Young Writers Society

"Remind me to tell my friends that I think they're amazing," Eliza told the spa attendant. Eliza had gotten a full-body exfoliation and massage, and she had never felt more relaxed in her life.

The attendant just smiled before filing Eliza's nails. Then she said, "I forgot to get the gel polish. I'll be right back."

As Eliza settled back, the door opened, and Eliza spotted the same girl she saw on the deck. The girl looked a little nervous, so Eliza raised her hand.

"Hey, redhead, over here!" Eliza patted the seat next to her. The girl looked hesitant, but she smiled nonetheless and walked over.

"My name is Eliza. I saw you earlier." Eliza looked her up and down. "You must be in high school, right? Or just starting?"

Before the girl could answer, the spa attendant returned, and Eliza lifted her hands. She closed her eyes.

"Someone will be with you soon, dear," the attendant told the girl. "Are you about to take a nap?" she asked Eliza, laughing.

Eliza laughed too. "I feel like it. I'm going back to college in a week, and I want to be fully relaxed. I'm a senior this year."

"You're graduating at the end of the year? Congratulations! What are you majoring in?"

"Neuroscience at MIT. Not only do I have classes, but I'm in a bunch of clubs, like Debate and activism."

The attendant whistled. "Impressive, anything else?"

"Well, I do a little writing on the side. It's one of my favorite hobbies," Eliza said.

Post 4/5--- 256 words

"Surprise!" Olivia said with a playful smile and two drinks in her hands. One was a cup of stout and the other was a gin and tonic.

"So is this the surprise you keep bringing up?" Jack said, instinctively reaching for the gin and tonic. Her friends sometimes make fun of him that Olivia prefers the beers and whiskeys while Jack prefers the fruity wines and seltzers, but he stands by what he likes.

"If I told you, then that'd ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?" she said after taking a sip of the stout.

Jack smiled and shook his head, setting the drink down beside him and turning his attention back to the book he was reading. Olivia kept telling him that she "had a surprise," but it wasn't the dancing, the mini golfing, or random talks and drinks they had with other couples at the mini bar. His energy was drained from interacting with others and doing social activities, so he was glad when she suggested that he sit back and relax with a book at the sun deck. There were some partying college kids at the deck, but he purposely sat down at the farthest corner away from them for peace and quiet.

"Speaking of surprises," Olivia said, sitting down beside him, "I've got another one."

Jack looked up, no longer impressed with these so-called surprises. "Does it involve getting up on this chair?"

"No. I mean! Yes, but later." She paused before clumsily sitting back up. "Meet me in the room in an hour. Okay?"

That certainly got Jack's attention. He set his book down and looked up at her with one eyebrow cocked, but before he could say anything, Olivia giggled and slinked away with her drink.

Was she drunk or just... erm... excited? Maybe both? Their anniversary was tomorrow, and although he's not usually the romantic type, he did set up a private candlelit dinner and had an opal ring to give her to replicate the day he asked her to marry him ten years ago. They've been skirting around their anniversary topic, and he's been suspecting that she had something planned, but he didn't think it'd start from a drunken night in bed.

After a solid minute of musing this over, Jack tried to sit back and relax and continue reading, but he found himself reading the same paragraph over and over.

"Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath, downing the gin and tonic.

Post 4/5 --- 410 words

As the spa attendant worked on her toes, Moira closed her eyes. She'd chosen white both her nails and toes, which she was confident would go with the turquoise dress. It was sparkly and Jill said it made her look like The Little Mermaid.

She wanted to do a little something to her hair before dinner, if she had time. There was a salon on the ship, but she was already spending a fortune on the mani-pedi, and the cruise all together.

As much as her friends compliented her, she didn't often feel like she was beautiful. The world spent too much time looking the other way for her to.

As they worked on her, Moira tried to drift off to another time and place. The music they were playing was soft, and she remembered the beach in the Bahamas just yesterday. The white sand. The sun. Pure peace.

She imagined she was there again, without a care in the world. She had all of the money and all of the time in the world and could spend her days caring for her family, writing and travelling the world. Between travels they'd go to their home in the forest, by a lake somewhere. She didn't have to live by anyone's code except her own.

Mostly, she felt good in her own skin. That's all she wanted. Moira sighed.

She was happy for Anya.

She just wished it was happening to her.

And she was tired of waiting for things to look up. She felt like she'd been waiting her whole life.

Moira sighed. For now, she could imagine herself on that beach, in that vague dream of her future.

Post 5/5 -- 274 words

Susan found herself at the entrance to the spa, her father standing next to her like he was some sort of bodyguard. As if the people in the spa are all going to just get up and attack me. How paranoid is too paranoid?

"How long is this going to take again?" he asked.

"Umm..I think it was one hour, maybe two, not a hundred percent sure, but it will be over really quickly," she replied quickly.

