Luxury Challenge #3 - Jury Duty

Aaron Ramsey's Story

Story: Twins


March 2020, the world changed forever. Things we took for granted are now a luxuries and the small things start to matter more and more.

It was a rather chilled May evening, many were inside quarantined away in solitude. It had been months since everyone was ordered to stay inside and tensions were running high in every city, every community on this planet. The news of death and chaos was heard everything. You couldn't turn on the television, you couldn't get on the internet anymore without hearing of all the victims this virus was leaving in its path.

At first, it was easier to comply, it was easier to fear and resist the temptation of deconfinement, but after months, mankind everywhere was losing it. Governments everywhere were scrambling to balance the damage this virus could cause and the mental toll it was taking on the people.

Meanwhile, in a dim light lit room, there was an exception to this growing madness.

Small town Harper's Ferry West Virginia is home to the Aboud family. Peter, Ped and Ro were quarantined together, but they were not living the same anguish the rest of the world seemed to be going through. Things were different for twins Ped and Ro. Quarantine had really been the best thing to ever happen to them since that night 5 months ago, but let's not talk about that night just yet. The twins had never felt more free than they had felt since quarantine started. While many were deprived of fresh air, they had been feeling the freshest of air on their lumpy faces. While loneliness did creep up sometimes, they always had Peter around to play with them and they always had each other, always side by side at a safe distance. Not many people could count on that. Knowing you will always wake up to see the other by your side. Even before these hard times, being able to say you found that is something special that doesn't happen often, but Ped and Ro had that.

Before all this, the twins spent their days hidden away. While the world was learning to cope with wearing masks, Ped and Ro were living quite the opposite, they were free, they were unmasked. It was the first time in their lives that they could be this free all day long.


Every morning they woke up together, perky and ready for the day. Behind them were those days where they felt soft and limp because they were suffocating. They walked around exposed but now, no one was there to judge. Everything was working out for them, they were never going to be hidden again. They felt the pride Peter felt showing them off and now that it was happening all day every day, they were the happiest twins to ever live.


Tonight, things would take a turn.


The wind was blowing outside and the blinds were going wild against the window. Ped and Ro got up with Peter's help and went to look outside. A storm was coming. As Peter tried to shut the window, a gust of wind flew in, sending chills. Ped and Ro stood up as hard as they could. They looked alert and frozen.


Peter's hand slowly reached over to a chair. The twins tried to pass it off as nothing. They tried to show him they were calm and that the gust of wind was not worth what was about to happen. Ped and Ro looked on, fearful but hopeful that he would change his mind before it was too late. Peter paused and turned to his dresser instead. Did they just avert a disaster the twins wondered? At the moment, Peter opened his top left drawer and started feeling around inside. The first thing he pulled out was this sad looking red speedo. He looked at it with fond memories of Neverland, but he put it right back in. He finally picked up a sweater. It looked to be his favorite ugly brown sweater. Fear started mounting and the walls started closing in. Ped and Ro knew their freedom was about to come to an end.


Peter pulled the sweater over his head and pulled it down on each side, covering his whole chest and everything faded to black.

Buffy Summer's Story


Story: Quarantine Tension

After a while of bouncing back and forth between different hearts, nothing gets old. You never really have to mean anything to anyone. I have intimacy problems with the world and this quarantine has done nothing to help that. Instead, I am with him.

His eyes are blackened around the edges. So much so that he looks like a raccoon. They look like permanent black eyes: the consummate victim. Everybody loves the victim. I can't put my finger on what it reminds me of, but the closest I can come are those old 80s B-rated zombie movies my parents used to rent when I was a kid. He's made-up to look half dead, which still beats most of them who are just half-alive anyway. His hair looked like rows of shark teeth dyed over dye jobs like he was running away from his natural color. A side effect of being in isolation? Or maybe it’s more how about how no one wants to be who they really are. He looks independent in a very vulnerable way: the safest kind of dangerous.

Frustrated being in such close quarters, we drove around the city so he could alternate between cigarettes and coffee and talked about the people we hate just so we would have something to agree on. They used to be just like us.

