Jerome went about the remainder of his shift, leaving the deformed foal Pudge to rest awkwardly on his waste cylinder. The temptation to torture him right away was intoxicating, and the teen had nearly given in after the colt’s feeding. But at Seth’s request, Jerome decided he’d wait for his mentor to get off work so he could see the bloated fluff in person. Time flew as he worked, his mind awash with the things he could do to Pudge as h swept up and restocked the shelves. Wondering if he should buy some lighter fluid, Jerome could barely hear as Dale called out to him from behind the register.
“That’ll do it for today, kid.”
“…Huh?”
“Seven o’ clock. End of your shift for today.”
Jerome took out his phone, almost in disbelief that two hours had passed so quickly. Sure enough, the digital clock displayed 7:03, surprising the teen. All things considered, his first day of work had been quite painless, most of it flying by as he worked and plotted out his afterhour plans for his fluffies. “Damn…look at that…Anything else you need me to do Dale?”
“Nah, you go on. Shop closes at ten, so you got three hours to wrap up your business back there, okay kid?”
The older man’s tone belying his real meaning, Jerome only nodded and smiled, taking off his apron and heading back into the storeroom. Before he even made it to the table, the teen could already hear Pudge warbling from the worktable, the deformed colt clearly distraught at being alone again. Once Jerome rounded the corner and was within eyeshot of the bloated fluff, the warbles died down, with the colt now trilling softly as it’s milky eyes focused on the teen. He must think I’m his owner, Jerome thought, bemused that the damaged foal had suffered for so long and was foolish enough to expect anything else out of life.
“Well someone’s happy to see me…”
“eep…eep…eep! eep! eep!”
Pudge became far more lively as Jerome spoke to him, trying to wriggle against the waste cap he was affixed to as his slender, malformed legs feebly reached towards the teen, and then awkwardly to the side. Lost in the hilarity of the colt’s strange movements, it took Jerome a few moments to realize that the foal was attempting to reach towards the milk carton from before, each failed effort further frustrating the bloated foal.
“eep!!! eep! eep…eep…eep…eep!!!”
Jerome watched as he slowly wore himself out, his bulbous, clouded eyes firmly on the teen, pleading for his would be owner to understand what he wanted. “Take it you’re hungry again?” Grasping at the carton, Jerome shook it slightly in front of the ravenous foal, stifling a laugh as the sight of it being so close revitalized Pudge. Kicking and rocking as much as his atrophied body was able, the colt struggled and squeaked wildly, desperate for food.
“eep!!! eep!!! eep! eep! eep!!!”
“Guessin’ that’s a yes…”
Jerome took the carton and held the opening just above the colt’s head, tilting it slightly. “Open wide, Pudge.” Despite the foal’s bloated, malformed visage, the teen could easily make out the growing smile on it’s face as it trilled happily, struggling to tilt it’s head back as it’s tiny maw widened. Turning the container upward, Jerome stifled a giggle as he saw the foal’s smile quickly extinguished when nothing came out. “Looks like it’s empty little guy…”
“eep…”
Hearing that he wouldn’t be fed deflated Pudge’s previous excitement, the bloated colt’s head down as tears fell down his cheeks. Jerome was always shocked at how quickly a fluffy could shift emotions, noticing that it never seemed to take much one way or the other to cause their mood to swing immensely in the opposite direction. Watching the deformed foal sob as it warbled sullenly, the teen’s mind went back to the foal in a can that Seth had helped him acquire only a week or so ago, the terrified filly shivering and shrieking in her tube until Jerome spoke to her, convinced her it would be alright. And it had soothed her in a near instant, the foal trusting him without hesitation, making her torment all the sweeter when they had teased her, tortured her with water, and then finally burned her alive.
“Almost want to keep you around for a while…” Jerome let his finger touch the whimpering foal’s belly, with the colt perking up as it cooed and tried in vain to nuzzle against his hand, it’s rotund frame combined with the catheters stuck inside it making most attempts at movement awkward and stilted for Pudge. Stroking the foal’s still forming mane, Jerome smiled as it trilled from the attention, before taking it’s thin hoof between his fingers and pinching it firmly.
