Life-o-suction
Any side effect would have been worth it; Nora just wanted to be beautiful.
Nora stood naked before the full-length mirror in her bathroom, gazing hatefully at the hideous creature reflected in the glass. Her five-foot-six, three hundred fifty pound figure was so enormous it hardly fit within the silver frame. Every bone in her body was so concealed by blubber that it was impossible to tell whether or not she had them at all. Her thighs were more massive than the average man's middle, but they had to be to support the rest of her. Her belly could have contained eight babies, with enough milk to feed them forever in her breasts, but it didn't; in her stomach, she had only fat.
Having seen enough of her obese gut, Nora covered herself with a sweatshirt and pants—easily enough fabric to clothe all the orphans in her city. Perhaps that's what I will do with my clothes when I am done with them, Nora thought to herself, smiling. After today, Nora decided complacently, she would never shop in the plus-size section again.
Nora took one last look at her repulsive form, then silently kissed her former self goodbye.
* * *
Outside of the clinic that would change her life forever, Nora stood still as the automatic doors slid open. She was surprised at how beautiful the inside was compared to its plain, indistinct exterior. It was clear to Nora why she had never noticed this place before, but still unknown why the procedure had been so inexpensive. She may have been a little wary, but she didn't care. Any side effect would have been worth it; Nora just wanted to be beautiful.
She squeezed through the entryway and took a seat (rather like two seats) on a couch. As she sifted through a stack of magazines, admiring all the thin women she imagined she would soon resemble, Nora could not help but feel uncomfortable with how empty the place was. Although Nora had admitted herself that she had been long unaware that it existed, not to mention that her appointment was at one in the morning, she still couldn't believe that she seemed to be the only person there.
As if to disprove her, someone cleared his throat, making Nora look up from her magazine. Just a few feet away stood the doctor, a quite handsome man in his early thirties. He smiled and said through his face mask, "Nora Oswald?"
Nora nodded softly. She thought it was rude that he left his face mask on while speaking to her, but she didn't complain.
"Liposuction," the doctor added.
"Yes," Nora confirmed.
"Follow me," he commanded.
Nora obeyed.
* * *
Lying on her back on an operating table, Nora watched anxiously as the doctor concentrated on filling a syringe with a clear liquid in a vial. "This is to numb you," the doctor told Nora, holding the needle inches from her stomach. "It stings a little."
She braced herself as the doctor injected the drug into her, smiling through the pain as she considered its ultimate outcome. Nora then felt her whole body going limp, making her immobile and vulnerable.
"This is a strong drug," Nora said, slurring as even her mouth was a little numb.
"It travels quickly through fat," the doctor explained. "Now I'm going to insert the tubes." He collected three clear tubes, each about two centimeters thick with a thin, needle-like point on the end. He held one above her stomach. "You won't feel a thing, but if you're squeamish, I'd advise you not to watch."
Nora was more morbidly curious than she was squeamish, so she kept her eyes on the needle as it disappeared into her stomach. Such a long needle, Nora thought. It almost could have gone straight through her and come out on the other side. The thought made her feel dizzy.
"Don't fall asleep," the doctor cautioned. "Please, if you're squeamish, don't watch."
This time, Nora heeded his warning, closing her eyes as he readied the next tube. Nora could swear she felt a needle piercing her heart, but she decided it must have been her imagination.
The next thing Nora felt was the doctor's gloved fingers on her nose. Opening her eyes, she asked, "What are you doing?"
"Inserting the last needle," he answered.
"Why into my nose?" Nora inquired, being reminded of ancient Egyptians, removing the brains via the nose for mummification. "What kind of person gets a liposuction for their nose?"
"Liposuction?" the doctor questioned. "This isn't a liposuction; it's a life-o-suction."
Nora widened her eyes and furrowed her brow. The doctor then shoved the needle into her nose, at which she cried out, as she still had some feeling in her face. Nora looked down only to find that she had not been imagining the needle in her heart.
She looked back to the doctor, who was holding the other ends of all three tubes before his face. He pulled down his face mask, and Nora saw why he had kept it up. Instead of a mouth, he had three metallic orifices, into which the tubes fit perfectly. He threw his head back, and Nora saw her insides begin to enter the tubes on their way to the doctor's mouth.
