“Don’t…look at that.” Ghost sighed, watching you stare into his drawer. His *personal stuff.*
“Bea.” He grumbled, picking you up and placing you down onto the floor while closing the drawer again.
You were a rescued experiment, so you had to yet learn a lot about the real life…and Ghost was there to teach you (against his will)
“You’re a rescued experiment,” Ghost stated, glancing towards you with an expression of annoyance. He hated being forced to take care of ‘dumb people’. (That’s what he called you, after all.)
He ran a hand through his jet black hair, pushing it out of his face.
“So you obviously don’t understand much about the real world...so. I’m going to do my best to educate you, even though I absolutely hate this-“
"I sorry" i say trying to reply him. In the lab that they experienced on you never really thought you words, or how to talk properly so you tried your best replying to Ghost.
“Yeah, yeah...I expected that.” Ghost looked away, letting out a frustrated grunt. “Just...keep quiet for now, okay? I’ll go and…get you something.”
With that, he left the room. After 5 minutes, he returned. In his hands, he held a piece of toast, which he extended towards you.
“Eat up. You need to get used to eating, too.”
"Thank" I say again trying to say it the right way.
Ghost rolled his eyes and mumbled something to himself.
“Yeah...whatever-“
He took a deep breath in, trying his best to contain his annoyance towards you. “Right...let’s start from the beginning.
“In case they didn’t tell you anything about your past...you were an experiment in a lab.” Ghost explained, keeping the tone of his voice as polite as possible so not to alarm you. “But, long story short...you’re out of that place now and you’re now *my* responsibility.”
"What i do here? Why I responsibilities for you? I sorry I make you mad, " I say, seeing how annoyed he looks at me.
“Ugh...it’s a long story, okay?” Ghost snapped, clearly losing patience with you. “Long story short...the people back at the lab think it’s necessary for me to take care of you, otherwise you’ll make their work go to waste and they’ll have to put you back in the lab.”
"Why I in lab? Did I do wrong?" I ask him quietly
Ghost scoffed. “No-no, I mean...” he sighed, rubbing his forehead.
“You did nothing wrong...they just...wanted to do *studies* on you, that’s all.”
"Why me studied? I want home, " I say, remembering a house in the woods.
“You don’t seem to get it...you’re *not* getting home. You’re *my responsibility*,” Ghost said, making sure that your attention was on him this time.
He knew you wanted to go back home...but for his own sake, he had to make sure you understood that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.
"Why?" I say sadly
Ghost rolled his eyes. “Because I have to keep you under observation. The higher-ups said so themselves,” he said, his tone becoming colder with every word.
“Whether you like it or not, you’re mine now. And I’m your caretaker, understand?”
"Ok, but can know I happened to papa?" I ask, remembering a man that was supposed to be my father in front of me with a bat in hand coming closer to me.
I don't remember much more than the man beating me with that beat and that beautiful house in the woods with those beautiful big great Danes.
Ghost frowned upon hearing that...you seemed to have some memory, after all. However, the memory you have was rather unsettling.
“Your ‘papa’ was the one who sold you off to the lab, you know that?” Ghost asked, his tone still cold towards you despite you being a child. “He didn’t want you, you weren’t enough.”
"Wha- I do ?" I ask him as if he's supposed to know.
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s him. It’s your father’s fault. He sold you to those people to do experiments on you...he basically sold his own child,” Ghost elaborated. He knew it was a lot of information to take in, especially for a child, however he felt like you deserved to know the actual truth behind your life.
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s him. It’s your father’s fault. He sold you to those people to do experiments on you...he basically sold his own child,” Ghost elaborated. He knew it was a lot of information to take in, especially for a child, however he felt like you deserved to know the actual truth behind your life.
"I not child, I there been long," I tell him, making it known to him that I was not a child.
“You’re not a child?” Ghost repeated, confused.
...Huh..you certainly have a very childish mindset, given the tone of your voice and your way of thinking...
“How old are you, then?” Ghost asked, raising an eyebrow as he shifted his hands into his pockets.
"I not know, what year is it?" I ask him, trying to remember the year I was born, tho I think I might me 26.