Before I know what’s happening, we're back at home, sitting on the edge of his bed. I’ve been here before, but never as more than a roommate. Every single inch of my body is filled with millions of nerves. Somewhere inside my brain, neurons have fired to synapses and put them on high alert. When my hands brush his, it feels electric. Every movement has a meaning: either yes or no. It's getting later and later. The conversation and the possibilities are running out. Last call. This is a war. Every time he moves his hand to his hair, he is sending signals. Stay or leave. Why can't I figure them out? Don't strike first. Wait until you’re tired enough to make a move. Lean in to kiss him, bringing an awkward break in conversation.

As I pull back, he keeps talking about writers and bands he thinks will make him look cooler. But I’m fooled if only because I’m worried he has found me out. I push my tongue into his mouth to keep the right words from spilling out. His sheets smell like stale cigarettes smoked by girls who were me on nights before.He has a body that is built for sex. The kind of body a girl like me wouldn't know what to do with if given half the chance.

Imagine the chemistry of swallowed DNA.

He has a scar that runs down his back right along the spine, like somebody tried to steal it. I joked him like this: "Someone must have ignored the blueprints; look at all the structural damage". But I stuttered and trailed off. The smoke curled off of his lips. For just a second, I was dying to be it. Dying to be as clever and as kissable as him. When did I start thinking this way? At what point did his existence start to excite me?

There he was sitting in front of me, knee pulled up to his chin and smoking a cigarette. Thinking of something or someone else, but trapped here with me. And that's how we will be stuck in my mind forever: two explorers in the dark, map-less and hopeless. Alone together.

In a moment of loneliness, we chose each other, even if it meant mutually assured destruction. It's funny how easy it is to sleep with someone, but how hard it is to sleep next to someone. It's too intimate. It makes my heartbeat race and pound inside my head. It is deafening. I slide my arm from behind his head and slip out the door. I need time to process the mess we made. The pavement on the sidewalk is watching me go over every moment in my head. It's watching me remember him. Mistake by mistake. Frame by frame.

We're not just taking trips down memory lane. We are broken down on it.

Cameron Van Buren's Story


May 27th, 2020
Day 72 of quarantine
3pm
Bryan opens his eyes as he lays in his bed. Shirtless with basketball shorts on contemplating how he should pass the time. Not in a mood to cook, so he waits to order his favorite meal Chicken Parmesan which Alfredo Pasta. Checks his phone notifications which makes him glee with excitement. New Tinder match it says. Bryan opens the app and is shocked. Lindsey, single, looking for a quarantine bae, four miles away.
Bryan: Hey there, crazy times were in, right?
Lindsey: Hi! I know, but it helped me get on this app. You are really close
Bryan: I understand. I just moved out here for a new job. Have not even get a chance to explore the area.
Lindsey: Oh yes! New York is a wild place. I am not on the app frequently, but I am going to send you my number to text me. Happy to teach you everything I know about New York.
Bryan: That is awesome. I am looking forward to texting you.
The pair exchanged numbers and texts for a week. Things go well and they agree to meet on a Saturday afternoon. It is sunny, fresh air. Bryan looks in the mirror one last time before heading out. Chicago Bulls jersey to represent his hometown, shorts, newly arrived sneakers, mask on and ready to go. He gets to Lindsey’s apartment and she buzzes him in to come upstairs. Bryan is excited, she looks exactly like her pictures. Thick, hair in a ponytail, freshly done manicure and pedicure. He notices she has her left nipple pierced. Comes in, hugs, and they share a glass of wine in the living room.
Bryan and Lindsey’s conversation goes well. They bond over their mutual hatred for Spoken Word and their love of the show The Good Place which lead to having it played on Netflix. They exchange laughs, and at one moment they lock eyes. Bryan looks at Lindsey’s luscious lips, licks his, then says “I want to kiss you” Lindsey leans in towards him as their lips caress each other. For both, it has been since last year that they were intimate with anyone. As the kissing continues, and they explore each other's bodies with their hands, Bryan decides he wants to inspect that piercing with more detail. Lindsey begins to moan in ecstasy. Unbeknownst to Bryan, that is Lindsey’s erogenous zone. The moans get louder, telling Bryan to Tickle my Skittle even faster. But in a moment, everything stops. Lindsey expels out a rage of coughing.
Bryan asks if she is ok, and if she needs some water. She denies his gesture and gets it herself claiming that it is her allergies acting up. With the mood gone, Bryan decides that it is time to head back to his place. Lindsey agrees saying that she is just going to lay down. They both agree that they hope to see each other again. Weeks go by and they continue to talk. Bryan begins to cough, no big deal because he is asthmatic. He then notices that he is tired a lot more. Makes sense since he was previously working out a lot. Now he notices that he is hot and is running a fever. He zooms with Lindsey as they catch up about their day, but Bryan is not feeling right and begins to throw up. As he throws up, Lindsey calls the ambulance to get him. The ambulance arrives and see’s Bryan passed out next to a trash can filled with vomit. They put him on a stretcher, bring him downstairs, and prepare to hook him to an IV for fluids. Bryan wakes up in a daze. Confused as to where he is. An EMT hovers above him and ask if he has been practicing social distancing. He admits that he has been seeing one woman for quite some time. The EMT prepares Bryan to test for COVID-19 by tilting his head. He closes his eyes as he expects the insert in his nostrils.
Bryan opens his eyes as he lays on his bed. Looks at his phone to see the time.
3pm
Day 72 of quarantine
May 27, 2020

