Martha

Chapter 3

When I finally made it back, I swerved into my driveway, nearly hitting my mailbox. I swung open the van door, grabbed the tape and ran inside. I could hear the dinging from the door alarm on my van as I crashed inside. Once in my basement, I tossed boxes aside until I found an old relic that Emily used to make fun of me for keeping: my parent’s old VCR. I hooked it up to the TV inputs and while the TV shown brightly the black and white snow, I took a deep breath to calm myself. With shaking hands, I slid the tape inside the device. The TV switched from snow to a black screen, and then on a distorted tape I watched as the same waitress that averted her eyes a few hours ago was staring back at me only she had to be 50lbs lighter.

With crackling audio, I could hear her voice, “I-I’m sorry to not do this in person…m-my fiancé-e-e *tshhh*” static comes in and out. “Runs the restaurant. He’s a good man, he didn’t know anything was going to happen. Today’s day is May 9th, you just stopped your investigation yesterday and I didn’t get a chance to show you this while you were here, as I only just found it hidden in our attic. Martha…the woman who died…was his mother. I can’t even describe to you what is on this tape, you will just have to watch it to see for yourself, but I hope it helps you solve this thing. It needs to end before I’m so big I can’t leave my bed. I never used to believe in ghosts, but now I’m not so sure.” The tape hits a poor signal patch, and the video finally slowly rolls into view.

The flickering tape shows a chubby woman in a waitress uniform tied to a chair in what looks like the kitchen of the restaurant. Before her on the service counter sits an enormous feast. Martha’s eyes were wide with excitement. The foods looked decadent and rich, and a man said in too soothing of a voice, “Here you go, my love,” as he shoved the first mouthful into her. “Freshly baked bread, a succulent roast chick, roasted potatoes and gravy, and for dessert, your favorite, a rich, chocolate cake.” Martha’s eyes lit up as the man pushed food past her lips, and she ate with such voracity it was a bit shocking. The tape flickered again, this time the woman was wearing a skirt and blouse. Time clearly has passed, and she clearly looks fatter than before.

Martha had a ring of sauce around her lips, that had dripped onto her white blouse. The plates surrounding her grew 4-fold. Several of them, already empty, you could tell she was struggling a bit as her husband fed her. “More…” she asked.

The tape crackled again, this time, Martha was downright fat. She was bulging out of her clothes. Her hair was disheveled, her head hanging limply out of shear strain and exhaustion. Food smeared her cheeks and chin. “No more Frank, please. I’m too full.”

“Come on Martha, there are plenty of plates left to go through, you need to eat more.”

“Huff…Okay…okay…More.”
The tape whirred and shook into the next scene, apparently still the same evening. Martha was laying on a bed, moaning while clutching her swollen belly, it rose like a stuffed mountain above her. Frank walked closer to her and joined her on the bed, accompanied by a couple of boxes. He opened one up and pulled out a slice of chocolate cake.

“I’ve got your favorite.”

Martha’s labored breathing could be heard in the background. “I can’t, I’m so full already. Please I need to stop eating.”

“Just a little bite, you’re doing so well. Its just a few more bites and then we can stop.”

“Okay…oh god…Give me more.” She clutches her overtaxed belly, and a deep moan escaped Martha as Frank pushed the cake past her lips.

The tape flickers again. Martha is unrecognizable. She’s huge, and her lingerie that she’s wearing was far too small. Her face was a mess, and she was completely covered in a smear of foodstuffs. Her cheeks were stuffed full of food, and her fattened belly was clearly a lot larger than before. She looked large enough to roll out of the restaurant’s kitchen. Piles of empty plates surrounded her. Her brow was beaded with sweat, her beautiful hair lay slightly matted against her. She could barely get in a breath, her belly stuffed so full of fattening goodies.

Through her mouthful of food, “I can’t…I can’t eat another bite.”

“What do you mean you can’t eat anymore?” Franks voice sounded annoyed.

“I’m sorry Frank, but…*urp* I’m fucking stuffed, it hurts so bad.”

“Come on Martha, you know you want it. Just one more bite, for me?”

“Frank no, please.”

“You know what you have to do. Its fucking simple. Eat. You just have to eat.” Frank shoved another slice of lasagna into Martha’s mouth. She sputtered.

“I…I guess so…Just a few more bites, okay? We can stop then, right?”

“You got it babe.” Frank shoved another piece of cake into her mouth. Martha’s face says it all. She’s absolutely stuffed to the gills.

“More…” she said and as Frank shoved the last slice into Martha’s fattened face, her expression changed a from gluttonous, hedonistic overload to terror and fear. She let out a shrill scream, life drained from her eyes, and through Frank’s frantic shouts, the image sputtered to black.