The silent killer
Chapter 1: 'You're too fat Marta'
Marta stared at herself in her body length mirror, that was propped up against one of the four walls in her bedroom. She had just woken up, and rolled out of bed to that mirror.
Every morning she looked at herself in this mirror. It was like a routine check. She'd lift up her night-shirt slightly, just so her stomach was visable. She'd pat it, and grab a bit of loose skin with her index finger and thumb. Then she'd whisper these words to herself. "You're too fat Marta."
This happened every day. Everyone Marta knew, knew she wasn't fat. She was one of the thinnest girls in her class. Marta however, didn't think the same way.
She sighed as she let go of her skin. She let her silk night-shirt fall back down into a slight crumple at the top of her sleep pants, grabbed her uniform, and headed into the bathroom for a nice hot shower.
As she finished getting ready, she looked at herself in the mirror once again. This time, she placed her hands on her hips, and poked at the slightest bit of skin that hung over the top of her skirt, and whispered the same words once more. "You're too fat Marta."
Deciding her routine check was over, Marta headed downstairs for 'breakfast'.
"Marta dear, I made your favorite, Egg McMuffins!" Her mother said as she entered the kitchen. Marta's face cringed at the thought of eating something so grotesque.
"Bacon, Eggs, Lettuce...Fattening Marta, fattening." She mumbled to herself.
"What was that dear?" Her mother asked.
"Oh nothing mom. Uhm, I don't have time to eat this morning, I'm going to be late." She replied.
Marta opened the fridge, and pulled out an apple. She then said her goodbyes to her family, and headed out the door.
She stood on the cold concreate that formed her porch. She looked down at the apple in her hand, and threw it into the bush. Apples are healthy yes, but Marta still had a warped thought that they were fattening. A warped thought that all food was fattening.
She jumped down the steps, and ran to her bus-stop.
When she arrived in a huff, attempting to catch her breath, she noticed Summer sitting down on the dew-soaked grass. Summer waved, and Marta walked over to her.
"Hey Marta." Summer began, with her mouth full of food, "Want a bite?" Summer held up a glazed chocolate doughnut, and squinted her eyes as she looked at Marta standing before her.
"Uh, no that's okay. I had a really big breakfast." She said hesitantly.
"Okay, more for me!" Summer smiled.
Just then there was a large rumble. Marta quickly threw her hand to her stomach, before Summer could look at her.
"What was that?" Summer asked.
Marta looked around. "Beats me." She said, as she shrugged her shoulders. Just then the bus pulled up. Summer slowly brought herself to her feet, and walked to the door.
Marta crouched over as she held her stomach. She quickly shot up, and spoke to herself. "It's okay, you're fine." She whispered. She slowly walked to the door of the bus, still holding her stomach, and pulled herself up the stairs.
She surveyed the tightly squeezed, elongated vechicle for an open seat. Finding one towards the back of the bus, she walked down the aisle, and sat in it. It was away from most of the children, and most of her friends. Marta didn't care, she didn't want any company right now.
She slid over to the end of the seat, with her cheek pressed against the cold glass of the bus window. Marta stared outside, and looked at everything. She didn't speak the entire bus ride to Horace Green Prep, and when the bus came to a hault, was startled.
She shook her head, and stood up. As she hopped off of the bus, she heard her stomach rumble once more. She gave it a slightly hard punch, as if it were a person, and she was signaling for it to be quiet.
When Marta had put her things in her locker, and headed into the classroom, it was practicly empty. Her teacher, Miss. Machintosh was situated at her desk, surveying some algebra tests that the students had taken earlier that week.
"Good morning Marta, what brings you here so early?" Miss. Machintosh said as she heard Marta's footsteps.
"Uhm, nothing. I just didn't feel like playing outside or anything." Marta quickly lied.
Marta didn't feel like her usual self. She wasn't cheerful at all, and was too weak to play teatherball with her friends that morning.
"Oh, that's fine then. You can stay in here until the bell rings."
Marta took a seat, and stared out the window at the playground, which echoed with sounds of children's laughter and happiness.
She stared down at her boney, vein coloured hand as it began to tremble. "That doesn't look normal, why am I so discoloured? And weak too..." Marta thought to herself.
Those un-finished thoughts were soon interrupted by the bell sounding throughout the school's property. Marta quickly shook her head, and smoothed out her skirt, acting as if everything was normal...although she was certain that it wasn't.
