#now broken whumpee

[justbreakonme]

Caretaker cutting up whumpees food for them because it’s hard/painful for them to do it themselves

Whumpee wearing caretakers clothes because they don’t have many of their own or their old clothes don’t feel like they belong to them anymore.

Caretaker speaking up for whumpee in social settings because their anxiety is dialed up to 100 even just in a coffee shop or grocery store

Whumpee leaning on caretakers arm because sometimes it’s hard to stay upright/they’re afraid to get left behind

Caretaker offering whumpee their coat because they get colder more easily/the cold makes injuries new and old alike ache again

Whumpee and caretaker cuddling on the couch because they’ve been so touch starved for so long but caretaker is the only one they trust to be so close.

Caretaker leaning in close to hear and speak to whumpee, because they tend to whisper now, and/or loud noises spook them, especially voices

Whumpee and caretaker sharing a bed because they don’t feel safe alone anymore/it prevents nightmares

Caretaker opening doors for whumpee because it’s hard for them/their mobility aid gets in the way

Whumpee asking for caretakers opinion on everything because they only trust them/their sense of normalcy has been broken or is nonexistent

Caretaker complimenting whumpee as a way to combat their conditioning/boost their self esteem

Just, a somewhat pseudo romantic relationship between the whumpee and caretaker, made all the more complicated by any real feelings they may have.

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

whumpee who used to be headstrong, stubborn and violent —before they were captured, tortured by whumper and later rescued by caretaker — just obeys and quietly does whatever caretaker told them to do.

caretaker was relieved by whumpee’s willingness to obey at first, even if they knew it was unlike whumpee. until they realized how whumper would punish and hurt whumpee whenever they showed a glimpse of disobedience, and that’s why whumpee submitted like a dog; they’re scared caretaker is going to hurt them if they disobey.

and now no matter how caretaker tries to get that fight back in whumpee, no matter how they try to provoke whumpee into lashing out just so whumpee can become themself again, whumpee just takes it silently and obediently, they’re just a broken, empty shell of who they used to be.

[digital-nova]

Fainting whump prompts

Whumpee barely making it through their performance and collapsing on stage when it’s over. (Bonus points if the audience thinks it’s part of the act)

Sick/injured Caretaker forcing themself to stay awake until they’ve brought Whumpee to safety, passing out the moment they know everything is alright.

Whumpee fainting due to sickness and injuring themself in the process — they later wake up in hospital, still unwell but now also suffering with a broken arm or concussion.

Non-human Caretaker panicking when Whumpee faints in their arms, believing that they’re dead.

Caretaker only realising that Whumpee is sick/injured when they find them passed out in their room.

Whumpee who collapses after escaping Whumper and wakes up back in captivity. (Bonus points for a: “See? You’re too weak to survive by yourself.”)

Whumpee fading in and out of consciousness during The Whump™️, fainting every time they’re awake long enough the understand what’s happening.

Servant Whumpee fainting while completing their daily tasks, only to wake up much later when Whumper comes home — will they believe Whumpee’s excuse for the unfinished chores?

Whumper who ramps up the brutality of their torturing when Whumpee passes out from the pain, giving them a long-lasting fear of fainting around others.

Incredibly squeamish Caretaker who can’t keep themself from fainting long enough to tend to Whumpee’s wounds.

[whumporama]

Whumpees who feel rage inside, rage about what's done to them, about who did this to them, how they had no right, how this shouldn't have happened, how something has been taken and they can't get it back. They feel rage about their rage, about how this... anger, this monster, inside them has been created, and how they can't get it out.

They find Whumper. They fight them, and beat them. And as they're beating Whumper who has gone down (maybe they're already dead, maybe not) they break down. They started out angry and snarling, but now they're just crying and sobbing, until they scream, letting out all their rage.

It's Whumper's fault, it's all Whumper's fault, and now here they are, bloody, violent, and broken.

So they stop, and just sob. They're not angry anymore. Just empty.

So, so empty.

[hurtwithallthecomfort]

I’m such a sucker for whumpees reuniting with people who knew them from before the whump whilst in the midst of recovery. Might be one of my favourite tropes tbh.

Whumpees who changed their name after escaping visably recoiling when they hear someone call them that.

Maybe they don’t want anything to do with their old friends. They left that life behind for a reason. All they’ll do is remind Whumpee of the past, something they’ve been trying to leave behind.

It’s worse if Whumper was a mutual ‘friend’. Especially if these old friends didn’t even know something had happened to Whumpee. Whumper had made up some poor excuse, saying they left for a job, or had gone missing under unknown circumstances.

