The bovine family’s sloppy joe night began as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange hue over their suburban neighborhood. The mother, still in her work attire but with her sleeves rolled up, bustled around the kitchen. The smell of ground beef sizzling in a cast-iron skillet filled the air, mingling with the faint aroma of toasted buns warming in the oven. Her youngest calf sat at the kitchen table, bouncing excitedly in his chair and kicking his legs under the table. His blue overalls were already smeared with ketchup from an earlier snack.
“Colten, come stir this,” the mother called to her middle calf, who was lounging on the couch, scrolling through his phone.
“Coming!” he replied, hopping up and jogging into the kitchen. He took the wooden spoon from his mother and began stirring the pan of browned meat, watching as the rich juices bubbled and popped. Unbeknownst to him, the meat he stirred was all that remained of Jeff, now fully assimilated into the bovine food chain.
The mother, satisfied with Colten’s help, opened a jar of sloppy joe sauce, pouring it over the meat. The dark red mixture sizzled as it hit the hot pan, releasing a tangy, sweet aroma that made everyone’s mouths water, except for the eldest calf. She sat at the far end of the dining table, her arms crossed and her face set in a scowl.
“This is disgusting,” she muttered, glaring at the steaming pan. “I don’t understand how you can eat... that.”
“Here we go again,” Colten teased, rolling his eyes as he handed the spoon back to their mother.
The youngest calf piped up, “I like meat! It’s yummy!” He punctuated his statement with a wide grin, revealing bits of the snack still stuck in his teeth.
The mother sighed, carrying the skillet to the table. “Maya, we’ve talked about this. If you don’t want to eat meat, fine, but don’t ruin dinner for the rest of us.”
Maya huffed but said nothing, turning her attention back to her phone. Meanwhile, her mother scooped generous portions of the sloppy joe mixture onto the toasted buns, creating messy, saucy sandwiches that dripped slightly onto the plates.
“Here you go, calves,” she said, setting plates in front of each calf. “Dig in!”
Colten eagerly grabbed his sandwich, biting into it with gusto. The sauce smeared across his lips as he chewed, savoring the tangy flavor and tender texture of the meat. “Mmm, this is so good!” he mumbled through a mouthful, licking a stray drop of sauce from his thumb.
The youngest calf mirrored his brother’s enthusiasm, though his smaller hands struggled to keep the sandwich together. Bits of meat and sauce fell onto his plate (and his overalls), but he didn’t seem to mind, shoveling the fallen pieces into his mouth with his fingers.
The mother finally sat down, taking a bite of her own sandwich. The rich, savory flavors were exactly what she’d been craving after a long day. “Perfect,” she said to herself, wiping the corner of her mouth with a napkin.
As the family enjoyed their meal, Maya’s resolve wavered. The smell of the sloppy joes was tempting, and her stomach growled in protest. She glanced at her siblings, their faces smeared with sauce, and couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. But she stubbornly picked at her salad, refusing to give in.
The family’s laughter and chatter filled the dining room, a stark contrast to the silent journey Jeff had endured to reach their plates. His existence, once full of purpose and rebellion, was now nothing more than a fleeting moment of nourishment for a lively bovine family. As the plates were cleared and leftovers stored in the fridge, Jeff’s final contribution to the world faded into the background, leaving the bovine family to enjoy their evening, oblivious to the story behind their dinner.
The journey of Jeff, now reduced to nutrients and waste, continued over the next few days as the bovine family carried on with their lives, blissfully unaware of the remnants of their sloppy joe night making their way through their bodies. His existence had been consumed, digested, and absorbed, but the final stage of his journey had yet to be completed.
At her office, the mother sat at her desk, flipping through a stack of paperwork with one hand while cradling a steaming mug of coffee in the other. The rich aroma filled her senses as she took a slow sip, allowing the warmth to spread through her. The caffeine worked quickly, jumpstarting her system, and along with it came a familiar pressure in her lower abdomen. She shifted in her chair, pressing a hand against her stomach as the discomfort grew.
