Fight or Flight

Mallory

Ten stories below, in a very similar lounge chair, Mallory lay by the crowded pool to play up her party girl image. She casually took tiny sips from the hard seltzer resting on the ground and pretended to enjoy the sun and ignore her situation. Behind her sunglasses, she kept a watchful eye on the backdoor of the hotel and any other approaches. There was a gap in the hedges behind her that looked like it went to a hedge maze and a large locked gate, but she wasn’t sure how anyone could come from those directions.

Mallory hadn’t seen the others since the game started, but there was only so long that luck could hold out. She was thinking that, just maybe, it was time to start making something like a plan.

My wand has Janet’s name, so she’s still in the game. She couldn’t have my name yet unless she went all Predator on everyone and that’s obviously not happening. Mom wouldn’t be playing seriously, Sarah ditched, and Vivian would have made her move already. Process of elimination? Luciana or Ronnie.

That gave Mallory an idea. She spoke Janet’s name and the wand floated up and pointed off at an angle from the building, past the hedges, but wavered slightly as it did. It’s not precise. Mallory sat up and looked around, scanning the crowd person by person until she found the closest match - a woman wearing the white shorts and v-neck outfit of a Harem Hotel employee, working at a towel and pool toy cabana a few yards from where Mallory sat.

Neither Luciana or Rhonda have gotten a good look at me yet. That girl is about my height, she’s blonde, boobs aren’t as big but I don’t think those two were checking those out. That will have to work. Mallory sidled up to the counter and the woman came over to greet her.

“Hello Mallory, how can I help you today?” It’s creepy they all know my name. But it makes sense, they are here for us. Mallory checked her nametag: Celene.

“Hiya Celene, so you work for the Hotel right?” She nodded. “And since I’m a contestant, you’ve got to do what I say, right?”

“Kinda… I can’t interfere in the game. Do you need a towel?” Her smile was still plastered on her face, but her eyes were pleading. She doesn’t want to get in trouble.

“In a minute, there’s something else I need your help with. Come with me for a second.”

“I can’t leave the booth unattended.”

“Oh don’t worry about that, we’ll be right back.”

Celene looked as if she was **** for an excuse not to, but she couldn’t find one. Her compulsion to be helpful won out. She slipped under the gap in the counter and followed as Mallory led her to the changing huts. Mallory checked over her shoulder. With no sign of a pursuer, she shoved Celene inside before joining her.

The room was tiny, barely large enough to fit the two women, but Celene’s discomfort was not coming from Mallory’s presence. “I need your clothes. You’ll wear mine.”

Celene shook her head, “I can’t-”

“It’s not interfering, the wands will still point to me no matter what I’m wearing. I’ll work your booth so it won’t be empty. Besides, I’m doing you a favor, so I shouldn’t even have to pay for it.” Mallory cut off her objections before she could voice them. Once again, the woman was **** to obey. She slipped the shirt off her head and slid the short white shorts down to her ankles, leaving her nude but for her white canvas sneakers.

“They don’t give you panties? Damn.”

“Not unless we need them.” Celene said, her voice starting to tremble a little bit. She clearly wanted to cover herself, but her hands stayed at her side. Suck it up, cupcake. You don’t even have a roomful of people eyeballing you. Mallory pulled her sundress up over her head and handed it to Celene. Celene looked longingly at Mallory’s expensive underwear, but she shook her head in response.

“They’re La Perla, I’m keeping them.” Mallory pulled the hotel uniform on with some difficulty, apparently having misjudged her own body shape. The shorts buttoned closed with effort, but the simple v-neck on Celene was obscenely tight on Mallory’s D-cups - stretching the Harem Hotel printed across the chest. Mallory’s dress had built-in support so she hadn’t worn a bra, and now her nipples were clearly visible through the thin cotton. Close enough.

After swapping shoes and having the employee pull on her dress, Mallory ordered Celene to take her place in the lounger.

“Lay here, keep drinking, and just pretend to be me.”

With her hook baited, Mallory posted up behind the counter to wait and watch. It was still early, so there wasn’t much to do. After about twenty minutes of this, a group of young male ‘tourists’ came up to her counter, blocking Mallory’s view of the casino doors. Ordinarily, a phalanx of young, wet, shirtless men would be right up Mallory’s alley. But today she was focused.

“We need towels. We’re supposed to get towels from Celene now.” One of them said, his eyes drawn to Mallory’s bust.

“Celene’s on break and my eyes are up here, fucko.” Mallory tried to lean around them to keep an eye on the doors, but they were shoulder to shoulder, fully impeding her view.

“We’re supposed to get towels from Celene now.” He repeated.

“Not my concern, get lost.”

“Oh there she is, let’s go ask her.” One of the guys pointed to Celene, turning enough to give Mallory a view of Celene. She was sitting up on the chair, downing a drink like she was dying of thirst. Given the empty cans on the ground next to her, it was already her fourth. Oh come on, I don’t drink that much! Not before 9 A.M.! The crowd of guys in front of Mallory started to break up and head over to her, apparently still following their need to get towels ‘from Celene.’

