Full Body Inflation

Your bedroom was perfectly still. Gentle evening twilight streamed in from the gaps around the curtains and all was silent save for the gentle ambient hum of the outside world as well as electronics scattered around the flat. All things considered, it would’ve been the recipe for a cozy, relaxing evening. That is, were it not for the fact that you found yourself resting on the ceiling inflated like a gigantic balloon, your body filled to the brim with lighter than air gas and puffed out into a 7ft round sphere.

There is an old belief among the Gaels that the Ash Tree was one of the legendary guardian trees of Ireland. The tree is credited with a range of protective and healing properties, a magically imbued tree. One could even say that the girl named Ashley possessed such incredible power but not of a positive sort.

A year, maybe two. Glen had quickly grown tired of his life hooked up to a canister. Klestofer stopped visiting him after a few months, leaving him alone most days. Sometimes therapists came in and asked him questions. He would anawer truthfully, but they never did anything about his dark thoughts.

He often wished he would just pop. Or deflate. Or fall asleep and never wake up. 

Abbie knew she should not be here. Students of the New York Academy of Magic were never allowed in the lower floors of the building unsupervised, much less in the restricted Transcripts Room in the middle of the night. In the petite, auburn-haired girl’s hand was a transcript forged to more ‘accurately’ reflect her academic ability; her grades were just below that of her despised rival Natalie, which was, of course, unthinkable. “If they won’t recognize my excellence,” Abbie thought, “then I’ll do it for them.” She pocketed the forgery and went off in search of her records.