Their old friends are extremely emotional, having seen Whumpee for the first time in so long, only for the previously cheerful and expressionate Whumpee to just stare blankly in response.

They try to have a conversation with Whumpee but they’re horrified at how much Whumpee has changed. The old Whumpee was sweet, and always polite, yet now they cuss every other word and hardly have anything nice to say.

Or, maybe Whumpee used to be rebellious and freespirited. Now, they’re mild and obedient, a literal shell of their old self.

Whumpee’s old friends jump in to protect them from some threat, believing their usually fragile friend would still need help, only for Whumpee to jump in and defend themself, since they had to learn how to.

Someone who knew the old Whumpee breaking down after seeing how much their dear friend changed, asking them what happened, though Whumpee can’t bring themself to answer.

That person feeling like somehow, deep down, they truly failed Whumpee. If they had just been there, they could have done something. They should have done something.

Caretaker noticing how uncomfortable Whumpee is and trying to remove them from the situation. Their old friends are furious, they’ve been kept away from Whumpee for so long, and now they just have to leave, without any answers?

Bonus points if Whumpee and the old friends weren’t on good terms before they disappeared. Friends who had one final falling out, siblings with a strained relatiomship, lovers who had broken up, etc etc.

[whump-bunny]

Whumper overestimates how much torture Whumpee can take. The once-defiant Whumpee is broken and catatonic, not speaking or reacting to anything anymore. And Whumper isn't happy about it. Though they loathe to admit it, they liked Whumpee's defiance. It was entertaining. Whumpee was entertaining. With them not speaking anymore, Whumper realizes that they miss the sound of Whumpee's voice. The snarky little comments, the sarcastic jokes, the curses screamed in rage.

Now Whumper is desperate to get the old Whumpee back. They're being extra "nice," giving Whumpee medical treatment and food, anything to make them go back to how they were before. Anything to fix their favorite toy.

Because like it or not, Whumper doesn't have anyone else.

[the-modern-typewriter]

Hello! The way you write so eloquently always astonishes me, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of your work. Would you be able to write some hero/villain whumpee/whumper for us? I haven’t seen any of that in a while and I LOVE it! Thanks for all the amazing writing you do, I want to mix it all up in a stew and eat it. <33

"You know, this would be easier for you if you just -" The villain aimed a sharp kick at the hero's ribs - "stayed down."

The hero doubled over to the floor again, wheezing. Dull and not so dull pain throbbed through their body. "Nah," they managed. "You enjoy it too much. Couldn't deprive you."

Before they could claw their way up onto hands and knees, yet again, the villain placed a boot on the side of their head. They didn't put any pressure. But it was there. Ready.

The hero froze.

A moment passed, two, broken only by the sound of the hero's ragged breathing.

"Look at you," the villain said softly. "You're halfway to broken in all but spirit. Isn't that enough?"

"Gonna have to break me the rest of the way if you want to get through me."

"No, darling," the villain said. "To do that I merely have to apply a little pressure."

The hero swallowed.

They felt the villain's weight shift, not hard enough to crack their skull open like an overripe melon, but certainly enough to grind their cheek into the concrete. To make them infinitely aware of the way a melon or a brain might look dribbling pulp.

Their bruised, bloodied fingers flexed on the floor. The villain hazed in their vision.

"To do that," the villain said, "all I need to do is shatter your kneecaps the rest of the way so you can't get up. However hard you try. Crack your spine, perhaps."

The hero shuddered. They wished the fear wouldn't come, but it did, like bile. Anxiety lodged in their chest.

"I could then leave you to the mercy of whoever finds you," the villain continued. "You see your will, indomitable though it may be, cares very little for the limitations of your meat sack. Is that the path we need to go down to make you understand that?"

"Screw you."

The villain laughed, without mirth. "Is that fear or recklessness talking?"

"If you can do all that, why don't you?"

"Maybe I'm enjoying myself too much."

"So what you're saying is..." The hero made a sudden grab for the villain's leg, and yanked, rolling to dislodge their positions. "I could do anything and you wouldn't finish it."

The villain landed hard on their knees. The second after that, they'd snapped both of the hero's wrists.

The hero gasped with pain. Black spots danced behind their eyelids.

The villain grabbed a fistful of the hero's hair, dragging their swaying body up in mirror before they could hit the ground.

"Or maybe my ability and willingness to hurt you does not extend to my fucking pleasure." In an instant, the villain's voice was a growl. "Stay the hell down. What is wrong with you?"

"You're the one keeping me up." The hero's voice slurred. They realised they probably shouldn't say that. Shouldn't admit to that. It was getting a little difficult to focus.

