Everything Comes Easy

Chapter 1

Author's Note: Trying to write this as inspiration strikes, rather than rushing it. I wrote one story in the past, but my account, being so old, got randomly selected for deletion. Sadly, I lost that first story, and it was removed from FF as well, as far as I understand. Now, trying to write a new story for the first time in years. Going to be a test run to answer questions like: how's my writing these days, am I writing long enough chapters, is the creativity still there, can I give the character(s) depth, etc. I have a general idea for this story, but it's definitely a "work in progress" as I go along. Your feedback is welcome!

"I can't keep havin' you munchin' on food throughout the day, Hilary. I tried talking to you about it, but then you went and tried to sneak it behind my back. That's so disrespectful. And even after I vouched for you to the boss to get hired here! Yeah, I'm sorry, Hilary, but I'm going to have to let you go."

"That's okay, I think I was just about done working here anyway."

With little to no commotion, Hilary took her apron off and walked briskly out of the bakery. It had been six months since she started working there, and already she was going to be out of a job, looking for her next one. Life had never been easy for Hilary. Abandoned as a child, and at the mercy of the foster system, her early life was through and through - a challenge. Meanwhile, she would always see those fortunate to have nice cars, nice clothes, nice everything, always laughing and seeming to be "high on life," as they say. And here she was: headed to her rundown apartment, jobless at 26, and as per usual - hungry. Her small, pudgy belly let out a growl, letting her know it was ready to eat. "Yeah, yeah, I know," she said as she stuck her hand underneath the bottom of her snugly-fitting shirt to give it a little rub. She noticed how tight her jeans were, even on an empty stomach. "I can't believe how tight these have gotten. I didn't think I was overindulging too much at that bakery job, but I guess that was the reason I got let go." Hilary tugged at the waistband of her jeans, noticing the non-existent give to them. "Ehhh, whatever. Clothes are clothes, and I was still able to button these jeans today. Right now? It's time to find something to eat."

Rounding the corner, Hilary knew there was that pretty decent Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet, and it was calling her name. "Absolutely," she stated upon seeing the restaurant sign. Pulling what cash she had in her wallet, she saw she had just enough for a filling meal tonight. "Quite the quality, too," she added. She was quickly seated and hurriedly went and brought back her first round: two heaping plates of lo mein, orange chicken, pork fried rice, egg rolls, crab rangoons, and beef and broccoli. Her mouth watered before she tucked in. Making quick work of the first two plates, she was feeling it, but she wasn't done. Feeling her belly sitting comfortably with what she just ate, she was still ready to get her hands on some more of that delicious, greasy-looking food at the buffet tables, and hey, it's a buffet, right?

After another plate of food, and a whole separate plate just for desserts, she was at her limit with her jeans button undone, and taking shallow breaths. "Oooof, I really overdid it...but it was so good. I'd better try to get a move on, though." She got up, let out a deep burp under her breath, and let out a sigh. Then she remembered her undone button and made a quick attempt to redo it, but to no avail. *sucking her teeth* "Whatever, I'll make it home." With her button undone, Hilary started her walk home. Luckily, not too far from the buffet.

As she staggered into her apartment, belly still incredibly full, she pulled out one of the fortune cookies she had grabbed on her way out. She wasn't hungry in the slightest, but that wasn't going to stop her from munching on the cookie and reading her fortune. Moseying through her sloppy apartment, something which bothered her, but not enough for her to find the energy to clean, she plopped down on her beaten-up couch to read her fortune. "An unexpected joy will soon fill your life," she read. "Pfft, yeah, that would be nice. If only." Hilary reflected on the day, realizing tomorrow was going to be overwhelmingly joyful, what with having to find a new job. She didn't even have a degree. "What am I going to do? Ughhh, why can't I ever win? I wish things would just come easy to me, like it seems to do for so many others." Defeated, Hilary flipped on the TV, navigated to some brain-rot show, and shortly thereafter fell asleep.

Little did she know, the universe was listening to poor Hilary this evening. A seemingly supernatural entity heard her defeated woes and, with the winds of change blowing outside, maybe Hilary's fortune would become a reality. Insidiously? Read on, you decide.