Growth Malfunction rough draft

Growth Malfunction.

Linda walked up to the glass door of the pharmacy and shivered. “Why does it have to be so cold today?” She looked down the sidewalk at the tree with its red and orange leaves which were scattered around on the ground. “Just because its fall doesn’t mean it has to be cold.” She turned her pale head and walked inside.

“Hello Linda.” Ron waved at her as she walked up towards the counter. “How are you doing today? Still going to college?”

She nodded her head. “Yes. Classes start up again this week.” She gave him a smile. “Did my prescriptions come in?”

“Let me check.” He turned around and walked down the aisles of pills. She hummed to herself as she waited. Linda did not like these monthly trips. The Enthroal Township was the only pharmacy that would carry the perceptions she needed, pills that would keep her from growing. A few years ago her body began to suddenly grow out of control. Every week she would gain multiple feet in height. By the time the doctors figured out a way to control her height issues she had already become seventy feet tall.

She tapped her foot on the ground. “Ron usually doesn’t take this long.” She looked over the counter. “Did he go into the back room?”

A few minutes later Ron walked to the counter as he scratched his bald head. “Sorry but the perceptions are not in.”

Linda crossed her arms. “Ok than when can I pick them up?”

“Look we only get our supplies here once every two weeks and the truck came yesterday. So you will have to come back on the sixteenth.”

She put her hands down on the counter. “But I need those pills now. I will run out tonight.”

“Hey I can’t do anything. Calm down.”

She grabbed him by the collar of his shit. “You don’t understand. I need those pills.

His eyes went wide. “Linda, calm down. Please.” He took a deep breath. “Don’t do something you will regret.”

She sighed and let go of him. “I am sorry.”

“Can’t you go without the medicine for a few weeks? I know it isn’t blood pressure or something like that but what is the worst that could happen?"

She walked over to the door. “I don’t know. I just know I don’t want to find out.” She walked out into the frigid air. What can I do to keep myself from growing?

***

Linda arrived home late that night. She had been out in the vain hope some pharmacy would have what she needed. But she came home empty handed and climbed the stairs to her apartment in defeat. “Well at least I have one more pill for tonight.” She opened the grey door. “I can figure out what to do in the morning and go from there. I am not going to start growing again. The doctor said that if I got off this medicine it could have disastrous effects on my growth.” She shivered. “I don’t even want to know what that could mean. I just want to get the medicine tomorrow and stay this normal 5’11.”

Linda walked into the next room and gasped. “Buster. What have you been doing while I have been away?” She narrowed her eyes down at her chocolate Labrador and the utter mess of torn food and clothing on the floor. “I put your food out while I was away. Couldn’t you find it?”

Buster ran up to her and rubbed against her leg. “Hey. You know what you did. Ugh. Look mister.” He sat down in place. “You go straight to bed.” He gave her big droopy blue eyes. “Don’t look at me like that.”

Buster slowly walked off towards the next room. “Ugh what am I going to do with that dog?” She sighed and looked down at the floor. “He always gets into my things when he thinks I didn’t feed him.” Linda walked into the next room. “Well I better just refill his bowl to make sure.” Her eyes went wide. “Oh crap. I just remembered.” She hit herself on the forehead. “I rushed out too quickly to refill his food bowl today. Stupid stupid, stupid. Ugh.”

She picked up the bowl and walked back into the kitchen. “I will have to make it up to Buster. Now that is one more thing on my to do list.” She set the bowl on ground and grabbed the bag of dog food. “Next time I need to remember to feed my little guy before going out to find some anti growing pills.” Linda closed her eyes. “So he doesn’t become me extra little guy.”

Once Busters food dish was filled she set it on the ground. “Oh Buster. I think there is something in here for you.” The young dog came rushing and made a bee line for the bowl at her feet. She smiled and turned around. “Now to clean up this mess.”

Linda picked up the shreaded cereal box containers and sweaters on the floor. She set her torn clothes on the table and threw the boxes into the garbage where they made a giant thud. “That is strange.” She narrowed her eyes at the garbage. “Those boxes sound heavier than they should be.”

Against her better judgment she fished around in the waste bin and in the broken containers. Her hand grasped something familiar. She pulled it out to see it was her pill container for her anti growth medication. “Oh no.” She looked at Buster who had just finished eating and looked up at her with a happy grin. “What did you do?”

Buster lowered his head to the right side and stuck his tounge out. She pointed at the puncuered cyndinder in her hand. “This. What did you do with the pill in side?”

“Ruuff.”

She bent over and opened Buster’s jaw. “Ok I am not laughing anymore. Show me where the pill is.”

Buster took a few steps back and shook his head. “Ruff.” He then turned around and walked out of the room.

Linda sighed. “This isn’t good.” She ran her hands through her dark hair. “This isn’t good at all. I need those pills to keep this size. What am I going to do?”