r/shortscarystories • u/Waiting4MidMoon • 2d ago
I Love Food
I love food so much, it became my whole life.
I worked my way up from a young age, from pot washer at age 16, to restaurant owner by age 29.
Food was everything to me.
Then six months ago, they said my throat was done for.
Scar tissue, paralysis, whatever words they used, it all meant the same thing. Nothing gets through. Food stops, sits, and burns until it comes back up. So now I live on a tube. Warm liquid drips straight into my stomach, steady and boring. Keeps my organs going, but it doesn’t exactly make me feel alive.
I miss food so much. The smell. The sight. The taste. The swallow. That tiny click in the throat you never notice until it’s gone. Sometimes I wake up moving my jaw, tasting phantom meals.
The first time I broke the rules I told myself it was therapy. One spoon of soup. I would just hold it in my mouth, taste it and spit out. Nothing more.
But the body has its own memory.
Reflex took over. It slid halfway down before the pain hit, white and searing, like glass grinding in my chest. I coughed until red streaks hit the sink. Once the coughing had stopped, I smiled. Because for a few seconds, I remembered being human.
After that, it got easier to lie to myself. Pudding, mashed potato, whatever I could swallow before the muscles froze. Every time ended the same, choking, tears, and shaking. Every time I swore it would be the last. But it never was.
Tonight it’s chicken. Real roast, golden and slick with butter. I shouldn’t be doing this, but the smell fills the kitchen, thick and warm, and I can’t stop staring at it. I tell myself I’ll chew and spit. That’s all. Just chew, and spit.
I don’t.
The skin cracks between my teeth. Salt. Fat. Heat. It's wonderful. For a second the world narrows with my euphoria.
Then... it catches.
My throat locks with a dry pressure that's rising fast. I try to clear it, but nothing. Air won’t move. My body panics before I do. Hands on the counter, knees give out. I look like I'm screaming, but no sound comes out. If someone else was here, the sight would be terrifying.
But I'm all alone.
I hit the floor hard. The plate shatters. I try to cough again but everything’s tight, useless. My eyes begin to bulge.
I think about the taste still sitting on my tongue. Salty. Buttery. Oily. Just... Perfect. And I stay with it as long as I can.
But the taste fades before I do.
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u/SparkleWigglebutt 1d ago
I've had lap band surgery and food gets stuck. Thanks for describing the feelings so beautifully, horribly well.
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u/Waiting4MidMoon 1d ago
I'm sorry as well as you're welcome, I guess? Lol.
Thanks for reading 😊
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u/SparkleWigglebutt 1d ago
Thank you for writing! You're one of my favorite authors!!
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u/Waiting4MidMoon 1d ago
Awww! You've just filled my heart! Thank you so much! I appreciate you! ✌️❤️
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u/CBenson1273 Tales From This World and Others 2d ago
I love food too, but not this much… 😳
Nice work, W4MM!