Page 18 of Power of the Mind

“Motherfucker.”

5

Tallus

“Kitty, do you believe in mind control?” I shouted from the crypts as I plucked a dusty banker box from a steel shelf and slung it to my hip before carrying it out front where I’d been working at the counter, transferring data from paper files to digital.

My semiretired coworker tittered. She had been supervising all afternoon while working on a knitting project I’d originally thought was an intricately patterned scarf before Kitty corrected me. Her daughter Laurie was expecting in the fall, and Kitty was knitting a baby blanket for her first grandchild. A boy.

“Oh, Tallus. Where do you get these crazy notions?”

“I have a curious mind. Diem isn’t a believer. Shocking, I know. The old grump has dug his heels in. I need to convince him it’s a thing so he’ll help me investigate something. Memphis wants to see a psychic slash mind healer, but I have reason to believe the woman might be a homicidal maniac. So far, I’ve managed to use my irresistible charm and Diem’s weak willwhen it comes to his feelings toward me to convince him to look into things, but I’m afraid he’ll shake me free before I figure out the truth.”

Kitty smirked and shook her head, never taking her eyes off her needles. “You have your answer right there.”

“I do? What do you mean? What was the question?”

Kitty’s hands moved rhythmically as she explained. “Sweetheart, what is the difference between mind control and brainwashing?”

I considered as I removed the lid from the new box, unveiling mummified files that had been in storage for several decades. Dead insect carcasses littered the top.

Making a face, I brushed them away. “They’re the same… I think.”

“Okay.” Kitty gathered her knitting project on her lap and weaved her fingers together.Uh-oh. She was getting serious. This wasn’t good. “Here are some facts. Pay attention.”

“I’m all ears.”

“It is physiologicallyimpossibleto rewire a person’s brain and eliminate the power of free will. Human beings will always have the power of choice.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Always.” She shushed me with her finger, driving her point home.

I shut my mouth.

“What is often mistaken for mind control or brainwashing is the power of manipulation invoked by someone with a high level of skill.” She stared pointedly for a beat before continuing. “You see it in cults, fraternities, religion, and even sports. Sometimes, the culprit is disguised as a seemingly innocent records clerk.”

I narrowed my eyes at my conniving coworker. “I don’t like where this is going.”

“It’s everywhere if you stop and look. Victims are highly susceptible to the manipulator’s use of specific language, and they are often lacking in some basic need. Security. Love. Shelter. Kindness. Maybe they hold an intense desire to fit into a world where they don’t think they’ve ever belonged. Sound familiar?”

I pressed my lips together and gave her the evil eye. The question was redundant, and we both knew it, so I refused to answer.

“Those missing needs are provided somehow by the manipulator.” Again, she stared pointedly for a beat before continuing. “Hence, the victim is convinced to do things they might not ordinarily do simply because they are seeking validation, attention, or belonging. What the manipulator hasn’t done is rewire orwashthe victim’s brain. The victim can still choose not to be involved, but in most cases, they go along with it because the manipulator is giving them something they desperately need. You’ve simply used your charisma, your charm, your power of observation, and your wit to get Diem to do what you want.”

“You know, I preferred when you were being vague. How did this become about me? I wasn’t talking about me. Do you really think I manipulated Diem into helping?”

Kitty returned to her knitting with a know-it-all grin. “Didn’t you?”

“No! I take offense to that.”

“Well, regardless, there’s no such thing as mind control.”

“Says the witch.” I glared, but Kitty was unaffected. “What about all those CIA experiments they performed in the fifties? The whole brain warfare thing. I read about it. It was real.”

“Tallus, that was seventy years ago. Technology has advanced beyond those wild beliefs. Honestly.”

“Okay, fine. Say there is no such thing as mind control or brainwashing. Could a professional manipulator—not me—purposefully target susceptible victims—not Diem—and convince them to commit suicide?”

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