“What’s going on?” Molly looked up from her phone which was now in the process of turning itself back on after Zachary’s outburst. She looked over at Tara and at the guy sitting across from her, she never got his name, both looked rather distressed and the other woman was looking at them confused. She then turned to Rodney and gave him a puzzled look.

“Haven’t you been paying attention?” Rodney stared at her in disbelief. “We’re playing a card game here. Caleb and Tara claim to have swapped bodies because of it and after that little outburst from the demon there I’m inclined to believe they have.”

“Not a demon,” Zachary corrected with indifference. If that’s how they chose to see them then that was fine.

“Oh,” Molly looked back at Caleb and Tara, now understanding what had them so upset. A part of her was even happy at Tara’s misery, she wasn’t blind she knew how Rodney looked at her. “Well enjoy your game, I’m going home.” Molly stood up and went to leave but Zachary grabbed her arm.

“I’m sorry but you can’t do that, you agreed to play and I don’t take lightly to quitters.” Zachary warned.

“I didn’t agree to play,” Molly protested as she pulled her arm free and made her way towards the door.

“You affirmed,” Zachary countered. “I don’t care if you were paying attention or not. You’re now a player whether you like it or not.” Molly scoffed and continued to leave before freezing in place as she began to go into a coughing fit. “As Caleb was having his reservations, allow me to demonstrate one of the consequences for refusal,” Zachary extended his arm towards Molly, who was now down on her knees. She continued to cough until she felt something at the back of her throat. Soon a tiny ball of light escaped her mouth and her body collapsed on the floor, completely unconscious. Zachary clicked their fingers and manifested a blank card in their hand as the ball of light made its way towards it. Once it reached the card it disappeared and a drawing of Molly appeared on it. This card was different from the others though as it was moving, banging on an invisible wall and screaming, in silence to everyone but Zachary, to be released.

“As this is the first transgression, I will be lenient,” Zachary summoned the deck in front of them. They then flicked the card with the trapped Molly into the deck and shuffled it. “She’s in a timeout until she’s drawn from the deck.” Zachary smiled as he placed the deck back down on the table, not sure how far down Molly ended up.

“Molly!” Rodney got up off the table and approached her body. He tested for a pulse and saw that she was still breathing, her eyes were just glassy as she laid there soulless. “What did you do to her?” Rodney got up as his temper got the better of him.

“Weren’t you paying attention?” Zachary asked. “She’s now in the deck waiting to be drawn.” The answer Zachary gave and the attitude they gave it didn’t help calm Rodney’s temper as the larger man approached with clenched fists. Zachary looked at him bemused. “I wouldn’t,” Zachary was daring him. “Violence is not to be tolerated and you’ve already seen what I’m capable of so please sit down before you land yourself into any more trouble.” Zachary then turned back to Caleb. “Are you going to take your turn?”

Rodney sat back down, hitting his fist on the table to release the anger, causing everyone to flinch. He then glared at Zachary as he stood there, arms crossed showing off his large muscles in a silent threat.

Caleb looked over at his bruised face and over at Opal. The latter of which was now feeling extremely guilty for suggesting the game night. He nodded to Tara and reached for the top card of the deck and drew it.

‘Pick one: Shuffle everyone one space to the left or shuffle everyone one space to the right.’ The card read.

“What’s this?” Caleb asked, showing off the card.

“It wouldn’t be a game without choices…” Zachary grinned. “Otherwise it’d just be drawing and swapping.” They paused for a moment as they looked at the others. “Oh that reminds me, I need to give everyone a secret mission, this is not to be shared and will reward you with something later.”

Each person heard their task in their head, including Molly. None of them were happy with the task they were given, especially since it required them to be in each other's body at least once.

“Okay let’s go right,” Caleb chose to go back to their body for now instead of Rodney’s. This put Tara in Opal’s, Opal in Zachary’s, Zachary in Molly’s and Rodney in Tara’s. Rodney’s body face-planted into the table as it was left vacant.

“Looks like it’s my turn,” Zachary stood up off the floor and adjusted Molly’s hair and dress, completely unfazed by the body they were now in. They took their seat back next to the unconscious Rodney and drew. “Oh I got Rodney,” Zachary commented as Molly went down again and Rodney’s body rose. Zachary then turned towards Rodney in Tara’s body and flexed.

Opal looked around the room feeling that something wasn’t quite right with this body but she didn’t know what. “Oh is it my turn?” she asked sheepishly as Rodney’s body looked at her waiting. “Sorry,” she apologised as she reached for the top card and took her turn.

‘Choose: Discard half the deck or limit rounds to one per day.’

“What a perfect card to get at the end of the round,” Zachary clapped while grinning so wide. Rodney didn’t know he could smile that much. Not even Zachary knew what the mystery cards were, just that they were to add choices to the game.

“So we either have a choice of halving the game’s playtime or extend these swaps out longer?” Tara asked as she read the card.

“And that would be no more turns for the day, so everyone will be stuck as they are until tomorrow or whenever you have the time to play again,” Zachary confirmed. “Though that would give you each time to fulfil your tasks,” they added.

“Well that’s a no brainer, cut the deck in half,” Rodney went to cross their arms and looked down as he was accidentally pushing up against Tara’s breasts. He quickly put his arms to his side.

“Um…” Opal hesitated. “What about Molly?” she reminded Rodney. “Isn’t she in the deck? What happens if she gets discarded?”

“Then she can’t get drawn,” Zachary gave a smug expression. “And if she can’t get drawn… well,” they shrugged letting everyone else realise what that meant.

“I thought so…” Opal knew which option to lean towards.

“Hang on,” Caleb spoke up. “We don’t know which half of the deck she’s in, so picking the daily option might be for nothing.”

“I agree,” Rodney nodded. “Some of us have work and other plans, can you really accept making this game go one longer than it needs to?”

“It’ll still be over in a week, there’s forty-one cards, and there’s six of us , so it’ll be done by next Friday,” Tara threw in her thoughts.

“Five seconds ago you were all for continuing the game instead of remaining swapped with me to save the others,” Caleb turned to face Tara. “Now you want to drag this on?”

“And you were eager to keep my body and now you’re back in your own, you don’t want the option that lets you stay there longer?” Tara retorted. “Besides it’s almost a fifty/fifty on where Molly is, that’s too high of a chance to gamble.” She then turned to face Zachary who was clearly entertained by the drama. “So if we discard Molly, what happens to her body at the end of the game?”

“It’ll go to whoever’s in it at the time,” Zachary answered the literal question and not the one Tara meant.

“So one of our bodies would be left hollow,” Tara clarified her thoughts. “Could any of you live someone else’s life while your former one was left in a coma?”

“We could all call in sick or take a week off,” Opal suggested trying to mediate. “But Tara’s right, I couldn’t risk Molly being stuck like that forever even if it means we have to play this game a while longer.” For the first time in a long time, Opal was finally assertive as she chose the option that left them stuck in their current bodies until the next day.