Games People Play

Ray moved to speak, but Anna continued, "Charlotte, you started out a bit lighter in the curse with the change to being a redhead even before you met Ray. You've lost some weight, too, and had to deal with the worst case of cock-lust every for your first night with Ray. So, anything I missed?"

Charlotte recovered first, "Wait, he's cursed too? And he was older before?"

"Wait, what did she do?" Ray considered.

Anna smiled at their confusion. "Since you're both dealing with this change in our discussions, we'll just have homework for the night and discuss your personal low points tomorrow. Ray, try to have something to discuss concerning Sonja Jenkins. Charlotte, be prepared to talk about Eddie Renton."

She smiled her wide, toothy smile, "However, we've still got rolls for tonight."

Two closed hands pushed forward, hovering over one of Anna's always present folders. She dropped the two dice: Red and black.

Ray looked unhappy, but took his, tossing it onto the folder. 13. Anna rolled her own and checked her inscrutable charts. "You're going to be a bit shorter tomorrow. Not too much, but you've lost a few inches."

Also unhappy, Charlotte grabbed hers, but tossed it overhand like she was throwing a ball. Anna smiled, and dropped another die. "Sorry, not that easy. Unless you'd like to call that Dealer's Choice?"

Her mouth a thin line, she rolled again, with the result being a 5. Anna rolled her own dice, and announced, "Not a massive change, but your body odor will be a bit different than normal. You might even find it fun, with the week you've had."

—

THURSDAY - RAY

Ray woke and immediately went to check his height. He believe in Anna's powers now, and had no illusions that he could circumvent whatever game he was playing. He checked and judged he'd dropped from 'just under six feet' (which meant 5' 11") to perhaps 5' 6". Not a huge change, but enough. He'd be the same height as Tricia at the shop now! And much shorter than Charlotte.

He dressed to cover an early shift at the store and packed a backpack with the things he'd need for a couple classes that afternoon. The apartment complex was strangely unfriendly now that he knew Charlotte was caught in the same trap as he was.

—

THURSDAY - CHARLOTTE

Charlotte hit the shower as soon as she awoke. She'd fallen into bed after leaving Ray's the night before, and slept restlessly. She reeked of sex and felt sticky with his juices. She changed and left for work, seeing Ray from a distance as he walked to the store. She could see he was shorter now, and she laughed as she realized the top of his head would barely reach her nose now. She found herself licking her lips at the thought of him: Knowing he was actually older and was being punished had actually made him more attractive to her. He was a curious mix of needy and commanding at the same time that made her wet just thinking of him.

She rolled down the windows as she pulled into the lot. It was a cool day but her arousal was practically palpable. She was undeniably wet at the thought of the mind-blowing sex she'd had the last few days with Ray, but she'd never been so aroused the entire cars smelled of it. She dropped her keys as she was about to work. Was that the latest curse? She smelled like pussy now? She sniffed her arm pit. It was faint and hidden by her deodorant, but she certainly smelled a familiar smell.

She clocked in and tried to stay out of sight throughout the full shift. She hid in the back moving stock for the morning, but had a shift on the registers for the afternoon. She'd have to hope no one noticed.

One customer did: An old man, probably in his fifties, was sniffing the air as he brought his things to the register. She'd noticed the smell was stronger when she was active and sweating or aroused, so tried to minimize her movements and stay cool while stuck on the registers for four hours. The man noticed something, commenting on an "odd odor, something he couldn't quite put his finger on" as he'd dug in his wallet for cash. He'd made eye contact with her as he took his receipt and said, "You'd best get that checked out. If there's a broken pipe or something it could get ugly if it's not fixed."

Charlotte blushed furiously. Worse, the flush seemed to make her sweat, which only increased the smell to her.

She fled the store with her shift complete, texting Greg to cancel plans to grab dinner that night.

—

RAY

Work was frustrating as he found he missed the extra inches of height. He'd had to grab a stool from the back to stock the higher shelves, and he felt like his edge was gone when dealing with some of the people who came in and wanted to just hang out or steal from the store.

He had some goof news, though.Tricia had called in a favor with a friend who worked on-campus. They had Derek's address and, even better, a tip that there would be an surprise inspection coming up due to some rumors of drugs on campus. They brainstormed, unsure how to use this information, but couldn't come up with a plan beyond hoping Derek would be caught with something illegal enough to get him kicked out or arrested in his dorm.

