The Dark Influence

Chapter 8
8: *Sigh* I Got Some Hard Truths

“Good morning sweetheart,” Chloe said in her saccharine influencer voice. John knew she was filming before he even opened his eyes.

“So little man’s up from his nap, are you feeling better?” She said, shoving the camera in his face that he hated so much. John raised himself up to a standing position as Chloe shoved her hand into his pants, feeling for a wet diaper. There was, and he was swiftly changed (Chloe had set up a tripod for that, too. This time it was what is kept in a changing table.)

Once he was changed, Chloe put him back on the floor before heading back out into the living room, talking about her mommy blog stuff.

Now was John’s time to strike. He looked around his room, looking for something he could pick up and throw at the baby monitor so he could make his escape. Chloe hadn’t gotten him any toys yet. He wondered why, it seems like it would fit into the “aesthetic” of mommy blogging or something. A block or a lego would work perfectly for this, he thought.

Looking over at his changing table, he tried grabbing the powder from the side. Too heavy. He tried picking up a diaper and throwing it like a frisbee. His pudgy toddler arms didn’t have the coordination for it though, and it fell a few feet off to the side.

“You know what that means, Bakerfamfans,” he heard Chloe’s voice approaching before appearing in the doorway, “If your kid is quiet, it means they’re getting into trouble.” She looked down at John. Her presence seemed to fill up the room. How was she this scary when he used to tower over her?

“Come on sweetie, it’s dinnertime.” She said, picking him up and carrying him toward the kitchen. Why was she still filming? He thought, he just wanted to eat in peace.

Chloe deposited him in a high chair. Another new addition to their living space he missed. That Amazon package was probably up to a month ago now that he thought about it. She placed a subdivided plate in front of him with various kinds of mush. One of them was definitely mashed potatoes, the rest he couldn’t tell.

The camera came out again. “Okay sweetie, time for dinner!” Chloe chirped, getting a spoonful of the green mush (green beans maybe?)

Something went off in John. “No.” He stated bluntly, turning his head away from the spoon.

“Come on sweetie, you gotta eat your dinner so you can grow up big and strong like mommy!” She tried going around the other way with the spoon but John countered it with his own turn.

“No.”

Chloe put the camera down. “John, work with me here. If I don’t show you being a happy, healthy baby, my followers will have a revolt.”

John pounded on the highchair’s table, causing the plate to shake slightly. “Why is this so impowtant to you? Is that all you tuwned me into a baby fow, to get followews? I told you this was unethical! Most kids can’t consent one way or the other to theiw face being shown online, but I can. I don’t like my penis-“

“-Pee-pee, honey,” Chloe interrupted.

“-being shown online when you’we changing my diapew! I have a thiwty-five yeaw old bwain and a two yeaw old pee-pee, and you’we using me fow followews when I know what's going on!” He started to tear up again.

Chloe’s face softened. "It’s not just for followers, honey. I love you so much, and I want to see you grow up. I thought this would be a fun way to look back on your life together when you’re older."

“I WAS oldew!” He protested, more tears streaming down his face. This wasn’t childish whining anymore, this was righteous indignation. “I can’t change what you did to me, but the least you could do is tweat me wight. I don’t like looking at you and seeing youw phone all the time. Do people film you when you go potty?” He had never said “potty” before, “Do people film you when you’we at the gym? No! They keep those things pwivate!”

The weight of what her new child said, her child whose diapers she had changed, her child who she fed, her child she used to sleep next to as partners, hit her all at once.

“Sweetie,” she trailed off, “I like doing this mommy blog. And I really think you’ll like seeing these things when you grow back up. But, you’re right. I shouldn’t be filming everything.” She put the phone down and let John eat in peace. It was delicious.