Anne, the Speed Skater

John sat quietly eating the last of his sandwiches in the corner cafe as

he watched and listened to his friend Bill whinge and complain about not

being able to get the best out of his athletes whenever they performed.

Bill was the head coach at the local university, in charge of all of the

athletes and responsible to the athletics committee, and as such always

found him under the gun from them if his athlete’s performance were not

within the first three place-gettings.

“I know they’ve got it in them.” Bill said, knowing that John couldn’t

give him any easy answers, but it felt good just getting it off his chest

after the berating he received from the athletics committee that morning.

He was told that if his athletes couldn’t achieve a place somewhere in the

first three, then he mustn’t be doing his job. And they had left it at

that – an unveiled threat, if ever he’d heard one. “But when push comes to

shove some of them just don’t seem capable of putting in that little bit

extra it takes to keep them within the first three places.”

John smiled sympathetically at his friend’s plight, knowing how the

whole conversation was going to end, and, he couldn’t be more pleased for

accepting Bill’s invitation to lunch that day. “Are they good athletes in

general?” he asked Bill. “You know what I mean, not slackers in training

or anything like that?”

“No, they’re not!” Bill said emphatically. “That’s what I can’t

understand. They work, the ones who are always just missing out on a place

in the first three, I mean, they work as hard as anyone else in any other

area of the athlete squad. Maybe it’s the pressure. I don’t know. I do

know that I have to cut them from the squad if their next performance meet

doesn’t see them somewhere in the first three places. And if they don’t

make, well, I’ll probably be the next one to be cut, permanently. If there

was only a couple of them it wouldn’t seem so much my fault, but there’s

ten of them. I’ve done my best, John. Honest.

Bill paused to take a long, slow, deep breath.

“All of my other athletes easily get there. I just don’t know what to

do with this lot. None of the advanced performance techniques have seemed

to work. I’ve just plain run out of ideas now.”

John had decided not to interrupt, preferring instead to let his friend

get it all off his chest. He finished the last of his coffee just as Bill

finished talking with a loud sigh. Bill just sat there looking at him, as

if waiting for him to say something.

“What?” John asked, shrugging his shoulders.

“I know.” Bill said with another long sigh. “I just wanted to whinge, I

guess. I know you don’t have any answers. I felt like talking, that’s

all.” Bill wished his friend, John, or

someone could give him an answer or two. For sure as hell, he didn’t

have any of his own at this point.

John smiled at Bill as he raised his glass to finish his coffee. Bill’s

brow furrowed slightly.

“It’s not nice to laugh at a friend’s misfortune.” Bill said dryly as he

placed his empty coffee cup back down on the table.

“I’m not laughing.” John said, still smiling. “I’m smiling. I might be

able to help.”

Bill’s face lit up. His pulse quickened at the thought of help from any

quarter, even if it came from out of left field through his friend John.

“I’m all ears.”

“No guarantees, mind you.” John told him. “But, I did manage to help a

friend of mine some years ago with a fairly similar problem. He managed a

racing car driver who was having a sort of confidence problem in pushing

his car to the limit as he went into corners. It was in the corners that

his driver, who was quite good, actually, was losing his races. The other

drivers took him out and passed him every single time. He would get as far

ahead as he could in the straights, but they always caught him and overtook

in the corners when his speed slowed just that little bit. I worked with

him for a little while and everything worked out. I didn’t do all that

much, really- just showed him how he could get that little bit more out of

himself, rather than depending on his car to do all the work.”

By the time John had finished Bill was smiling widely. His pulse had

definitely quickened and he could see his problems solved already. The

gods had sent his friend John to him on this day, surely. And he would be

eternally grateful.

“Would you be willing?” Bill asked.

“I’d be happy to.” John answered. “But remember, no guarantees. I’ll

do my best. And if they’re hard working athletes and want to give that

little bit more, then I believe I can convince them to give it, willingly.”

“They are good athletes, John. Every single one of them. It’s got them

beat as much as it has me. They, and I just don’t know where they’re going

wrong or what to do about it.” Bill said in defence of his athletes.

“Okay.” John told his friend. “When can I meet them?

“Whenever you want.”

“As soon as possible then. Sooner I get started the sooner you start

getting results.” John said. “I’ll see them as a group first, and then

I’ll need to work with each one individually, and privately. Sometimes

there’s some deep-seated issues that need resolving within themselves

before they can hope to move forward.”

“I understand.” Bill answered, thanking his lucky stars that he had a

psychotherapist for a friend. What a stroke of luck.

“Phone me with a set up time.” John said. I’ve got to fly. Got a two

o’clock appointment. Okay?”

“I will. You can count on a call before the day is out. I’ll see them

and tell them all about it. I can tell you they’ll be as excited as I am.”

Bill said, grinning widely.

Chapter II

The ten athletes sat in the coach’s lecture room, three abreast toward

the back of the room, with one on her own in the back row. Bill sat behind

his desk introducing John as he stood beside it and looked around at the

sea of faces in front of him. John was surprised they were all girls. And

they were each from a different sport arena. Speed skating on ice, tennis,

swimming, diving, running, javelin, shot-put, high-jump, wrestling, and

gymnastics.

John smiled. It wasn’t hard to see which girl belonged to the shot-put

arena. She sat in the second row-shoulders two axe-handles wide. Same

with the high-jump girl who he reckoned sat beside her. Very tall and very

slim, almost to the point of anorexia, John mused, as he continued to scan

the faces of each while Bill wound down his introductory comments about

them all wanting to be willing to cooperate with whatever was suggested to

them, since nothing they were doing at the moment was working in any way.

Bill then asked for a show of hands for their absolute dedication to do

whatever it took to get the job done-and he got it. Every girl’s arm shot

straight up in the air.

John smiled inside. Their dedication was most certainly there. Now all

he had to do to give them and Bill what they wanted was to rechannel it

more effectively, after he found any psychological blocks that might be

lurking unnoticed in any of their subconscious minds. Bill then handed

over to John.

John decided to come on strong, right from the beginning. He knew it

would pay dividends for both they and he in the near-fullness of time. And

time he didn’t have a lot of if he was to get them up to scratch by their

next meet in a few weeks, as he intended to.

