Months ago, Whumpee was taken. Caretaker was a wreck, spending the days scouring the streets in search of Whumpee and investigating at night, hoping to find some clue, even the most insignificant, about where they might be.
Caretaker and Whumpee had a special relationship, they always had. While Caretaker was an extroverted and popular person, full of friends and party invitations, Whumpee was extremely shy and reserved. They didn't like crowds, or loud noises, or talking for a long time. In fact, if it were up to them they wouldn’t have spoken to anyone at all. To anyone but Caretaker. And Caretaker was grateful for this, for the fact that, with them, Whumpee smiled and laughed, cried and vented, a completely different person from the one with that neutral expression and empty eyes which they were the rest of the time.
One day, finally, Caretaker manages to find Whumpee, and their heart skips a beat. Whumpee is covered in bruises and dried blood, thin in the most severe meaning of the word, it is as if Caretaker can count all their body’s bones, and their complexion is pale as that of a ghost, their lips of the same purple as the dark circles under their closed eyes.
If it haven’t been for the pulse they heard when they places their trembling fingers on their neck, Caretaker would have thought Whumpee was dead. But, as soon as the two’s skin makes contact, Whumpee's eyes suddenly open, and a strange expression forms on their face. At first Caretaker thought it was confusion, but then they realized: it was just pure terror.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. It's me, it’s Caretaker. It's going to be okay" Caretaker tries, but their words are uttered in vain, and Whumpee pushes their weak convulsing body against the wall, screaming hysterically and crying, no, sobbing desperately, as if danger was about to envelop them. But it doesn't make sense, Caretaker thinks, because they’re here now and they’re ready to take Whumpee to safety. There is nothing to be afraid of, Whumper is no longer here, there is only Caretaker. Yet, Whumpee's heart wrenching screams don't cease.
The torch falls from Caretaker's hands and they retreat, realization evident in their eyes.
Whumpee is reacting like this because they are afraid of Caretaker.
