A New Blue Craze Rough Draft

A New Blue Craze

Cathy reached into her purse as the cellphone rang. “Just a moment.” She held the phone up to her ear. “Hello? Cathy Andrews here.”

“Cathy darling. How long has it been?”

Cathy rolled her green eyes. “Hello Alexa. It’s been too long.” She sighed. Or no long enough.

“I was talking with Derek. There is some hot new craze on the market and he is giving me a sample.”

Cathy ran her hands through her red hair. “And why are you telling me?”

“Because you know I love to give you all the fun toys.”

Cathy sighed. “Like that wonder gel that was supposed to make my skin glow, quite latterly? Or the cadies that would somehow help with bone growth?”

“Hey just because I fell for some scams doesn’t mean I am always wrong. Besides you did grow a few inches from that Popstar candy.”

“A coincidence.”

“It still proves that sometimes I am right. Look just meet Derek and me at Twenty Ave in fifteen minutes and I will show you what I found.”

“Just tell me now.”

“Where is the fun in that?” She hung up.

Cathy slid her phone back into her purse. “I don’t know if I can handle another one of these outings with Alexa. Last time I was convinced I was really growing. I don’t know what I am going to do if the next product isn’t a scam.”

She walked out of the front door of her house and headed towards her car. “Let’s get this over with. Last thing I want is for her to call me twenty times over the next two hours asking me where I am.”

Cathy used her key fob to unlock the red SUV and jumped inside. She took a quick look at herself in the rearview mirror. She had a yellow t-shirt covering her tan skin, and black slacks and sneakers. “Ok, it should only take me five minutes to get there. I know that Alexa will still complain about me being late.”

It was a scorching June day, she had to blast the air conditioning to keep from overheating. The heatwave would be here all week, making life unbearable.

A few minutes later she arrived at the corner of Twenty Ave. She didn’t see Alexa, instead Derek was waving at her with a foolish grin. “Hey Cathy wathy.”

She drove into a nearby parking lot. “I hate that name.” Cathy parked the vehicle and then stepped out. She then walked over to Derek and shook his dark skinned hand. “Where is Alexa?”

“I don’t know. She was supposed to be here.” He pulled at his shaggy beard. “I am sure she won’t mind if we start without her.”

“She will complain either way.”

He reached into his pants pocket. “You are probably right.” He produced a stick of gum. “Here.”

Cathy looked at the blue wrapped gum with a raised eyebrow. “What is it?”

“Why it is the best thing this side of. . .” He looked up at the sky. “I am not as good at this as Alexa is. Look it is just a new and popular blueberry flavored gum that is supposed to be everlasting.”

Cathy took the stick of gum. “You know that gum loses its flavor.”

“Hey that is what it says. It will not lose its flavor.”

She unwrapped the stick of gum. “I guess it won’t hurt to try it. Besides I love blueberries.” She waved the gum in her hands. “As long as this doesn’t make me sick like those quote un quote growth candies did.”

“I saw Alexa try this after she called you. I think you are fine.”

Cathy smiled. “Well as long as it’s safe.” She put the stick of gum into her mouth. “Mhmm this is really good. It tastes like I have a blueberry pie in my mouth.”

“Hey Derek. When Cathy gets here don’t let her try that gum.” They both turned to see Alexa waddling down the sidewalk. She was completely blue, her body resembling more an inflatable then her normal self.

Derek ran his right hand through his dark hair. “What happened to you?”

She stopped just in from of them, trying to push in her gut that extended down to her knees. “It was the gum. It is making me swell like crazy.”

Cathy gulped. “What?” She reached inside her mouth to pull out the gum but couldn’t find it.

Alex looked at Cathy. “You didn’t try it did you?”

Cathy’s eyes went wide. “I think I just swallowed it.” Her eyes darted back and forth as Alexa and Derek argued with each other, her eyes on Alexa’s swelling body. That is going to happen to me isn’t it? I have to get out of here.

Cathy turned around and ran for her car. She could hear Derek’s voice call out to her, “Hey where are you going? I need help here. Alexa is turning into giant blue blob. You can’t just leave me here.”

Cathy reached for her car door when she noticed blue spots on the back of her hand. “Oh no. It is already happening.” She swung the door open and jumped inside. “I need to get home before anyone sees me turn all blue and. . .” She looked over at Alexa as she started the SUV. “A Blueberry?”

Alexa tried to push down on her growing body as she expanded outward. Her arms were short stumps at this point and Cathy couldn’t even see Alexa’s legs.  “Oh my. She looks like a massive human blueberry.” Cathy shook her head as she backed out of the parking lot. “And that is happening to me. I need to get this car into gear. I can’t let the entire town see me as a massive blueberry.”