“You don’t have to believe in how I can help you.” John began. “Only

that I believe I can. As long as you’re showing me your complete and

willing cooperation, everything will work out just as you all want it to,

to everyone’s satisfaction, I’m sure. If I think you’re trying to analyse

what I’m doing, or question it in any way, instead of doing as I suggest,

I’ll refer you back to Bill as uncooperative. And I won’t be working with

you again. Is that clear? There will be no second chances. What you’re

doing now, as Bill has already told me with regards being cut if you don’t

improve in your individual areas, this is your last chance. So don’t blow

it. I’m helping you out as a favour to Bill. There will be no charge. So

if your not serious, say so now, or let’s get to work so your lives can

unfold the way you’d like. Any questions?”

John looked straight at Bill as soon as he’d finished speaking. Bill’s

face was deadly serious. John smiled inside. He’d bluffed Bill. And he

was sure he’d bluffed the others. A lot of them were attending the

university on athletic scholarships, and if they didn’t measure up in their

chosen athletic field they’d lose that scholarship and have to leave. It

was simple as that, and he knew they knew it. What’s more, he knew they

knew he knew it, too.

John turned back to face the sea of serious faces all staring

stony-faced and hopeful at him. Not a word was said or a sound made. Good

he thought. Now they know who’s boss. Then he smiled. No sense in making

them afraid of him.

“Relax.” he told them all. “It needed to be established exactly what

the ground rules are. Now that we understand one another you can rest

assured that next to your mother and Bill here, you can count on me as your

best friend until your next athletic meet. After that, you won’t need me

any more. Until then, you will, and I’ll be here for you, any time, day or

night, for any reinforcement that may be necessary so you can stand on your

own two feet, both physically and mentally. And you may as well know now,

it’s your mental feet that are weak, not your physical ones. And that’s

exactly what we are going to work-on your mental athletics. You are, under

no circumstances, whatsoever, to discuss with anyone, including each other,

or your families, boyfriends, or even Bill here, the nature of your

training with me. Each of you will be treated separately and especially

for you, and your needs alone. What works for you might work against

another, and you don’t want to be responsible for that. It will only serve

to undermine the final and desired effect for the whole lot of you. These

are my rules to help you in the manner you wish. Don’t break them. Any

questions before I allocate names and dates and times?”

A little dependance and uncertainty would only serve to increase their

willing cooperation, John thought, as he waited for any questions from

them. There were none. He turned to face Bill and handed him the list of

names, dates and times for each of them. Bill had phoned him earlier with

the information. All of the work he intended to do would be done here in

Bill’s office after hours, commencing at eight o’clock, or outside in the

adjacent gymnasium, if necessary. There would be no visitors.

“I look forward to working with you very much.” he told them all as he

turned back to face them. Bill will give each of you a copy of your

schedule. Be late just once, or miss an appointment, and that’s it.

You’re out! See you then. Good night, Bill.”

Bill shook John’s hand and waited until he left his office before

speaking to the quiet group of girls who sat facing him. When he heard the

door close he stood up and walked around to the front of his desk, leaning

his butt back against it as he folded his arms across his chest and put on

his most stern face- one that they’d all seen many times before.

“I want you to remember how lucky you are.” he told them seriously.

“None of your competitors will have had any psychologic advantage training,

so you’ll all have an edge there at your next meet. And secondly, you

aren’t being charged for John’s help in any way, other than through your

own willing cooperation. He’s the best in his field, and he’s worked with

performance problems before, and succeeded very well. Also, I know he

meant what he said. Nevertheless, I know you are as serious as he is.

Remember, that with some of you there are scholarships at stake here. We

have to protect them at all costs. Julie, come up here and take these

lists, photocopy them and hand them out to everyone, please. And remember

what John said about being late, or missing an appointment. I don’t care

if you’re in the toilet, busting for a leak, or have assignments, whether

you’re suffering from PMT, or are having your damn periods! Nothing is as

important as this. I know you feel the same way. Be there! Okay. Let’s

call it a night, and study your schedule, please. See you all tomorrow at

regular training!”

Chapter III

John was waiting in Bill’s office the following evening. It was a

quarter to eight and his first athlete hadn’t arrived. Her name was Anne.

She was a speed skater. He read over her file while he waited. She was a

good student generally and progressing well with her academics. Her

athletic performance, however, was letting her down badly. It appeared

that Anne always trained very hard and always made the finals, battling

with extreme confidence throughout all the heats leading up to the final

race. But when it came down to that race she would always get ahead, then

lose the race by falling in the last lap. She had done the same thing in

her last five races.

John read her stats. 5’4”, medium height, fair complexion, brown hair.

He looked at her picture and studied her eyes. The natural confidence was

there in her conscious mind. John could see that clearly from the look in

her eyes. Something was going wrong between her unconscious mind and her

conscious mind when she needed them to be working together, not separately.

Suddenly John”s attention was distracted from Anne’s file by a knock at

the door. He glanced at his watch. One minute to go. She was lucky.

“Come in.” he called.

The door opened and then closed, showing him the back of a girl in jeans

and a shortsleeved shirt. She turned to face him, her face flushed, her

breathing hard.

“Lucky.” was all John said to her as she came up and stood in front of

him.

“I’m sorry, but I ….” she began, but John cut her off with a wave of

his hand and a stern look.

“I don’t want to hear it.” he said seriously. “I care, and I’m here.

If you care, you’ll take whatever means necessary to make sure you don’t

cut it so fine in the future. Is that clear? Your choice.”

Anne bit her lip while John simply sat behind Bill’s desk at looked

calmly up at her. She could feel herself reddening. She felt hot. It

wasn’t her fault, but who cared. This was more important than any

embarrassment she might be feeling, which she was. She cursed herself for

not leaving earlier. The last thing she wanted to do was to get the only

person in the world off-side who wanted to help her, and free-of-charge at

that. She just couldn’t lose her scholarship. She just couldn’t.

Then John smiled. He wanted to teach her a lesson and he had. Now it

was time to break the ice and get to work, while still keeping their

relationship on the correct, respectful relationship. Anne smiled a

half-smile, which told him she understood she had been forgiven…this

time.

