borne upwards, in a different way than floating on the pink cloud, but not bad. As if she was underwater and floating upwards to the surface, but she did not have to worry about drowning. The feeling was pleasant, as if her body was becoming lighter, easier to manipulate.

"Rise."

Upward and upward, floating ever upward at a steady speed.

"Rise."

Dr. Dotz watched her client carefully as she repeated the command several more times, noting the young woman's psyche seemed more eager to go into a hypnotic state than come out of one.

"Rise!"

Finally, Sonja's eyes fluttered open and she blinked several times, until her vision came into focus and she locked eyes with Dr. Dotz. The doctor was smiling warmly at her from her seat on the other couch.

"Hi Sonja. How are you feeling?"

Sonja blinked again, and swallowed. She made as if to speak, then seemed to notice the wet spot on her chin and wiped it with her sleeve.

"Um, pretty good actually. I don't really remember anything though."

The doctor's warm smile widened, "Don't worry, that's quite common. Most people don't. We just did a few basic calming and anxiety exercises to gauge where we are and how we'll proceed."

"Oh, okay," replied Sonja, who sounded like she was still experiencing some brain fog. "Did I... do well? Did it go long enough? I feel like only five minutes have passed."

"You were excellent!" the doctor responded, stifling her amusement. "You're a natural!" She pointed up at the clock behind Sonja, who turned to look at it. "And you've been in the trance for almost forty-five minutes."

Sonja's mouth fell open in amazement, and Victoria idly thought about jamming something into her mouth, but she quickly pushed the thought away and stood up.

"As you can see, we've reached the end of our time today. But I'm so excited to have you back next week!"

Sonja twisted back around to look up at Victoria, and then stood up, and with a sense of satisfaction the doctor realized that her posture was straighter than it had been before the hypnosis.

"Thank you so much," said Sonja. "I feel like my brain has been scrubbed. In a good way!"

The doctor laughed and walked to the door, opening it for Sonja. "Then I'll take it as a compliment, my dear. I'll put you on the schedule for the same time next week, but I'd like to do a full two hour session next time, if that's okay. Oh-" Sonja had begun to follow her towards the door, but Victoria held up a hand to stop her, and then pointed back at the couch. "Don't forget your sweatshirt, dear."

Sonja stopped, confused, and looked back at the couch where her sweatshirt lay. She went back to it, a puzzled expression on her face, then stooped down to grab it. Victoria watched her bend with a hungry look, but it was gone by the time Sonja turned back around. Sonja took the sweatshirt and tucked it under her arm as she walked back to Victoria's position by the door, the puzzled expression had vanished, and a contented smile had returned to her face.

"You probably won't need that next time," said the doctor idly, before returning to what she had been saying earlier. "So, two hours next week?"

Sonja's head bobbed up and down. Sweet girl.

"I'll have Thomas schedule the appointment, and we'll handle everything with your health insurance through Van Black. You don't worry about anything except coming back for your next appointment."

Sonja only heard the sweetness in the doctor's voice, and her head bobbed up and down again. "Thank you so much, Dr. Dotz. I feel like..." She hesitated, searching for the words, "This just feels right. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Sonja."

Sonja gave her one last nod of thanks, then left, the same way she came in, and out through the lobby. Victoria followed behind just far enough to give her receptionist, Thomas, a shy wave before heading out the door.

Thomas looked up at his boss, Dr. Victoria Dotz, his eyebrow raised. "So, how did it go? I was beginning to think you'd go past the time."

"Almost. She was slow to come out, but otherwise it was great. She loves the trance, and shaping her convictions is like shaping wet clay. She has potential. A lot of potential."

"Okay, sure," replied Thomas, looking over Sonja's paperwork. "But how is she paying for this? It says here she has insurance through Van Black and Sons... you know their insurance doesn't cover us, right? It never has."

Victoria shot him a look, and her lips curled into a wicked, wolfish smile.

"Consider this one my personal pet project, Thomas."

That night, Sonja dreamt of floating on a bed of pink clouds, naked yet empowered.

To Be Continued...