They say you are what you want. This became true for 12-year-old Hugo Stevens as he became addicted to eating mashed potatoes. The addiction began Thanksgiving Day at 4:17 pm on November 25, 2022. Hugo’s Uncle Aleck (who lived with him) was allergic to potatoes. However, he did not attend Thanksgiving Dinner and stayed in his guest house, as he was suffering from a hemorrhoid. 

The doorbell rang, and Hugo opened the door to his new cousin, Willa, who recently married into the family. In her hands was a large pot filled with mashed potatoes. Willa carefully lifted the lid and showed him the dish that he made. A savory, buttery scent wafted into the air, and Hugo’s mouth watered. Unable to have self-control, he stuck his finger into the mixture and promptly licked it. “HUGO,” Willa said as she scolded him. Before she could say anything else, Hugo took the pot out of her hands, grabbed a spoon, and started devouring it. Willa and Hugo’s other family members gasped and began shouting at him. His mom reached over to grab the pot, but Hugo turned the other way. Eventually, Hugo’s dad commandeered the pot of mashed potatoes and sent him to his room.

Hugo lay on his bed and sighed. I want more mashed potatoes, he thought. Suddenly, he heard a tap on his window. Hugo recoiled at the noise and slowly approached his window. An old woman stared into his eyes, and Hugo yelped. He started to back out of his room, but she held a pot with mashed potatoes and smiled, pointing to the pot. Immediately, Hugo opened his window, thanked the woman, and grabbed the mashed potatoes. She hobbled away, and Hugo began to dig into the pot.

5 minutes later

Hugo scrapped the last bits of the potatoes from the pot and sighed in satisfaction. As he slowly walked to his bed, he felt a popping sensation on the surface of his skin. Mashed potatoes oozed out of his skin, and Hugo yelled and ran out of his room to the dining hall. Everybody screamed when they saw Hugo. Curiously enough, Uncle Aleck decided to pop in for a visit. Uncle Aleck dropped to the floor at the mere sight of mashed potatoes. Hugo’s parents, cousins, and grandparents rushed to the floor. During all of the commotion, Hugo tripped on the floor rug. The mashed potatoes from his body flicked and fell on Uncle Aleck’s leg, which grew swollen. Uncle Aleck’s breathing grew shallow, and the light in his eyes dimmed as he breathed his last breath.

Eventually, the mashed potatoes embedded in Hugo’s skin went away, and he lived the rest of his life in a rehabilitation center that attempted to end his potato addiction.

THE END.