John had slightly rearranged Bill’s office. He had moved a recliner

lounge away from one corner and had brought it up beside Bill’s desk. He

intended for the athletes to occupy the recliner while he either sat behind

Bill’s desk, or on it, depending on what was happening at the time. He

motioned for her to have a seat in it. She sat down immediately at his

gesture, knees together, arms resting lightly on the recliner’s armrests at

each side of her.

“Okay.” John said with a smile as he glanced back down at her file, then

back at her. “Let’s get to work, Anne. You have a chance right now to cut

out of this special training programme if you want to, and no hard

feelings. You’ve given it some thought?”

“Yes.” Anne answered immediately. “I want to do this! I can’t lose my

scholarship. I just can’t. I’ll cooperate in any way you want. I’m

grateful you want to. I really am.”

John smiled at her, satisfied with her level of commitment. “Okay.

That’s fine.” he told her. “Remember, I’ll not accept any questioning or

doubting of the training methods. I know I can help you. You just have to

trust me. Can you do that? Willingly?”

Anne nodded. She did and she would. Anything to help her overcome

whatever the problem was whenever she got into the last lap. She knew she

could win. If she could only get to the bottom of whatever was causing her

to fall.

“Do you remember the rules I spoke of last night?” he asked her.

Anne nodded.

“What are they?” he asked.

“Don’t be late. Don’t miss an appointment. And don’t discuss your work

with me with anyone, no matter who it is.” Ane said, smiling at the end of

her sentence.

“And?” John pressed.

Anne thought for a minute, the smile quickly leaving her face.

“Don’t question. Just cooperate and do!” John reminded her.

“Yes!” Anne said quickly. “I won’t, and I will!” she assured him.

“Okay. Then let’s get to work. Take off your shoes and make yourself

as comfortable as you can in the chair. I’m going to check first your

level of capability for relaxed concentration. You understand already that

it’s the relaxed athlete who always manages to get the optimum performance

out of themselves, and always when they need it, and they don’t do it by

being tense. Isn’t that true?”

“Yes.” Anne replied. “I don’t feel tense when I’m skating. Not until

the last lap, I guess.” she said with a sigh. “Then I don’t know what is

going on. I’ think I’m starting to expect to fall.”

“You let me worry about why you’re doing what you’re doing. If you knew

what you were doing wrong you wouldn’t be here, would you? Don’t waste

your time and mine by trying to solve the problem here. That’s what I’m

here for. All you have to do is cooperate. That means, listen and do your

very best at whatever I suggest. Then let me do what I do best, for your

benefit. Do you understand?”

Anne felt like she came close again to putting him off-side. She felt

herself blushing. Damn! He was right. If she could’ve fixed her problem

she would have by now. The fact was, she couldn’t. In fact, she didn’t

even know what her problem was. She decided then to just let whatever

happen, happen, and trust him as he asked her to, without questioning

everything he did, or trying to put her interpretation upon anything. He

was here to help her, so she would let him.

Anne nodded.

“Say it, please.” he said.

“I understand.” she answered, wondering what from John’s special

training with them all would relieve them of al their individual dilemmas.

Secretly, Anne was very excited.

Chapter IV

“Good. Now let’s not waste anymore time. Make yourself as comfortable

as you can and just think about relaxing. I’m going to check your natural

ability to concentrate and relax at the same time. I want you to close

your eyes first, and when I tell you to, take a deep breath and hold it.

Then just listen to and do whatever I tell you. Okay?”

Anne nodded again. “Yes.” she added quickly with a sorry smile.

“Now.” John said.

Anne took a deep breath and held it, feeling herself tense throughout

the muscles of her body, particularly her thighs.

“Now concentrate on relaxing the most tense part of your body that you

can feel, but don’t let that breath out until I tell you.” John told her.

Anne tried to imagine her powerful thighs relaxing while she held her

breath. She could feel the pressure building in her temples as her lungs

began to stress a little and distract her.

“Concentrate on relaxing that part!” John emphasised.

Anne brought her imagination back to her thighs and imagined them

deflating like a balloon she had stuck a pin into. Surprisingly the

tension eased a little in her temples from the lack of air in her body’s

system.

John figured about forty five seconds had passed. He could see Anne was

trying and that her success was coming and going. Her face also showed she

wouldn’t be holding her breath much longer.

“Let it out.” he told her. And go with the relaxation you feel, all the

way down, every part of you where you sensed any tension before while you

held your breath.”

Anne released the breath she had been holding when he’d said the first

word. It came out in a whoosh. At the same time she listened to what he

said next, and did exactly as she was told, letting herself go with it,

just like he said. She felt like she was sinking through the recliner

chair. Her mind spun crazily for a few seconds and then settled into a

peaceful state. Her thighs in particular felt very relaxed against the

softness of the chair.

“That’s fine.” John told her. “You’re doing perfectly. Now. Let’s do

the exact same thing again. Hold your breath, find the most immediate

tense part of your physical body you can sense instantly and concentrate on

relaxing it in your imagination. Remember, whenever your thoughts leave

relaxing the most tense part of your body and go to your lungs or temples

where you’ll feel the pressure of holding your breath, consciously relax

into whatever physical sensation you’re feeling. Absorb it into the

awareness of your relaxation with you and you’ll find the tension and

pressure will ease the instant you concentrate on relaxing into it. Okay?”

“Yes.” Anne replied, having settled down a little from her first effort.

“Now.” John said calmly, but firmly.

Again Anne took a deep breath all the way down to the bottom of her

lungs and held it. This time it was her chest that felt very tense and

tight. She concentrated on relaxing into the discomfort she was feeling

and it became instantly a little better.

John watched her closely. He could tell if she was using her

imagination to relax into her discomfort, simply from the way she sat in

the chair and her facial expression. He waited and he watched. He saw her

falter a few times, but said nothing. She was going to have to learn that

she could place her awareness wherever she wanted to, and whenever she

wanted to.

Anne felt like her head and chest were going to burst right open in

front of him. Her heart thumped against her rib cage. Her temples

throbbed and her throat hurt for some reason.

“Relax into your discomfort.” John repeated calmly and positively. He

glanced at his watch. It was just coming up to one full minute Anne had

been holding her breath. “Now.” he said, watching her mouth open at the

first sound from his lips. She exhaled with a loud whoosh again, like she

had the first time.

