A Chance to Drop Out

The woman says, "At the end of each round, sluts may choose to leave the game. You will keep any changes that have already been made to you, no matter how the game ends. If all sluts choose to leave the game, then the cock-bearers will have automatically won, and there will be additional changes made to all sluts. Any slut who wants to leave must say 'I choose to leave the game' in as clear a voice as she can manage within 5 minutes, or before the next round starts with a spin from the first player, whichever comes first. All playing pieces remain on the board, and if a slut wants to re-enter the game, she may spin in her original order, although she will of course be subject to multiple changes upon her return. The 5 minutes begin now." With that, she disappears.

There are a couple of seconds of silence, and then Phoebe says, "Well, I don't think any of us really want to stay like this forever," and reaches toward the game board. "Whoa, hold it!" says Rachel. Phoebe stops.

"Yeah, I'm thinking about dropping out," says the schoolgirl. "Looking like I'm 18 is fine with me."

"And I still look the same," says Rachel. "I choose to leave the game." With that, there's a flash around her neck, and the collar is gone. She reaches up, feels the skin, and says, "Thank God."

"And I choose to leave the game," says the schoolgirl. Her collar disappears as well.

"Anyone else?" asks Rachel.

"I sure as hell don't want to be green forever," says the witch.

"And I certainly do not want to talk like zis until, how you say, I kick ze bucket," says the maid in her French accent.

"Yeah, and the rest of you..." Rachel trails off, but then brightens. "Oh, wait, Mona, all that's happened to you is your hair grew."

"Hey, and I've even got a salon appointment next week," she says. "I'll just hack all this off for now. I choose to leave the game." Mona's metal collar disappears, and she exhales.

"But you did go platinum," says Phoebe, pointing out Mona's new hair color.

"Oh, shoot!" exclaims Mona. She groans, "Maybe I'll have to go to a different salon, so they won't ask who did the bleaching."

Phoebe shrugs. "You can always get back in if you spin after me."

"Yeah, I think having to explain the magical dye job is a better option than that," says Mona.

"Anybody else getting out?" asks Rachel. "Not mee-ow," responds Monica. No one else says anything.

The schoolgirl indicates the still bricked-over door and windows. "Guess we can't leave this place even if we left the game." She sits in a chair away from the game board. Mona does the same.

"You can go ahead, Phoebe," says Rachel. "I'm gonna get out of this outfit." She walks into the bedroom. It's easy to see Gunther's disappointment even with his new more handsome face.

"Are you sure I can go?" asks Phoebe to the room. Most of the women give noncommittal nods.

"Yeah, hurry this thing up," says Mona, her arms crossed in front of her nurse costume, her long blonde hair hanging over the back of the kitchen chair and almost down to the floor.

But just then, the schoolgirl gasps and leaps to her feet. Everyone turns to look at her.