The Hypnotist

As she drove to the office, Kasey had no idea why she even listened to her friends advice. Why do I need to go see a hypnotist? What could possibly be hidden in my subconscious that’s keeping me suppressed. This is just a bunch of shit she thought as her windshield wipers slapped away the rain drops. He left me and moved on to another, I know this, there are no hard feelings. It was how long ago, why do I need this “doctor” now? How is he going to “fix” me when there’s nothing wrong? It started to rain harder just as she turned into the parking lot. She turned off the car and left the keys hanging in the ignition, it was 3:30 p.m. well, my appointment isn’t for another thirty minutes, I guess I’ll just wait for the rain to slow down. It was completely quite besides the pitter patter of the rain hitting the roof, and the spinning thoughts inside of Kasey’s head. Should I just go home? I still don’t know what this is going to solve. All it’s going to do is put money in the experts pocket and leave me even more upset with the results. No, no I’m already here, and I promised I was going to do it. Might as well just get this over and done with. Maybe if I go in now they will let me in early so I can get out of here faster. Here goes. Kasey let out a sigh and grabbed her purse. Quickly, she walked through the rain across the parking lot. She made her way through the big spinning glass doors and set out to find the building map. Here we are she thought when she found the big old “You are Here” star. She let her finger trace a line all the way over to the psychiatric help section and instantly started to view the list of doctors names. Johnson, Johnson, Johnson.“Johnson” she whispered, locating the office she’s been looking for.
213B, 213B, 213B she kept replaying in her mind as she set out on the hunt for an elevator.
The doors slid open and Kasey stepped in, she pressed the second floor button and sank to the corner. The god awful music began to flow through her ears as she became to feel uneasy about this whole thing. It was how long ago, she thought to herself, I moved on. I think. What is this man going to find? 213B, 213B, 213B.“213B” she exhaled and began to turn the doorknob. Kasey walked in to find a very peaceful setting. There was a rack of decent up-to-date magazines, fresh coffee brewing and some of the most comfortable looking couches she has ever seen. The walls were a pale eggshell color, with beautiful pieces of Monet displayed everywhere. A light scent of jasmine filled the air as Kasey headed towards the receptionist. She stood there for a moment before signing herself in and taking a seat. Once again the thoughts just wouldn’t stop flowing. Oooh why am I doing this? I don’t even believe in this crap. I don’t miss him, and I don’t need him. It was how long ago, it’s over and done with. I’m not crazy, I’m just, I’m just going to leave. Just as Kasey gathered her things and began to walk out, the patient door swung open and he called out her name.
“Kasey McLean?”
Kasey stopped dead in her tracks and all she could do now was turn around and smile.
“Hi, yes that’s me.” she walked towards the man and held out her hand for a shake.
“It’s nice to meet you Kasey” he beamed his pearly whites at her and warmly greeted his hand with hers. “I’m Dr. Johnson, if you would please, follow me back to my office.”
Its been so long since I felt a touch like that, serene and true she thought to herself and stood there for a moment before making her way down hallway to talk with Dr. Johnson. She stood in the doorway and just watched him for a moment, he was a very handsome man. Tall, built, dark hair and beautiful hazel eyes. He sat at his desk and looked over her files, briefly entering her information into the computer. He looked up and noticed Kasey was still standing in the doorway, observing him.
“Please, take a seat” he smiled politely and gestured towards the big leather couch.
Kasey made her way over, inspecting every aspect of the room. It was dim, just enough light to see and the air was soft and sweet. There was big oak coffee table that would separate her from Dr. Johnson, he would sit in the chair across from her in order to better examine her. Right in the center of that coffee table, there was a box of tissues. Oh gosh, I hope im not going to have to use those she thought to herself, no im not going to have too, I’m not sad about anything. “So Kasey,”
Immediately Kasey shook her head slightly to vanish her thoughts, brought back to reality by the doctors voice.
“Y-yes Dr.?” she said shakily.
“Tell me a little bit about yourself, what made you decide to come here for this service?” he sat there and watched her, he wasn’t writing down anything but she knew he was taking mental notes on her body language.