“Go down with it.” he told her. “All the way down with every muscle and

nerve that relaxes from holding your breath for so long. All the way down

and down and down. Feel it. Experience it. Become your relaxation as if

nothing else in the world mattered as much to you right now as go down and

down, all the way down with it.”

Anne tried hard to do as John was instructing her. She felt herself

sinking more quickly and more deeply down into the chair than she had

before. It was such a comfortable chair. So nice and soft. And she felt

so good now that she wasn’t holding her breath. Her arms and thighs

tingled all over and her breathing was returning to normal, although she

could hardly notice it now. It just seemed so nice and peaceful wherever

she was right now. Peaceful. No worries. No trouble. No problems. Just

peace and calm.

John could see Anne had altered her state of awareness somewhat. Her

facial features began to relax totally. Her shoulders sagged downward and

her back relaxed more deeply into the recliner chair. She seemed mentally

with her thoughts of peace and relaxation, but how long would she stay

there by herself? He decided to give her another minute and see if she

brought herself back up from the light trance she had unknowingly placed

herself in.

Anne was feeling so relaxed and peaceful. She couldn’t remember the

last time she felt so out of it as far as her troubles were concerned. At

that moment she just didn’t care. She felt exactly like she did when she

came home from the dance a couple of weeks ago and collapsed on the bed

exhausted from dancing all night and felt herself falling through the bed.

She had let herself go with the feeling then too, only not consciously as

she was doing now.

At that thought Anne became aware that she hadn’t heard John’s voice

saying anything. Maybe she missed something? Jesus! She didn’t want to

put him off-side by going to sleep. He’d cut her for sure. Her eyes flew

open and focussed on his calm, expressionless face and features.

John let out a long sigh. She almost had it.

“Why did you open your eyes?” he asked her. “What thought made you open

your eyes. You almost had it.”

“I couldn’t hear your voice.” Anne said immediately, knowing what

thought had been responsible for bringing her back from the peaceful place

in her mind she’d been enjoying. “I thought I’d started to drift off. I

didn’t want to miss anything.”

John smiled. That was an answer he had heard many times before.

“Okay. You’re doing fine, Anne. Now. We’re going to do that again,

and this time, I don’t want you to let any thought disturb where you a re

in your relaxation. I want you to deepen with it. Don’t stop anything

from happening, and don’t try to make anything happen, like opening your

eyes. Just let everything happen exactly the way it wants to. If you go

to sleep that’s fine too. Okay?”

“Okay.” Anne replied.

John took her through the holding her breath routine again, this time

making her hold it for ninety seconds, a full minute and a half, knowing

she’d probably go much more easily down into the deeply relaxed state now

that she’d experienced it already. And the sheer relief in relaxing from

holding her breath that long would take her down quickly.

And that’s exactly what happened. Anne released the huge breath and

went with it, quickly experiencing a sinking sensation that alarmed her for

a few seconds before she remembered to go with it wherever it took her. In

a few seconds she found herself in an even more peaceful state and place in

her mind than she’d been in before, playing with her thoughts and worrying

about nothing now. It was wonderful. She was aware, yet not aware of

anything except h ow great she felt. How relaxed and how clam she felt.

How good it felt to take time out from her life and troubles. So far away.

So far away. So far away.

John watched her go deeper and deeper, knowing what she was experiencing

and observing it as it happened with each passing second.

“Go deeper.” he said gently, but firmly.

Anne heard John’s voice from far away. At least she thought it was

John’s voice. It was so soft. But she could make out what the voice told

her. Go deeper it said. And that was fine with her. Everything was fine

with her since he told her not to try to make anything happen, and not to

try to stop anything from happening. She imagined herself going more

deeply down through the soft, comfortable chair. Down and down and down

and down she felt herself drifting inside her own mind of peace and

absolute calm.

John smiled a satisfying smile. Anne had taken herself down nicely to a

medium trance. Time to start work. He moved his chair within two feet of

the recliner and Anne’s left side. He leaned forward, clasping his hands

and fingers together, and resting his weight on his forearms.

“You can … now … listen to me … very carefully … and

continue feeling your peace and … deep relaxation. Everything I say

…every word you hear …will only … allow you relax … even more

deeply than … you are relaxed right now. Nod your head … you

understand.” he instructed her in the usual fashion.

Anne sensed her head nodding a little, or did she feel it. It didn’t

matter. She was too relaxed to care. She just wanted to relax and listen

to whatever he told her. Whatever he wanted to tell her to help her relax

more and more.

John smiled and continued. “In a few moments…when I count up to

three…and snap my fingers … you will allow your eyes to open…but you

will not wake up from your very deep relaxing sleep…you will be able to

see me quite clearly…but you will remain in your very deep, relaxing

sleep…it may be that things will seem a little hazy or blurred at

first…but in a few moments…everything will become quite

clear…although you will remain undisturbed in your very deep, relaxed

state of mind…even when your eyes are open.”

John watched her carefully, noting the shallow concentration furrows in

the skin of her forehead as her unconscious mind heard everything he said,

and then let it go unnoticed and unchallenged.

“When your eyes are open…you will be able to … see quite clearly

… everything I point out to you…and you will stay very deeply relaxed

and comfortable…with your eyes open…until I tell you to close them

again…you will be able to stand up…to walk about normally. Just as a

person does when they are fully awake, which you will be, but remain always

in your deeply relaxed state. …like you are right now.”

John watched the tranced girl very carefully, noting the unchallenged

acceptance of every suggestion he gave her. If her brow were to knot or

wrinkle he’d know instantly her conscious mind was challenging something

he’d said. So far, it had not.

“Everything I suggest you will feel…you will feel…everything I

suggest you will see…you will see..everything I suggest you will

experience…you will experience…everything suggest you will hear…you

will hear..every emotion I suggest you will feel…you will feel…and you

will remain completely relaxed and peaceful nd very safe in your deeply

relaxed state.”

John was quiet for a few minutes then while he allowed her unconscious

mind to digest everything he’d said and he conscious mind time to deepen

itself without the sound of his voice. Then he proceeded with the next

step of the complete induction.

