Mark sprawled across his mattress when the door creaked open. His stepmother walked in holding a plate of still-warm boiled eggs and two ripe peaches. "Brought you something to eat," she said, setting the plate on his desk.

He tapped the hypnosis app and turned the phone so the spiral filled her view. A low tone pulsed from the speaker. Her eyes locked on the pattern, shoulders dropped, and her expression went slack. The app had her.