Shattered Illusions

Transcript

Hey, I'm sorry to bother you, but I could really use your help with something. I've been trying to figure this out for ages, but I'm just not managing. It's this spray bottle right here.

I was wondering, does it smell like chloroform to you? Ah, ah, ah, don't fight it. I'd prefer not to hit you with a second dose, but I will if you make me.

So just breathe and give in. That's it. Good boy.

Go to sleep. Ah, I see you're coming back again. Good.

Looks like I judged the dosage pretty well. I'm sure that this must all be very confusing to you. As amusing as it is to watch you struggle against your restraints, it's really rather useless.

You're not going to get out of them. Take it easy. This is just a kidnapping.

As long as you cooperate and don't try anything foolish, you will get through this with nothing more than a story to tell. I'm not in the business of hurting people. I'm in the business of making money.

I'm sorry about the bag over your head, by the way, but it's for your own protection. It's better not to know what your kidnapper looks like. It makes you a loose end, and that's not a good thing to be.

I realize you already got a good look at me when I grabbed you, but that's all right. That concoction I spritzed you with, it plays havoc with short-term memory. Do you even remember anything about what I look like? Like the color of my hair, or the color of my eyes? I don't think you do.

Well, you'd have to be foolish to admit it if you did. Tell me, are you foolish? It doesn't matter what you remember.

You saw what I wanted you to see, but I'm not going to keep wearing a wig and contacts the entire time you are under my care. You might be here for a while after all. It will take some time until they pay for your ransom, but they will pay it.

You're a lot more important than you realize. So here's what's going to happen. You're going to stay here in this room, tied to this chair, with that bag over your head until I get my money.

Realistically, that might take a couple of weeks. It's not going to be fun, and I'm not going to lie. It's going to be hell on your body, but you will recover, eventually.

Please understand that I am not doing this to be cruel. I just can't risk you overpowering me or escaping. There is one alternative, though.

I could make this a lot easier for you. With the help of a little hypnosis, I could put you to sleep, and when you'd wake up again, all of this unpleasantness would be behind you. It'll be like, you know how you travel a road that you've done a million times before, and you just kind of zone out?

You're aware of staring out and arriving, but it's like you skipped everything in between, even though you were behind the wheel the entire time. It'll be just like that. I wouldn't even have to keep you restrained anymore.

Hypnosis can't make you do anything you don't want to do, but you wouldn't be trying to escape when you're under. You would be lost in your own little world, like in a daydream, but it's not going to work if you don't want it to. You have to be open to it, and I will know if you're faking it, so don't bother.

If you're planning on trying that, how about we save ourselves the trouble and just skip straight to the part where I leave you tied up, hmm? I do need you to decide, though. Are you going to tough it out, or would you like me to hypnotize you instead? All right.

Hypnotize it is. Honestly, I'm glad I won't have to watch you waste away on that chair. Hypnotizing you will make things so much easier for the both of us.

Your mind will take a nice, long nap, and when you wake up, you will be very well rested, and I will be very rich. It's a win-win. I'm going to take this bag off your head so you'll be a little more comfortable.

I'm warning you, though. Don't look at me. Keep your head nice and straight.

I'm going to trust you, and I'm going to need you to trust me, too. At least a little. Okay.

The bag's coming off now. There we go. Now just take a couple of deep breaths with me and try to relax.

In and out. Again. In and out.

And once more. In and out. Very good.

That's better, isn't it? Uh-huh. Just relax.

Everything is going to work out perfectly fine. You'll see. Let's get started with the hypnosis.

There's really nothing to it. Just close your eyes, listen to my voice, and follow some very simple instructions, and everything else will just happen automatically. I want you to close your eyes now, if they aren't already, and try to relax as best as you can.

Now don't flinch. I'm going to put my hands on your head. Easy.

Just relax. I'm going to be massaging your scalp. It will help you relax.

Tracing little circles on your temples, just like this. I'll be talking to you, too, and I want you to focus on the sound of my voice. You don't have to think about what I'm saying to you.

Just listen. And if I give you an instruction, try to follow it to the best of your ability. It's all right if you don't quite manage.

It's all fine. Just as long as you listen to my voice, focus on my voice, and relax. Yes, like that.

Just breathe in and breathe out. Good. Again, breathe out all of your tension and breathe in relaxation.

Yes. With every breath you take, you become more and more calm, more relaxed, more at peace. I want you to relax.

I want you to let go. And just keep breathing. Keep focusing on the sound of my voice.

Empty your mind and relax, just like that. Now, I want you to picture something for me. Imagine a set of stairs leading down.

Maybe they're made of white marble with ornate golden banisters on both sides. Or maybe they're made of wood with a red color.