Man-Eat-Man World: a Texas Chainsaw Massacre Fanfic

Dinner Bell

The past eight hours of her day was spent staring at the ceiling, contemplating escape or compliance. She had no life before, but wasn't that open for change? Numbness. Sunshine felt so much that she felt nothing at all. Her tears left tracks from her eyes to her ears, long dried out. No matter how long she lied in the bed, her back just couldn't seem to conform to the mattress, like her body didn't want to accept its new home. She counted the cracks in the ceiling and the watermarks. Maybe if she was lucky, the ceiling would give out and crush her, ending her suffering.
Her eyes closed as the thought of her lifeless body flashed in her mind. Perhaps death was ideal? Maybe she could beg Drayton to kill her? Maybe she could do it herself? Would the family eat her too..? Did the cannibals have that kind of capacity in their minds to distinguish family and friends from food? Who knows?
Her head dropped to the side to see the cord from the old lamp. Sunshine squinted as she thought about the dusty wire encircling her pale neck, creating long red marks. At this point, strangling herself to death felt like a papercut compared to being eaten and dismembered. Her arm shakily reached towards the dark brown cord, slightly tracing her fingers down. Before she could actually grasp it completely, hurried footsteps rattled from down the hall, coming closer. Her arm dropped as her eyes flicked towards the door.
Slowly, Sunshine sat up as she eyed the rattling doorknob. She could tell that Drayton must have put a couple of bolts and locks on. Again, her old friend stepped into the room, clearing his throat.
"Dinner's ready."
He must have thought she would put up a fight because she could see Bubba's shadow in the hall behind him. To Drayton's surprise, she got up promptly and followed him out. She didn't want to argue, talk or be touched right now, so this was her best bet. The wooden floor in the hallway squeaked under their steps. Sunshine eyed the floor, not wanting to meet her captors' eyes. In her peripheral vision she could see Drayton's work boots and Bubba's ginormous ones as well.
They live off of fear. They love when their victims yowl and scream for help. That's something she promised herself she would never do. Don't beg them. Don't plead when they've heard those words before.
She shuddered when she felt Drayton's calloused hand wrap around her arm, keeping her from running away again. She took careful steps down the stairs with the two men behind her. Her bloodshot eyes glanced up to the front door. The screen door was only on one hinge, hanging like a little kid's tooth after being ran through last night. Holding back a sigh she followed to the dining room noticing that Drayton's grip was becoming less tight. Maybe compliance was ideal for the time being.
Her pulse quickened as she was walked into the dining room. Bones. Skulls. A.. flesh chair..? Sunshine's feet faultered, causing her to trip a little.
"What's 'smatter? Ya don't like my work?" the hitchhiker at the other side of the table giggled. He pointed a finger at Drayton, "I guess he was right."
Sunshine's face watched his hand that pointed. The bandage she put on it now completely dirtied.
"Shut yer mouth." Drayton growled.
She didn't dare look up. She didn't even remember if that would be breaking a rule. Bobby, or 'Chop Top' as he liked to be called, scurried in with some rope. He got on his knees and pushed Sunshine into the skeleton chair to tie her. He looked up at her face with a bright smile that slightly waivered. Her face was blank, tired and her eyes were set on her knees. This didn't look like the same girl he had dinner with yesterday. But Chop didn't look like the same bright-eyed boy before he was sent to war. Maybe what she went through yesterday was something like that.
Chop Top caught himself staring at her face for a few too seconds long and continued with the tying. It was relatively easy since her hands were laying passively on the bone armrests.
"I-I aaactually learned how ta tie good knots in 'nam!" he said smiling over his work,"I hope ya understand, b-but I haaave to m-make these tight!" Her gaze landed onto her right wrist. Hell, he actually did do a good job. Tight, but not too tight. He had already stood up and brushed his hands on his pants when she looked over to him.
Drayton had disappeared into the kitchen with Bubba to set the table. Nubbins was messing with the lock on Grandpa's wheelchair. Chop excitedly sat on Sunshine's right side.
"I'm real excited ta have a new lil sister, er, uh.. well whatever ya are! Heh!" Chop Top beamed. He thought he saw a little half-smile grace her lips. Hopefully it was.
Drayton came back into the room with a few plates. He set some down for the twins and took his place next to Grandpa. Bubba followed after with plates for himself, Drayton and Sunshine. Drayton had his elbows on the table with his hands clasped together. He looked anxious, glancing over to Sunshine who now stared at her plate. Corn on the cob and two slices of country ham. "Edible," she thought. She looked at the other plates and noticed everyone else had the same thing plus a side of what looked like chili. She quickly shut her eyes with a grunt, forcing the non-existent bile back down her throat.
"Thought I'd go easy on ya tonight," Drayton sighed, "But you will be 'xpected ta eat it sometime." Nubbins sat to her left and Bubba sat on Grandpa's left.
"D-don't worry though! It's real good!" Nubbins yelled taking a bite of the chili. Sunshine moved her wrists around and looked over to her fork. She didn't have the godforsaken chili on her plate and she thought she might as well try.
"Ya want some?" Chop motioning over to her fork. The two made eye contact and he broke it to pick up the rusted utensil.
"I want to feed myself," she quietly pleaded. Drayton scratched his head. Before he could even get a word out Bubba was vigorously shaking his head 'no', his fluffy brown curls bouncing around his stolen face.
"Bubba got th-tabbed with a th-poon oncth," Nubbins deadpanned with a mouth full of food. Sunshine's brows furrowed.
"I would never stab you, Bubba," she assured. She could see his eyes quickly glance at her from behind his mask. He had an old woman's face on right now. Chop was already reaching over to untie her bindings when Drayton stopped him.
"Don't do that, Bobby."
"Why not?" she furiously whispered. Forks stopped scraping and the twins' snickering giggles only made her more agitated.
"Th-" Drayton let out a long sigh, pinching his temples,carefully thinking over his words,"Yer part of tha fam'ly now. But we gotta make sure we can trust ya 'nough ta give you somethin' like that."
"Then let me show you that you can," her voiced waivered. Her trust was broken by the man who was now staring her down, but she'd be damned if she was ever to break the trust of someone else. His younger brothers looked over between the two and grandpa squinted over at his eldest grandson.
"Fine."
Chop Top happily continued to untie her binds and went back to his meal. The twins yelled and chatted away at whatever, with Bubba occasionally squealing and babbling in his made-up tongue. Sunshine had begun to nibble away at the corn and chew down her ham. Drayton silently watched over everyone and decided it was time to finish his meal as well.
For Sunshine, she decided she would be compliant within her own reasons. Not to give up to the will of her captors or to run away, but to make Drayton feel like scum of the Earth for betraying her.