A Bet with a Hypnotist

The aftermath

"Now wake up!"

I opened my eyes and blinked. For a moment, I wasn't even sure where I was. Then I remembered.

I was still sitting in the same chair. I had the feeling some time had gone by, but no idea how much.

I didn't want to admit what had happened. I couldn't admit it. It couldn't have really happened, least of all to me.

Megan stepped right in front of me, a small smile on her face. "I'd say that was pretty clear-cut," she said. "You're an outstanding subject. Extremely susceptible."

I wanted to deny everything, but the words got stuck. I realized my shoes and socks were off, flung halfway across the floor. I stared at them in disbelief. "Another little convincer," she said with a laugh. "You followed a suggestion."

I didn't want to meet her eyes. "Speak to me," she said. "Do I need to wake you up some more?"

That made me mad. I could use an excuse to get mad. "Wake me up? Of course you don't need to wake me up!"

"Calm down," she said. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

That made me even more mad. "This is crap!"

She wasn't smiling any more. "You can talk about your feelings, or you can stomp out if you want. But you'll owe me a hundred before you leave."

That gave me something to hold on to. "I'm not paying you anything."

"Jordan," she said quietly, "you know that's unfair. Do you remember the session? Do you remember it at all?"

I had to find some explanation. But I still didn't want to think about what it was that needed explaining.

"So," she said with a sigh, "the answer is no. Spontaneous amnesia. Here." She reached up to a shelf and pulled down an iPhone I hadn't noticed before. "I was afraid something like this might happen. So look."

She played a video, and it was a video of me. I was sitting in the chair, eyes closed, head leaning forward. Two seconds was all I could stomach watching.

"You're way overreacting," she said. "But you do owe me."

"I never said you could take video of me." It was another excuse to be mad.

"It looks like I had good reason to," she said. "Now come on, are we going to keep arguing like this all evening?"

"No. I'm leaving." I grabbed my shoes and socks.

"Jordan!" she said.

I slammed the front door, and didn't look back.