“You will find it easy to allow every suggestion I give to you…to

happen exactly as it wants to…exactly as I suggest it will…without

question…without doubt…to the best of your ability… happily and

willingly accepting every suggestion…I give to you for your own

good…until they are done…and when they are done…you can allow

yourself to…forget to remember…knowing it’s so easy to just…not

notice to remember everything…unless I tell you to remember…what you

can allow yourself so easily to forget…like a clean white board…like an

erased tape…nothing to remember…unless I tell you to remember…the

more you try…the more you forget…the more you try…the more you want

to allow yourself to forget…and remember nothing…unless I tell you to.”

Again John watched and waited for Anne’s conscious and unconscious mind

to do battle if they were going to with any of his suggestions. But they

did not. Her brow remained unfurrowed in conflict, but conscious enough to

tell him her unconscious mind was listening to everything he said. And

everything he’d said so far had passed by her conscious mind unchallenged

and fully accepted.

“Just like you can so easily forget your trance key…your secret word

that your unconscious mind will always remember…that you can forget so

easily…and when you hear my voice only…say the words of your trance

key…that you can forget so easily..and your unconscious mind will always

remember…you will instantly allow yourself to come back to this deeply

relaxed state…and listen carefully to everything I suggest to you…and

comply with all my suggestions…which you can allow yourself to forget so

easily…whenever you are awake…whenever you hear my voice only…say the

words of your secret trance key…’sleep time’…you will allow

yourself…in mind and body…completely relaxed and tranced down to this

level..of peace and relaxation…only hearing and obeying the sound of my

voice..whether you are awake…no matter what you’re doing..or where you

are…upon hearing my voice only…say the words of your secret trance

key…’sleep time’…which you can forget to remember…because your

unconscious mind will remember for you..so you don’t have to remember

anything at all…unless I tell you to…you will be deeply tranced back

here…in the peaceful…relaxed…safe…calm place in your mind…you are

right now…and awake when I snap my fingers…at the count of three…and

feel really refreshed and great.”

Time to test the work he’d done so far, John decided, as he watched and

waited for his last suggestions to take root or not unchallenged. They

did. He sat back in his chair.

“One…two…three!” he said, snapping his fingers on the word ‘three.’

Anne blinked open her eyes several times before she could focus them on

John who was sitting calmly behind Bill’s `desk. He was smiling. She

yawned without being able to stop it. Then her mind raced. What had she

missed. She couldn’t remember anything at that instant. Oh no! Ane

thought. I did go to sleep!

John saw the look of concern spread instantly across Anne’s brow and

smiled warmly at her.

“Everything went perfectly.” he smiled. “You didn’t go to sleep. Don’t

worry. You did very, very well. You relaxed very, very deeply. We got

some very good work done for tonight and your first session. It should

bear fruit more and more as we go along through your next and the other

sessions. How do you feel? Take stock of yourself and become aware of how

your mind and body feel right at this moment.”

Anne listened and acknowledged what John was saying to her, pleased with

the fact that she hadn’t ticked him off by nodding off to fairy-land while

he had been trying to train her in whatever way he was doing it. She tried

to sense her mind and body. As a trained athlete she could do that very

well by conscious effort. She smiled widely. She had to admit she felt

great. All her muscles felt loose and relaxed. Her mind seemed calm and

her thoughts and her thinking felt clear and acute.

John watched her as she went through the mental scanning that Bill had

taught them when they needed to listen to their bodies or their m minds for

problems of any nature. Then he saw her smile, knowing she felt good after

such a deep and relaxing trance. And they all would. He intended to put

all of the nine other athletes through the same induction process he had

just put Anne through. Time for the test, he decided as she sat calmly

observing him.

Chapter V

“Sleep time.” he said firmly, but calmly.

“Huh?” Anne replied. “Sleep wha…. Ohhhh?”

John watched as she tried to keep her eyelids open. It took only thirty

seconds before she was deeply tranced again. Soon it would take even less

than that. Now for a few more tests, he thought.

“Can you hear me Anne. You may talk clearly, just as if you are fully

awake.” he told her.

“Ye..es.” Anne answered hesitatingly, nodding her head slowly.

“You may allow yourself to feel your mind clear but asleep and not

thinking, listening only to the sound of my voice and each word I say and

nothing else. You may allow yourself to speak as if you are awake, clearly

and distinctly. Do you understand?” he instructed her.

A few seconds passed before Anne suddenly felt her mind clear as if a

broom had just swept the sleepy cobwebs away. She could hear John’s voice

perfectly now, not soft and far away like it had been. She swallowed

instinctively. “Yes.” she answered clearly.

“That’s fine.” he told her. “You’re doing perfectly. Now …listen

carefully. Very, very carefully. Everything I suggest to you will …

sound perfectly natural to you …no matter what it is. It will seem right

and correct … at all times and … every suggestion I give to you will

… seem like the good idea … it is to you…and … you will

willingly think that … every suggestion I give to you … is a good

idea and … sounds perfectly right and correct and … very, very

natural, … no matter what it is…so you can allow yourself … to

think that and … feel really, really good … about yourself and …

everything that’s happening… Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Anne answered. Everything sounded good and fine already, she

thought. She felt calm and relaxed. Better than she’d felt in a long

time. And everything John told her made sense so far.

John was happy with Anne’s progress so far. But the difficult tests

were about to come. Then he’d know how effectively her subconscious mind

had accepted his work.

“You can notice how hot it is in that chair. Can’t you?” He suggested

and asked at the same time.

Anne hadn’t actually noticed she was hot in the chair until John pointed

it out. But he was right. She did feel warm. Maybe she’d over-dressed.

She’d have to remember next time. She hated being uncomfortable and hot.

She was glad she wore a light top. Maybe she would wear shorts next time.

These jeans seemed very heavy and hot. “Yes.” she answered after examining

how she felt. “I can now.”

John smiled at her answer and watched Anne shift a little as the

suggestion of heat took root, He gave her a few more seconds.

“Yes. Hot.” John repeated with emphasis. “Very hot.. Like a sauna

room.. All alone.. Inside that sauna room.. Very hot.. Very clean..

Very wet and .. alone and safe.. A long wooden bench.. Hot sauna room..

A large bucket of hot rocks where .. you can see them.. A dripping tap ..

above the bucket.. Water dripping down.. Onto the hot rocks.. Steam

rising.. Alone and safe.. Hot rocks.. White clouds of steam.. Hot, wet,

humid steam.. Rising.. Inside the hot sauna room.. Covering everything..