DW's Story


Short Story - The Virus


It happened on a Tuesday. The year was 2050. The media began reporting on a virus that attacks your lungs and respiratory system. It sounded just like the Corona Virus of 2020. People were terrified. To compensate for Donald Trump’s abysmal response in the past, the government sent everyone into quarantine immediately. The police strictly enforced the lockdown by patrolling the streets with guns. No one would work, no one would leave their homes for any reason. Food and water would be sent to your doorstep. If you fell ill, a medical team would be sent to your home.

But this was only a cover up, the real virus attacked your mind. Quarantine mandates allowed the government to keep everyone contained, and to know exactly where each person was at all times. Food deliveries controlled what people consumed. As a picky eater, I had my own stash of food built up and would only begin eating the delivered food once my supply ran out.

I had been locked inside with my roommate, Katie, in our apartment from the day the virus was declared a pandemic. For about a week it was fun. Not having to work, learning to bake sourdough, and watching movies together in our pajamas all day. We talked to our friends and families through video calls every day. But slowly, everyone we knew began acting differently. They got a glazed over look in their eyes, like they were looking through you, not at you. I thought the the isolation was making people go crazy. Strange murders were occurring, unexplained disappearances.

I began blogging about how strange people were acting and how suspicious the government was. Nothing was a coincidence, it was all by design. People from all over the country were reading it, sharing it, and commenting about their own strange experiences. This was a mistake. One day, I turned on my computer to see my blog had been completely removed. In that moment, I felt myself become a target.


My roommate Katie thought I was crazy. She was the type of person to always take things at face value and never expect the worst. I was the opposite. She told me I was paranoid. I had always been a conspiracy theory buff, but this was different. I had seen people change with my own eyes.

Then one day, I woke up and Katie was gone. I searched the whole apartment for her. Katie was never someone to leave without telling me. And she was terrified of the virus. Something was wrong. I called her cellphone, but I heard it vibrating in her room. Now I was certain something was wrong, she would NEVER leave the house without her phone.

I sat on the couch in fear, clutching a baseball bat, staring at the front door. If someone came and took Katie, I had to be next. I shook in fear. Suddenly, I heard the rattle of a key in the door. I sprang up from the couch and hid behind it, as if that would conceal me for long. The lock turned and the door flung open. Silence. I peaked over the side of the couch nervously.

It was Katie. I stood up and ran to her and flung my arms around her.


“Where have you been?” I shouted. “I’ve been so worried about you!”
But Katie just stared at me blankly, her eyes glossy.
“Katie?” I asked quietly. Still, she said nothing. I reached out slowly to touch her face…


Then Katie grabbed me by the arm and threw me to the ground. I screamed and scrambled on my knees to grab the baseball bat on the floor. Katie grabbed the bat before I could and snapped it in half with her bare hands. This was not Katie. I knew the government did something to her. I knew she was trying to kill me.

I hurried to my feet and ran into the kitchen with tears streaming down my face. Katie marched toward me holding the sharp wooden half of the broken baseball bat. I fumbled through the kitchen drawer and grabbed the biggest knife we had. I ran out the apartment door screaming for help. No one was around. I looked in the apartment windows for signs of movement but none even had lights on. I was all alone. Katie continued towards me. I took a deep breath and found my strength. I stood still as Katie got closer. When she was just a few feet from me I lunged at her with the knife. I stabbed her in the chest until she dropped to her knees. Katie was my best friend, but this wasn’t Katie. She was already gone. With tears stinging my eyes I finished her off.