"That seems like a very long time," he said.

"Yes it is, just ask mom. This is not something that you can do in ten minutes."

"Okay, so when do I need to come pick you up from here?" he asked.

"You don't have to Dad. I know my way back. Jeez, its not like I'm going to another country," she said, rolling her eyes."

"I'll be the judge of that," he said, "now where do you need to go?"

"I can figure it out, it's fine. Didn't you say you had a bunch of work to get done?" she said, "you have to be done with all of that before dinner. Remember we can't miss that."

"I did but..."

"I'll be fine, Dad, look there's another girl that around my age in there," Susan said, "you have nothing to be afraid of."

"If you're not back in..." he began.

"I know, I know," she said, giving him a slight push, "see you in a bit."

After one last frown, he turned to leave.

She turned to face the door. Okay, Susan, Mission one accomplished. Now let's see if we can try not to embarrass ourselves to death. She walked inside, hoping her nervousness wasn't showing on her face.

"Hey, readhead, over here," called out a girl, patting the seat next to her. It was the girl she'd pointed out to her father earlier. Deciding that it was as good a start as any, she tried for a smile and walked over.

The girl proceeded to introduce herself. "My name is Eliza. I saw you earlier. You must be in high school right? Or just starting?"

Susan smiled. Why did I end up this tiny?. Before she could muster the courage to blurt out an answer, the spa attendant returned and she lay back in her seat.

Post 5/5 --- 387 words

As the spa attendant painted her nails burnt orange, Eliza struggled to stay awake. It was only 6:30, but combined with alcohol and activities from earlier in the day, Eliza was feeling wiped out. She didn't think she could even finish her dinner before passing out on the table.

She didn't want to think about college until she walking on its campus, but MIT kept pushing to the front of her mind. There would be so much to do. She'd get her classes, and then she'd have to focus half of that attention on the Debate team.

Add those two with activism, she'd be paying Starbucks a year's worth of coffee although Martha had been trying to get her to drink tea instead.

The spa attendant moved to her toes, and Eliza kicked her slippers off. The first thing, she decided, was to take a year's long vacation once she graduated from college. Eliza wasn't rich enough to do everything she wanted, but she could do odd jobs here and there. Write short stories, or sell arts and crafts.

Another spa attendant lit scented candles, and Eliza breathed them in. Just focus on the present, she thought. That's all I can do.

Post 5/5--- 207 words

"Olivia?" Jack called after he unlocked the door and entered their suite. He was about to turn on the lights but then noticed that there were candles dimly lighting the room.

Quietly closing the door behind him, Jack walked forward expecting Olivia to be on the bed laying on her side and amorously say in a smoky sultry voice, "Well hello there, handsome. I've been expecting you," but instead there were rose petals strewn around the bed enveloping a note.

... This was going to be another damn scavenger hunt, innit?

Not sure whether he should feel disappointed or delighted that this was the direction his evening was going, Jack picked up the note and held it close to his face to read it in the dim room.

Meet me at the spa.

xoxo Olivia

He sighed and let out a smile, shaking his head. "Okay, love," he said out loud, eyes still focusing on the note. "I'll play your game."

This was not how he expected the night would go, but it never was whenever he was with her. She provided the chaos and excitement in his otherwise boring world, and although it sometimes stressed him out to clean and fix the messes she inevitably makes, the laughs and memories they share together always make it worth it.

Without giving it another thought, Jack set the note down, blew all the candles, and quietly left the room behind.


Jack hung around the spa entrance for several minutes, but Olivia was nowhere to be found. He wanted to talk to the spa receptionist, but there was a young lady in front of the room bickering with her dad to leave her be at the spa, and Jack didn't want to cut between them.

Listening to their conversation somehow soothed and panicked his mind; on one hand, Maxine and Sophie were too young to go through the "dad, can you please just leave me alone?" phase with him, and on the other, that just meant that they will go through that phase.

Finally the dad agreed to leave her there, and Jack gave him The Nod of Dad Approval, but he didn't seem to see him.

No matter, he had other important matters to attend to.

"Excuse me?" Jack said, walking up to the spa receptionist. "Have you seen my wife? About this tall?" He put his hand up below his chin. "Dark hair? And probably drunk?"

The receptionist smiled and then looked down at the computer on the podium. "I may know who you're talking about. Let me see here... What's your name?"

"Jack Hodgson. But see if you can find an Olivia Hodgson."

The worker shook his head and seemed to stifle a grin. "Sorry sir, only one name is recorded, and that's yours. But I am instructed to give this to you." He extended a folded piece of paper to him.

Puzzled, Jack hesitantly took the paper and unfolded it.

Surprise!

Thought you needed to unwind. They'll give you your tux when you're done. See you tonight at the banquet.