Alone and safe.. Tiny beads of sweat and perspiration.. Alone and safe..

Inside the hot sauna room.. Everything clean.. Hot humid steam.. Hard to

see.. So relaxing.. So peaceful.. Alone and safe.”

John watched Anne shift uncomfortably in the chair. Tiny beads of

perspiration lined her forehead. Then he deepened the suggestion.

“Alone and safe.. Sweating freely.. Draining away the tension..

Everywhere.. Peaceful but hot and sweating.. Your face.. Your neck..

Your shoulders.. Your back.. Your breasts.. Your buttocks.. Your

thighs.. Your calves and feet.. Penetrating heat.. So relaxing.. So

draining.. So hot and sweating and .. sticky and uncomfortable.. Hot and

sweating.. Running down your back.. Your legs.. Your face and neck..

Your shoulders.. Your t thighs.. Your buttocks.. Hot and humid..

Draining and so relaxing.. Hot and sweating freely.. Uncomfortable and ..

humid heat and .. wet and sticky.”

Anne could hardly breathe. She felt so hot. She could feel the sweat

on her brow and now it was trickling down her back and between her

buttocks. She felt sticky and very, very uncomfortable. Everything John

told her was right. How did he know how hot it was in here? Was he here

too? In a women’s sauna? Oh well, she thought. It must be okay if I let

him in here with me.

John smiled. He was there, or rather, Anne was there, fully aware of

where she was and what she was experiencing and feeling in mind and body.

He could see how uncomfortable she was feeling. Time for the sixty-four

thousand dollar test, he decided with confidence.

“Have you noticed Anne, that you still have all your clothes on in the

sauna?” John asked her with a soft smile in his voice.

“That’s an unusual thing for you to do. Don’t you think? You don’t

normally come fully dressed inside an incredibly hot sauna room. Do you?

Usually you’re dressed the way you always dress, much more comfortably.

The way everybody normally dresses in a sauna. Don’t you? You want to be

normal. Don’t you? In a very hot sauna room? So you can sweat freely and

let your body cleanse itself while you just sit there and relax away all

your tension and tired muscles? Isn’t that true? ”

“Have you noticed how overdressed you seem to be? I wonder how

embarrassed you’d be if one of the other girls came in here and saw you

fully dressed inside a hot and humid sauna room? What do you think you

should do now to solve your embarrassing problem before someone comes in

and actually sees you still with all your clothes on instead of not having

any one, like you’re supposed to. What do you think feels so right for you

to do right now so you won’t have to be embarrassed if they come in?”

Anne listened to John, thankful that he was a friend and wouldn’t tell

anyone how stupid she was. And all the while she grew more and more hot,

uncomfortable and embarrassed by the passing second. What an idiot she

was! And how embarrassing! Who in their right mind would come

fully-dressed into a sauna room. Damn! What was she thinking of? She

never wore anything inside a sauna. Why would she? Why was she? Christ!

John must think she’s a real idiot. Why was she wearing clothes anyway?

Jesus! And in that moment Anne knew what she had to do-what she should

have done before she came in here. Jesus! What’s wrong with me lately?

John smiled as Anne rose quickly out of the recliner chair and began

undressing.

“I’m sorry.” she said as she undid the buttons of her light, cotton

shirt and peeled it quickly off her shoulders. Then she reached behind her

and released the clasp of her bra, placing it carefully folded on top of

the shirt she had already folded and placed on Bill’s desk.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately.” Anne continued unprompted.

“Thank goodness Bill has you for a friend. I”d die if anybody else saw me.

I’d never live it down.”

Anne’s eyes had been open the whole time since rising from the chair,

yet she did not look at John once. John watched her undress by feel alone.

She undid the press-clip of her jeans and wiggled them down over her hips,

revealing brief, red panties. Stepping out of the legs she folded them

neatly and placed them on top of the shirt and bra. Then she hooked her

thumbs into the waist of her underwear and slid them quickly down over her

hips and thighs, lifting one leg at as time and until they were free of her

body completely. She folded them as well and placed them carefully on top

of her jeans.

“I know that must feel so cool now, Anne. I imagine it must feel so

cool now to just stretch your arms up over your head and just lavish in the

cool, soft air, allowing it to cool down your very hot body until I suggest

you might feel more comfortable again in your clothes. That must be what

you’d be thinking, now that you’re dressed more appropriately for this hot

sauna, by putting your arms has high as possible above your head and just

allowing yourself the sheer, cooling pleasure of allowing your very hot

body to enjoy the cool air everywhere on your body at once?”

Anne decided at that point that she liked John. He seemed to know

exactly what she was thinking, almost before she even thought it herself.

She stretched her arms high above her head, feeling the coolness waft

around her sweating breasts, especially underneath them where the sweat

always gathers. She took a slightly wider stance, stepping one leg a

little to the left. Ahhhhh. That felt so cool, she thought, as she

swivelled herself slowly from side to side, feeling the cool air instantly

between her thighs and around her buttocks. John was right. She had been

thinking of doing this. And it did feel so cool and refreshing.

John smiled again, wider than before as he watched the naked young woman

in front of him turn herself from side to side, fanning herself with the

breeze she was creating by her turning. Her breasts were beautiful and

full, jutting upright with taut nipple of dark brown and swaying perfectly

balanced as she continued to swivel her torso and hips from side to side.

The sight of the lush thatch of thick, black curly pubic hair at the apex

of her junction had hardened him the instant she’d dragged own her panties.

“I know that must feel so very cool and refreshing on your body, all

over, Anne.” John told her. “And you’d probably be right in thinking that

you’d feel even more cool, refreshing air on your hot body if you were to

begin to just turn around and keep turning slowly around until it was

suggested you stop.”

Again Anne marvelled at how John seemed to be able to almost read her

mind. She had just been thinking of doing exactly that. She began to turn

herself slowly around and around, feeling the cool draft instantly on her

breasts, between her thighs and buttocks and everywhere, seemingly, at the

same time. She smiled at how cool it was making her feel.

