"One of Those Days" by Delta (an248969@anon.penet.fi). I feel honored. Delta read my review of "Turn of the Cards" by RC, in which I compared that author's work to Deirdre's mind control stories. Delta pointed out to me that what Deirdre does well is to _not_ allow the reader to get a clear grasp of what is going on. Never does Deirdre tell how the mind control is being achieved. We can _guess_, but we never know. Deirdre does give subtle clues which point in certain directions; but the story can never actually be figured out - and that is the strength of writers like Deirdre and Sherwood Anderson.
Once an author unveils a mechanism, be it hypnosis, a mind control machine, or simply the power of personality, the reader is open to skepticism. Deirdre, by dint of not explaining anything, avoids this. Her stories are very short; usually they are more vignettes than stories. They start in the middle, and they usually end in the middle, too.
When reading many of Deirdre's stories, the reader is held by the same fascination as a person watching a train wreck. A "weak" character, by taking the easy path, becomes entangled in something which a show of will would have prevented. We think how easily such a thing could happen, all the while being repelled by the thought, yet fascinated as the character spirals downwards into the trap to which s/he has opened her/himself.
The other thing about Deirdre's stories is that they often focus on "anal delights" which are still a bit taboo, and this raises the ante somewhat. Delta suggested that perhaps the anal aspect is a draw for me personally. Perhaps I have misled my readers. I DO enjoy anal sex; but it's not as if I take it up the ass every night. The fact that other people consider it to be a special taboo or a distinctive form of humiliation probably adds to the intimacy I share with my husband during our relatively rare but highly pleasant anal activities.
Anyway, Delta has written a mind control story. I cannot tell you much about it, because a major part of your enjoyment will flow from trying to figure out what is happening. Read it and "enjoy" - as the story says in its concluding statement.