There were only so many pies Andrew could eat. “I’m done,” he belched, holding his belly. “I can’t beat him.”
“Well, that’s plum too bad,” said Ma. “…because you’re going to have to work off those pies.”
“Ugh, no!” said the Voice. “I can’t stay on this miserable farm, I have things to do!”
“You’re a voice,” Andrew moaned. “What could you possibly have to do?”
“Fuck you, that’s what.”
“Now out to the barn, both of you,” said Ma. “I only got room in here for me and my baby.”
“I’m just a voice. I don’t take up much room. Can I stay in here—“
Get! Shoo! In the barn you go!”
It was nighttime, and all that pie was making Andrew sleepy. The barn did smell, but it was full of soft, clean hay. Secretly he was glad.
“Hey, blue-ass, make sure you work hard tomorrow,” the Voice said. “We need to finish this game quick.”
“Don’t worry. I think if I try the pie challenge again, but with an empty stomach, I’ll be able to move on to the next level.”
“Can you do it?”
“Sure, with an empty stomach.” Andrew settled his giant ass into the hay, trying not to seem too giddy. “Good night.”
“Ugh, good night. Stupid barn smell…”
When Andrew woke up, Ezekiel was standing over him. The boy started and took off. Even though his butt was as wide as the barn doors he moved as quietly as a rabbit in a meadow.
Andrew tried to run after him, but his legs were so big and his ass so fat that he was grounded. No matter what position he tried, the best he could do was a belly-crawl, dragging his knees through the dirt.
“About time you got up,” said Ma, wielding her pitch fork. She made a mound of hay right in front of the water trough. “Get to it.”
“You ate it all?” the Voice screeched. “Why?”
“I didn’t know what else to do! She told me to move the whole stack before noon. I couldn’t get up, and it looked so good…”
“But what about the pies? We’re supposed to leave.”
“Tomorrow,” he said. “Definitely…”
“You ate it again?”
Andrew belched. “At least I can crawl on my hands and knees now.”
“Ugh, whatever!”
Every day Andrew ate the hay and every day he got bigger. His blue belly stretched and hung so low that it touched the ground. His arms grew to match his thighs. A blue-skinned behemoth, Andrew spent most of his time wandering through the field and eating hay as his man-boobs grew round and heavy.
He sat on the hill to watch the sun set. It was glowing like a tangerine. Suddenly he felt a hand on his rump.
“Come on, boy,” said Ezekiel. The breeze tousled his feathery hair. “Back to the barn for the night.”