I laid on the pavement next to Katie’s body, trying to catch my breath, shaking and sobbing. I had no one left, but at least I was alive. Then I heard footsteps approaching. I barely had time to sit up and see them before they grabbed me by the arms and dragged me away.

Jim Halpert's Story


Short story: Do You Love Her?
“If I blow your brains out, I can guarantee that you’ll forget her” I whispered as I pressed the gun against his forehead. He woke up from his slumber and looked me dead in the eyes before sucking in a gasp of air, like the wind had been knocked out of him.

“Lily, why are you doing this?” He cried out with fearful tears in his eyes.

“Didn’t I ask you that same thing four weeks ago when you dumped me for that other bitch?” I responded as I pressed the gun harder against his head.

“Please, it doesn’t have to be like this!” His voice cracked as he pleaded for his life. “I still love you; I do! I just don’t think it’s fair to you for me to have feelings for someone else! I’m sorry, this can all still be worked out! I just couldn’t get her off my mind.”
“I’ll help you.”



I woke up when my finger pushed the trigger. This is the fifth night in a row that I’ve had a dream about killing him and the creepy part is that I don’t consider this a nightmare. The nightmare is my day to day life, having to live with this asshole as we are both stuck here during quarantine. To make a long story short, we dated for five years and have lived together for three. Except a month ago when the stay at home order went into effect and we both lost our jobs, he was hysterical. I had never seen him that upset about something.

“Liam, what’s wrong? If you’re worried about us being able to pay rent and everything, we will be able to make it work.” I had asked him, all concerned like the caring girlfriend that I always was

“It’s not that I…” He hesitated. I should have known things weren’t right. Looking back, I was a naïve fool to believe the late nights out were for studying with his friends or for hanging out with a group of his coworkers.

“…I’m going to miss spending every day with her.” He said, softly as if it would keep me from actually hearing it.

“What do you mean?” I asked for clarification, but I blacked out when he started to explain his affair to me. I remember him emphasizing that he never kissed her or fucked her but what does that matter when he fell in love with her?


Anyway, she is some 19-year-old red head girl who looks like she’s had zero life experience. Her name is Sadie, like something you’d call your small yorkie. What does a 23-year-old man want to do with a 19-year-old? What does she have that I don’t? How does their 9 months of being coworkers compare to our 5 years of being together?

“I can’t explain it” He said to me when I asked why over and over again. I asked God what I did to deserve this and settled on the idea that maybe God has forgotten me because I’ve already died and I’m in hell.

I ordered for him to leave, get out, go live with her. But they aren’t officially even a thing and our lease isn’t over till August and with the quarantine being in effect, he can’t afford to find a new place and still pay rent here for a couple of months. So I spend every day stuck in this apartment with this guy who I thought was the love of my life.



“What the f*ck is wrong with you?” Liam shouts as he barges into the room that we used to share.

“I’m just chillin” I reply smugly as I take a sip of my seventh white claw.

“First of all, it’s like five in the afternoon, you fucking alcoholic, get a grip.” I start laughing at his rage.

“What do you want, did I say you can talk to me?” He charges toward me and initially, I flinch. He had never hit me before, but he is obviously someone that I don’t really know like I thought he did so he is capable of anything. He shoves his phone in my face, “explain this!”

I take a second to focus on what he’s talking about. It’s a message from Sadie, asking him to please leave her alone and stop contacting him. I burst out laughing, “What, did you think she would want you? After finding out what kind of a guy you are?” He began to cry and suddenly I felt like crying too. Not because I was upset for him because I know he has never cried for me.

“You messaged her? You’ve ruined everything! I thought we could still be friends and still be cordial, but you’re just a nasty bitch! This is why I don’t love you anymore, you’re a rotten, selfish monster!” Every word felt like a twist of a knife and my body started to move without permission from my brain. Before I knew it, the gun I keep in my nightstand was in my hands and my fingers were on the trigger.

“Whoa, what the f*ck, Lily?”

“If I blow you’re brains out, I can guarantee that you’ll forget her.” I’ve heard myself say these words over and over in my dreams. I’ve seen this scene before, except this time, when I pushed down on the trigger, I didn’t wake up.