The villain's grip on their hair tightened, pulling their head back further as the villain rose to their feet once more. The hero was left contorted, peering wobbly up at them. The villain's other hand cupped their cheek. The anger faded, leaving behind only implacable waters. A leviathan submerged.

"Not looking to make it easier on me," the hero said. "Looking to make it harder for you. Sorry. Wouldn't be doing any of this for easy. May as well commit, you know?"

They weren't sure if they meant the words as conciliatory or goading, but the villain snorted. They patted the hero's cheek.

"Well, now I could accuse you of enjoying it too much," the villain said.

The hero laughed. Or maybe they just sobbed. Choking on it. On the pain on it.

It would be nice to stay down. To not get up again. To rest. To just...stop.

"You'll pass out eventually," the villain replied. Half kindness. Half cruelty. "And I'll move on. I put in contingency time for dealing with you, you're not saving anything."

"But I'm trying."

"But you're trying."

The villain pressed a kiss to the hero's head then let them unceremoniously drop the floor. They stepped back as the hero wheezed all over again, coughing up a glob of blood.

The villain rolled out their shoulders. They checked their watch. They waited.

The hero forced themselves up again.

[ssaintsofviolence]

whumpee hating mirrors because they can't stand to look at their reflection. they can't stand their own eyes, once super vibrant and now dulled no matter how much they try to think that now everything's okay. whumpee who smiles to themselves infront of said mirror, trying to trick their own body into thinking they're fine, or just testing if they can even smile anymore. bonus points if whumpee's face was heavily scarred or looked smilar to someome they loved (a sibling? a parent? a twin?) and they now think of themselves as if they had ruined the image of said someome by being broken and carrying even the slightest similarity on their features

[whumptember]

2024 Prompt List

ask box | rules | tags and posting

Main Prompts

1. "Don't leave me." chains | failed escape attempt | abandoned building

2. "I can't do this alone." dried blood | begging for help | caretaker's front door

3. "You're my last chance." rusted metal | enemies teaming up | returning home

4. "Don't make me go back." white knuckles | used as bait | ballroom

5. "You've hurt them for the last time." slamming door | rescue | whumper's basement

6. "I never want to see your face here again." torn mask | reluctant villain | hero's headquarters

7. "Let me take care of you!" damp rag | whumpee turned caretaker | bathroom

8. "You'll never see me again." packed bag | secrets revealed | doorway

9. "What did they do to you?" bloodied clothes | homecoming | hospital reunion

10. "I need your help." breaking voice | secret intentions | villain's base

11. "One last favor, then I"ll leave you alone." knife | sacrificing themself | sacred ground

12. "Why did you do it?" new gravestone | confronting whumper | cemetery

13. "I never looked back, and I regret it every day." cracked foundation | city in ruin | middle of the road

14. "You changed my life. not for the better. Now I get to return the favor." blindfold | payback | abandoned warehouse

15. "I'm never going to let you go." silk ribbon | intimate whumper | whumper's bed

16. "What happened to you?" new clothes | recapture | whumpee's old room

17. "This wasn't the deal!" torn contract | betrayed | in the middle of the woods

18. "You're never going to see them again." letter on whumpee's pillow | disappeared in the night | caretaker's apartment

19. "Take me instead!" cloth gag | caretaker turned whumpee | getaway car

20. "I'm always going to be with you." worn letter | mourning | caretaker's bed

21. "I'm not okay." bruised skin | begging for help | hero's doorstep

22. "We have to go back and save them! They'd do the same for us!" drag marks | taken hostage | battleground

23. "You're nothing without me." invisible restraints | hero whumper | basement

24. "Change my mind, tell me why I'm wrong and I'll turn back and undo everything I've done." split lip | hero in the wrong | edge of a roof

25. "Stop it! You're going to kill them!" blood spattered wall | ambush | villain's home

26. "Let them go." blindfold and gag | ransom demand | undisclosed location

27. "Don't forget about me, alright?" packed bag | leaving home | secret destination

28. "I was supposed to save the world." shackled ankles | accidental villain | jail cell

29. "You're a child, go home now and I won't come after you. But if you stay and fight, I won't hold back." hand-made mask | villain mentor | bank vault

30. "What did I say about breaking the rules?" ruler stick | young whumpee | on their knees

Alternate Prompts

1. "You lied to them." 2. Broken wrist 3. "I've done things I can't even think about anymore." 4. Whispered apology 5. "You're coming back, right?" 6. Curled into a ball 7. "You make me feel like I can forget all the bad things." 8. Chained to a car 9. "This is just the beginning." 10. Villain whumpee 11. "Oh, come on, you can take more than that!" 12. Begging 13. "Don't make me."

