felt at once strangely beautiful and surprising.
No swinging pendulum, no bright lights, no crystal balls.
She’d only asked Christy to enter a room with gentle music playing, then led her down a flight of steps that led to a door which opened to a beautiful garden, where they spent some time around a pool.
Then down another concrete staircase, even deeper under the ground into a magical place with doors. It was through those doors that Nancy asked her to see her childhood.
“Open the door, Alice. Can you do that?”
“Yes.”
She put her hand on the round metal knob and turned it. The door slowly swung open on creaking hinges.
“Tell me what you see.”
“I… I can’t see anything.”
“Is it dark?”
“Yes.”
“Can you step inside for me?”
She hesitated. “It’s dark.”
“It’s okay, Alice. Nothing will hurt you. Just put one foot in front of the other and step inside. I’m right here behind you.”
Christy took a tentative step over the threshold. Then another, and another before stopping three feet in.
“I can’t see anything.”
“Can you see your feet?”
She looked. “Yes.”
“What does the floor look like?”
“It’s hard. Concrete or maybe cut stone.”
Nancy paused for a moment, then spoke again, tone light and low.
“Good. Now look around and tell me if you can see anything?”
Slowly her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Walls took shape.
“I’m in a basement with concrete walls. It’s dark.” She could feel her heart rate begin to rise, a steady, dull thumping sound faintly echoing off the walls.
“Take a deep breath, Alice. It’s all going to be okay. I’m right here. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes.”
“It’s important that you stay calm, because you know that I’m right here, and we can leave any time we want to. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Now I want you to walk forward and tell me if you can see anything else that might help you understand where you are.”
Christy slowly walked forward.
“It’s dark ahead. I can’t see anything ahead of me, only on the sides. The sides are stone or concrete. They’re wet.”
“Is it warm or cold?”
“Cold.”
“Good. That’s good. You’re doing well, sweetheart. Just keep walking forward.”
She did, one tentative foot in front of the other. She knew that she was under hypnosis, only looking into the deepest parts of her mind, but it felt so real. Almost as if she were there.
“I can’t see anything ahead of me…”
“Look back at the door that you came through, Alice. Can you do that?”
She twisted and looked back. The door was there, gray. Metal she thought.
“Yes.”
“You see, it’s right there.”
Christy swung back around and peered into the darkness.
“Yes.”
“Keep walking forward.”
She’d taken two more steps when a faint outline emerged from the darkness. She stopped.
“I see something.”
“Tell me what you see.”
“I…” She took another step. “It’s… it’s bars.”
“You see bars on the wall?”
“No. The bars are the wall. I… I think I’m in a prison cell.”
“Are you sure it’s a prison?”
The bars come into clearer focus. Beyond them was a dark hallway made from the same kind of concrete as the walls in the room she was in.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I’m in a prison somewhere.”
“I want you to ask yourself where you are, because you do know. Just ask yourself where you are.”
Christy thought about it and immediately had an answer. She felt her hands begin to tremble.
“I’m underground, in a room. I can’t leave this place. I’m… I’m stuck here.”
“Take a deep breath, Alice. Try to stay calm. Remember, the door is right behind you. We can leave anytime we want to. Okay?”
She looked back again and took comfort in the door, gray against the darker walls.
“Now tell me again, where are you right now?”
“I’m in a big house. In the basement. I can’t leave.”
“Why can’t you leave? Is someone
No swinging pendulum, no bright lights, no crystal balls.
She’d only asked Christy to enter a room with gentle music playing, then led her down a flight of steps that led to a door which opened to a beautiful garden, where they spent some time around a pool.
Then down another concrete staircase, even deeper under the ground into a magical place with doors. It was through those doors that Nancy asked her to see her childhood.
“Open the door, Alice. Can you do that?”
“Yes.”
She put her hand on the round metal knob and turned it. The door slowly swung open on creaking hinges.
“Tell me what you see.”
“I… I can’t see anything.”
“Is it dark?”
“Yes.”
“Can you step inside for me?”
She hesitated. “It’s dark.”
“It’s okay, Alice. Nothing will hurt you. Just put one foot in front of the other and step inside. I’m right here behind you.”
Christy took a tentative step over the threshold. Then another, and another before stopping three feet in.
“I can’t see anything.”
“Can you see your feet?”
She looked. “Yes.”
“What does the floor look like?”
“It’s hard. Concrete or maybe cut stone.”
Nancy paused for a moment, then spoke again, tone light and low.
“Good. Now look around and tell me if you can see anything?”
Slowly her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Walls took shape.
“I’m in a basement with concrete walls. It’s dark.” She could feel her heart rate begin to rise, a steady, dull thumping sound faintly echoing off the walls.
“Take a deep breath, Alice. It’s all going to be okay. I’m right here. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes.”
“It’s important that you stay calm, because you know that I’m right here, and we can leave any time we want to. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Now I want you to walk forward and tell me if you can see anything else that might help you understand where you are.”
Christy slowly walked forward.
“It’s dark ahead. I can’t see anything ahead of me, only on the sides. The sides are stone or concrete. They’re wet.”
“Is it warm or cold?”
“Cold.”
“Good. That’s good. You’re doing well, sweetheart. Just keep walking forward.”
She did, one tentative foot in front of the other. She knew that she was under hypnosis, only looking into the deepest parts of her mind, but it felt so real. Almost as if she were there.
“I can’t see anything ahead of me…”
“Look back at the door that you came through, Alice. Can you do that?”
She twisted and looked back. The door was there, gray. Metal she thought.
“Yes.”
“You see, it’s right there.”
Christy swung back around and peered into the darkness.
“Yes.”
“Keep walking forward.”
She’d taken two more steps when a faint outline emerged from the darkness. She stopped.
“I see something.”
“Tell me what you see.”
“I…” She took another step. “It’s… it’s bars.”
“You see bars on the wall?”
“No. The bars are the wall. I… I think I’m in a prison cell.”
“Are you sure it’s a prison?”
The bars come into clearer focus. Beyond them was a dark hallway made from the same kind of concrete as the walls in the room she was in.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I’m in a prison somewhere.”
“I want you to ask yourself where you are, because you do know. Just ask yourself where you are.”
Christy thought about it and immediately had an answer. She felt her hands begin to tremble.
“I’m underground, in a room. I can’t leave this place. I’m… I’m stuck here.”
“Take a deep breath, Alice. Try to stay calm. Remember, the door is right behind you. We can leave anytime we want to. Okay?”
She looked back again and took comfort in the door, gray against the darker walls.
“Now tell me again, where are you right now?”
“I’m in a big house. In the basement. I can’t leave.”
“Why can’t you leave? Is someone
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