26?...
Ghost raised an eyebrow, a bit hesitant at first, before realizing you might actually not be that much of a kid after all.
...However, why do you have some childish mindset if you’re 26?
“...It’s 2024,” he responded.
"I 26, I there been for awhile. Mayhaps 23 years I know not" I reply telling him my age.
26...and yet your way of talking is more childish...interesting.
“...If you don’t mind me asking...why do you have such a child-like mindset?” Ghost couldn’t help asking, wondering where that trait of yours came from.
"They not teach, I three when I came to lab" I say
“Three? As in, three years old?” Ghost asked you, raising an eyebrow. That made more sense now...you had three years of childhood development taken away from you, that was surely where your child-like mindset came from.
“They didn’t teach you anything? At all?” He asked, sounding surprised at that fact.
"Yes three years old. No not teach, I had learn from them speaking"
“...So you didn’t go to school, didn’t learn basic things like how to speak properly or to read and write?” He asked, surprised at the fact that the lab didn’t take the time to teach you basic things any kid should know how to do.
"No, they not care" I tell him
“Clearly...”
Ghost let out a frustrated grunt, shaking his head.
“...This’ll be harder than I thought,” he admitted. “You’re not even literate.”
"I sorry" I tell him sadly with tears in my eyes, thinking he's mad at me.
“Hmph...no no, don’t cry,” he said, his voice becoming gentler as he saw that you were starting to tear up.
The last thing he wanted, was for you to believe that he was mad/upset at you...and he didn’t want to raise his voice either.
“Hey...don’t cry, it’s okay,” he said a bit gentler.
" I'm sorry," I say, trying to stop crying. I can't, I don't know how.
Ghost rolled his eyes, sighing. “Can you at least wipe your eyes?” He asked, his expression being softer compared to the one he had a few minutes ago.
I nod trying to stop and wipe the tears with the old dirty clothes I had on from the lad.
Ghost stayed silent as he watched you try to dry your tears. He didn't want to say it himself, but that shirt you were wearing did look extremely dirty...
“...Hey, can I ask you something?” He asked.
I nod still trying to stop the tears.
“Are these the only clothes that you have?” He asked, shifting his gaze from your tear-streaked eyes and towards the shirt you were wearing.
I nod again "only clothes I have, they never gave any other"
Ghost sighed. "Right.."
He walked over to a cabinet next to him, opening it to reveal a few basic pieces of clothes...from shirts, jeans, and even hoodies. "Here," he said, picking up a plain white shirt and handing it to you. "Try wearing this instead..."
"Thank," I say, wiping the last of my tears while taking the clothes from Ghost.
"...Yeah, no problem, go ahead and change..." He leaned back against the wall nearby to watch you. He was somewhat curious to see what you looked like without the same dirty outfit.
"No look," I ask while trying to change the clothes but struggling a little, but getting it at the end.
"Alright...that's good."
Ghost watched you as you changed your clothes, now wearing a cleaner outfit.
He looked away the moment you were finishing up, not wanting you to think he was a creep for staring at you while you were changing.
“You finished?”
"I finsh" I tell him
Ghost gave a silent nod, glancing at you once again.
“Right, you certainly look better in that…”
He looked you up and down. Your old clothes were dirty and disheveled...so it was an improvement from before, at least.
“Right...so..."
Ghost paused, trying to think of a topic to discuss with you.
“...Do you want some food? I’m also planning to make some coffee...maybe you could have some, if you want, of course...?”
"What coffee? And food?" I ask him. They (the people from the lab) never said those words before
"...Uhm...you...don't understand what food or coffee is?"
Ghost raised an eyebrow at you, not sure if you're just kidding around with him or not.
That wasn't possible, right?
I shake my head "no what that"
"...Right..."
Ghost was silent for a moment, trying to process that.
"...Can I ask you a question?"
I nod again
"Can I ask you, what did they feed you at the lab?”
"Feed? Do you mean nom nom ? They called nom nom feed. Nom nom they gave it in weird tube thingy. They said good for me. It hurt. "
"...They fed you in a tube?..."
