《Withered》
Chapter One
His breathing was heavy as I caressed his neck with my lips. His tight jeans accented his bare chest and tight abs. He had already removed my shirt, revealing the black lacy bra I had picked up the night before from Victoria Secret. He lay there on my bed, eyeing my cleavage eagerly. The night was progressing better than I had planned.
Being a bigger girl in my teenage years, I received little if not any attention from the boys. The attention I did receive was limited to teasing and scowling. Since my High School days however, I have undergone gastric bypass surgery. Several years of strict food limitations and several plastic surgeries later, I now have the body of a goddess like my sister¡¯s. Unlike my sister however, due to my prior obesity I have been blessed with large breasts.
He moaned as I continued to lightly kiss down the length of his chest. I had merely met him that night at the local bar. Though he eagerly wanted to purchase drinks for me, I had to refuse. He was confused as to my presence there at the bar if I had no intention of drinking, but quickly shrugged it off after I began to flirt with him. I wasn¡¯t about to explain to him that the last time I succumbed to just a small glass of wine last Thanksgiving, anyone who didn¡¯t know me better would have assumed I was a winebibber. After the surgery, I learned that alcohol enters my bloodstream much more quickly than it had before. Upon learning that I now get drunk four times faster than the average individual, I added alcohol to my list of non-consumables.
I kicked off my jeans, revealing my matching panties. He moaned again as he took in my gorgeous figure. Never before had a man looked so lustfully at me. I wasn¡¯t about to tell him that I was still a virgin. Tonight was the first night I had gained the courage to venture out and seek a sex partner. It was my birthday, and I had finally made the decision to do something for myself that I had never been given the opportunity to experience.
He began to kiss me ferociously, when suddenly my phone began to violently vibrate on the nightstand. I tried to ignore it, but my eyes averted just long enough to catch that the caller was Aunt Alice. I suddenly found myself distracted. I was surprised how quickly my libido vanished. I rarely ever heard from Aunt Alice. Why was she calling at such a late hour?
The phone stopped vibrating, but the moment was already lost. I began to simply go with the motions, but I was no longer having any fun. Suddenly, the phone started to vibrate again. It was Aunt Alice again.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Something¡¯s wrong.
I pushed him off of me, ¡°Hang on, I gotta get this.¡±
¡°Come on, baby!¡± he insisted, ¡°Just ignore it!¡±
¡°I said hang on.¡±
He stared at me incredulously as I answered her call, ¡°Hey Alice. Is everything okay?¡±
¡°It¡¯s your sister.¡± she sighed heavily, ¡°She¡¯s been admitted to Saint Mary¡¯s.¡±
¡°What?¡± I stammered as I stood from the bed and began to pace the floor, ¡°What for?¡±
¡°We¡¯re not sure yet. The doctors are still doing tests.¡±
¡°What happened?¡± I asked anxiously.
¡°I got a call from her little girl saying that her mommy fell and wouldn¡¯t get up.¡± she explained, ¡°I rushed over there and found Emma unconscious on the kitchen floor. After the paramedics arrived, they raced her to the hospital.¡±
I was without words. I stared at the half-naked man on my bed, seething with frustration. Even without actually being here, Emma managed to ruin everything for me again.
¡°Stacy, I need you.¡± Alice insisted, ¡°Little Anna won¡¯t stop crying.¡±
¡°All right,¡± I let out a heavy sigh, ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±
* * *
Alice paced the floor of the waiting room anxiously. Though it was nearing midnight, her anxiety kept her wide awake. Little Anna was fast asleep on a nearby bench. The hospital only allowed one visitor in Emma¡¯s room at a time, which had been her husband for the past hour.
When Alice had last seen Emma¡¯s condition, she was still unconscious and hooked up to an array of monitors and IV drip lines. She was even being supplied with oxygen because her heart rate had been so shallow. Over the past year Emma had been admitted multiple times, but this time felt different. Alice wasn¡¯t entirely sure what drove her to call Stacy to let her know of her sister¡¯s most recent hospitalization, but she couldn¡¯t shake this feeling of dread.
Over the years Alice had tried multiple times to address her concerns of how dangerously thin Emma appeared, but she often confused the concerns as compliments. It wasn¡¯t until her first hospitalization last year that she was officially diagnosed with a condition of Anorexia Nervosa. Unfortunately, the condition was not well understood by many doctors or even psychologists. She was supplied with anti-anxiety medications, but Emma¡¯s bad eating habits had been ingrained for nearly her entire life.
The double doors suddenly opened, and Alice stopped pacing as she saw Robert¡¯s forlorn figure slowly walking toward her with his head held low.
