Every Other Day Pt. 01

Every other day I would visit my friend Matt after work. Neither of us really had friends past each other, and it was difficult finding new ones. So we tried to see each other fairly often, and then the other days we could spend doing whatever. I imagine he might spend it as I do: some nice alone time. I'm not partial to making new friends honestly, so I was fine with just Matt. Besides, he was even newer to the city than I was, so he needed me more than ever.

I'm still not sure why he decided Seattle was the right move for him. I guess its good for his job market, but damn is it expensive to live here. And well, he and I weren't exactly the closest in our friends group before he came. We've gotten a bit closer since we started this every other day tradition of ours about 2 weeks ago, but still.

Tonight it was at my apartment, my turn to cook and his turn to choose a movie. I went with a simple baked chicken and green beans recipe I'd learned from a recipe book, nothing that was difficult or took too long. He stayed on the couch during it, and seemed almost kind of on edge about something. If it wasn't the movie he picked out, I don't know what else it could be.

The food had just come out the oven, and I walked over to let him know it was ready. "Hey, food's just about ready. Gotta let it cool and stuff first.... hey, is something wrong?"

Matt looked up at me with that a slightly surprised look. "Oh me? No, not at all. Really, I'm just fine. I've just been thinking, is all."

I raised my eyebrow, crossed my arms and leaned against the wall. "About what?" I said.

Ge smiled and turned towards me from where he sat. "Well.. about you. You just seem a little.. stressed, nowadays. And I was wondering if I could help with that."

I chuckled and let go of my intensity. "Yeah? I look stressed to you? I mean who isn't, man? But really, I don't think it's any worse than usual."

Matt shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe its nothing. But I was thinking maybe I could show you a way to relax and feel less stressed in general."

I rolled my eyes as I got up off the wall and let my arms hang down. "Fine, I'll bite. But wait til after dinner. I'm starving, dude."

We ate and discussed what kind of movie to watch. Near the end of the meal, he began to talk about how I looked stressed again. I got almost a little aggravated this time as he mentioned it. "Okay look man, I really don't feel any worse off than I usually am. But if I do whatever the thing is you're asking about, will you stop talking about it? You're gonna get on my nerves."

He nodded and smiled. "Sounds like a deal to me. Let's head to the couch." We entered into the living room and sat down on my couch, facing each other. "I just need you to take a deep breath and relax." Matt pulled out a pocket watch from his pocket, untangling the chain in his hands.

I looked at it questioningly. "Hypnosis? Gonna make me cluck like a chicken or something?"

He giggled a bit. "Not quite. Just trust me on this one. It'll be a real game changer for you." I nodded and took a deep breath. He smiled and brought his right hand up, dangling the watch down in front of me. "Follow the pocket watch with your eyes, please." He began to swing it from side to side.

Well this was some classic stuff right here. I sometimes forget that he was a psychology major, so it makes sense he knows about stuff like this. Why I apparently needed to experience it? Couldn't tell you. And it was tiring to just keep watching it move. My eyes were getting tired. Is that really all there is to it? Just my eyes getting tired of moving? This stuff is so silly.

"Good. And as you watch it swing back and forth, back and forth, you can feel your eyes getting heavier. your whole focus on the watch. My words becoming easier to take in and listen to. All you see if the watch, all you hear are my words. That's it, keep listening to my voice."

My eyes were getting a lot heavier. Out of nowhere, too. It feel like something was weighing them down, like I just wanted to close them. But I kept watching the watch swing. I kept listening. I was relaxing deeper for Matt now. Deeper..

"That's right. Deeper down into my voice. Your thoughts completely gone as you watch. My voice is the only thought that you have. Isn't that right?"

"Yes." I said without thinking. His voice was my thought.

"Good. And in order for you to go even deeper... I need you to.." Matt dropped the pocket watch and with the same hand snapped his fingers. "Sleep."

My eyes and head dropped down. Down, down. Deeper down...

Matt smiled deviously. "There's a good boy. It felt good to drop down for me, didn't it?"

"Yes.."

"Shhh now, straighten up." I slowly straightened my back to and upright position again. "There you go. I want you to open your eyes now. Still asleep. But still completely down and under for me."

I opened my eyes. Matt was so excited by how glazed they were. "I need you to look deep, deep into my eyes. Let them take you deeper down. Deeper into my control. Each breath helps you drop into my eyes deeper."

I looked right into his eyes. His deep, green eyes.... so deep... I could just keep looking forever. I could keep sinking forever. Sinking deeper... deeper... deeper down.. for Matt...

"Now I want you to repeat some words for me, and I want you to let them soak into your subconscious. You won't remember saying them when you wake up from trance, but you will absolutely believe them. Understand?"

"Yes," I said blankly.

"Very good. Repeat 3 times: I love being hypnotized by Matt."

"I love being hypnotized by Matt. I love being hypnotized by Matt. I love being hypnotized by Matt."

"I need Matt to drop me deeper."

"I need Matt to drop me deeper. I need Matt to drop me deeper. I need Matt to drop me deeper."

"I like to obey Matt. He is never wrong."

"I like to obey Matt, he is never wrong. I like to obey Matt, he is never wrong. I like to obey Matt, he is never wrong."

"When Matt says the words 'sleep now', I will drop for him."

"When Matt says the words 'sleep now', I will drop for him. When Matt says the word 'sleep now', I will drop for him. When Matt says the words 'sleep now', I will drop for him."

Matt smiled and caressed my check gently. "Good boy. Close your eyes and lay back into the couch now. There is one last thing I want you to repeat for me. Say this 5 times: I want Matt to drop me again, and I will ask him to during next hangout."

"I want Matt to drop me again, and I will ask him to during next hangout. I want Matt to drop me again, and I will ask him to during next hangout. I want Matt to drop me again, and I will ask him to during next hangout. I want Matt to drop me again, and I will ask him to during next hangout. I want Matt to drop me again, and I will ask him during next hangout."

He patted my leg and said, "You got it just right. Now wake up! *snap* My eyes fluttered open and I straightened up from my slouch. "How was that? Did you like it?"

I blinked a few more times and nodded my head. "Well I gotta hand it to you, you were right. Felt pretty good.. and I feel pretty refreshed. Although I will say.. I don't really remember much of what happened. Like, I remember you swinging the watch and... my eyes were getting heavy.... but nothing past that. Is that normal?" I looked at him with a tad bit of concern.

Matt dismissively waved his hand at me, "oh that's nothing! It's working like it should. I mean you seemed to really enjoy it."

I smiled back at him. "Yeah, I did a lot actually. Maybe we could do it again sometime. Would that be okay?"

"Oh, I'd love to hypnotize you again."

"Perfect! But hey, let's start up this movie before it gets too late. I gotta get to work earlier tomorrow."

"Good call."