Returning to his apartment, he saw Charlotte in the parking lot. She waved him over and asked him with a harsh whisper, "Can you come up? We should talk."

Nervously, Ray followed her to her apartment.

—

CHARLOTTE

She tossed him a bottled water as they sat in the living room. Not side-by-side on the couch as they had previously, but more formally, with Charlotte swinging her broad legs over a hard wooden chair that normally was pushed against a wall. She sipped her own water and asked, "So how old are you, really?"

"Twenty-two, now..." Ray said defiantly. "If you haven't noticed, we both appear to be whatever Anna wants us to be."

He looked down, then back up, meeting her gaze, "I was fifty-two until I woke up Sunday. It hasn't been easy. I've lost so much."

"Really? Seems like you got a pretty good deal. You're back as a young stud banging every girl you can. You've been living here a week and already fucked me and I bet you've been trying to get into that girl at the shop's pants."

"Tricia's just a friend. Honestly, I've only slept with you and... One other woman."

"Anyone I... Oh, so that's why Amy wanted to talk with you a couple nights ago. She wanted my sloppy seconds, didn't she?"

Ray leaned forward, his neck tense as he forcefully responded, "Look, anything me and her did is nothing you have any right to complain about. If she's a little fucked up it's because she idolizes you."

Charlotte merely glared. Ray continued, "So how has your life changed? Were you a milf housewife before this whole thing started?"

He wrinkled his nose as Charlotte replied, "No, I am what you see. Anna didn't lie, I just got my hair changed and lost some weight. And a couple other small things."

"Charlotte, this is kind of weird but it's been that kind of week and I have to ask... Is this argument turning you on?"

She looked embarrassed, "No, asshole! That's the latest embarrassment she's given me. First I got stuck for a day where any time I so much as saw a cock I turned into a moron, now I smell like pussy all the fucking time. You ever go to work smelling like this?"

Ray leered a bit, thinking of more than one meeting he'd attended in his old life where he knew his dick had still been coated with the juices of one of his girlfriends. He recovered, "So really you've gotten off lucky. You've seen your life go from a fat to just chubby with a couple minor irritations. The smell's not bad, really... Just makes me think you're horny."

"You gross fuck."

"Controlling bitch."

They sat in silence, drinking water in gulps. Charlotte broke the silence, "So where to next? She's not going to leave us alone or reverse this unless we do something, right? There has to be some way out of this."

Ray thought for a moment, "I don't know. She said 'about a week' back at the beginning, I think. And I know I'm dealing with the curse myself, but I'm trying to get something from it. My sister, Kristi..."

"Yeah, you told me about her last night. Before we made out in the shithole you call an apartment."

"You seemed to enjoy it. Anyway, here's the deal: Here and now Kristi at least talks to me. She trusts me. I'm her big brother and that gives me options. I got a bad feeling about this Derek guy and want to make sure she's not taken advantage of by him."

Charlotte sarcastically answered, "Let me know how that works. You going to go all vigilante on him and beat him up? Or try sue him or something? He's some asshole kid who deals a few drugs and takes girls to parties they shouldn't be in."

"Sure, but he's the one going after my daughter... My sister."

Ray was holding his head in his hands as Charlotte probed deeper, "The whole age thing has really fucked you up, hasn't it? Is that why you had the whole 'mommy' thing going last night?"

He straightened as Charlotte felt some sympathy, "Yeah. It started when I woke up like this. Heard my wife say my name and it was like she'd never kicked me out. Then I found out I was her son now and the old me had died years ago. The curse made it worse but I don't think I want my mother anymore... I just want some woman to treat me like a little kid when she fucks me. I know that's weird, but.."

Charlotte's breath caught. She contemplated feeding Ray's fantasies. He'd do anything if she threw a little fuel on his fetish fire. Maybe some light spanking and some role-play, or even dress-up if she really wanted him to be her little slave. But she pulled back: It was too weird knowing they were trapped together in Anna's little hell.

"So anyway, I guess we know where we stand, right?" She said with a thin smile. "You should probably do your homework and get to bed. See you tonight in our dreams."

