Until Sunrise

“Think about it honey. I have the power to ruin this whole plan with the powerful information I’ve got.”

Angie yawned and said she was going to take a shower after receiving the call. In her mind, she knew she wasn’t going to be part of Jerome’s plan. Ricky had proposed to her and she was willing to wait for him.

****

“Help me!”

Those two pathetic words wept over Flora’s ears and sent panic streaking through her heart. She almost swallowed the nub of the pencil she was clenching with her teeth.

“What is it? What’s happening?” She shouted as she raced down the stairs to her mother’s room. She heard sobbing in the room.

“Tell me, tell me right now.” She knocked on the door. All she heard was more wretched sobbing. “Should I call the ambulance?”

“No,” Betty moaned. “But I…..”

“You what? Are you hurting?”

Betty sobbed again, raw, hopeless.

“Don’t tell me you’re hurt.” Tears sprang to her eyes. She opened the door slowly and went in. she thought maybe it was one of her mother’s boyfriends.

“Flora,” she moaned. “Flora……I am ….. I am so fat. Her sweating hand froze on her phone, her heart trip- trapping.

“I’m fat.” Betty moaned again. “Fat fat fat. My legs are getting bigger and I’ve got stretch marks on my belly. My boobs are the size of a water melon and my ankles are the size of my thighs. Can you imagine me becoming a balloon?”