The Ladies Room — By Stephen King who publicly challenged writers to complete the story — A work in progress…

I saw a YouTube clip of a Stephen King and he talked about a story that he hadn’t completed titled The Ladies Room. Anyway, Stephen said if anyone can figure out why the women going into the bathroom are not coming out and what to do with the husbands that are worried and impatient. He said he would collaborate if he had time and liked the idea…so I’m making my two cents public…as are other writers doing the same thing…you can too if you want.

updated 10/19/19

Please note I’ll be updating this story periodically and will come back to add a few lines or make corrections or add a description etc. This work is from my mind and made public of 12–19–2018. It might not ever be completed but I wanna have fun writing my style of twists and turns.

*Side note — I need to go back to Stephen’s video to find out where the bathroom was located. As of now, it’s in a cheesy hotel lobby in which the group is part of a Vegas Trip that’s departing for home.

Fred looked at his watch — again. Ethel had not come out of the bathroom nor had any other woman within the last 10 minutes. The women went into the bathroom but didn’t come out. Fred saw a maintenance lady and asked her to check on the ladies in the bathroom. “See señor,” she said as she placed her broom against the wall and walked into the bathroom. Fred tried to peek through the door before it closed but could only see that the bathroom was bright white.

Five more minutes passed and at least nine women had gone into the bathroom and none had come out. One of the eight men reached his limit of patience. “What the hell is going on?!” Joe splatted out in frustration. Fred shrugged although Joe was not speaking to anyone in particular.

The south hall bathroom was down the hall about 100 feet from the north bathroom as young women began to walk slowly out the bathroom touching their faces and rubbing their arms. Fred was talking to a security guard and happened to look down the hallway. He squinted then adjusted his eyeglasses. He was sure that was Ethel’s dress. He waved the security guy off and hurriedly began walking towards his wife. The other men noticed and briskly followed.

“Ethel!” Fred yelled, “Where you been? We’re gonna miss the bus!” but he stopped in his tracks about 12 feet before he reached the group of women with all the other men stopping and bumping into each other behind him. Fred adjusted his eyeglasses again as did every man that wore them. Why that’s not Ethel he thought, but the woman is wearing her clothes. What the hell is going on he thought. He couldn’t move. It’s Ethel and she is…Beautiful…

The other men were looking at their wives quizzically. Some of them were smiling and some were bewildered as they scurried towards their beautiful wives. The young cleaning woman walked down the hall with her broom in a daze.

The young women stood as if in a trance and each man huddled into a space of his own with his sexy wife except Fred. “Marie? Is that you?” asked Joe as he embraced his wife. It was like being at a high school dance where all the boys are one side and the girls the other side waiting to be asked to dance. “It’s me Joe what’s happening?” Marie cried locking her arms around his skinny waist. Hmmh she feels good Joe thought. “It’ll be ok honey,” he said as he quickly ushered her out the lobby door to the waiting bus.

Fred finally got the nerve to approach Ethel. “Ethel.. is is is that you?” Fred stuttered. Ethel snapped out of her trance. “It’s me Fred! she cried. I don’t know what’s going on. I feel weird!” She quickly opened her purse and pulled out a hand mirror. She dropped the mirror as her hands shook like jello.

The mirror reflected Ethel’s image. “That me,” she said smiling and touching her face as if what she was seeing might go away at any moment. “That’s me when I was eighteen,” she said leaning over with ease to pick up the mirror as if she had been practicing yoga for years. She looked lovingly at her reflection.

“Ethel you gotta go back through the door! You can’t be eighteen! Wha wha wha what would our friends say? No no no you gotta go back through the bathroom door,” Fred said frantically as he began to pull Ethel by the elbow towards the bathroom door. Hmmh, she feels good..strong… Fred thought for an instant but caught himself.

“Come on Ethel lets go, this whole matter is not logical nor comprehensible,” Fred said now pulling at Ethel’s forearm. Ethel easily got free from Fred’s wimpy grasp. “Wait a minute wait a minute. There must be an explanation,” she said looking at the other beautiful young women with each of their husbands starting to exit the lobby. The men were instantly possessive of their wives Ethel sensed. She could instantly tell who was gonna leave their husbands...tonight one or two of them she thought…She smiled to herself and micro scanned Fred from head to toe and shuddered.

“Now Ethel lets be reasonable,” said Fred not attempting to grab Ethel's forearm again as they walked towards the exit. Ethel looped her arms into Fred’s, “No worries Freddy you gonna love the new Eve,” she said whispering into his ear and ushering him towards the lobby door. “Eve?” he said as she pulled him out the door by his twenty year neck tie.

Barry turned and ran into the South woman’s bathroom and came out on the Northside bathroom behind several of the last group members. The time machine didn’t work for him. He rushed over to his wife. “Ann, what’s going on? How? Why do you look so young?” Barry said with exasperation. He reached out for his wife who pulled away. “I don’t know,” Ann said “but I feel good and my skin… it feels so… so soft and smooth as she felt her face again.

“Ann you look like you did when you were eighteen,” Barry said with a faint smile. “What happened in there?” “I don’t know I don’t know,” said Ann looking at her aging husband, “I walked into the bathroom over there,” she pointed to the south bathroom “and walked out because there were no toilets or mirrors and now I’m over here. Barry what’s happened to me?” she cried. Barry moved the red hair from her face and kissed her forehead. “I don’t know Honey but we’ll work it out,” he said as they walked out the lobby and to the bus.

On the bus, all the men were happily consoling their young wives and thinking bad boy thoughts as they waited for the driver to depart. Except for Fred. He didn’t know the young woman with cleavage that sat next to him. He was intimidated and jealous of her youth. The bus was soon quiet with each rider in his or her thoughts.