Sighing, she set her coffee down and stood, making her way toward the office restroom with a practiced urgency. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly as she entered, the scent of air freshener masking the sterile undertones of the tiled room. She locked a stall door behind her, unfastened her slacks, and lowered herself onto the toilet seat.
Her body took over, muscles relaxing as her digestive system expelled the remnants of her meal. It was an entirely mundane experience, one that required little thought or effort, yet it marked the true end of Jeff’s journey through her body. What had once been a rebellious human, consumed and broken down into usable fuel, was now nothing more than waste, indistinguishable from anything else her body discarded daily.
She flushed without a second glance, washing her hands at the sink before returning to her desk. The minor discomfort had passed, leaving her feeling lighter and more at ease, ready to take on the rest of her workday.
Meanwhile, at daycare, the youngest calf was happily stacking colorful blocks when his body gave him a sudden, unmistakable signal. He froze mid-motion, his small ears twitching as he clutched his belly, a look of deep concentration settling on his face.
A nearby daycare worker, a kindly older cow with soft brown spots and a gentle smile, noticed his sudden stillness and immediately understood.
“Do you need to go potty?” she asked softly, crouching down beside him.
The calf gave a quick nod, his wide eyes filled with urgency. Taking his hand, she led him toward the small bathroom designed just for young calves, where she helped him unfasten the straps of his overalls. He climbed onto the tiny toilet, his little hooves dangling above the floor as he settled in.
A few moments later, the tension in his body melted away, and he let out a happy giggle. “All done!” he declared proudly.
“Good job!” the daycare worker praised, helping him clean up before pulling his overalls back into place. She flushed the toilet, sending the last of Jeff’s remnants swirling away, then lifted the calf to the sink so he could wash his hands.
As soon as they returned to the play area, the young bull had already moved on, plopping down on the carpet and resuming his game as if nothing had happened. The fleeting moment of digestion’s final act was already forgotten, lost in the simple joys of calfhood.
Back at home, Colten lounged on the couch, his phone in hand as he scrolled lazily through social media. A deep, bubbling pressure built in his gut, signaling what was inevitable. He stretched his arms above his head, exhaling through his nose before smirking to himself. Before heading to the bathroom, he decided to have a little fun first.
With casual ease, he strolled into the den, stopping just beside his sister, Maya, who sat on the armchair reading. Without warning, he leaned slightly to the side and let out a loud, obnoxious fart.
“Ugh! Colten, you’re so disgusting!” Maya shrieked, recoiling with a look of utter horror as she frantically waved her hand in front of her face.
Colten doubled over in laughter, holding his stomach. “That’s the sloppy joes talking!” he teased, still grinning as he felt another one coming.
“Get out of here, you idiot!” Maya snapped, grabbing a throw pillow and hurling it at him.
“Alright, alright, I’m going,” he said between chuckles, making his way to the bathroom. He shut the door behind him and sat down, finally allowing his body to do what it needed. His digestive system had taken all it could from Jeff, converting his remains into energy that had fueled Colten’s antics, but now the leftovers had to go.
The process was quick and uneventful. Colten grabbed his phone, idly scrolling as his body expelled what was no longer useful. When he was finished, he flushed, washed his hands, and stepped back into the hallway, stretching with satisfaction.
“Feeling much better now,” he announced smugly as he returned to his spot on the couch, earning a withering glare from Maya.
Though she had abstained from eating the sloppy joes, her disdain for her family’s diet and behavior only grew. She resolved to double down on her vegetarian lifestyle, determined to distance herself from what she saw as their crude, thoughtless consumption.
Meanwhile, Jeff’s final remnants had fully left their bodies, moving through the vast network of pipes and sewage systems. What had once been a man with dreams and defiance had now completed his transformation into waste, indistinguishable from everything else discarded by the world around him. His existence had ended, his legacy erased, leaving only the unconscious cycle of digestion, disposal, and forgetfulness in his wake.