Hypnosis

As I waited for Chris to return, his phone rang, shrill and insistent. I answered it quickly, expecting to tell the caller to try again later, but my anger and concern spiked when I heard Mrs. Deli's voice on the other end. "Hello, is this Chris?" she asked, her tone gentle and measured.

"Mrs. Deli, what do you want from Chris?" I demanded, my anger mixed with concern. "I'm grateful you saved him, but I'm shocked you left with your attacker!"

She cut me off, her voice rising in urgency. "Daniel, this is no time for chit-chat. Sam wasn't happy I saved Chris; he wanted him dead to spite you, but—"

Before she could continue, someone took the phone from her, and a new voice spoke in a hypnotic, feminine tone. "Rise to your feet, Daniel," she commanded, her words weaving a spell of obedience.

I felt a surge of resistance, but my body responded, my legs straightening as I stood up. The voice continued, "Go outside and push Chris over your balcony."

My mind recoiled in horror, but my body began to move, my legs carrying me towards the balcony door. Just as I reached for the handle, a scream tore from my throat, my superhuman adrenaline rushing through my veins like a jolt of electricity. The trance broke, and I snarled, "Listen, you bitch, I don't know who you are or how much Samson is paying you, but I hope it's worth your life. I'll hunt you down and gladly throw you over a balcony to your well-deserved death."

The line went dead, the caller realizing too late that they had targeted the wrong person – one who was now immune to their hypnotic power. I slammed the phone down and sprinted out to find Chris, my heart racing with fear. I was just in time to see him hurtling towards the balcony floor, thrown by an invisible force. I grabbed his falling body with one hand and flung him back to safety.

As I turned to face the street, a flash of light caught my eye – a phone camera capturing the moment from a distance. I zeroed in on the car speeding away, my super-heightened senses picking out the driver with ease. It was Uriel, the shady figure I had encountered before, parked on the road near my house. I made a mental note to keep a close eye on him; he was now a key piece in my growing puzzle of mystery and intrigue.

But questions swirled in my mind – if I had taken the call intended for Chris and foiled the hypnotizer's plan, how did Chris end up almost falling off the balcony? The supernatural push of nature didn't add up, and I was left with more questions than answers. One thing was certain, though – Uriel was now on my watchlist, and I would stop at nothing to uncover the truth.