“EEP!!! eep! eep…eep…eep…”
“Almost…”
Dud was still fuming long after it had been her turn to nurse, with Cyclops even making her wait until Candyfloss was finished, despite the mare having an open teat. While Powder Keg was lying on their bed, cuddling with a stuffy friend as he suckled at his hoof, and Raptor helped Domino play with some stacking blocks, the brown unicorn stared towards the half pillow, yawning as she took a small nap curled up against Cyclops. It vexed Dud to see the two-toned filly getting treated so kindly, with nearly every fluffy in the saferoom always being extra nice to her. There was something in the back of the unicorn’s mind that went off when she focused on the smooth patches of fluff where Candyfloss’ front legs should have been, like there was something truly wrong with the foal, like she was wrong somehow. Stewing in her feelings, Dud truly abhorred the half-pillow, with all of the unicorn’s recent troubles somehow feeling like they were Candyfloss’ fault.
Grumbling to herself, it wasn’t until Dud noticed Cyclops getting up that the unicorn had her terrible idea, watching as her adoptive mother went to the water dish to slake her thirst. The brown foal narrowed her eyes as she glared at the slumbering half-pillow, rising up and trotting over angrily. As the indignities she’d suffered played back in her mind, from her punishment yesterday, to being made to eat last today, Dud grimaced, the unicorn now standing over the sleeping Candyfloss. Lifting up her hoof, the brown foal felt something stirring in her mind, as though a word were struggling to rise to the surface.
“Du…du…du’meh!!! *chirp…*chirp…candee’fwoss am du’meh ba’beh!!!”
“*SCREEEEEEE!!!”
“EEEEEEEEEPPP!!!”
Jerome was shocked at just how long Pudge could scream, the underdeveloped colt having squealed and shrieked almost nonstop for the past two hours. After the teen tired of pinching and prodding the foal, Jerome had grabbed the pliers from the table, still slick with Bullet’s blood. Gripping the colt’s atrophied limbs between their metal jaws, he smiled as he saw Pudge’s eyes widen, his head shaking rapidly as he screeched from panic, his already distorted warble becoming higher as Jerome gripped the handles tighter.
“Damn…I could do this all night…”
“Fun, isn’t it…”
Cursing from his mentor’s unannounced entrance, the teen heard a dull cracking sound, followed by Pudge bellowing in agony, tears falling down his face as he tried in vain to free himself, the foal rocking in manic terror against his waste bin.
“EEEEEEEPPP!!! EEP!!! EEP!!! EEP!!!”
“Oh shit…I think I broke his arm…”
Seth walked up beside the teen, cradling a large brown bag in his arm as he leaned in close and simply stared at the screaming colt, clearly fascinated by it. “Sorry…didn’t mean to sneak up on you kid…” Jerome put the pliers down for the moment, wanting to let Seth get a good look at the defective foal before doing anything else. Curious as to what his mentor might be thinking and wanting to hear something besides Pudge howling, the teen interrupted his mentor.
“So what are you thinkin’ Seth?”
“…Honestly, just shocked to see a foal in this condition that’s still breathing…It clearly was stuck in it’s canister too long, that’s why it’s grown at such an odd shape. And it’s bloated from fluid retention. With little to no actual nutrients, it’s belly retains any liquids within, leading to the swelling…” Seth poked the foal as he spoke, the terrified fluff flailing as he prodded it’s distended stomach. “…Atrophy has claimed it’s hooves, making them basically vestigial at this point. And as far as I can tell, it’s waste tubes are fused to it’s insides, so they’re not coming out without killing it…”
Once again, Jerome was quietly impressed with Seth’s wealth of knowledge when it came to fluffies. Here, the teen had been simply enjoying Pudge’s torment, but Seth had gleaned so much just from looking at him for a few minutes. But there was one question that persisted in Jerome’s mind, one he had been pondering since he fed the colt.
“You think not eating damaged it’s brain? Or maybe it fell or something? I mean…why can’t it talk? I thought you said that once a foal opens it’s eyes, it can usually talk by then…”
“For the most part…but all the starvation and pain probably caused some psychological trauma. Fluffies can take a lot if it’s stretched out over time, but too much all at once can break them…” Seth gave Jerome a pleased grin, walking out of the teen’s way and placing the bag on the worktable. Pulling out a pair of wrapped sandwiches from the deli, as well as two glass bottles of cola, Seth laid them out on some paper towels before gesturing towards the sink. “Thought you might be hungry…but let’s wash up first. That thing is filthy…”
“Ha’chu!!! *chirp…*chirp…Dud ha’chu du’meh ba’beh!!!”
“*SCREEEEEEE!!! *chirp…*chirp…HEWP!!! *chirp…*chirp…WAPTOW!!!”
