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

Washing It Away

Drayton was pleasantly surprised to see the majority of the food gone from Sunshine's plate. She hadn't looked up the whole evening, but at least she was eating. Maybe she would try some of his chili someday? Meanwhile, she had completely different thoughts running through her head. Sunshine had trained her vision to a small crack on the corner of her plate and zoned out any outside influence from her mind. The food itself was delicious, but the fact that it was prepared in the same kitchen as corpses was nauseating.

Bubba's mask really wasn't hyper realistic; it was an actual face. They hid the bone furniture the first night she came. Grandpa was on a "blood diet". Then there was "Grandma" or at least what was left of her, hence why Drayton said he lived with five other people; he counted Grandma's corpse as a person. It was all too much to accept.

She continued to stare at the small crack in the plate while shoveling food into her mouth, hoping to push away the rancid thoughts the entire time she sat at the table. Grandpa had just finished his "meal" that he was being fed by Nubbins. Sunshine couldn't exactly see how Grandpa was given the blood, and she preferred it that way. Bubba and Chop Top had long finished their food, staying at the table to just talk excitedly to each other. Drayton was mostly quiet, only grumbling back thoughts here and there. 

Her fork squeaked against the plate, helping the last portion of the food down her throat. After she was done, she quietly set the fork down and waited for someone to instruct her what to do. The shadows of the younger boys danced on the yellowing walls like shapes against a campfire. Drayton's eyes trailed the grain in the wood of the table, looking for nothing in particular. The drinks in their cups threatened to spill when a certain plate-headed man used the table to push himself away and out of his seat, followed by his behemoth brother, Bubba. This was the only point when Drayton had bothered to look up, nonchalantly, snatching Sunshine's dish away from her and moving to the kitchen. 

"Take her to wash up" he elbowed Nubbins, nodding his head over to the girl at the other end of the table, "An' dontcha dare scare her or it'll be the last thing ya do."

Nubbins blew a raspberry as his older brother walked away then snapped his head towards Sunshine, his greasy hair bouncing around his ears. The girl slightly looked up to watch him harshly drop himself to his knees and fiddle with something in his boot. A rusted straight-razor unfolded in his hands which made her shoulders flinch. Nubbins giggled to himself and harshly grabbed her wrist, causing her eyes to go wide. Sunshine's fingers writhed like panicked snakes, with her arms jerking as well. Lids shut tight, her ears instead heard ripping. Chest softly heaving, she slowly opened her eyes and saw that he was just cutting the bindings. Well, so much for not showing fear. Both of her wrists were freed and she was yanked by the arm up from her chair and out into the hallway. Her feet struggled to keep up with Nubbins' quick pace. He continued to drag her to a different room, one she hadn't noticed before, unfortunately, the real bathroom. 

He flung his arm in a swift motion, almost throwing her inside before stepping into the small room himself. The bathroom was only slightly bigger than a broom closet. Sunshine carefully walked backwards on the warping floorboards, not daring to take her eyes off of him, until the backs of her knees hit an old bathtub. Nubbins ripped open a cabinet near his legs, grabbing torn towels and a bar of soap. Sunshine cornered herself, subconsciously, into the space between the toilet and the bathtub. 

"Well!" the hitchhiker exclaimed, "Take it off!"

Sunshine blushed and started to tremble, "Do.. do you have to be here with me?" Nubbins just grinned.

"Yep." The small glance he made above her head caused her to turn to see a window above the tub that would have been just big enough for her to get out of. Understandable.

She wasn't about to argue with Nubbins holding towels and soap in one hand and his straight-razor in the other. Sunshine felt she might start to cry from embarrassment but willed back the tears. Her shaking, however, was impossible to hide. She started at her shoes, untying them and stuffing her socks inside. She hesitated with removing her tank top, but decided to just get it over with and pulled it over her head. She just stared at the floor, but if she were to look up, she would've seen Nubbins' cheeks reddening almost to the color of his birthmark. Watching her undress made him go unusually silent. As a child he and his twin got in all sorts of trouble; including peeking at girls in bathrooms. As teenagers, they got into the habit of stealing from a few stores, sometimes pocketing Playboy magazines before they were torn to shreds or burned by Drayton. He can't recall how many times he's ripped the clothes off of all sorts of people, including beautiful women, for butchering. This time was different. This time he didn't have to sneak around or force her to do anything. This was the first time he experienced something even close to consent. 

He realized he had zoned out when he caught sight of her turning around and hooking her thumbs under the hem of her panties and pulling them down. Nubbins had to look away. It was all too much. His face and ears felt inflamed and his heart was hammering against his ribs. Sunshine looked up with her face equally as flushed and watched him stuff his straight-razor back into his shoe. She took the opportunity to step into the bath to avoid exposing herself further. The cold ceramic of the tub touched her behind when she slowly sat inside, creating goosebumps. Her feet were crossed and her knees pulled up to her chest. That's when she noticed his trembling as well. He hurried over and started to turn the faucets on, sparing a few glimpses her way. She was so pale and small. He had imagined this to be a more erotic experience, instead he felt like he was seeing something he wasn't meant to see, like the nude drawings of angels in his family's bibles.

"I-Is tha-that okay? I mean, uh- the water?" he finally stammered out. 

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, um, it's- it's fine."

She took the soap bar from his bandaged hand. Nubbins sat himself on the floor, legs crossed, next to the tub and played with a frayed edge on his shirt. The ivory soap glided its way across Sunshine's skin, and she couldn't help but kill the silence. Her eyes softened and looked at Nubbins' bandaged hand. This was the closest she's ever come to him, which was why she was able to notice scars on his other palm. So that wasn't an accident the other day. 

"You should wash that hand," she whispered. Nubbins looked at her and then to the appendage.

"You don't want to risk getting the cut dirty," she continued.

He started to unwrap his hand, "I do all the time."

He shrugged and snatched her clothes up, throwing them into a burlap sack next to him, that she had failed to notice earlier.

"Wait, wait. What am I going to wear?"

Nubbins abruptly stood up and took something from the counter, his wild eyes seeming to soften only for a second. He unfolded it and held it up for her to see. She couldn't tell if the sundress was baby yellow or a white that had yellowed over time. It had small embroidered wild flowers all over the fabric with lace at the short sleeves. Sunshine looked over the wrinkled fabric with curiosity and amusement. It looked about her size.

She smiled softly, holding the soap still, "Where did you..."

Nubbins giggled and smiled back looking at the dress with her.

"It was my Mama's."