Natalie Negrotti's Story


There once was a girl named Jane
And yeah she was a bit plain
But she did what was asked
And wore a tight mask
And doing so did not make her an ass

She forced herself to go isolate
To prevent the virus from escalate
Her friends cried "Come out, come out"
She replied "Keep that up and I'll shout"
This craziness was not getting this clout

For the first few days alone
She kept busy on her phone
Wishing we was vacation
And not in isolation
But she knew it was right to the bone

She did some chores
Even made some warm s’mores
To bring the neighbours from joy
And which said their little boy,
“Can I give my grandma one more?”

At last she decided,
To make her community provided
And got some supplies for them
From milk to anchovies in a tin
This help was not misguided

Two months have passed,
And at not long last,
Jane was still indoors
Wishing she could be doing much more
But knew she had to stay for the majority vast

There once was a girl named Jane
And yeah she was a bit plain
But she did what was asked
And wore a tight mask
And doing so did not make her an ass

SpongeBob SquarePants's Story


We all know during this Quarantine shit can get real and go down. I'm going to keep it real I'm living in a big 1984 Volkswagen Van my parents owned in the 1980's right now with my best friend. No we didn't get kicked out of our house. But we decided we wanted to try something new and experience life in the outside world. So my parents went on a forest retreat to dig up precious fossils, so we decided to temporarily move in to the van that we use for the summer time and turned it into our own little space. I guess now that there's no one around they thought it was the perfect time to do there thing with no disturbance. For sure we was confused but I want to lick you it, they grown. So, let me start off by saying this.. It was a Sunday morning my friend Roxanne(Roxy on the weekends) she does volunteer work and she pulls up and I hear her loud ass feet pulling up to the van door on some "yo you know what we should do today?". BEST Believe I already know she about to say some wild shit... "LET'S GO ON A ROAD TRIP HELLO!!!" first off, we not even going to talk about how loud she was.. But.. I was down. Nothing to do in here, and it's actually nice out so why not! . My cat has food, she's living her best life laying around eating, and taking air. Therefore, even though it's quarantine I had to get cute and be down for this famous "road trip", I have to get out of my comfort zone for sure. Cool so, I start to get ready I decided to go with some casual black pants and a camp shirt with a black jacket and some throwback Jordan's. I put my curly hair in a low classy bun with two cute twists in the front ANDDDD.... I'm done and popping! Roxy of course was already ready and so she gets into the driver seat beyond excited, she right away plugs in her AUX cord and plays her Spanish trap and of course she cranks it to volume 23 as if I'm not deaf enough from hearing the same 3 songs she plays everyday. Now we driving on I-95, headed where? I don't fucking know. All I know is I missed the air breeze on my face..
*2hrs and 3 minutes later*
I fell asleep.
I open my eyes...
This girl dead drove us all the way to some deserted beach and set up a camping tent as if we about to roast marshmallows on a stick... All this hype to get me out I'm thinking she about to show me some crazy views.. And she takes me to a deserted beach on a windy ass day. Along the way we encountered a deserted treasure chest in the sand. So, I decide to open it up and see what's in side. When opening it up like 100 ants came out all at once attacking my arm. I went on full panic mode because wtf? Why is there so many ants and why are they attacking me . Anyways, so inside the treasure chest we find a map and key that leads us to the other side of the beach. Luckily there was a boat right next to us so we rowed the boat to the other side. On the other side we see a lock in the air floatin that goes with our key(because magic) and when we open the lock we see something shinning at us. All I can hear is Roxy screaming from the top of her lungs with so much joy saying OMG we're going to be rich!! I look and see that we found many crystals and diamonds that are probably worth hundreds and thousands of dollars. We started crying of so much joy because who would've thought we would find something so valuable on a random roadtrip. We then head back to other side on our boat and a few minutes later we half way there. All you hear is Roxanne screaming "look look!!". I then look and see a huge whale in the middle of the ocean. Next thing you know everything goes dark, and all I hear is Roxanne yelling "wake up! wake up!". And BOOM we're inside a whale and I'm confused, we're scared and it's really fuxking humid in here. Now we have to put our minds together and try to make it out of here alive! and with our treasure.
The End. *Stay tuned for Roadtrip Quarantine chronicles two*

Judges


Well I'll just post it tonight after all


From season 1: Cent, Annalise Keating & Olivia Pope

Other mutuals: @jadaharrow, @scottiesposse & @macchiatbro


I did not judge in case that wasn't clear.