He was 18 and doing well at his finishing school–or so he thought. He was boarded with some fine guys. But no matter what he did or how hard he tried, he could not stop himself from falling asleep in class. Now he had been referred to the matron of his house in the school. He was a little frightened as he approached the ornate hardwood door with “MATRON MESMER” embossed upon it’s oak panels.

The door was opened by a very dour looking lady with a stern face. She led him to a warm room lit by the glow of a log fire.  After he nervously sat down, she brought him a drink. “This is herbal tea, young man. Drink it whilst you wait for matron.” It was a strange yet quite pleasant tasting drink. He sat on the leather sofa and sipped it bit by bit. He felt the warmth of the fire. As he waited and pondered his fate, he saw nothing but the smoky flames dance and move and reflect on the high ceiling.

it must have been at least 15 minutes before someone else entered the room. In strode a stern looking, rather mature lady dressed in a long ankle-length velvet skirt and a soft, shimmering, satiny silk blouse. He heard the jangle of jewelry and saw that she wore bright diamond, dangling earrings and faceted bracelets on each wrist from  which dangled bright reflective crystals. Her nails were the brightest red and golden, shimmering sequins were embedded in each.

“Now, young man, you are here because you sleep too much in class.”

“Yes mum ma matron,” he muttered overwhelmed by the stern voice.

“Well, young man, in order to help you appreciate class more, you need to be put to sleep at the appropriate time. Do you not?”

“Wha–what do you mean, matron?” he stammered.

“I mean what I say. I feel it is necessary to put you to sleep now. Then you will stay awake in your classes and sleep later only at the proper time, You are here for me to put you to sleep, ”

He was worried at the phrase “Put to sleep”. He had visions of gas or chloroform or an injection.

“But how will you do it, matron? You won’t gas me will you?”

“No, you silly boy,” she laughed. “Think of the herbal tea you have been drinking. It can be highly soporific. I know how soothing my special blend is.  And lets face it, you have been drowsily sitting here for a while. And you do feel restful don’t you? DON’T YOU!” she inquired sternly.

“Yess,” he answered

“So now I will put you to sleep. It’s so nice to be put to sleep. To be put to sleep by a stern yet caring voice. A voice that realises that her tired charge needs to be put to sleep. Put! to sleeeep. Put to sleeeeep!! Put to sleeeep!!!..”

as she spoke, her fingers and bracelets weaved a soothing pattern of soft, reflective, glittering splendour in front of his eyes. He became dreamily aware of the fire–its logs softly spitting with flame. The softly crackling flames flickering before his eyes. And his increasingly droopier mind’s eye was catching the swaying, soothing motions of the crystals in matrons bracelets, her wonderfully dangling earrings, and her mesmerically waving nails. The flame was catching the golden embellishments like stars in an evening sky–oh so golden before they fade to silver.

“You like all these restful patterns, my darling. Now feel the soft but compelling circles being traced on the part of your sweet, young temples that remind big boys like you of when they were young. Oh so young, like when nanny was soothing their sweet, little heads. When their sweet neck muscles became limp. You feel my silken shoulder beside you; my soft hair; and my sweet, soothing ear adornments. All is conspiring to lull your little, restful head into slumber. Everything around you is here to put you to sleeeep. Softly putting you to sleeeeep Soothingly I put you to sleeeeep. Matron always knows how to put you to sleeeep.”

She smiled as his smiling, sleepy face nestled innocently on her shoulder. She held him close and whispered
“It’s not just being sleepy that makes you smile, is it? Well, my young, handsome angel, we shall try to satisfy that little urge as well–shan’t we..

END.