Day of the Unfed

Rod sat in his leather arm chair, with one leg crossed casually over the other. He gazed absently over the pages which filled the newspaper in his hands. “BREAKTHROUGH WEIGHT LOSS SUPLIMENT GETS STOLEN, CURRENT WERABOUTS UNKOWN,” it read. With distant eyes, his mind reeled internally around the contents of the page. Though he perceived each individual word just fine, what collective text actually stuck in his head was very minimal to be sure, the paper providing him with more mental white noise than any sort of idea or coherent narrative. His nose twitched with arbitrary thought. When a piercing knock barraged his brain, he instinctively looked over his shoulder and towards the door that led into his modest apartment. Pushing his glasses back up against his face, he seemingly forgot about the paper he was reading or the facts it had to tell.

Rod stood up grunting. With both hands over his back, he pushed into his spine and stretched his back, his vertebrae cracking slightly. With a yawn, it right then dawned on him just how long he had been seated in the chair. Walking towards the interruption, he stopped before a mirror to ensure he was presentable. Seeing his grey hairs hanging from his handsome face made his heart swell with pride. Knowing that his appearance would be a most welcoming sight for any stranger gave him a slight spring in his step, and he no longer doubted that he carried himself with the utmost care and courtesy, just as any schnauzer worth his salt should do.

With a brief glance over to a nearby clock, he caught a glimpse of the time, mere moments before answering the door. As of three forty-six o’clock in the afternoon, a young black cat entered into his apartment. A neon green backpack was wrapped around her shoulders, and She wore a black hoody which shrouded the top of her head and her ears, in spite of there not even being so much as a draft. Printed onto the inappropriate garment was a blotch of what Rod prescribed to be letters, spelling out gibberish that he had absolutely no hope of deciphering on his own. She looked up at him with large green eyes, those of which were partially concealed by the ends of her spiked hair, which hung half way down over her face, the very tips dyed white while the base remained its, presumably, original black coloring.

“Mr. Fredrick,” the young girl said through a sweetly fabricated voice. “My parents sent me a text saying that I need to come over here and stay at your place until they return home from their errands. They said that they were acquainted with you, or something, and that you wouldn’t mind it at all.” Rod stuck his head out of the door frame. Looking back and forth, he concluded that it was only her and no one else. That is, unless they were able to successfully hide themselves along the barren hallway which connected each apartment. Looking down at her once more, he cautiously slid the door open.

The young girl entered the apartment, her long tail swaying calmly behind her. Rod shut the door behind them, the gentle click of the door’s fumble greeting her inside. Staring over at the stranger, he looked about in a finicky mannerism, while the jaunting guest stood motionlessly in the middle of the room. “Um, excuse me, um, I don’t mean to sound rude, but, might I ask who you are?” Rod’s voice was calm, but inside his mouth his teeth chattered.

The black cat instantly turned around at the question. Pointing to herself she asked, “you don’t remember me?” Rod shook his head. “Tsk.” She crossed her arms. “I don’t blame you. It’s rare for me to come out of my room. I guess you could say I’m not exactly a social butterfly.” With a small smile she showed him her pointed teeth. “I suppose it’s only natural that a few caterpillars don’t ever get to spread their wings.” With her hands tied behind her seemingly empty backpack, she began to pace the room. “My parents had a little “apartment party” as they called it, and apparently they invited you and your wife to it. You guys must have really hit it off for them to trust their sweet precious daughter in your hands.”

“Apartment party?” Rod scratched the fine hairs that hung from his chin. His ears twitched with thought. “Yes, I can vaguely remember such an occurrence, but-“

The cat had helped herself to his couch, with her shoes slid off, she had plopped her legs and bare feet across the luxurious leather. Reaching a hand over to the coffee table that rested in front of it, she grabbed the remote and took control of the humble t.v. set. With her eyes fixated on whatever vibrant noise she had turned the machine to she said, “yeah, yeah, it’s real sweet of you to let me crash here for a bit. Don’t worry your tail off about it, Mr. F, my folk should be home relatively soon. I’d roughly say within the next hour or three.”

Rod’s mouth hung open at the sight of such an attack. Flicking his sleeves, he hustled over to the front of the couch, staring her down with his tiny, beady eyes. “N-now you listen here young lady.” His voice was hardly rough and barely gruff. What was intended to be intimidation turned out as a silly imitation of something more menacing and larger than the just a hair below 5-foot-tall schnauzer. The cat snickered, her gaze remaining unaltered from the screen. “Y-you can’t just barge into someone’s private reside under the gauze of just barely “knowing” them. I-it’s uncouth. And if you don’t get your tail off of my expensive leather you’ll be very displeased when you find it winding up inside of a dirty jail cell.”

She rolled her eyes. “C’mon ol’ top, someone so obviously proper should know a thing or two about guest hospitality, wouldn’t ya think? And besides, my folk seemed pretty upset when they talked to me. If you heard the shaking in their voices, you’d be hard pressed to deny that they really, really, wanted me down here. And I know that your heart isn’t so cold as to leave a lonely kitty like me on the streets.” She looked towards him with big, hammy, eyes and a forcefully quivering lip.


Rod spluttered and sputtered. But no known words came from it. “Ah, eh, pheh, c-could I least know your name then?” He finally spat out.

“Nia,” she answered coolly. “Legally, my actual name is Antonia, but, eh, I personally think that’s an awful name. Too many syllables, and none of the letters roll into the next one, so it sounds all clunky and gross. So I’d preferred to be referred to as Nia.”

“N-Nia it is then,” Rod grumbled under his breath. With the matter settled, Nia returned her attention to the television. Rod couldn’t think of anything more to say. Accusations and claims of depravity flung within his skull like the wicked witch in a tornado. But the horrid cackling that rung in his ears he was unable to reverberate outwardly. And so he remained silent.  He awkwardly twiddled his thumbs where he stood. Realizing that any retaliation from him would be like a snowstorm occurring in hell, he sat himself back down in his chair, which rested right next to the couch.

“So what’s your name?” Nia asked from the blue, her eyes still set on the t.v.

Rod looked up at her, his ears perking at the strange question. “Well, if you must know, my name is Rod.”

Nia shook her head. “No, I didn’t need to know, Rod. I was just trying to be friendly. Christ.”

Rod stood up from the chair. “N-now see here, young lady. Whether it be a guest or an unwelcomed intruder, I will not tolerate such rude word usage in this house. Jesus has no involvement in this matter, and as such there is no reason for you to bring his name up in such a way.

Nia turned her head and stared at Rod with her green eyes, the two wide dots looming over him like one would look over a painting. It was then then that he realized that through her gaudy hair and dress up, her eyes were undeniably beautiful. “You a religious man, Rod?” Her voice was calm and unnervingly genuine.

“Why, y-yes I am.” Rod answered. “And if you have a problem with that than I-“

“No, no, I think it’s sort of cool actually. It’s not often I get to hang around people like you these days.”


Rod’s mouth hung on his unsaid words. Coughing into his fist he continued. “Y-yes, well, my church has quite the sizeable attendance rate, so I assure you that we are far from a dying breed.”


Nia laughed. “Heh, well then maybe I just need to change what company I keep.”


Rod paused for a moment. “Hmm, yes, p-perhaps you do.”

The air in the room became thick with an uncomfortable silence, one which made the both of them stir in place. Rod brushed at his turtle neck sweater, pulling at the collar awkwardly. Nia’s tail waved silently behind her. Unable to make eye contact, she kept her face glued to the screen.

The tension finally broke when heavy footsteps thumped outside. With a sigh of relief, Rod turned his gaze to the entrance. Almost instinctively he walked to the door, his stubby tail wagging as he did so.  Nia sat up and watched from behind the couch. The hoodie she wore shuddered as her ears twitched from under it. She quickly put her shoes back on, whilst her whiskers flickered on her face nervously. “He didn’t sneak a call while I wasn’t paying attention, did he?” Twiddling her claws, she chuckled to herself at the ironic notion of how her voice came out more mouse like than feline.

Rod waited by the door, his lips curling up into a smile as the fumbling lock signaled its undoing. With creaking hinges the wooden frame slid open. “Why, hello, Rod.” Her voice was burly and raucous. Like a jolly saint nick, it reminded Nia of. Setting down the groceries she carried in her arms, the large woman bent down wrapped her arms around her husband. Holding him to her face, the two kissed lovingly. Nia felt her stomach swirl with illness. She stuck out her tongue and made an audible “yick” sound.

The corpulent collie set her husband back down in front of her, and that’s when Nia got a good glance at the woman. She was tall and surprisingly built, about a head above her partner in terms of height. She was casually dressed in a standard floral pattern sun dress, while from below her toes squeezed out between her wicker sandals.  Her bosoms hung boldly from her chest, and her cheery smile and lively eyes exhibited to the world her undeniable confidence. From where she stood, her eyes fixated on Nia who silently watched from afar. Bending down closer to her husband she audibly whispered, “So, uh, mind introducing me to your guest over there?”


Rod quickly looked between the two and gasped when he remembered that a surprise guest was still present inside his dwelling. “O-oh my, how forgetful of me.” He smiled at his wife sheepishly. She stared at him with a raised eyebrow, her arms crossing as her head followed his movement over towards the couch. “Liana, this here is Nia, she, uh, decided to, um, pop in for a visit.” Turning his eyes over to Nia, he reversed engineered his greeting. “And this, Nia, is my dear wife, Liana. You, uh, may remember seeing her from that party you reminded me off.”


