A New Whump Enthusiast

“No!”

That was the last thing Whumper A heard before they saw the back of Whumper B scream into view.

With the flash at the gun’s muzzle, Caretaker didn’t even glance back at them as they threw Whumper A’s own gun to the ground.

They- They’d shot Whumper B!

“I hope your happy with what you’ve done.” Caretaker called out, never turning back to the pair. And just like that, they were gone. Their job complete.

But their voice was drowned out by the intense buzzing in Whumper A’s ears as they crawled desperately towards where Whumper B was sprawled out on the pavement.

“Whumper B!”

Frantically, Whumper A searched for where Whumper B was bleeding and they had to stop it-

“Get back! I’ll shoot Whumpee! I will!”

“Whumpee! ...okay, Caretaker A, I’m putting the gun down. See? I’m showing you my palms to prove I don’t have anything else. I’m cooperating-”

“No, you’re- it has to be a trick! Whumper- they- they said you- You’re evil! You want to hurt me! I can’t let you-”

“Caretaker A, does it look like I want to hurt you? I’m laying on the ground far out of reach of hurting you without a gun. I do not want to  hurt you. The only thing I want is for Whumpee to get out of this safe. Look at them.”

“Whumpee...? I’m sorry for doing this to you I- why? Why are you so nice? You’re... you’re not supposed to be nice, please-”

“Okay Caretaker B, I’m tired of this. I know what to do.”

It took a few long moments for the fact they were being untied to sink in through the haze of drugs, but eventually Caretaker got there. Parting their lips, Caretaker winced as that simple movement drew blood from their cracked lips.

“Whuh?”

As soon as the sound left Caretaker, a strong but strangely familiar hand clasped their mouth, silencing them.

“Shh... don’t make another sound, you’ll alert them.” The voice came as a whisper, a voice that held nothing in Caretaker’s mind despite the overwhelmingly familiar hand.

Eyes lazily roaming the room in that drugged haze, Caretaker wasn’t prepared to be heaved up, their center of gravity flung too far forward.

“Oof!” This time, they couldn’t help the sound that was forced out of them as they collided with a surprisingly soft wall.

Only when it shifted under Caretaker did it occur to them that this was the owner of the voice.

“Please don’t go! I need you here!”

“Whumper, I’ve told you! I need to go on this work trip. Everyone is required to come and you know that hotels are insane around there.”

“No! You can... You can do it online! Surely they have everything online and someone else could even-”

“Whumper, no! We’ve already agreed that I’m going, we can’t take that back, especially since everything has been reserved for so long. Now let go of my arm so I can-”

Bang. Thud.

“Oh Caretaker. Did you ever think I was going to let you leave? To bad you’re going to find yourself so horribly sick that you fainted just trying to get out the door. In fact, I’ll call your work to ensure they know, but first...”

Shuffle. Shuffle.

Huffing with exertion, Whumpee B ran into the treeless clearing with blinding speed. Their eyes found their mark almost instantly and their gait slowed nearly to a crawl.

“Whumpee A. I’m here...”

Standing across the clearing facing away from B, Whumpee A stood on the edge of the cliff that lined the other side of the clearing. Hair whipped in the wind, both Whumpee A and B’s hair made them appear frazzled.

Not moving anything but their neck, Whumpee A gave B a side glance.

“I told you I didn’t want you here... Not now.” Whumpee A’s voice was indescribable, thick yet light, resigned yet frightened, and a million other things at once.

“I know you don’t want me to see. That’s why I’m here to take you-”

Gone to face the other direction, Whumpee A whipped back around fully this time and their voice came out a sudden snarl.

“I don’t want to ever go back with them. Don’t you dare make me go back! I’ll do it before you could reach me.”

Having silently shuffled the tiniest bit closer to B, Whumpee A froze as the pure emotional energy washed over them. Slowly, they raised their hands, gently moving them up and down in measured strokes. They were calming a human, not an unfamiliar creature, but the effect of the gesture was the same coupled with their words.

