Virginia Postrel, author and futurist, sat in the West Brentwood Borders, blogging away on her PowerBook. The sunbeams from the skylight bounced off her golden blonde hair. She was just finishing up a post on the California regulatory state, when she heard a voice ask, "Aren’t you Virginia Postrel?"
Virginia looked up and found herself staring into a pair of deep blue eyes. For just a moment Virginia couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. Something about those deep blue eyes. But she shook it off.
"Yes- yes, I’m Virginia Postrel."
"How wonderful. I’m a big fan of yours. Would you mind autographing your books for me?" She handed Virginia three books: The Future and Its Enemies, The Substance of Style, and Free Markets and Free Minds.
"Actually," said Virginia. "I’m just the co-editor on Free Markets."
"Still, it is a wonderful book. And you are a brilliant writer. You have just a couple of flaws."
;"Great," thought Virginia. "Just what I want when I trying to relax, criticism." She decided to let it pass.
"Who should I make this out to?" asked Virginia.
"Oh, Soforia is fine."
"Soforia, is that Greek?"
"Something like that," Soforia smiled.
As Virginia was inscribing the books, Soforia commented on Virginia’s blue nail polish. "That’s a very interesting nail color."
Virginia glanced down at her nails. "Do you like it? I just think blue looks cool. Nothing profound, no deep meaning, I just like the way it looks."
"I understand," said Soforia. "How about mine, do you like the way they look?" Soforia held up her hand, displaying her shiny champagne colored nails, the light from the skylight bounced off of them.
"Yes," Virginia said. "They are quite nice."
"I like to way the light bounces off of them, so shiny, so interesting to look at aren’t they?"
"Yes," said Virginia.
"Notice the way they draw you in, so easy to look at."
"Yes."
Soforia’s soothing voice continued. "Just keep looking at my shiny nails and listening to my voice…shiny nails…shiny nails."
Virginia was slipping into trance.
Soforia’s seductive voice continued
All Virginia saw were the nails.
Virginia’s sparkling, inquisitive blue eyes were now empty. Her gaze unblinking, her mind empty. She was unmoving.
Soforia smiled in triumph. Pundits are people too. She was reminded of the time She enslaved George Will at a Denny’s in Manhattan Beach and made him bark like a little poodle.
"Now, Virginia, my sleepy pet. You will find your eyelids are becoming so heavy….so heavy…so heavy….it is impossible to keep them open….and on the count of 5 your eyes will close and you will be in My deep Hypnotic Trance…..1….eyelids so heavy…..2….so sleepy….3….can’t keep them open….4 so, so sleepy…and 5 deep, deep hypnotic sleep now."
And Virginia’s eyes closed on Soforia’s command.
"Isn’t it so wonderful to be so deeply hypnotized, so deep in my control, "asked Soforia.
"Yes", answered Virginia in a flat voice.
"Yes," repeated Soforia. "I thought so. It feels so good to be in my control and listening to My Voice. It feels so good to be in my control and listening to my Voice. It feels so good to be in my control and listening to my Voice, going deeper with every word, deeper with every word, deeper with every word…" Soforia repeated, deepening Virginia’s trance.
"And you will be surprised to discover that all my ideas seem like good ideas and all my ideas seem like your ideas…all my ideas are good ideas and all My ideas are your ideas, all My ideas are good ideas and all my ideas are your Ideas…Isn’t that right, Virginia?"
"Yes," she answered robotically.
"Very good, Virginia, you are doing so well, such a good subject. It pleases me that you are doing so well. Do you like to please me?"
"Yes."
"Yes, I thought so."
"You are a wonderful writer and I want you to continue to write from to time I will give you ideas to write about and they will seem like your own ideas."
"Yes."
"But, I am a bit concerned that you don’t value intuition and much as formal education experience, am I correct?"
"Yes."
"But you don’t feel that way now do you?"
Virginia expressed emotion for the first time.
"Y-yes, I-I do," she said with great difficulty.
"Virginia, are you disagreeing with Me?"
Virginia replied in a little girl’s voice; her South Carolina accent was as thick a gumbo. "No, please! Sorry, help me."
"It’s all right just listen to Soforia and it will all be okay. Repeat after Me: Intuition is just as important as a formal education."
"Yes, intuition is just as important as a formal education."
"See isn't that better. Isn’t it better when you just listen to me, and I tell you what to think?"
