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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.
PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox
Today I’m kind of cheating. The following story is an edited snippet of my soon to be published novel LAST DANCE WITH ANNIE. It’s about a 40 year old woman’s struggle with anorexia nervosa. This scene is early in book and based on a personal story. Oh those voices in our heads that distort any sense of reason! It’s a mindset that counts calories in a piece of chewing gum. No food is truly safe.
Genre: Fiction (sort of)
Word Count: 100
EAT YOUR HEART OUT
House of Hunan had something for everyone, including Tony. He filled his plate with egg rolls, crab Rangoon and bacon-wrapped Rumaki. Plenty of fried food to keep him happy.
Elise’s inner-voice crooned. “Buffets are great places to hide.”
She studied the huge mound of lettuce and sautéed green beans on her plate. How many calories? 200? Maybe less. Iceberg only had 50 per head. Her empty stomach roiled with the laxatives she’d gulped down. At the same time, it growled with hunger.
“It’s too much.” The voice sang. “It will make you fat. Huge as a hippo. Fat, fat, fat!”
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
A great sense of peril and cunning, Rochelle
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Thank you, Neil. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Lots of inner turmoil bubbling to the surface. Well written!
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Dear Rochelle, great way to start your novel. We are captivated into Elise’s mindset from the start. Hope she wins some battles towards her personal goal. Always hope, one step at a time.
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Dear Susan,
Of course I don’t want to give away too much. 😉 Elise does have a struggle ahead of her. Thank you for your generous comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You’re welcome.
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Quite the contrast between buffet plates. Yuck to both – I would get very sick eating what Tony was eating (OK, I can eat egg rolls, but that is it), but at least it would be a natural reaction my body has to garbage and not like the main character. You painted her inner mind very well. It is scary. I’m sorry if you or a loved one had to go through that, as was implied.
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Dear Trent,
And when my husband and I frequent our favorite Asian buffets…I don’t do many fried foods any more. Although French fries are my downfall.
As for Elise’s inner mind, I’m quite familiar with its workings. I have lived this story and the novel is semi-autobiographic. I’m happy to say I’m at a time in my life where I can look back and share my experience, hope and love.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’m glad it is safely enough in your past that you can share it.
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Thank you, Trent. I have to say that when I started LDWA I wrote the first four chapters and had to put it away. Healing is a process, not an event.
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Good pov on anorexia. As you can see, I’m back in the loop thanks to a little helper ( a teen) who got me back in. Anywho… great story. Now, I’m hungry and still on liquids…hmmm, does lettuce lose calories if it’s pureed…. hmmm
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Dear Bear,
I’m happy to see you found your way back. 😉 One should always have a teen in their corner. As for lettuce, it’s mostly water anyway…not many calories and, as for Iceberg, not much nutrition either.
I’m all-too familiar with Elise’s pov since at once time it was mine. Thank you for your kind comments. Hope you get better soon.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Anorexia is such a debilitating and horrible thing to go through. Some make it and some don’t. It affects friends and family just as well because they don’t understand as a rule. I am so very glad that “Annie” comes out on top.
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Dear Jan,
Actually “Annie” didn’t come out on top. 😉 I did. And I’m glad. I regret how it affected our whole family, ie , you and the boys. Thanks for being my rock. ❤
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very nice rochelle!
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Thank you, Carol Anne.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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When can we get a copy??? I have a feeling reading this novel will remind me how angry I am to live in a world that encourages so many versions of Annie’s opinions about her plate and her body. But knowing you, it will be told with great compassion too.
On another note, my character is grateful for this choice of prompt. Thank you!
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Dear Jen,
I appreciate the supportive comments. It’s my hope that it might be out this year, but I can’t say at present. It’s out being read by beta readers after a first round of edits.
When I was a young teen, everyone wanted to look like Twiggy. Very few over the age of 10 could pull off her style. It’s gone downhill since then. I had a friend who was a fashion model…she was in my eating disorder support group…who had horror stories of how she was encouraged to starve herself.
Happy to oblige your character. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Looking forward to reading this book!
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Thank you, Dawn. It’s nothing like my other books 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I got that. Thank you. 😉
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The start of a journey. Hopefully, when it’s published your book will give hope to others suffering from a similar problem.
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Dear Keith,
That is one of my reasons for writing this book. I do hope it gives hope and incentive to others to recover. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I can hear that voice loud and clear. It’s an insidious disease.
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Dear Lisa,
Insidious indeed. The same voice tells an 85 lb woman she’s fat and of course, she knows it’s true. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, you are welcome. Sounds like the waiting for the book being released is almost over 🙂
Shalom,
Lisa
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It’s getting closer, Lisa. After I get my MS back from my beta readers I’ll be sending it to my publisher for another round of edits. No projected dates as of yet, but, rest assured, everyone will know. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I didn’t read your introduction before I read your story but gleaned your fight with anorexia in the last lines. You have been generously open about that. Thank you.
