Caught in the Mirror (hypno)
by irrcapt
Continued from On the Bench
Washing off the sweat from another hard day's workout, Mitch was deep in thought. He knew that something was odd about Jackson. It had first started when Alan had started to pal around with him all the time. Mitch knew Alan didn't like him, and had seen Jackson have this odd look whenever he looked at him. But suddenly the two were inseparable. Even weirder still when they became roommates and Alan only showed up when Jackson did, and stopped talking to everyone else, even Mitch, who'd been friends with Alan since he started coming to the gym.
But that was nothing compared to Jake. Some weeks after Jackson an Alan had moved in together, Jackson started giving that same eye to Jake, who didn't talk to anybody. And then one day Mitch came into the locker room and there they were, sitting on a bench and talking. Thinking back, though, there was something odd about it. They never seemed to break eye contact, and Jake had always responded slowly to what few bits of conversation Mitch could overhear while he changed. When Jake moved in with Alan and Jackson, Mitch couldn't help but wonder what was going on.
Mitch stepped out of the shower and began to dry himself off. He'd been creeped out even more because now that same weird hungry look was being directed at him. He'd caught it from Jackson the moment he walked in. Wrapping the towel around his waist, Mitch decided to hell with the cost, he'd just switch gyms, cause this was just too creepy.
As he walked back to his locker, though, Jackson started walking up towards him. Mitch quickly turned to the mirror and began messing with his hair. Instinctively, he knew he didn't want to make eye contact. “How are you doing Mitch?” Jackson asked.
Pointedly not turning around, Mitch replied. “Just fine Jackson, you?”
There was a slight pause, as if Jackson was thinking about how to respond, and then he sat behind Mitch. “Good, good. Alan's been asking about you.”
Mitch was shocked, but controlled himself before he turned around. “Really?!”
“Yeah, he wanted to know when you'd join us.”
For some reason, Mitch's brain began to grow a bit fuzzy, ad a deep rich blue seemed to be stuck in his head. “Join you?” he said unsteadily.
Jackson nodded. “Yes, my little group of men.” Too late, Mitch realized that he could see Jackson in the mirror, and had looked directly at his reflection when he nodded. There was something about... his eyes. They were... that same... deep... blue... “We live together, and we look at things. Blue things.”
Mitch was lost in a blue fog. “Blue... things?”
“Exactly, just like my eyes. They just watch and fall into them. Falling deeper and deeper, becoming more and more relaxed with each passing moment. Knowing that the blue will envelop them. Wrapping a warm cocoon around their mind to keep them safe. So they can just relax and let everything go. And you can join them there.” Mitch's posture slipped, as did his grip on the towel around his wait. “That's it, just let it all go. The blue will keep you safe and secure. You just need to follow it's instructions and everything will be fine.”
“Ever'thin' will bif'ne.” Mitch mumbled, his brain now completely filled with the color, unable to think anything but what it told him.
Jackson smiled widely. “Thought you could avoid my eyes, did you Mitch? I knew the moment you caught me with Jake that you'd have to be next. I wasn't really looking to add to my little group, but I didn't know how much you might have seen or heard, so you had to come under my control. Not that it's that much of a hardship. Sometimes you feel like a little trip on the bear side, and controlling your diet will help slim you down. Now, why don't you let that towel drop and turn around.”
Slowly, Mitch released the towel and turned, ready for his new programming...
END