“Party? What Party? I haven’t been to any parties here recently.” Liana began to tap her toes on top of the wood floor, with each pat sounding like a hammer on a nail.


“Ah, heh, I don’t seem to be able to recall of it myself. B-but you know how forgetful I can be” Rod twiddled his thumbs as he spoke, his eyes unable to remain in contact with his wife’s.  “B-but she simply insists that her parents know of us, and have asked that we watched over her until their return from whatever business they’re attending to.”

“They asked you? Or did she?” Liana’s lips curled.

“Ah, heh, uh, ha, ha, well, um… she, uh, did.”

Liana glared at Nia. “How old are you?”

Nia’s fur stood on end across her body at the tone of the question. “I’m eighteen.”


“Eighteen, huh?” Liana scratched at her head. Bending her legs, she grabbed the groceries and lifted them up, her arm muscles visibly straining while she did so. “May I have a word with you in the kitchen, Rod, sweetie?” With heavy steps she made her way from the front door. Rod looked nervously at his feet. With his head remaining down, he followed Liana into a far hallway, presumably leading him to the kitchen.

Nia was alone, with only the sounds of whatever music video was playing to keep her company. She rubbed at her head, her eyes wincing when she realized the all the noise had given her a severe headache. Grabbing the remote in front of her, she flipped the channel, hoping to find something more somber to better ease her pulsing temples. She clicked the controller until the channel landed onto the local news. With the generally sedated programming left on, she curled up her legs onto the couch and then hugged them tightly against her body. She could faintly hear the two discussing matters in the far off room, but what actual coherent words were being said, she didn’t know for sure. “Damn, I was really hoping the misses would be less commandeering.” Nia breathed a heavy sigh. With tired eyes she looked blankly at the television.

On the bottom of the screen in bold white text the blue news banner read aloud, “local woman falls victim to unknown allergies.” The camera was focused on the peppy news reporter, a busty golden lab who commented on the grim scenario with a peculiar optimism. “That’s right ladies and gentlemen, right outside of Adendale’s very own local Shevey’s Groceries, an unsuspecting shopper was stricken by a severe allergic reaction that caused her entire body to swell up to giant proportions. Paramedics have arrived to help aid the woman. They claim her heart is still pumping, but given her tremendous size, some difficulties will be had to transporting him to the nearest hospital. “

Nia tilted her head at the spectacle that was being broadcasted. The scene on the screen switched to the gargantuan pedestrian as was referred to by the anchor lady. A plethora of hosts dressed in white attire flocked over the occurrence, preforming various actions in an attempt to rescue the poor soul. For once the news wasn’t fabricated, the woman was just as large as the anchor had described. Tattered clothes laid strewn around her, having since burst off due to her sudden growth.  A large black bar was placed between her blubbery legs, censoring out her genitals. The poor girls’ head was hidden away on the other side, obscured by her jiggling mountain of a belly. Nia’s eyes narrowed as they perceived the odd story. Shaking her head, she shut the television off with one simple press of the remote.

Nia crossed her arms behind her head and laid her body down across the couch. “What will this world think of next? Who knew so many embarrassing and horrible ways to suffer could exist.” She rolled over onto her side. A feint smile crossed her lips, an abrupt yawn then breaking through the feign attempt at joy. From under her breath she began to sing to herself. “The world is full of tragedy so how can it be wrong? Singing death, death, devil, devil, evil, evil, songs.” She closed her eyes and scratched behind her ears, her fingers digging into the hoodie. With nothing more to do then await their verdict, she accidently fell off into a refreshing sleep. Unbeknownst to her, a deep purr started to resonate from her throat and through the room.

Rod and Liana watched over the couch from the hallway. “You see, sweetie? I couldn’t just turn her down and let her go off on her own by herself.” Rod looked into his wife’s eyes. “I see her walking the streets all the time. If she isn’t with a bunch of equally rattie looking kids then she’s usually by herself, just walking along aimlessly, her hoodie up and her head down. Just by looking at her radical hair and attire, you can just tell she’s looking for someone to notice her and pay her some attention. A lot of the times I’ll notice her hanging around the church during our weekly Sunday service. No doubt she does it to try and get a ruse from the most conservative and modest people she could think off. That’s why I think she choose me. Although how she was able to find out where I live, I can’t help but be a bit unnerved by.”

Liana closed her eyes and shook her head. “I was flabbergasted to know you let a complete stranger into our house. And hearing that only makes such feelings even worse.” “She opened one eye half way and smirked at her husband. “I know how naturally charitable you are, Rod, but such things aren’t worth putting your safety in jeopardy for.”


Rod smiled at her. “I don’t fault you for feeling that way. But I suppose I can’t help that putting my neck out there for others is only my natural instinct. And besides, you should already know what a good judge of character I am. I married you after all, didn’t I?”


Liana rolled her eyes, her nose sputtering as she tried to quiet her laughter. “Oh gosh, you are such a ham, Rod.” She wrapped her hand around one of his. “But I can’t deny it, you are certainly a man of high standards.”

With his wife’s grasp over his, Rod stepped forward and led her to Nia. The two peered over the couch and watched the sleeping cat in silence. “It wasn’t easy voluntarily letting someone like this in, and even now I’m still hesitant on completely trusting her. But for an on the whim decision, I can’t help but feel like I made the right choice.” Rod squeezed Liana’s hand.

With her free hand, Liana began to wipe away the tears that formed in her eyes. “Well, for a rattie looking hoodlum, she doesn’t seem too, too threatening. Although I must say, it’s been a long, long time since I last saw someone sleep so peacefully.” Liana let go of her husband’s hand and walked around the couch. Bending down, she carefully scooped her delicate fingers under Nia and lifted her up, without so much as a grunt from her mouth or a strain in her arm. “Hmm, awfully light she is. I’d wager all this tacky clothing makes up the majority of her weight.” Her steps were still heavy and booming, but as carefully as a giant could be, she addled along on the tip of her toes to help ease the thundering noise of her walking. Past Rod and through the hallway, she stopped at a room whose door still concealed it from any outside eyes. Her body became stiff as it stood in front of the wooden barricade. Rod squeezed himself between the wall and made it to the front of her, and with a gentle hand, turned the door knob and pushed the door open. It groaned along the musty carpet. Liana took in a deep breath, her large chest expanding outward before she breathed out a heavy sigh. With strained legs she slowly walked through the doorway.

                                                             ++++++++++

Her vision was blurry when she first came back around to consciousness. She sat herself up, rubbing her eyes as her head tilted wearily around the room. With one last yawn, Nia’s vision finally cleared enough to perceive where she was. It was a small room, and rather empty to boot. A small table rested at the side of her bed. The tiny lamp that sat on top the dusty wood was left on to gently illuminate the room in a cozy bronze tint. The walls had been painted a pastel pink and to the far side of the room was a rickety crib, the inside filled with various toys and play things. Beyond that, there was nothing else to describe.

Tossing the covers off of her body, Nia bent over to find her backpack and hoodie jumbled together next to the bed. Reaching an arm down, she grabbed the zipper and pulled it open, digging a hand inside and shortly pulling it out with a flat phone caught between its fingers. Squinting her eyes as the bright screen illuminated her face, she saw what time it was. “Three in the morning,” she mumbled to herself. Holding a hand over her mouth to cover a yawn, she threw her legs over the bedside and stood up. She hugged herself tightly and shivered when her bare feet touched the crusty carpet. “Ugh, this room looks like a foot hasn’t stepped inside it for years.” Feeling her nose twitch, Nia let out a petit sneeze as the dust in the air infiltrated her nostrils. Sniffing and rubbing her snotty snout, Nia’s eyes began to water from all the air born irritations. “I gotta get outta here. I don’t think I can take any more of this damn dust.”

 Nia grabbed her hoodie and threw it back over her plain white undershirt. Tossing her backpack around her shoulders, she crept slowly to the closed door. She grabbed the doorknob and felt her spine tingle when to chilled bronze infected her fingers with a lingering iciness. With a racing heart, she carefully turned the knob and felt her heart skip a beat to see it successfully roll over and open the door. She sighed with relief, the idea of being locked inside a strange room having since begun to haunt her brain.

Nia tiptoed into the hallway, which was completely black excluding the blue glow that radiated from the end of it. “Did…did they tuck me in while I was sleeping?” Her ears twitched nervously. “Did they inform any authorities? Does anyone know I’m even here besides them?” The hair on the ends of her tail stood up. Taking a deep breath, she slowly inched herself forward. Closer and closer to the light. Through squinted eyes, she saw an outline of a head sitting over the silhouetted chair. From its large size, she guessed it be Liana. Although what she was possibly doing up so late made Nia’s stomach feel uneasy.  She clutched her backpack straps with sweaty palms. Rearing her back, she tried her best at making only the smallest of noises as she began to tip toe to the front door.


