A preview of Distorted Glass Part 2

1:00 AM

“Honey, you have to admit you have a problem and we can help you,” her father said, sounding near tears. “We will help come up with a balance. We are not trying to say you can’t eat healthy and excises a lot, but you are going to do major damage to your body this way. That Snow Queen has become an obsession for you, and that is a problem.”

Amber turned back, furry in her eyes. Her green eyes almost looked golden. “My problem is you! All of you! You are just trying to make me fat like the rest of you so I will fit in, and it isn’t fair.” She stomped off to her room, leaving an even more profound silence in her wake then when she her arrived at the table.

Jared watched his mother rise from the table and rush to her bedroom, a sob escaping within his hearing.

“Mary,” his father followed after her and raced to comfort his wife.

Jared stared down at his plate feeling sick. He thought back to what things were like only the year before. He remember very well the week after Thanksgiving last year, it had been so filled with laughter and fun. The Fillmore Four, as their family called themselves, had spent hours planning their Christmas display and Amber had made up a batch of cookies almost every day.

What had happened to her in the past year? She had slowly started to pull away from all of them, becoming obsessed with being thin and healthy and that stupid beauty pageant their town put on. Amber had always been a bit larger, but she was quickly slimming down, at an alarming rate.

Jared left is plate on the table and grabbed his jacket from a peg in the hallway. Things couldn’t stay this way. He had to find some way to change them.



“Jared! Good to see you!” Pastor greeted enthusiastically, giving him a hug. “What brings you here?”
“Mrs. Philips said you had another appointment soon, but I needed to talk.”

“I always have time. Tell me, what is on your heart today?” The pastor sat down and indicated Jared should do the same. Pastor Johnson was approaching fifty-five, but still was full of energy and joy.

He had been the preacher at Community Fellowship since before Jared was born.

“It is about my sister,” Jared said, suddenly feeling awkward. He didn’t like talking about problems with anyone, but he was desperate.

“Amber?” The pastor cocked his head.

Jared nodded. “Yes sir. She… My parents… This is…”

Pastor Johnson folded his hands and set them on his desk. “Is this about her eating disorder?”

Jared flinched. “It isn’t a disorder really.”

Pastor Johnson smiled sadly. “Son, when you don’t view things in a proper way, your perception is in disorder. Now, what is it you want to know?”

“I want to help her,” Jared blurted. “She is scaring my parents and me and she won’t listen to anyone.”

“I know,” Pastor Johnson’s compassion and pain were evident in his voice. “It is a hard thing to watch someone hurt themselves. Depriving oneself of needed food is just one of the many ways people inflict self-harm.”

“So how do I get her to stop?” Jared said, desperate for an answer.

The pastor shook his head. “You can’t make her stop, Jared.”

He felt as If he had been punched. “What?”

“You cannot make her stop. She has to choose that for herself.”

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2 comments

  1. This sounds excellent! I can't wait to read the whole thing. :)

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  2. This sounds VERY lovely Sarah! GREAT JOB!!! <3 it

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