Damn it, they’re gonna block her from view. Mallory grabbed a pile of towels from the rack behind her and hustled over to toss them at Celene’s feet. “Here guys, get them from her and then go. People got stuff to do here.” Mallory grabbed the can from Celene’s hands. “And I think you’ve had enough.”

“But you said-” She slurred.

“I say a lot of things. Just lay here, close your eyes and enjoy the sun.”

“Okee dokey.” Celene flopped back down. Out of the corner of her eye, Mallory saw Rhonda darting between groups of guests to use them as cover. Mallory **** herself to stay cool and calmly walk back to the cabana. I’m just an employee here. Don’t even notice me. Once back in the booth, she crouched behind the counter as if looking for something, then peeked around through the gap to see.

Her plan was apparently working, from her vantage point Mallory watched as Rhonda creeped up on the sunbathing Celene. She’s wearing dad’s shirt and his underwear?! First, EWW. Second, Mom’s gonna be pissed. Also EWW. Seeing her opening, Rhonda ran the last few yards to tap Celene on the shoulder with the wand. The second she did, Rhonda crumpled to the ground as the magic backfired into her. Is she cumming? She’s fucking cumming!

Mallory jumped out from her spot. “Take that, ya fucking skank!” she yelled at the twitching woman. Just then however, Mallory noticed Luciana’s hulking form standing outside the building on the opposite side of the pool. Her wand was floating above her hand, spinning until it stopped to point at Mallory. Luciana’s gaze followed it upwards until she saw Mallory, and her eyes filled with recognition.

Fuck.

Janet

All she wanted was to hide. Just find a closet and shut herself in. I don’t care about this stupid show, I don’t care about this stupid game, I just want to go home. Once the game started, she’d followed Danica out of habit, but the older woman waved her off. Split up, that way we won’t draw the others to us, she said.

Well, where else could she go? Janet saw which way the others had all gone, and that left only one path no one had taken: Towards the large outdoor shopping area adjacent to the casino. It was styled like a North African bazaar in keeping with the theme of the entire hotel, with many small stalls and narrow pedestrian alleys. Large shades covered most of the paths and kept the temperature pleasant, even in her heavy clothes.

It was still pretty early, and most of the shopkeepers were going through the motions of setting up for the day, pulling out their wares and hanging them up on freestanding displays. Janet absentmindedly window-shopped her way down one lane after another, taking her time. Janet had never been much for hanging out in stores. Malls were already dying by the time she was a teen, and she’d never had the money to enjoy them anyway. I only ever went with Mallory, and she wanted me there to evaluate her outfits. Janet hoped Mallory was ok, wherever she had run off to. Nothing seems to stick to her, she’ll be fine. Janet wished the same could be said about herself, but couldn’t even think it with a straight face.

All the products here seem kinda dated, but it's a nice place to walk.

At least it was for a time. As one of the only “customers” out and about, once they got set up the stall owners started approaching Janet to aggressively pitch their wares.

A man stepped in her path, holding a red cocktail dress draped across his arms. “Please, please, try this on. It will look so incredible with the red in your hair.”

“No, thank you.” Janet **** a smile.

Another one elbowed the first out of the way: “Don’t listen to him, his prices are terrible! My shop has exactly what you need to look your sexiest!”

“Thanks… but I’m not really interested-”

A kindly-looking older woman **** her way through the assembling shopkeepers and swatted at them with a rolled-up newspaper until they backed away. “Leave her alone already!” She took Janet under the arm and led her away from the group, down a side street.

“Thanks for getting me away from those guys, but I’m good now.” Janet tried to tug her arm free, but the woman held it firm and kept her walking.

“What do these idiot men know? Come with me, we’ll talk girl-to-girl about catching the eye of that Master of yours.” She patted Janet’s hand with unearned friendliness. “I’m Esmeralda.”

“Mr. Clark is not my Master!”

“Not with that attitude.” The woman appraised Janet’s hoodie and jeans combo. “Or that outfit. Come along now.” She propelled Janet through a door and into a small, darkened shop, unlike the open stalls along the main roads. Janet jumped at the sight of several silhouettes arrayed through the enclosed space, but when the woman switched on the light they were exposed as mannequins.

Ok, still kinda scary.

Her jaw dropped when she realized what they were wearing. Or not wearing, as the case may be. Each of them was dressed in lingerie skimpier than the last.

“Now do you see? This is how you win this show.” The woman walked around with pride. She grabbed a hanger from a rack bearing a tiny black bra and matching set of crotchless panties, and held it up to Janet’s body.

“That barely covers anything.” Janet recoiled from the clothes as if they would bite.

“It’s not meant to cover, it’s meant to… accentuate.” The woman shook her chest for emphasis.

“Then why wear it at all?” Janet tried to back away towards the door, but Esmeralda kept cutting her off and steering her back into the center.

“You wrap Christmas presents, don’t you? Men like slowly exposing their gifts.” She set the outfit aside and took another one, this one a catsuit made of patent leather. “Maybe this one is more your style? I think the Master would appreciate this one very much.”

“That looks extremely uncomfortable.” Never in a million years.

