Jennifer was reaching the doorknob until she felt her body getting weak. All of a sudden her legs begun to tremble and slowly she begun to gasp air. It was like a ice cold snake was slithering around her neck. She finally noticed her heart beating like crazy as if she had experience something scary.
It seemed that her body was fighting against the mind of her 18-year-old self and telling not to open the door. Jennifer tried to reach the doorknob from the ground but the arm couldn't grab it as it went limb.
The door in front of the Jennifer was somehow taking all the energy out of her systerm. So she decided to just go back on top of the mattress and lie there. It seemed that a force was blocking her exiting the room and not letting her to go outside. Even if nothing was stopping her. Or if there was it was all inside Jennifer's head.
'I really don't like the idea but I think I have to sleep this one like this and hope for the best.' Jennifer thought to herself and slowly closed her eyes. 'After all. Even if my body is smaller I still have the mind of the 18-year-old and the knowledge of my past EVEN if my reality is altered. There's something going on with that door and I don't know what it is. All I know that the person who looks like my mom isn't really my mom as my own mother is way older than her.'
Jennifer was almost sleeping and had dreams about her own past life.
The next morning Jennifer woke up inside a room that looked way different. The windows were nailed shut and the door looked more 'new'. As Jennifer hopped out of the bed she noticed that her belly was gone but she had gained something else in return. She had no time to think about the changes as she quickly run to see what was happening with the door as it looked brand new and WAY sturdy than the previous one.
There was no knob to speak of and under the door was a small metallic rectangle dog door that had a lock in other side. It wasn't even dog size and had more width than height to fit a dog. Jennifer was sure that she could only fit her arms through it but her body would had been too big. It had a small lock tangling on top of the small door.
Jennifer wasn't sure at all what the hell was going on at this point but it seemed that her future was getting way worse than she imagined.
Next to the door were dozens of stacked plastic disposable plates and soda cups. Most of them forming a moldy layer as they must had been there for months. Jennifer gave a whiff of her room and was disgusted how it smelled. It smelled like a literal dump. It seemed Jennifer had kept the whole room in somewhat order and kept all her trash in neat piles even if they were moldy. Thank god for that.
Next she went to inspect the windows and saw that they were indeed nailed. Four sticks of metal sticking per one end. Making it eight per plank which was eight planks in total covering all her windows. In-between the windows were two layers of tinfoil and fabric keeping the room warm and blocking the view but letting a bit sunlight in the room to show if it was day or not.
Jennfier was getting spooked by the thought what was happening inside the house as this wasn't normal living conditions anymore but a second thought hit her. She really couldn't ask anyone what was going on.
Even the thought of her getting day younger would make her and her mother's age gap dwindle into socially awkward territory and even if she was okay with it. The fear of even someone prying about their personal life was sending shivers to Jennifer's spine.
'I can't imagine myself telling my friends or my potential boyfriend the truth when they as, 'so why your mom is like in her thirties when you are just 18-years-old?.'' Jennifer thought to herself.
Even the question, 'how did it happen' was a social two stones sized minced meat can of worms. How could you even explain this situation to people who lived their lives like normal. Yes, they hear all these things happening in the news all the time but do they take their time to listen and understand. No way. This is like someone bring radioactive toxic sludge to a show-and-tell and spilling it everywhere when they come to look at it. They love to preach how talking about these things is so harmful but like...
Jennifer's mind was spinning circles as she couldn't talk about this dark past and going back now would mean things ending up even worse. She wasn't attending school at this point as it seemed that she had been inside these wall for way longer than she should had been.
Also Jennifer was damn sure that if people knew about his and police would be involved she would be known as the girl from TV or even worse. End up in a ex-college student's three hour video essay thesis how it all begun and how is she doing now.
Hours had passed as Jennifer had been let alone by her thoughts. Someone was opening the small lock on the smaller door and Jennifer slided to shout, "MOM! MOM! What's going on! Why am I-"
"Oh! Let me just open the door if you feel so anxious." Her mother said and unlocked the door.
On the other side of the door she saw her mother smiling and kneeling down to hug her daughter.