"Yes," Virginia said in a happy voice.
"Doesn’t it just make sense to listen to Me?"
"Oh yes. Absolutely, Soforia."
"You will refer to me as Enchantress or Goddess."
"Yes, Enchantress. Sorry, Enchantress."
Soforia smiled. Virginia was completely in Her Power now. She could manipulate her mind, in any way she saw fit.
"You’d probably want to come over her and kneel before me to express your gratitude wouldn’t you?"
"Yes, Enchantress."
"Well, I wouldn’t want you to scuff up your nice new slacks."
"Please…", begged Virginia.
"I don’t know…"
"But I need to. I have to."
"Yes, yes. I know my pet. Well here’s a little compromise. Just imagine in your mind that you are kneeling before Me. My Gloriousness and Divineness is beyond your comprehension. You are so lucky, so fortunate to be allowed to kneel before me and worship me in this manner. Can you see yourself kneeling before Me?
"Yes, Enchantress."
"You yearn to Worship Me."
"Yes, Enchantress."
"You need to worship Me. I am your Goddess."
"Yes, Enchantress."
"Perfect. You are going to make a wonderful slave," laughed Soforia. "You’d like to stay there forever. On your knees before Me. Worshipping Me. Wouldn’t you?"
"Yes, Enchantress."
"And you’d do anything to be on your knees before Me, wouldn’t you, anything that I ask, anything at all?"
"Yes, Enchantress."
"Perfect. You’re being such a good girl, being so submissive and compliant. You like being submissive and compliant to Me, don’t you?"
"Yes, Enchantress."
"Good girl. Now I’m going to need your cell phone number, your home address, and any Instant Messaging IDs you might have. All so I can contact you at my choosing. You’d like that wouldn’t you, My pet?"
"Yes," answered Virginia. She then rattled of the information Soforia had requested.
"And I think you’ll want your husband Steve to also become one of My pets."
"Yes, of course."
"Perfect. Just imagine your husband, as mindless and as helpless as you are. So completely happy in My Control. Both of you so desperate and eager to please Me. Isn’t that what you want, isn’t that what you need?"
"Yes, Enchantress."
"Wonderful," Soforia giggled. "Now Virginia, I am going to bring you out of trance, but you’ll will still be under my influence at all times. Whenever you see or hear my words they will program you and you will need to obey and please me. And whenever I say the words ‘Relax, and go into Deep Hypnosis for Me.’ you will immediately return to this blissful hypnotic state. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Very good," said Soforia. "Here we go."
"1…you must always Obey Soforia
"2…you must always Please Soforia
"3… you must always Obey Soforia
"4…you must always Please Soforia
"5… you must always Obey Soforia
"6… Starting to wake up now"
"7… Mind starting to clear"
"8…Becoming more and more aware"
"9…Almost awake now"
"10! Wide awake." Soforia snapped Her Fingers and Virginia’s eyes opened.
"Now, Virginia. How do you feel?"
"Wow! Great!"
"See that’s the power of hypnosis. I can work wonders. Help you with your headaches, depression, anything at all."
"Wow!" was all Virginia could muster
"Exactly! But I must to be going now."
Virginia looked sad at the prospect.
Soforia smiled, "But you can do Me a favor."
"Anything," said Virginia with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.
"These books you autographed for Me. Would you mind buying them for Me, as well?"
"I’d be thrilled to," said Virginia with a big smile on her face.
"Very good. Now gather them up and follow Me," commanded Soforia
Virginia complied unquestioningly.
Virginia, carrying the books, dutifully followed Soforia to the front of the store.
The clerk rang up the total $78.47 with tax. Virginia pulled out a credit card. It didn’t occur to her that it was odd for an author to buy one of her fans her won books. It made perfect sense. Soforia had asked her for a favor and, she was more than happy to oblige.
"I really appreciate you doing this for Me," said Soforia.
"It’s my pleasure," replied Virginia.
"Yes, it is," replied Soforia cryptically.
"Thanks again," said Soforia. Virginia’s heart skipped a beat
"Will I see you again, Enchantress?" she asked anxiously.
"Yes, Virginia, you most certainly will." Soforia said with a sly smile. And with that She gathered up her bags and left the store.
Virginia stared as She walked away, feeling that somehow her life had changed, not realizing the true extent of what had happened to her.