—

RAY

Ray had an idea, and searched through his chemistry textbook to confirm a few details. He'd need to borrow a few things from the lab when he went in for a class tomorrow, but since he'd woken up a few days ago with an expert-level grasp of chemistry was confident he could pull this off. A final late-night flurry of texts and he had the last thing he needed: Tricia had a stash of painkillers an old roommate had left in her room she'd donate to Ray's scheme, even if she did think it was a bit crazy.

—

TOGETHER

Again, the three found themselves at a table outside a coffee shop. Anna calmly sipped her coffee, then asked, "Who'd like to go first?"

Silence.

Ray, dressed in his work outfit, broke the silence, "Sonja Jenkins was another office fling. She came on to me... hard. We first hooked up at a conference and we had a few drinks. I tried to be good, but she literally stuck her foot in the door and when I let her in she ripped my clothes off. Sure, we had some fun at the office, and I haven't talked to her since I got fired."

Charlotte's eyes were narrow as she silently judged Ray. Anna spoke in her precise teacher-like style. "That is all correct. The more concerning part occured after you were fired. You had no contact since your firing. You didn't even search online for her or you'd have seen that she committed suicide three months ago. You weren't the hand that gave her the pills, but you were the reason she felt like her life was over."

Ray was shocked and unable to respond. Anna turned to Charlotte, "And Eddie Renton?"

"Well, he's alive at least. I guess it was maybe four years ago I got him into my game. Shy kid."

"Very common for you." Anna interjected.

"Okay, yeah, whatever. We gamed for a while and maybe I let him feel me up a few times. He worked at this great ice cream place, you know, and he'd bring some to game night or whatever. One night I was kind of down and he brought some over. You know, just for the two of us. And I fucked him, sure. He wasn't complaining. We had a big fight a few months later and he kind of fucked off."

Anna frowned, "Fucked off may not be the correct way to put it. On the night of April 17th he'd been dwelling on your argument for over a week and had decided to surprise you with ice cream. It was a rainy night and his car slammed into a light pole. He is, as you said, still alive. The reason he 'fucked off' as you put it is the serious brain damage he suffered."

The heavyset woman seemed to droop in her chair. The three sat in silence broken only by Anna sipping her coffee.

"I am not going to lecture you, which is doubtlessly no surprise at this point. I will keep it short. You have both made mistakes. You are not murderers or rapists or even thieves... Although I know about those dice you stole, Charlotte."

She threw a folder on the table. Photos of Sophia and Eddie spilled out, including a photo of a grave topped with flowers and a young man in a hospital, glassy-eyed with his head bandaged.

"You are human beings, and flawed creatures. I do not expect you to become saints, but I can hope that this week has taught you to be better people."

Almost imperceptibly, Charlotte murmured, "It'd be easier if I didn't smell like pussy all the time."

Ray laughed. The moment had been so tense, and the off-hand comment so wrong in that time and place, he could do nothing else. Even Anna smirked a bit.

She held out her hands, turning them upwards to prevent the dice to the pair that controlled their fates.

Charlotte grabbed hers, still avoiding eye contact with Anna. She rolled a 6.

Ray's visage grew somber as he took his, dreading the result. He rolled a 2.

Anna rolled her own dice and looked at Charlotte, "Congratulations for rolling two sixes in a roll. Since you already have an interesting smell, we'll replace it. I think you'll find this one more palatable: You now simply smell like a woman that's just worked out. More if you actually have been sweating, of course."

She turned to Ray, "Two is a bit of an interesting one. It's where a lot of the really odd stuff is. For the next 24 hours, you get a pass from all this. It'll be like you were never transformed. Consider it a quick break."

—

FRIDAY - CHARLOTTE

She was overjoyed to find her smell had changed. It was lighter and sweeter somehow, without the tang that had made her and everyone else think of sex. It did, as Anna had promised, smell like fresh sweat and wasn't unattractive when combined with the tiny bit of perfume she normally wore.

She worked all morning and was unsure what to do with herself afterwards. She had nowhere to go tonight and had a feeling she didn't want any of her guys over for the night.

And, she had to admit, she was curious what Ray looked like clear of the curse's strange changes.

—

FRIDAY - RAY

Ray woke, practically jumping from his futon. His apartment was different, perhaps even messier than it had been the previous day. He felt thick and slow at first: Looking in the mirror, he saw the fifty-two year old version of himself looking back. He even noticed his keyring had the old BMW key fob instead of the Honda logo.

