The Sweetest Dreams

Hera stretched across her massive bed, golden hair spilling over silk pillows. The morning sun streamed through bay windows, painting rainbows on the hardwood floors of her grand bedroom.

"Finally, summer break!" She bounced up, her long limbs unfolding like a flower. The house felt wonderfully empty with her parents away on business.

Her stomach rumbled loudly. She padded downstairs to the enormous kitchen, green eyes sparkling with mischief. The pantry doors swung open to reveal shelves packed with her favorite treats—chocolate bars, cookies, ice cream, candy.

"No one to tell me what to eat," she whispered, grabbing armfuls of sweets.

She settled into the cozy living room, surrounded by cushions and snacks. One chocolate bar became two, then three. Cookies disappeared by the handful. The ice cream container emptied quickly.

Her stomach felt wonderfully full, but somehow she couldn't stop reaching for more treats. The afternoon sun shifted, and still she munched contentedly, lost in the blissful freedom of endless summer days.

Morning Surprises

The next morning, Hera rolled out of bed and immediately felt something strange. Her pajamas felt tight across her stomach, pinching at the waistband.

"That's weird," she muttered, tugging at the fabric.

She shuffled to the bathroom mirror and gasped. Her usually flat stomach had rounded out like a small balloon. She poked it gently and felt how firm it had become.

"Must be all that ice cream," she said, trying to laugh it off.

But as she walked downstairs for breakfast, something felt different with each step. Her body felt heavier, more bouncy. The kitchen seemed smaller somehow.

She grabbed a box of cereal, but when she tried to squeeze between the kitchen island and the counter like always, she got stuck.

"What?" She turned sideways and pushed through, confused.

The doorway to the dining room looked narrower too. She had to turn her shoulders to fit through.

Her phone buzzed with a text from her friend Maya: "Beach day today?"

Hera looked down at herself, then at her swimsuit hanging on the door. There was no way it would fit over her new balloon-like shape.