Please let me know if the speed of this book so far is too fast, too slow, or semi-decent!
(Also, shut up, Google, I think I know how to spell)
"I'm so hungry," Harmony complained as she walked in circles around the kitchen, checking her watch every few seconds. "When's dinner going to be ready?"
"A few more minutes," Ms. Wilfeld assured her daughter as she took another plate to the dining table.
"Please hurry." Harmony paused for a split second to catch her breath, then continued walking. Harmony was always starving by dinnertime. A day without barely any food left her weak and exhausted by the evening, but it was worth it. Of course it was. Wasn't it?
"Dinner's ready," Ms. Wilfeld finally announced. Harmony immediately raced for the table and slid into her seat.
"Finally!"
Harmony scooped giant portions of each food onto her plate, eating it all within a few minutes, then reaching for seconds before Ms. Winfeld had even finished her first serving. Ten minutes later, she stood up from the table and dropped her plates into the sink.
"How did you eat so much?" Ms. Wilfeld looked up from her vegetables and glanced at Harmony's empty place. Her own plate still had some remnants of the meal on it. "I'm already full."
Harmony winced. Had she eaten too much? But she was still so hungry...
"I probably just ate less stuff than you. Or something." Harmony stared at the box of dinner rolls on the kitchen counter, silently arguing back and forth in her mind. Should she eat the bread? No, that would be way too much. And her mother had already commented on her eating. But the bread looked so good. And it was only a single tiny roll.. How could she not eat it?
Before she could change her mind again, Harmony reached into the box, pulled a roll out, and stuffed it into her mouth. Harmony immediately felt guilty after eating it, but it was too late: she'd already chewed and swallowed the whole thing.
"Wow, you are hungry!" Ms. Wilfeld commented.
"Yup. I'm going to go." Harmony turned and hurried back to her room.
Harmony closed the door to her room, then froze, horrified by what she'd done. Did she really just—
Did her mother really think—
Should she not have—
Harmony took a single step forward, then collapsed onto her bed, letting the tears she'd been holding back come flowing out. She let herself cry silently for a few minutes, pushing away thoughts of anything else as she did. Finally, Harmony's mind cleared up enough to let her think somewhat clearly.
Why do I have to be like this? Harmony wondered as she wiped her face with her duvet. Why can't I just be like everyone else? Why can't I just eat normally? Harmony sniffled. How long had it been this way by then? A few weeks? A few months? What's wrong with me? Why did I have to get myself into this? Why can't I just stop? Why does everyone else get to do whatever they want while I'm stuck in this awful trap?
Harmony groaned. What was wrong with her?
Harmony felt around on her bed, pulling her phone out from under a pillow. Slowly, she googled the calories in everything she'd eaten, logging them in her diary. Harmony held her breath (cliche, I know) as she plugged the numbers into her calculator, then hit enter.
No. Harmony stared at the screen of her phone, wishing for the numbers to change. It couldn't be true. She couldn't have eaten that many more calories than the day before, could she? No. No way. But numbers didn't lie.
Harmony tried to calm herself down. It doesn't matter, she told herself. It's okay. It's just one day!
Harmony got up and walked over to her mirror. As soon as she saw her reflection, she knew that it would not be okay. Harmony pinched her stomach as she turned back and forth in front of the mirror. She definitely had not looked that bad the day before. Had she? Maybe she did. But she would've noticed if she had, wouldn't she? It had to be new. Darn that extra bit of food!
How did it get this bad? Harmony wondered as she plopped down onto her rug. How have I gone from eating and looking like a perfectly normal person to eating less and looking worse than one?
I'll eat way less tomorrow, Harmony silently promised herself. Three times less than today's extra. Four times. Five! Harmony glared at her reflection in the mirror as she tried to think about what she could actually consume the next day while still staying on track.
But deep down, Harmony knew that it wouldn't be long before she broke her promise yet again.
That was just the way it was.
YOU ARE READING
Vanishing Act
Teen Fiction*cover under construction* Meet Harmony Wilfeld. Harmony was not a people person. She didn't like people, people didn't like her. It was all okay. So she began to vanish.