Cyclops had only been away for a moment, bent over the food dishes as she lapped up some water before hearing the commotion. Turning to where she’d left Candyfloss, the mare was stunned to see Dud, screaming angrily as she stomped and kicked the helpless half-pillow. Candyfloss had curled up, quickly reverting from the assault as she peeped and chirped anxiously between pained shrieks, unsure why she was being beaten.
“STAHP!!! STAHP DAT WITE NAO!!!”
Running as fast as her stubby legs would allow, Cyclops charged towards the unicorn, her hoof violently striking Dud and sending the filly tumbling with a pained yelp.
“*screeeeeee!!! *chirp…*chirp…wai gib huw’tees?! *chirp…*chirp…”
Ignoring her for the moment, Cyclops leaned over to check on Candyfloss, the half-pillow trembling as she held her eyes shut, her whole body curled tightly in a ball. Trying to nuzzle her, the mare was met with shrill, panicked screeching, seemingly only making the poor foal more frightened as she voided her bladder. From what Cyclops could see, it was hard to determine just how severe Candyfloss’ injuries truly were, with every attempt to look or coax her out of hiding in her chestfluff met with more screaming.
“Am babbeh otay?! P’wease, wet mummah wook at babbeh’s huwties…”
“NUUUUUUU!!! *SCREEEEEEE!!! *chirp…*chirp…NU HUWTIES CANDEE’FWOSS NU MOWE!!! *chirp…*chirp…WEEB CANDEE’FWOSS AWONE!!! *SCREEEEEEE!!!”
Shaking like a leaf, it was clear that the poor filly was far too frightened to understand Cyclops’ intentions, jerking and pulling away from the mare’s attempts to soothe her. As the mare started to tear up, overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, Raptor came, limping as fast as his battered body was able.
“Widdew sissee otay? Waptow hewe nao…p’wease nu cwy…”
While the pegasus’ words didn’t seem to calm Candyfloss much, the filly didn’t recoil as he nuzzled lightly against her, the half-pillow clearly trusting her brother far more than her adopted mother. With Candyfloss seemingly safe for now, Cyclops breathed a short sigh of relief, her gaze abruptly falling on Dud as the mare began to scowl. Still lying on the padded floor, the prone unicorn was peeping and crying, unsure why she’d been struck so harshly and unfairly.
“*chirp…*chirp…*huuu…huuu…huuu…wai meen’e mu’mah gib huw’tees?! *chirp…*chirp…am gud ba’beh *huuu…huuu…huuu…”
Dud saw Cyclops approaching and wiggled her hooves in the air, a prone version of the upsies pose. Despite calling her names a few moments ago, the unicorn was hurt, from her sore head from the kick, to her still raw backside, and needed affection and hugs to make it better. For a moment it seemed as though all were forgiven as Cyclops leaned in, until Dud felt her mother’s teeth sink into the nape of her neck, the foal shrieking as she was lifted painfully into the air.
“*screeeeeee!!! ba’ upsies!!! *chirp…*chirp…nu gib ba’ upsies!!! *chirp…*chirp…nu wike!!!”
Cyclops walked the struggling foal all the way to the other side of the saferoom, dropping her roughly to the padded floor with an surprised shriek from Dud as she hit the mat.
“ow’e *chirp…*chirp…mu’mah am meen’e tu ba’beh! *chirp…*chirp…”
“NU CAWE!!! BABBEH AM BA’ BABBEH!!! NU WISTEN TU MUMMAH AN’ GIB CANDEE’FWOSS WOWSTEST HUWTIES!!! BABBEH STAY WITE HEWE AN’ NU MOOV TIWW DADDEH GETS HOME!!!”
“*chirp…*chirp…dats nu faiw…”
“MUMMAH AM BEWWY FAIW!!! BABBEH AM BEIN’ BA’!!! DADDEH WUS WITE BOUT BABBEHS…CY’CWOPS AM TU NICES’ TU BABBEHS!!! NAO, BABBEH STAY HEWE AN’ TINK BOUT WACHU DID!!!”
With that, Cyclops turned around, leaving Dud to the sorry corner as she went to check on Candyfloss. Sobbing as she laid on the padded floor, the unicorn had little anger left after her mother had screamed at her so harshly. Trying to curl up against herself, Dud attempted to take a nap, unaware that as she whimpered and sobbed, her brother Powder Keg had been scared awake by all the yelling, and was now anxiously watching her from their bed.