[thriftyshark530]

I often see the trope of caretaker begging to take whumpees place during whumpers torture, but hardly do I see whumper take caretaker up on that offer.

The cold chill that shivers down caretakers spine as whumper turns around with a sickening grin. The grin growing ear to ear as whumper notices the eyes of caretaker widening, and the deep gulp they take as whumper approaches.

"I'll just have to take you up on that offer. Afterall, this other one's broken" whumper lazily motions back towards whumpee before stopping in front of caretaker.

Caretaker hated it all. The blood dripping from whumpers hands, whumpees blood. The way whumper talks about whumpee like a pet. The way caretaker had to yell over whumpees screams for what felt like hours just to get whumpers attention. The fact that they can't do anything about someone hurting whumpee, their whumpee. Caretaker's focus is abruptly broken with a punch, one that immediately draws blood from their mouth. Whumper continues hammering into caretaker for a few moments before being interrupted by mumbling from whumpees side of the room.

When caretaker recovers they look up at whumper, who's now looking back over at whumpee. Caretaker follows whumpers gaze to the far corner of the room, and sees whumpee desperately trying to to peel themselves off the floor.

"s...st-op, p..please" whumpee mumbles out. Barely able to speak above a whisper through their busted lips and purple face.

"it's ok, whumpee, this is what I want." Caretaker whispers, giving a bloody smile to whumpee as they continue to watch whumpee slowly push off the floor.

"yes, yes. And more importantly, this is what I want." Whumper growls as they let go of caretaker and quickly storm off to whumpees corner again. Just as whumpee gets on their knees, whumper puts them back down with a punch. "Such a worthless fucking pet, can't even be good for me anymore, can you? You really are broken" whumper sneers. Whumper ignores the desperate pleading from caretaker as they grab whumpees hair and begin to slam their head into the wall over and over. "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE FUCKING GOOD FOR ONCE" whumper roars between slams, only stopping when the wall is covered in whumpees blood and whumpee is completely unconscious.

Caretaker can no longer see the sight through their blurry vision as tears begin pouring from their eyes. Caretaker drops their head, their pleads for whumper to stop turning into mumbles and whimpers as they begin sobbing to themselves.

"now, where were we?" Whumper chimes in as they again approach and stop in front of caretaker. Forcefully grabbing a handful of caretakers hair before making caretaker look up into their eyes. "Really? Tears?" Whumper mocks, their devilish grin from earlier returning to their face. "Y'know, my whumpee was so much better for me before you came here trying to save them. Now, well... You see how they started acting. But now I have you, and we're going to be a dynamic duo, you and me."

"I....I-" caretakers lip begins to quiver, before narrowing their gaze into whumpers eyes. "I am going to kill you, for everything you've done." Caretaker growls.

"aw, cute. Is that a threat?" Whumper teases as they begin to chuckle.

"no, it's not a threat. It's a fucking promise. And after I'm done with you, I'm gonna burn everything you've built to the fucking ground. And for the record, whumpee is fucking mine, not your little pet project" caretaker whispers, tears still falling as they stare into whumpers eyes with pure defiance.

"hm, well as I always say, a promise is a promise. And boy, do I love when someone keeps their promises" whumper chuckles before slamming a fist into caretakers face.

[a-crumb-of-whump]

Content: Recovery, past torture, PTSD/trauma, chronic pain.

"I want you to ask for something," Caretaker gently requested. "Anything at all. Ask, and it's yours."

"I don't know what to ask for," Whumpee whispered. "Everything I had- everything I was, was something Whumper gave me. That's all I know."

Caretaker sighed from their spot on the floor. Their arms were draped across Whumpee's lap, their side pressed into the couch that they were sitting on. "Okay. Let's work with that, then. Did Whumper ever do anything for you that you enjoyed? Do you have any... not-so-bad memories while you were there?"

There was some silence, only broken by the occasional sniffle as Whumpee attempted to think back. They could feel Caretaker's warm gaze focused solely on them, waiting ever so patiently for a response.

"Sometimes... sometimes, if they pushed me past my body's limit, they'd lie me down and massage my joints until the pain wasn't so bad. I liked that." They were embarrassed to be telling Caretaker anything. It was hard to get the words out without their breath catching or their mind stumbling over certain syllables. "Everything always hurts now. I want... I just want some relief."

"You're asking for a massage?"

Whumpee tilted their head further down and nodded. "Yes."

"I can do that." They felt Caretaker intertwine their hands together in an effort to reassure them. "There. Your first request since you got back. That's good, right?"