“Well doctor, the decision wasn’t made all on my own, in fact if it wasn’t for my one friend I probably never would of showed up here. But, um, tell you about myself? What exactly is it that you want to know?” Kasey fell silent and watched to doctor watch her. She started to feel anxious, what is he going to ask me? Do I lie if I don’t feel comfortable answering? Or do I just give him a short answer? What if he asks me about what happened? It was how long ago, and I don’t have hard feelings. But do I really want to tell him?“What do you do for a living? Any kids? A husband? Hobbies, habits, anything you feel comfortable explaining. If not, we can just get started. But I must warn you Kasey” he looked deep into her eyes and lowered his voice a little. “The subconscious is a mysterious thing, when a person is hypnotized they may reveal things that even the conscious host doesn’t fully understand. I just want to make sure you’re ready for this kind of experience.”
She sat there, blank faced for a moment before she finally spoke up, “I have nothing to hide doctor.” she flashed him a soft smile and sunk deep into the couch, relaxing every part of her body. “Let’s just get started.”
“Alright, I’m going to be going through a script, if you will. Basically there are going to be a series of instructions that you are asked to follow to your best ability. Your only job is to stay completely relaxed and listen to my voice. You don’t have to speak at all, unless I direct you to answer a question. Now,”
He got up and dimmed the lights even more so, put on some soft music and made his way back to his seat.
“Kasey I want you to relax. Close your eyes slowly and steady your breathing. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.
Inhale, exhale, I know how to breath, oh stop it, you got to give it your all, inhale, exhale.“Let your body become completely relaxed, let yourself fall limp and sink even further into the couch. Good, Kasey I want you to imagine your at the top of a staircase, a long winding staircase. At first you’re a little frightened to start walking down, in fear that you don’t know your surroundings, Kasey are you at the top of the staircase?”
Even though she refused to believe that she could be hypnotized, she listened to every word that doctor said. She could feel her body go numb because of how relaxed she was. I’m at the top of a winding staircase, but im afraid to go down, its dark and I’ve never seen this place before. This isn’t the office, I’m not on a big leather couch, I’m standing at the top of this staircase. She let her mind drift away, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.
“Kasey?” the doctor repeated, “Are you at the top of the staircase?” and there he sat, waiting for her answer.
“Yes.” she whispered, her eyes were closed as though she was sleeping.
“Good, okay now I want you to start to walk towards those steps, inspect around a bit and then walk a few feet down, stop and tell me what you’re feeling. Kasey can you tell me what you’re feeling?”
It was completely silent besides breathing and the soft music in the background. Dr. Johnson had his pen and notepad in hand in case he had to jot down some details. A few minutes had passed until Kasey finally spoke.
“I feel, scared. This place, these stairs remind me of my old home. How it was destroyed.”
Dr. Johnson fell silent for a moment before his next set of directions.
“Kasey, I want you to start walking down the stairs, faster and faster until you reach the bottom. As soon as you set foot on the level ground you’re in a new place. You look around and discover you’re in your old home, tell me Kasey, describe to me what’s going on.” and then he waited patiently once again.
“It wasn’t always so bad. We used to have a nice home, until she came around.”
“Until who came around Kasey? What happened?”
“We had it all, two beautiful kids, a spacious house, and each other. We both had good jobs and we had a set of really close friends. Then one day I came home and it turned into a nightmare. I loved him, and she fucking ruined it!”
Dr. Johnson watched her closely and saw her start to tense up, her fists started to clench and a small but visible vein popped up from the middle of her forehead.
“Kasey, Kasey listen to me, relax. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. I need you to go back up those stairs, run up to the top and burst into the first door to your left, tell me Kasey what do you see?”
Her body fell limp once again, inside of her it felt like the most real dream she’s ever had. She knew she was asleep, but yet she knew she had to keep this session moving. Inhale, exhale, inhale exhale. She ran to the top of those stairs and found the door she was supposed to step into to. She hesitated for a moment and then turned the doorknob.
“Kasey, what do you see?”
“I see, him. I see him holding her in his arms, caressing her sides and kissing her passionately. He used to kiss me like that, but then she ruined everything. I don’t know what he saw in her, she deserved what she got.”