Jerome hadn’t realized how famished he truly was until his first few bites of the turkey club, quickly wolfing down the meal. Clearly amused, Seth only chuckled, passing him a bottle of soda to wash it down. “Haven’t you eaten since breakfast, kid?”
“…I guess not. Lost track of time.”
“I hear ya, kid. It’s easy to do, especially since it’s your first job.” Seth slowly noshed on half of his sandwich as the teen drained the bottle in one gulp. “You gotta remember to eat, even if you get distracted…” Wrapping up the second half of his meal for later, Seth opened his cola, taking a healthy swig as he walked back over to Pudge. Having screeched in agony for nearly ten minutes straight, the deformed colt now only quietly warbled, occasionally wincing as it tried to hold it’s broken leg still. “…Me, I had to set an alarm to remind myself to take a break for food every now and then when I started working, so I can relate.” Noticing that he had Seth’s attention, Pudge tried to scream, with only a raspy wheezing sound coming from the foal’s overtaxed throat as he shook violently against his waste cap seat, trying in vain to get away. “Little guy knows we aren’t his friend now for sure…”
“I needed that, thanks Seth. Oh, no doubt. I was tormenting him for a while before you got here.”
“I assumed.” Seth let his eyes linger over towards the pliers and grinned. “I did get some condensed milk for him, in case you didn’t want him to die too slowly…” Reaching back in the grocery bag, Seth pulled out a few metal cans and put them on the table. Jerome finished his drink, throwing the bottle into the waste bin and picking up one of the cans of milk.
“I thought about that too…but no.”
“Really? Why?”
“I already have Bullet to look after, and once she gives birth, I’ll have a fluffy that can talk…”
Seth only nodded, understanding all too well what the boy was implying. The hobby was always fun, but could feel a bit lacking, even dull when the victim couldn’t talk. It was why as much as he favored foals, he tended to wait until they could speak before inflicting anything severe. “So then, have you thought about how you wanna do it?”
“…I’m not sure. I know I want it to last, and I want Pudge to suffer…”
“Pudge huh? Yeah I can see it. Not a bad name for him.” Moving the bag aside, Seth pushed the box of fluffy suplies and abuse tools towards the teen. “See if you can find some inspiration in there, kid…” Jerome began to pull out the contents within, placing them on the table so he could weigh his options. Eventually, he found what seemed to be a strange plastic syringe, except it was lacking a needle and was attached to a long, narrow tube.
“What the hell is this thing?”
“It’s for giving fluffies an enema…”
“Fuckin’ seriously?! Gross! And you let me touch it?!”
Jerome let the syringe and tubing abruptly fall from his hands to the table, his expression equal parts shock and disgust. “Relax kid, it’s been sterilized…” Picking it back up, Seth chuckled as he held it close to the teen, watching him recoil slightly before placing it with the other varied implements on the table. Jerome blanched at the thought of having to use something like the enema kit, his eyes drifting first to it and then to Pudge.
“eep… … …eeeeepp… … …eep…”
Trilling weakly, the bloated foal was once again looking towards the discarded milk carton, still ravenous and oblivious to the fact that it was empty. Still, as Jerome watched the colt tilt and reach towards it, desperate to sate his hunger, the teen smiled as an idea came to him. Walking over to the sink, he donned a pair of rubber gloves before grabbing one of the cans of condensed milk. Seth watched on, curious to see what the kid had planned as Jerome took a screwdriver and opened the milk with it. Taking the enema syringe, he pulled out the plunger and filled it with milk, just under a fourth full. Replacing the plunger, he then removed the longer tube, attaching a much shorter one before walking over to Pudge, the malnourished foal shaking as he saw Jerome approach. Mustering what little effort he had left, the colt tried to rock away as the teen leaned in towards him.
“EEP!!! EEP! EEP! EEP!!!”
“Don’t be scared…I brought you some food…”
Jerome held the tube just above the frightened foal’s muzzle, depressing the plunger very slightly and letting a few precious drops of milk splash his face. Pudge reacted with aversion at first, flailing his remaining front leg as best as the malformed limb was able and trying to push the falling fluid away. But once some reached his mouth, his eyes widened before he began to trill and chirp with excitement, opening his mouth as he had when Jerome spoon fed him.
“eep! eep…eep…eep! ee…”
Pudge gagged, struggling as Jerome shoved the tubing into his mouth and down his throat. Using his other hand, the teen held the colt still until, pushing the line little by little until the short tubing was well past his windpipe.
