Two days in and there's no denying it now, Ally thought as she stared at the heavy bulge her stomach had become. She pulled a loose shirt down to hide it, left her jeans unbuttoned, and for good measure threw on a hoodie. Those that know her might think she had just gained a few pounds. In her current gettup they wouldn't be able to tell it was mostly in her middle. And in another day it'd be impossible to hide. If she didn't solve this now there would be no way to pass the curse on to somebody else, and she'd be forced to go through it.
The terms were simple; nine days of pregnancy ending in a birth of unknown number unless somebody takes the curse from you. Ally had it all spelled out for her by her hugely pregnant, long-lost "friend" amid mocking laughter. She saw her shrink down to her former size and walk off, leaving Ally confused. Within minutes she was feeling sick, then hungry, then sick, then starving. She ate herself to sleep and woke up more bloated than when she went to bed.
That was two days ago, and now Ally knew she had to do something. She had no idea what would happen when she came to term, and she really didn't want to find out. She called Heather, who had given her this situation, begging her to explain what to do. Heather just laughed, telling her that there were other ways to lift the curse, but that this was just the easiest. The only hint that she gave was that it would require performing tasks, obtaining some strange objects, and that neither of them would have the means to go about doing that.
But Ally knew somebody who did. She was a frantic one when backed into a corner, and just two days of an accelerated pregnancy were enough to make her pick her target and strike, before she got any further along. She felt some pangs of guilt, but as the second day drifted toward the third, and her belly poked out further, the weight settling uncomfortably on her hips, the sudden spasms of uncontrollable hunger that turned her into a binging maniac until her stomach was satisfied. Granted, the friend she chose to pass this onto might panic even more, but with Ally to help the two of them might be able to stop the curse before the end.
The problem was, Ally had been trying all day calling her old friend and was getting nowhere. She knew she was in town, but she was in the middle of a pretty major movie, and just didn't have a lot of time for a social life. As Ally approached the end of her first rapid trimester she finally broke down, leaving a tearful message that she had to see her old friend Scarlett.
And Scarlett Johansson, however exhausted she might be from filming and physical training for the role, was just decent enough to at least take the time that night to invite Ally over to talk. Who knows? It might be good to get away from work for a night, and it never hurts to help a friend.
It wasn't a moment too soon for Ally. Approaching Scarlett's home, she felt a series of distinct fluttering movements inside of her. She had to stop and steady herself until they stopped, and then, taking a deep breath, approached and saw her beautiful friend already opening the door to greet her.
"Ally! Come on in and tell me all about it."