“I sure hope you’re not planning on sneaking out, young lady.” Nia’s entire face winced at the sudden words. Liana looked over from behind the chair, although it was too dark to gauge what sort of expression she was making at Nia. “Come over here and have seat on the couch please.” Nia looked over to the door. It was only a short sprint away, and she had no doubt that she could outrun the wide woman. “It’s very rude to not answer someone when they are speaking to you.” Nia shivered where she stood. Liana’s voice was neither booming nor deep. Despite this though, it sent forth a bone chilling tone, one that paralyzed whoever heard it on the spot. Nia felt her face go cold. All at once she began to feel that she was severely underestimating the woman’s capabilities.  With a gulp, Nia did as she was ordered. She sidestepped past the chair and stiffly sat herself in the couch next to Liana.

The two looked at the glowing television, a crossed over megaphone icon looming in the corner, indicating that the sound was set to mute. The screen was black, but scrolling along the bottom was a line of white text which read, “epidemic alert, all civilians are requested to head out to their nearest shelter, doors will remain unlocked for the next 24 hours. Repeat! Repeat! Epidemic alert-“ and so it repeated.


“All of the channels have been set to this since six in the afternoon.” Liana’s voice was calm and with little emotion behind it. “If a virus is loose, the last thing I wanted to do was get us involved in a large crowd of panicking people. We have until six p.m. tomorrow to get there. The nearest shelter is a few blocks away, but it shouldn’t take long to get there. Regardless, we’ll leave as early in the morning as possible.” She shook her head. In the blue glow, Nia was faintly able to make out light tear stains within the fur that lined her cheeks. “That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about though. “Nia tilted her head. “Tell me about yourself. I want to hear your story. The real one.” Liana’s voice quivered a bit. With a cough into her fist, she regained her composure.

“My story?” Liana nodded. “Huh...” Nia linked her fingers thoughtfully together. “I really don’t have one to tell.” She looked up to the towering woman. “I suppose there’s no point in continuing my bluff then?”

Liana laughed meekly. “Well, ignoring how foolish it is to admit your bluff in the first place, yes, we’re both very aware.”


Nia blushed in the darkness. “Oh! Umm, so I see…” She turned her head away from Liana. “You’re not recording me or anything? Trying to dig some sort of testimony from my own words or anything like that?”


“No, sweetie. It’s your choice whether or not to believe me, but all I can tell you is what I know to be the truth.”

Nia scratched her head. Liana’s words sounded genuinely sweet, but she knew better than anyone how far a kind tone can get you with some people, fabricated or not. “Well, I’m just a stray wondering from place to place. Sometimes I go around asking for a room to stay in. And that’s about it. Nothing more, nothing less.” She chose what she said carefully, making sure to word any possible recording so that it seemed as though she was willingly let in, rather than the actual self-help entrance that had really occurred.

“Is that it then? Hmm, so I see.” Liana stood up from the chair, grunting wearily as she pushed herself up. I figured you’d be waking up at an odd time like this. I recommend that you try to get as much rest as you can, though.” Slowly she began to drag her feet in unison, taking her time as she made her way towards her room.

Nia quickly jumped up, raising a hand at the departing woman. “Well, hey now, wait a second. Is that all you wanted to talk about? Is that all you had to say?”

Liana wearily turned her head back at Nia. In the glow of the t.v. screen she nodded. “Unless there was something more that you wanted to discuss with me.”

“Well, uh, yeah, I, uh…” Nia’s tongue twisted like it was caught in a blender. She raked through her hair timidly, her ears lowering over her head. “I mean, I certainly won’t force you into talking about anything..., not if you don’t want to.”

Liana sighed. “Such a fragile ego youth can be.”

Nia’s fur flared at the remark. “Excuse me? If you think I have a fragile ego because I mixed up my sentence a bit, then lady, let’s just say that-“


“There is nothing that you need to say to me. I know how this sort of thing goes.”  Nia gasped as her words became trapped in her throat. “I was your age once,” Liana continued. “I was always the awkward one in the class. None of the boys liked me because they weren’t attracted to my rotund body, and thus, never had any reason to introduce themselves to me. While the girls only ever saw my emotions as a play thing. A fragile heart for them to step on, all in a vain attempt to mend their own broken consciousness. Our circumstances are very different, but the key issue at hand I think we both share. We just want to be heard. I found my sweet Rod. He listens to everything I say. But who do you have to hear you out?”

Nia blinked awkwardly at the words that were being said to her. She mumbled under her breath, but was unable to string out any sort of coherent rebuttal.

“Let me ask you again then. Is there anything you’d like to talk to me about?”

Nia could only shake her head, “N-no. No, there isn’t anything I want to say to you. Go on to bed, I’ll try to get some more sleep myself.”


“As you wish.” Liana continued on into the hallway, uttering a feint “goodnight” before disappearing into the inky corridors.

Nia sat down on the couch, huffing to herself as her rear made contact with the leather. From between her whiskers she could feel and hear her own teeth grating against each other. “Gah, stupid bitch. What the hell was that all about?” She growled through clenched teeth, her claws scraping into the leather. “Just a goddamn know it all armchair psychologist, she is. What the hell makes her think that I don’t have anyone else?” From outside a harsh wind battered against the window. Nia jumped in her seat, a violent shiver instinctively running through her body. Wrapping her arms around her body and hugging herself tightly. Throwing her hoodie back on, she groaned when the cold still shot through to her skin. Nia looked around for an extra layer of insolation, and grinned when she spotted a folded blanket neatly tucked to the side of the couch. She grabbed at it franticly and threw it over herself. Becoming engulfed within the quilted warmth of the sheet, she sighed with content to herself. Such warmth she was not accustomed to, and at this realization tears began to well up in her eyes. Without warning, she began to wail hysterically, her bitter tears staining the blanket as she buried her head into its’ comforting embrace. And so she cried, until eventually falling asleep, a hiccupping, coughing, very wet, mess.

                                                            ++++++++++

The morning sun shot through the glass of the window and landed directly over Nia’s closed eyelids. She scrunched her brow and shuffled her body so that it turned her face away from the early light of the day, but it was no use, she was unable to fall back asleep. Groggily rubbing her eyes, she sat herself up. Twisting her neck around, she gazed about the room, which was coated in a cheery yellow from the peeking light outside. The t.v. had since been turned off, and next to entrance of the apartment were two small traveling bags.

Nia’s nose wrinkled when the smell of cooking meat wafted through her nose. With twitching ears, she was faintly able to make out the sound of a buzzing microwave. Her shaking hands threw the blanket off from her body, the soaked cotton landing onto the floor next to the couch as a crumbled up jumble of fumbled cloth. She reared her feet over and onto the floor, pushing her body up on quivering legs. A shrill buzz pierced through her ears, causing her entire body to recoil in on itself. Whatever was cooking in the microwave was finished, and so was the first thing to greet Nia and her now ringing ears.

Nia followed the sound, yawning as it led her to the kitchen where she found both Rod and Liana idling about the tiny room, the both of them dressed in loose fitting jogging gear. Rod sat at the table, his eyes rolled over a newspaper that was spread out across the table. He chewed on a pen as he did so, his head resting comfortably on his left hand. Liana stood by the microwave. Her eyes were baggy and her hair was wild and ruffled, but despite it she still managed a toothy smile for Nia as she walked in. “Good morning, champ. I hope you’re well rested for the day ahead of us.” Nia blinked absently at the greeting. She nodded in acknowledgment and looked towards the floor. Liana sighed.

The buzzing microwave rang out again. Rod jumped in his seat at the sudden noise. Fixing his glasses back into place, he looked up with a smile as he greeted his wife and their breakfast. Bending over the table, Liana placed down two separate plates, one in front of Rod and the other in front of an empty chair. Grabbing the wooden stool, Liana pulled out the chair, an ear splitting screech merging with the rest of morning pandemonium. Nia cringed at the sound, but softened her expression when she saw Liana tilting her head towards the chair as she edged her over. Nia forced a small smile, the sides of her mouth wrinkling with blatant strain. She dragged herself over and wearily took a seat as she looked down over the food. On top of the saucers were standard instant breakfast biscuits, the melted cheese that coated the thin greasy sausages resembling a cheap plastic that held it all together with the slightly blackened bread. “Bon appetite,” Liana chirped out with a brief laugh.” Nia stared at the biscuit with little response. She held her arms over her stomach, her face turning a light green.


Grabbing her own dish from the microwave, Liana closed the door with a light slam and walked over to the table. Scooting the chair out for herself, she took a seat with the rest of the gang. Rod grabbed at the biscuit and took a slight bite, yelping as the scorching food scolded his tongue. Liana looked towards Nia, her heart instantly sinking when she saw her expression. “I’m sorry for the measly breakfast. I didn’t want to take too much time eating, and this was a quick fix, ya know?”

Nia’s head shot up at the words, her ears lowering down when she saw the tired eyes on Liana. “O-oh, no, no, it’s not that. The food looks good, really, heh.” She forced out a laugh, but in her subconscious she knew that Liana was able to see through the tear stains in her fur. “I… I just don’t feel well today. Not enough sleep I guess.”
Liana nodded understandingly. “I understand sweetheart. I really do.”

