Spring MindBreak

I raise an eyebrow. "Hypnosis? That's bullshit, dude."

Jack flashes a dorky smile, fiddling with the pocket watch. "If it's bullshit, then why are you so scared for me to try it on you?"

"I ... Fuck," I laugh.

"See? I actually have a point, right?" He grins. "Okay, if you just lie back on the couch and try to relax, I'll get set up..."

I roll my eyes but do as I'm told, lying on the couch with a pillow to prop up my head. Unsurprisingly, I feel stupid. While everyone else is still at the beach, I'm here about to watch a dumb phoney magic show. Great.

Jack pulls a chair closer to the couch and sits down, avoiding looking at me. Probably because I'm only wearing a bikini. Unlike the other guys on the trip, Jack hasn't got the memo about wearing swimsuits all the time, so he's still got a t-shirt and jeans on. He sticks out like a sore thumb on the beach, which is probably why he volunteered to come back early with me to wait for the groceries delivery.

"Okay," he mumbles. He unfurls the pocket watch and begins swinging it from side to side. Then he stops and gives me a sharp look. "What?"

"Nothing," I stifle another giggle. "Just, you know, the whole 'You are feeling verrry sleeepy' shtick. I'm looking forward to it."

He flushes red and runs a hand through his curtained sandy hair in frustration. "Look, Alicia, I'm just trying to the time. If you don't want to play along, you don't have to."

"Sorry, sorry." I smile and look back at the watch. "Proceed."

Jack gives me a lingering look, then resumes swinging it. "Alright, so I want you to just watch the watch. Let everything else just ... fade away." His voice becomes soothing and gentle, and I giggle again.

"Sorry, just, your voice changed. It was cute. I'll stop laughing now. I'm concentrating I swear."

He sighs but keeps swinging the watch. This time I keep my eyes on it. "That's it. Just focus on the watch. Just your eyes moving, nothing else. Feel your breathing slow down, until you're breathing deeply in ... and out. In ... and out."

He'd probably blow a blood vessel if I started giggling again, so instead I adjust my breathing to the pace he sets. The watch keeps swinging in front of me, back and forth, back and forth. Breath goes in ... and out. In ... and out. To my surprise, I do feel myself relaxing a bit. The stress of the long drive with Amy and Elijah bickering in the back actually starts to fade a little.

"That's good, Alicia. Really good." Jack might actually have a knack for this, his voice is really soothing. "Keep your eyes on the watch, and keep breathing just like that. And as you relax, feel your muscles relax. First your toes ... Then your feet ... Your legs ... Feel the tension drain away."

Now that he's drawn my attention to it, I notice my left calf is very slightly tensed. I **** myself to relax it.

"Feel this relaxation spread up your chest. Up your back, along your arms, up your neck. Relax every last muscle. That's it."

I relax more than I have in the last month. Damn, that actually feels really good. This is how spring break is supposed to feel. The watch keeps swinging. I've long since lost track of consciously watching it - my eyes just follow of their own accord.

"Feel the relaxation spread up to your head. It slows your thoughts, and it makes your eyelids feel heavy. But that's okay. It's okay if they start to close. You don't need to stay awake. You don't need to keep thinking. All you need to do is listen to my voice and let my words enter your subconscious."

I blink. I can barely keep my eyes open. What was that he said just now? No need to think? Fine by me.

"Listen to my voice, Alicia. Let your eyes close. It's okay."

I close my eyes, the swinging watch burnt into my vision.

"Good. Just listen and relax. Breathe deeply. Feel your thoughts drain away. Now, Alicia, I want you to imagine a diving board. You're standing on it, a few steps from the edge, and there is a pool beneath you. You can already imagine how soothing and cool the water will feel, but you're not ready to jump yet. Can you picture it?"

"Yes." My mouth moves on its own, and my voice sounds like it's a million miles away.

"Good. Take a step towards the edge for me."

In my mind, I step forward. The water below looks so tantalising, sunlight glimmering off the waves.