This whole situation is not logical Fred thought. Ethel’s head fell asleep on his shoulder and he couldn’t move and sat stiffly while she rested. He was petrified and didn’t know how beautiful Ethel was at age 18 until now. What would he say to his church members because he can’t go to church with Ethel he’ll get crucified. He visualized himself on a black cross in the center of the church being burned alive.

He looked at the top of her grayless hair and visualized his nosey neighbors talking about him and looking at him suspiciously whenever he and Ethel are seen together….

3/5/19

…Fred closed his eyes and tried to relax. Two hours later each couple was still amazed when the bus dropped them off at their cars. They scurried to their vehicles and skidded off except Fred, he was the last to leave the bus station.

Barry and Ann were the first to make it home. Barry was incredibly envious of Ann and wanted to be young again too but tried not to show it. As he sat in his man cave for a quick nightcap, a book captured his eye on the shelf. He put the drink down and pulled the skinny book from between two large books. He read the title and smiled. “Cinderella,” he whispered to himself. He downed his drink and hurried up to bed — with the book under his arm.

It was late but Ann was very energetic and bounced around the room flinging her red flowing hair. She opened the dresser drawer and was disgusted by the old lady panties and moo moo night gowns. She sighed and slid into bed naked and pretended to be asleep when she heard Barry come up the stairs.

Barry leaned against the doorway taking in the beauty and youth of his wife. He flashed back to when they met and when he had an athletic body and thick black curly hair. Ann was hitchhiking when he saw her red hair beneath a purple cap. He picked her up and they’ve been together ever since. That was over 40 years ago he thought.

He smiled mischievously and stumbled into the bedroom stubbing his big right toe against the monstrous chest that Ann has in front of the bed. He dropped the book and grabbed his foot. “Fu#k!” Barry mumbled to himself as he limped into bed. Ann cringed when Barry placed his cold clammy age spot inflicted hand on her shoulder. “Ann?” Barry whispered. “Ann are you awake?” he whispered again and then gently shook her shoulder.

She moaned and pulled the blanket over her shoulder, however before she did Barry got an eyeful of her beautiful body and for the first time in years, he felt activity in his boxers.

Fred pulled into the driveway. The street was quiet but well lit. He and Ethel sat still in the car. Fred scratched the top of his partially bald head and adjusted his glasses. He looked in the rearview mirror to see if his nosy neighbors were peaking out the window from across the street. He could see the blue light of the TV so he knew they were awake.

He looked over at Ethel who seemed to be in a daze. “Ethel what are we going to do?” he said with a worried look. Fred is one of those people who’s eyebrows are shaped with a worried look. Ethel was quiet for a moment and then sighed, “Well let’s sleep on it and talk about it tomorrow,” she said as she reached for the door handle. Fred stopped her before she got out of the car.

“Ethel what will we say to Rick and Luci?” he asked with that worried look that was starting to irritate her. “Let’s not worry about it because there’s nothing we can do. If anyone asks we’ll tell them I’m your niece,” she said pulling away and getting out of the car. ‘That won’t work Ethel they’ll catch us and tell the church I’m cheating on you,” Ethel rolled her eyes and slammed the car door. He always worries about everything she thought. She made her way up the driveway and Fred followed looking around suspiciously…

10/19/19 12:13am

Fred was sacred to come out of the bathroom. He secretly prayed that it was all a dream. He adjusted his pajama shirt, looked into the mirror one last time and took a breath. When he open the bathroom door the bedroom was dimly lit with candles. Fred did not recognize his own bedroom.

Ethel had on a black short night gown and Fred wondered where the heck did she get that from. She sat on the edge of the bed patting it softly telling Fred to come sit next to her. He obeyed her unspoken body language and sat next to his wife without a word.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Ethel reached over and removed Fred’s glasses. Fred jumped and then settled down. “You have beautiful brown eyes Fred boy,” said Ethel looking into her husband eyes. Fred turned away shyly. Ethel reaches over and unbuttons Fred’s top button that allowed his neck to breathe.

“Ethel I…,” said Fred before Ethel put her finger to his lips to quiet him. “Let Eve take care of you,” she purred pushing him back on to the bed. She began unbuttoning his pajama shirt that had exactly 5 buttons. When Ethel got to button five Fred sprung up and grabbed her hand.

“Ethel…we shouldn’t do this,” Fred said buttoning his shirt. She slid her hand between his legs and latched onto his man meat. Fred froze like ice. Ethel smiled to herself. “You don’t like Eve squeezing you Freddy boy?” she said as she gave his man meat a little squeeze. She suddenly jumped up laughing so hard she could barely catch her breath.

Fred looked at her like WTF. “Freddy boy you should see your face,” she said laughing like a teenage girl.” Fred’s face felt hot and his man meat blue. He quickly got up and blew out the candles. “It’s time to go to bed Ethel it’s late,” he said calmly as he got into bed. “Well I’m not ready to go to bed I’m ready to party!”

Ethel flicks on the light and flings open the closet. Fred puts his glasses on and watches her blonde hair swinging wildly as she tosses clothes off the hangers. She gets disgusted with the moo moo gowns and puts on Fred’s black trench coat and the only pair of shoes with a heel.

She grabs Fred’s wallet, the car keys and storms out of the house. Fred sighs and rubs his hard man meat as he slides under the blanket.

Luci happened to be looking out of her window when Ethel marched over to the car and got in. Luci hides her shadow as she watched the young woman exit her friends house. Is Fred cheating on Ethel? she thought. Where’s Ethel? Luci scurries over to Rick and shakes him awake…10/19/19 12:50am