There was something very strange about the town of Bedford but I couldn’t put my finger on it when we first went through. My husband was pretty upset about me taking the job with the local law firm but the paid so well that I couldn’t really pass it up. He was a CPA and could practice anywhere in the state. I think he was just upset because I would be making more money than him for the first time since he had been married. We bought a beautiful place that looked out over the golf course and within a month escrow had closed and we moved in.
I hadn’t really paid attention during the interview but there were no male partners in this law firm. One of the most successful law firms handling patent law and it didn’t have a single male partner in it. That was strange. But things got even stranger. Our first weekend in our new home I noticed nothing but women out on the golf course. The mayor was a woman, the police officers were women, it seemed women ran the whole town. I wasn’t complaining about it; after all, it was nice to see a diverse town. It just seemed kind of strange to me. Then things got even weirder. Our neighbors came over to welcome us into the neighborhood. The man had clearly had his clothes picked out for him by his wife and he had worn them. If I had picked out clothes like that for Bill he would have thrown them away. The woman was very friendly. She handed me an apple pie and said, “My husband just baked this. I hope you like it.” My husband and I shot each other a look that silently indicated that we both thought we were hallucinating.
As time went on we began to notice that women clearly ran the show in this town. When my husband drove the car people stared. It seemed that only visitors and new couples had male drivers in the cars. Men seemed to do the cooking, cleaning, and the women appeared to be very much in charge. Then I finally found out what was going on when we were invited to a dinner party. The men all broke into one room and the women went into another. We had wine and cheese and all the women got excited when the hostess pulled out a copy of Stepford Wives. She held up the movie and said, “Who wan ts to watch Stepford Wives.”
All the women began hooting and hollering. I had always hated that movie because the heroine lost so I was surprised they were so excited. We sat down to watch and I asked, “Why aren’t we watching with our husbands?”
A few of the women giggled and then the head partner in our law firm said, “I think it is time we tell her about our little town.”
A very alluring woman stepped forward and with a deep resonant voice said, “I agree.” She turned to me and said, “My dear. Our town is a reverse Stepford. Didn’t you notice the name Bedford? We changed it years ago when women seized control of the town.”
I was shocked. I was speechless. I felt nauseous. Then I said, “I don’t want to kill my husband and replace him with a robot.”
The women burst out laughing. One of them smacked me on the back and said, “Oh honey, I thought the same thing.”
The alluring woman said, “I assure you that we are not barbarians. We simply change the way they think and when we’re finished we have the perfect submissive husband. Ladies, pop in the other tape first.”
The television came on and it was the same alluring woman but a good ten years younger than she appeared now. She moved but the camera didn’t so I assumed the camera was hidden. A man I recognized from the other room where the men were now congregating was sitting on the couch. He had just finished a beer and seemed to be drunk. His head bobbed up and down a little but he was still awake. The woman sat down on the coffee table in front of him, turned off the football game he was watching and said, “My dear husband. Consider that the last football game you ever watch.”
She reached out, took the beer from his hand, and set it on the table. He startled when he realized his wife was sitting right in front of him and had turned off the television. Then he said, “What? What do you mean the last football game I ever watch?” He lunged for her and said, “Give me the remote Sandra.”
She put one hand on his chest and said, “Honey, you are in no condition to wrestle with me.” Then she pushed him back into his seat. He tried to sit forward but she kept him there with one hand despite being half his size.
His words slurred a little and then he said, “What’s going on? I only had one beer.”
The woman said, “Liar, you’re drunk. Look at you. You can’t even sit up and your speech is slurred.”
He said, “I’m not drunk. I swear to you I only had one beer. Something is wrong. You better call an ambulance.”
The woman said, “I better take a look and see what’s wrong with you. Look into my eyes and relax.”
The man tried to protest. He said, “You’re not a fucking doctor, you’re a lawyer.” Then he looked into her eyes. He said, “You’ve always had the most beautiful eyes dear.”
She said, “Yes honey, now look into them and relax. Everything is going to be okay. Just look into my eyes and feel how relaxed you are. Your muscles are becoming so heavy and you feel so incredibly drowsy. As you look deeper and deeper into my eyes you feel so very very relaxed. You feel so relaxed and so sleepy. Your eyes are becoming heavy and your breathing is quickening as you feel yourself falling into my eyes. Yes honey, look deeper and deeper into my eyes. Lose yourself in my eyes. Y ou are having trouble holding your heavy sleepy eyes open and it is becoming difficult for you to think. Sleep dear. Sleep and obey me.”
Her husband’s eyes closed.
She walked over to the camera, adjusted it, smiled into the camera and said, “So far so good.”
The women in the room laughed and clapped. I had allowed myself to partially drift off and when they clapped my eyes jerked open. I realized the other women were looking at me. I was very embarrassed. One of the women took my hand and said, “Don’t worry Lorraine, it happened to all of us. She’s good isn’t she?”