Work was surreal. Alex's behavior to him seemed slightly different, and he had no classes since he wasn't a student, so his afternoon was free. He drove by his old house, even saw his daughter kicking a soccer ball around with a friend in the yard, but couldn't bring himself to stop. He first drove by the dorms where Derek lived, then ended up in a parking lot digging through his phone.

The newest, and by all accounts temporary, iteration of Ray was like a weird amalgamation of his past life and his recent foray as a college student. Amber was his separated wife who clearly hated his guts, while he'd still had an intimate relationship with Charlotte.

Even better, Tricia was still a friend, and still working on their scheme. He needed a couple chemicals for his concoction which he asked her to borrow as he considered his next move.

—

CHARLOTTE

"Was that old guy Ray?" she thought as she watched the parking lot. The BMW he'd arrived in had shown up were he liked to park his hatchback, and the guys hat stepped out certainly looked like he could be 'her' Ray's father, perhaps. The GamesPlus shirt confirmed it.

A couple hours later she was overcome by curiosity and couldn't resist texting him.

—

RAY

He was surprised when Charlotte had reached out and even more surprised when she asked him to come up. He didn't argue: Tricia had dropped off a few things an hour earlier, and his apartment had a chemical smell that'd take hours to clear. It was disturbing to him how easily she accepted his older self.

He knocked, nervous about the new 'first meeting' with Charlotte. Her surprise when he opened the door was palpable as her mouth opened and her eyes grew wide.

—

CHARLOTTE

"He's so old. Old like my dad." were Charlotte's thoughts as she opened the door and saw the older version of Ray. He looked so similar, despite the massive changes. He was a bit taller than her, with greying hair and a slightly broader face with wrinkles.

Wordlessly, they sat and stared at each other. Ray spoke, "So, not what you expected?"

Charlotte's nose wrinkled, "You remind me of my dad."

"It's been weird. So weird. Where does this whole thing end?"

Charlotte sighed, "How do you want it to end? You're back in your real life, right? A real adult?"

"I've been thinking about that all day. A couple days ago that's what I wanted, sure. But now I'm not so sure. I could do a lot like this. I bet in a year I'd be running that store, if not in a corporate job. I could do that. Your Ray couldn't. And this whole plan to get rid of Derek. So many options today that i didn't have yesterday. I could tell mom, I mean Amber. I could forbid her. You know? I could forbid her from seeing Derek."

Charlotte's head shook, her hair a red wave. "She won't listen if you do that, you know. I wouldn't have. She'll sneak out or whatever."

Downcast, Ray agreed, "You're right. Still, if Anna asks us what we want, I kind of want this. I'll miss a lot. Tricia's friendly but there's this distance, and I'm pretty sure you and me are totally over."

Charlotte nodded enthusiastically as Ray continued, "Being twenty-two again is tempting though. A chance to sort of start over. You probably don't want advice from... From an old man, but here it is: Don't waste what you've got."

He stood to leave. Charlottes voice was thin, almost inaudible "Is that what you think I'm doing?"

He sat again, "I don't know. You're a smart girl. You could do lots of things. I'm out of the business of telling people how to live their lives, though.

"Except Kristi and Derek."

"So what about you? If she let you choose, would you just call this week a bad dream or keep it?"

"No choice. Fucked up as it's been I like the new me. The hair stands out, I'm in better shape, and I think even my new smell is a turn-on. You've lost a lot, I can see that. I've made out on the deal no matter how much of a torture Anna thinks this is for me."

Ray leaves wordlessly, as Charlotte reclines on her couch, lost in thought.

—

RAY

After the awkward talk with Charlotte Ray returned to his apartment downstairs. As he enters he turns to check his 'science experiment' that is filling the apartment with a faint vinegary scent but is surprised when he hears a voice.

"Hello, daddy!"

It's Amy, the short girl from the gaming group. She's wrapped in a blanket on his futon.

"Amy!? I wasn't expecting you here. I was..."

She rises from the futon, her long braid wrapping around her naked body as the blanket fell to the bed. "Come on over, stud. I was thinking about a couple nights ago and really needed a big, strong, older man to make me feel safe. And since you left me a key..."

Ray had no memory of leaving a key with this woman, but the last week had been so odd and he was still piecing things together as the short girl began unbuttoning his slacks and shirt. "So what's with the smell? You trying to cook something?"