She sped down the road as blue coloration crept up her arm. She tried her best not to stare but one eye kept darting down at her body to check at her slow transformation. “Deep breaths. Come on. This will be ok. See you are already in the country. Everything will be just fine.”

Her stomach suddenly ballooned outward for a split second before flatting out. “Ugh what was that?” Cathy licked her lips. “I can taste blueberries all of a sudden.” Her other hand quickly turned blue, in seconds her left arm had changed color. Cathy squirmed in her seat. “Ugh I feel so weird.” She put a hand on her chest and felt a new sensation. “Is that liquid in my chest?” When she came to an interstation she looked down at her t-shirt. “What are these dark blue spots on my shirt? Eww they are wet.”

She heard the car behind her honk their horn. Cathy looked up to see the light had turned green. “Crap.” She put her foot on the gas as she felt the strange liquid start to build up inside her. “This isn’t good. I am already starting to swell. This is juice inside of me right.” She used one hand to rub her stomach and heard sloshing liquid as she did so. “There is so much and it keeps building.” Cathy squinted as she turned the corner. “And I can feel it starting to stretch my body. This belt is starting to become tight.”

Cathy knew she wasn’t going to make it home in time so she drove off the road and into a vacant field. Once she had shut off the engine she wiped blue sweat from her forehead. “It is so hot today. The beating sun is making my insides churn. I need to get out of here and get my roots into the ground to cool off.” She blinked. “Where did that come from? I am not a plant.”

She unlatched her belt, allowing her chest to expand outward. “Holy crap.” She pressed on her chest. “That is a lot of juice.” Cathy pushed the door open and fell onto her chest, the juice inside of her swimming around in her body; her body looking like a wave simulator. “Ok. I need to get up. Ugh.” She used all of her strength to rise to her feet. “So heavy.” Her arms rested on her round midsection. “It looks like I have the bean bag cushion stuck inside me.” She twisted around to look at her back side. “Even my rear end is round.” Cathy reached down between her legs. “And I think the space between my legs is shrinking as well. I need to do something.”

A sudden flash of light almost caused her to fall onto her back. She raised her hands in front of her face. “What the hell?”

A truck had parked on the side of the road and a young couple were standing buy it, using their cell phones to snap pictures of her. “Hey what are you doing?”

The young man looked at her in confusion. “Taking pictures of a blueberry field.” He scratched at his bald head and looked at the woman resting against the red vehicle. “Did I offend the blueberry woman or something?”

Cathy slammed her hands onto the sides of her body, causing tremors to ripple throughout her frame. “I am not a blueberry.” She looked around. “This is a blueberry field isn’t it? How did I not know that before?”

The young woman jumped up and entered the truck. “Andy, I think it’s time we go. It is to hot out here. Besides looking at all those blueberries is making me hungry.”

He walked around the side of the vehicle. “Sure thing. I will get you a big blueberry pie when we get home.”

Cathy raised her arms. “Hey. I am in big trouble here.” She began to wobble as her legs started to merge together. “Whoh.” Cathy shook her head. “You can’t leave me here.” The couple drove off. “Hey. Help me. Don’t let me become a blueberry.”

She tripped, falling onto her chest. “Ouff.” Her feet floundered in the air as her hands slowly rose off the ground. “No.” She gritted her teeth as she tried to reach for the ground, but couldn’t reach past her swelling mass. “I am getting to big and round.” Her body took on a spherical shape, her arms and legs vanishing into her body. “I feel so full of juice and this heat isn’t helping.” She shook her head. “I feel too hot. I need water. Where are my roots? I need to drink.” Cathy shook her head. “Snap out of it. You may be a big blueberry and full of juice but you are not a plant. You hear me, you are not a plant.”

Cathy felt a tingle from the top of her head. “What is that?” She looked up as far as she could to see something green extending out of the top of her head. “That better not be what I think it is.” Massive green leaves grew out of her head and a long vine extended outward. The vine separated near the midsection of her body, turning into three, then nine, then fifteen strands. By the time the vine reached the ground there were too many strands to count. The vines pieced the ground, and then Cathy felt a new sensation fill her body.

“Is that water? My body, I can feel myself drinking.” She sighed. “Oh this is so nice and relaxing.” A smile formed on her face. “I don’t know why I was even stressed out. I no longer have to deal with the heat anymore. I can just focus on growing.”

Cathy closed her eyes and felt something new. “I feel, hmm. What is it?” She vibrated her vines. “It feels like I have blueberries growing out of myself.” Cathy sighed. “Well that is cool. When this is all over I will be able to have some blueberry pie.” She narrowed her eyes. “Or someone can use my blueberries to make a pie for them. I guess I am not too picky at this point. If I stay like this it won’t be too bad. I have everything I need. Good warm sunlight. Cool water.” She smiled. “What more could I want?”