John smiled a satisfied smile when he saw Anne smile. One down, nine to

go, he thought as he enjoyed the incredibly sensual sight before his very

eyes. Anne had the firmest butt he’d seen for a long while. Two beautiful

peaches of creamy, white skin, begging him to squeeze and hold them each

time they passed in front of his eyes, to be immediately relaced by Anne’s

elusive black spider each time it replaced her backside in his vision as

she turned.

“How do you feel, Anne?” he asked her.

“Great!” she replied immediately. “Absolutely great!” And she continued

to pirouette slowly like a ballerina in slow motion, around and around. So

cool. It was nice of John to ask, she thought. He was a very considerate

person. You don’t get too many men that have a considerate bone in their

body, let alone a considerate thought in their heads. Bill’s lucky to have

a good friend like him.

“I think you’re right in thinking it would be a good idea to stop

turning around now and face me. Your last idea of turning to keep cool was

a good one because you probably already feel a lot more cooler now than you

did before, now that you feel nice and cool and comfortable again. What do

you think, Anne?”

How does he do that? Anne wondered as she stopped turning around and

stood still facing John. She was just thinking that, that very second.

Besides, she was becoming a little giddy, anyway.

“Tell me the name of your secret trance key, Anne: the one that will

allow you to come back to feeling this wonderful in your mind and body the

instant you hear my voice say it, no matter where you are or what you’re

doing at the time, whether you are awake or in a deeply relaxed state of

mind like you are right now when you hear only my voice say what words?”

John asked.

“Sleep time.” Anne replied immediately.

“And will you need to bother remembering your secret trance key when

your unconscious mind can remember it for you?”

“No.” she answered.

“And what will happen the more you try to remember anything that

happened during your relaxation here tonight that you can so easily forget

to notice not to remember unless I tell you to.” John tested again for

amnesia.

“The more I try the more I won’t.” Anne responded at once.

“That’s fine. You’re doing perfectly. “Tell me, Anne. How do you feel

about being completely naked standing here in front of me like you are.”

Anne thought about that for a few seconds before answering him. She

hadn’t really noticed she was naked before he mentioned it. But she didn’t

feel embarrassed about it. She felt natural and comfortable in front of

him. That didn’t happen very often. So, if it felt this right and

correct, it must be okay, or she would have felt really embarrassed. But

she didn’t. Everything seemed perfectly natural and right and correct.

“Fine.” was all she answered.

Chapter VI

John smiled. “I suppose it makes you feel warm and admired to have me

sitting here praising your perfect athletic body.”

Anne smiled. It did make her feel kind of warm, she thought, to have

John admire her body. And she did have a good shape to her figure, thanks

to all her rigorous physical training. It seemed only natural that John

admired her shape. In fact, she decided. It pleased her, and again she

noticed that she felt warm. She shook her head slowly in amazement.

John noticed Anne’s slow shake of the head, and was puzzled by it.

“Why did you shake your head like that, Anne?” He asked her.

“I was just thinking that I’m amazed how you almost always know what I’m

thinking.” Anne told him. “We must be on the same wave-length.”

John smiled a smile of relief. “Yes, Anne. I believe we are. Does

that please you? That we are on the same wave-length and think so much

alike that your thoughts are almost my thoughts, and my thoughts are always

your thoughts that you always agree with without question and without

doubt?”

“Yes.” Anne answered with a smile. “It does.”

“And does it please you to believe now that you can always give that

little bit more when you’re racing by being as relaxed as you are right now

in such a focussed and concentrated manner that you wonder now how you

could ever have had the foolish thought of actually falling over? You, the

university’s top speed skater? So relaxed and focussed, and because of

that, easily able to give that little bit more in your last lap of any race

from this point onward and win so easily now that you can actually laugh at

the foolish concern you used to have so long ago that you might fall over

and just forget that you ever had it at all because it just seems so

laughable now. Doesn’t it Anne?”

Anne could not believe how John could tell what she was almost about to

think. It was amazing. She smiled at the thought of her actually being

afraid of falling over in the last lap. She was the university’s top

women’s speed skater. If anybody fell over from this point onward it would

be her competitors, not her. And she honestly couldn’t see how or why she

should fall over when she races so focussed and so relaxed and

concentrating all the time. Yes, she thought seriously. John is right.

It does please her to realise how laughable that is.

“Yes. It does please me a lot, actually.” she answered, noticing how

confident she sounded to herself, and feeling very good about it at the

same time.

“That’s fine, Anne.” John told her. “You’re doing perfectly, but, that

doesn’t really come as a big surprise to you. Does it?”

“No.” Anne said. And it doesn’t either, she thought, the instant she

finished saying it. I do try hard she concluded to herself. So why

shouldn’t she do perfectly? She smiled at that self-realisation.

John smiled too. His first night’s work was finished. Now for the

reward. Hers, and his.

“You might be thinking that it would be very relaxing to lower your arms

now, Anne.” John said to her, noticing her smile as she lowered her arms to

rest loosely against er naked hips.

“And I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if I gave you the accolade due to you

and just sat here admiring your perfect athletic body while you just

relaxed and felt how good it felt to be admired for being as perfect as you

are. Isn’t that true?” John posed.

“Yes.” Anne replied, thinking that John was a very caring and honest

person to tell her personally how appreciated she was for her athletic

ability and the shape all of her hard training had given her. Nobody ever

told her that to her face, even though she knew they thought it. She could

tell by the way everybody looked at her in her skating uniform. It was

short, and it wasn’t hard to see her dainty feminine underwear, but that

was what she wanted.

John sighed contentedly. He had known what Bill’s girl’s problem most

probably was the minute he’d discovered they were all girls. They were as

good as they were to start with because they were committed, and therefore

channelled most of their sexual energy into their training by restricting

their sex live to practically nothing, if he knew women athletes at all.

But with that channelling, they also transferred into their performance

their incompleteness as a woman by way of their sexual tension. That

sexual tension took up a small, but very valuable part of their relaxed

concentration. All he had to do now with Anne, and all the others was to

free up and release that sexual tension, restore the completeness of

womanhood, and allow the channelling of the extra energy by way of relaxed

and focussed concentration into that little bit extra when it was needed

and called upon, by both their conscious and unconscious mind.

You might be thinking you would be a lot more relaxed and comfortable if

you were to sit down again, Anne.” John suggested.