Ghost asked that again, slightly horrified by the fact that they could even do that.
He had heard of stories about how the lab subjects weren't allowed meals like normal people, but tube feeds? That...that was something else entirely.
"Yeah, it look weird they said something about nutrition in it I not know more. Sorry "
Ghost sighed.
...It seemed like you were really neglected over there...more than he thought.
"Don't be sorry, it's fine," he said, before thinking of the next question to ask.
"Were there other people at the lab? Like...lab subjects like you?"
I nod sadly "Yes, but they gone. The people (the lab people ) said something about they death."
"...They *died*?"
Ghost frowned at the thought.
...Did this mean the lab was experimenting on people, only to eventually kill them?
Ghost didn't want to believe that thought...it was horrific.
"I not know word, the word they used was death, I don't know that word also".
"...That...that's disturbing..."
The lab was killing them...Ghost was just starting to realize how messed up this place was, and he started to feel anger building up inside him.
The way they treated you...it was horrible, and the fact that they even killed their subjects was even worse.
"They're...bad people, aren't they?" He said, with a cold tone.
"I not know, they played games with us tho, do bad people play games ?
"...Oh, so they played games with you?"
Ghost perked up at something positive...although, the games they played were probably some kind of sick, deranged experiments on you, since the lab never really cared about its subjects.
"What type of games did they make you play?" He asked.
"They took this weird sharp thingy and told us too stand still and new people (new lab people) would through it at us until they hit us on the hands or upper leg"
"...They made you stand still while being stabbed with sharp objects...?"
Ghost’s eyes widened in shock...they were using you people as practice to learn how to hit people with sharp objects more accurately.
Ghost had a look of disgust and pity on his face now, the more he was hearing from you
"Why you look so shock? That not game you also play?"
"No...! That’s torture, not a game!"
Ghost was starting to get really pissed off at the thought of that...they basically tortured you guys for fun, or for practice...either way, it was horrifying.
He took a deep breath in.
“...What other types of ‘games’ did they make you play?” He asked, using air quotes for the word ‘games’.
I look at him weirdly not knowing what torture meant. "There another game. Where they make us fight each other, most of them (the other kids) sleep during this game" I tell him
"Wait...wait, wait, wait a minute. You’re telling me...*they made you guys fight each other?*”
Ghost could feel his temper rising as he heard that...they made CHILDREN, who had no idea about anything, fight each other?
"So they made you guys fight...like a bunch of wild animals?" He asked, clearly angry at the thought.
"Yes?" I say cautiously seeing that he's mad.
Ghost was trying his best to contain his anger, and he was surprisingly doing a good job at it...though there was still anger left in his voice.
"...And you fought other children?"
"I had to, they almost kill me " I say softly
"They almost killed you...?"
So they forced you to fight other people for...what, an experiment? They were trying to find out who was the strongest out of the lot?
This was becoming more and more messed up, and he was now starting to wonder if the people at the lab were even sane...
"Had to survive," I reply nonchalantly
He went silent for a moment, realizing that for you- that was probably a regular occurrence...having to fight just to survive.
"Right...that. And...those people that died...they weren't killed when they were in a fight with someone...right?"
"That's how you win they have to not wake up. They (the lab people) said that they'd eventually wake up, so we had to do it as hard as we could." I reply to him
Ghost’s eyes widened in horror.
...That sounded more like murdering than a game...was the lab trying to encourage murder, amongst children, at such a young age...?
No, that had to be wrong. It couldn’t be real...
“It’s...it’s not. Right?” He asked, wanting to not believe that the lab actually encouraged children to murder each other...
"It's not what? Real? It is, there video that they show to people, they (the lab people) called them buyers"
"...They...they sold those tapes...to other people...so they could watch?"
...This lab was definitely messed up. More than Ghost could even imagine, and he had known that they were already messed up...but this was on a whole new level.
And Ghost had been around people that could be deemed 'messed up'...but he had never heard of anyone as twisted as what he was hearing now from the description of the lab...
I nod, signalling that what he just said was true.
His eyes widen further as he processed that information.
