"Dinner's ready!" I called to Kyle, who was on the floor playing with Micah and Nathaniel. The placemats were arranged, as usual, so that I was opposite Micah and sat next to Kyle. I made fish fingers, mashed potato and vegetables, in hope that the kids would enjoy it. I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
"This looks delicious, Tess," Kyle complimented, "you boys like fish, don't you?"
They were both silent. Nathaniel was just staring at the food but Micah, on the other hand, had his eyes fixated on me. I hated when people watched me eat, it made me feel extremely uncomfortable. However it was even worse when he did it.
About ten minutes later, when I had half-finished my food, I realised Micah had not touched his. Nathaniel had taken on bite of potato and stopped too. I glanced at Kyle, wondering whether I should do something.
"Why haven't you touched your food?" Kyle asked, kindly, "don't you like it?"
There was no reply, as I thought. I sighed, slightly frustrated. "Eat your food," I huffed. They both watched me, taken aback by my request, "Eat. Your. Food," I said again.
"Tess," Kyle said under his breath, almost warning me.
I was having none of it, "if you don't eat your food then you can both go up to bed," I said, taking a bite of fish. As I was chewing, Micah turned his head to the side. Oh no, I thought, realising I should've stayed quiet. I chewed slower, noticing as his threatening smile grew wider.
Dreading what his next action would be, I swallowed the food fast. Well, I tried to swallow. But I felt like the food inside my mouth was expanding, blocking off my throat. I couldn't breathe and it was excruciatingly painful. I wheezed, trying to swallow, but my throat felt paralyzed. I was choking. I spluttered as tears were rolling down my cheeks. I lost my sense of hearing but I knew Kyle was shouting, pleading for me to be alright. I felt him whacking my back, then lifting me from the chair and trying to perform abdominal thrusts. But it wasn't working. Before I drifted off, I noticed the children still sat down and still smiling sinisterly.
YOU ARE READING
Mind Fires
HorrorWhen Tessa James agrees to take on her young nephews after they are removed from their mother, she thinks it will be a simple task. But when the boys' behaviour becomes abnormal, the reasons become clear as to why their mother neglected them. Tessa...
