Chapter 7 - 7

I put my shoes on and forcing my wallet into the back pockets of these already hellishly tight jeans I opened the door and stepped out into the night. I was already quite out of breath with simply getting dressed. The number 50 burned into my mind. The number on the waist band of these jeans. I was not exactly sure where to find her the bitch that was causing all of this. I went shop to shop asking if anyone there knew of her. I described her features and her cold dark eyes. Her laugh brought chills to my skin. The pity look I got from some of the head shop owners they shook their heads and asked me to leave their stores. It didn't take a genius to figure out they were just as afraid of whoever this woman as I was. I knew deep in my heart that most of this was truly my own fault. Had I not made fun of those who truly believed in the legends here maybe I would not be living my personal nightmare.

The shops began closing for the night. Feeling more than a little defeated I walked to the end of the Quarter. Out of breath from hauling my extra girth around I looked up to see a sign above a pub that was called the magic shop. Something about the place niggled in the back of my mind. Looking through the open doors I was sure I had been here before and yet I knew I had never actually been inside. Something pulled me to the bar. I looked up to have the bartender ask me what I wished to drink. I mumbled under my breath the fat of the nearest plus sized girl. The bartender quirked an eye brow at me and was about to say something I was sure when he stopped and instead filled a mug with a cold ale. I paid for the drink and as I stepped away I was sure I heard him say to the woman next to him behind the bar, "another one". I stopped dead in my tracks and looking back said, "What did you say"? The bartender looked as if he were going to answer my question when he suddenly whitened a few shades and looking down at the mug in his hand quickly went back to wiping it out with a bar towel and shook his head turning away from me.

I was not completely sure what had just happened until I turned back to the crowded room and there I saw her. I thought at first perhaps my mind was playing tricks on me wanting to find a way to end all of this. I began my trip across the room when I felt such a large pain in my belly I almost fainted. I doubled over holding onto myself struggling to move forward I had to get to her. A large curvy woman crossed my path I could feel my eye teeth elongating in my mouth, my eyes burned and the monster growling in my mind demanded I make the hunger stop. I was quickly losing control. The voodoo woman watched me struggle in my pain finding amusement in both my journey to reach her and the results clearly evident of her curse. I only made it a few feet more when the monster inside took over.

I instead made steps toward the curvy woman I had spied before and still clutching my middle I looked into the woman's eyes and somehow found her drained in my arms a few moments later in an dark alley that ran behind the pub. I had no memory of how I got here, but, once again my head was clear. I tried to run as quickly as I could back inside though doing so was even harder now. Those jeans that had been quite snug before I could feel the seams trying to split. I entered the bar and desperately looking around I found her. She was seated at the same table she was always seated in my nightmares. She sipped her red tinged drink and watched me struggle to fit between the tables. Finally I had made it. Tipping her head to the side she took in my whole form and began to laugh loudly. She laughed even louder as the button on my jeans pinged right past her ear. I closed my eyes unable to stand much more. And then there was silence.

I opened my eyes and instead of standing in the middle of a crowded bar I stood in the middle of a bright light surrounded in darkness. I shaded my eyes trying to make sense of the room. I called out hoping for answer. Out of the darkness I felt soft hands poking as me, running finger tips over my belly trying to get a reaction out of me. They seemed to find pleasure in a reaction I could not seem to stop. My skin pulled so tightly the smallest gentle touch eliciting a laugh out of me it was demented it was wrong the laugher out of place here but still they carried on. And then it stopped. A moment later firelight lit the room. I turned toward the source. There sitting in a throne that seemed to be made of blacked bones surrounded in candles the color of dripping blood was my tormentor. "So mister do you still doubt your own eyes?." She asked me in her creole accented voice. I swallowed feeling that hunger once again building inside. I got to my knees begging in my madness and desperation please make it all go away. She looked down at me the pitiful creature at her feet unable to even rise from his knees without help. She seemed to consider the matter. And still I felt those invisible hands on me poking and pulling and wiggling.

Coming to her feet she seemed to glide across the floor her movement so graceful it was as if her feet never truly made contact with the earth. She stood before me pulling my face up my many chins wiggling as she turned my face from side to side studying me. I was to afraid to meet her gaze. She seemed to find whatever answer it seemed she was searching for. She left my side and returning to her throne she reached for a goblet next to the foot of her seat. A red candle in her other hand she stood before me again. Instructing me to hold the candle between my hands. Placing the goblet on the floor in front of me she removed a small silver dagger from the folds of her skirt I watched as seven drops of her blood dripped into the goblet as she squeezed her fist shut. Chatting words I did not understand in French. She seemed to be calling on a force I could not see, but, somehow felt along my skin. She began to dance around me in a wild abandon sort of way. Her chant becoming louder I could hear a rhythmic drum out of the darkness as she continued to chant. Her eyes already dark became a pitch black no whites to be seen. Finally she came to a stop handing me the goblet commanding to drink it now. I placed the candle on the floor in front of me as I quickly finished every drop .The candle went out as I swallowed the last drop. I felt the room lose focus and I slipped into complete dark.

I don't know how long I was out for. I opened my eyes as I heard voices, clicking of glassware, and zydeco music. Slowly the room came back into focus for me and I was back in the bar I had started in that first night down on my bayou adventure. I scrubbed my hands over my face as I tried to wake myself fully. It was then I noticed my hands. They had become bloated mitts the last few days. They now looked as normal as they used to. I felt my face and once again I seemed to have only one chin. Cheekbones! I could feel cheekbones again. I got to my feet and placing my palms against my belly I felt .... Nothing. Nothing but the hard flat plains I had always had. I looked down... I could see my feet! What the hell had happened??

I looked to the chair next to the one I had just vacated and seeing my beat up bag I grabbed it to my chest. Looking around I found the exit. Heading out as quickly as I could I called my editor on my cell phone. He asked me how the story was going. I quirked the smallest smile and asked if he had ever wanted to know what it felt like to be a human pile of goo? He didn't answer for a moment. And came back finally with the reply ,' I suppose I wouldn't." I answered back," yeah well neither do I". Snapping my phone shut I shut it off completely as I left the Quarter as quickly as I could hoping the next bus out of town.
To this day I am still not sure how much what I experienced was real and how much was dream, but, what I do know is I no longer act the complete skeptic upon hearing anyone's stranger that real life story is told. To this day if I find myself even beginning to question the levity of that tall tale...I feel a tug of hunger and quickly allow the finish of the story and nod. I may not completely believe them but I give them the respect of benefit of the doubt... after all who would believe mine