THE YEARLY HALLOWEEN PARTY (XWG)

Halloween Night - 2021

Nina, can you come help me with this?”

Angelina stood in the laundry room off the kitchen of her parents’ home, adjusting the giant orange jack-o'-lantern onesie that made up her "Great Pumpkin" costume. Outside, flickering lights from carved pumpkins cast eerie shadows through the window, accompanied by familiar sounds of Halloween festivities. The air was filled with the scents of gooey mac and cheese, bubbling buffalo chicken dip, and fresh cinnamon sugar cookies, making her stomach growl.

It was the first Halloween party since COVID, and she felt the weight of it—the annual tradition, interrupted by lockdowns, had returned in full swing. She hadn’t seen some of these people since 2019, back when she was half her current size. Memories of past Halloweens swam in her mind: the laughter, the group photos, the sexy costumes. She had looked so different then, fitting into anything she wanted, her curves toned and enviable, her confidence untouchable. Now... she glanced down at herself, at the bloated pumpkin shape her body had become, feeling a pang of shame.

The oversized, pumpkin-themed onesie did nothing to hide the fact that she had grown to an enormous size. Gone were the days of sexy cat costumes, tight police officer outfits, or anything that might flatter her former figure. This year, she had resigned herself to being The Great Pumpkin, the only costume she could wear without bursting seams.

Her face, once soft and pretty, was now unmistakably round and pudgy, framed by a double chin that sagged into her neck. Her cheeks were chubby, and her lips permanently pouty from the soft layer of fat coating her jawline. The bright orange fabric of her costume clung tightly to her upper arms, which had ballooned into thick, fleshy appendages. Rolls of fat bulged out from the sides of her torso, resting heavily on her hips like overstuffed cushions.

Her upper body had become heavy and sagged with weight, but her true downfall lay in her lower half. Below her large chest, an enormous belly protruded outward in layers, each roll hanging heavily over her thighs. The lowest part of her belly flopped down past her hips, jiggling with every slight movement as she tried to adjust the costume. Her once-shapely hips had widened dramatically, and her enormous backside jutted out behind her, forming an unavoidable shelf of fat.

She groaned as she tried to smooth out the costume, but it was no use. There was no hiding her figure now.

“Coming, Clara!” she called to her sister, abandoning the attempt to look more presentable.

As she waddled into the kitchen, her belly brushed against the counter, smearing some chocolate frosting on her costume. Clara, dressed in a pirate costume, handed her a towel with a sympathetic smile as she placed a tray of cinnamon sugar cookies into the oven.

“So… I see you’re still with Danny,” Clara remarked after a pause.

Angelina blushed, trying to suppress her embarrassment. “Yeah, we’re working through some things,” she replied, glancing around the room filled with her sister’s friends and a few mutual acquaintances.

Scanning the room, she noticed a few familiar faces sneaking glances at her, eyes widening in surprise before darting away when she caught them staring. She caught the faintest murmur of whispers: “Is that Nina?” … “She really blew up, huh?” … “Guess lockdown hit her hard.” A few people exchanged knowing looks, stifling giggles behind their hands.

Her stomach dropped—a mix of anger, shame, and helplessness churning within her. It was one thing to know she had changed; it was another to feel it laid bare in front of everyone she once felt equal to. She tugged at the pumpkin costume again, as if somehow a single adjustment could make her smaller, slimmer, more like her old self. But no amount of tugging would change her now.

Clara’s eyes lingered on her sister’s frame, softening with concern. “Well, no one’s perfect, and I guess we all have to settle sometimes. I mean, settle down!” Clara’s face flushed with regret as she realized how her words sounded.

Angelina’s face fell as her sister’s words echoed in her mind. Settle. That’s what it had come to, hadn’t it? She had let herself become a full-blown fat girl, and now her options in life seemed as limited as her costume choices. It stung, but it was true.

With a heavy sigh, she turned and waddled away, her wide hips swaying as her massive thighs rubbed together, sending ripples through her lower body. The conversation hung in the air like the scent of apple spice from the candles burning in the living room.

From across the room, her boyfriend, dressed as Charlie Brown, smirked as he watched her entrance. His eyes followed the path of her enormous body as she moved through the kitchen, Clara’s friends casting subtle glances as she squeezed past. Angelina tried to turn sideways to get through, but her immense girth was unavoidable.

She recognized a girl from high school, dressed as a fairy in a barely-there costume, snickering with a friend as Angelina struggled to maneuver past. A few guys nudged each other, pretending not to look as they whispered behind their drinks. Her face burned with shame, and her mind whirled with bitter thoughts: How many of these people had seen her Instagram photos from last year? How many were waiting to see how far she'd fallen?

Her boyfriend had been a feeder since they started dating in college. Their time together had been rocky, especially around his possessiveness, but he had won her over. Now, as he watched her wobbling toward him, he felt a sense of triumph. Where would she go now? At nearly 400 pounds, Angelina was his and his alone.

As she finally reached his side, she sighed and immediately reached for a bowl of candy on the table. She grabbed a fistful of candy corn, munching absentmindedly, needing the comfort of food to drown out the discomfort of the stares, the whispers, the knowledge that she was the spectacle of the night.

“Hey, babe,” he purred, sliding his hand between the rolls of fat resting on her hip. His touch was playful, teasing, but she squirmed uncomfortably. “Oh my god, isn’t that Top Gun over there?”

Angelina froze, her heart dropping to the pit of her stomach. Standing across the room, chatting with Clara’s boyfriend, was none other than her ex, Tyler—her high school flame. The two had been inseparable back then, prom king and queen, the golden couple of their senior year. But four years and nearly 250 pounds had changed everything. She hadn’t seen Tyler since college, and the sight of him now, lean and confident in his fighter pilot costume, sent waves of panic through her.

Her boyfriend watched her discomfort with delight. He knew the effect Tyler still had on her and wasn’t above stirring the pot. “What’s the matter, honey? Aren’t you going to say hi?”

Angelina’s cheeks burned as she stared at Tyler from across the room. She wanted to disappear, to fade into the background and avoid the inevitable embarrassment of him seeing her like this. But there was no escaping it. She was stuck in her own body, facing the consequences of her choices.