“A, I was going to say ‘away.’ We escaped together. I wouldn’t go back on both of us now. I know there is a life out there for us, time can make us lose sight of that, but I know there is one for us.”

Under Whumpee A’s sharp glare, B steps as far as they dare. Their gaze is sharp and clear, even if there is a slight tremble in their hand and looking anywhere but Whumpee A’s face would shatter the illusion of complete calm and also perfectly mixed concern.

“There is no us, A. Just you. I’ve never wanted to hold you back when I trusted and even now I am still keeping you. I know only one thing I can do now for you.”

Before Whumpee B could reply, Whumpee A finally took the step,

“Ah!”

A few labored shuddering breaths and then a laugh bubbles up, unbidden and full of relief.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, hurting me like I’m nothing.”

“Excuse me? You are nothing. In fact, for defying me, you’ll get this-”

Crash! Dozens of footstep thundering.

“What is this?”

A quiet, exhausted laugh.

“It’s your punishment. I told someone what was happening to me when you weren’t looking and they amassed a group to get me out and punish you. I suggest you start running if you don’t want to suffer like I did by your hand.”

A chorus of voices in unison.

“WHUMPER!” “Whumper!” “Whumper!” “WHUMPER.”

“Once I get you back, you’re dead, Whumpee.”

“Oh Whumper, I’ll never be with you again. They’ll make sure of that.”

“Fuck you.”

A forceful jab to their ribs had Whumper wheezing awake. For a quick moment, Whumper’s limbs pulled against their restraints without thought until the raw feeling on all four bit into their awareness as well.

Gritting their teeth, Whumper screwed their eyes shut as the waves of pain came like the trickles of blood from their wounds.

A harsh slap to their cheek had them gasping that wheezing breath as their eyes automatically popped open.

“Are you defying me, Whumper? I told you to beg. I want to hear my work in action.”

The facsimile of the cruel voice that was only a distant memory now rang back at them. Absolute terror in their bones must have been what Whumpee had experienced all those... days? Months? Ago? It had been so long. But... how long?

Another sharp jab to their side had their lips finally peeling apart as their body convulsed in pain.

“P-plEAse...” Whumper’s voice came out hoarse as the raw sensation tore through Whumper’s throat. Vague memories of unimaginable pain mixed with the odd sensation of hearing their own screams without recalling making them flitted through Whumper’s mind.

Caretaker chuckled, the posture even the same unwavering arrogant confidence Whumper had always had over Whumpee.

“Perfect. A masterpiece worthy of the bargain you made. You get one day of rest. I hope you remember how Whumpee survived so long with only one of these kinds of day’s to recover.”

As the restraints loosened around their limbs, instead of the defiance and lashing out that Caretaker’s eyes were no doubt searching to pick up, Whumper let the slack release them. They collapsed to the ground bonelessly, not caring much about Caretaker’s suprised noise above them.

They understood now what they had forced on Whumpee. But at this point, Caretaker would never believe Whumper after doing that to Whumpee. Revenge and anger for what happened to their companion wasn’t all that fueled Caretaker, they could tell.

“No! Geta... way f’m me....”

“Whumpee A, you’re drunk. I got to get you home, you know how blacked out you get. We need to-”

“No! I ne’d... to driiink. It’s goood...B!”

“I know it feels good, but if you drink anymore your hangover will be twice as worse. And it won’t fix-”

“It does! It will fiix me! Feels good so has to fix...me...m...”

“And there you go falling out of your chair. You’re lucky I was here to catch you. We’re going home Whumpee A.”

“Mmnhm...noooo!”

“Ugh... why is my throat still so itchy?” Caretaker remarked as they scratched at their throat for the third time in a minute.

In a armchair beside the couch, Whumper sat flipping through a magazine. They gave not even a glance to Caretaker as they flipped the page, angling their head as if Caretaker wasn’t even there.