Everyone nibbled at their biscuits silently. Rod tried once or twice to break the mood with some light hearted conversation pieces, but quickly broke it off with a groan upon the cold reception he received. When breakfast was finished, all three of them stood up simultaneously. Leaving their plates on the table, they all walked over to the door. Rod and Liana threw the pre packed luggage that sat by the entrance over their shoulders, and Nia ran over to the couch to grab her own possessions. With everyone waiting by the door, Liana bent down onto her knee and placed a surprisingly light hand onto Nia’s shoulder. Like a mother sending her child off to school she spoke. “I don’t know how you’re feeling about all this, but I don’t think there’s anything for us to worry about. Me and Rod know where to go from here, stay close, and just follow us. We’ll get to the shelter in no time. Ok?”

Nia nodded lightly. “I know, I know.  I…” Her voice broke off. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before finishing her sentence. “I…, trust you.”

Liana grinned lightly. Standing herself back up she opened the door. When they were all out of the room, Rod pulled out a set of keys from his pocket and locked the door behind them.

Down the hall they walked, their footsteps echoing across the hollow carpeted corridor. At the end of the foyer, they all stood by the elevator door. Rod raised up a finger casually, and pushed the button marked with a downward arrow. From above them the floor counter rang. Ding. Ding. Ding. With mechanical gears swerving out of sight, the metallic doors slid open, and when the trio fumbled inside, interlocked together is where the doors wound up sliding back to. With a light whirring faintly buzzing around them, they all jolted slightly in place as the elevator lurched into its descent.

The small room was quite otherwise. In front of them the lighted numbers clocked their slow sink into the world. When the faded “one” flickered on, the doors again slid open. They all stepped forward, everyone’s eyes set onward while the door behind them closed silently.

Rod led Liana with his hand wrapped firmly around hers. Liana then offered her free hand to Nia, but drew it back to the side of her body after Nia drearily shook her head at the gesture. At the entrance parlor, there was no one behind the counter. If there was anyone left in the building at all was merely anyone’s guess.

Through the silent room and out the unlocked door. With the hard pounding of their shoes on the concrete, Nia took in a deep breath as she was returned to her natural habitat. The streets were as cold and grey as she’s ever seen them. Empty, the dreary ashy community felt like an old timey monochrome movie, with no one to help spread any color across the screen with their presence. Liana looked around with wide eyes. “Are we really the only ones left? No one else thought to wait a bit on this but us?” She averted her gaze towards that of her husbands. Rod could only shrug.

Nia shivered where she stood. “I don’t like this…, something in my gut tells me that were in a really bad spot right now.”

“I-I’m afraid I must conclude that my thoughts on this scenario has left my mind feeling rather anxious.” Rod wiped his shirt sleeve across his brow. “There’s n-no point in getting apprehensive now, though. Stopping here is o-only going to guarantee us a lot more trouble.”

“Then we’ve got no more time to lose. Rod, lead us the way.” Rod nodded at his wife in agreement. The group continued forward.  They traversed the vacant vicinity with chattering footsteps. To call any of it barren would be to sell it short. To the three of them, it seemed as though the entire city had been abandoned for years. They passed by broken bus stops, shrouded with cracked panels and broken glass, the benches that waited inside them cracked in half and splintered. Cars were smashed apart, their side doors having been pried open and their windows having been caved in. The tall building that glued the city together were left with destroyed windows and smashed entrances. “The city’s been completely totaled….” Liana looked around with a hand place over her mouth. “Did the virus or whatever it was really cause this much of a panic?”


Rod hugged against his wife’s arm as they walked. “I-I can admit to this place never really being the epitome of society, b-but not once do I ever recalled it looking this bad.”


Nia drew her hoodie over her face and walked with her head down. Every time she tried to look up, seeing the city as it was only made her heart strain inside her chest.

Only the repetitive grinding of their footsteps could be heard. With her eyes on the ground, Nia grunted when her body ran head first into the stiff bodies of Nia and Rod. Looking up, she gasped when she saw what it was that turned their bodies into ice. “I-It’s another person,” Rod stammered.


The woman they saw stood out at a distance of roughly ten to fifteen feet. What appeared to be a rabbit, huddled along on shaking legs, her bloody arms clenched firmly around her midsection while her ears dropped over her face. She groaned to herself as she walked, the miserable cries echoing all the way to the where Rod, Liana, and Nia stood. The sound was very clear in spite of the distance, and made all three of them shudder as they clumped together tightly at the sight.
 Rod and Liana looked to each other with saddend eyes. “Excuse me, miss, would you like some help?” Liana’s voice was back to the bombastic tone that Nia had first heard from her, but not even the loud cry could cover up her shivering frame.

The woman’s head shot up at them, her eyes wide and filled with panic. Cluttered, unkempt hair shrouded her scalp, while blood oozed from between her clenched arms. Her legs looked ready to give in as they shook violently from under her. Her lips quivered as she desperately tried to form the words needed to communicate with them. “I-I… I d-don’t want you n-near me…” Her chest heaved violently, the seemingly simple sentence apparently having been just too much for her to utter. With shuffling feet, she tried to drag herself away. With a loud crack, her left leg caved on itself and she keeled over onto the ground, a splatter of blood shooting from her mouth as her chest rammed against the concrete.

Liana immediately released Rod from her grasp and sprinted over to the woman. She knelt beside the fallen girl and threw her bag over onto the ground, opening its zipper and digging her hands inside for some first aid equipment. “I…I t-thought I s-said to stay away…”
Liana shook her head. “Not a chance in hell that I’m going to stand by and let someone die on the streets like this.”


Rod whimpered to himself. He took a few apprehensive steps forward, but was unable to fully commit himself onward. “N-now, Liana dear, d-don’t forget about the outbreak that started all of this.”

Liana was already tearing apart a roll of bandages with her teeth, wrapping the torn cloth tightly around the woman’s bloody arms. Little could be done before the poor girl spat out another pool of blood. With the red liquid dripping from her mouth, her eyes rolled up into her head. The strip of half torn bandages dropped from Liana’s mouth as she realized the futility of continuing on. Without another word, she rolled the remaining bandages and placed them solemnly back into the bag. Throwing the sack over her shoulders, she stood herself up with strained legs.

Rod and Nia watched from afar, silent in their observations. Rod licked his lips as he nervously tried to find the right words for the situation, while Nia simply felt her fists clench alongside her body. With an agitated grunt, Nia bumped into Rod as she ran past him, leaving him behind to rub at his shoulder while her feet furiously clapped against the concrete. Nia sprinted over to Liana and stopped herself mere inches from colliding with her. From where she stood Nia hastily reached out a hand and grabbed Liana tightly by the arm, tugging at it viciously. “C’mon, c’mon, let’s keep moving. I don’t want us to be out here any longer then we have to.” Liana gazed at the dead girl silently, her large body was unfazed by the tiny cat’s attack. “It’s not your fault, you did what you could. C’mon, let’s move it.” Lina’s body only stiffened at the barrage. “Don’t you want me to be safe? I can’t do this alone, not without you. Please, for my sake, we need to get away from this.”

Liana’s ears perked at the words. She turned around and looked down at the tears that had started to line Nia’s eyes. With one more glance at the body, she sighed. “This is all turning out to be much worse than I thought.” She tightly clenched her hands around Nia’s and removed them from her shoulders. “Let’s get going.” With their hands still intertwined, Liana dragged Nia along as she walked towards Rod on stumbling feet. Rod finally found his footing and began to race towards his wife. “What do you think you’re doing? Turn it around, we’re getting out of here asap.” Rod tripped over his feet at his wife’s words. He tumbled along on his legs with flailing arms. His feet screeched along the ground when he finally regained his footing. Looking up from his clumsiness, he found that both Liana and Nia had stopped themselves in their tracks. Liana looked behind them with a furrowed brow. When an audible groan befell over Rod’s ears, he shivered violently where he stood.

“I-is she still alive?” Nia’s voice was more like a whisper, and remained unnoticed by Liana whose attention was too focused elsewhere. They both jumped in place when they saw the previously numb girl place her hands onto the concrete. Her arms tensed as they fought against the earth’s gravity. With animal like grunts, she finally pushed up onto her knees and pulled herself up onto her two legs.  Rearing her stiff neck up, the girl stared at them with blank eyes and bared teeth. Her midsection bulged out from under her plain t-shirt, and with stomach churning gurgles, continued to swell out from her frame.

“K-kill…, m-me…”

Nia gasped at the grotesque display. Slowly she began to inch herself away with tiny steps. Liana had turned to stone at the sight, anchoring Nia to the scene as she pulled at her once more.

The woman’s stomach continued to extend outwards, slight ripples flowing across the protruding flab as it swelled. Wet gurgles and groans came from the expanding woman, her body turning into a meaty water balloon as it inflated.

“Liana, we can’t stay here any longer. We have to go and now.” Nia’s voiced cracked with distress. From behind them Rod whined to himself as he watched what was occurring before him. Liana’s mouth moved, but no words came out. She was left speechless.
  T
he Rabbit woman’s arms ballooned, turning into swaying blobs of flesh attached to her shoulders. Her breasts fattened up from beneath her shirt, pushing out against the cloth which began to tear along the base of her torso. An audible rip befell the group as the sound of her ass cheeks tearing out of her pants radiated across the otherwise empty streets. With a pop, her trouser buttons shot out onto the concrete in front of her. Bulging from her zipper was a pair of pink panties, gushing out from the clothing as what was sealed beneath them filled outwards with the rest of her.

