chapter 1

Things have not turned out how I expected; this was certainly never the future I predicted when I was bored out of my tiny mind in careers class at school. Suddenly though, factory or office work seem a lot better than my current position!

This all started with Facebook and that stupid game.

"Have 500 Facebook Friends in your alliance." That was the quest and I needed to achieve it to move onto the next level. So, I joined the Facebook Group, put in my details, and started connecting with people. Somewhere in all of this, I was added by Jim.

A few days later, I received a message from him saying he had been looking at my profile and noticed that I was not in a relationship. I thought this was bizarre, but I replied, saying that although I was single and looking, I was straight. I tried to be tactful and let him down gently, but it turned out he was not asking for himself; he was the godfather of a young woman and wanted to find a good match for her.

He introduced me to something called "Hangout" and a couple of hours after I downloaded it, I received a message from Jess who was twenty two and looking for a relationship too. I was concerned about the age difference as I was twelve years older and of course, the distance was an issue. Jess lived in Wisconsin, USA and I was in England, so I told her that we should just get to know each other first and that I did not want to rush things.

Until she sent me her photograph!

Jess was so pretty with large, dark almond shaped eyes, which were almost hypnotic when I looked into them. Her hair was light brown, perfectly complementing her lightly tanned skin. I was besotted and I was keen to know more about her, but as we chatted more frequently, I began to notice small discrepancies and contradictions in everything she said. For example, one day she told me how her mother had died when she was younger; the next, she would tell me her mother was working late.

Jim would also message me through Facebook every day, asking how I was getting on and revealing little pieces of information about Jess' past, which I found very strange. Over the days, I became more and more suspicious, but could not quite put my finger on what was wrong. However, I realised what the issue was when I asked about her life in Wisconsin and where she worked. Her answer both disappointed and angered me! Jess told me that, although she was a US citizen, she was currently in Kenya because her mother (now resurrected for the second time!) was African. Jess had moved to Nairobi to study in a Kenyan College rather than go to an American University. Obviously, this was going to be a scam.

I know I should have immediately blocked Jess and Jim, but I was annoyed, so I decided to play along with them both, making more and more ridiculous statements and being gradually more insulting to see if they would actually tell me I had gone too far. For example, when Jess told me she had to visit the Embassy and pay an agent to fast track her student visa, I told her not to give Africans any money because "you know what they are like!" She did not comment on my casual racism, so I decided to try a different tack.

By this point in our conversations, both Jess and I had been talking openly about our sexual preferences and I suddenly remembered an episode of South Park with "Starving Marvin"; an Ethiopian exchange student who was horrified by the amount of food both consumed and wasted by Cartman and his friends. This gave me an idea, so I got on the internet and began researching food fetishes and, gradually at first, began introducing the idea into my messages.

"We have been talking a while now," I typed, "so I feel comfortable to show you this. I intend to try and eat this all tonight." I sent a picture of a large chocolate cake which I had googled.

Jess clearly did not know what to make of the message. She just replied "OK."

"Can you cook?" I asked.

"Yes - I am a good cook," she replied.

"Excellent. What will you cook for me?"

"What do you like?"

"Pasta, rice, chicken, cakes...."

"Oh, I can cook all of that!"

"I want you to make lots of it - more than I can eat comfortably. And then make me eat it all."

Again, I could tell that Jess was confused by this comment. She was silent for a while, so I sent another message.

"I want you to keep me stuffed with food, all day, every day."

"But then you will be fat!" Jess replied.

This was something I had not considered and found that I had to change the subject because I didn't know where to take the conversation after that comment. On the next day though, after I had chance to think about it, I decided I could use Jess' idea; after all, not only is taking so much food showing blatant disregard to the suffering of the poor and starving in the world, but using it to purposely gain weight for a fetish? That seemed even more insulting somehow!

That night, I filled my table with cakes and bread and pasta in sauce and took a picture of it to send her with the caption: "A small snack". I followed this an hour or so later with a picture of my belly, which I had fully distended by taking a deep breath and made to look bigger with a clever camera angle. In truth, I only ate the pasta; the other foods used in the photo were items which I could easily put back in their packaging.

"I am getting bigger for you!" I sent through. "Hope you like big bellies!"

"Mmmmm!" was the reply. I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

I talked about over-eating in every conversation after that and I could tell that Jess found it very frustrating, because her mother was suddenly really ill, and although she had come back from the dead thrice by this point, this time looked like it may be the end - unless I could send $300 through Western Union as then a doctor could save her life.

I told Jess I had done this, and even made up a fake password, just to waste her time. The thought of her going to the Nairobi office and asking for money that was not there and all the confusion which would follow amused me no end. A very angry Jess messaged me back, and was not happy when I told her that I was not as gullible as she thought. Our conversation deteriorated into a nasty argument.

"Anyway," I added in full rant, "How dare you be angry with me when you are the one trying to take advantage of people's trust and good nature! Black skin - black soul!" With that, I blocked both Jess and Jim and forgot about the whole episode.

Until a few days later.

I was going out late at night and as I walked down the street felt a sharp sting in the back of my neck.

"Funny time of day for a midge to bite," was the last thing I remember thinking and then I was in what appeared to be a large wooden crate with a sore head and a dry throat. There was the faint hum of an engine, and I could feel movement, but could not work out what was happening. Suddenly, the movement and noises stopped and the top of the crate popped open allowing in a bright light from the blazing sun. I had to shade my eyes and I felt a strong hand gently take my arm and help me stand.

As my eyes adjusted, I could make out several very dark skinned people standing around in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. the landscape was flat and featureless in all directions apart from a few small huts, and the odd tree. I could feel the people watching me suspiciously as a large man helped me out of the crate and I noticed I was on the back of a flatbed truck.

"I am Jim," he said as I climbed down to the floor. "I have to apologise for the way I brought you here, but I will make that up to you. Your angry message to Jess really spoke to me and made me see the error of my ways; I feel so bad about all of the people I have robbed over the years!"

I examined his face, looking for traces of sarcasm, but I could not see any as he continued.

"I brought you here to show you traditional African hospitality. There is no internet or technology here; you are well away from the city in our tribal village. Here you can experience the real Africa rather than be a tourist."

With a wide smile and motioned to one of the women to come forward. "This is Jess."

The real Jess was absolutely stunning and I was barely able to speak to her. Her beautiful face was perfectly framed with long dark hair and when she smiled shyly at me, my heart skipped a beat! Jess took my hand and led me to a large hut in the centre of the village. Inside was a table, stacked with chicken, rice, pasta and cakes.

"I am going to give you exactly what you asked for," she whispered with a cruel gleam in her eyes.