I said, “I don’t understand. What did you do to him?”
The woman stepped forward and said, “I drugged him and hypnotized him. My voice is very relaxing as you found out. When I lower my voice and speak in a slight monotone people tend to relax for me. They become very relaxed. When I drug them first they are so easy to control.”
She clapped her hands and I snapped out of it again. I said, “Did you drug me?”
Another woman said, “Oh no dear, Cassandra saves the drugs for your husband. She was just demonstrating how easy it is to put the human mind into a hypnotic state.”
I didn’t like the way I had become the center of attention in the room but the idea of cleaning my husband up a bit appealed to me. I asked, “You mean that overweight guy drinking beer with his feet on the coffee table in your video is the same guy in the other room wearing the white sweater with a nice build?”
Sandra said, “Oh yes. He never misses a gym workout and I restrict his diet. And of course men are horrible at picking out their own clothes so I decide what he will wear.”
I said, “Okay, I’m interested but how do I get my husband to do that. I don’t know hypnosis.”
Sandra said, “And you don’t need to. All you have to do is drug him and let me do the rest. I don’t really need the drugs but it speeds up the process and deepens the trance.”
On our way home my husband said, “Lorraine, this town is creepy. Can we leave? Can we leave tonight?”
I said, “Honey, we just bought the house. What’s wrong? What happened?”
He said, “Those men. They all sat there talking about ways to improve their wives’ lives. Your boss’ husband didn’t even know Los Angeles doesn’t have a football team. I know men who don’t watch sports but these men seemed shocked that I golf and watch sports. This town is weird. I want to leave as soon as possible.”
I had to call Sandra or Cassandra or whatever her name was and do it quickly. I said, “Okay honey, let me make a few phone calls. I’ll see if I cannot get a friend of mine to watch the house and we’ll go stay in a hotel for a few days until you calm down.”
He got really upset and said, “I don’t want to calm down and I don’t want to stay gone for a few days I want to stay gone forever. These men aren’t men and I don’t want to become one of them. We’ll go home, pack a few suitcases and send for our belongings later.”
I went upstairs and called Cassandra telling her everything that happened. She said, “Calm down Lorraine. He knows something is wrong but he doesn’t know what. Most men ignore their instincts but he is going with his so we need to do it tonight. Fix him a nice warm glass of milk and put the drugs in the milk. Tell him it will help him relax and then promise that you’ll leave as soon as he is done with his milk. I’m leaving my house right now. Is the front door unlocked?”
I said, “No, but I have a code on the door. It is 4459. Press those numbers and the pound sign and the door will open. Please hurry.” Then she hung up.
I hurried downstairs and went by the master bedroom. Richard had our suitcases out and was stuffing clothing into them. I put some milk into a pan, heated it, mixed in the drugs and brought the milk to him. I said, “Did you already get my bathroom stuff? Don’t forget my bathroom stuff.”
He said, “I will get everything in the bathroom next. What are you holding?”
I pretended to have forgotten about the milk. I said, “Oh yes, I almost forgot. I made you some warm milk to help you relax. You seem so stressed honey and you’re making me worry.”
He held out his hand and said, “I don’t want any warm milk.”
I pushed it back at him and said, “Please drink it for me. Then I promise we’ll leave.”
He grabbed the glass from me and said, “Fine, give it to me.”
He quickly gulped the milk down and said, “OK, let’s go.”
I said, “OK, it’s a long drive. Let me go to the bathroom and then we can leave.”
I went into the bathroom and sat there with my heart pounding. I heard the front door close and my husband yelled out in a slurred voice, “Who’s there?”
I came out of the bathroom and saw Cassandra standing there. My husband had dropped the glass and looked just like the man in the film. Cassandra said, “Hello Richard. You were the mouse that almost got away. You are an intelligent man and will have intelligent children.”
Cassandra turned to me and said, “You can start unpacking my dear while I have a little chat with your dear husband Richard.”
Richard’s voice slurred even more as he said, “Who are you to tell my wife what to do. We’re leaving.”
Cassandra took the glass and put it on the table. She took Richard’s head in her hands, held it in place and said, “Richard, shut up and look into my eyes.”
Richard tried to yank his head away but he was too weak now. He said, “What did you do to me?”
Cassandra said, “Me? Oh nothing yet but your wife drugged your milk so you couldn’t escape tonight. Now just relax and enjoy the warm comfortable feeling as the drug makes you feel so sleepy. The tryptophan in the milk and the drugs she gave are making you feel so sleepy, so incredibly sleepy. My voice is so soothing and relaxing and my eyes are so beautiful. You enjoy looking into my eyes and find yourself falling into them. Falling into my eyes makes you feel so submissive and so open to my commands. As the drug dances on your mind my voice takes you deeper and deeper and you f all into my eyes and into my power. You can hardly hold those heavy eyes of yours open. Sleep Richard. Sleep and accept your fate.”