Nia protruded her claws and dug them into Liana’s arm. With a yelp, Liana looked down at Nia with a burning gaze. “I’m not playing with you anymore, Liana, if you don’t get your ass into gear I’m taking Rod and we’re both leaving you to face that thing on your own.” Her fiery eyes did not let up, but with Nia’s words in her head, she veered them at the ever growing monstrosity that had since began to waddle towards them. The beast’s blob like arms swayed wildly as she held them out in front of her, her fat legs jiggling viciously as she slammed them against the concrete, leaving behind a slight indent within the pavement after each step.

Another ear splitting tear came from the beast as its shirt finally gave way to the sudden increase in mass. Spilling out from the torn garment was a lacy pink bra, tufts of fur poking from the holes that had formed within the silk as it strained to contain the swelling bosoms. The seams of her pants tore at the side as her thighs thickened from within the constraining pair of jeans. With each step another hem came lose. With each bound forward, more of her bulging legs became visible. Her pink panties spilled over from the top of her pants, her ass cheeks bulging out from behind her, rearing from the sides of her body like a personal blimp.

With one last jiggling jolt across its frame, the beast’s body swelled out all at once, causing what remained of its clothing to explode of its body and into a tidal wave of tatter. Liana held a hand to her mouth, her cheeks swelling with upchuck as she saw the naked body of the transformed girl. Her fat breasts hung from her chest like flabby punching bags. Her belly rolled over itself, turning her tiny navel into a large indented line across her gut. A thick blond brush topped off her vagina which from between her legs looked like a second hungry pair of lips.

Nia winced as Liana grasped her arm tightly. With her arm socket nearly severed from her body, Nia tumbled over her feet as she tried to keep up with Liana’s pace. Rod stood idle when he saw his wife sprinting towards him. With her free arm she quickly flung it around her husband. With a loud grunt she flew him over her shoulder. Rod jumped and jittered along his wife’s back, his swinging hands clinging desperately to the side of his face as he tried to ensure that his glasses didn’t go flying from his muzzle.
  D
rool dribbled from the monster’s mouth. Licking her teeth, she began to swing her fat legs over and over at a faster pace. With each slam of her wobbling frame, dust and debris fell from the buildings. Each monstrous step made Nia and Liana jump slightly as the force bounded them upwards a few centimeters. Laughing, the beast reared one of its legs up, and with the surrounding fat waving like the ocean in a violent storm, she flung it violently atop the ground. The vicious shockwave shook the earth from below them. Liana tipped forwards as the force sent her body flying over. Rod flew across her shoulder back first. Some odd feet in front of Liana he landed with a gut wrenching thud on top of the concrete. Nia was dragged down as Liana topple over, her face smacking against the concrete as she came down. The two of them slid against the crusty streets together, their bodies sprawled out as they crash landed.

Rod’s chest heaved as he laid still. With a convulse along his arms, he slowly edged his shivering hands onto the ground, and pushed himself into a sitting position. His glasses had flown off his face and his beady eyes squinted as they tried to make out what was happening.

Liana coughed up blood where she lied. When she lifted her head up, the world she saw whirled and swayed like a bad trip. She clutched a hand to her head when a piercing pain shot through her skull. She slowly looked over to Nia who still remained on the ground with unopened eyes. Blots of blood dribbled from her bottom lip and nose. Liana forced a leg up from beneath herself. With constrained whimpers she brought the second leg up beside it. She bent down groaning, and grabbed Nia where she lied. Gently tossing Nia’s limp body around her shoulder, she began to march towards Rod on a limping leg. Rod stood himself up wearily, his body swaying to and fro as his comprehension of the world vanished right before his eyes. Liana grabbed him by the hand and pulled him along beside her. Through the tears in her eyes, Liana was able to make out a building some feet down which possessed a set of revolving doors. The fur on her face became matted with a fresh coat of blood and her vision went blurry from exhaustion. It was the only chance they had.

The beast behind them waddled with flaying arms, its fur having since become soaked with sweat. Such strength came at a price, and as it slowly flung each leg in front of the other, Nia looked up to the sky briefly with thanks that such a monster was so incapable at basic movements.

With a stash of fresh air stored in her lungs, she bounded forward. Her legs tightened with fatigue, the cramps that overcame them felt as though a bag of bricks had been dropped on her legs. Her heart stung like it was hive full of wasps. Her mouth was bone dry, heavy pants exuding from her arid throat. Step by step. Each move forward felt like an eternity in hell. She closed her eyes. She bit her tongue till it bled. She felt the grasp of her husband’s hand tighten into hers fearfully, like a lost child. Along her shoulder she could feel Nia’s tiny, helpless body, spring up and done with every agonizing inch forward. “So this is it? All those years of my maternal instinct having to rot on the back burner. All those years I never got to be what I should’ve been. All those years I should have spent being a good mother…bound into one single moment.” With clenched teeth she placed her shoulder along the revolving door and pushed inwards like a bulldozer. The old door scrapped along the floor like chalk on a board. Inside the building, she dragged Rod forward and into the center of the structures interior. She let go of her husband’s hand and placed Nia down onto the carpeted floor gently. Then it all went black.

                                                      +++++++++++

Her eyes opened slowly, the bruised lids that covered them throbbing as they gave way to the dim dusk that crawled into the room. Her entire body felt stiff, each and every bone inside her aching as she laid half consciously on the hard ground. A gentle hand picked up her head, and a sudden flow of water coursed over her lips, causing her to cough violently.  The tiny current stopped and an unknown piece of cloth wiped over her lips. A plastic bottle top was then forced into her mouth, tilted slightly so that the contents inside didn’t drown her in rapid succession. She secured her lips around the plastic like a suckling babe, the refreshing liquid quenching her since parched throat. Her neck muscles screamed when she tilted her head, but through her cringing face, she forced her head sideways so that she could see the large body that rested beside her. “L-liana.” When she heard her own voice, she felt her body quiver at how weak it sounded.

Nia closed her eyes. She took in deep breaths, her chest rising and falling in time like a metronome. She counted under her breath. One. Two. Three. Gasping with pain, Nia sat herself into sitting position. Rod watched absently beside her. He was unable to bring himself to stop her. With clenched fists, she brought herself to her feet, her lip beginning to bleed again as she bit it. She dragged her leg over. Her entire body was limp and fragile. A scarecrow would have seemed like a sturdier being when compared to her current condition. She dragged her other leg over. Finally, she positioned herself so that she loomed over Liana, her vision having become too twisted with pain to get a good look at her savior. Her legs began to shake under her, and in the blink of an eye her knees gave out. She held out her arms as she fell, scraping her elbow in a line of blood as she fell onto the concrete. Right next to Liana, she wrapped an arm around her large, soft body. “T-thank you.” She muttered. “I-I’ve never known anyone else who would have done this for me.” Rod sat somberly beside them. In his chest he felt his heart swell with pride. If he didn’t know any better, he would have said that the sweet girl he saw before him had been raised as his very own daughter.

The growling beast reached her arms out towards them from a distance. But that was all it could do. Its body jiggled as it tried to force itself onward, the endless inches of fat of that covered her having since become caught between the revolving cage, anchoring her raging frame inside the wall.

“How are you feeling?” Nia looked over to Rod and sat herself up wearily at the question. She saw bandages soaked with red top his head. The fine hairs that hung from his face had become twisted and wiry as they became gelled with dirt and blood.

“Well… every inch of my body seems to be in searing pain,” Nia forced out a meek little laugh. “But I think I could walk it off if need be.”


Rod nodded. “Yes, yes, very good to hear.” He looked down at his wrist, staring at the fractured frame of his watch. He rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, I’m not sure how long it’s been since I busted my watch, but the hand seems to have left off at a little over noon. We should have roughly 6 hours remaining.” He looked back at the barricaded beast. “We can rest here for a while, but there’s no telling how many of those are roaming the streets. We’ll definitely have to play it a lot slower from here on. My only concern is…,” Rod looked over his wife with quiet eyes.

Nia averted her gaze to the ground, her neck muscles stiffing as she found herself unable to look back again at how bloodied up Liana had become. Her ears twitched atop her head. A tiny smile then curled over her lips. With widening eyes, she looked up at Rod. “I just realized. What happened to your stutter?”

Rod’s ears perked at the remark. Holding his finger up to his mouth, he chuckled faintly to himself. “My stutter? Why, I didn’t even realize it had disappeared.” He shook his head and sighed, all the while still laughing merrily to himself. “Heh, well, I suppose it’s only right at this point.”

Nia tilted her head. “Wait, what’s only right?”

“Well,” Rod connected his eyes with Nia’s. Through his failing vision, he was still able to see the beauty that was to be found in her emerald green gaze “I only ever stutter when I’m nervous about something. Which, for the most part, is generally when I find myself in the company of people I don’t feel to be trusting. I try to not be so doubtful of other people’s good will, but it’s just something I can’t help for whatever reason.” He paused momentarily. Looking up at the ceiling, he interlocked his fingers as he looked up silently. “My stutter only seems to disappear when I’m around people I find to be worthy of my faith. And, well…, before now that had ever only been Liana and my fellow church members.”

Nia felt the soreness that engulfed her body lighten ever so slightly. She looked down at the ground solemnly after hearing such words. “Ah, so I see.”

