Chapter 2: Penny Surrenders Her Body

Penny awoke to her alarm at five thirty. She puzzled for a moment, trying to remember when she had set it and why she had set that particular time. Finally, she gave up and simply accepted it, and she rose and stretched languorously, looking out the window toward the sun peeking at her from between the houses on the opposite side of the street.

There was no other movement in the house, so she felt that she had time to spend in the bathroom at the end of the hall (one of two on this floor). She took her makeup case with her, and started running a bath. Usually, she did not spend long in the mornings to improve her appearance, but now she put her razor to work, until her legs and underarms were smooth. For the first time, not really understanding why, she spent time "down there," trimming and shaving, until her pubic patch was almost nonexistent. She soaked in the tub, thinking (oddly) of nothing at all, until her skin began to wrinkle; then she used the last of the body lotion she owned, loving the feel of it on her skin. Back in her room, she spent more long minutes in front of a mirror, feeling strangely feminine and actually pretty. She would have to wear the same dress, but it was still relatively fresh. Thanks to the free night in the hotel, she thought that she might be able to spend enough at the second-hand store to buy a skirt and a couple blouses that would satisfy her strict boss' sense of propriety.

When she got to the office, the only one there was the night dispatcher, who seemed surprised to see anyone before eight o'clock. She busied herself with chores, filing more of the moving-violation warrants (her first in-office duty from the previous day). At seven-thirty, she dumped the old pot of coffee and started a new one, and ... guessing that the sheriff was as punctual as he was bureaucratic, she had his cup cleaned, filled and ready as he walked in the door.

He was clearly taken aback and for once, he was seemingly speechless. She pretended not to notice his lingering leer (if those years of waitressing had taught her anything, it was how to do that). She found herself blushing ... but not so much at how he stared at her, as the fact that HE blushed when he realized he was doing it. She found that his discomfort somehow removed him from the category "pervert," and placed him into the category "kind of cute," instead.

"Holy Christ, Penny," he exclaimed after taking a sip. "This is the first time I've ever had FRESH coffee in the morning! Did you make this? I didn't think you knew how to fix coffee."

"If it's at the Mid-City Diner in Fort Worth," she answered, "I know how to fix it. I know how to fix coffee, and I know how to fix chicken-fried steak with cream gravy, and I know how to fix a Wurlitzer juke box when the dollar bills get all wadded up behind the coin return gizmo." She smiled at his expression and turned to leave.

"Wait!" he ordered firmly. "Did you go to see Madam Dormir yesterday? I expect a report!"

She smiled and returned to sit in the chair at one side of his desk. Instinctively, she sat upright, her knees together with her hands resting on them. She found that for some reason, she kept her eyes lowered, except when she needed to use them for emphasis, and couldn't help but think, in the back of her mind, that this gave him the opportunity to look at her breasts ... at her figure. The idea made her face feel warm. "What do you want to know?" she asked quietly.

He cleared his throat. "What did you see? What did you do? What did SHE do?"

"She hypnotized me," Penny answered simply, giving a little shrug without looking up.

She heard him swallow. He coughed again. "She did what?" When she didn't answer immediately, he asked: "Why did you let her DO that?"

She sighed. "I didn't really have much of a choice. Before I knew what was happening, she was doing it ... and I was falling asleep. I ... I've never felt like that before. I've never slept so deeply ... so totally and completely. I'm not sure, but I think that if she walked into this room right now and told me to go to sleep, I'd do it. I don't think I'd be able to resist."

He wiped the palms of his hands on the sides of his trouser legs. "Do you think she's ... um ... controlling you in some way?"

She thought for a moment. "I don't know. I think maybe she is."

He was silent for a long moment. "Do you ... do you trust her?"

That made her look up into his eyes. "Oh, yes!" She thought that she was being too emphatic, but she felt that he needed to understand this. "Sir, she said some really strange things, but ... but she's a GOOD woman ... a good PERSON! I don't think she could ever ... um ... ever..." She was suddenly confused. "What is it that you think she's done that's against the law? What is she informing you about? Why do you want to see her this morning?"