¡°Robert,¡± she whispered, ¡°How is she?¡±
He raised his head to reveal the tears that had streamed down his cheeks. His eyes were bloodshot and appeared empty. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He erupted in tears as Alice reached to embrace him. Alice¡¯s stomach dropped, and her worst fears were realized.
¡°She¡¯s¡¡± he sobbed uncontrollably, ¡°gone.¡±
Chapter Two
As I continued west on Interstate 70, I seethed in frustration. My birthday plans had to be placed on hold. Though the man was very angry I was kicking him out, he left my apartment without a fight.
I had been on the road for three hours now, and was passing the exit for my old hometown. Growing up with Emma had been extremely difficult. She was the head cheerleader of the Titans squad, and always seemed to have two or three boyfriends at the same time. She was only a year older, so I had to endure three full years in the same school together until she finally graduated.
She was always extremely slender, whereas I typically stayed around 250 pounds throughout my teenage years. Despite the fact that we were blood-related sisters, she always ignored me while in the presence of her friends. Many of my friends were even shocked to learn we were related. Most of my peers assumed we were distant cousins.
We couldn¡¯t be more different from each other. While her lifelong goal was to someday become a model or an actress, my goals were more geared toward laws and politics. I admit it, I was a total nerd. Despite being surrounded by supportive friends however, I still struggled daily with depression.
As I drove down the freeway, my mind continued to stew over past grievances. I had purposefully blocked out my painful past, and hadn¡¯t spoken to my sister in nearly ten years. Though we only lived three hours apart from each other, we lost touch after she got married to a preppy college boy while she was a sophomore in college. She and her new husband bought a house in our hometown of New Castle, whereas I ventured off and settled down in a Denver apartment.
For the first several years I received Christmas letters with pictures of her beautiful baby girl, but after a while even the Christmas letters stopped. I didn¡¯t even let her know about my surgery. I asked mom and dad not to say anything to her, because I knew she would only give me a hard time about it.
I jolted and slightly swerved as my ringtone suddenly jarred me out of my reverie. Glancing at the screen, it was Aunt Alice again. I hit the answer button, and put the phone on speaker.
¡°Hey Alice.¡± I greeted the call, ¡°I just passed New Castle, so I should be there in about an hour.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
¡°I¡¯m glad I reached you.¡± she sounded odd, ¡°Turn around, and go to your parent¡¯s house. They¡¯re expecting you.¡±
¡°Oh? Did Emma get released?¡±
¡°No.¡± she took a deep breath.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°Just go to your parent¡¯s.¡± she insisted and abruptly hung up.
I stared at the phone for a minute as I turned on my signal for the approaching exit. Aunt Alice had never been rude like that before. It was rather unnerving.
I pulled off the exit for the nearby town of Silt. Instead of hopping back on I-70, I decided to take the more scenic route along Highway 6. On my left I passed Coal Ridge High School, where I had spent four miserable years of my life. Nostalgia overwhelmed me as I neared the town limits of New Castle. Familiar sights along the dimly-lit road sent my mind veering back in time.
There were times I felt that Emma was gifted with such beauty that I would never be able to measure up to her. Just wait until she sees me now, I smirked. She probably won¡¯t even recognize me. No longer was I the shy fat girl she had always known. Now I was a successful attorney with a gorgeous body.
I turned off onto 7th street, and headed into town. I followed along as it curved into Midland Avenue. Though it had been ten years since I had driven these roads, memories flooded back and I remembered the way home as if I had been driving it yesterday. As I turned into Aster Court, I recognized my father¡¯s pickup in the driveway. The porch was lit despite the late hour, and I recognized my mother sitting on the porch swing as I pulled into the driveway.
¡°Stacy?¡± my mother breathed excitedly as she rushed toward me, ¡°My sweet baby! I hardly recognize you!¡±
I smiled as I welcomed her embrace, ¡°It¡¯s good to be home.¡±
¡°Happy birthday, honey!¡± she sobbed as my father stepped outside, ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡±
As she continued to sob into my shoulder, I suddenly realized something was wrong. My father stood on the porch with a far-away look on his face.
¡°Daddy?¡±
He didn¡¯t break his focus as he stared off into the night sky. I pushed my mother¡¯s embrace away and held her by her shoulders. Her head hung low as tears streamed down her cheeks. There was no way she could be this happy to see me.
¡°Mom!¡± I shook her shoulders, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
She opened her mouth and an indiscernible whisper came out. Silence hung in the air for a few minutes until my father finally spoke.
