Of Flab and Fat

Part One: Casting Out

"One, two, three...pull!" Jack shouted. His hands gripped a soaking rope, which snaked down to a net filled with fish, crustaceans, and the occasional clump of algae. Behind him, a young girl held the rope near its end, and tugged on it with swiftness. It took another tug for the net to flop onto the boat's decks, and right in front of their feet. "Good work Emma." Jack complimented. "The weather's too rough for us to travel back to the harbor, let's try and navigate out of the storm and turn for home in the morning, okay?" Emma swiped some water off of her arm. "I can't believe they make us work during hurricane season. It's not like king crab is at its peak this time of year." 

Jack sighed. "Yeah, well that's what we get for being paid on comissio-" He swallowed his words as wave crashed down on the back of their ship. "Dammit! Emma, get everything inside the ship. I'm going to try and steer us to safety." He called out. The young woman raced to the back of the ship, filling her hands with all the supplies left exposed; but it was too late. Another wave blanketed the ship, covering most of it this time. The mass of water pushed Emma against the steel railing, going legs first into it. She yelped in pain as her femur broke from the impact. Jack heard her scream but was stuck steering and navigating. One second without handling the wheel would've been a disaster for the two of them. 

Rain and thunder were surrounding them, and the deck was slippery to the touch. Jack looked over his shoulder as he made the boat veer to the left, only to realize that another wave was engulfing the other side. The splash turned the boat over, submerging them into the Atlantic ocean. The last thing Emma and Jack saw before going unconscious was their catch of the day sinking down with them.

Emma could barely see when she first woke up. Bright light soaked into her eyes, while the sun's warmth baked her skin. Trying to stay awake and figure out where she was felt too difficult in her nebulous state. As she closed her eyes and allowed unconsciousness to overtake her once more, she heard trampling coming from a distance. "There they are, just like I told you!" It was a young girl's voice. "Make space everyone, the woman has a broken leg." Another woman's voice. "The man's face is red and he's sweating. Get him some water and have some people bring the girl inside.." She tried making more of what they were saying, but she passed out as thick, meaty hands scooped her up. 

Emma woke up again, fully this time.  She ran her palm down a cloth which covered her torso and part of her legs. "A blanket...did somebody find us?" She thought to herself. Beside her, a small wooden table held an empty bowl and a glass of water. With sharp impulse, she grasped the glass and chugged it down, sighing as the last drop was swallowed. Emma sat upright, examining the room. It was primitive, with wooden walls and quilts resting on the floor. She attempted to stand up, but was weighed down by her left leg. Another quick look made her notice that two pieces of wood were on either side of leg, wrapped in some type of adhesive material. The rest was heavily bandaged to limit her movement.

"Ugh, I can't stay here. I need to find Jack so we can get out of here..." Emma groaned. She peered down and noticed a pair of crutches at the foot of the bed. She leaned down with one side of her body, grabbing a crutch by the handle. With another lethargic movement, she grabbed the other crutch and stood up straight. "Alright, that's step one..."

Jack, in contrast, woke up with a jolt of energy. He hyperventilated in shock until a soft hand was placed on his chest. "Please relax. You had a really bad fever..." A woman told him. Jack held his breath until his nerves were silenced. "I'm sorry...I-I just had nightmare is all. Do you have any food, miss?" The woman nodded. She was in her twenties, with tan skin and jet black hair. She wore a thin brown dress and sandals. "Of course. I'm Naomi by the way, you can't spend your entire time here by calling me miss." 

Naomi got up and made her way out of the hut-like room. Up until she was standing, Jack hadn't realized how fat and hefty she was. Her stomach hung over her legs, giving her body an even pear shape. Her butt bounced up and down in unison with her feet, while her breasts lined up with the curvature of her torso. "Damn, she's huge..." He told himself. A brief few minutes passed by and Naomi returned with a plate of food. It had few pieces of what appeared to be steak, some eggs, and a bluish-purple fruit which smelled oddly sweet. "Thank you." He muttered before taking his first bite. 

The steak and eggs were normal to him, but the fruit was enchanting to the tongue. It was sweet, smooth, and went by quickly alongside the rest of his breakfast. "That purple stuff is delicious, what is it?" Jack asked curiously. Naomi giggled as she put aside the empty plate. "Maybe i'll tell you once you've gotten comfortable here. The elders are still unsure about you and your friend." 

Jack was relieved to hear that Emma was also saved by them, but his heart skipped a beat as he heard the end of her statement. "The elders?" He asked anxiously. Before Naomi could explain, a group of several hefty women entered the hut. They carried spears and had white make up on their faces. "Has the boy been brought back to health?" One woman asked. She had the most vibrant attire out of the entire group, from what Jack saw. "Yes mother..." Naomi replied in a monotone voice. She seemed to fidget a small bit, as if out of anxiousness. "Good. We need to have a word with both of them..."

End of Part One