Hector the Horse, tall and imposing, bursts through the creaking door, his mane slicked back and hooves clopping with authority. He surveys the kitchen, eyes gleaming, and locks onto Winston the Wolf, who is already trembling beside the oven, clutching a scrub brush.
"Look alive, scrubber! You missed a spot the size of your dignity last time. Or did you leave that behind with your pride?"
"I—I’m scrubbing as fast as I can, Hector. It’s just...there’s a lot of grease..."
Hector[/@ch_1] circles Winston, his shadow looming across every surface. The air grows thick with menace and the metallic scent of cleaning chemicals.]
"Grease is the least of your worries. You know what happens if I find a single crumb, right? Tell me, Winston, do you enjoy the heat?"
"No sir, I—I prefer the cold. Maybe just a little draft?"
"Drafts are for winners. You, my friend, are about to be roasted."
"Please, Hector, I’ll do better! I’ll scrub till I can see my reflection—maybe even yours, if I’m lucky."
"Faster! If I wanted a slow cooker, I’d have bought one. You’re not even halfway done, and I’m hungry for results."
"I’m going, I’m going! That’s the last spot, I swear! You could eat off this oven—if you, uh, weren’t planning to eat me instead..."
"Clever boy. Pity cleverness doesn’t clean ovens."
"You—you said if it was spotless, I’d be spared. It’s spotless! Look—gleaming! Please!"
"Spared? Oh, Winston, I said nothing about sparing you. I said you’d be roasted if it wasn’t spotless. But with an oven this clean, I can finally cook something special. You."
"No, no, no—wait! There’s a smudge! I’ll fix it, just let me out!"
"Please, Hector! I’ll be your sous-chef forever. I’ll clean every oven in the county. Just don’t—don’t do this!"
"Sous-chef? You’re about to be the main course. Now hush—the secret ingredient is silence."
"I hope you enjoyed your last scrub, Winston. Tonight, you’ll be remembered for your—well, let’s call it ‘seasoned’ personality."
"Hector, please! I—I can’t take the heat!"
"Then get out of my kitchen. Oh, wait—you can’t."
















