STORY ARC #5: VACATION ROULETTE

The Enchanting Woman

Her voice sounds smoky and sweet, and whatever her intentions, you know that something is coming.

This is a Choose Your Own Adventure Story. Go back to Chapter 1 by Linden Schneider here. Return to the previous chapter here. Do you love writing Choose Your Own Adventure stories with other authors? Find out how you can contribute!

Sandra, the charming chestnut-blonde lady with a sweet and friendly face, surely can’t want to kill you.

Perhaps the unknown messenger was wrong about Vacation Roulette’s intentions. You can’t imagine Sandra hurting a puppy, let alone a pack of human beings. She’s only one of the Vacation Roulette organizers, though, so what if it’s her colleagues who are lethal?

In any case, Sandra is amicable all the way. She helps you with luggage and takes you to the limo. The woman has such a sparkling, bubbly personality. Despite your misgivings, you relax and smile at her. Your partner is more reserved, however, and doesn’t smile.

Sandra rides shotgun while you and your partner huddle in the back. The driver is clearly excited to sit next to a gorgeous woman, and she has no problems keeping him — and you — entertained with funny anecdotes.

When you arrive at the hotel, the driver looks reluctant to say goodbye. Sandra waves cheerfully at him until he drives away. You wonder whether she’s aware of her effect on men — and any other people who are attracted to women.

Your partner shoots you a glare behind Sanda’s back, while she glides like a cute tidal wave towards the hotel doors.

Snorting, you nudge your partner. “What’s with you today? Still want more sleep?”

But your partner presses their lips together in a moue. “No, I’m well rested, thank you.”

Sandra doesn’t seem to sense the tension from your partner, or she might be a good actress. With her unending warmth and vivacity, she flashes you both a grin and says, “You must be hungry from your long flight. Come on! You can go to the all-you-can-eat buffet. Here are your coupons and you can eat all you want, all for free.”

Eagerly, you take those glossy coupons from her hands, while your partner pipes up, “Seriously free? Are there no limits or conditions?”

Sandra raises an elegant eyebrow, apparently unfazed by your partner’s blunt questioning. “Nope. It’s entirely free for the duration of this vacation.” Then she laughs. “I guess the only ‘condition’ is that the chefs won’t let you pack up their all-you-can-eat food into takeout containers. Though if you want to eat in your room, you can order room service, which the coupons also cover.”

It all sounds too good to be true. You stare around at the hotel’s vast, splendid lobby. It looks like it could be on the cover of a magazine.

Sandra drops you off at the buffet. “Remember, your wakeup call will be at 7 AM. I know it’s tempting to sleep in, especially when you’re somewhere as comfy as this hotel. But I promise that you’ll have loads of fun with us, that you won’t even miss your bed.” She winks. “If you have any questions, feel free to call or text at anytime!” With that, she sashays off like a beautiful waterfall.

Your partner waves a hand in front of your face. “Stop staring.”

You frown. “I wasn’t. Well, okay, maybe I was, for two seconds. But that doesn’t mean anything.”

Your partner bunches up their shoulders, their face still sulky. “Whatever. She is a charming lady, no doubt. But I can smell a snake from a distance.”

You fold your arms and rest them on the table. Neither of you have gotten up to get your plates of food yet. “You’re being ridiculous. I don’t sense any malice from her at all. It must be a mistake, or some jealous losers trying to tear her down just because she’s pretty.”

Your partner all but snarls. “Are you calling me a jealous loser?”

At this, you grasp their hands, trying to be tender but probably just coming off as restraining. “I’m not going to leave you for her, if that’s your worry. I don’t even know her. She’s a nice person who just happens to be attractive, that’s all.”

Your partner snatches their hands out of your grasp. Their tone is still hard. “After what you’ve been through in the past, I don’t believe that you would leave me, even if you wanted to. But I’m telling you, something’s not right. Maybe I shouldn’t have called her a snake. But at the very least, she’s a lynx, sly and dangerous.”

With a shake of your head, you sigh. “Well, didn’t you always say that I’m a good judge of character? I don’t feel that there’s anything wrong here at all. Yes, they’re keeping us in the dark about what the vacation actually is, but this hotel is sumptuous and the food is free. She is quite charismatic, I’ll give you that. But not all charismatic people are sociopaths.”

Your partner leans back and crosses their arms. “I didn’t say she was a sociopath. I just said that something isn’t right.”

You can’t help but roll your eyes, convinced that your partner is just jealous because Sandra is enchanting to look at. She is blessed with an impressive social ease, too. In contrast, neither you nor your partner are the charming sort.

After a short while more of brooding, your partner waves you off. “Go get food. I’ll watch over our stuff.”

There isn’t much “stuff” except for your backpacks, which have no valuables in them, as you keep your expensive items close to your skin. But your partner evidently needs some time alone. So you nod and get up.

While you browse through the seafood section, trying to decide between mussels or calamari, you hear a familiar voice behind you. “Hey, can we talk?”

You spin around, and there she is, her chestnut blonde hair all shiny, and her skin flawless. She smiles slowly. “Do you mind if I have a private word with you? It won’t take long.” Her voice sounds smoky and sweet, and whatever her intentions, you know that something is coming.

What do you do?

1. Agree, and follow her to a quiet place to talk.
2. Refuse. What she wants to say to you, should be said in your partner’s presence as well.

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