Dr. Johnson replayed in his mind what Kasey had just said. What he ‘saw’ in her, she deserved what she got. He knew the subconscious was a tricky thing, but it was also known to reveal what has actually happened once a person has blacked out a memory. Could it be possible that Kasey had took care of the problem on her own, by committing a heinous act that she blacked out? No, no I have to make sure, I need to ask deeper questions. But what if she did do something? Patient/doctor confidentiality is a huge trust. I couldn’t just break that bond, even if she did commit a crime. I wouldn’t be able to know for sure. The doctor quickly gathered his thought and persisted to ask questions.
“Kasey, how are you feeling right now? What’s running through your mind as you watch them kiss?”
Kasey stood there and watched her lover caress another woman, her fists clenched and she became furious. That bitch, she thought to herself, how dare she come into my home and ruin everything I so desperately worked for. I’m going to kill her.
“Kasey, can you hear my voice? How are you feeling right now?”
“I feel, I feel ashamed, angry. So angry. I feel betrayed, worthless. That bitch! How could she do this? We had a perfectly fine life before she had to stick her nose into it! And now, well she’s not around anymore.”
As Kasey sat there, she became even more stiff and tense than before. Her fists were clenched so tight that her knuckles turned white. She started to breath heavier and shook her head slightly. Dr. Johnson viewed her, examined her body language before asking another question.
“Kasey, tell me what happened to that lady. Why isn’t she around anymore?” Dr. Johnson became anxious waiting for her response. It was like he almost knew what she was about to say, like he was reading her mind.
“I, I. Don’t you get it? She’s not around anymore!”
“Kasey, what happened?”
“I, killed her. She had no right to come into my home and take my husband. She ruined my life, so I had to take hers away! It was easy, I waited until she was alone. I walked up right behind her, and the last thing she heard before she died was when my gun cocked. That bitch, she had no right to do what she did.”
Dr. Johnson sat there dumbfounded for a moment. He had no idea how to handle this, in all his years of hypnotic help he has never had a patient admit to murder. The music stopped and the room fell completely silent. He had to wake her up now, he knew this.
“Kasey I need you to follow my voice and stand at the top of those stairs again. Can you do that for me? Just breath, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Good, Kasey are you at the top of those stairs?”
Inhale, exhale, relax, inhale, exhale, relax she thought as she closed her past behind her and made her way towards the staircase. “Yes, I’m at the stairs.”
“Good, now what I want you to do is count backwards from ten. Can you do that for me Kasey? With every number, I want you to take a step backwards. Imagine yourself coming back to my voice. Once you get to 1, and you take your last step, you will open your eyes and you’ll be back in my office. Are you ready? You may begin.”
“10” Kasey took a step backwards, she could still she where she was but when she looked behind her it became darker.
“9” another step back, and the steps have completely disappeared.
“8” she was surrounded by pitch dark, the walls have vanished and she could see nothing.
“7” one more step back, and she became more relaxed, it was still dark but all the tension had gone.
“6” it suddenly became a little brighter, her eyes adjusted to the new found light.
“5” she was in a bright open space, nothing around her was describable, but she felt at ease.
“4” her eyes focused and she saw the leather couch.
“3” she was almost there and she could feel it, one more step.
“2” she sank into the couch and let her body go limp.
“1” her eyes burst open and she was back in the office, more relaxed then she’s ever felt in her life.
Dr. Johnson looked at Kasey for a moment, still adjusting to the news she had let slip.
“Kasey, do you remember anything that happened while you were under?”
Kasey sat there for a moment, and let her mind wonder once again. I didn’t do anything wrong, there are no hard feelings. It was how long ago, she got what she deserved. Over and over, she replayed those lines in her head, putting herself in some sort of trance.
“Kasey? Do you remember anything that happened during this session?”
Her concentration was broken as she looked up at Dr. Johnson. She flashed him a soft smile and gathered her things.
“I have nothing to hide doctor, I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Kasey rose from the couch and headed towards the door. She stopped and turned her head to look back at the doctor, still sitting in his seat.
“She got what she deserved.” Kasey winked subtly and flashed another soft smile. She turned and walked out of the office, down the patients hallway and didn’t stop until she reached her car, leaving Dr. Johnson wondering what the real truth was.