Whumpee hasnāt eaten in days. According to them, theyād rather starve than be under Whumperās thumb anymore. And itās starting to show in the dryness of their lips and slight inward curve of their belly. Every now and then, Whumper will hear Whumpeeās stomach growl loudly.
Itās after a bad day, and upon hearing this noise again, that Whumper storms off to the kitchen. Theyāre not going to let Whumpee sulk like a child and get away so easily. They spent far too much time trying to get them in the first place.
Whumper decides that instant oatmeal will work. Maybe something soft will minimize the choking risk. Before heading back to Whumpeeās cell, they also grab zip ties. Whumpee wonāt try to run from this.
The door to the cell opens, and Whumpee looks up from the floor. Their eyes settle on the oatmeal before slumping back down.
āWonāt work,ā Whumpee says. āIām not gonnaāā
Whumper snatches Whumpee by the hair and drags them to a chair bolted to the floor. Whumpee kicks uselessly at the floor with swinging feet. A cry tears from their throat as Whumper slams their back into the chair.
āWait, what are you doing?ā Whumpee asks. Whumper wrestles Whumpeeās wrists down onto the arm rest and secures it with the zip tie.
āYouāre not starving to death,ā Whumper growls. āNot on my watch.ā
Whumpeeās eyes widen. They try to start fighting again, but Whumper simply grabs their limbs before restraining them to the chair. Whumpee is breathing heavily now, teeth bared and eyes wide.
Whumper grabs the bowl of oatmeal off the floor. They scoop a spoonful and hover it toward Whumperās mouth. Whumpee purses their lips and clenches your jaw
āDonāt make this hard,ā Whumper says, their voice low. āOpen your mouth.ā
Whumpee glares at them, their eyes reading an obvious āgo to hellā. Whumperās nostrils flare as they slam the hot bowl down onto the floor. They lurch forward and dig their fingers into Whumpeeās jaw, hard enough that it feels like their jaw will break under Whumperās grip.
And just when Whumper thinks theyāll have to resort to something more drastic, Whumpeeās lips part. Whumper shoves the spoon in Whumpeeās mouth. Before they can recover, another spoonful is shoved in. Whumpee tries to spit it out, but Whumperās hand clamps over their mouth.
āSwallow,ā Whumper hisses.
āP-please,ā Whumpee stutters. āIāā
Whumper forces in another spoonful of oatmeal.
Whumper doesnāt stop until a few straggler grains are left behind. Whumper slumps forward in the chair, coughing and gasping.
āDonāt you dare throw up,ā Whumper demands.
āI wonāt,ā Whumpee chokes out.
After a minute, Whumperās face softens. They place the spoon in the bowl and head for a small sink in the corner.
āSee?ā they say. āThat wasnāt so hard!ā
Whumpee doesnāt answer, the only sound being the lightbulbs flickering above and the hiss of water coming from the faucet.
āI trust we wonāt have this problem again,ā Whumper asks.
Whumpeeās head tilts up. Their cheeks are cut with silent tears and bruises are starting to form along their jawline.
āNo,ā Whumpee reassures. āI wonāt do it again.ā