Caretaker was smiling when Whumpee finally glanced back up at them again. It helped their own muscles to relax just a little, feeling less as though they were preparing for an attack at any moment. "You'll really do it?"

"Of course." Caretaker gave them a friendly pat on the leg as they stood up. "How about we grab some food and then you can show me what hurts, yeah?"

Unable to help themself, Whumpee gave a teary nod and smiled. "Okay."

[justasnailman]

whump prompt!! Live stream

they grabbed whumpee's jaw painfully, forcing them to meet their eyes before smiling in the sinister way that chilled whumpee to their core.

"Just like we rehearsed." Whumper grinned as whumpee tried desperately to hold in a sob. They took a deep breath. "Look at the camera."

Whumpee, utterly broken, lifts their bruised and bloodied face to the camera.

"Good. Now, tell everyone what I've done to you." Whumper purred, caressing the others jaw. "Tell then how pathetic you've been."

[holidayinhell]

Whumper leaned against the counter, sliding a small box across the surface.

“You know Whumpee, I always thought you were gonna be a screamer.”

He fished a glove from the box, latex smacking against his skin as it slid onto his hands. His eyes flicked to the figure in the corner.

In the corner of the room, Whumpee crouched against the wall, a limp, shivering heap of bare skin and bone. There was no shape to him anymore, just a mess of limbs folded tight, trying to disappear into the concrete. 

He’d told himself he could endure this. That he had enough strength left to fight. But now he was just cold and broken.

Whumper smirked at the sight, stifling a laugh. It was pathetic. Whumpee looked pitiful—scrawny, naked, and hunched over like some half-dead thing.

“You’re so quiet tonight…” Whumper crossed into the light, casting a shadow over the smaller man.

Whumpee didn’t respond. His arms wrapped tightly around his legs, trying to hold onto what little warmth he could.

“You’re not holdin’ out on me, are ya?”

Bootsteps clapped against the concrete floor. Slow, unhurried. Each one rang hollow-- a countdown to the inevitable. Of course, Whumper was in no rush. He allowed the silence to stretch.

Whumpee kept his eyes down, burying his chin into his chest.

Then—pain. A gloved hand tangled deep in his hair.

“You know, being quiet won’t make it hurt less.”

He yanked hard, fisting a knot of Whumpee’s chocolate brown curls. The rubber gloves snapped tight around the strands, dragging scalp and skin with them. Whumpee gasped through clenched teeth.

“Aw. Poor Whumpee.” He mocked. “Did that hurt?”

No response. Whumpee stared blankly ahead, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

“C’mon. Are you scared?”

Slowly, Whumpee turned his head just enough to meet his captor’s eyes. His stare was dull—but cold, steady. He wasn’t completely broken yet.

“Christ you’re no fun.” Whumper dropped the man’s head with a shove. “Get on your knees.”

Whumpee didn’t want to, fuck he didn’t want to-- but his body betrayed him, yielding to Whumper’s will like it had been trained to do. 

He shifted onto his bruised knees, grimacing as they dug into the gritty concrete. The pain was sharp, but he bit down and took it. There’d be worse soon enough.

“Good. Looks like some part of you remembers who’s in charge.”

Turning back, Whumper retrieved an instrument from the metal tray on the countertop. The tools clinked faintly as he selected one, holding it up to the light. “I was gonna be nice to you. Make this quick and clean.” He chuckled under his breath. “Heh. But now… it’s like you’re begging me to make you scream.”

Whumpee balled his fists. If he was going to die here, he sure as hell wasn’t going to let Whumper get the better of him.

He spat on the ground by Whumper’s shoes.

“You’ll never hear me scream, fucker.” Whumpee snarled.

Whumper sighed—long and slow. The scalpel glinted under the harsh overhead light as he turned it between his fingers.

“That sounds like a challenge,” he murmured.

He crouched behind Whumpee, moving with casual confidence. One arm slung around Whumpee’s shoulders. His other hand brought the scalpel up in front of Whumpee’s chest, letting the blade hover just close enough to feel the heat of his skin.

The cold edge teased his collarbone as Whumper leaned in, his breath warm and deliberate against Whumpee’s neck.

“No one can hear you scream down here,” he whispered, voice low and intimate. “So it doesn’t matter one way or another.”

The scalpel kissed the side of Whumpee’s neck—

A shallow drag. A hiss of pain.

Whumpee flinched, breath catching in his throat.

Whumper smiled against his ear.

“Scream if you want to.”