An awkward silence overcame them as they observed the world in parallel directions, with only the growling pig behind them to offer any sort of distractions from their inner contemplations. “I try to be optimistic.” Rod broke the silence with his whispered words. Nia instantly looked up as she heard him speak. “I try to put my faith where I feel it is deserved. But time and time again, the world only ever seems to disappoint me.” He turned his head to the flabby foe that had pushed them to where they currently resided. “Seeing all of this happen, and so suddenly. Well, if you ask me, then I’d say that we’ve had this coming for quite some time.”

Nia began to pick at the ground as she listened, her fingers idling somberly around a tiny pebble as she it kicked back and forth with
her extended claws. “You really think we’re that bad, Rod?”


“That is not my judgment to call. Although, when asking for my personal opinion, I can’t say I’m terribly impressed.”

“I see…” Nia lied herself back on the ground, lifting her head up as she rested it atop Liana’s chest. “Guess it’s only logical that people like me would be the cause of all of this.” Her lips barely moved as she murmured to herself.

Nia could just barely feel the rise and fall of Liana’s lungs. Her sensitive ears were able to pick up the feint thumbing of her caretakers’ giant heart, and she smiled to herself knowing that some life still managed to reside inside, in spite of the poor girls outwardly demeanor. Liana’s fur was soft and pleasant to the touch, as always, but little warmth could be drawn from it when knowing her current condition as she lied on the concrete ground. Nia rolled onto her side and wrapped an arm around the large body, sighing as she felt the tension in her nerves ease up slightly when she squeezed herself against Liana’s arm.

Rod stood himself up on unsure legs. He toppled over slightly as he straightened out his back upon standing, but with both hands readily held outward to catch himself, he regained his footing with his legs spread out as he evened his weight between them. Slow steps were taken, each one directed towards Liana. With jittering hands, he pulled the back pack from around his shoulders. He set the sack the onto the ground and sat himself beside his wife. The zipper came undone with a loud rip, and the sound of collected clutter being pushed about resided before he pulled out a water bottle. Looming over   Liana, he gently opened her mouth, which seemed huge in comparison with is rather tiny hands. Bringing the bottle over to her lips, he carefully placed one hand under her head and pushed it up for leverage, positioning her neck properly as he brought the top of the bottle to her muzzle. Its contents poured slowly, but a quick stream was sent onwards when Rod’s nervous hands unconsciously shook the bottle upward. The gush of water filled her mouth and dribbled down across both sides of face. With the abrasive substance clogging her wind pipe, Liana began to cough viciously, her body rearing up as drops of water splattered over Nia who had been knocked to the side by her sudden movement.

Liana held a tight hand to her chest as she gasped for air. Opening her baggy eyes, she slowly peered back and forth between Rod and Liana. Rubbing at the back of her head, she smiled sweetly at them. “How long was I out for?”

Rod opened his mouth to answer, but the sound of Nia’s ruffling clothes as she swiftly threw her arms around Liana interrupted them. “Y-you’re ok.” Nia buried her face into Liana’s fur as she hugged her. “I-I didn’t think you’d make it.”

Liana looked down at the purring cat with wide eyes. She looked up to Rod who only shrugged, his teeth baring as a small smile crossed his face after seeing such a display. She focused her attention back at Nia. With a deep breath, Liana wrapped her arms around Nia, and returned her affections. “Why, of course I’ll be ok. You didn’t think that fat nobody would be enough to take down this work horse, did you?”

Nia looked up from Liana’s furry body and giggled softly. “Logic has no place when it comes to people you care about. It’s natural to always be worried about someone who’s important to you.”

Liana squeezed Nia against her chest at the words she said. “All too true my sweet, all too true.” Finally, she gave Rod her full attention as her gaze was lifted up to him. “Sorry about that, sweetheart. You seemed like you had the time.”


Rod shook his head as he laughed to himself. “No need to be sorry, my dear. You know how much it means to me to see you so happy. Now.” He looked over to a window, his brow becoming furrowed as he examined the coloring of the sky outside. “I believe it was about six when we got here. I’m not sure how long we’ve been resting for, but I’d say it could be anywhere between one to two in the afternoon.”


“Do you really think they’ll keep the doors unlocked with those things rummaging around outside?” Nia interrupted with the sounds of concern coating her voice.

Liana began to rub Nia’s head lovingly. “That’s a good question, but there’s no telling as of now. What we do know for sure is that it’s currently our only choice of action. If it turns out to not be, well, then we’ll just have to go from there accordingly.” Liana turned her head up and looked at the beast as it stood between the doors. It looked at her with tiny, hungry eyes, countless drops of sweat lining its body while its chest heaved as its lungs tried to support such a huge frame. “That’s all we’ll have to do,” she whispered under her breath.

Rod nodded at her words. “So that just leaves us with the most important question at hand. Do you think you’ll be able to travel comfortably enough, Liana?”

Liana placed a hand over her stomach, but smiled at her husband all the same. “Yes, I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’m a little hungry though, but that’s something I can force myself through, no problem.”

“Very good, very good.” He pulled his back pack to his lap and opened it once more. “There’s no reason to go hungry though. Let’s have a quick bite and then we’ll be on our way.” With his hand inside the bag, he pulled his arm out with a fist full of snack bars. Leaning over he handed one to both Liana and Nia, all the while reserving one for himself. “Let’s make them last,” he finished with a chuckle.

The beast began to rock restlessly from afar as it watched them eat, its fat breasts swaying as it tried to struggle through its contaminate. Nia nibbled at hers’ silently, never being much of a fast eater to begin with. Rod took a decent bite from his bar, his cheeks revolving as he chewed his food nice and thoroughly. Liana looked at her bar with distant eyes. From inside her mouth she could feel her tongue moistening as saliva began to exude from it.

Liana tore the wrapper from the bar in a frenzy, ripping it to shreds like an excited child on Christmas morning. The brown, peanut butter covered bar sat in her shivering hands. With her maw opened wide she shoved the entire edible stick into her mouth whole, chewing it sloppily between her teeth. She licked at her fingers, sticking them into her mouth and sucking on them with loud slurps in an attempt to make sure that every ounce of the bar made it into her gullet.

Rod and Nia watched with raised eyes, staring at Liana in silent concern with their mouths full of the half eaten bars. Liana looked up at them while licking her lips. “Are you gonna finish those?” she asked with a grin that showed her crumb covered teeth.

“I, uh, a-are you feeling ok, sweetie?” Rod held the bar close to his body, wrapping his hands around it so that he could cover as much of it from Liana’s sight as he could.

“Yeah, yeah, I, uh, I just feel so unbelievably hungry right now. I feel like I could die of starvation at any moment.” Liana was shivering as she spoke. Her lips quivered along the side of her face while her tongue hung out, dripping with drool as her chest heaved with heavy pants of air.

“Well, we’re hungry too,” Nia answered. “We’ve all got to eat something, me and Rod just can’t go hungry.” She looked over to Rod, her big eyes now diluted with worry. “I mean, how much food did you even bring, Rod?”

“N-not that much. We had to travel lightly, remember? I-I was hoping that the shelter would be smart enough to be able to provide enough for everyone that evacuated to it.”

“Well then you two can eat when we get to the shelter.” Liana lunged forward and grabbed the bag away from Rod. She stood herself up as she tore the bag open, spilling any edible goods within onto the floor around her. “I used up a lot of energy saving your asses. Big girls gotta eat.” Liana stooped over and began grabbing at the poured food with ravished fingers. Seeing her desperately grasping at the food from the dusty floor was akin to watching a drug addict hopelessly trying to get their next buzz.

“Ah, L-Liana, darling. Y-you can’t go around b-behaving like this. I-it isn’t like you…,” Rod began to scoot himself away. His lips trembling as he separated himself from his own wife.

Nia watched with her mouth held ajar. This was not the woman who just saved her life mere moments ago, she could feel it in her gut as she felt it wretch with disbelief. She jumped up onto her feet, chewing her lip while she examined the sudden transformation in Liana’s demeanor. Feeling her heart sink at the sad display, she clenched her fist, blood beginning to drip from her hands as her claws unknowingly dug themselves into her palms. “That is enough.” She marched over to Liana and grabbed her by the shoulders. Nia’s arms tensed as she attempted to bring the scavenging woman back up to her feet, but let out a gasp when Liana’s bulk was just too much for her scrawny frame. Unable to lift her, Nia did the first thing to pop into her head. She reared her hand back, and swiped it across Liana’s cheek. Her claws then dripped with Liana’s freshly coated blood. Liana remained still, sitting herself back and bringing an arm up to her face. With tears in her eyes, she rubbed at the dripping red lines that scarred her muzzle.

Liana’s eyes went wide. Her chest convulsed as she hiccupped, her mouth quivering as she tried to retain how apparently upset she was. “I…I…” She fell over onto her hands, her entire frame trembling like a bowl of jelly. “I…, I don’t feel so good.” Nia was reminded of herself coughing up the odd hairball when she saw Liana beginning to heave. Her chest deflated like a squeezed tube as she coughed, a ghastly wet gagging noise echoing through the empty building. With one last heave, blots of blood shot from her mouth, splattering in a wet, sickening array across the floor. She leaned herself up right, clenching her stomach with both arms as she tightly hugged her torso.
“H-help…me.”