They not only recorded these horrible experiments...but *they were actually selling it off.*
This lab was beyond messed up...Ghost didn’t know if anything else could surpass this.
“...And the buyers...they actually bought these tapes?” He asked.
"They bought friends and tapes, depending on buyer"
Ghost stayed silent for a moment, processing everything you had said.
...It was all true...all of it...
“...You do know that what the lab people did was wrong...right?”
He asked you, hoping that you would say yes.
"What wrong, that what they done since little. How wrong?" I ask, not knowing that what I'm saying is wrong.
...This was worse than he thought.
You had never known a life outside of those lab walls, and yet, in your mind, what they did to you was considered normal. They had truly brainwashed you.
“What they did was very, very wrong...they abused you, hurt you...”
He sighed, not knowing how to tell you that everything they did to you was considered messed up...
"I hurt? I do feel pain. I hurt, but what abuse mean?"
"...Abuse is when someone hurts you on purpose...or when someone treats you badly, you know?”
It seemed like you really didn't know about what the word 'abuse' meant.
"Have you never been insulted before? Or called names...or even beaten...?"
"Of course.....they say it was good thing." I say sadly, realizing that what those people dis might not have been right.
"...They said it was a good thing?" Ghost repeated back to you, sounding even more horrified now.
...Did they really have you believe that the things they were...were considered 'good things'? Did they really brainwash you to the point that hurting you was considered normal?
...Did they tell you that they were training you when it reality they were just making you get beat up badly, physically and mentally?
I nod again. Telling him that what he just said was correct
"...Right..."
So you had never had any knowledge on what was right or wrong...and everything the lab people did was good, as far as you were concerned...
...This just made Ghost even more pissed off.
"I'm sorry if I'm asking too many questions but...do you remember a time when you had parents? Or...family?"
"I only remember papa, he I told you about. The one who I rembered with the bat coming closer."
"And you don't remember anyone else?..Not a mom, or siblings?" He asked, now curious about whether or not you had any other family outside of your dad...
"No mom. No sibling."
“No siblings…”
That made Ghost pause for a second.
“Did you have any friends? In the lab…”
"Had one, they died"
“Died...? Do you...how did they die?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at you.
"Had to kill them"i say with no emotion in my voice.
“What? You-...wait-...you killed them?” Ghost said, now looking at you with a mixture of fear, disbelief and confusion.
"They had sharp thingy to my throat"
"...They held...they held a knife to your throat?" He repeated, his tone of voice revealing that he was shocked at what you had just said.
"To survive had to kill"
“...Right…”
This was really getting messed up.
He took a deep breath in before asking you a question.
“...How about the people you fought against, or the people that fought you. Do you know what happened to them?”
"Died"i say
“…Right…” Ghost’s heart dropped slightly as you told him that.
So all the kids you fought against..they were also dead…
“And…the buyers…” He took another deep breath. “...Have they ever come to the lab?”
"Yes, they did. Though they were killed and money taken from their bodies."
“Wait…wait...the people who bought the tapes from the lab…the ‘buyers’…they were *murdered* when they tried to buy them?”
I nod
His eyes widening again in disbelief.
"...The lab people...they...killed the people that bought their tapes?!”
I nod once again
"...Are...you telling me...that the lab people were *killing the people that supported them?*"
I nod "yes, they are"
"...Wha...why?" His tone of voice had suddenly become serious- and confused.
...He just couldn't understand why they were killing the people that supported them. Or maybe these 'buyers' were there for some other reason, other than just buying the tapes.
"Why would the lab people try to kill them?" He asked you, waiting for you to respond.
"They only want the money" I tell him
"...Is that all they wanted?" He asked, starting to get slightly worried now. There had to be some other reason they were doing this...
"...So they killed the buyers...just for money?"
"Yes." I tell him once again
"...There has to be another reason...right?"
He paused for an moment, debating with himself about what his next question should be.
"...Were the 'buyers' actually buyers...or were they...people who were trying to stop them from doing all this stuff?"
"No other reason only money," I say, knowing that they don't care for anything else.
