chapter 11

Ian had not been paying attention to where he was going. The countryside on the side of the motorway was boring and it was getting dark anyway. What was inside the car was much more interesting. He loved cream cakes!
He'd eaten his way through six of them and felt full on top of everything else he had eaten that day, but when Mary opened up another box, he simply could not resist! He could not remember ever eating so much in all his life! He slowed right the way down, but Mary encouraged him to continue. Bite after bite he consumed every last one of the gorgeously delicious concoctions. When they were all gone, his belly skin felt stretched so tight.
Mary let him lie down on the back seat with his head in her lap. He moaned, but he was more comfortable there looking up at the woman he had not met before today, but now she was the most precious thing to him in the whole world... apart from cream cakes.
She lifted his jacket and shirt out of the way and gently rubbed his swollen tender belly. Oh, that felt better! He felt every bump and bend on the country road they were on in his belly. Some bends made him queasy as they increased the pressure inside him even more. Some bends made him feel better as they eased the pressure.
Finally, the car came to a stop. The driver opened the door, but it was Mary who helped him out and to his feet. Every movement he gave him pain or pleasure through his belly.
She took his hand and led him across a concrete yard and up a flight of stone steps, one step at a time up to an imposing Victorian building with a thick, metal studded wooden door.
The door was opened by someone as they approached. He did not see who because his swollen belly was pressing on his lungs, making the climb up the stairs even more difficult than it should be. By the time he had got to the top, he had a real sweat on him, but he was happier than he could ever remember. He decided eating was his favourite hobby. Being this stuffed full was the best feeling in the whole world! He wished he could feel like this forever! He did not say anything out aloud though. He was too busy catching his breath to talk as well.
Mary led him into an enormous room. One corner of the room was divided off from the rest with screens painted in bright primary colours. Behind the screens was a bedroom, which was where he was now taken. Mary helped to take his food stained clothes off. She found him some brightly coloured pyjamas for him to wear and helped him put them on. They were a bit big for him, but that did not matter. He was so tired. She lifted up the brightly coloured duvet and helped him to lie down. She made sure he was nice and snug and safe before she left him alone.
It was only minutes before he was fast asleep and snoring.
The next morning Ian awoke with the sun streaming through the window of his new room. His belly felt heavy as he sat up, he smelled bacon cooking. Suddenly he was hungry again. He found some bright fluffy slippers and got up to investigate where the smell was coming from.
He felt heavy and clumsy as he slowly made his way across the room to a kitchen. Mary was already up and dressed and cooking breakfast. As soon as she saw him she rushed to his side and kissed him on the cheek. She guided him to sit down at a nearby table and gave him a large bowl of cereal with creamy milk and lots of sugar.
He was disappointed. He really wanted the bacon. He twisted his face, on the brink of tears, but Mary assured him he would get his bacon after he had finished his cereal.
That was all right then. He picked up his spoon, delighted at how sweet and creamy his cereal was. It did not take long to finish. Mary replaced his bowl with a large dinner plate of fried sausage, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs, hash browns, black pudding, and fried bread. She picked up a bottle of tomato ketchup and squirted a large dollop on his plate. She placed another smaller plate next to it which was piled with thickly buttered white bread. Ian did not need to be told to eat.
As usual, he ate quickly and messily and soon polished off the large breakfast. His belly was already swelling up, but he was not finished yet!
Mary replaced the dinner plate with a large stack of pancakes, swimming in butter and maple syrup and topped off with cream.
He continued to eat, but it was now getting harder for him. He kept pausing to take a breather, but then carried on.
With the pancakes gone as well, his abdomen was as swollen and tight as it had been last night. He rubbed it absentmindedly.
Mary told him he didn't have to go out today. He was pleased about that, but he couldn't think where he was supposed to be anyway.
She told him she had a few things to do. He would have to look after himself for a while. Could he do that? He nodded obediently.
He pushed his chair back and walked across the room belly first as it peeped out from between the buttons of his pyjama jacket. He found a part of the room that looked like the living room. He lay down on the couch with a grunt and put on some cartoons. Mary saw him lie back contentedly. Before she left the room, she placed a family sized bowl of crisps beside him, a family sized bowl of sweeties and chocolate and a large bottle of pop. It wouldn't do for her growing boy to start getting hungry while she was away.