The moment Whumperâs voice rose, something inside Whumpee snapped.
âYouâre going to ruin everything.â The words were spat like venom. âIf you so much as look up at anyone out there, I swear Iâllââ
Whumpee flinched before the sentence finished. His hands instinctively shot up to cover his ears, shoulders curling in, but the words still burrowed deep. Sharp. Hot. Poisonous.
The room was too small. Or maybe too loud. His thoughts were fracturingâslamming against the inside of his skull like they were trying to get out.
âI-I didnât meanââ The words came out broken, too thin. He swallowed hard. âI didnâtâIâm sorryââ
âYou think that matters now?â Whumper hissed. âShut up. Shut up and smile.â
There were footsteps outside. Laughter. Doors creaking open. The event was starting.
Whumpeeâs chest constrictedâtight like it was being cinched with rope. His breath came fast, ragged, each inhale harder than the last. The edges of the room blurred. He couldnât catch his breathâwhy couldnât he breathe?
âIâI c-canâtâpleaseââ His voice shook. His knees gave way and he crumpled where he stood, hands pressed flat against his mouth like he could force himself silent.
Whumper cursed and grabbed his collar, dragging him toward the corner behind the heavy velvet curtain. âYouâre going to ruin this,â he spat. âYou want to cry? Then cry where no one can see you.â
Whumpee whimperedâa pathetic, too-high sound that slipped out against his will. âPlease, Iâll be quiet, I promise, I promise, justâdonâtââ
He barely noticed the impact when Whumper shoved him against the wall. But he felt the pressure on his mouthâsomething cloth and tight being forced in to silence him. Panic exploded in his chest.
He thrashed, weakly, twisting his face away, shaking so violently his teeth chattered. âIâI canâtââ he choked out. âCanât breatheâpleaseâdonâtââ
Whumper growled, âYouâre overreacting. Get it together.â
But he couldnât. There was no together left.
Everything spikedâevery sound too loud, every shadow too sharp. His lungs clawed for air that wouldnât come. He couldnât see. Couldnât think. He was going to die. He was sure of it.
He bit his own fist to stay quiet, shoving it so far into his mouth his jaw ached, just trying to muffle the gasps. The sobs. The scream that built behind his teeth like fire.
And before he could even turn his headâhe vomited.
The silence that followed was sharp. Final.
Whumper stared down at himself, drenched, seething. Whumpee was already sliding down the wall, trembling, face white, trying to fold himself into the smallest shape possible.
âIâm sorry,â he gasped. âI didnât mean toâI didnâtâIâm sorry, please donât hurt meâpleaseââ
The belt hissed as it was drawn from the loop.
Whumpee covered his head. âNo, no, noâpleaseââ
âThe Kingâs asking for you,â Caretakerâs voice called, smooth but deliberateâmeant to be overheard.
Whumper turned, furious. âWhat?!â
âNow,â Caretaker said. âHeâs looking for you. I wouldnât keep him waiting.â
Then Whumper kicked Whumpee onceâhardâand stormed out.
As the door slammed, Whumpee curled up tighter, still trembling, still gasping through tears and bile and too many sounds. He couldnât stop shaking. Couldnât stop whispering, âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry, Iâm sorryâŚâ
Caretaker didnât flinch at the vomit. Didnât hesitate. He dropped to the floor beside Whumpee, pulled him into his arms, and held himâtight but safe. Safe.
Whumpee tried to squirm away, whispering hoarsely, âNoâno, Iâll get you dirty, I didnât meanââ
âI donât care,â Caretaker murmured. âYouâre safe now. Iâve got you.â
Whumpee collapsed against him, sobbing into his shoulder, fingers curling into Caretakerâs coat like he was afraid heâd be taken again if he let go.
And Caretaker just held him. Rocked him. Whispered steady, quiet things until the worst of the storm passed.
Until Whumpeeâs breath started coming just a little slower.
Until the trembling started to ease.
Until the fear stopped choking.
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