It seemed that her mother somehow similar gut as yesterday but slightly bigger. It took Jennifer to while to process that her mother was still naked and reeked of fish and oils. Her two breasts had gotten larger and looked darker and she was much more hairier than the last time she had seen her.
"I'm so sorry. Mommy tries to keep the door closed as little as possible. I'm sorry for not realizing you'd already woken up." Jennifer's mother explained. "Look I made you some breakfast for you. "
The tray was filled with three slices of white bread, a big cup full of soda, small cup of watered down coffee and assortment of chocolates and other sweets.
"Look. Mommy also brought you this." Silvia said as she handed a book. "I know I think only for your best and saw it in sale so I had to just buy it."
"Thanks...? But mom, why's the windows full of... you know..." Jennifer said and pointed the windows.
"Oh... mhmm...." Jennifer's mother thought it for a while. "I guess you are old enough to be told the truth. Let's go to the kitchen and mommy tells the truth."
"Okay..?" Jennifer nodded as she had finished all the contents of the tray.
Jennifer and her mother Silvia walked down the stairs to the kitchen which was filled with even larger assortment of disposable stuff. Plates, forks, spoons and plates. Only thing metal was the three sauce pans that were stacked on the sink.
As they both sat down on the rigid chairs of the kitchen her mom had difficulties to say where to begin.
"Okay. The windows... they... So the windows..." Silvia explained.
Silvia then took a lengthy breather in and one long-one out.
"So... There are some people who are not as understanding as mother. As such they have more questions than answers sometimes. Mommy tries her best to keep these things a secret as people are nosy and sometimes think that they know better. They hate what mommy does for a living and they want to express that hatred as they feel justified to do so." Silvia begun explain as she tried to hold her tears.
"As such it has been hard sometimes to keep you safe as these people might do harsh things without thinking and mommy doesn't want you to suffer because my own decisions. The door is there for a reason and well... I know mommy should clean the house more often but you know... even mommy's scared to leave the house sometimes... well maybe sometimes is a wrong way to express it... but! Mom- I mean Grandma Mary said she would come once or twice a year and do a check-up how were doing. And.. and.. the nice people who come here sometimes offer mommy a ride to the near supermarket so she can buy all sorts of stuff." Silvia kept explaining.
"But why are the people so angry at you mom...?" Jennifer asked.
"Sweety. Even mommy doesn't know sometimes why they are angry. I think that when they see me they can only feel disgust. It's like no-one wants to see me. No-one wishes to be like me. No-one wants to be in my shoes. The thing that mommy does for money... is special... And I want you to grow up older, like normal people, and live your own life as the way you want. From bottom of my heart I want you to stay out from this type of lifestyle as long as you possibly can." Silvia explained as tears begun to form under her eyes. "People are selfish, cruel and not-as-understanding as they claim to be. People love to preach to other what they should do without understanding what is it like to be down here. For some people this reality and for some it feels like a fantasy."
"Mommy just feels frustrated that people are so two-faced sometimes that they say one thing and then say that their own thing is, somehow, better...? Mommy understands that maybe this too much for them but I can't help how was I born or raised... but... at the same time I really can't 'change' other people to think differently. Even if they were invited to talk their gut reaction is to shout and call mommy by names and no the most kind ones." Silvia ranted.
"But why...?" Jennifer asked.
"Why the insults...? Mommy thinks people can't handle the things that they are not familiar with. How would you sweety feel if a big man suddenly jumped in front of you." Silvia asked back.
"I would be scared..." Jennifer said.
"Exactly. That's your emotions doing the thinking and you reacting by those emotions. That is why Mommy thinks how people feel about the other emotions which at some point leads to anger as they 'can't' solve the issue."
"Which leads to..." Jennifer said out loud as she understood.
"In to actions that they can't comprehend. They do it minds full of rage which leads people around them to react. If only mommy... mommy had money to spare... " Silvia begun to weep.
Jennifer gave her mother a hug and cried with her. Jennifer understood that her mother had been acting like this to protect her and not to make her life miserable. Jennifer had a lot on her plate and didn't know where to go next. She would hug her mother until she would calm down and let the time fix these wounds.