The Book of Plot Twists

Hunger

The hunger pains awoke her from her sleep as they did every morning. She groaned at the piercing pain in her stomach. Slowly, Amelia sat up and clutched her gut. If she applied enough pressure, the pain would go away. It usually did.

Her mother called her down to breakfast, just as she did every morning. As smoothly as she possibly could, Amelia rose from her bed and reached for her wheelchair. She couldn't stand much longer without it. Especially with as little nutrition in her body as she had.

She didn't starve herself because she thought she was fat or because she wanted to fit in. Ever since the car accident in the third grade that left her practically immobile, she hadn't been able to eat like everyone else could. Her body would reject nearly anything she put in it. There was so little she could eat and keep down that she just found it easier not to eat at all.

"I made you your favorite," her mother coaxed when she would not enter the kitchen. Amelia peeked around the corner and saw that yes, Mother had made her favorite: cinnamon oatmeal with banana bits and a side of gluten-free toast covered in sugar-free grape jelly.

Her mother waved her arms over the breakfast to send the smell towards her starving daughter. "I know you want it."

Amelia stepped into the kitchen and started to walk towards her food when she realized what would happen if she ate. The toast would stay, but the jelly and the oatmeal wouldn't. They never did. They would twist and tear up her stomach until she found a bathroom and let them out. The banana, however, was unpredictable. Sometimes it stayed, sometimes it didn't. She never knew until she ate it.

Her mother sighed. "Please, Amy? It's been three days."

Amelia just shook her head, not uttering a sound. Mother was right, it had been three days since the last time she ate anything. This was the longest she had ever gone without eating. Mother turned away from her teenage child and dumped the oatmeal into the garbage can. She pretended like it didn't bother her that much, though Amelia knew that she was holding back tears. She knew that what she did killed her mom and she hated it. But what other choice did she have?

"I'm sorry Mommy," she muttered, choking back her own tears. Her mother said it was fine, except Amelia knew that it wasn't. Her apology was useless. The only thing that would make Mother happy was seeing her only baby girl eat breakfast.

Amelia's three brothers, Carl, Robert, and John all rushed down the stairs hooting and hollering about the previous night's JV football game. Carl was a freshman, Robert a sophomore, and John a senior. Amelia was a junior and the only girl in her whole entire family. Well, besides her mom.

"Would you hush up already? You're going to wake your father," Mother demanded. At the mention of David the three boys instantly shut their mouths.

Amelia wasn't the only one injured in that car accident. Her father had slipped into a coma and woke up a completely different man.

Carl tried to meet Amelia's eyes, but she turned from his glance. Out of all her brothers, he was the one that cared about her the most. Sometimes, it even seemed like he cared more than her mother did. When he noticed his sister going whole days without eating, he would sneak into her room at night and wake her up.

"Robert and I picked these up after the game last night," he said that night, handing her a bag of assorted candy.

"Thanks Carl, but you know what sweet snacks do to me." She tried to hand him back the gift. She didn't mean to be rude, but sometimes it just came off that way.

Carl refused to grab the bag. "It's a special kind of candy. Gluten free, sugar free, and vegan. Please, at least try it," he demanded.

Amelia eyed the treats suspiciously. She knew what he was saying was true, there was no reason for it not to be. Still, she had her doubts about it. What if there was something else she was allergic to in there? What if it tasted so bad that it made her regurgitate the small contents of stomach? Carl's pleading eyes did not move from his sister's.