The Price of Arrogance

Cathylouise (Medium Writer) invited me to join the party and our host is Jonathon Sawyer (Medium Writer) and the theme of this party is Monday Mash-Up #29. 

You can find Jonathan's original post, which includes the instructions and rules, here:

And Cathylouise's response here:

Now can I do this invite justice? I guess you'll have to read on to find out.

Mandy watches as her husband stretches luxuriously upon their silken sheets, refreshed from a great night sleep. As he rolls over to look at his wife he reels back in shock. Mandy is standing at the side of the bed looking at him in horror.

"What's wrong love? Are you not feeling well? You look terrible," Jim asks.

Mandy's mouth opens and closes but no sound escapes. She looks like a goldfish out of water.

Finally, she manages to stamper, "What happened to you? You look like a woman with that golden headpiece attached to your crown and the long eyelashes you've suddenly sprouted overnight."

Jim laughs at Mandy's description and confusion, sure she must be sleep talking. What on earth is she talking about?

He reaches up to his head, astonished to find long golden tresses flowing around his shoulders. Shocked, he slowly reaches down to the appendages normally positioned between his manly legs, only to find to his shock and horror, that they are missing.

He dives from their bed and makes a mad dash for the bathroom, only to stop dead in terror. For there standing before him is their loyal servant, Samantha. In front of him Samantha is doubled over in mirth, struggling to get a breath in, she is laughing so hard.

"What did you do to me Samantha?" Jim asks in sheer terror.

"Oh Jim, I can't wait until you see yourself in the mirror. You are going to have kittens when you realise I've turned you into the ugliest woman alive. I cast a spell on that lake over yonder, so that when you went for a swim, you initiated the spell that would turn you from male to female," Samantha giggles.

Jim slowly saunters over to the mirror, takes one look, and promptly bursts into tears. Oh, Samantha wasn't lying when she said I was ugly. She's turned me into an ugly old hag and an emotional one at that.

"Samantha, why? What have I done to deserve such treatment. Mandy and I welcomed you into our home, gave you a job and treat you like family. Why, Samantha, why?"

Samantha struts past Jim and heads into the bedroom, where Mandy is still standing in shock by the side of the bed. Samantha rushes at Mandy, grabs her from behind, and holds a knife to Mandy's throat.

Samantha screams at Jim, "Treat me like family Jim? I'm your sister. You and Mandy treat me like a lowborn servant, like I am useless to the world, worthless! Neither of you treat me like family. I'm just a slave you feel sorry for, but you forget I'm your sister Jim! Your sister."

Mandy is quivering in Samantha's arms, terrified of the blade at her throat.

Jim is standing in the doorway to the bathroom pondering a solution to this debacle.

How has this happened, Jim asks himself. Did Mandy and I treat Samantha as a servant, a slave, like she states? Surely not! Samantha must be mistaken. I love her, she's my sister, not some slave. Right? Of course I'm right! I would never treat Samantha so lowly. Would I? Maybe I did give her the servants room to sleep in but that doesn't make her our servant. Does it? Yes, it's her job to clean up after Mandy and I but I was just trying to give her a job, a sense of purpose. Wasn't I? Oh, who am I kidding, Mandy and I do treat Samantha like our own personal slave.

"Samantha, I am so sorry and I'm sure Mandy is too. We never meant for you to feel this way and we can fix things. I promise. Please put the knife down and let's talk about how you can transform me back into my handsome male self. Please Samantha, please?" Jim begs.

With a maniacal glee, Samantha tears the knife blade across Mandy's throat, severing the carotid artery, knowing Mandy cannot survive such an injury. As the blood gushes forward, Samantha pushes Mandy to the floor, where she thrashes around like a fish out of water - dying.

Samantha then pivots towards Jim, flinging the knife in her wake, piercing Jim's chest. As Jim folds to the bathroom floor, Samantha kneels and cradles his head, stroking his cheek as Jim begins to fade away.

"Sorry big brother, there is no fix to the spell I cast and I couldn't bare for you to live out your life into old age as an ugly old hag. This is for the best bro, go in peace and know you paid the price for your arrogance. Goodbye Jim."

Let's see how well I did:

Prompt 2: Your hero's sex/gender changes to something else! - Jim wakes as an ugly female - 2 points

Constraints: 

A lake - over yonder  - 1 point

Golden hair piece - attached to Jim's crown - 1 point

A loyal servant - Samantha - 1 point

Someone betrays your hero - Samantha betrays both Jim and Mandy - 1 point

Hardcore constraint:

An assassination attempt - two successful assassination attempts in the death of both Mandy and Jim - 2 points 

Literary Device:

Write an internal monologue where the main character has an argument with him/herself! Who is the winner? - Jim's internal monologue finally admitting he and Mandy were at fault - 5 points

Bonus point: Tally section - 1 point

Total: 14 points

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Originally published on Medium