¡°I¡¯m not sure how to tell you this sweetheart¡¡± his words were halted.
¡°Tell me what, exactly?¡±
¡°Your sister¡¡± he searched for the right words as I discerned the pain in his eyes, ¡°she passed away tonight.¡±
My mind suddenly went numb. I couldn¡¯t cry. I couldn¡¯t think. It was as if every strain of thought in my mind had been swallowed up by a spiraling black hole. In nearly the same instant, an immense guilt swallowed me whole. All of the thoughts and feelings I had been venting on the trip here came back at full force to punch me in the gut. I found myself staggering backward in shock as the onslaught pummeled me.
Chapter Three
The music from the organ was soft and mellow. The funeral home smelled of lavender and chamomile from the many flower arrangements throughout the chapel. Though the room was filled to capacity, there was a general hush throughout the room as the preacher stepped up to the pulpit.
¡°The Book of Second Corinthians teaches us that ¡®For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.¡¯ Nature has its seasons but death can come to anyone, at any time, and in any place. Even under the best of circumstances, death is difficult for all of us to accept...¡±
His words were drowned out by my thoughts. What had started as an evening visit to the hospital had quickly turned into a week of funeral preparations. Everyone in the family had turned into an absolute wreck upon learning of Emma¡¯s untimely death, and I suddenly found myself directing and coordinating the entire funeral. This past week had been so busy that I¡¯d gotten absolutely no time to mourn. Now that the actual funeral was proceeding as scheduled, a flood of feelings began to hit me at full force.
After the sermon, my little seven-year-old niece stood at the pulpit and began to sing the Patti Loveless song I had helped her rehearse. My first tear that entire week finally shed as I watched her sing each verse courageously. Just as I had taught her, she slowed the rhythm during the last set of verses:
? Sitting with Mama alone in her bedroom
She opened her eyes, and then squeezed my hand
She said, I have to go now, my time here is over
And with her final word, she tried to help me understand
Mama whispered softly, Time will ease your pain
Life''s about changing, nothing ever stays the same
And she said, How can I help you to say goodbye
It''s OK to hurt, and it''s OK to cry
Come, let me hold you and I will try
How can I help you to say goodbye
How can I help you to say goodbye ?
Tears coursed down my cheeks as I watched my sweet little niece step down from the pulpit. As she walked down the aisle, her last syllable seemed to echo and reverberate throughout the room. I opened my arms, and she accepted my embrace as she sat in the spot I had saved between me and her father.Stolen novel; please report.
She held on tightly as the final prayer was offered. I was surprised how quickly we had bonded, considering we had only officially met a week ago. Alice had brought her over to my parent¡¯s house the morning after I arrived. Sadly, the little girl was confused at first and thought that I was her deceased mother.
Later that afternoon as little Anna lay asleep in my lap, Alice began to explain to me the events that had led up to Emma¡¯s death. I learned that she had been suffering for many years with anorexia, and her doctors even suspected that she may have been suffering from it as far back as our teenage years. At the time there weren¡¯t many studies available, so the condition wasn¡¯t diagnosed until only a year ago.
Alice then explained that Emma almost died while giving birth to Anna, and underwent surgery for a hysterectomy shortly after the birth due to several complications. She then fell into a deep post-partum depression due to her inability to bear any more children. Despite all of the medications she had been prescribed, she was never the same energetic Emma that she was known for in high school.
She then tried to pursue her dreams of becoming a model, but no agency would take her because her abdomen had been scarred from pregnancy stretch marks, the emergency cesarean section, and from the subsequent hysterectomy. She became absolutely obsessed with getting her slender figure back, but her hips had widened from the pregnancy. She remained undeterred, and ate as minimally as possible. That¡¯s when the blackouts started.
It was at this point that Alice became more involved in their lives. Anna had many sleepovers with her great aunt Alice while Emma received hydration in the hospital on numerous occasions. As the years passed, Alice insisted that Emma should receive psychological treatment but Robert refused. He was absolutely convinced that psychologists were all just a bunch of ¡®quacks¡¯.
Eventually the blackouts had become so frequent that Robert finally consented to allow treatment. It was at this point that she was finally diagnosed. Regardless however, the condition was still very misunderstood. She was prescribed several anti-anxiety medications to go along with her anti-depressants and was sent on her way. The hospitalizations continued, and then about a week before her death she contracted a staph infection during her most recent hospital stay. The staph infection was declared as the ultimate cause of death.
My attention snapped back as everyone stood. Robert squeezed past me, and headed toward the front of the chapel along with several other men. I helped Anna to her feet, and we stood in silence as her father and all of the other pallbearers gripped the handles on the casket. The side chapel doors were opened, and together Anna and I led the procession behind them.