He ignored her. "What 'strange things' did she say?"

Once again, Penny found that she couldn't meet his eyes. "She ... she seemed to know all about me. ALL about me. She knew about my grades in the academy. She knew how I felt ... how I feel ... what I want ... the type of person I am. Everything! She knew everything about me! She told me that SHE was responsible for me being here! That SHE was the person who brought me here from Fort Worth!"

"Aw, Penny, don't be ridiculous! She had nothing at all to do with you being hired. I needed another deputy, and I hired you. Period."

"But why did you pick ME? I mean, if you'd checked my record, I can't see how you could possibly choose me over all the applicants from all the police schools in the state!"

Now, HE was the one who couldn't seem to make eye contact. "Well..." He cleared his throat again. She was beginning to find that she could interpret the meanings of his various coughs: discomfort, insecurity, stall tactic, guilt. "To tell you the truth, the county board of directors suggested that I hire a woman for the job. It didn't matter to me, really. But ... well ... there are two women on the board, and somehow, they came up with your name. I just needed a deputy, and they hold the purse strings. But THEY came up with your name ... not Madam Dormir."

Penny nodded. It was true. Madam was telling the truth. Madam never lied.

He frowned, seeing that she didn't believe him. "And just why did she say she wanted you to come here to Rising Rapids? Why would SHE pick you?"

She gave him a little shrug. "You're not going to believe it, but she claimed that I was somehow going to save the world or something. Or save Rising Rapids, anyway. She made me sound like Wonder Woman. But ... but, at the same time, she told me that it was in my nature to be submissive and meek and dependent on others." Penny sighed. "I know it all sounds like she's some crazy woman ... but I BELIEVE her, Sheriff. I TRUST her. She's just a really nice lady. I don't think she would ever do ANYTHING wrong!"

She stole a peek at him, and she was shocked at his expression. That look he was giving her told her that he cared about her ... that he was concerned about her ... that he was worried about her. He sighed. "Penny, Madam Dormir sells dope."

The statement seemed to knock the breath out of her. She blinked at him, uncomprehending for a moment. "I ... I don't believe it."

He kept giving her that concerned look. "What time did you leave her yesterday?"

She frowned, feeling she wasn't keeping up with the conversation. "Um ... I got back about eight o'clock."

He nodded. "So you were with her for four hours?" He waited until she was forced to nod. "And for four hours work, you paid her twenty dollars?"

Her eyes widened. "Oh! I forgot to give her the twenty dollars!"

"How do you think she makes her living, Penny? She doesn't charge anything when you go to visit her. She sells drugs. THAT's how she makes her money. It's no secret ... everybody in town knows it." He handed her a handkerchief. It was the first that she'd noticed she was crying.

She dabbed at her eyes. "Why ... I mean, if you know about it... ?"

He shrugged. "She never sells anything except marijuana, and even then, only in very small quantities. She has all these little rules for her customers ... don't drive if you smoke one ... that sort of thing. And she refuses to sell to the type of guy that gets nasty when he's high. In fact, like I said yesterday, most of her clients are women." He shrugged again. "Hell, she sold me MY first joint when I graduated from high school. But she's been here forever. She's just part of the town ... part of its people."

"I ... I want to talk to her. I want to hear her side of it."

"No," he said firmly. "I don't want you to see her again ... at least, not until after I've had a chance to talk to her about this other thing."

"What thing?" she implored.

"I'll tell you about it later. But not now ... not today. I have to keep it secret ... sorry." He thought in silence for a long minute. "I need to ask her about all this 'save the world' stuff, too. That's ... that's just plumb loco. She's never struck me as the crazy type."

"Can I be here when you talk to her?"

"Definitely not. Like I said, I need to keep this absolutely hush-hush. I'll brief you in a couple days. In the meantime, I don't want you mentioning anything about her to anyone. Period. Got it?"

Penny nodded, rose from her chair and handed the moist handkerchief back to him. "Yes, sir. I understand." Without another word, she turned and left his office.