“Did you touch any plants outside today? That grass allergy you’ve been complaining about getting recently could be the cause.”

Groaning, Caretaker grabbed the nearly empty bottle of aloe already sitting on the side table and pumped some into their hands. Spreading it on their hands, they squinted their eyes in effort as they lathered the balm onto the irritated and red splotches across their neck.

“That’s the thing! The only thing I did outside in the past few days was walk on the sidewalk to my car and when I left my car, I still didn’t touch anything.”

It was all Whumper could do not to snort out in laughter as they finally stole a glance at Caretaker who was stubbornly rubbing aloe ineffectively onto the irritated skin.

“Well, maybe there was grass on the door handle. You did cut the grass recently and your work should have cut their grass too, so maybe you didn’t realize the particles of grass were there.”

Huffing, Caretaker plopped down onto the couch as they finished up rubbing their neck.

“Maybe, but I still don’t get how I’m suddenly so sensitive to grass.”

Not bothering to comment at the last statement, Whumper brought the magazine closer to their face to conceal the grin they couldn’t contain.

Peering over the edge of the magazine, they left themselves revel in the memory of blending up poison ivy and diluting the aloe enough to leave it useless. Lathering the first dose into Caretaker’s sleeping shoulders and patiently watching as the first scratch became many and the red areas slowly began to bloom.

“Fuck!”

“Whumpee? You okay?”

“Chest... tight.... hurts... I- I think...”

“Oh god you’re having a heart attack! Sit down right now. Putting more strain on your heart is the last thing we need.”

“...Ok...Fuck that hurts....”

“Oh no you don’t!” Caretaker exclaimed as they watched Whumper bolt, bounding after them.

In their weakened state, Whumper’s breaths began to increase exponentially as they ran, getting more and more wheezy. It showed as both of them matched each other until they didn’t, Caretaker getting closer and closer until-

Snap.

Whumper’s face slammed to the ground. The smell of the dirt immediately invaded their nostrils before they began to to push themselves up-

Only to have one of their arms fall out from under him as soon as they were about to bolt again.

“Ooof!” Squeezing their eyes shut tight, Whumper exhaled hard through their teeth as pain radiated through their shoulder.

As a force began to move their hand, they finally looked up to see Caretaker with handcuffs latched around Whumper’s wrist tethered to their own wrist.

Whumper slapped a hand over their mouth as the smug smile on Caretaker’s face nearly had them vacating the contents of their stomach.

“You’re going nowhere, Whumper. It’s high time you got to experience the consequences of your atrocities on Whumpee and the others.”

Leaning down as Caretaker tugged Whumper’s wrist towards them, forcing Whumper to come nearly nose to nose. Caretaker’s hot breath burned the bridge of Whumper’s nose. At least if Caretaker’s breath smelled, Whumper could revel in the fact that Caretaker was not taking care of themself because of them.

But the sweet smell of mint that covered them instead only brought them deeper into the frozen state they were in as Caretaker loomed over them.

“Hey! Wait up! Whumpee!”

The sound of footsteps speeding up.

“What- Why are you running? Come back! I don’t know what I did but I didn’t mean it. Please come back!”

“Oh they aren’t going back with you, Caretaker.”

“Whumper? You motherfuck-”

“How sweet, trying to fight me to ‘save’ Whumpee, are you? I suggest you look over there.”

“Whumpee? What are you- You’re... They...”

“That’s right, come here my pet. They lured you here on my word. Very good at doing what they’re told. There we go Whumpee, my comfortable, soft chest is your reward to relax into as you please when we get home. Within reason, I still have things to do, of course.”

“Whumpee. Why do you listen to them? They’re using you! Can’t you see that-”

“Tsk tsk tsk. That’s enough out of you, we don’t want to upset Whumpee when they’re this happy. Do we?”

“MMMph!”