Anne smiled as she sat down comfortably in the recliner.

“You know, Anne.” he began the final phase of her first session of his

special training program. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you were a bit edgy

from time to time, with all the hard work you put into your training so you

can always do your best for the university so they can bask in the glory of

your achievements, while you settle mostly for a good night’s sleep for

your efforts and no enjoyment. Would that be true?”

Anne grinned in amazement at how he could tell what she was about to

think. Yes. She did work hard. And rarely did she ever get any enjoyment

from her efforts except an exhausted night’s night at the end of it all.

“And it wouldn’t surprise me to discover,” he went on. “that because

your attitude is so selfless in your dedication to achieving for the

benefit of others, that you willingly and selflessly deny yourself what’s

rightfully and naturally yours by right of birth and by way of natural

fulfilment as a beautiful young woman with special needs that have to be

taken care of too, on a regular basis, just like any other normal human

being. After all, it’s so easy for them to forget that you are only human

too, with all the normal human needs of a woman that have to be satisfied,

just like any other normal human being. Would that be true too?”

“Yes.” Anne agreed with a nod of her head, thinking once more how

sensitive to a woman’s needs John was. He was a rarity alright. He

certainly was. Anne wondered then if he was married. If he was she

wondered of his wife knew just ow lucky she was having a sensitive man like

John for a husband.

John was instantly hardened by the gentle nod of Anne’s head. He

pressed onward and upward in the closing stages of Anne’s indoctrination

into the winning circle of speed skaters.

“I suppose you’re thinking now that your needs are just as strong as any

other healthy young virile woman in her prime and at her sexual peak. And

that those special and very sensitive needs have to be met if you’re to be

expected to give your best for the benefit of others so they can bask in

your glory as a winner, and then only if all your special and very sensual

needs are met regularly so that you can, in fact, give your performance

that little bit extra by satisfying those special and private needs so that

you can give your best, yet not be denied the special affection that’s

rightfully yours by right of birth as a woman who has needs that demand to

be satisfied when you demand it as your right as a winner on their behalf.

Would that be a fair statement, Anne?”

Anne smiled again at john’s insight into a woman’s mind. She didn’t

think she’d ever met a man like him before in her life. How sensitive he

was to her needs. He really understood what she had been forced to give

up, just in order to do her best for everybody else. She nodded her head

in silence.

“And would I be right in assuming that some of those special and very

secretive and sensitive needs are crying out to be met right now, having

been denying them for such a long time now for the benefit of others so

they can bask in your glory of denying yourself those special womanly

pleasures for their benefit and not yours, who truly deserve them to be met

and satisfied, when you want to, if anybody had a right to?”

Anne hung her head slightly and nodded, feeling a small tear escape her

eyelids and trickle slowly down her right cheek.

“And I suppose you would think me too forward as your admirer if I were

to offer myself to care for you in your time of personal need out of caring

and respect for a fine athlete of your personal standing who nobody ever

recognises as a woman first, and a fine athlete second, a fact that

everybody seems to overlook, except you, in your moments of aloneness, and

even then, nobody can ever see your tears, because you always keep them to

yourself, so nobody can see how much your womanhood is suffering because of

your excellent dedication for the benefit of others. Would you think me to

forward to want to care for you in that way when nobody else seems to care

for you at all, except as an athlete, and who cares about you as a person,

a human being, a young, beautiful, and very sensual woman whose personal

and private needs demand to be satisfied so strongly right now, even as we

speak?”

Anne had become aware of the warmth of her tears flowing slowly down her

cheeks. She was sincerely touched in the deepest corner of her heart by

John’s caring sensitivity. Yes. She did have needs. And the more she

thought about them the more they demanded to be satisfied right now. She

had put them off and denied herself long enough for the benefit of others

who didn’t really care anyway. Why shouldn’t she satisfy them like any

other woman.

“No.” she answered with her head still forward and down slightly. “I

wouldn’t think you were too forward. I think you’re a very caring man.”

“That’s fine, Anne.” John answered, satisfied with her level of

unconscious and conscious cooperation. “It’s nice to…to have someone who

…who wants to care about you. Isn’t that true, Anne?”

Anne simply nodded, without looking up.

“Of course it is.” John told her reassuringly. Now. You just relax

back into the chair and open your legs wide. And let me take care of you

in the way you desire most so you can enjoy the pleasures of taking time

out to remind yourself that yo are a very beautiful woman whose needs,

whose special and very sensitive needs are about to be met in every way,

Does that make you happy, Ane?”

Anne nodded in grateful silence as she lay back in the recliner chair

while John adjust the inclination of ht chair back one position. Gently he

took hold of Anne’s knees and moved them wider apart, lifted them slowly

upward so her feet rested on the edge of the cushion upon which her naked

buttocks rested. Then, as his head slowly moved toward and settled fully

between her open and naked thighs, he lifted her ankles and rested her legs

gently around his shoulders. His mouth opened and lowered with his face

toward her warm, soft, sensual heat emanating from the lush thatch of dark,

thick, curly pubic hair that would soon release from its hiding place the

secret jewel of her Nile that had, for so long now been denied its rightful

attention in loving and caring attention.

Anne’s first special training session with John, her special trainer

would end as it was about to begin-with the sound of her moans echoing in

the still air of Bill’s office, mingling with her grateful tears of

gratitude that someone, and a man at that, cared enough about her as a

woman with needs to be met, to bring forth from the pit of her belly and

her secret loins the raw, animal sounds that showed the silence of that

room that she was still a woman, in spite of what they expected her to be

when she was just an athlete.

Anne’s rapturous cries of pleasure, released at her peak, over and over

again brought a fine, yet sincere mist to John’s eyes as well as he held

her firmly, but gently by her matted, aromatically scented and throbbing

centre until her long-repressed, special needs had been met, repeatedly,

again and again, and again, until finally, Anne collapsed into the

exhausted and deeply natural relaxed sleep of the sexually released and

fulfilled woman that she had yearned to be for as long as she could

consciously remember since becoming serious about being the very best speed

skater in the world. Her last conscious thought before natural sleep

gently closed her eyelids for the very last time was that she now felt she

had that little bit extra that had been missing from her life and her

skating performance for a very long time.