chapter 18

Justin's friends that he'd had only a year ago saw him around town and could hardly believe how weird he had become! They'd always seen him as a traditional kind of guy and here he was wearing cheesecloth shirts and harem pants with hair down to his shoulders. Maybe he'd been smoking too much of that whacky bacchy... or something.
The clothes were only part of it, though. He had put on a tremendous amount of weight. He could often be seen in one or other of the local takeaways, buying enough for three. His flatmates must be as big as him, they thought, if they were all tucking into takeaways two or three times a week.
They had not considered that he ate all the food himself... and more!
They didn't know that Justin only had one flatmate who he rarely saw.
He obviously still had a job at the department store. He was seen often at the bus stop or on the bus wearing traditional clothes. He would have to hitch his trousers up frequently despite wearing a belt. The reason being, his belly was so big, he could not get trousers big enough to cover it, so that had to go underneath. This meant his shirt had more to cover. It was always pulling free from his trousers. He had to wear a vest to stop revealing flesh every time he had to tuck himself back in, which was frequently.
It was disgusting what he had done to himself! Why had he done it? What has made him overeat so much that he got breathless just getting onto the bus and walked with a waddle.
Ugh! All he had to do was eat less and exersise more! It was a simple equation.
At one time, he could have had any woman he wanted, if he had the confidence to ask them out. Now, no one would have him, no matter how much confidence he had. Who wanted a great fat lump as a husband who could hardly do anything for himself?

Oh there had been that issue with the ghost... or spirit... or whatever it was... well, there was no such thing! He was making it all up just to draw attention to himself, wasn't he. Wasn't he? No you didn't get ghosts hanging about in ordinary houses in ordinary streets! It was impossible!
On the other hand, if what he'd said was true, if there really was ghosts in that house... they did not want any part of it! The plots of movies all had to have some truth in them. They did not want to be sucked into a satanic cult. They did not want to be forced to do anything against their will.
In short, they were more scared of what was in that flat than Justin had ever been.