She worried over the problem of Madam Dormir for the next hour while she was filing the warrants for the moving violations. It was slow work ... tedious work, but she didn't mind. It was work, after all. Every few minutes, she found herself checking the clock on the wall, which should have been odd. She'd never been a clock-watcher. She'd always worked at a task until it was done, never really caring about break time or quitting time ... or time in general. For no particular reason, she rose from her desk at precisely nine-fifteen and went back to his office, knocking gently as she walked in.

"Get you a cup of coffee, Chief?" she asked innocently.

He smiled, nodded and handed her his cup, though he let his eyes slide over her body as he did so. She smiled, too, and blushed a little, but didn't object. She poured the coffee from the large pot, then took the full cup to her desk, along with a small plastic container of cream and a packet of sugar. She poured in the cream, then she poured in the sugar, then she fished out a small glass vial from her purse. She uncorked the vial, poured in the clear liquid, replaced the cork, and put the empty glass container back into her purse again. She stopped at the coffee pot long enough to stir the hot brew with a spoon, then she took the cup back to her boss. He tasted it, thanked her, and they both went back to their individual tasks.

She was surprised to suddenly see Madam Dormir standing beside her desk. The clock on the wall showed that it was nine-twenty-eight. "Madam," Penny said, startled. "What are you doing back here? I thought you were supposed to talk to the sheriff." Madam's bright smile was contagious. She was startled, however, when the woman picked up Penny's big cloth purse and began rummaging around in it. "You ... you shouldn't be doing that, Madam. OH! Please be careful of the gun. It's loaded. What are you looking for?"

"Just this, dear," Madam replied, taking a small, empty glass vial from the purse.

Penny blinked, confused. "What ... what IS that? How did it get in my purse?"

Madam smiled gaily and dropped the vial in her own handbag. "It's nothing at all, my dear. I must have dropped it in your purse accidently yesterday." Penny frowned, confused. "Dear, I want you to just forget all about that, alright?" She put a finger under Penny's chin and lifted her face until their eyes met. "It's of no importance. Just forget about it."

Penny felt suddenly dizzy. Closing her eyes seemed to help a little, but when she opened them again, she'd lost her train of thought. "Madam, do you sell marijuana?"

The woman frowned a little. "Well, yes, dear. I didn't think you were the type that would like it. Do you want some?"

Penny paled. "NO! I mean ... No, of course not. I ... I didn't know ... um ... that you sold ... um..."

Madam smiled again. "Well, you're still new here, but everybody in town knows. And now, you do, too. Just let me know if you change your mind." And she turned and walked toward the sheriff's inner office.

Penny wasn't sure how to take all of this. She felt oddly disconnected, as if she should be doing something ... or worrying about something ... but couldn't quite remember what that something was. Slowly, she got back into the routine of her paperwork task, but again, she found herself checking the clock every minute or two, as if she was anxiously waiting for the proper time of some important task. At precisely nine-forty-five, she rose and walked swiftly to the door of the sheriff's office.

"He's in an important meeting," Bea told her. "He doesn't want to be disturbed."

"Yes, I know," Penny responded. "He's with Madam Dormir. He wanted me to go in and give him some information while she was there."

"Well ... he could have told ME about it!" Bea groused. "Go on in. I'll make sure no one ELSE disturbs him."

Penny nodded, tapped lightly on the door, opened it and went in. She turned as she entered, giving her attention to the task of closing the door quietly. Something was tickling at the edge of her consciousness. This WAS what he had told her to do ... wasn't it? She frowned, uncertain. Well ... she was here now. If this wasn't what he wanted, he'd just tell her to leave, that's all. She turned toward the sheriff's big desk. And she froze in amazement.

The sheriff sat, sprawled in his chair, his arms hanging at his sides. His eyes were closed, and his head was leaning comfortably against Madam's ample breasts, her arms wrapped protectively around his head. He was drooling a little on her blouse. She was stroking his hair with her fingertips, and she was droning: "Deeper and deeper, now. That's it. You feel SO good ... and comfortable ... and relaxed. Go deeper for me. Deeper and deeper."

