Everyone took turns rolling and a minute later Pat won by with a five, everyone else had only managed to roll a one, two or three. Everyone chose a game piece and Pat rolled again getting a four. Just as he reached to move his piece it suddenly slide along the path and stopped on a red space.
"Whoa, holy *&%$! Everyone else saw that happen right?" asked Julia staring wide eyed at the board. Silently everyone else nodded in response to stunned to talk.
Everyone's gaze switched to the red stack of cards as the sound of scrapping paper broke the silence. The top card had flipped itself over to reveal writing on it's underside.
"Like hell I'm touching that this game's probably cursed or something." said Pat edging away from the game but not taking his eyes off the card.
"Player 1 must take and read the card to finish his turn." declared a deep booming voice that made everyone jump and frantically look around for the speaker. They found it when the instruction booklet jumped out of Ashley's hands and hovered above the board. The words shifted and ran together to form a pair of dark eyes and mouth on the inside of the booklet that repeated it's command. "Player 1 must take and read the card to finish his turn."
"I... I already said I am not doing that," gulped Pat as he tried to meet the booklet's gaze. "I'm even going to play anymore. I quit."
The booklet was silent for a moment then responded as it turned to face Pat. "There is no quitting once the game has begun it must be played until finished. Now Player 1 take your card."
Pat opened to respond but nothing came out then slowly his left hand reached out and took the card. His face contorted in horror as his hand brought it in front of his face and he started reading the card aloud in a forced voice. "Your a cut above the rest but a head shorter as well."
Then the card vanished in a puff of smoke ad Pat yelled in surprise as he suddenly shrank a good foot making him about the same height as Josh, Ashley and Julia.
"There Player 1's turn has finished Player 2 please take the die and roll. I recommend that you play properly as this game can be quite enjoyable. If not I will return to ensure that gameplay continues." boomed the booklet then it fluttered down onto the board and the face was replaced by the writing that explained the game.