Under the Magician's Spell: Wonder Woman's Caribbean Adventure

**Lucida**

"I feel funny," I whispered to the woman next to me. She responded in kind, and we both giggled.

It was a low, husky giggle that seemed to originate from deep within my throat; it felt unfamiliar but also strangely pleasurable. Was this why people smoked? I wondered.

After a few more moments of giddy laughter, I realized that we were supposed to be serious. The doctor was speaking and he was looking directly at us. Unsure if I should make eye contact, I looked down at my feet instead.

"I am Doctor Aldwyn, and I have been your physician for the past year," the doctor began. "You are here because you have all reached a crossroads in your life where you need a change."

I decided to look around the room at the other patients. Most of them looked unhappy and slightly confused, like they expected to get their teeth cleaned or something equally mundane.

What an odd bunch we were: there were men as young as twenty-five, but also a few men who had wrinkles so deep that they looked older than the doctor himself. There were women of all ages, shapes, and sizes seated around me on the floor, but nobody resembled any figure model with her size triple zero waist and perfect hourglass shape. I would never have been able to afford such a place; how did these people get here?

The doctor spoke again: "I understand that you are skeptical about what is happening here and how this all works, but let me assure you that you will see some changes in your lives when you leave in two days' time."

Two days? The resort was supposed to last for three weeks! What was going on here? And why wasn't anyone saying anything? Were we really going to just sit here for two whole days with no explanations or even snacks?

A broad-shouldered man who appeared to be on the far side of middle age raised his hand hesitantly and asked, "Doctor... uh... Aldwyn?" He paused for a moment as if trying to remember something before continuing: "I've been here for five years now... how much longer do I have to stay?" The doctor hesitated before responding: "That is not something that I can answer right now. There are things in play that you do not yet understand." Loud guffaws sounded from several corners of the room - including my own mouth - but the doctor simply stood his ground and waited until the room quieted down again before continuing: "Some of you have questions about what we're doing in these sessions." He gestured at an empty chair next to him: "Please ask them now."

Another man spoke up: "Why don't we ever see daylight anymore?" Several others nodded their agreement. This must be one of those times where everyone decides to pretend like they're not all bored out of their minds and just waiting for someone else to break first so they can start snickering again without getting caught by Doctor Aldwyn. It was part of our unspoken pact; nobody wanted to look too eager when asking questions lest it get back to Dr Aldwyn somehow. It might mean more sessions - which nobody wanted - or worse yet, additional weight loss diets that would make us lose more pounds than our bodies could handle. Everybody wanted to be at their heaviest body weight when they arrived on the island; losing weight meant leaving sooner than anticipated; everybody knew that much already. It's why most of us just sat there quietly day after day without bothering to ask questions or even make eye contact with each other; we couldn't afford any extra sessions if we ever wanted any hope of leaving this place someday soon! People didn't arrive on this island with blubber hanging off their chins for nothing, after all! But maybe... maybe this time would be different? Maybe some brave soul would finally break free from our unspoken rule and speak up! All eyes turned towards me as one man spoke up: "What about food?" he said aloud. The entire room burst into rapturous laughter at once as thin rations suddenly seemed like a blessing compared to whatever horrors awaited us behind closed doors at this place! As usual, nobody made eye contact with anyone else during our fit of giggles; it was best not to draw attention whenever possible. It didn't take long before the laughter died down though, and everyone went back to staring silently at their feet once again while trying hard not to crack up again when one woman let out another deep chuckle followed by a loud belch; she'd eaten too many cabbage rolls yesterday afternoon before bedtime! No wonder she couldn't control her flatulence anymore! Poor thing... she'd probably be sent home tomorrow morning with no warning whatsoever if she didn't watch herself better! All thoughts immediately left me as I heard my own voice say aloud: "...but what about food?!" It echoed through the silent room like shots fired from an automatic rifle! Everyone