Do Not Disturb || ONC2023

Do Not Disturb

What's worse than waking up beside a dead body and a bag of dirty money? Not remembering how the f*ck you got there. Or even who you are.

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When Roxanne wakes up to find a lifeless woman next to her in bed in a hotel room she doesn't recognize, she's swift to call the front desk for help. There's been a murder, after all! But fear for her life quickly turns into fear of going to prison when all the evidence seems to point towards her as the culprit.

A duffel bag filled with thousands of dollars? Check.
A trashed room as evidence of an obvious struggle? Check.
A whole notebook with her handwriting detailing coded homicidal plans? Check.
Any memories prior to this morning? ... Imma need to circle back to this later.

Amidst the disastrous morning appears a sexy little stranger offering her help— a bit too eagerly, might I add. Between navigating the life of crime she woke up to and figuring out what exactly happened the night of the murder, Roxanne is also faced with her glaringly obvious attraction to the stranger turned partner-in-crime.

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Agatha might appear to be nothing but a heaven sent helper, but she's got secrets of her own. Ones that would threaten everything she's been working towards if found out. In light of this, she vows to stay focused on the task at hand and leave as soon as possible. So why does she find herself spending more time with the woman she's supposed to keep at arm's length?

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One overnight-amnesiac, one professional schemer. One dead body to get rid of, and one mystery to unfold.

It's about to get busy. Heed the sign on the door.

Do Not Disturb.

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Hi there! Thanks for checking out my very first entry for the Open Novella Contest. I'm both excited to tell Roxanne and Agatha's story, and nervous about the contest. I know it's all in good fun, but still, deadlines are my frenemies.

Before anything, here are the content warnings:

Blood, violence, and murder is a given. There will be talks about infidelity as well. This story is a dark romance with morally gray characters. They are neither pure nor innocent in every sense. Their story is not a depiction of the most healthy relationship, it's quite frankly a red flag lol.

Oh, there's also mature content. Almost forgot to mention that. Spicy scenes up ahead!

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If this isn't for you, that's okay! Want a more lighthearted read? (shameless plug incoming...) Check out my other book, Love On Board on my page.

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The following are all the prompts I included in this novella:

Prompt #32: Your character awakens to discover a dead body in the bed next to them and a duffel bag stuffed full of cash on the floor... But the scariest thing is, they have no memory of what happened, or even who they are.

Prompt #33: They had their arrow aimed at their target's back, a perfect shot despite the crowded ballroom. Taking a deep, steadying breathe, they pull the bowstring taut and prepared to let the arrow fly. But then their target turned and looked directly at them, finding them in the eaves as if they'd known they were there all along. The target winked.

Prompt #39: On a blind date with a complete mismatch, you're increasingly uncomfortable but too polite to leave. Then an attractive stranger comes over and gives you an out.

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Okay, that's all for now! Onto the first chapter...💖