Heidi & The Hunger

She stared at her feet as she stood atop her pink scale. It read, one hundred and five pounds. She let out a deep sigh. Her shoulders slouched, she stepped off. Heidi looked at herself in the mirror. Ire filled her eyes, she marched to the sink, turning on the water. She let the water flow. The steam started to fill the room. She stuck her hand under the pipe. Her skin turned red from the intensity and heat. She began to scrub, angry. She caught a glimpse of her face again. She rolled her eyes but this time, her right eye had changed color. She turned off the scalding water and removed the sparse fog that had collected on the mirror. She moved to get a better look. A jaundiced yellow had replaced her blue eyes.

She recoiled, her heart started to race. She placed her hands on the marble countertop to steady herself. Her cheeks began to hollow, her teeth dirty and sharp. A stabbing sensation danced through her body. Her knees started to buckle. She grabbed at her abdomen as the pain pulled her to the floor.

Heidi wailed, "Ahhhhhh."

She writhed, beads of sweat started to pool on her forehead, making her clammy. She rolled onto her side to regain control. She took a deep inhale, getting to her knees. She wiped her forehead and used the counter to stand to get to her feet. She flung the bathroom door open. Her husband, Henry, sat up from the bed.

He questioned, "You ok babe?"

Heidi's lips quivered, her left hand was planted on her stomach. She didn't answer. She dashed for the bedroom door and sprinted down the stairs. She yanked the refrigerator open, and sniffed at the food inside, like a police dog at the airport. Her eyes shut as she used her nose as her guide. She moved until her focus was pulled by the freezer. There she found stacks and stacks of frozen meat, arranged on the shelves. She pawed at the items, until she found a slab of chuck roast. She tore open the packaging and dropped it onto the floor.

She rips and tears into the flesh.

"Hmmmm." She growled.

She was on her knees, her back hunched over. The refrigerator doors, her source of light as she chewed on the cold beef carcass.

"Flick!"

Henry turned on the lights in the kitchen. He took small steps. He could hear her.

"Grrrrrrr."

Henry furrowed his brow, and moved closer.

There she was, white silk pajamas covered in flecks of ice and water, mixed with smears of red.

"Heidi?" He called.

She paused, lifting her head. Her eyes, yellow and wild. She chewed, swallowing big chunks of the roast. Her face was pale and blank. Henry brought himself down to her level, he reached to pull the meat from her.

"Heeeee." She hissed.

He stumbled back. Heidi dropped her jaw and shook her head, she swallowed what had collected in her mouth and stood up. Her face damp, she wiped the evidence of her meal onto her pants.

"Ehhh." She burped.

She chuckled to herself. Heidi straightened up and cracked her neck.

Henry cowered in the corner, he gave a wry smile.

She muttered as she walked back upstairs, "One hundred and five, ugh."