#AtoZChallenge 2022 – Forms of Disarray

Contains strong language, please be advised.

Abby, Beth, Charlie, Daphne, and Ethan stared awkwardly at each other, all in various forms of disarray. The only ones not in pajamas and bathrobes are Beth and Ethan. Sitting in the corner, being small, Daphne runs her fingers though her hair, as if it would help her comb through the nest she calls her morning hair.

“What are you looking at?” Daphne snaps at Charlie and Ethan who have been eying her from across.

“Nothing,” Both reply in unison.

“Where do you think they’re taking us?” Abby says. She, too, is trying to comb her tangled mess of hair. “I mean, you don’t really believe the email, do you?”

“I’m praying this limo isn’t taking us to a meat factory, chop us to pieces, and…” Beth shutters at the thought. Her hands immediately flies to her mouth as she starts biting her nails.

“God, what’s wrong with you?” Daphne shrieks, “Your imagination is like totally scary.”

“Sorry, my anxiety makes my imagination go a little haywire,” Beth mutters apologetically and resumes her nail biting.

As Abby watches the city skyline appear and disappear outside the window, she, too, begins biting her nails, an old habit she hasn’t done since college. She feels like she’s been in the limo for an eternity and without her phone, she has no clue as to how long her eternity really is. An hour? Two hours?

She suddenly wishes her stomach would give her a sign since she usually would feel hungry after a certain number of hours but that’s under her standard day-to-day diet and last night was anything but standard. I shouldn’t had gone out, she starts repeating in her head like a motto.

“Does anyone feel a breeze in here?” Charlie asks, snapping everyone out of their stupor.

That’s when Daphne notices for the first time since squeezing into the limousine. “Are you… naked under there?” She jabs a finger at Charlies’ bathrobe while stifling a giggle. Charlie hugs his robe tighter around his body, grumbling indistinctively beneath his breath.

Just as everyone settle into their thoughts again, the partition separating them from the driver slide aside with a bang, revealing the light brown face of the man that had banged, pounded, knocked, or rang on each of the five individual’s door. “If you will look out the window,” everyone suddenly crane their necks to get a look outside, “Welcome to the Millionaire’s Mansion.”