((more whump))

[bilightningwhumper]

Had a thought of someone (Caretaker or Whumper or some bystander) watching a Whumpee just slowly crumbling on the inside before it finally comes out in a tearful broken "I- I want to go home now" before they just fall apart.

That always gets me in shows, but dang seeing it in writing is powerful when done right.

[whumporama]

Any ideas for a non stoic but still very defiant whumpee?

Like, most things about how defiant whumpees would act is about stoic ones

Sure! Deviancy comes in many forms!

Comic relief Whumpee

Whumpee who deals with everything by using humor. So here they do to. They won't answer Whumper's questions, they just sarcastically answer each time.

Or Whumper tries to break them, but Whumpee refuses to give in. All the do is just snap back. "If I were you, I'd watch my mouth right about now." - "If you were me, I'd be ugly."

They just keep insulting and annoying Whumper.

They keep singing an annoying tune that pisses Whumper off.

They refuse to break, to show pain. They won't stop smiling, joking. If they stop, they've broken. And they won't. break.

Defiant Whumpee who won't stop fighting

They're not stoic; they cry and scream and maybe even beg. But they won't stop fighting.

Whumper gets too close? They get hit.

Watch out for their teeth, they bite.

Whumper leaves the room and they instantly try to escape.

They get caught in an escape attempt and dragged back, but they just try again the next day.

They plan, pretending to be weak and then jumping up, wrapping their chain around Whumper's throat.

They curl up when Whumper leaves, sobbing in pain and barely holding on. But they pull themselves together, and keep fighting the next day.

Whumpee who is secretly defiant

Maybe they work for Whumper. They're just another henchmen, not tough, not stoic and battle hardened like some other workers. They appear scared and stay in the back.

But they are working against Whumper. They give information to the enemy, the sabotage missions.

They seem 'weak' and 'mess up' things, and Whumper punishes them each time. But they'll do it again. Because it was punishment, or killing those innocent people.

Whumpee who won't cooperate

Whumpee knows there is no way out, knows Whumper will hurt them, but they won't break.

They cry and scream and beg, but they won't give Whumper what they want (information?)

They're not strong, they can't lock their emotions away and pretend to be fine. But they just won't do what Whumper says, no matter what.

[chaotic-orphan]

Heyy a writing request! How about a whumpee that wakes up on the side of a road and someone finds them (that someone can be whumper or just a stranger your choice :D)

Whumpee was shivering violently when they woke up. Had Whumper taken their blankets again? The rock of a mattress they lay on seemed more firm and cold than before and Whumpee moaned, reaching for the covers just in case they were kicked off the bed somewhere.

Whumpee’s hand wound through something wet and stringy and their eyes flew open.

They weren’t in the room.

They weren’t in their cell that they had called home for who knows how long? Whumpee shot awake, eyes wild and frantic. The darkness surrounded them and took a while for their eyes to adjust as they scrambled back on grass.

The memory came flooding back then and Whumpee stilled. They… they had escaped Whumper, they made a break for it and they ran and ran and ran, and ran some more and… they must have lay down to rest for a while or passed out or something. But they ran! They hoped they were far enough away now to be safe. They didn’t even remember the direction they were running from, they just kept running.

Whumpee wrapped their arms around themselves and shakily got to their feet. Their teeth were chattering uncontrollably, the sound grating a headache that was scraping itself around the edge’s of Whumpee’s skull.

They were still out.

They had broken out of Whumper’s home.

They had escaped Whumper…

That thought warmed their chest and Whumpee… for the first time in a long time, Whumpee smiled to themselves and laughed like a madman into the night air.

Okay, first things first, find a road and then follow it to civilisation. Whumpee could do that. They could do that. They could wave down a car with the sound of their chattering teeth it was so fucking loud.

They laughed to themselves again. Jesus, when was the last time they laughed?

They found the road pretty quickly, it was a miles walk away and then followed it along, walking hopefully in the direction away from Whumper. It was hard to tell in the dark where they were, but they were… they were outside. They were free.

Holy fuck… they were free.

They were freezing; the socks on their feet soaked through and their feet more like two frozen, cement blocks attached to their legs but they were moving and they were away from Whumper, and…

oh god, was Whumper…

They stopped dead in their tracks.

What if the next car that drove by them was Whumper, looking for them? What if Whumpee accidentally flags them down and Whumper opens the door and tells them to get in, god, no. They couldn’t go back.

They couldn’t go back.

Fuck, fuck, they couldn’t catch their breath, it eluded them and they thought it was better to go towards the light. Go into the light. Whumper wouldn’t be in—

A honk of a car horn and the sound of brakes squealing and Whumpee turned away, their hands over their head as a car swerved around them. Whumpee flinched, eyes wild as they turned and looked into the car, but there was nobody inside.

