chapter 6

Robin was proud to show me his picture. He wanted to shock me. He'd certainly done that! How many others had he shown the picture to? Why had he chosen me to be the only one?
I felt very vulnerable down in Robin's basement alone with him. My head was still swimming from all the wine I'd drunk earlier.
I was right to be worried.
Suddenly, I was aware that Robin was no longer by my side. I was plunged into darkness and I heard the cellar door close and a key turn in the lock before I could even find the steps to get to the door.
I was completely alone. The only light in the room shone upon that terrible picture.
I turned to look at it once more. I was sure the expression on Robin�euro(TM)s face in the picture had changed. He had a cruel smirk on his face, as if he was laughing at my predicament.
I groped around in the dark and found the exit. It was most certainly locked. Was there another way out?
I felt my way around the room looking for another exit. I found a dusty old blanket in a corner. I threw it over the photograph. I could do without it watching me in my current predicament.
I found a comfortable old sofa to sit on. At least I did not have to stand while I waited for Robin to tire of his prank.
I lay back and had a nap. I had nothing else better to do. The cellar was only sparsely furnished, from what I could tell and most of the stuff being stored down here was well passed it
Itâeuro(TM)s best, or broken.
When I awoke, I had no way of telling how long Iâeuro(TM)d been asleep. I could not see my watch in the dark and I had no idea whether it was day or night outside.
I guessed I had slept most of the night because I was starting to feel hungry again after the large meal I had consumed with Robin.
I was confident Robin would let me go soon. Heâeuro(TM)d had his fun. I presumed he must feel some resentment about the paparazzi. That was why he had locked me up here. Why else would he do it?
I stood up to stretch my legs. I had another look around the very dim cellar. I had to relieve myself in a corner as there were no bathroom facilities.
At the base of the stairs was a large red button. It looked old. There was some kind of sign near it, but I could not distinguish what it said.
I approached the covered photograph and tried to angle the only light in the room towards to button and the sign.
It read âeuro~Press for serviceâeuro(TM)
I had nothing else better to do, so I pressed the button.
Immediately I heard a hatch open at floor level. I searched around and found a small glass with a liquid in it that had not been there before. I picked up the glass and took it to the sofa, where I sat down. I put the glass to my lips and had a tentative taste. The liquid was quite thick and creamy and tasted of vanilla. There was not much there, so I sipped at it slowly. I found that that small glass was adequate to fill me up as it was so rich.
After drinking it I think I must have dozed off. I awoke with a knawing hunger. I had no idea how long I had been asleep, how long I had been in the cellar or how long it had been since my last proper meal. I had nothing to do, unless I took the blanket off Robinâeuro(TM)s photograph and looked at it once more to see if there were any changes, but I did not want to look upon itâeuro(TM)s grotesque features. I sat looking into the darkness. Then, I stood up and pressed the button again.
Once again, I heard a hatch open and a glass appeared. This time, the glass was slightly larger. Again I took the glass, sat down with it and drank the contents slowly.
Drinking the small (approximately 100ml) glass earlier had filled me up. This one was double the size and I drank it all. I was very full after drinking it. It was so filling I imagined there must be some ingredient in it that swelled inside me to twice itâeuro(TM)s original size.
I put my feet up on the sofa to make myself more comfortable and fell asleep once more.
When I awoke, I was so hungry, my first thought was to get up and press the button for another drink. The glass had doubled again in size. I did not think about it. I simple grabbed the glass and drank at least half of it down at once. It stopped only to grab a few lungfuls of air, then drank the rest. As soon as I put the glass down, I realised I should not have drank it so quick. I could feel the liquid settle and swell in my stomach. I was uncomfortably full. I could feel my belly pushing out, straining against the waistband of my trousers. I sat down but could barely tolerate the tightness around my middle. No one was watching me, so I released the tension by loosening my belt. I gave a big sigh. That was so much better!
My fourth glass was double the size again. It was now over half a pint of creamy thick vanilla liquid. Like the last time, I was very hungry, so I drank it all down as quickly as I could. This time, I was so full, I had to loosen the flies of my trousers as well as my belt. I could not remember being this full... oh yes I could! There was that birthday party when I was about seven years old when iâeuro(TM)d stuffed myself with so much jelly and ice cream that Iâeuro(TM)d felt sick afterwards.
Unconsciously, I rubbed my full belly.

I dozed off to sleep again. This time when I woke, I tried to resist pressing the button. However, I could not resist for long. I had nothing else to do. I was bored. I was hungry. I wanted to feel over-full again. I wanted more of that liquid to drink.
I did not resist for long. It was probably only minutes. This time the glass contained a full litre of fluid. I felt an anticipatory flutter in my heart as I imagined it all inside me.
Within five minutes, all the vanilla flavoured liquid had gone and I was writhing on my back on the sofa with my trousers undone, trying to console my full belly. This time, the skin was stretched tight. I had reached my absolute capacity. The next time, I would have to be more careful, I thought as I stroked my engorged belly. How could I possibly consume double the amount once again? It would be impossible!

I no longer thought about my imprisonment. I no longer thought about the darkness or about Robinâeuro(TM)s cruelty. I was not lonely either. All I wanted was to be full of vanilla goodness!
I settled into a routine. As soon as I woke, I would press the button. I would drink as much as I could tolerate, loosen my clothing and sit down, then Iâeuro(TM)d spend the the rest of the time, consuming the rest of the liquid as my stomach stretched to accommodate even more. As soon as the pressure eased inside of me, I drank more.
Then Iâeuro(TM)d doze off and repeat the process.

I soon noticed that my trousers were getting tighter and not just around my waistline. They were getting tight across my bum and my thighs. I removed my belt altogether as it was always loose anyway. The flies of my trousers were always undone to make more room. I was getting bigger. I was getting fat.
And do you know what? I didnâeuro(TM)t care. Inside my prison, I had no one to criticise me. There was only one person who could judge me and that was myself. What mattered was not how fat I was getting, but how I could make more room for more delicious vanilla loveliness.