Happy almost anniversary.

xoxo Olivia

Jack smiled, carefully folding the paper back to its original creases before placing it in his pocket. Olivia loved scavenger hunts and thrilling experiences, so something told him that this was still not the last surprise of the night.

"Okay," he finally said when he noticed the worker's eyes darting around wondering if he was going to come in. "I guess I'm having a spa day, then."

"Certainly," the receptionist said with a smile, giving him a pamphlet as he gestured towards the private room. "Well start you off with a massage."

Post 5/5 --- 609 words

i'm trapped on this island
not one year not two
what seems like forever
a cap' with no crew.

i've search all the shoreline
like all caps would do
but not one survivor
or even a clue.

i'd sailed all the sea lines
when out of the blue
the waves had come crashing
the last thing i knew.

but soon- i can feel it,
a storm is to brew,
and strand weary sailors,
with the great captain morg-

"nay, nay, that won't work. syllables and decimals and all. arr. i'll have it done before long, i know it. shan't be long now til i'm joined by the living. and that be when the fun begins."

A twisted smile crept on the captain's face,
for all of his patience would soon be repayed.
All of the punishment he had been through,
would be reconciled in but one day or two.

word count: 149 words

It had been a long time since Jack had a massage, but he remembered it being awkward at first. Getting undressed was always uncomfortable, but after he laid down on the massage table and the masseuse went to work, his anxiety and fears melted away. The masseuse first started at his back, massaging away the tangled up knots that were likely a result from being worried about the kids and perfecting his surprise anniversary date for Olivia.

Jack found himself dozing off in complete bliss, but a sudden vibration woke up him. It wasn't like a phone buzzing off, but instead it was like a small earthquake; it was an all-enveloping deep rumble that shook everything for only a quick second.

And then the light dimmed out.

The masseuse stopped and Jack lifted his head. "What was that?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," the masseuse said. "But don't worry, this happens sometimes. The power will probably come back up pretty soon. Let me chat with the other attendants to find out when. Be right back."

And just like that, Jack was left alone in the extremely dark room. The masseuse was nice to close the door for privacy, but this room had no windows or potential light point source.

Wishing he had his phone to use as a flashlight, Jack fumbled in the dark for his glasses and clothes.

Week 2 -- Post 1/5 -- 229 words

The spa attendants were just about to help Moira put her flip flops back on and start her nails when Moira felt a vibration and then the lights went out. There weren't any windows in here, for privacy she supposed, and only source of light was the glass door at the entrance. It offered enough light that Moira could still see fine, but this was obviously wrong.

From beyond the glass door, everything seemed normal. Moira sat up and stared as one of the spa attendants tried to turn the light on to no avail.

"This happens sometimes," said the attendant nervously. "Might just be a moment. We're happy to give you a coupon to come back here tomorrow for a service of your choice..."

"It's okay," Moira said. "I can wait."

She relaxed back in her chair, and the spa attendant helped her turn the massage controls back on.

"No to worry, m'am," the attendant added.

Moira closed her eyes and did her best to relax. Surely it wouldn't be long before they got the lights back on.

Week 2 -- Post 1/5 -- 174 words

Eliza's mind was so foggy that she was startled awake by a vibration. Right after, the lights flickered out.

She couldn't see the flip flops the attendant gave her, so she forwent them and stood up. The floor felt cold beneath her bare feet, and she shivered. Through the dim light beyond the entrance, Eliza saw the other people sit up.

"What happened?" she asked the nearest attendant.

"Must be some turbulence," the attendant said nervously. "Happens all the time." The woman didn't sound or look very confident, but maybe she had a weak stomach.

Another client settled back in her seat and helped a spa attendant turn the controls back on. Eliza wanted to do the same; she wanted to believe that the lights were a minor problem, but she couldn't help but feel that her gut was telling her something bad was happening. Eliza rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Is this happening anywhere else on the ship?" she asked an attendant. The woman fiddled with her hands.

"I'll call and see," she said.

Eliza continued standing... and worrying.

Week 2--- Post 1/5--- 191 words

Susan was just about starting to relax, her nervousness slowly melting away as the time passed. Just as she was starting to think that maybe things would all go smoothly, she felt a vibration beneath her feet. It felt like there was some kind of earthquake happening beneath her feet. It was a deep rumble, as if some monster below deck was roaring, unhappy about being trapped inside a ship.

That can't be good. All the relaxation was instantly replaced with worry as she sat their trying to think of a reason why this was all perfectly normal and nothing she should be worried about. Then because the earthquake wasn't enough, the lights started to dim. It was as if they were trying to tell her that no, everything was not normal.

The attendant working on her could clearly read the worry etched onto her face, clear as day as she gave her a reassuring smile, only half visible in the semi - darkness, the only light streaming in from the glass door. Why does this place have no windows? Why do I get reminded of a disaster movie?

