Chapter Text
“Not again, Squirm,” Brightney sighed with slight impatience. This was the 4th time this week she’s found Squirm eating books from any bookshelves he could find, and it wasn’t even Tuesday yet! “What have we talked about?”
“Don’t eat the books…” Squirm replied with a sniffle. He knew he was supposed to leave the books alone, but it wasn’t like any kindergarteners were going to be reading in his corner anytime soon. He was just so hungry. He couldn’t help it. “I’m sorry, Brightney, but it’s the only thing helping me get through these floors.”
“We have some upstairs in the entrance! Please, use your rations for the run so we can go back up soon,” she pleaded before leaving him to finish up any machine she could find. He stared down to the imprint of footsteps she left in the carpet before looking up at the poster of him, placing a hand on his framed face. “I-I used to spend so much time here- *snf*- I-I miss how things were- *snf*-” He grabbed some of his favorite titles off a nearby shelf before going to help with machines.
A little while later, the elevator returned to the lobby, allowing the remaining survivors to go to their rooms and grieve the twisteds they avoided moments earlier and anyone lost during the run. Squirm waved goodbye to his already scattered team and shuffled down to his room, clutching the books he had taken moments before to his chest. He had forgotten some of their plots due to not being down there for a while.
He laid on his bed and stared at one of the covers wistfully. He wanted to read them again, but his stomach was telling him to do otherwise. His eyebrows furrowed as he huffed in frustration. He was getting tired of this back and forth. “Just let me enjoy this for once,” he asked, but his gut demanded otherwise. His hands clenched around the cover before angrily taking a bite, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “You always do this. Why can’t you think of anything but your stomach?” He finished his snack before he finished his thought. He wrapped his arm around his stomach and dragged himself to the bathroom. He knelt in front of the toilet, his thoughts chiding himself despite his hand forcing its way down his throat. It’ll be worth it once you learn to stop. Just get it over with.