Chapter 14 - changing seasons: part 4

36.
A cold wind swept through the now bare, naked canopy of the great wooden hall. Rustling the sheet of bright leaves covering its vast earthen floor it blew through the flowing gowns of the many girls still dancing upon it, making them shiver as it set their loose locks waving around their heads.

Sleepy and slow the many strangely slender girls were now winding their dance down. With not a single leaf remaining on a single tree in the whole of their vast forest they were moving to take shelter. To sleep and slumber deep within the hollows beneath the wide, heavy roots of the many trees that surrounded them.

The imposing woman had risen from her throne. Her posture rigid and refined her expression was as unreadable as ever it had been. Yet something told Faye that she too had grown tired with the changing of the seasons. Making slowly to follow the dancing girls into their winter slumber she cast one last glance out into the forest. A hint of concern barely visible on her face she seemed to be looking far into the distance, her gaze travelling in that moment both near and far. Yet still she did not notice Faye. Though the fleshy, fiery-haired girl was right in front of her, a faint white light emanating from her strange ring, the imposing woman's piercing gaze seemed to travel right through her.

37.
Having slowly opened her eyes Faye found herself in her own warm, familiar bed, the sky outside her window its usual dreary gray. Still sluggish she could only assume that, not wanting to wake her, Niall and Annie had carried her home from the party and carefully tucked her in. Perhaps, thought Faye, Niall had carried her, heavy as she was, on his back. The thought brought a smile to her face.

Curling up under her covers Faye found she had a harder time moving than she was used to. Something, she could tell, was constricting her, straining and hindering her whenever she tried either to stretch or to curl herself up. Looking under her covers she found herself still squeezed into the same tight green gown she'd been wearing the night before.

Letting out a sigh she sat herself up in bed. Pulling at the strained fabric she started slowly to try to peel and shuffle it off her body. A process which proved more difficult than she'd imagined. Her spreading flesh oozing out wherever it could, straining the fabric of the hopelessly tight gown to its very limit, she found it a struggle to get it to budge even so much as an inch. Her pulling and tugging getting more desperate with each attempt Faye soon found herself forced to face the inevitable realization.

38.
"Well hello there sweetie," said Maggie Kendrick, a pleasant smile on her face as she looked up from her hearty breakfast; "you're up earlier than usual."

"Yeah, I guess," said Faye, shifting nervously.

Seated at the table before her she'd found not only Maggie, but also Annie and Niall. The three of them had been in the middle of enjoying themselves a hearty breakfast. Now however their eyes were all locked on her.

"Actually," continued Faye, her cheeks flushing; "I, well, I think might kind of need your help."

"My help," said Maggie, one eyebrow raised; "of course, whatever with?"

"It's, um... my dress," said Faye, pulling nervously at the overtaxed gown still struggling with all its might to hold her figure in. "I, well, no matter how hard I try I can't seem to get it off."