Cracked by Keri Lock (Excerpt 7)

We stood quietly, stunned. This was a first. The man was snoring, face down, body balanced on a huge belly, dimpled buttock slightly raised. The pale flesh of his middle lay in thick folds, scarred with angry, red lines. His bulk looked oddly misshapen, almost inhuman. Curious, I leaned forward, peeking over one massive shoulder to his face.
“Stop!” Michele whispered, “Don’t get any closer! He might wake up.”
“Who is he?” I asked, ignoring her request. Inching closer, I inspected the side of his pudgy face. Red cheeks swollen, hair matted with sweat, he emitted a low guttural snort, like a pig. Reflexively, I jumped back. It was the noise that had frightened me in the dark.
“Mom’s new boyfriend?” Michele guessed, curiosity, overpowering caution. She stepped closer.
“What about Joey?” I asked, glancing at her. My sister had never liked our mother’s on-again, off-again boyfriend.
“Maybe he’s out of the picture” in a hopeful voice “but I guess this isn’t any better” she motioned towards the stranger. We stared, fascinated by his mass.
As we looked, the enormous man turned his head and vomited violently onto the yellow shag of the carpet. The churned mess slowly spread, soaking the flooring with flakes of brown waste. The putrid stench of soured milk and bile filled my nostrils making me gag convulsively. I ran from the room. Michele followed me to the bathroom, wiping my face with a wet cloth when I was through being sick.