Richard’s eyes closed. I was clutching the bathroom bag so hard I almost broke it. Cassandra came over, took the bag and said, “It’s over now dear. I am just going to deepen his trance and then we’ll create your new husband. Now why don’t you tell me what traits he has that you like and don’t like. Write them down for me while I deepen his trance.”
Cassandra said, “My dear submissive Richard, can you hear me.” Richard said yes. Cassandra said, “Good boy. I want you to picture a helium balloon tied to your right hand. Can you see it?” Richard said yes again.
Then Cassandra said, “It is becoming lighter and lighter and as it becomes lighter your hand will float up on its own. You will struggle to keep it down but the helium is too strong and will pull your hand up and up. The harder you struggle against the balloon the deeper you will go into your trance. As you go deeper and deeper into your trance you will know that your mind now belongs to us.” I watched in fascination as Richard’s hand began to float off the chair. He struggled to keep it down but it floated up as if there was really something pulling it up. As his hand went higher his face seemed to become more and more devoid of emotion. His hand finally stopped straight over his head.
Cassandra looked at me and winked. Then she said, “Very good Richard. You are deeply hypnotized now but you wish to go deeper. In a moment I will allow the helium to slowly leave the balloon. As your hand slowly sinks back down to your lap you will sink deeper and deeper under my power. By time your hand reaches your lap you will be unable to think for yourself and will gladly obey my every command. I am now starting to let the helium out. Just allow your hand to drift down as you fall deeper and deeper.” This time Richard’s hand float ed down to his lap and when it finally touched his whole body seemed to release and he slumped over like a lifeless blob.
Cassandra turned to me and said, “Give me your list honey.” I handed her my perfect husband list and she went to work.
Cassandra said, “Listen and obey Richard. You love living in Bedford and the idea of living anywhere else makes you very unhappy. Your wife is the most important person in your life and although you will be submissive to all women she is your absolute ruler. You are no longer capable of resisting her wants or desires. Submitting to and obeying your wife brings you great happiness and joy. You love cleaning the house, cooking, letting your wife drive the car and making time for her to spend with her friends. You hate all sports and no longer have any interest in watching or participating in sports. However, you will join the local gym and keep yourself in great shape so that your wife can be proud of her new trophy husband. Richard, anytime your wife looks into your eyes and tells you to obey her you will immediately fall back into this same deep hypnotic trance. This time and anytime you are woken from a trance you will awaken with no memory of being hypnotized. You will simply obey whatever you were told while you were hypnotized.”
Cassandra turned to me and said, “He’ll still be a little groggy from the drugs you gave him even after I wake him up. Let him sleep tonight and you’ll have your new husband in the morning. I’m going to wake him up. Then you can order him to go to bed. Have fun and call me if you need anything. Pay attention to how I wake him so if you put him back under you know how to awaken him.”
Cassandra then proceeded to wake Richard up. I watched closely so I could do it too if the need arose. Richard yawned and said, “What happened?”
Cassandra said, “You weren’t feeling well so Lorraine called me and asked me to come over. You don’t remember?”
Richard scratched his head and said, “I cannot remember anything. I thought you were a lawyer? Are you a doctor?”
Cassandra looked at him and said, “That does not concern you.”
Richard said, “Yes of course. That does not concern me.”
I was blown away already. If a woman had said that to Richard before he would have flipped. I looked at him and said, “Honey, go to bed. You need to rest.”
He stood up and said, “Yes dear. May I please have a good night kiss?” That was funny. I usually begged him for a good night kiss. I kissed him and he immediately went upstairs and went to bed.
The next morning I woke up and heard dishes banging around. When I came downstairs Richard was wearing an apron and trying to cook breakfast.
I said, “Here honey, let me help you.”
He kissed me and said, “You should not have to raise a finger dear. I am here to make your life better.”
I said, “Okay, then let me show you how to break an egg so you can properly serve me.”
He said, “Yes dear. Anything to make you happy.” He pampered me, did the dishes, had my towel waiting for me when I stepped out of the shower and then handed me my clothes.
I said, “Honey, I think I’m going to take the car today so you can stay home and tidy up.”
He smiled at me and said, “Of course dear. After all, I love when you drive our car.”
I smiled back, pinched his cheek and said, “You mean my car don’t you?”
Without blinking an eye he said, “Of course, I meant your car. Please forgive me.”
The next day was Saturday so I took my husband shopping. He would need a new softer look for his new softer role in life. He eagerly tried on clothes and never complained once about shopping. After shopping he asked if he could enroll in a cooking class so he could cook better meals for me. I decided right then and there that I was going to be happy having a Bedford husband.