Penny took a step toward them. "No," she said aloud ... though for some reason, she was keeping her voice low, as if not to awaken him. "Madam, you mustn't! Not to HIM!"

Madam Dormir looked up at her and nodded, as if she fully expected to see her here, but a bemused little smile flitted across her lips. She pointed directly at her, and Penny halted suddenly, as if that pointing finger was an order that could not be refuted. "Stay right there, dear. Don't move. I'll be with you in just a moment. I'm running a few minutes behind, but he's coming along nicely now." Then she put her lips near the sheriff's ear and continued her mantra about going deeper.

Penny's mind was in utter turmoil. She desperately wanted to stop Madam, but she was somehow incapable of either movement or speech. As she watched, she finally recalled what the sheriff had told her earlier ... that she should NOT come into the office. Why had she forgotten that? But now, it was certainly a lucky thing that she had. Now, she could stop Madam from hypnotizing her boss ... stop her from controlling him. If only ... if only she could move.

Gently, Madam lowered the sheriff's sleeping head to the surface of the big desk, turning it so that his cheek was resting on its surface. He was mumbling something, and Penny had to concentrate hard to understand. He was counting ... softly counting: " ... thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen..."

"That's right, Joe. Deeper with each number. Keep counting. Deeper and deeper." Madam Dormir was coming around the desk now, walking up to her, smiling at her. "Very good, my dear. You are doing SO well."

Penny felt very confused. Madam's praise made her heart happy ... made her stomach flutter in a most pleasant way. But something was ... wrong. "Madam, PLEASE don't hypnotize him! Not HIM! Take me, instead! You can have me ... you can make me do things ... make me do ANYTHING! But please, please not him!"

Madam smiled with utter mirth and pleasure. "My, my, dear. This IS something. I haven't given you any suggestions at all concerning Joe, and you've gone and fallen in love with him all on your own!"

Penny blinked. "No ... I ... I just want you to..."

"I'm sorry, dear," interrupted Madam, "but I'm very short on time, and there's SO much to do. I want you to look into my eyes, please dear. Directly into my eyes. That's it. Now get sleepy for me, please."

Penny's eyes suddenly became so heavy she could hardly keep them open. "No ... no, Madam. We need to talk about the sheriff! You ... you can't..."

"No thoughts, now, dear. Look in my eyes, and just let all your thoughts slip away ... slip away..."

"But ... but, the sheriff..."

"Look in my eyes ... let your thoughts slip away. No thoughts now. You have no thoughts at all." She paused, and fleetingly, Penny imagined that there was something that needed to be done. But ... what was it? Madam would know. Madam knew everything. "What are you thinking about, dear?"

"Nothing, Madam."

"Very good, dear; very good. And now that you have no thoughts, we will fill your head with sleep, instead. You are very sleepy, aren't you, dear?"

"Yes, Madam. Please ... please make me sleep now."

"Very well, dear. Close your eyes and sleep. Now."

Penny found herself sinking down, down, down into a wonderfully sound sleep. She didn't know how long it lasted, but something nagged inside her mind. Something wasn't right. There was someone who needed her. She had to fix something ... or at least, she had to try. She wanted to sleep, but instead, she forced her eyes open.

She made a little noise, deep in her throat. This wasn't right at all. She was naked. Absolutely, totally, stark naked ... and she was standing in the center of the room, her hands at her sides, her feet far enough apart that her pussy was clearly visible. And behind the desk, the sheriff was leering at her with undisguised lust in his eyes. Madam stood beside him, bent slightly at the waist, so that her lips were next to his ear, and she was talking quietly to him, pouring words of passion and desire into his fertile mind.

"This is wrong," Penny said quietly.

Startled, Madam glanced up at her, but her initial look of shock was gradually replaced with one of amazed delight. She straightened and walked around the desk to her, beaming. "Oh, my. You really HAVE got it bad, my dear. You want to protect him. You would do anything for him, wouldn't you?"