Chapter Four
Over the course of the past three months, I have gotten dozens of double-takes as I have been mistaken for Emma over and over again. Since my surgery, I never stopped to think how alike we would have looked. Emma and Robert settled down here in New Castle after they got married, so the whole town knew them pretty well. Because of my newfound resemblance, on multiple occasions I have had the uncomfortable experience of not only explaining to strangers that I wasn¡¯t Emma, but also that she had recently passed away.
Even more uncomfortable has been the many similar occasions when I have run into old friends of mine. Instead, they do a triple-take as they first realize that I¡¯m not Emma, and then they realize that I¡¯m not Fat Stacy but instead Hot & Sexy Stacy.
A little over two weeks ago I had bumped in to my best friends from high school. Janna and Dean were so excited to see me, they just started screaming and jumping in the air. The behavior seemed a bit odd for Dean, until I quickly learned that Janna and Dean weren¡¯t ¡®together¡¯ in the traditional sense. They were roommates, but they weren¡¯t lovers. As it turns out, during my ten-year absence Dean had ¡®come out of the closet¡¯. He was about as flamboyantly gay as a man could get.
Since then, we have become inseparable. Today, we were bopping around the Outlets ¨C which were about as close to a mall as you could find here in this small town.
¡°So like, you just have to try this on girlfriend!¡± Dean insisted as he held up a blouse I had been eyeing from the rack.
¡°No,¡± I scoffed, ¡°it probably won¡¯t even fit.¡±
¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Janna piped in, ¡°You resigned from the Fat Club. Put it on!¡±
It still surprised me how Janna so easily accepted her body image. We had always been overweight together, which was why we had originally become friends with each other in our teenage years. She seemed to have packed on a few more pounds since my absence, but it didn¡¯t seem to bother her at all. Even with my dramatic change in appearance, I still sometimes had difficulty standing in front of a mirror. No matter how hard I tried, I still saw myself as fat.
Coming home didn¡¯t help my self-esteem either. It seemed I was constantly being sized-up against my dead sister. Call me callous, but it was extremely frustrating.
¡°Oh my gosh¡¡± Janna whispered, ¡°Look who¡¯s coming!¡±
I turned, and stopped dead in my tracks. Walking into the store was the most beautiful man I had ever laid my eyes upon. Jake Winters was the quarterback of the Titans football team back in high school, and he was still just as dreamy today as he had always been. I had fallen in love with him from afar, but had never gotten an opportunity to express it. Janna and Dean knew of my obsession with him, and of the secret shrine I had created inside my locker.
¡°Here¡¯s your chance!¡± Dean shoved me forward, ¡°Go get him, girlfriend!¡±
Despite my total body makeover, I still hadn¡¯t conquered my shyness. I took a deep breath and headed toward the front of the store. As I neared him, I stopped and pretended to browse a nearby rack. He approached, and to my surprise he began perusing the rack directly opposite of mine so that we were facing each other.
¡°What size does he wear?¡± Jake suddenly struck up conversation.
¡°Huh?¡± I locked eyes with him and thumbed absently through the articles of clothing.
¡°Your boyfriend.¡±
¡°Excuse me?¡± I stammered as I knocked a hanger off and it clattered to the ground.
He rounded the corner and picked up the shirt and hanger I had just dropped. He held up the men¡¯s shirt so that I could see it. It was enormous. I looked at the rack I had been absently browsing. Not only had I been looking through menswear, but this was the XXXL section!The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°Your boyfriend,¡± he repeated, ¡°is he a pretty big guy then?¡±
¡°Oh, no!¡± I giggled absently, ¡°I don¡¯t have a boyfriend.¡±
He flashed a tantalizing grin, ¡°Good.¡±
¡°I¡¯m¡ uh¡¡± I stuttered, ¡°¡shopping for a friend.¡±
¡°I see.¡± he replaced the shirt on the rack, ¡°Got any plans today?¡±
Wow, this guy was really forward.
¡°No, not really.¡±
¡°You do now.¡± he grinned and placed his hand at the small of my back.
As he led me toward the entrance, I turned by head and looked back at my friends. Janna was holding her thumbs up in approval and Dean was waving his hands to usher me on while mouthing the word ¡°Go!¡±
¡°Have you eaten yet?¡± Jake asked as we stepped outside.