"You can't wait to dive in. You know it will feel so relaxing, so blissful. Take another step."

I take another step, and the diving board rubs against my feet. The urge to jump in nearly overwhelms me, but ... no. I need to wait. Jack wants me to wait.

"You're nearly at the edge, aren't you? You can't wait to enter the water. You know how good it will feel. How completely relaxing it will be. It will erase all the thoughts in your brain. Leaving you completely empty, completely blissful. Take another step for me. Right to the edge."

I step forward again, curling my toes over the edge of the board. I look at the water below. I want it to submerge me.

"When I snap my fingers, you will jump. The water will wash over you, and it will relax you completely. It will evaporate every thought in your head, every desire to think. Are you ready">Jack asks.

"Yes."

SNAP

I jump. My body slips into the cool water, and relaxation envelops me. I'm weightless, floating in a haze.

"Well done, Alicia. Enjoy it. This is trance. Enjoy how relaxed you feel."

In some other dimension, I hear Jack shift in his chair and tap his phone a few times, but in my pool, in my trance, I hear nothing. No thoughts in my head. No worries, no stress, just relaxation. Bliss.

"Okay, Alicia. I'm going to bring you out of trance now. I'm going to count up to five. And with each number, you'll feel your consciousness return, but this relaxation you feel now will stay. You'll how good this trance felt. Okay. One ... Two ..."

The pool starts to fade around me, replaced by the feeling of the soft couch against my skin.

"Three ... Four ..."

Damn, that was hypnosis? That actually felt pretty good.

"And five."

I blink my eyes open and look around. I feel like I should feel groggy, but instead I just feel relaxed, yet comfortably awake. Jack smiles sheepishly at me, his phone in his hands. "So ... How did you find that?"

I nod slowly, a smile spreading across my face. "You know what? Actually, really relaxing." I point at his phone. "You didn't take a picture of me, did you?"

"Uh, no?" He holds out his phone. On it is written the last few sentences he said, to get me out of trance. "I couldn't how you're supposed to end it, so I, uh, looked it up."

"Huh." I chuckle. "Fair enough. So, what, you've never done that before?"

Jack ruffles his sandy hair again sheepishly. "Uhhhh, nope."

"Huh." I prop myself up on my elbow, smirking at him. "You know, it was relaxing and everything, but, like, I thought you used hypnosis to, you know, make people do stuff. That just felt like a ... mental massage, or something."

Jack shrugs. "I mean, yeah, it can make people do stuff."

I giggle. "Yeah, see, that's where you lose me. Like, pop-culture thinks it's mind control, or something."

Jack tilts his head and frowns. "Yeah, I mean, it's not mind control - like if you don't want to on some level, hypnosis can't make you do it - but it can make you do stuff you might not normally do. Theoretically."

"Theoretically?"

"Like I said, I've never done it before," he says, his eyes flaring a little. "I'm not an expert or anything."

"Sure." I stand up and stretch, then start pouring myself a glass of water to ease the dryness in my throat from lying down for ... however long that was. "Want some?"

Jack shakes his head, and I continue pouring. "So, what, you don't think hypnosis can make you do stuff?"

I lean against the counter and scoff. "Like barking like a dog? Fuck no." I take a sip from the glass, and the cool water graces my throat.

"Wanna bet?" There's a challenge in his eyes and a bravado-laden smirk on his lips. "I bet I can get your top off using hypnosis."

I **** on my water, laughing and coughing in equal measure. "You think," I say between coughs, "I'll show you my tits just because I'm relaxed? A) perv much? And B) Yeah, right."

"What's that">Jack cups a hand to his ear and feigns listening intently. "Buck buck? Is that a chicken I hear?"

I stride up to him and lean over, putting my hands on my knees. His gaze briefly flits to my bikini, but I pretend not to notice, instead fixing him with a tight smile. "Alright, Jack. Bring it on. Make me take my top off using hypnosis. I dare you."