The phone call

As Valeria sat on the couch looking at Diego, expectantly waiting for his instructions, Diego stared at the phone on the floor. He was feeling dizzy from the last half hour of constant adrenaline. There was only so much panic a human body could endure before it becomes numb. So, he numbly watched the phone ring and ring until... it stopped. It took a long moment to register that it had finally stopped and at that point he picked it up gingerly, as if Chase would know he was handling it. He nearly dropped it when the alert for the voicemail box pinged, even though he'd been expecting it.

**1 New Message**

Diego glanced at his mother and said "Valeria. Close your eyes. Sleep. Don't stir until I come back"

Her eyes closed and her posture relaxed.

Diego pressed his mother's thumb to the phone to unlock it and then carried it into the bathroom, out of her earshot. He didn't want her to hear Chase's voice, believing that his tenuous hold on his mother would be no match for Chase's. His finger hovered of the 'Play' button for a long moment but then as an additional precaution, he turned on the shower to further mask any sounds from leaving the bathroom.

PLAY

Chase's baritone erupted from the speaker: "Valeria, you missed an appointment. Tsk, tsk, tsk. That is not good. Not good at all. How am I going to learn to be a better person without your guidance?" *chuckle* "I'm going to try something now. Mmm... The book says it should mmm... work:" He paused dramatically "UNLACE!" His voice boomed "Now, I'm assuming that worked and you are ready to listen to me. I don't know what delayed you and I don't care. I want you to drop everything. Mmm... Make any excuse you need to and come to me. Don't disappoint me. Don't make me wait. Remember that I am the one who knows what's best for you. You only need to listen to me. Get here. Now" *click*

Diego leaned against the bathroom vanity, the steam of the shower making things foggy. The confident dominance that Chase had shown was chilling. He clearly believed that Valeria was completely under his control. Diego turned off the shower and exited the bathroom, heading back to the living room where his mother sat peacefully on the sofa.

Diego pulled up a chair in front of her mother and sat down. "Valeria, open your eyes" Her eyes snapped open, focusing on Diego. "Diego" She said worshipfully. A single word. His name. But with an intonation he'd never heard her use before.

"UNLACE!" Diego said, not knowing what would happen.

Valeria slid to the floor, on her knees in front of him. She looked up at him raptly. "Command me, Diego. Tell me what you need from me"

Diego, nonplussed, did not respond for a few seconds. "Tell me your name" He finally said.

"Valeria Rivera" She answered with no hesitation.

"Who is your son?"

"You are my son, Diego. My love. My everything"

Diego nodded. So far it seemed he was making progress.

"Who is Chase Whitmore. What is he to you? I want you to remember everything . You now have perfect recall. Every detail is clear in your mind"

Valeria frowned and started to shake. She grabbed her hair and began to sob hysterically, moaning unintelligibly.

"Stop! Stop! SLEEP!" Diego yelled.

She slumped forward again and Chase caught her. "I'm sorry Mom. I'm so sorry" He was trembling again but not from fear or panic. His panic was gone. His fear was gone. All that Diego could feel was an uncharacteristic white hot anger for the boy who had broken his mother.

Again, unbidden instructions from that strange YouTube video flashed into his mind: A technique he could use to help her remember without destroying her.

"Valeria listen to me. When i snap my fingers, you will wake up again but keep your eyes closed. When you awaken you will not directly experience the memories that you have unlocked. Instead, you will see a movie screen before you. The memories will play out there. You will see memory scenes unfold on the screen. In the scenes you will recognize the players but you will be able to intellectually analyze and dismantle what is being said. A man will be hypnotizing a woman and telling her what to do and what to feel. You will hear the dialog but it will only be dialog of a movie, even though you will recognize that the man is Chase and the woman is you. You will watch the scenes in reverse chronological order and at the end of each one, you will understand what was done to you. The instructions will have no more hold over you. Even if Chase tries to use the same technique on you again, it will not work. You will feel nothing but contempt if he attempts to enslave you again. At the end of each scene, you will feel stronger and clearer. When you finish the last scene you will be completely rid of all of Chase's influence and completely immune to any of his further attempts do control you"

The instructions rolled from Diego's mouth confidently, almost like they were waiting in the back of his mind, ready to be said.

SNAP

Valeria straightened. Her mouth tightened and her eyes, moved back and forth as if she was watching something.

"Tell me what you are seeing, Valeria" Diego commanded

"Valerie. I'm seeing him convincing me that I know nothing, That I'm worthless." She sneered

"So you know what he did."

"Yes."

"You no longer will feel that way. He will no longer be able to make you feel that way"

"Yes"

"Move on. What scene do you see now, Valeria?"

"Val. He's stripping my memories and rebuilding them, making me believe that I was his childhood friend" She betrayed no emotion other than disgust.

"We have already exorcised her. Do you see what Chase did?"

"Yes"

"And...?" Diego prodded.

"He will not be able to do that to me again"

"Next?"

"Chase spanked me" She said flatly. "He convinced me that I deserved it. He said that I'd failed as a mother."

"WHAT?" Diego, shot to his feet but his mother still sat on the couch with her eyes closed.

"Is that why you slapped me?" DIego demanded.

"Yes, Diego. I'm sorry." Her face flickered with real emotion at that. "I love you. I'm sorry I hurt you"

"It's okay Valeria. It wasn't your fault. You have not failed me as my mother. You know what he did, right? You can feel it leaving you. You can feel yourself getting stronger"

"Yes. That will not work for him again"

"Ok. Are we done?"

"No" Valeria shook her head and concentrated, watching the rest of the scenes unfold. With each replay, she felt more in control, more like herself than she had in days. She also felt more pissed than she had in her entire life. She stopped when she got to the first meeting with Chase where he'd given her the suggestion that they had had 'a surprisingly productive conversation'.

"It's done. I remember it all" She said.

"How do you feel, Valeria" Diego asked softly.

"Very angry. Extremely angry."

"Does Chase have any power over you now?"

"No" She said firmly. "I know his tricks. I'll always be on my guard now.

"Good" Diego said. "I want to play something for you"

Diego took Valeria's phone from her pocket and held her thumb to the screen. "Listen to this and tell me what you think"

He hit play.

Valeria listened impassively, eyes closed, still in a deep trance. If there was ever a time where she'd be affected, it would be now. Diego held the phone but he was posed to tackle her again if she stirred. She did not budge for the whole recording.

"Thoughts, Valeria? What did you think? Do you have the urge to go to him?"

"No. Never again. Chase does not control me."

"Never again" She reiterated.

"That's very good. So what do you think..."

"You are my master now, Diego. I love you. Chase will never come between us again"