Her thoughts then drifted to the night the soldiers came. Gas masks adorned their faces and her precious flowers were trampled into the ground, the blue door--once rose, once yellow, one bright red--was knocked down in an effort to rescue as quickly as possible. MG had been in the middle of composing and arranging the scrapbook she had treasured since childhood. A book that detailed her perfect wedding if she were ever to meet the one. David.
David was an unlucky one. He had gone to a store 20 miles away for a case of Yuengling when the virus was triggered. Shelves and carts were contaminated in every market. People who ate right after shopping were affected the most. The change in appetite was almost immediate. The cravings. Oh, the cravings. Nothing would satisfy. Except. MG shuddered at the thought. If David could see you now. The thought made MG tremble again. David loved MG as a friend. Always had. Sure, he thought a thought once in a while, especially about that one Halloween party when MG had dressed as belly dancer. Her body was healthy and lean. A runner's body.
If he could see me now. The thought kept circling. At the survivors' retreat heaviness was encouraged. Plump was in vogue. Designers sold nothing below a size 12. Exercise was discouraged and meals were rich and satisfying in unsatisfying ways. The survivors always wanted more. The retreat was a land of excess. Anything you wanted. Whenever you wanted.
"Miss, have you made your decision?"
MG forced herself to look at the man staring down at her with brown empathetic eyes. As she looked up she caught her reflection. The breasts she had once considered too small rested on a roll of blubber that had been squeezed upward as she zipped herself in jeans for the first time in years earlier that morning. A fat shelf for her fat bosom. Another mirror, propped next to the door she considered an escape hatch back to multiple sources of caloric comfort, reflected a different view. The body of the belly dancer, the runner, the 30 year old woman prior to the outbreak. The mirror had a sign in front of it that read: Survivors' Retreat Glass. Customized with Your Pleasure in Mind! Go back to a land of pleasure? Or help the cause? It's too late. I know the Truth. Can't turn back now.
"Yes. I've made my decision. I want to help. I want the treatment." David. His name repeated in her mind. She was doing this for him.
MG was placed in a metallic gown and settled into a wide silver recliner. The metal was cold at first under the thin sheet wrapped around her body. Then, a large light overhead came on, and the chair began to burn.
"You will experience a some discomfort, Miss, in the beginning." The chair melded around to fit her form, a scalding suit of armor. Every few minutes, the armor would tighten to fit her body as the fat melted away into tubes leading out of the room. Mary Grace felt her body changing, the heat of the chair was blinding, "David!" she screamed.
The woman's screams were muted in the room next door where rock music blared and a young intern wore hawaiian print scrubs as tubes of yellow, white, and red flowed above and into the machine he observed daily. The substance in the tubes smelled familiar. However, the formula was classified so he tried not to consider the substance's main ingredient. Whatever it is, it sure enough works. The scientist placed the sludge into tiny molds the size of baby aspirin. Once the molds solidified, they were painted bright colors and given cheerful flavored coatings like Cherry Pie and Bubble Gum.
"Miss, it's done. Thank you for your contribution. As payment please accept the apartment, complete with furnishings and new wardrobe, located in our detoxification center and spa. Remember to keep your new body lean," the man's voice dropped to an ominous whisper, "your life depends on it."
MG ran her hands up from feet to thighs in wonderment. Her skin was raw and pink, but not an once of fat, "Thank you," she whispered.
"No, thank you for your service to our country." With that he handed her keys to the apartment and motioned to the elevator in the corner of the room. "Your partner is waiting for you."
"My, what?" MG asked but the man had already left the room. MG pressed the button to the elevator and a glass elevator arrived. MG stepped in and pressed the only button available. A tiny needle pricked her finger.
"MARY GRACE," a sweet voice announced.
The elevator shot up and spun and swept through a maze of gold and lush greens. After a few seconds, MG opened the eyes she didn't remember closing. The elevator doors opened to reveal an apartment entrance. The door to the apartment seemed to hesitate and then turned the shade of hunter green MG had been considering as soon as she noticed the door was white and therefore an empty canvas. A pot of hydrangeas appeared on the welcome mat. MG picked up the flowers and unlocked the apartment. As she walked in, her surroundings changed to reflect her preferences. The comfortable furnishings went unnoticed, however, as MG had eyes for the most special part of the accommodations. David.
"Hi, sweetheart."
"David. The outbreak... Are you? This is? Are we?" AM I SAFE? The thought screamed inside her, but would not come out.
"It's okay, you. They've found a cure."
David embraced his best friend and carefully cradled her in his arms. The thought of the belly dancer flashed in his mind. The gaunt creature before him had been that beautiful dancer. Mary Grace. He was glad that she was the one the country assigned as his partner. Suddenly, he wanted her. Craved her. As his thoughts raced, his hands gripped a bottle from the counter:
Cannibalex
Eliminates Cravings
Root Beer Float Flavoring
Customized with Your Pleasure in Mind!
"Now, Darling. Let me show you our place." David's one hand popped a pill into his mouth and the other intertwined with MG's skeletal fingers and off they went to explore what the future had in store.
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