You fumble for your phone on the nightstand, your head throbbing with each movement. The sheets feel like they're clutching your body more tightly than usual. As you sit up, your pajama top stretches across your chest and stomach in a way it never has before. The buttons strain, small gaps appearing between them to reveal patches of skin that seem somehow... softer.
Looking down, you notice your thighs spreading slightly wider on the mattress, the fabric of your pajama bottoms digging into flesh that wasn't there last night. Your fingers trace unfamiliar contours along your waistline—a slight but unmistakable layer of pudge that wasn't part of your carefully maintained physique yesterday.
"What the hell?" you whisper, pinching at your stomach. The flesh yields between your fingers in a way that makes your insides churn with disgust. You've always prided yourself on maintaining a perfect figure—the kind that made heads turn at parties and earned you spots in all the prime social media photos.
Your trembling fingers navigate to your group chat with Amber and Madison:
"Guys, something seriously weird is happening. Did I eat a whole bakery last night that I don't remember? I've like... gained weight overnight? And I don't mean a pound or two. This is NOTICEABLE. Please tell me I'm not losing my mind."
The response from Amber comes almost immediately: "OMG THANK GOD IT'S NOT JUST ME! I woke up and my ass is like twice the size it was!!! And my boobs too! And I'm HUNGRY. Like, I already ate both my roommate's protein bars AND a whole box of Pop-Tarts! WTF is happening???"
Madison's reply pops up seconds later: "This isn't funny. My face is rounder. My stomach has a pooch. And my hair is getting darker at the roots? I JUST got highlights last week! This has to be connected to that creepy psychic, right? 'Know yourselves better' or whatever bullshit she said?"
Your phone buzzes again as Amber sends another message: "My shirt ripped when I was getting dressed! I had to borrow one of my roommate's boyfriend's hoodies! I can't be seen like this!"
As you read their frantic messages, you feel a sudden, intense pang of hunger twist through your gut. It's not the mild morning hunger you're used to—it's a ravenous, clawing sensation that makes your mouth water involuntarily. Your eyes dart to your mini-fridge in the corner of your dorm room, and for the first time in your life, the idea of demolishing every single item inside it sounds not just appealing but necessary.
You try to stand, and immediately notice the slight but unsettling jiggle in your thighs. Your center of gravity feels different, throwing off your usually graceful movements. The mirror on your closet door reflects a version of yourself that's just slightly... more. Your cheekbones are less defined, your collar bones less prominent, your typically flat stomach now sporting the beginnings of what could only be called a pot belly.
"This can't be happening," you mutter, but the physical evidence is undeniable. Something has changed, and from your friends' messages, you're not suffering alone.