Mesmerism

Frail of heart renounce all fear.
Locked away inside all these years.
Remain in light, renounce all fears.
For you have been mesmerized.
Break this spell of silence.

Figueira had hardly walked in when he complained it was a while since I had last watched them train. I told him he was right and that I would be returning soon. I had him lie down again, and to my surprise, he himself took the initiative to take his shoes off before lying down. Some more music for trance, very soft. We closed our eyes and I tried to join him in his trance that had already started. He's very easy to induce, don't know why I haven't tried the trance before.

I don't know exactly when, but I feel a presence at my side. Figueira? I open my eyes only to find Zangrandi at my side. And he looks at me, probably wanting to know what Figueira does on my couch, eyes shut, as if concentrating for something.
"What are you doing here? Who are you?"
"Zangrandi, it's me, Miss Grisam." He started walking backwards, bringing me in the eye, astonished, "how do you know my name?"
My goodness. It remains to see if Figueira is going to rise and behave like him. He doesn't seem to be joking, it doesn't fit what I know about Zangrandi. What do I know about Zangrandi anyway? He is here, but it's not here, it's not my living room. We are on the street and the astonishment of Zangrandi's presence and reaction blinded me to the fact it had worked out again. We are in trance. Mesmerism.
Looking more around myself, I see it's the same place near Figueira's building where we used to meet. This is the place, but I am out of time. I still didn't know the kids. I took a chance and asked Zangrandi what day it was. He frowned at me and said it was February the 11th. He didn't know me.

Figueira was lying on the bench when he came to. Eyes half-open, he looked at me and smiled, "hey it works?", was all he said, "sorry I slept in your house".
Well, he knew me, what relieved me. But there was still Zangrandi, looking at him at the top of his surprise and astonishment at the conversation. "Where do you know her from, Figueira? Is she your aunt?"
Figueira started frowning and I got him by the arm and took him somewhere out of Zangrandi's ears' reach. Told him it had worked, so Zangrandi still didn't know me. Told him it was February the 11th, we were not in August as ten minutes ago and we only met for the first time in July. Figueira then went up to him and told him I was his aunt. He seemed less astonished this time, but kept bringing me in the eye, trying to figure things out. Asked Figueira if he could talk to him. Said there was a kid after him. Something from school, I imagine, something that was left undone, particularly a feud. Asked him if he wasn't going back to the Association anymore. We were under a very hot sun, summer light of the tropics that blinds the eyes and melts the stones of this pavement. As suddenly as it had been sunny, it went back to darkness of the night again. Temperature fell lights dimmed and once again we were in my living room. No trace of Zangrandi around us anymore. Figueira was shocked by the two experiences we had had and couldn't stop talking about them.

Disturbed | Read only memory

Radio Universal: The Making Of A Thousand Gods.