chapter 1

Halloween was coming up this month, and Helen the witch was looking for a holiday meal. It had been a while since she'd had a nice, fat human, and her mouth was watering just thinking about it. October 3rd, she decided to go out and hunt for someone. It would have to be a plump one, and young-the younger they were, the quicker they fattened and the more trusting they were. She donned her trenchcoat and walked to a cider mill a few miles away, where she bought a cup of cider and waited, watching. Families sat at picnic tables, sharing donuts and cider, and giving their children quarters for the petting zoo.
And then Helen saw her. She couldn't be more than 15 or 16, and was about 5'4", her clothes too tight as she stuffed herself with an entire box of frosted donuts. It was clear that her clothes had fit somewhat recently-perhaps in the spring or early summer, and she seemed completely oblivious to the way her soft little potbelly pooched out from under her shirt and oozed over the hem of her tight jeans. Her muffintop was amazing, and Helen's mouth was almost watering. Even if she hadn't been deliberately fattened up yet, the girl was already perfect. She licked frosting from her fingers and regarded the empty box in front of her with disappointment, then went back up to the cashier and bought an entire new dozen of donuts.
"You know," the cashier was telling the girl, "If you keep coming up here every day after school, you're going to run out of money pretty quick."
"Who cares. It's not like I have anything else to do," the girl replied, grabbing the box and returning to her lone seat at the picnic table. Helen grinned to herself, formulating a plan. She'd put a spell on the girl to lead her to her house after leaving the cider mill the next day, and then put a protection spell around so that no one would even look for her. This girl was definitely going to be a treat.

After Helen discreetly cast her spells, she headed home and made preparations for her soon to be guest. She checked the cage bars in the guest-room to make sure there was no escaping from them, made sure the mattress on the floor was clean and ready, and laid out a large nightgown that had belonged to her last meal, an article of clothing that was much too big for the girl now, but would hopefully fit her snugly by All Hallow's Eve. She then spent the rest of the night cooking and baking a ridiculous amount of fattening foods.