Chapter 1: 'You're too fat Marta'
Marta stared at herself in her body length mirror, that was propped up against one of the four walls in her bedroom. She had just woken up, and rolled out of bed to that mirror.
Every morning she looked at herself in this mirror. It was like a routine check. She'd lift up her night-shirt slightly, just so her stomach was visable. She'd pat it, and grab a bit of loose skin with her index finger and thumb. Then she'd whisper these words to herself. "You're too fat Marta."
This happened every day. Everyone Marta knew, knew she wasn't fat. She was one of the thinnest girls in her class. Marta however, didn't think the same way.
She sighed as she let go of her skin. She let her silk night-shirt fall back down into a slight crumple at the top of her sleep pants, grabbed her uniform, and headed into the bathroom for a nice hot shower.
As she finished getting ready, she looked at herself in the mirror once again. This time, she placed her hands on her hips, and poked at the slightest bit of skin that hung over the top of her skirt, and whispered the same words once more. "You're too fat Marta."
Deciding her routine check was over, Marta headed downstairs for 'breakfast'.
"Marta dear, I made your favorite, Egg McMuffins!" Her mother said as she entered the kitchen. Marta's face cringed at the thought of eating something so grotesque.
"Bacon, Eggs, Lettuce...Fattening Marta, fattening." She mumbled to herself.
"What was that dear?" Her mother asked.
"Oh nothing mom. Uhm, I don't have time to eat this morning, I'm going to be late." She replied.
Marta opened the fridge, and pulled out an apple. She then said her goodbyes to her family, and headed out the door.
She stood on the cold concreate that formed her porch. She looked down at the apple in her hand, and threw it into the bush. Apples are healthy yes, but Marta still had a warped thought that they were fattening. A warped thought that all food was fattening.
She jumped down the steps, and ran to her bus-stop.
When she arrived in a huff, attempting to catch her breath, she noticed Summer sitting down on the dew-soaked grass. Summer waved, and Marta walked over to her.
"Hey Marta." Summer began, with her mouth full of food, "Want a bite?" Summer held up a glazed chocolate doughnut, and squinted her eyes as she looked at Marta standing before her.
"Uh, no that's okay. I had a really big breakfast." She said hesitantly.
"Okay, more for me!" Summer smiled.
Just then there was a large rumble. Marta quickly threw her hand to her stomach, before Summer could look at her.
"What was that?" Summer asked.
Marta looked around. "Beats me." She said, as she shrugged her shoulders. Just then the bus pulled up. Summer slowly brought herself to her feet, and walked to the door.
Marta crouched over as she held her stomach. She quickly shot up, and spoke to herself. "It's okay, you're fine." She whispered. She slowly walked to the door of the bus, still holding her stomach, and pulled herself up the stairs.
She surveyed the tightly squeezed, elongated vechicle for an open seat. Finding one towards the back of the bus, she walked down the aisle, and sat in it. It was away from most of the children, and most of her friends. Marta didn't care, she didn't want any company right now.
She slid over to the end of the seat, with her cheek pressed against the cold glass of the bus window. Marta stared outside, and looked at everything. She didn't speak the entire bus ride to Horace Green Prep, and when the bus came to a hault, was startled.
She shook her head, and stood up. As she hopped off of the bus, she heard her stomach rumble once more. She gave it a slightly hard punch, as if it were a person, and she was signaling for it to be quiet.
When Marta had put her things in her locker, and headed into the classroom, it was practicly empty. Her teacher, Miss. Machintosh was situated at her desk, surveying some algebra tests that the students had taken earlier that week.
"Good morning Marta, what brings you here so early?" Miss. Machintosh said as she heard Marta's footsteps.
"Uhm, nothing. I just didn't feel like playing outside or anything." Marta quickly lied.
Marta didn't feel like her usual self. She wasn't cheerful at all, and was too weak to play teatherball with her friends that morning.
"Oh, that's fine then. You can stay in here until the bell rings."
Marta took a seat, and stared out the window at the playground, which echoed with sounds of children's laughter and happiness.
She stared down at her boney, vein coloured hand as it began to tremble. "That doesn't look normal, why am I so discoloured? And weak too..." Marta thought to herself.
Those un-finished thoughts were soon interrupted by the bell sounding throughout the school's property. Marta quickly shook her head, and smoothed out her skirt, acting as if everything was normal...although she was certain that it wasn't.