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Dear Lish,
I began my true recovery nearly 30 years ago. Elise seems like a dream to me now, although there are moments Annie tries to whisper in my ear. I consider myself blessed to be alive to tell this, albeit, fictionalized story. Although, there’s nothing fictitious about this particular scene. Thank you for your encouraging words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I applaud you, Rochelle, for overcoming your struggle and being brave enough to share with the world. I hope your book finds the success it deserves.
We are often our own worst enemies. I have social anxiety issues. The “voices” in my head often gang up on me and keep me from doing things.
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Dear Nobbin,
Thank you for your encouraging and affirming comments. I look back on those struggles today with thanksgiving that I wasn’t successful in my attempts to disappear. Life is full and enjoyable now. Which is not to say I don’t battle occasional bouts of anxiety. I’m an ambivert for the most part…I don’t do well in large crowds. The internet is perfect for me. 😉 Again, thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Only a person who has suffered can tell her story. I’m glad you did.
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Dear Tracey,
Much of the novel is fiction, but there’s the part that isn’t. This is one of the latter. Thank you for the affirmation. ❤
Shalom,
Rochelle
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So tragic what our thoughts can do to us.
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Dear Sadje,
So true. We are our own worst enemies, aren’t we? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You’re right Rochelle at times the harm we do to ourselves is greater than what others can do
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All you can eat buffets are a wonderful temptation, if only we could control ourselves. I think the saying is, ‘your eyes are bigger than your stomach’.
Rochelle, this is truly a story of our times.
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Dear James,
We do eat at too many buffets. The Asian ones are my favorites. However at that point, it was a great place to mask my eating disorder. A mound of veggies and lettuce. No real substance but it made others think (or so I thought) that I was eating a lot of food. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Some years ago I feared one of my kids was anorexic. Fortunately (!) they were merely starving due to lack of funds and pride.
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Dear Liz,
I had the same experience with my youngest son. First time on his own, he was living on Vienna Sausages and Ramen noodles and not enough of that.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Sometimes I think it’s only when you can look back on something and reiterate the feelings and actions in words that you can be certain you are completely beyond the scope such a phase in your life. I look forward to reading your book when published.
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Dear Sandra,
Exactly. I couldn’t have written this book 20 years ago. I did write a short story about 12 years ago. Then I started the novel, got four chapters into it and put it aside. It really is all about timing and where I am in my life now. I barely relate to Elise these days.
Thank you for such an affirming comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Bobbie Ross W(T)F,
I’m with Tony. It’s been a long time since my eyes were bigger than my stomach. 🙂
Nice excerpt and I followed your lead and used one as well.
Hand me another eggroll,
Virgil Bunyan
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Dear Virgil,
Many thanks. I’ll bet you’re great entertainment at a buffet. 😉 Pass your buddy Jan extra hot mustard. I’ll have the sushi and seaweed salad, thank you.
Shalom,
Bobbie Ross W(T)F
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A scary scary disease. The voices in our heads can be truly horrid. Congrats on the coming publication! ❤
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Dear Laurie,
It is a scary disease. The scary part is that the sufferer thinks they’re in control until they realize the disease/Beast is the one in control. Thank you re my book.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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there’s a saying that says live to eat not eat to live. darn, it doesn’t work when one goes to a buffet. there’s always that temptation to overeat. 🙂
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Dear Plaridel,
In Elise’s case it’s a chance to hide the fact that she’s eating mostly lettuce. It’s also very easy to starve one’s self unnoticed at a buffet. 😦 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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From what you have written, it sounds as if it is going to be a great book, Rochelle congratulations 🙌
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Dear Angela,
I do have high hopes for this book. Thank you for your encouraging words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A nice snippet! Congrats on the coming publication! ❤
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Many thanks, Neel.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Sad to hear that inner voice. I hope she overcomes it in the end.
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Dear Athling,
I don’t want to give too much away, but I’d say there’s a chance Elise will overcome the Beast.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A compelling way to begin your book. The inner voices need to be silenced from time to time, especially the malicious ones. The trick is to recognize the lies. A very sad and tragic story, Rochelle. I hope Elise gets help in the end!
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Dear Brenda,
Not wanting to give too much away, I will say that Elise is a fighter, even when she doesn’t think she is. We all battle inner voices to varying degrees, don’t we? Thank you for your encouraging comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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So sad.
Shalom,
Ronda
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Dear Ronda,
Indeed very sad. Elise is grateful to have lived to tell about it. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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No hiding at the buffet after all. The singer seems to have exposed her.
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Dear Brit,
As is often the case, those things we think we’ve hidden were never hidden at all. The secrets come back to bite us in the end. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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