Seven Ways To The Abyss

MIND GAMES

Sofia's next few days consisted of following a man she had learned was named Mr. Benson. He had a short temper and hated cats. She also found out he was cheating on his wife, but that was none of her business. All in all, Sofia concluded that Mr. Benson was going to be a very difficult person to work with. However, he was high up in the hierarchy, so there was that.

Obviously, she had no intention of approaching him directly. Instead, she planned to gaslight him, make him question his sanity and reality, and believe that she was someone dear to him whom he had somehow forgotten. This was easier said than done, as what she was about to attempt was akin to hypnotizing someone, but much harder to pull off.

It was an ability she'd discovered along the way, which she had named Mindrupt. She could give someone false memories of the past and convince them that, at some point in their life, She had done something significant for them or that something  happened, making the person view her in a different light. However, she could only plant the memory; she couldn't make them feel the associated emotions. She might convince someone that they'd once kissed, but she couldn't stir up romantic feelings. Similarly, she could make someone believe she had saved their life, but she couldn't make them feel grateful. The feelings they associated with these false memories were entirely up to them.

To succeed, Sofia needed to understand her target intimately—how they might react in certain scenarios—so she could implant memories in sync with their personality. Only then could she manipulate them effectively for her own gain.

To gaslight someone, certain emotions were crucial. These emotions made a person more likely to believe something that never happened simply because someone else said so:

1. Guilt: Convincing a person that not remembering her was deeply hurtful could invoke guilt. The more guilty she could make them feel, the more their brain would absorb the false memories without question.
 
2. Fear: Fear made the human brain malfunction, like how a drunk person could be convinced they were home when they weren’t. A frightened person, overwhelmed by fear, would most likely believe things that hadn’t happened. The police also used this technique during interrogations to make innocent people believe they were guilty.

3. Embarrassment: Embarrassment caused the mind to process information more slowly. Rooted in fear and shame, it was an overwhelming emotion, making people more likely to believe anything said to them without question.

4. Worry: A worried mind was preoccupied with future threats and paid little attention to the present or past. People consumed by worry were often too anxious to critically evaluate new information, accepting it readily as a means of alleviating their stress.

5. Stress: Although not an emotion, stress put the mind into a state of instability, making it easier to slide in fake memories.

6. Obligation: If someone felt naturally indebted to her, they would feel compelled to remember details about her, even if they weren’t true. This sense of obligation could lead them to start forming false memories themselves.

These emotions, and many others, distorted the mind when amplified excessively. That was Sofia's power—amplifying certain emotions until the brain accepted fabricated events as truth. Different emotions were triggered by different stimuli, making careful observation crucial to her success.

Through her observation of Mr. Benson, Sofia had learned that he was stressed 90% of the time and worried easily.  However, he also thought highly of himself, making guilt and fear harder emotions to access. Still, she was confident she would figure it out. She always did.

Today, she planned to confront him during his lunch break. She waited patiently for him to emerge from his office and head to the roadside shop where he usually bought his food. After what felt like hours, he finally appeared, ready to carry out his daily routine.

Before he could reach the shop, Sofia began to approach him, tears streaming down her face as she cried loudly.

"Mr. Benson!" she called out, voice choked with emotion. It was the quickest way to grab a stranger's attention.

The man turned around, his brow crinkling and a frown forming on his face. Stress check, Sofia thought to herself, sensing the tension in his posture. She began to amplify the first emotion she needed to work with.

"Yes? Do I know you?" Mr. Benson asked irritably.

"Sir, how can you not remember me?" Sofia replied, her voice laced with shock and hurt, playing the guilt card.

"Am I supposed to?" he retorted, answering her question with one of his own.

Sofia began to wail loudly, lamenting and screaming words of grief. Her display earned stares from passers-by and Mr. Benson’s coworkers, who were also out for lunch. She could feel the first tendrils of embarrassment curling around his mind.

"Hey! Stop crying, you little brat!" he yelled, his voice rising. His outburst only drew more attention, and Sofia cried even harder, amplifying his sense of obligation to do something.

Mr. Benson looked around, uncomfortable with the growing crowd. He began to retreat towards his office but hesitated when he heard whispers trailing in his wake. I can't just walk away he thought, and turned back to Sofia.

"What's your name?" he asked, softening his tone slightly.

"Sofia," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"Okay, Sofia. Do you have something you want to tell me?" he asked, his tone still uncertain but gentler than before.

Sofia nodded vigorously, like a child who had finally been given a chance to speak. Inwardly, she was proud of her performance. She had used her acting skills to get out of trouble more times than she could count, and today was no different.

Mr. Benson sighed heavily. "Alright," he muttered. "Follow me."

He led Sofia to a small restaurant a little way down the road. To an observer, it might have seemed like a gentlemanly gesture, but in truth, Mr. Benson just wanted to get away from the prying eyes of the public. Never in his life had he been in such a confusing situation. He was certain he had never seen this girl before, yet the fact that she knew his name nagged at him.

As they entered the local restaurant, people glanced their way, curious. Mr. Benson ignored them. At least here, people might think he was kindly treating a possibly homeless child to lunch, rather than assuming something more sinister. They took a seat at a small table, and Mr. Benson checked his watch, calculating how much time he had  to listen to the child before him  before his next shift.

HEY GUYS! SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE AND THE CLIFF HANGER........ YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING A LOT MORE OF THESE FROM NOW ON
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