“What the FUCK were you doing?!” A harsh voice demanded furiously. Whumpee backed up as a man approached them, they shook their head, hands flying up in front of them to make the stranger stay back.

“No, no, no, I’m sorry, please!”

“You’re in the middle of the fucking road!” The man bellowed. “What do you mean you’re sorry, I could have hit you! I could have killed you, you fucking—”

The man stopped when Whumpee whimpered. The man’s quiet was worse than when he was giving out to Whumpee. “Hey… sorry, um, sorry for shouting, you scared me is all. I was…”

“I’m sorry sir…”

“No, hey, no. Listen, I— sorry. You uh—” Whumpee looked over at the man. “You have no fucking shoes on. What the fuck? It’s almost freezing and you’re playing Tarzan in the fucking woods? Get in the car.”

Whumpee froze. “What?”

“Get in my car. It’s freezing! You need to warm up or you’ll get pneumonia or something.”

“No, uh, thanks.” Whumpee said, hard to get words out their mouth was chattering so uncontrollably. “I’m— I’m—”

“Look, you’re not okay. We both know that. Don’t insult my intelligence by saying otherwise either. I’ll give you a lift into town, and maybe some socks. That’s all I’m offering. You’ll die before you reach the nearest town walking.”

Whumpee stared at Caretaker. Something like realisation flashed across Caretaker’s face, though it was hard to see in the dark, Whumpee could feel the shift.

“Oh. Right. I’m uh, like… I’m not a serial killer or anything.” He laughed then turned, his hand going to the back of his neck and rubbing at the skin. “Although that’s probably what a serial killer would say.”

Whumpee let out a breath of a laugh. “Most people would say I’m not a murderer, how many people you killed?”

Caretaker’s head snapped up. “No! No, I didn’t, I haven’t— ahahah, I’m not a murderer either, my hands are clean! Look.”

Whumpee felt their fear leave their body as they laughed again. God they felt so light when they laughed. It had been so long since he did so freely.

“Okay. I’ll take the lift.”

Caretaker smiled. A flash of teeth. “Great. Come on, I’m fucking freezing.”

Whumpee followed him to the car and climbed in the passenger side. He was right. The car was warm. When Caretaker climbed in and shut his door he blasted the heat on Whumpee’s face, body and feet. Whumpee melted into the warm leather like goo.

“Oh yeah. Heated seats are nice, huh?” Caretaker asked as he moved the gear stick and reversed before the car pulled off down the road again and they were driving.

“Really nice,” Whumpee hummed, watching the blackness of trees melt into one constant loop as they drove.

After a while Whumpee could feel a question buried beneath Caretaker’s tongue brewing. Maybe because he glanced at Whumpee every so often, catching Whumpee’s attention from the corner of their eye. Maybe it was because his fingers drummed a beat against the steering wheel.

Eventually, Caretaker plucked up the courage and asked: “Can I ask why you were out here on your own? With no shoes? And looking five minutes away from death?”

Whumpee swallowed, and it seemed like the warmth was sapped from their body. The thought of mentioning Whumper sent a shiver down their spine despite the heat, and they debated whether or not they should tell Caretaker.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Whumpee said, their voice quiet.

A pause. “Okay.”

A beat. “It’s just that it’s dangerous to be outside in this weather. And alone in the woods? You’d never know who you’d run into. There’s dangerous people out here,” Caretaker said.

I know, Whumpee thought, but didn’t say. Whumpee shrugged.

Caretaker shaked their head. “You’re lucky I found you,” Caretaker said with a little laugh. “I mean, I wouldn’t even be out here usually. I guess it’s fate that I happened upon you. I’m Caretaker by the way.”

“Whumpee,” Whumpee replied.

Caretaker smiled. “Nice to meet you Whumpee. Are you warm enough?”

“Yeah,” Whumpee said with a smile. They were warm now, and toasty.

“Thank god,” Caretaker said and turned down the heat. “Sorry, I run hot,” he said by way of apology.

Whumpee laughed. “You should have told me.”

“I had to thaw you out first. Don’t want you dying on me in the passenger seat.”

He kept glancing ag Whumpee from the corner of his eye. “Hey, you look— well, like shit, but exhausted. Just relax and try to get some rest. I’ll let you know when we’re in town and we can bring you to the police station or something, okay?”

Whumpee hummed their answer. They didn’t know if it was a yeah or no, because the mixture of the heat and the hum of the car lulled Whumpee into a heavy, deep sleep.

