Alicia shrugged and reached for the softly glowing card. The light faded as she lifted it from the stack. A scowl played over her face as she flipped the card over to read. "This doesn't make a damn bit of sense," she muttered, before tossing the card face-up on the table for everyone to see.
You won't start with a story
told by a passing bard
but instead with a feature
found in the barnyard.
"What the hell does that..." A sudden scream cut short Alicia's continued commentary. Eyes clenched in obvious pain, she rolled forward onto her knees, nearly doubled over in pain. Daniel moved to hold her, desperately trying to discover what was wrong as the others looked on in concern and horror. James started toward the door, planning to call for an ambulance if it became necessary.
Alicia couldn't respond, but began clawing desperately at the button and zipper of her pants, eventually managing to fumble them open. With an urgent, swift motion, she yanked down her pants together with the lacy panties beneath. Exhausted and aching, she collapsed to one side, her pants around her waist, as a luxurious horse's tail arched up and out from the base of her spine. "What ... happened ..." she managed to gasp as she slowly recovered her composure.
"Whatever happened, the door's sealed," James cautioned.
Nicole reached for the game's box, seizing the old page that contained the long-ignored instructions. The color drained from her face as she read aloud, "This is a game of magic and power! It offers untold rewards and dire peril. Once turn order has been determined, no player may leave the game, unless that player has lost. A player loses the game if they are unable to roll on their turn. Such a player remains in their current condition permanently. The winner may remove or maintain changes, at their sole discretion, and receives one addition wish to use as they see fit."
"Should we quit now? Maybe we can all just refuse to take our turns," suggested Joanne.
"We are not fucking quitting," Alicia grunted. "I'm not willing to risk keeping this ... thing." Her tail swished angrily, mimicking her tone.
Her boyfriend chimed in as well, "We can't leave her like this. We started it, now we have to finish it."
"There's more," Nicole continued, even as Daniel was reaching for the dice. "Each square brings on changes of a different kind. Green squares offer the bounty of the wilds, while blue squares unlock changes of the mind. Yellow squares offer choices or let you curse your competitors, while grey squares hold special surprises for the lucky player."
James shook his head. "Lucky surprises? After what we've seen so far, I don't think that makes me feel better."
The chaos of the moment fading into the determination to get the game finished, the players all sat back down around the board. Daniel tossed the dice...