Penny blinked and tried to understand. Once again, she couldn't seem to move, couldn't even raise her arms to shield her incredibly stiff nipples from the view of the ogling sheriff. She took a shuddering breath. "Yes," she answered quietly. "I'd do anything for him." The most surprising thing about that statement was that it was undeniably true.

"If you want to protect him, my dear, then you must do as I say. You DO want to protect him, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Will you do as I say?"

She hesitated. "Yes."

"You are dreaming, my dear."

Her brow furrowed in thought. "I am?"

"Yes, dear. You are deeply hypnotized. You are asleep, and you are dreaming. This is all a dream. It's very ... erotic ... isn't it?"

"Oh, yes."

"Joe wants to see you in deep hypnosis again. It really turns him on to know that you are helplessly in someone else's power. See how much he wants you?"

"Yes."

"Then, if you want to please him, let sleep come again. You are asleep, and this is a dream; and in your dream, you are sleepy ... sleepy. So sleepy. That's it, my dear. You won't fall ... you'll remain standing just like that as you sleep. Sleep, dear. Sleep."

She was especially deep now. It took a long time to come back from sleep that deep, and she had to struggle to do it. Finally, she opened her eyes.

Madam and the sheriff were standing over her, looking down at her as she slowly awoke. She was in the chair at the side of the sheriff's desk, and her mind was still muddled by sleep. She smiled up at them wanly, then frowned a little as she tried to hold onto a particularly strange and oddly pleasant dream ... but it flitted away, the way dreams always seem to do. "How ... how did I get here?" she asked them.

The sheriff cleared his throat, and in her mind, Penny was able to translate it as his "I'm concerned about you" cough, which made her blush slightly. "You came in while Madam Dormir and I were talking," he told her. "As long as you were here ... against my instructions, I might add ... I asked her to demonstrate how she can hypnotize you. She whispered something in your ear, and you collapsed into that chair, out like a light." He turned and looked sternly at the older woman. "I don't like knowing that you can do that to one of my deputies."

She patted his hand, placating him. "Don't worry your head about it, dear," she told him. "I'll only use it for therapeutic purposes." She picked up her purse and moved toward the door. "Thank you for listening to me, Joe. I know that you'll do the right thing."

And she was gone.

The sheriff stepped up to her chair and held out his hand to her. He cleared his throat, which she understood as the cough he made when he was looking at her cleavage and hoped she didn't look up and catch him in the act. Obediently, she didn't look up, but she reached out and took his proffered hand, allowing him to pull her into a standing position. This, however, put their bodies in closer proximity than they had ever been before. She blushed and kept her gaze low, feeling his strength and size so close to her diminutive form. His hand let go of hers and brushed lightly against her right breast as he moved it to his side, making him cough rather violently and step back abruptly from her.

She flushed, but didn't object. Finally, she said: "Sir, perhaps it would be best if I resigned."

"What!?" he barked, genuinely flustered. He raised his arms and let them flop helplessly back to his sides again. "You mean ... because I touched you? It was an accident..."

She laughed out loud at that, then blushed even more. "Don't be silly! That's not why."

"Well then, what the hell ARE you talking about?"

She looked up at him, tears pooling in her eyes. "She made me come in here, somehow ... even when you'd ordered me not to. She can make me do things."

"You can simply resist her," he said.

"But I can't." She paused for emphasis. "I don't WANT to resist her. I LOVE it when I fall into a trance for her. I love it so much, that deep down inside, I KNOW I'd never be able to resist. Not ever." He didn't seem to be able to respond to that. "Sir, I'm a natural submissive. I know that now. I'm submissive, and meek, and obedient, and compliant and subservient. I could NEVER make a good cop ... no one with those traits ever could. I asked Madam Dormir ... I BEGGED her to make me more assertive. But she told me that would go against the nature of the person I really am." She sighed. "I'm afraid I'm going to get somebody hurt. If I ever had to fired that automatic in my purse, there's no telling WHAT I'd hit!"