Full Body Inflation

Little wisps of fog charged at the windshield of Angela’s Corolla as it wandered in the night, deep in a maze of paved-over indian trails, wagon paths, and modern blunders bored through a forest as dense as it was ancient. A thick leafy canopy reached around the road like a grasping hand. The Corolla’s dim, foggy headlights served as a surrogate for whatever little moonlight could reach the tarmac below. She was looking for a gravel road.

The hissing sound grew more insistent. She continued to look around for the source, but no matter where she went through the house, the sound never changed in volume; it seemed to be following her around.

She began to see if the sound was coming from behind the refrigerator, when her belly seemed to brush the countertop too soon. She wasn't that close to it, was she?

She looked down and saw her shirt was pushed out and bunched up a little. She also saw something that resembled a pale, flesh colored ball sticking out from below the folds.

"What the...?"