Survival Instincts

Chapter 1 - The Facility

The child was practically born inside a Ghost Investigation Ward facility. He had been kidnapped the moment he was able to eat solid food. He didn't have a clue who his family was. He didn't even have a name other than 'child,' 'creature,' or 'abomination.' The ghosts called him various things, but he had no true name. All he had ever known were cold, white walls and epoxy flooring.

The scientists used him as a human test subject to experiment how ghostly items would affect humans. They would inject him with ectoplasm to see how his blood reacted, or feed him things taken from the Ghost Zone. One day, an experiment to see the effects of prolonged exposure to ectoplasmic radiation went too far, effectively killing the boy when he was only 12 years old.

Or so they thought.

They were certain the boy had died and become a ghost. However, when he collapsed from exhaustion, he had shifted back into his human appearance. The scientists were thrilled to have an entirely new 'creature' to experiment on.

Oh, how the boy cursed that fateful day. If only he hadn't half died, the tests would never have gotten so brutal. He would do anything to return to the days when they tortured him with mere ectoplasm. Now, they would bring him to the brink of death. There were times a test would escalate further than expected, temporarily killing him. They always brought him back.

He would rather stay dead.

The tests were endless and excruciating. His only escape was when he was allowed to heal in his blood-spattered cell, or interact with the other captive ghosts. On occasion, the captive ghosts were brought together to battle against each other or against machines chosen by the scientists.

The half-ghost had become especially close with one ghost named Wulf, who was notorious for his escape attempts. The boy's only education came from those rare interactions with other ghosts. His English and writing were both incredibly choppy, since most ghosts did not like associating with the 'freak' child. Rarely, Skulker or Technus would sneak over to teach him how to read, write, or speak. It didn't usually end well for them.

Wulf was the only one who always returned to the child. He would bear the torture and punishments that came in turn with helping him. The werewolf ghost valued the boy, teaching him Esperanto at any chance he could get. He'd escaped his cell countless times to assist, teach, or comfort the halfa. The child would do the same any time he could.

Wulf was there for the boy, and the boy was there for Wulf. No amount of punishment would separate them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The halfa was 16 now. He was clearly undernourished, ribs poking obviously through his tattered jumpsuit. His eyes were a dull, gray-green. He was dirtied and pale. The occasional stain of blood or ectoplasm dotted his suit or skin. He had a sunken in face with a lost, hopeless expression.

He sat miserably in his cell, staring blankly into nothingness. His hands were cuffed together. He had recently attempted to escape during a power outage, and currently sat awaiting his impending torture. He knew it was coming at any moment. He tried to look calm, but he was trembling. He was terrified. He had no idea what they might do.

He heard footsteps approach and he clenched his eyes shut. The door slammed open. He couldn't help but flinch. The agent stormed in and gripped him by the collar wrapped around his throat. It was a collar capable of electrocuting him at any moment, and it intensely weakened his ghost abilities.

The agent yanked him to his feet, gruffly stating, "Move it, freak." He shoved him out the doorway and down the long white hallway, directly toward the experimentation room. His breath hitched in his throat. That wasn't the punishment room. He stopped in his tracks, but the agent behind him roughly pushed him forward. He stumbled, holding his breath in fear.