"Colette" — A Short Story

Just what in the hell were you doing here?

You weighed your decision. This was stupid. This was dangerous. If you weren't you, you would think this was just creepy. But in the back of your mind, your curiosity was just pressing too firmly. Just what the hell had happened to her?

You glanced at your watch. 11:20 pm. You had been in this tree, 20 feet off the ground, for more than an hour. The cold December air was starting to penetrate the thin jacket you had decided to wear, and a slight chill was starting to settle in.

Maybe she's not even home, you thought. She's probably not even here.

But her light was on, and why would it be on if she wasn't around? Besides. If the rumors were true, it would be worth it, even if it was 20 degrees below zero. It was worth 10 more minutes. Just 10 more minutes. Then you'd throw in the towel. You just had to know.

You were knocked out of your drowsy daze by a change in the light. A door had opened, and a form began to shuffle into the room.

For a moment, your heart skipped a beat as you questioned what you were seeing. A few very firm blinks and a moment of breathless staring confirmed it. And then, it all started to make sense.

She waddled across the floor of her bedroom, slowly, steadily, as if one false movement could send her overdeveloped hourglass form to come toppling to the floor. Standing next to her bed, she used both of her hands to heft each of her naked, massive breasts onto her bed, setting them to rest with the soft, undulating sway that made you think of the towering JelI-O molds your aunt insisted on bringing to family reunions. Situating herself, her enormous rump jutted proudly into the air as she took to the task of straightening her pink and white bedsheets.

You knew her body had changed since you both graduated. You had heard rumors from back home, stories... How she still lived with her parents. How her car had to be sold. How the mysterious "condition" that had led to hushed conversations during senior year, and ultimately, to the cancellation of her college plans, had become more extreme. You stalked her on Facebook, and you Googled everything you could think of, but to no avail. It was clear she had become a recluse, but were the rumors over-exaggerated? Had she just gotten fat? Or, had her already proud figure ballooned that much? You tried to comprehend, but in all your imaginings, you never expected anything like this.

You craned your neck to get a better look, supporting yourself on a thinner branch just within reach. Just a little more...

SNAP!

You nearly lost your balance as the limb gave away with a decisive 'crack.' And again, for the second time in a minute, your heart stopped as she jerked her head in your direction.

You couldn't tell if she could see you-it was dark outside, and bright in her bedroom. But her expression betrayed her. It wasn't a look of shock-the look someone would give to see a creepy pervert lingering outside their window. It was a worried expression. It was an anxious, uncertain glint of searching concern. She knew someone, or something, was out there.

She turned her head toward her door, to call into the hallway. You couldn't hear the muffled voice through the glass, but you knew what it meant. Your cue to leave. Fast.