“Don’t worry about that, you wouldn’t be wearing it for very long.”

“I’ve really got to go now, sorry.”

“Ok, so you haven’t found anything up here. I have an entire back room with even more treats and teases.” Esmerelda started to push Janet away from the door and towards a hallway covered by a beaded curtain.

“I don’t even have any money with me.”

“Oh, we have a special credit system just for contestants. You're too stressed, you'll never win the Master that way. Let Esmeralda take good care of you.” Janet shimmied back and forth in front of the woman, until she finally found a chink in the woman’s defense. Then she dashed past her and through the door. As soon as Janet reached daylight, Luciana’s voice boomed down the alleyways.

“Jaaaaaaaaanet! Come out and plaaaaaaay!”

The game! I forgot about the game! Janet pulled out the wand from her hoodie pocket. She couldn’t even remember who was on it. Vivian. Well I can’t tag Luciana, and I sure can’t get that thing out of her hand, I need to run! Janet thought she might cut through the lingerie shop to the next street, but she turned to find the door slammed in her face.

“Customers only.” The woman grumpily said through the door. Really!?!?

“Jaaaaanet!”

She’s getting closer. Every time she says my name, that wand is going to point right at me. Janet realized. She saw Luciana’s head poke around the corner, and the woman kindly waved at her. “Hi!”

Janet took off sprinting as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Which was, even by Janet’s admission, not terribly fast. Luciana followed her at a calm jog.

“Janet! Come on, I already had to chase Mallory around the pool like three times on a full stomach and that was really annoying! Just stop already.”

The marketplace was starting to fill up with people as the morning continued. Janet careened off-balance through the crowd, pinballing into vendor after customer after vendor and spilling their stuff everywhere. She expected them to get mad at her, but as Janet was a contestant they all seemed to instantly forgive her. Still, Janet apologized profusely as she ran. Of course, this kept her focus on what was behind her and and not in front, which just caused more collisions.

“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!!!”

She passed through the final arch and into an open plaza. Several roads branched off from it leading to more stalls, but the center was dominated by a large circular fountain at least thirty feet across and two feet deep with a raised wall surrounding it. The centerpiece was a statue of a nude woman on a pedestal with her back arched, running her hands through her hair as if she was showering in the four large water jets that sprayed her from each side. Janet couldn’t explain it even to herself, but she charged forward and vaulted the low wall into the thigh-deep water. She sloshed her way to the middle and stood under the statue’s base, and the water raining off its body soaked her to the bone. This attracted the attention of the people milling about in the plaza, and they came to the water’s edge to watch the crazy lady.

Luciana elbowed her way through to the front and called to Janet.

“What the hell are you doing? Why did you think that was gonna work?”

“I dunno, it was the best idea I had.”

“Did you think I was afraid of water or something? Come out of there.”

“Hell no!”

“Are you seriously gonna make me come in there after you?”

Janet nodded.

Luciana put her foot up on the rail of the fountain and pointed to her black hightops. “These are limited edition Jordans. I don’t care if they’re not real, I am not getting them soaked over this. Just come on out already and we’ll settle this.”

Janet vigorously shook her head, whipping her wet hair everywhere. “No! If you want me, you’ve got to come in here!”

Luciana let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine.” She knelt down to start untying her sneakers. With her focus on protecting the integrity of her shoe game, Luciana didn’t notice Vivan quietly moving through the crowd until the wand jabbed her in the back. Luciana gasped and fell over, clutching her crotch as the orgasm hit her.

“What did you do to her!?” Janet asked.

“Showed her the best time she’s had in months, I think.” Vivian said. “It’s just the two of us now, come on out.” She waved Janet over.

“Same answer! No way, not after what happened to her!”

“I’m not going to hurt you, Janet. Just come over here so we can talk.” When Janet again refused, Vivian calmly stepped over the rail into the water and advanced.

“Back off! Back off!” Janet pulled her wand out and held it out at arm’s length as she shuffled away from Vivian. Her heel caught a hidden pipe and Janet pitched backwards into the water. Water went straight up her nose and Janet came up for air, sputtering and coughing. Vivian was looming over her, arms crossed as if she was waiting for something. Janet tried to stand or back away but her feet slipped on the smooth marble base.

“I’m sorry I hit you last night, I have no idea what came over me!” Vivian didn’t respond. Janet froze and closed her eyes, awaiting whatever jolt of pain or pleasure was due - but it didn’t arrive. She tentatively opened them to find Vivian in the same position.

“I have to do every little damned thing…” Vivian muttered. Then she grabbed Janet’s wrist and drove the wand into her own thigh. Vivian’s eyes went wide and she dropped to her knees in the water, gasping deeply and gripping Janet’s wrist enough to cause her pain. Janet could do nothing but stare in slack-jawed shock as pleasure racked the woman’s body. When it subsided, Vivian released her grip and ran some water across her forehead.

“You really missed out on that…” Vivian finally said with a contented smile. Behind Vivian, Janet saw a large volley of fireworks launch from the roof of the hotel, exploding in a pattern to read across the morning sky:

WINNER - JANET MOHNEY