They woke when the car turned into a driveway, slowing down as it went, the bumps jostling Whumpee’s head and they opened their eyes, blinking awake.

“Ah, sorry for the road,” Caretaker said with a little laugh as they continued down a tree lined road. “I just have to stop off at a friend’s before we go to the town, if that’s okay? It’s uh… kinda the whole reason I’m out this way at all.”

“Yeah, no,” Whumpee said nodding and stretching as they sat up properly. “That’s fine.”

“Thanks, my friend isn’t exactly known for being patient.”

Whumpee laughed, thinking of friend. “We all have some friends like that. It’s all good.”

Caretaker laughed too, his shoulders relaxing a bit as they took the last turn into a drive. “Yeah. I guess we do.”

Only when the house came into view did Whumpee stiffen in their seat. They were… that was… fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! Was Caretaker— were they? Oh god, Whumpee got in the car willingly, like an idiot.

Whumper is impatient. Whumpee knew that.

“You— you—” Whumpee stammered. Caretaker smiled over at Whumpee but his eyes immediately widened, suddenly concerned.

“Hey, Whumpee. It’s okay! It’s— this is just my friend’s house.”

“I— you… Whumper—”

“Whumper?” Caretaker asked, a furrow forming between his brows. “How do you know Whumper’s name?”

“I have to— you—” Whumpee stuttered, hands flailing as they reached for the handle of the door. The car was locked. Oh god. Oh fuck. “Please, please, don’t send me back there. I’ll be good. I promise! I promise!”

Whumpee yanked on the handle over and over. “Please!” They wailed, tears streaming down their cheeks. “Please, fuck… I only— I just—”

The car stopped suddenly. Caretaker’s foot slammed on the brake and the two of them lurched forwards. Whumpee gasped as they were flung back against the seat.

Caretaker turned their body to face Whumpee. “Whumpee! Look at me! Look at me, now!”

Whumpee flinched at the harsh tone but obeyed. Caretaker’s eyes were still wide with concern but now something else lingered behind that concern, something horrified and confused.

“Are you… are you saying you look like death because of Whumper?”

Whumpee shook in the heated seat beside Caretaker. If they said yes, what would Caretaker do? Bring them back, drag them by the hair? What if Whumper wasn’t bothered to go out and look for them so he called his friend to pick Whumpee up on the way?

A knock on the window and the pair jumped. Caretaker turned, swallowed and rolled the window down a fraction.

“Hey,” a smiling voice greeted them. Whumpee froze in their seat. That was… Whumper, oh god. He was here. It was only a matter of time before he saw and when he did— “I saw the lights but then you stopped up here, just came to make sure you didn’t have a puncture or anything.”

“No,” Caretaker said quickly. “Sorry, thought I saw a deer. You never know out here.”

Whumper laughed. Whumpee swallowed a whimper. “Yeah. You’re right. Okay then, see you back at the house. It’s freezing out. I’ll leave the door open, just let yourself in.”

Caretaker didn’t hesitate. He kept up his friendly demeanour as he spoke to Whumper like they were old friends, which they were, Whumpee had to remind themselves.

“Yeah, of course. Go. It’s supposed to go below zero today, so get inside. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Cool,” Whumper said and tapped the car twice before his footsteps disappeared into the darkness. Caretaker didn’t roll up the window until he was sure Whumper was gone.

The pair of them sat like icicles, too afraid to move and break the weighted silence around them. Eventually, Caretaker snapped out of it and rolled the window up. Then he straightened.

“Did Whumper hurt you?”

Whumpee was silent.

“You can tell me, Whumpee. If he hurt you we are backing out of this driveway right now and I am calling the police.”

Whumpee sniffled. Caretaker audibly swallowed. “Okay,” he said with a breath that reflected in the car. “Okay.”

Caretaker nodded. Then he grabbed the gear stick and put the car into reverse. Whumpee’s cried got louder and more strangled as the house disappeared from view again, and the realisation settled heavy in their chest.

They were actually escaping.

They did it.

They escaped from Whumper, and now Caretaker, Whumper’s friend, was about to call the police to help Whumpee. Ready to throw their years of friendship away for Whumpee.

“Thank you,” Whumpee weeped. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,” they blubbered. With every expression of gratitude they felt the weight of relief crush them further and further into the seat.

“It’s okay,” Caretaker said. “You’re okay. You’re safe now, Whumpee. Whumper won’t hurt you again.”

Whumpee continued to cry as they pulled out onto the main road, until the heat blasted again, and Caretaker told them to go to sleep. Whumpee obeyed, for the first time in a long time, they went to sleep with a smile on their face, warm and safe.