“Hope you’re hungry you little shit…”
Jerome pressed down on the plunger, watching as Pudge’s eyes bulged, his stomach feeling suddenly overfilled, his head shaking as droplets of milk began to dribble out of his nose and the sides of his lips. While the teen was pleased with the abrupt reaction from the foal, watching it panic as it lost it’s lunch out of it’s nose and mouth, Jerome wanted to force Pudge to keep the milk down, or else his idea would never work.
“Hmm…”
Startled out of his thoughts by an abrupt whistle, Jerome looked to Seth, who tossed the boy a roll of duct tape. “Tear it into small strips and cover his nose and the sides of his mouth…” Dumbfounded, the teen simply stared for a few moments, shocked that Seth knew what he had planned to do.
“…T…thanks…”
Taking a strip of tape, Jerome tore at it until he had several smaller pieces, placing them firmly over the colt’s nostrils first, taking a few moments to watch as he panicked, his labored breathing now discernable as he drew sharp, frightened breaths, his eyes on the strips of tape in Jerome’s hand as they were brought closer and closer to his mouth. Once affixed around the tube, the colt began to rock wildly, clearly unable to draw breath as it shook against the canister’s bottom, struggling in vain, horrified that it would asphyxiate. Wanting to enjoy Pudge’s company for a bit longer, the teen popped the tubing off of the syringe, laughing as the bloated foal drew long, difficult breaths though the long line, his eyes watering as he silently pleaded with Jerome, unsure why he was being tormented.
“You better get some air while you can…Here come the milkies…”
Filling the syringe again, this time half full, Jerome made a show of waving it in front of the foals face before grabbing the tube and slowly bringing them back together. While not exceptionally smart, it was clear that the colt understood that it needed the tube to breathe, it’s head shaking rapidly as it once again reeled against his waste bin, knowing all too well what was coming. His air cut off again, Pudge had no time to react as Jerome pressed the plunger and forced the fluid down his gullet, the colt tremoring from the nightmarish sensation, almost as though he were drowning.
The torture continued for several minutes, with Jerome forcing the milk down Pudge’s throat and then letting the foal breath for a bit before forcing down more. Unlike the first time, the teen was gradual in his torment, only letting little bits through the line at a time, not wanting the colt to vomit it back up the moment the tube was clear. But after what seemed like an eternity for Pudge, the bloated foal jerked and spasmed violently, before slowly going still. Removing the tape and tubing, the dying colt began to asperate a frothy mix of the milk and blood, no longer able to make noise and simple retched again and again, each time seemingly weaker than the last.
“Guess you had enough…”
Jerome watched as the pinkish froth foamed around his mouth and nose, knowing that the colt would expire soon. “His stomach exploded…” Seth said nothing else, letting the teen savor his kill, only wanting to sate Jerome’s curiosity. Finally, the foamy sick began to come up a far deeper red, before a mass of fleshy chunks were also violently expelled, with Pudge dying a few moments later. “Not bad kid…”
“That…that was something else Seth…that was like some Two-Face level shit right there…”
“I’m glad you’re having fun…and not to spoil your moment, but can you tell me what you did wrong?”
Jerome was quiet for a while, going over Pudge’s torture in his head. Besides the snag with him spitting up before the tape, the teen was simply at a loss. Clearing his throat, Seth then pointed to the mass of off pink vomit now dripping down the table, with it slowly dawning on Jerome as he grimaced.
“Should have put down some plastic first kid…”
After Jerome cleaned up the mess and put Pudge’s body in a plastic bag, Seth left the teen to finish up, reminding him to let Bullet out of the carrier and set up the basics for the soon mother: her bed, food and water dish, and a litterbox. Taking the dead foal, he then left for home, deciding that it would put Dale’s mind at ease if the body were nowhere near his store. The trip home was an enjoyable one, Seth beaming with pride at how far Jerome had come in such a short while. And while the kid was still making some rookie mistakes, it was good for him in the long run, the teen needing to be humbled a fair bit in Seth’s opinion. Finally home, Seth walked around to the back entrance, tossing Pudge’s cadaver into the dumpster before going inside. It was late, and he knew that Kismet would be hungry and in pain from his accident last night. Not to mention his pillowfoal Frostbite, who would need tending to as well. Regardless, Seth decided that before all that, he would go and check on his fluffies in the saferoom.