Curiouser and Curiouser

D-2: Serpentine Neck

We know Pinocchio's nose grows longer when he lies, but what happens when our neck elongates like Alice's when we tell a fib? Tell us a tale about such a character and how their problem is resolved. Eating mushrooms optional. (<500 words)

The last thing she needed is a tell like this. Kalani rolled her neck and heard it crack. She sighed. It wasn't fair. The witch hadn't even been aiming at her—but at her rogue companion. Jaxon had rolled out of the way, letting the curse ricochet off a mirror and straight onto Kalani's neck, before he was able to knock out the enemy. It was too late.

“This stinks,” she said. “I'm a bard. A professional story-teller. Without lies, where will I be?”

“I'm sorry,” said Jaxon.

“I'm fine” she said, and felt her neck grow longer. “It's not your fault.” A bit more. “I don't blame you a bit.”

He winced. “I can see your neck growing, Kalani.”

The sorcerer, Mikkel, was sitting on the witch, searching through his spells for a cure. “I could try an jinx removal.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Kalani said, but her neck grew even longer.

“Be careful,” Anytte cautioned as she noticed. She was the resident druid and the voice of reason unless it involved rescuing animals, when she became totally irrational. She stroked the fur on her companion wolf. “It's a curse, not a jinx, so maybe we need a blessing? Technically, I guess that would be my department.”

“That should work,” Kalani said. More neck growth. The whole party groaned. “Well, it will go away eventually on its own.” Kalani waited a moment, but the neck seemed to have reached a pausing point.

At that moment, a cackle sounded from the other side of the table. The companions rolled their eyes and stared at the DM. “And then . . . everyone roll initiative, especially Madam Giraffe over there.”

word count: 286