HypnoVember '24- Day 29: Purification

Theme- Purification

The watch swung back and forth in front of her eyes. Brooke could feel her mind and body relaxing into the couch. She inhaled and exhaled in a steady pattern, any and all stresses fading.

“Good, Brooke.” The Doctor complimented her. “Just follow the watch, follow it back and forth. Let it guide you into trance, into a deep sleep.”

Brooke’s eyelids fluttered. A yawn slipped from her lips as her eyes continued to follow the swinging pocketwatch back and forth.

Back and forth…

Back and forth…

Back and forth…

With a long sigh, Brooke’s eyelids slid shut. Her body sank into the comfy couch, relaxing as she fell into a trance.

“Can you hear me, Brooke?”

“Yes…” she whispered. “I can hear you.”

“Good, Brooke. You’re doing very well.” The Doctor complimented her. “Sinking into trance, you are going to the deepest parts of your mind.”

Brooke sank deep into the recesses of her mind, a place filled with experiences and feelings she had spent years trying to ignore, to push away. Unfortunately, recently, they had become too intrusive, too overwhelming. She hadn’t been able to hold down a job for more than a few months at a time, and this upcoming interview was too important for her to squander.

Then, a friend of hers had recommended hypnotherapy. She had her doubts at first, but the doctor’s treatment had done wonders for her anxieties. Now, however, there was just one thing left to do.

“Brooke, do you remember what we discussed in our previous sessions?”

“Yes…” Brooke whispered. “I… I had to find all of my troubling memories and intrusive thoughts and… and put them into a box.”

“And where is that box?”

“Deep inside my mind…” she whispered. “Where it can’t reach my consciousness.”

“Very good, Brooke. However, that was only a temporary measure during your time as my patient. For your last session, you are going to get rid of the box, purifying your mind of these dark memories and thoughts.”

In trance, Brooke frowned.

“Get… Get rid of them?”

“Yes, Brooke. Only then will you be able to approach your everyday life without anything holding you back.”

Relaxing slightly, Brooke sighed. “Yes… I… I understand.”

“Very good, Brooke. Where are you right now?”

Looking around, Brooke found herself standing in a dark room. In the middle of that room was an ordinary wooden box. Despite its boring appearance, Brooke knew the contents of the box were ones she could do without.

“In the room where I keep the box.”

“Good. I want you to pick up the box and take it out of the room.”

Brooke picked up the box. Despite its contents, it was surprisingly light. Turning around, she left the room and returned to the inky black of her subconscious mind.

“In that box, you have placed all of your negative feelings, the negative experiences, the traumatic events that have effected you so deeply.” The Doctor replied. “You hate everything you’ve put in the box, don’t you?”

Brooke’s hands clenched, her fingers twitching with irritation.

“Y… Yes…” Brooke shuddered, the image of her mother hunched over the kitchen table, a bottle in her hand, flashing through her mind.

“You want to get rid of them, don’t you?”

This time, Brooke spoke firmly when she responded.

“Yes.”

“Very good. Now, you find yourself standing in front of a blazing bonfire.”

Flames erupted before Brooke’s eyes, roaring like a wild animal. Despite being in her mind, she could feel the heat of the inferno on her skin.

“How do you feel as you stare at the flames?”

Brooke swallowed nervously.

“S-scared…” She stuttered, “They’re… They’re so… Wild.”

“Fire always is. But at this moment, the fire is exactly what you need.”

“It is?”

“It is, Brooke. Are you still holding the box?”

Brooke looked down at the box in her hands. “Yes.”

“Take those negative feelings, those traumatic experiences, and throw them into the fire.”

In her mind, Brooke’s fingers held the box firmly. Despite the doctor’s urging, she couldn’t let go.

“Have you let go of the box, Brooke?”

Brooke hesitated. “N-no… I… I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I… I don’t want to…”

“Why? You want to feel better, don’t you, Brooke?”

“Y… Yes…”

“You want to move on with your life, don’t you?”

“Yes…” She replied, “But…”

“But what, Brooke?”

“If… If I let them go, I’ll have nothing. I’ll be back to where I started… I’ll have to change everything…”

“Brooke, change is always frightening, but it’s better than staying stuck in one place your whole life. You need to let go of your anger and fear in order to move on.”

Brooke’s grip loosened slightly.

“B-but who will I have to help me?”

“You will have me, Brooke.” The Doctor assured her. “Just let go of the box. Let it be consumed by the fire.”

Her fingers loosened even more, but it still didn’t fall.

“Brooke, do you have anyone to help you in your life besides me?”

At that moment, a handsome smile flashed into her memory.

She smiled. “I do.”

The box fell from her hands and into the fire, dissolving into ash as it was consumed by the flames.

Brooke let out an exhale she didn’t know she had been holding in.

“Did you release the box, Brooke?”

“Y… Yes!” She gasped.

“Good. In a few moments, I will bring you out of the trance. When you awaken, you will feel incredibly light and relaxed. You will be ready to confront your upcoming job interview with energy and vitality. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Very good, Brooke. You will awaken at the count of zero… 5… Rising from trance… 4… Slipping back into your body… 3… Regaining control of your mind… 2… Becoming aware of your surroundings… 1… Almost awake… And zero!”

She opened her eyes, suddenly feeling lighter and much more joyful than she had in years.

A radiant smile spread across her face as she sat up.

“Wow…” She beamed, turning to face the doctor. “That was amazing! I feel so much better!”

Dr. Stefan smiled professionally. “I’m glad to hear that, Brooke. Do you feel confident about your upcoming job interview now?”

Brooke nodded. “Yes! I am absolutely going to crush it!”

“That’s exactly what I hoped you would say!” The Doctor nodded. “Although, there is one more thing I need to tell you…”

She looked at him quizzically. “What is it, Doctor?”

Stefan looked directly into her eyes. “Brooke, Polaris is calling.”

Brooke’s eyes turned glassy and distant. “And I must answer…”

Dr. Stefan nodded. She was ready.

“You can come in now.”

The office door swung open. A man entered, observing the entranced Brooke on the therapy couch.

“Not bad, doc.” Alex remarked, approaching the couch, “She’s ready for programming?”

“Yes.” Stefan nodded. “Brooke will accept any suggestions we give her in trance, and she’ll follow them to the letter while she’s awake. She’s so thoroughly programmed, she’ll never realize she’s working for us. Even if Samuels manages to entrance her, she’ll be obedient only to us.”

“I guess that means Polaris is ready to go?”

Stefan nodded. “Just be careful, Alex. If Samuels gets his hands on the device, or he figures out that we’ve used it to program Brooke to be an unknowing sleeper agent…”

“I know…” Alex frowned, “I don’t like it, and I don’t even want to think about what might happen. But this is the only way to get Nina back.”

He gently brushed a strand of hair from Brooke’s beautiful face. The entranced woman smiled slightly at the slight touch of his fingers. She sighed in content.

‘Sorry, Brooke…’  Alex thought wistfully, ‘Maybe we can share a coffee or something when this is all over…’

He knelt next to the couch, leaning in close to the entranced woman. “All right, Brooke. I want you to listen to me very carefully…”

To Be Continued?