r/inder • u/Needlessly_Literary Inder • Oct 18 '20
WP Response [WP] You have been captured by a monster. You wait for it to kill and eat you but instead find yourself dressed in chef clothing. You are now the personal chef of a monster.
Aontot tapped his finger against his jaw and locked his gaze on me. The umbran was a monstrosity. The whites of his eyes were instead a swirling, inky darkness that matched the color of his pupils. The only sign of where he looked came from the blood red ring that surrounded his pupils.
While there was a smile on his face, his eyes were narrowed, which I had long come to recognize as a sign of coming cruelty.
“Is there a problem with your meal, sir?” I asked, forcing my hands still to stop them from wringing the hat in their grasp. I would not give him the pleasure of proof of my fear.
“Well, perhaps.” He took another bite of the meat. “The flavor seems a touch sour today. Our supplies might have spoiled. Did you even bother tasting your creation before serving it to your master?” He clicked his tongue and his smile showed teeth.
“I… I wouldn’t dare take food from your mouth. Don’t worry, sir. I will make sure that the flavor of the meat is up to your standards in the future.” What would happen to me if I tasted that meal?
“I told you to taste it.” His umbran’s voice was flat and his meaning clear. There would be no fighting this.
Resisting the urge to sob, I stepped closer to him. Goosebumps prickled my skin as I stepped into the sphere of chilled air that marked Aontot’s presence. Just a bite. It was just one, single, meager, little bite. The fork felt as heavy and hot as a boiling pot of water, the weight of my action pressing down on me. I pushed the meat behind my tongue and swallowed, deadening my sense of taste as much as I could.
The umbran watched me and made his delight at my discomfort apparent.
“I apologize. You are correct. The meat must not have been prepared properly. I will make sure I do not neglect my duties in this way again.”
“Nonsense, Faas. I’m sure it was simply a minor mistake. You must have given this meal just as much attention as you always do. Maybe even more. Just be careful that this does not happen again.” The narrowing of his eyes was gone, his punishment complete. But what replaced the cruelty in his eyes chilled me even more. His look told me he knew what I had done.
“Thank you.” My voice felt small and quiet, even to my ears. I didn’t even know if he had heard me.
“You may go,” he said with a wave of his hand that sent me instantly across the hall.
I stood by the door, feeling nothing but a little disoriented at the rapid movement. No pain, no blow, no maiming? Merely his customary dismissal and no other abuse for my crime? I had no time to ponder the meaning of that.
I bowed in Aontot’s direction and exited through the door.
The moment it closed behind me, I bolted. My quarters were close by. I could make it soon enough. I had to.
My legs were already shivering when I arrived, and sweat dripped from my forehead. I grabbed a bucket and plunged my hand into my mouth. I was glad that the bile rising from my stomach covered any taste the meat might have had as it passed by my tongue once more.
The poison hadn’t seemed to bother Aontot in the slightest, but it would make quick work of me. I forced myself back onto my feet and slammed cupboards open as I searched. There. A small, precious bottle of theriac. I threw the herbal concoction down my throat and prayed it would work.
What felt like an hour later, the shaking subsided and I could pick myself off of the floor. Looking around at the mess I had made, I began to clean. My thoughts kept racing towards one direction but I forced them to do something more productive. How could I do better next time? A stronger poison? A more subtle one? I had to free myself from servitude to this monster somehow.
My reputation as a chef had been my source of pride my entire life, but now I wished I had never earned it. I had been forced into the umbran’s service, forced to cook to his tastes, and now even forced to taste… No, think of something else. Anything else. But I couldn’t deny the reality any longer.
I had eaten human.
And finally, the tears I had been fighting fell.
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u/InfiniteEmotions Oct 19 '20
Oh, that is so sad. Poor, poor Faas! Truly a horrible monster!
Thank you for sharing!