¡°No, not yet.¡±
¡°Come with me.¡± he smiled and held out his hand, ¡°I know the perfect place.¡±
My face blushed as I took his hand. His palms were a rough and strong. We walked a few blocks until we reached a small strip mall. I glanced at the sign hanging above the door, ¡®Lazy Bear Restaurant¡¯. As we stepped inside, I could see a small stage where a band was currently playing.
The hostess then ushered us over to the bar. A waiter took our order, and now the bartender was approaching.
¡°What would you like to drink?¡± Jake asked.
¡°Just water,¡± I smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t drink anymore.¡±
He looked surprised, ¡°Would you be offended if I got myself a beer?¡±
¡°No,¡± I caught myself giggling like a schoolgirl, ¡°get whatever you would like.¡±
¡°Have you ever been here before?¡±
¡°No.¡± I partially lied, ¡°I¡¯m new here in town.¡±
¡°Really? You remind me of someone.¡± He scrunched up his face, ¡°I can¡¯t quite put my finger on it.¡±
¡°I get that a lot.¡± I sighed, ¡°Apparently I look a lot like my sister.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± he asked, ¡°Who¡¯s your sister?¡±
¡°In high school her name was Emma Jones.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it!¡± his eyes lit up.
A feeling of dread hit the pit of my stomach. It would be any moment now, and he would realize I was Fat Stacy. Just the thought of what I used to look like seemed to repulse all of the men in this stupid town.
So much for my dream of winning him over.
¡°That¡¯s funny.¡± he thought aloud, ¡°I never knew she had a sister.¡±
A big grin escaped from my lips.
He doesn¡¯t know!
¡°Most people didn¡¯t.¡± I batted my eyes, ¡°I was a bit shy back then.¡±
He studied me for a few minutes, ¡°And you went to Coal Ridge too?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± I hesitated and then added abruptly, ¡°I had braces back then.¡±
At least I¡¯m not lying.
¡°Oh, yes!¡± he chuckled, ¡°I remember now!¡±
Oh great.
¡°Yes¡¡± he paused and squinted his eyes in thought, ¡°You were that skinny little redhead girl¡¡±
Wow. He¡¯s a terrible liar.
I smiled, and let him create his own false memory of me.
¡°Weren¡¯t we in the same English class together one year?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡± I lied.
¡°Oh well.¡± he shrugged and then flashed me his contagious smile, ¡°So when did you blossom into this gorgeous hottie?¡±
My face blushed, ¡°After high school.¡±
I¡¯ll spare him the messy details.
Our food then arrived. We chatted as we ate, and I did my best to flirt with him. Being terribly unpracticed, I felt like an idiot. Regardless, he seemed to be intrigued by my incompetence as a seductress. In fact, I think he might have even found my fumbling over words to be ¡®cute¡¯.
After we left the restaurant, we walked down the street to Burning Mountain Park. The sun was just beginning to set in the west, and the sky was dancing with colors. The sight was breathtaking. As we sat on the park bench, Jake subtly placed his arm behind my back. I leaned toward him, and accepted his embrace. He was warm, and he smelled wonderful.
I couldn¡¯t believe this was happening. Everything I had ever hoped for was finally coming true. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think Jake would actually take an interest in me. I felt like I was in a dream.
If only he would just kiss me, and this night would be perfect.
I decided that would be my goal. As he continued to stare into the sky, I slid down and lay my head on his lap. He broke his trance, and our eyes met. Almost instinctively, he began running his fingers through my hair. I stared up at his gorgeous face, longing to caress his lips with mine. We sat in a serene silence as our eyes remained locked. He continued to stroke my hair, and I could see the same desire in his eyes as well.
¡°It¡¯s a beautiful night.¡± I broke the silence.
¡°Yes,¡± he stared longingly into my eyes, ¡°very beautiful.¡±
I carefully pulled myself up and sat on his lap. We were now eye to eye. His hand caressed my cheek, and then he slowly pulled me in. My senses exploded as our lips locked on, and I lost all control. What I had intended would be a simple kiss suddenly turned into a full-on make out session.
I suddenly realized I was straddling him, and his hands had already reached my chest. I forced myself to regain control, and I pulled myself off of him. He sat there for a moment with a dazed look on his face.
¡°I¡¯m sorry¡¡± I fumbled, ¡°I kinda lost control.¡±
He didn¡¯t seem to care. He stood, and kissed me once again. His kiss was absolutely electrifying, and I felt myself losing all control again. My hands were in his hair and his hands were groping my chest. Our tongues met and danced in synchrony while fireworks exploded in my mind.
Suddenly he broke free and with a deep breath he asked, ¡°Would you like to come back to my place?¡±
I nodded eagerly and took his outstretched hand.