"Alright Kathy, that's enough for now!"
"Aww, just a few more, mommy? Pretty pretty please?"
"Well, alright, two more."
"Yay!"
Julie sighed softly, smiling warmly at her daughter Kathy, who was happily nibbling on the contents of a bag of milk-chocolate cookies. The adorable little six-year-old was rather chubby; her rounded belly stuck out quite a bit, her thick little thighs squished out on the sofa, rounded arms, and her pudgy hands holding onto the cookie she crunched into her chubby little cheeks. Her long ginger hair reached down her back, with a little fringe on her forehead, showing her full round freckly face. Her wide blue eyes were fixed on her cookie as she nibbled it up with a little grin. Kathy loved cookies, but she'd never tried these ones before. They were really really yummy!
Julie, a slim young woman whom Kathy had adopted her hair and features from, was sat next to her daughter, stroking her hair slowly and softly as she ate. She'd noticed Kathy had put on a few pounds in the last year or so, which wasn't helped by her rapidly developing sweet tooth and fondness for pizza loaded with cheese, her favourite dinner. She was also getting into a habit of snacking between meals, and all this was showing. Julie had bought Kathy those pink cotton pyjamas about two or three months ago, and they fit on her nice and loosely, but now, albeit still rather loose, little gaps were forming between the buttons and letting her daughter's growing tummy peek out. Julie was starting to get concerned about Kathy's growth, and needed to find a way to make her lose weight without forcing her onto a diet or to do a lot of exercise.
Lucky she did.
"Okay Kathy, that's two," Julie said gently, lifting the cookie bag from Kathy's lap, "Don't want the witch to get you, do you?"
"Uh-uh!" Kathy giggled, shaking her head and sliding off the sofa onto the floor, making her tummy bounce a tiny bit, "I didn't have too much! She won't notice!"
"That's a good girl," Julie smiled, brushing crumbs off her daughter's top, "c'mon, time for bed."
Julie and Kathy lived in a nice house on a small neighbourhood in the country, and their house was situated next to the entrance of a large forest. Julie used this to her advantage and, a month ago, finally thought of a way to suppress her daughter's growing habit of overeating. She'd made up a story that a witch lived deep in the forest, who would lure greedy little children to her home in the night, with a lovely smell of food guiding them to her house. Once there, the witch would serve the child an enormous meal of delicious sweets and junk food for them to gobble up. If the child refused to eat, the witch would hypnotise them into eating. Once the child was stuffed full, the witch would return them home. If the child continued to be greedy, the witch would continue to lure them to her home. What the child doesn't know is, the witch's favourite meal is greedy little children, and so she wants to bloat them up like a Christmas turkey. Once the child is fattened up to the witch's satisfaction, she would gobble the child right up!
With this idea planted in her over-imaginative mind, Kathy promised to stop eating whenever her mother told her to. And although she'd only lost a pound or two since hearing the story, it was still progress.
Julie took her daughter's pudgy hand and led her upstairs to the bathroom to brush her teeth, then to her bedroom to help her into bed and tuck her in.
"Goodnight honey," Julie whispered, giving Kathy a gentle kiss on her chubby cheek.
"Nightnight mommy," Kathy whispered back with a little smile. She watched as her mother turned on her softly lit nightlight and left the door open a crack, and listened as she heard her footsteps go down the hall, then the click of a door. She'd recognised this as mommy going to bed too.
Kathy snuggled down and closed her eyes...but didn't feel sleepy at all. For some reason, her mind was racing about the milk-chocolate cookies. They were just, so yummy!
She rolled over as she pulled her kitten plushy close and cuddled it tight. She started engaging her strong imagination...yes, she's having a tea party with her kitten, and the tea is warm and sweet. The kitten pulls a basket close to it, saying it brought some food to eat. Kathy wondered what it could be. Sandwiches, maybe?
The kitten pulls out a milk-chocolate cookie. Kathy politely refuses, but the kitten keeps insisting, and the cookie gets yummier...
Kathy's eyes opened back up. She still hadn't slept, and all she was thinking about was cookies.
She removed her duvet and sneaked to her door, opening it up for her to sneak out and tiptoe downstairs to the kitchen. She flicked on the kitchen light and there it was, on the table. The bag with the remaining milk-chocolate cookies she'd been craving. She grinned and climbed onto the chair, pulling the bag close and opening it. She counted only one cookie left. She lifted it out and opened her mouth.
Then suddenly, she hesitated. What about the witch? She might catch me!
Kathy pondered this for about a minute or so, then eventually came to a conclusion.
It's only one cookie, I'm sure she won't notice.
With that, Kathy gleefully nibbled up the cookie, then sneaked to the pantry. She opened it up and reached into another open bag of cookies; regular chocolate chip. She cleverly lifted one out and placed it into the empty bag, putting it back on the table. That way mommy won't notice!
...she couldn't help but take another chocolate chip cookie just for herself, nibbling it quietly as she tiptoed to her room.
Climbing into bed and snuggling up with her kitten plushy, Kathy, mind at ease, settled down to sleep...