“Liana!” Rod stood himself up in a hurry. Panting as he ran on his short legs, he put an arm around his wife’s shoulder when he stood himself next to her. Shaking her body, blotches of sweat dampened his shirt as panic started to set in. “Liana, Liana, w-what is it? S-speak to me.”

 Nia watched with silent restraint. She lifted her hands up and stared at the blood that covered them. Shaking her head, tears began to line her eyes.

“G-get away…, I-I can feel s-something bad brewing inside me. P-lease…,” Liana’s body leaned over as she hurled out another pool of blood onto the ground. She leaned over moaning. With her hands locked together over her growling stomach, she began to whimper silently. “W-what’s happening t-to me?” At the mention of the question a sudden bulge shot forth from her midsection. Liana’s deduction of her inner combustion was that something of a nasty substance had trapped her body with its seduction.

Rod instantly raised his hands off of his wife, clenching his fingers while he tried to distance his touch from her. “L-Liana, y-you’re blowing up. J-just l-like-“ Rod was unable to finish his sentence. With wide eyes his mouth began to tremble.


Nia looked slowly behind them at the monster. The beast had remained quiet in its compartment, neither growling, scowling, or clawing. With watery eyes she looked back at Liana. “Rod…, I think we need to get a move on.”
Rod turned to Nia with bared teeth. “W-what? You mean, y-you’d rather just leave her like this?”

Another growth spurt within Liana’s stomach shot forth, causing her belly to swell like bread in the oven. “L-listen to her, Rod. I-I can feel it. Whatever was o-out there is n-now inside me. T-take Nia, you b-both need to get out right n-now.” Her naval peeked out between her jogging pants and shirt as another round of growth occurred. The cloth of her pants began to stretch out sideways as her rear filled with the virus’s infectious inflation effect.

Rod blinked distantly. Feeling his arm suddenly jolt away from him, he caught Nia eye to eye as she grabbed him by the arm. With her free hand she wiped her eyes clean of any tears before looking away from him and to Liana. “I-I see…,” he whispered.

Liana’s breast spilled over her locked arms as they plumped out extraordinarily. Her arms and legs fattened alongside her, stretching the usually loose fabric tightly along her body. She pushed her arms into her stomach, a sad attempt at withholding the uncontrollable growth. Loud, sickening, rumbles radiated from her rotund belly. At a steadier pace her body began to swell, filling out her clothes as holes started to tear along the fabric. Tears rolled down her swollen cheeks, becoming lost in the fatty rolls under her chin. With her bloated face in the way, there no longer existed any decipherable words that she could utter out desperately. Only sad, defeated whimpers. Her body ballooned but her mind had yet to alter. With watery eyes she witnessed her body transform into the same grotesque blob that had pursued them not to long ago. The beast in the door frame lashed out, stretching its flabby arms toward its analogous ally.

Nia dragged Rod to the far end of the room. He tumbled along his feet as he tried to follow her, his poor vision having since cursed him with lackluster motorey skills. With the only decent pair of eyes available, Nia jolted her neck all over the place as she frantically searched for an exit. The room was a large square, with windows lining along its four walls. “C’mon, c’mon, there has to be an emergency exit around here somewhere.” Nia bit her lip as she scanned her surroundings for any sort of alternative.

Before she could take another step into her search, the floor below them suddenly shook about violently. Rod stumbled over his feet and fell down with flaying arms, dragging Nia to the floor with him as they landed on each other with a loud thump. Shaking her head back into place, Nia turned her gaze behind them, her ears drooping down as she saw what caused the miniature earthquake.

Liana had gotten back up onto her feet. Her fat stomach hung over her pants like dirty laundry over a drying wire. The amorphous blobs that were her breasts pushed out from her shirt, straining the cloth as patches of fur shot out from the collar, like unkempt grass. Her large thighs that widened inside her grey jogging gear gave her the impression of a giant impenetrable wall. With one step forward, the floor below her giant foot shattered as the concrete gave way to her massive weight. The entirety of her body convulsed, with every movement she made, large ripples flowed along her body as the fat transferred her strength along her skin in one continuous roll.

Rod’s lips stammered hopelessly. Without his glasses, he still was able to see what had become of his wife. Liana held the flabs of her stomach in her hand, laughing as her skin rolled over her fingers. The seams along her clothes all at once gave way. In one loud raucous rip, her shirt flew off her back as it tore from her torso. Her ass cheeks exploded from her pants, which in turn fell around her ankles as a pile of sad tatters. Her matching white panties and bra were all the remained, digging deeply into her flesh as she outgrew them. With another earth shattering step forward, her body swelled out once more. The panties and bra that struggled alongside her flew off. Her fat tits spilled out like an avalanche of flesh. Nia gasped when she saw Liana become so exposed. Quickly averting her gaze, she got up onto her feet and pulled Rod up by the arm, emitting a grunt as she did so. She towed Rod into the opposite direction and ran up to the wall, her neck nearly snapping when she shot her eyes up to the window. Rod looked up wearily alongside Nia, and then back at his wife for the last time.

“Here’s what we’ll do.” Nia tossed her eyes down to Rod as he spoke. “I’ll lift you up along the wall to the window. I’m not very tall, but it should give you just enough height to be able to reach out the window ad climb out of here.”
“B-but what about y-“


“My wife is gone. I have nothing else to live for.” His voice was somber, a strange sort of peacefulness radiating from his tone. “I’m old and washed out.” He grabbed Nia’s hand, squeezing it tightly. His eyes remained locked on Liana as he spoke. “You are our future, Nia. You and the rest of the youth that wonders the streets aimlessly. Well now I’m giving you something to wonder towards.”

Liana waddled towards them with large wobbling strides. Her watering tongue hung from her mouth. Licking her lips, she raised her arms and began grabbing the air as she slowly reached closer and closer to her targets.

Rod finally broke his eyes away from Liana. Nia’s shoulders slumped when she saw, for the first time, water in his eyes. “I trust I am in good hands. Do not worry about what will become of me.” Rod bent down, and with shaking fingers, unlaced his shoe. “I didn’t have any casual running shoes to wear. Dress shoes are all I got. I remember when Liana bought me this get up because she didn’t think I got enough exercise” He laughed under his breath. “I suppose more appropriate jogging shoes were just too expensive for her at the time. But god bless her soul for being so concerned for me and my health.” With the heavy footwear grasped between his palm, he reared his arm and chucked it up. The shoe shot up and flew out of the window, piercing the glass with an ear splitting shatter. Rod quickly grabbed Nia and pulled her away as shattered glass pelted the floor along the wall. “You’ll get scrapped up a bit, but it’s your only way out. Do try to watch your hands, though. You’ll need them for the climb down.”

Nia had nothing to say. She reared her head up to the splintered escape overhead. Closing her eyes, she sighed. Nia feel to her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around Rod, their joined bodies shaking as the intruding beast closed in on them. “Thank you, Rod. Knowing that people like you still inhabit this miserable earth makes it all the more worth saving to me.”

Rod’s body tensed upon her personal intrusion. Feeling her embrace over him, he loosened up slightly, and patted her back. “Yes, yes, but we only do it so that less fortunate souls are given a chance to feel the empowerment that love and compassion brings.  Because of people like you, you are what inspires us to try and change the world as best as we can.”

Nia released him from her grip. Looking into his eyes, she smiled through her quivering lips. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she stood herself back up. “Promise me you’ll give Liana my thanks when you two meet up later on.”

Rod nodded. “I most certainly will.” Bending down, he linked his fingers into a platform of which to support Nia with. Nia leaned her hands against the wall, and placed a foot gently between his palms. The shaking caused by Liana’s strides made Nia’s body wiggle on her uneasy feet, and so Rod wasted no time in hoisting her up with one swift movement. Hearing his grunt as he pushed her up, Nia looked over the window and quickly latched onto the smoothest section of the window frame she could find. She winced when tiny bits of glass pierced her fingers, but with strained arms pulled herself up through the pain. She placed her feet up on the outside window seal, and looked back at Rod and Liana one last time.

Rod sat himself down and crossed his legs. She couldn’t see his expression as his back was turned to her, but she did notice his hands coming together as he bent his neck down in prayer. Liana was only about a foot or two away from where Rod had positioned himself. She inched towards him with outstretched hands and moistened lips, he eyes entirely focused on her easy target. With her bulbous fat waving around her like a portable ocean, she clenched her hungry hands as she cornered her prey. Nia’s ears twitched when her mind reeled over what was going to happen next. She faced her head away from the scene, and down to the ground. The distance between the window and the ground was a rough fifteen or so feet. But in her gut she felt confident that she could make the jump down, after all, cats are known for always landing on their feet. She swung her body over, with her bleeding hands still grasped tightly onto the ledge. With her heart racing in her chest, she began to count down when to let go. Before reaching the second count, an unseen force shook the wall from the outside. With crumbling debris falling beside her, Nia lost her grip and fell backwards from the surprise shock. Tumbling down, she fell onto her back and slammed her head against the concrete. The world went black. Like a lost doll left on the street, Nia was at the mercy of whatever passerby came across her first.

