My boyfriend, Jack was always very health conscientious. He told me that he got bullied a lot back in school for his weight and was upset by not being able to do things other people his age could do. This pushed him to turn his life around. He works out everyday and only eats the best quality food with the right amount of calories.
He started getting really into being active and ended up really hating his office job. I tried to comfort him as much as I could but I knew the best thing for him was joining the army. He’d seen a lot of brochures around that time and the idea piqued his interest. He knew deviating from his usual diet would be hard for him at first but he needed to be active and do something that made him happy.
He’d often send letters to me. In his letters, he told me the food was actually amazing and he felt even more fit than ever. He’d beaten records for runs and long jumps. That always made me happy and gave me a little break from the feeling of loneliness. When I read his letters, I felt like he was truly there with me.
Time went by so quickly during his time there. That made me happy. The most annoying thing was people assuming I was single and either trying to hit on me or set me up with some random lonely friend “like me”. I always declined and explained I still loved my boyfriend.
He decided that it was time to come home. I was so excited that I asked my Mom for a recipe to cook for him. I made sure to search for the old food brands he would specifically use and incorporate them into the dish.
When he came home, I hugged him. I remember him smelling me a lot. It made me so happy at the time. I did the same to him. Part of him smelled amazing. Like he did before he left but another part of him smelled…off.
He was starving so I gave him a good helping of the dinner I made us both. He took a bite and I swear I saw his eyes pop out of his head. Before I knew it, he’d gone through 5 extra helpings and was still hungry. I played it off as a joke but part of me did worry. Was he lying in his letters? All those years, did they under feed him?
The two of us went to bed, and he held me close. He took in a deep breath of my scent and I fell asleep in his arms. At around 2am, I woke up alone, hearing the sound of the fridge being opened and dishes being moved around. I came down and saw dishes upon dishes. Boxes and trays of food emptied and whatever remained, scattered across his mouth.
I looked at him astonished and he looked back with a hint of fear in his eyes. He seemed so ashamed of himself and he ended up crying in my arms.
The next day, we went to a therapist. Jack still seemed to be upset from last night and remained silent. Our therapist theorised that because of how he had been fed and treated during his time in the army, he’d developed an eating disorder of some sort. It seemed likely based on his behaviour and how his diet had so drastically changed. It was too much for him.
I wanted to make him feel comforted so I decided to help him get through it. I wanted him to know that he would always have enough food with me. I asked my Mother for more recipes and she happily obliged. I did wonder though. If he had been eating so little, why was he so active? Was that also a lie?
But sadly, my efforts seemed to worsen the issue. Everyday his hunger grew and grew. It got the point where he was writhing in pain from hunger. He also seemed to be lethargic. Like he had no energy inside him. I ran to the store to get more food. Meat, bread, pasta, fruit, snacks. If they had it, I shoved it into the cart. High quality didn’t matter to me anymore. He just needed food.
I came home with 7 bags stuffed full of supplies to battle this hunger. But when I came in, he was fine. His hunger was gone. I asked him how he wasn’t hungry anymore and he said he ate. I went to hug him but that smell had returned. I searched all over him and it was mainly around his mouth. I asked him what he ate and he refused to look at me.
I was so confused. Was it someone else’s cooking? Why did he feel the need to hide it? I searched the house for what he could have eaten. The freezer, the cupboards, the fridge, the trash. Nothing. I was stumped.
I decided to put all the new food away. A lot of it wouldn’t fit in any storage so I decided to put it in our basement. As I opened the door, the smell that came from Jack was now overwhelming and coming from down those stairs. I held my nose and started walking down. He grabbed my arm and begged me not to go but I pulled away and ran down.
At first, nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary. I followed the smell. Searching for a sign of what he ate. Until…I found it. Human remains, laying in a box and under a sheet. I stood there, horrified. He came my side and cried.
He told me about the food he ate all those years. He said it was better than any meat he ever had. It wasn’t until he was about to leave that he discovered what he had been eating. But he was addicted. Nothing satiated his hunger for human flesh. Nothing else compared.
I still saw the man I loved in there. He wasn’t a monster and he had remorse for what he had done. But I knew he still needed to eat. So now, each week, someone new goes missing. After all. He’ll always have enough food with me. His energy increased too. As well as his strength. He could pick me up with one hand. Sometimes he’d hug me too hard and leave bruises. But life just goes on…
Just one question though…
Anyone got any recipes?