"Nothing to worry about miss, just some normal turbulence, it happens all the time," said the attendant, "I'm sure they'll have it fixed in no time."

Susan tried for a weak smile at the attendant's attempt to reassure her, but even she could she that the young spa attendant's face told a different story. A feeling of uneasiness settled within her. She couldn't shake the feeling that something unusual was going on.

"Miss, I need to discuss this with the others, nothing to worry about I promise, just a routine check to see what other areas are affected. Please remain seated, and stay calm." The attendant walked off to join a few others that were gathering.

Susan lay back in her chair, trying to fight the urge to get up and investigate. It'll be fine. They said everything will be fine.

Week 2 --- Post 1/5 --- 332 words

Jack fumbled in the dark, reaching out blindly for where he thought he put his stuff. He thought about patiently lying on the table until the masseuse comes back in or the power returns, but he had a sinking feeling that it was going to take a while, so he should get dressed and figure out what was happening in the meantime. Perhaps the thirty seconds alone in the pitch black room did a number to him.

He was lucky he found his glasses right away, placed right next to the massage table he was laying down peacefully at just a little bit ago... not that his glasses helped him that much with being able to see in the dark, anyways. Moving on to find his clothes, Jack walked forward until he reached a wall, then walked around the wall to where the counter would be. There were a bunch of random things in his way—a cart, box of items, a damn cabinet—and he found himself making a bunch of noise in the process when bumping into things.

Finally he found his clothes, and he did his best to put them on in the dark. It took a solid minute to feel things out rather than just see it, and he had no idea if his shirt was backwards or not, but it'll have to do.

Grumbling a few obscenities under his breath after stubbing his toe while moving towards the exit, Jack opened the door and squinted in the general spa room. It was hard to make out faces, but he could tell other people were in the room.

"Anyone know what's going on?" he asked out in the open room.

A spa attendant talked first. "We're working on it. I apologize for the inconvenience. Please, relax and let us take care of it."

He stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do next—something Jack hated feeling.

Week 2 -- Post 2/5 -- 318 words

Even though the light was dim, Eliza kind of recognized the man who came out of the massage room. She had seen him eating with his wife when she and her friends were drinking and then later on the deck.

After the spa attendant reassured him that everything was okay, Eliza tentatively walked over to him, trying not to trip over anything, but her eyesight was adapting to the dark quickly.

"They're saying it's some turbulence," she told him. "One of the attendants is trying to see if any other parts of the ship were affected." Feeling a little awkward just standing there, she took a shaky deep breath. "My name is Eliza. Uh, sorry, I'm a little nervous. I just have this bad feeling in my chest."

She tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.

Week 2--- Post 2/5--- 141 words

"The power's out," Moira said to the man who came out the private room. She couldn't really see him. She was still trying to focus on her massage chair, and kept her eyes closed. "They're trying to get it back on."

It's not turbulence. We're not on a plane, she thought in response to the other girl. But she didn't say anything, because it wasn't worth it.

Just then, Moira thought she heard something outside. She put her flip flops on and looked out of the glass door. It had suddenly gotten dark. The sky was dark gray, almost black, as far they could see.

"Are you guys seeing this?" Moira said to the other customers.

"M'am," pleaded one of the spa attendants, who had just hung up the phone. "Sit down. It's just an issue with the power. It will be fixed in a moment."

"Why is it so dark outside?"

"The storm, probably. It happens."

Briefly, Moira considered going back to her room. But she decided to say, and tiredly sat back in her chair.

Week 2 -- Post 2/5 -- 181 words

A man appeared from one of the rooms, asking about what was wrong. A spa attendant was quick to reassure him as he stood their awkwardly. The girl sitting near her, Eliza, if she remembered correctly, got up to go introduce herself to the man.

Another woman spoke up in reply to the man. She seemed the least concerned out of everyone inside, focused more on her massage chair than the situation unfolding around them.

Then she pointed outside, mentioning something about it being dark. Susan turned quickly in her seat. The sky was almost pitch black. It wasn't supposed to be that dark at this time of day.

A second wave of uneasiness plagued Susan. This really didn't feel right. Her mind was running away with her, imagining lightning flashing outside, thunder roaring. She could almost feel the strong chilly wind. She shook her head. Don't let your imagination run away with it Susan. Its probably a passing shower or something. A storm doesn't need to always be the massive ship sinking kind. Surely there would be some kind of alarm or something if such a storm was approaching.

She continued to stare into the darkness of the night. The darkness was usually comforting, but not today and not in this situation. She turned back to the other people at the spa. Even as her eyes adjusted, she could barely make them out. They didn't seem to be exactly hurrying for the exit. It can't be bad. Yeah. They'd tell us if it was bad. No point leaving just because the power went out. She lay back restlessly in her chair, too full of adrenaline to relax.

Week 2 --- Post 2/5 --- 280 words