                                                       ++++++++++

The first thing Nia felt was a splitting headache. Her eyes opened wearily, her blurred vision being unable to fully decipher where she was. Below her was a cushioned material, supporting her aching body while some type of cotton shroud had been tossed over her. A dampened cloth of sorts was wrapped her head and constricted her temples as they thumped with pain, her face wincing slightly with every throb. When she went to sit up, every cell in her body screamed with pain, its wailing orchestra manifesting itself as a faint groan from Nia.
 Nia’s body went limp in the bed. She shook her head slightly in disbelief at it all, the inside of its cracked crevasse becoming of a whirl of intangible thoughts as she reflected on the recent occurrences that had befallen her. “A…family…,” she whimpered to herself quietly. “I…, I actually had a family.”

“Well whatever that family was is long gone by now.”

Nia turned her stiff neck slowly to the side. Closing her eyes tightly and then opening them again, she was able to clear her vision enough to see the soul that sat in the room across from her.

“Yep, can’t imagine anyone else being able to make it in a town like this.” The nasally voice laughed. “Hell, speaking of such. The fact I was able to find you in one piece before those fat fucks got a hold of ya, why, you must be some really lucky bitch to be alive as you are today. Course’ let’s not forget that it’s especially lucky that it was me that found ya. Not many people have the honor of meetin’ me face to face.”

Nia’s entire face crinkled with cringe as she listened to him talk. The specific individual that referred to her as such sat in a chair, his legs sprawled out halfheartedly along the floor. He was dressed casually, old hole filled jeans covering his legs while a whit tank top was all there was to cover his pale upper body. His scrawny arms were busy polishing a twelve-gauge shotgun which he rested on his lap, the majestic silver looking quite out of place in the hands of such a try hard dweeb.  The cocky rat smirked at her when he saw the expression her face made at him.

Nia sighed. “What a far cry from what I had.” She closed her eyes, any and all interest in striking up a conversation with the “man” that saved her vanishing like a droplet of water in the desert.
“Well? Aren’t you going to thank me?” The rat that sat in front of her crossed his arms like a self-entitled twat.
Nia laughed softly. “I’m not going to give you shit, cowboy.”

He growled deeply at the response. Grabbing the gun between his hands, he stood himself up, the heavy weapon swaying along his arms as his bare noodles struggled to support it. The heels of his boots clicked along the floor as he walked up towards her. Standing beside her bed, he grunted while he lifted the gun up to her face with shaking arms. “You ought to reconsider your tone with your lord and savior.” His voice squeaked as he spoke. Nia bit her lips tightly to withhold herself from bursting out into laughter.

“Do it. Shoot me. Spare me of this hellish earth. Send me off to be with people I actually care about. Quality people. People who help others simply out of the goodness of their hearts. Not because of arbitrary rewards like hearing the words, thank you.”

A cold sweat broke along his face. The gun shook violent in his hands, his clammy fingers shivering as he struggled to wrap them around the trigger. With a gasp he dropped the gun to the ground, which landed with a hard smash. Nia tightly shut her eyes and drew her ears back. When no explosion came forth from the barrel after being dropped, her body slowly eased up. Looking up at him, she smirked. “Not even loaded is it?”

All he could do was stutter while standing in place. Interrupting his vapid garble, Nia leaned upwards when a loud gurgle bubbled from her stomach. His eyes went wide when his strained ears heard the horrid noise. “Y-your one of them? Aw, shit.” He began to back away slowly, his nervous nose twitching as he did so. “God damnit, I knew dragging your ass all the way up here would be a waste of time. I should of had my way with you while you were unconscious.” Nia’s stomach groaned like an animal in pain. Hearing her gut for the second time, the rat turned his tail around and sprinted towards the door. With fidgety hands he sloppily turned the knob. Throwing the door open, he never looked back upon high tailing it out of there.

Nia shook her head. “Don’t know why you had to bring God into it,” she mumbled under her breath.  With her hands clenched over her midsection, she felt her stomach physically rumble as it let out another distressed gurgle. “But this…, this doesn’t seem good.”

Nia’s body still seared with pain. Gritting her teeth, she tossed the covers to the side, and placed her legs over the bed. Her hands gripped the bedsheets beside her as she counted from three in her head. “One, two, three.” She forcefully shot her body upwards. Her legs shook feebly, tears rolling down her face while drops of blood dribbled from her lip after biting them so hard. Another growl emitted from her stomach. Already she felt like monster.

Dragging her feet one after the other, she slowly limped across the room. Nia had no idea what time it was, but the thought of her making it to the shelter burned in her head like coal in a steam locomotive, powering her forward as she sobbed quietly from the pain. “I can’t…let them down.” Nia gasped like a fish out of the water, her lungs exfoliating the air into loud, cough like pants. Looking around the room as she walked, her eyes widened when she saw two glass doors locked together, sealing the entrance to an outdoor balcony.  From there she was able to see the outside world, an orange blaze set afire over endless green as the afternoon sky met the earth. In her moment of stillness, a ticking sound caught her attention. Her baggy green eyes averted from the outside and up to a lonely corner of the room where a clock was hung. A circular tail swung from the bottom of the rustic cuckoo clock. Its arms were sprawled out into different directions, as if they were unable to tell up from down. Seven thirty-six, the hands read.

Nia stood completely still, her tail wrapping around her legs like a child to its mother. A weary smile shrouded her lips and she laughed a soundless laugh to herself. “So…, I’m too late then.” At that thought her stomach grumbled and gurgled, laughing at her defeat. Nia sighed, her chest deflating like a lifeless balloon. Her neck creaked when she turned it to look back at the wilderness outside. That was her home now, just as it was then. And she wanted a chance to see her new abode.

Her knees wobbled as she walked. Her tail dragged behind her along the floor, lifeless and dead. Her eyes were dry, incapable of producing anymore tears to shed. Her hands trembled, the cuts and scars that lined them rolling across her fingers.

Nia raised her arms and pushed against the glass door. The carelessly unlocked entrance slid along forward, opening up to her like a loved ones’ arms before a hug. She trekked through it and out onto the balcony which overlooked the land beyond. Her nostrils flared when she breathed in the fresh air, letting it flow through her body before allowing it to escape her mouth as one single refreshed gasp. With peering eyes, she gazed out into the untouched wilderness that surrounded her town. Below her sat the world as it as it was before being tainted by the horrid infestation that had inflicted since inflicted the earth. The realization that such beauty was to be found so closely to the grey prison she had lived in her whole life made her chuckle. “Home sweet home. There really is no place like it.”

Eager to get a peak of its new surroundings, her stomach reared outwards, sloshing as it pushed out from under her jacket. Nia rubbed at it coolly, her tired finger prodding the delicate skin. Her heart thumped gently in her chest, an accepting radiance flowering in her brain.

The jacket she wore became tight against her chest. Swelling from beneath the cloth, her previously modest breast were the next to become affected by the virus, straining the clothing from within. Her thighs plumped and her ass swelled out to the side. A loud rip shot out into the wild when her tight jeans gave way to a giant hole in the back, revealing her neon green panties. Her arms filled her sleeves, fattening up to resemble meat as it came out of the grinder. Her face cheeks ballooned and another roll of fat swelled from her face as she gained another chin to add to her collection. She never spoke, or fought against. This was how it was meant to be. She could feel it in her gut.

Nia’s entire body began to fatten out at a steady pace. Her ass bulged from her pants, tearing the cheap material across while her front button shot out and over the balcony rails as her crotch pushed it to its limit. Her jacket tore along the bottom as her torso doubled in size, proving to be too much for the tiny coat to bear.

As Nia’s last moment of self-awareness began to fade, she couldn’t help but get lost in her thoughts as she tried to decipher what was happening to her. She didn’t feel any pain from the sudden growth outside of her constricting clothes, which tore into her body tightly. Really, all she could’ve said was that in this moment, she couldn’t feel anything beyond the inevitable. Like the passing of the seasons or the alteration between night and day. It wasn’t something you necessarily felt, but rather an experience that you become familiar with. And after seeing her transformation twice, familiar with it was exactly what she was.

Nia’s jacket tore across in half, her blobby body jiggling as it shot out rapidly, freed from its compartments. Her pants slid across her ankles as they split along her expanding waist. Only her matching bra and panties were left, and she very well knew how their story ended.

From atop the balcony sat a large, still swelling, black blob. Large, rippling tits reflected the light of the sun as it bounded from the black fur that covered them. Below it all a creaking sound became audible. Cracks started to from along the balcony’s support beams.

With a snap and a pop, Nia’s underwear gave way. All that was left of her was a giant, naked, black blob. With her clothes now gone, her own humanity also gave way as its final moments clocked out. The last thing she did before her rational thoughts faded was smile. She smiled as her brain turned to Rod and Liana for the last time. She thought about them and how lovely it would be if she could just spend the rest of eternity with them. One happy family. Forever and always.

Nia raised her flabby arms high, spreading her them apart as if to greet her now found being. With her giant bowl of a belly swinging from her body, she reared her leg up and brought it back down with a smack that shot out for miles, trying to turn herself around from the end of the balcony.
That was all it took.

In an instant, the wooden structure gave way to her gargantuan weight. Nia toppled over with the splintering wood and concrete. Her rolls of fat billowed in the wind as she flew through the air and down to dirt below. The very earth shook as it all came crashing down in one giant heap. What was left of the fallen mess was a pile of rubble, all topped off with splots of black. Nia was no more.