The night passed quietly.
Maya had taken the couch, curled up under a throw blanket with her laptop still open beside her. Jennifer had slipped into bed without a word, the pressure in her body leaving her drained. She stripped off her clothes piece by piece—too hot, too tight, too constricting—and lay naked under the covers, one hand resting gently on the swell of her belly. Sleep came fast. Heavy. Dreamless.
But morning didn’t wait.
A beam of light cut through the blinds and landed on Maya’s face, pulling her from sleep with a groggy stretch. She sat up slowly, blinking, the events of yesterday returning all at once. The pump. The takeout. Jennifer’s body.
She padded to the bedroom, knocking softly. “Hey, Jen? You up?”
No answer.
She pushed the door open a crack, just to check.
And froze.
Jennifer lay on her side, covers kicked off halfway, the sheets pooled around her thighs. And she was… massive. Her belly had ballooned overnight, full and firm and round, stretching across her frame like a woman at the very end of pregnancy. The skin was taut and shiny, crisscrossed with deeper, more vivid stretch marks. Her breasts were even larger now—heavy, pendulous, resting against the mattress, her nipples darker and puffier, the weight of them almost surreal. Her hips had widened more, her thighs thicker and pressed together even in sleep. Her once-smooth backside now had visible dimples, soft with new weight.
“Jen…” Maya whispered, eyes wide.
Jennifer stirred, groggy, then blinked her way to consciousness. She shifted to sit up—and winced.
“Oh my god,” she muttered, voice hoarse. “I can barely move.”
Her hands cradled the sides of her belly instinctively, like it hurt to lift. When she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, it took effort. She grunted as she pushed up to stand, her back arching slightly from the strain.
Maya reached out, steadying her. “Careful.”
Jennifer stood slowly, both arms under her belly. Her center of gravity had shifted completely. She didn’t walk so much as waddle now—feet slightly apart, balance delicate. She made it to the mirror and gasped.
“Is this… nine months?” she asked, turning side to side, stunned.
Maya nodded quietly. “It looks like it.”
Jennifer swallowed, both hands still on her bump. “This isn’t slowing down. I thought I’d have time. I thought we could fix this before it got—” she gestured helplessly to herself “—here.”
Maya shook her head, steady but serious. “We have to find her. Today. That witch. Before this goes any further.”
Jennifer nodded, her eyes dark and focused now. “Before I find out what happens after nine months.”
And with that, the countdown truly began.