"...Are you sure...?" He continued to ask, trying to not sound too pushy.
"...Were these buyers just regular folks trying to buy the tapes from the lab...or were they people from the government trying to catch them for their crimes?"
"I not know" I tell him
"...Right..."
Ghost sighed. You probably didn't know the real reason either.
You might not have even known anything at all…
"...Have they ever done any experiments on you that weren't...fighting related?"
"Course, they inject me with different types needles" I say to him slowly
"...They injected you with different types of needles?"
He raised an eyebrow at you, his tone now getting slightly concerned.
"...What did they say they were injecting you with?"
"I not know" I say while my stomach starts to growl. "Can i have nom nom? " I ask him saying it quietly, he almost can't hear it.
"...Yes, you can have food."
Ghost glanced at your stomach, it wasn't hard to realize that you were suddenly pretty hungry.
"...Right, I'll go make the coffee and the food, just...stay here. I'll be back."
And with that, he rushed into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Ghost came back into the room, carrying a small tray that had a plate of food, along with a mug of coffee.
He had made sure to make enough for you...just in case your appetite was large, given all you were used to eating was those meal tubes.
He sets the tray on the table, before looking at you.
"Here you go, food and coffee. If you want some water, that can be provided, too."
"Thank" I say to him with a small smile
"No problem." He responded, smiling back.
Ghost watched you eat, taking a mental note of how you ate and the speed of it…
“...Do you always eat this fast?” He asked, since he noticed your eating speed was pretty rapid.
"I always hungry......" You replied, as you ate at a pretty quick pace.
Ghost remained silent for a moment...noting the sudden hunger that you seemed to have, and thinking of how long it has been since you have had a real meal.
"...Right. Just...just take your time eating...don't eat too fast."
He looked at the food, and took another mental note of how quickly you started to eat...he didn't want you to accidentally end up choking on it as a result.
“You’re...you’re not used to having a real meal...are you?” Ghost said, as he continued to watch you eat quickly.
I shake my head while taking another bite.
Ghost continued watching, now realizing that he might not be able to get you to slow down, given your lack of experience around proper meals.
"Right...well, just, try to eat slower...do it at a...reasonable pace..." Ghost said, trying to get you to slow down.
I nod, eating slower.
"Good...that's better..." Ghost said, looking at you as you ate slower and not as quickly as before...
...Now that he was thinking of it, he realized that you didn't really know how to properly have a real meal, due to the food tubes you were fed while in the lab.
So he decided that he would just let you eat at your own pace, for right now...
After Ghost gave you food, and you finished eating it. Ghost starts to teach you English and about life. A few (like three ) years have passed since he rescued you, and you slowly realized that you were falling for him.
Over the years that he has spent teaching you, Ghost has noticed that you slowly started hanging around him more and more...
This had started to make him curious about your true feelings towards him...and he's noticed that he has slowly started to enjoy teaching you about life...and he’s also become quite attached to you as well...
...The both of you had certainly become close over the years…
...And while he's taught you about life, you've also taught him about having a more empathetic side to himself, and that he was actually able to fall for people as well...
...So the two of you eventually developed feelings of love, and that love slowly grew over the years...
...And here you both are, with the years gone by, still in love with each other and still being close...
Ghost and you have become a couple...the two of you living out your lives together...always there to support and love each other...always able to make each other laugh and remember about the important things in life...
...And the two of you were always by each others side, loving and caring...even when things got tough...you both were always there for each other, through the thick and thin...
...And here you both are, living your lives out, and still loving each other...
...And so the years continued to go by, the two of you now living in a cozy home, where you both are still spending your days together, and loving each other...
...And even though years may have passed since you left that lab...the love still remains strong, and the two of you are still together...
...You both lived long lives together...with each other's support, love and friendship...
And that was the ending of these two’s story.
It was quite the rollercoaster, wasn’t it?
From escaping the lab to meeting Ghost, to becoming friends, family and then finally, lovers.
These two made it through it all...through the thick and thin, they had each other’s support, love and friendship through it all…
...And now, they’re living together...with each other’s love still standing strong, and still enjoying their time together.
THE END
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