Balloon Prisoner, The

The day started the same as most days, I woke up late, got abuse from my boss all day! Along with countless looks and comments from the male workforce.

"God I hate this job" I muttered to myself.

As I sat down for lunch I got a phone call from my mother.

"Ergh that's all I need" I thought.

So I let it go to answer phone, I wasn't in the mood for another 'what are you doing with your life' chat, I mean I'm only 29 so I have plenty of time to sort that out.

A few minutes passed and my phone rang again it was voicemail so I answered and listened to what my mother had to say.

'Your father has cleared the loft, and there's a few things here that belong to you, if you would like them then pop over later, love you, mum'

So I text my flat mate and said I would be home late as its never a 2 minute visit at my parents.

I finished the day then headed off to see what they had of mine.

Yes! They were both still out so I can get in and home before it gets too late, I thought.

I found a box of my stuff waiting for me in the entrance hall, my family home was fairly large with 8 bedrooms and as many bathrooms.

I opened the rather large box and, to my surprise a balloon came floating out!

"How is that still inflated" I said out loud

It was a blue balloon I got when I was about 15, it had a cartoon like smiley face on it. I carried on digging through the box and found a photo of a boy I was once dating, that was until he just disappeared, here one day gone the next, and no one ever saw him again.

Next I came across a small black cube, with a red button on top saying 'push', so I pressed it.

There was a bright flash then the ballon burst. I turned to look at it and there stood my old boyfriend, he didn't look a day older than he was in the photo.

"Paul" I said

"Is it really you?"

"Oh my god I'm free!! I'm actually free!! I thought I'd never get out of that!" He replied

He hadn't even acknowledged me yet, he just kept feeling himself all over and holding out his arms and looking at his hands, almost like he had never had them before.

"Thank you Kate, thank you!!"

"Umm that's ok" I said, I was so confused.

"What happened to you? Where have you been for 15 years?" I questioned him

He looked in shock.

"I've been like that for 15 years??"

"Been like what Paul?" I was still confused!!

"A balloon Kate! I was the ballon! All I can remember is finding a cube with a button, saying push me. Then it's all a bit fuzzy!! But I do remember ending up with you!! Getting carried around like some kids toy, then getting left in the corner, to sit and watch you sleep with every guy on the block!!"

"What?? You can remember all that? You were the balloon??"

How was all this possible? I was thinking. It can't be!! people can't be turned into balloons!!

Then his face changed, he looked very odd almost like a mental patient should look, I was very worried!!

"Now it's your turn Kate!!" He said

"What?" I said with a nervous tone

"It's your turn to be the balloon that's how this voodoo crap works!! As soon as I touch the person who freed me, then they turn into the balloon, it's all coming back to me now!!"

I ran!! As fast as I could I wasn't letting him turn me into a balloon, he was fast and chased me down the hall.

He was totally mental now shouting 'come on Kate if I don't get you then I'll turn back, and that ain't happening!!

I ran into my parents room and hid in the closet. I heard his footsteps come into the room.

"Kate?? Where are you?? It's not so bad, you don't get hungry as a ballon prisoner"

He pulled up the bed.

"And you don't need sleep, you just sit there eyes wide open taking it all in"

Then he went to the window. It'll be the closet next I thought, this is my chance so I ran out and headed for the door, he spun round quickly and reached out, but missed me.

I ran into what was my old room, it was exactly the same as when I left home 4 years ago.

I burst in and dived under the bed, he came running in.

"Ah the old bedroom! Not much has changed, I had years in this corner! Until your DAD put me in a box!!"

He was getting even more mad! Almost like the bad guys in the movies.
I saw his feet at the end of the bed, then they moved to the back of the bed, and I made a run for it, but my foot got snagged on a spring, and he went for my ankle!

There was a spark between us like a static shock, I wasn't hanging around and ran off down the hall. He started to laugh uncontrollably.

"HA HA HA its too late Kate, I got you"

I didn't want to believe him and desperately ran for the front door, but I could feel it, something was happening to me.

I slowly came to a defeated stop and looked at my fingers, they were starting to web together, I could feel my feet doing the same. There was an intense smell of balloon rubber, and my lips started to purse together, I couldn't stop them and before long my mouth resembled the mouthpiece of a balloon, my arms started to attach themselves to my upper body and my legs were joining too. Paul was walking up behind me still laughing.

"Don't be scared Kate"

I wanted to shout 'shut up' but I could no longer speak, I couldn't even wave my arms or try to kick him, I was becoming a prisoner in my own body.

Once my arms, legs, hands, and feet had all dissolved into my body I felt a strange sensation. Everything including Paul got bigger, hold on, no I was getting smaller!! I was shrinking down unit I was about 3 inches tall, and then, I started to feel week, my 'legs' gave way and all my internal organs and bones seemed to disappear. I was left just a bag of skin on the floor, much like a regular balloon.

Paul picked me up and place my mouth into his.

"Let me help" he said

Then he blew into me! I could feel the air rush into me and down my throat, filling me up, I felt what used to be my stomach fill with air and round out, even though I didn't have any arms or legs it still felt as though they were being forced full of air. Pay kept blowing and blowing until I started to feel tight! I started to make noises much like a balloon would if you rubbed it.

Then I realised I could no longer close my eyes!

"Oh feels like your full!" Said Paul

Next he tied string around my mouth, and I floated up until I got to the end of the string, he held me down by the string, I was now his toy.

"Let me show you something" he said as took me to a mirror.

There I saw the new me, a big round pink balloon with a cartoon like smiley face on it, I could do nothing to change the appearance, I was trapped in my own body!

"Now a few ground rules, no talking-oh yes you can't!! No moving!! oops-can't do that either!!" He was enjoying this!!

"A few things you should try to avoid. Though. High winds, toddlers and people who want to put you in boxes!!"

Paul then took me over to the box and put a weight on my string.

"Now time to live my life! try not to pop!!" he said as he walked out

A few minutes later my parents arrived back. Mother said 'I see Kate's been over but she's left this balloon! Run it over to her flat dear'

My dad picked up the box and loaded it in the car, I was shouting so loud and trying to wave my arms about, to show them that I was now the balloon, but from the outside, It was just a perfectly still balloon with a smiley face.

I was taken to my room and put on the bed.

I watched helplessly as days went by and my loved ones grew concerned, then worried and then they realised I wasn't coming back!

All my belongings were taken back to my parents house, including the balloon that was me, and I was placed in my old bedroom.

Years passed and my parents grew old, ill and eventually died, never to realise I was the balloon, at my fathers wake, my niece and a few of her friends found their way into my room and started to go through all my stuff. I was begging for them to find the cube and release me until....

"Hey Sara what do you think will happen if I push this button".....