Hypnovember - Day Twelve - Stage
(Possible CNC, possible dubious consent)
Agatha paced the floorboards offstage, nervously. The stepped shakily onto center stage. She was trying not to crumple the piece of paper in her hands, but her fingers, her hands, her whole body was shaking. This wasn’t working.
It had worked in rehearsals and in previews, but this was opening night... why wasn’t it working? “Raise the Curtain,” she whispered to herself, again, more insistently. Nothing happened.
She didn’t have time to call her roommate, Naomi, who had given her the hypnotic trigger in the first place. The actual curtain was actually going to raise in mere moments and Agatha was actually going to have to actually remember her lines and actually.... act.
Her roommate was out there, probably, just beyond the curtain. This was her idea.
“You’re an amazing actress.”
“You are! Whenever you read me a story from the newspaper, or one of the plays from our literature assignments, you really make it come alive.”
“Thank you. That’s very kind, but I get so flustered talking in public. I tried auditioning once, and I was just so pitiful.”
“I have an idea. But you have to promise not to laugh.”
“Well, you know I’m taking a class in hypnosis?”
Agatha blinked. “Yes.... no. Come on.... does it actually work??”
“It does. And it’s actually really good for these kind of things, helping you out of your shell.”
Agatha thought briefly that there was a strange look crossing Naomi’s face when she said that.
“Come on.” Naomi gave Agatha one of her crooked smiles. “When have I ever steered you wrong?”
Agatha gave a look. “Two words. Tattoo. Removal.”
Naomi laughed. “Ok. Name another time. Besides, college is supposed to be the time you cut loose and experiment. Here’s a chance to show how talented you are.”
“Fine! But no funny business.... no... making me bark like a chicken.”
Naomi smirked. “I promise. I won’t make you bark like a chicken.”
Agatha threw a pillow at her.
But that was it. For that entire weekend, Naomi hypnotized Agatha repeatedly. For Agatha, it seemed like the weekend flew by, and she seemed energized and alive by Monday. Naomi, for her part, also seemed overjoyed, but a little tired.
Still, Agatha felt a brand new sense of confidence: she was participating in classes more, had dumped her pushy boyfriend (what was his name? Derek? Rick? Frederick? Whatever.), and had gone on a wardrobe overhaul with Naomi. They had been spending even more time together, and Naomi was only too happy to donate some of her parents’ platinum credit limit to Agatha’s sudden interest in ties and bespoke blazers.
Agatha was also so happy to have found herself in rehearsals for a brand new experimental play. It was a mark of how effective the hypnosis had been that she barely remembered auditioning for it.
The play explored interpersonal power dynamics between women, and it was called “Look Into My Eyes.” Each night was a completely different experience, with roles drawn out of a hat from random suggestions. Some nights were extremely risqué, and Agatha always seemed to draw the dominant roles. It wasn’t like Agatha to enjoy putting the other cast members in their place on stage. But Naomi had helped her. She said that any time she felt unsure of her role or her place, she could just use the trigger “Raise the Curtain,” and everything would fall into place.
“It’s just a variation on the Stanislasvki method,” She remembered Naomi telling her, “say that trigger, and your unconscious will make sure that you’re ready for the role that’s presented to you.”
And it worked. She’d say it, and she became the characters she was given. It was as if Agatha was shoved aside, and the character was in her place. And Agatha grew to love the experience.
The first few rehearsals were relatively tame: “horny woman making the first move,” “experienced senior teaching virginal sophomore,” and “therapist/patient” were some obvious (and cliche’d) suggestions.
Agatha was surprised by how well she took to them. And she hugged Naomi and thanked her after every performance for giving her the confidence.
One night, though, she was given “CEO,” and she remembered the scene ending with her forcing her costar to bend over her desk writing “I’ll be a good capitalistic worker” over and over while Agatha spanked her with a copy of the Wealth of Nations.
Naomi had been there, and said she thought it was unusual but incredibly hot.
Just the night before the opening, Agatha was given “Nun/naughty college student at all-girls college,” and before too long had her co-star crawling across the stage on all fours, we Agatha spanked her with a ruler.
But this was tonight. Opening night.
“Raise the Curtain!” Still, nothing. Nothing was happening. Tonight’s role was written on a piece of paper in her hands, but she was too nervous even to look at it.
Finally, she heard a voice- it was Naomi’s voice.
“Raise the Curtain, now.”
Agatha blinked. She suddenly wasn’t on a stage. She was in their living room. Naomi was sitting in a chair, looking at Agatha with a look of trepidation.
Agatha looked around, and the memories shifted back to her, of Spring Break, and Naomi and her enjoying role after role in their apartment staycation.
She looked at Naomi again. Naomi was tied to her chair with ropes. Agatha was somehow sure she had tied them, but could barely remember that. There was a pile of plays on the coffee table, and an assortment of sex toys and flogging equipment, including a nun’s habit, as well as a pocket watch and some flashing lights, scattered around the room.
There was a pause. Naomi glanced down at the paper in Agatha’s hand.
Agatha looked down and read it.
Agatha felt a surge pass through her.
“Really.” She said more than asked. She could see Naomi’s breathing and pulse quicken.
Agatha rolled up her sleeves, and grabbed the pocket watch. “Well, then,” she said, “let’s find out what’s been really going on. And what roles you can play.”
Naomi moaned contentedly, as she felt her mind slip away, and Agatha took another turn on the main stage.