Oh well, Nora thought her last. At least my days of being an unsightly lump of lard are over. That was everything I had wanted all along—wasn't it?
Slowly, Nora deteriorated, until she was no more.
Having seen enough of her obese gut, Nora covered herself with a sweatshirt and pants—easily enough fabric to clothe all the orphans in her city. Perhaps that's what I will do with my clothes when I am done with them, Nora thought to herself, smiling. After today, Nora decided complacently, she would never shop in the plus-size section again.
Nora took one last look at her repulsive form, then silently kissed her former self goodbye.
* * *
Outside of the clinic that would change her life forever, Nora stood still as the automatic doors slid open. She was surprised at how beautiful the inside was compared to its plain, indistinct exterior. It was clear to Nora why she had never noticed this place before, but still unknown why the procedure had been so inexpensive. She may have been a little wary, but she didn't care. Any side effect would have been worth it; Nora just wanted to be beautiful.
She squeezed through the entryway and took a seat (rather like two seats) on a couch. As she sifted through a stack of magazines, admiring all the thin women she imagined she would soon resemble, Nora could not help but feel uncomfortable with how empty the place was. Although Nora had admitted herself that she had been long unaware that it existed, not to mention that her appointment was at one in the morning, she still couldn't believe that she seemed to be the only person there.
As if to disprove her, someone cleared his throat, making Nora look up from her magazine. Just a few feet away stood the doctor, a quite handsome man in his early thirties. He smiled and said through his face mask, "Nora Oswald?"
Nora nodded softly. She thought it was rude that he left his face mask on while speaking to her, but she didn't complain.
"Liposuction," the doctor added.
"Yes," Nora confirmed.
"Follow me," he commanded.
Nora obeyed.
* * *
Lying on her back on an operating table, Nora watched anxiously as the doctor concentrated on filling a syringe with a clear liquid in a vial. "This is to numb you," the doctor told Nora, holding the needle inches from her stomach. "It stings a little."
She braced herself as the doctor injected the drug into her, smiling through the pain as she considered its ultimate outcome. Nora then felt her whole body going limp, making her immobile and vulnerable.
"This is a strong drug," Nora said, slurring as even her mouth was a little numb.
"It travels quickly through fat," the doctor explained. "Now I'm going to insert the tubes." He collected three clear tubes, each about two centimeters thick with a thin, needle-like point on the end. He held one above her stomach. "You won't feel a thing, but if you're squeamish, I'd advise you not to watch."
Nora was more morbidly curious than she was squeamish, so she kept her eyes on the needle as it disappeared into her stomach. Such a long needle, Nora thought. It almost could have gone straight through her and come out on the other side. The thought made her feel dizzy.
"Don't fall asleep," the doctor cautioned. "Please, if you're squeamish, don't watch."
This time, Nora heeded his warning, closing her eyes as he readied the next tube. Nora could swear she felt a needle piercing her heart, but she decided it must have been her imagination.
The next thing Nora felt was the doctor's gloved fingers on her nose. Opening her eyes, she asked, "What are you doing?"
"Inserting the last needle," he answered.
"Why into my nose?" Nora inquired, being reminded of ancient Egyptians, removing the brains via the nose for mummification. "What kind of person gets a liposuction for their nose?"
"Liposuction?" the doctor questioned. "This isn't a liposuction; it's a life-o-suction."
Nora widened her eyes and furrowed her brow. The doctor then shoved the needle into her nose, at which she cried out, as she still had some feeling in her face. Nora looked down only to find that she had not been imagining the needle in her heart.
She looked back to the doctor, who was holding the other ends of all three tubes before his face. He pulled down his face mask, and Nora saw why he had kept it up. Instead of a mouth, he had three metallic orifices, into which the tubes fit perfectly. He threw his head back, and Nora saw her insides begin to enter the tubes on their way to the doctor's mouth.
Oh well, Nora thought her last. At least my days of being an unsightly lump of lard are over. That was everything I had wanted all along—wasn't it?
Slowly, Nora deteriorated, until she was no more.