Chapter 13

Sloane’s eyes fluttered open. He was lying on his side in his own bed. He was alone. He didn’t remember passing out or when that was. But, it was morning now. Beams of light shown through the parted blinds, blinding him. He held his arm over his face and tried to rise. His belly hurt. When he looked down, he saw that his gut was enormously enlarged. Moving side to side, he was able to get his feet over the side of the bed. But when he got up, he only managed to fall on his knees, grasping his belly in pure agony.

After a time, he was able to crawl to the bathroom. Pulling him up on the sink, he caught sight of his reflection. He was startled at what he saw: several days of stubble on his face and a stained and dirty sweatshirt straining to hold in his bloated belly which felt as if it were the center of his very being. He moved his fingers along his expanded girth. The sides sloped outward and rounded out before him. He touched his sides which throbbed dreadfully from its rapid growth. He hugged himself, but realized he couldn’t even come close to reaching all the way around. He had grown too fat, too fast. Sloane was just grateful to be able to take a breath without feeling his sides stretch painfully. He touched his side again and gazed down the slope of his stomach. It rounded out…actually…projected out before him.

His mind began to clear. He knew what he needed to do. He had to get to Jenna. He had to save her from Vince’s wrath. But, how long had he been here? Would he be too late?

He staggered back from the mirror, holding his big belly. He was still quite dizzy. Vince must have spiked his food. If he had the strength he would probably have laughed from the irony. Sloane had once spiked Jenna’s drink to get her back to his hotel room when Vince had hired him. Now, the tables were turned…boy…were they ever!

He tried buttoning his pants…useless now from his recent growth. He ripped them off and opted for sweatpants and a tee-shirt. Panting from his brief exertions, he grabbed his car keys and wallet from the side table and left his apartment in search of Jenna.

***

At the same time only miles away, Jenna was grabbing for car keys, too. Vince had carelessly not properly secured the lock. He lay fast asleep at the side of her bed – exhausted from stuffing his wife with tremendous amounts of food the night before. He had ordered her to shovel portion after portion into her mouth as he yelled out, “That’s it you fat pig! Eat like the prized hog you know you are! Eat! Eat! Eat!” Then he fed her mounds of ice cream and what seemed like gallons of soda pop until she was begging him to stop claiming that she would explode at any time. But, he did not get angry. He simply stuffed more into her until the food was gone. Then, patting her blown out belly mocked her for being so piggy over the past week. He pushed lightly on the sides of her blown up middle, trying to gauge how large he had made her that night. Jenna just moaned, unable to move.

“Yes, yes,” he crooned. “You are becoming ever so plump. I told you that you could now enjoy as much food as you desired. I don’t want you feeling hunger. I just am doing my job as a good husband – making sure you’re sheltered, clothed, and properly…well, let’s say well fed.”

She clenched her fists trying to push out the images of the night before. Her belly was vastly stretched – excessively swollen. The roundedness of her abdomen was now very noticeable in her sweatsuit, which was visible extended across her expanse. She clutched her belly, exiting the house silently and as quick as she was able to move. She wobbled shakily to the car, got in and drove toward the bus station.

At that moment, the bus station was first in her mind. She would go to the clinic later. What could they possibly do for her? Tell her not to eat so much in the future? Or sneer at her stupidity? She pushed the thoughts out of her head for the moment.

The bus station was close. She got out of her car and went inside. She pressed in the locker combination and opened it quickly. Jenna retrieved 2 envelopes and a small duffle bag and then returned to the car…but not before depositing the larger envelope into a mailbox on her way out.

***