“That’s what I thought. You know where to go Whumpee, I’ll deal with Caretaker and then get back to you and you can enjoy your well deserved reward.”

Crying out in agony, Caretaker A’s vision swam as they struggled to get up. They couldn’t stop they had to-

“Stop Caretaker A!”

Butt slamming to the ground once again, Caretaker A blinked up at the mass of color that was abruptly at their side.

“Wha-? No... gotta...go...can’t...stop...”

Gentle hands pressed down on their chest when they began to get up again.

“Oh you think you’re back there... Caretaker A? A! Look at me! Focus... you’re really out of it right now so you have to try.”

Eyes resting on the blob of color who’s voice was vaguely familiar, Caretaker A nearly began to push themselves up again before their vision finally came into focus with a snap.

 “No, no, no! Come on, come on, wake up!”

Skin gently slapping skin. Rip.

“Oh no you don’t! I won’t let you die on me. We’re nearly there! You- You can’t just-”

Sob.

“You can’t just leave me here! Come. On. You. Don’t. Leave. Me. Here. Alone.”

Crack!

Inhale. Then a pained series of coughs.

“Whumper A. Thank god you’re okay! I thought I lost you!”

Silenece.

Licking their lips, Whumper’s gaze roamed around table hurriedly as the vast feast sat in front of them. All the food Whumper loved best laid before them in utter majesty.

“Fuck yeah. I don’t know why I bothered with any other cook before you. This is the best I’ve ever seen anyone cook.”

Beginning to dig in, the voice of the cook came just nearby, yet far away as Whumper’s mind filled with the pure bliss that came with the perfect dishes.

“Thank you Whumper. I am honored that you find my ability to be so great for you.”

Nearly unable to breathe, Whumper inhaled the food around them like a person who hadn’t eaten in days. Every scent and taste blended perfectly together that even the air became bliss.

After breathing in and having their chest convulse minutely in a near cough, Whumper automatically grabbed their favorite beverage from beside them. As it hit their throat, the sound of footsteps filled the large space.

“Wuh? Whumper? No! Please don’t hurt me!”

“No, shh, shh... I promise I’m not going to hurt you. Pinky promise.”

“Pink-Pinky promise?”

“I pinky promise. And it’s not Whumper now... my name is Whumpee B now, but you can also call me Caretaker if you’d like.”

“Whumpee B? O-ok...”

“I know you don’t understand, and I know how you feel, really I do. There’s too much to talk through here, but trust me when I say I’ve come to see exactly how much I hurt you and how the way I thought was... horrible.”

“Wuuhh?”

“Short version, I’m trapped in a time loop here with you at this day. I’ve finally seen that keeping you here is what is most likely tying me to this place. And truth is, at this point, I am still desperate to get out... but freeing you?”

A shuddering sob catching in the throat.

“It’s the best and first good thing I will have done in years. And not the years I’ve been tethered here with you. Even if that isn’t the answer, I will gladly free you a million times before I ever harm you again.”

Thud.

“Oh... You passed out... that’s.... new... Well again, don’t worry I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure you’re safe... I just....”

A louder sob, full and not stifled. The soft sound of flesh settling against cloth.

Tears leaking from their eyes, Whumpee could barely make out the nest branch in front of them as they focused on minimizing the sounds they made as much as possible.

But that was never enough.

“Whumpee!”

Heart jumping inside their chest, Whumpee turned to see where their pursuer. At that moment, their foot snagged on a root, sending them sprawling to the forest floor. A particularly sharp edge of a twig had Whumpee gasping involuntarily as it sliced across their arm.

Gasping for breath as the impact on the forest floor had taken it away, seconds turned to moments as the energy previously charging through Whumpee’s body ground to a complete halt.

Snap.

If Whumpee wasn’t already completely immobilized, they would’ve frozen stock still at the sound nearly right at their ear.

In the fading dusk light, Whumpee could only really make out the outline of their pursuer.