Vanished

David | Examination Ward


"Locks, engage." Dr. Shairo's voice echoed in the cold room as cold fingers touched my cold skin. They forced a sedative needle into my arm, but I had grown too used to it. I'd be awake for the entire examination, from head to toe. In my right ear, I could hear Dr. Shairo's dainty footsteps drawing nearer to me. In her hands was a needle, and I knew where it was go-...

The neck. "Zydrate, engage."

My muscles tensed, each part of my body constricting to deal with the pain. The seconds counted down from thirty, like slowly melting ice, and the needle was removed.

"Nervous system engaged at 14.027 Direk Units."

Her subordinate doctor recorded it. "Documented 0.093% increase in Kinetic Tension since last week."

"Moving on."

My head spun, my eyes blurry as I gazed into the lights overhead. It used to be humiliating, having my entire body exposed for these doctors to prod and examine. But then again, their needles also used to hurt a lot less.

Hours passed by-- three, if my time-keeper was right, and she moved on to my hips.

"Zydrate analysis engaged, Sector 18, Marrow Specialty." Her longest needle-- the one I feared and hated the most-- slid into my skin, passing through the gaps in my bones and slicing through muscle from one hip to the other. My restraint slipped and I let out a single-syllable whimper.

Dr. Shairo peered down at her watch and called for engagement. The needle piercing my skin split into several needles, which then spread into probes to chest my internal organs. They spared no pain and passed through the walls of my vital organs like razors.

Her subordinate spoke up. "Probes 29 and 47 recorded as destroyed, Kinetic pressure in the Prostate and Aorta too great."

Another doctor chimed in. "Probes 14, 39, 22, and 07 annihilated."

Dr. Shairo peered down into my black eyes. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you..." She grimaced and held out her hand for one of her subordinates to hand her what I was sure to be her favorite tool-- A six-inch razor blade with analytical probes the size of molecules in the tips.

Her precision brought the blade down on my chest and drew a quick, red circle over each organ that had crushed a probe. She finally reached the prostate and I knew I had to be dying.

Once finished, her subordinates took tasers and fused the skin back together over each incision, shocking my bodily tissue into submission. Once finished, they removed the sedative mask and dropped me on the floor.

"You may go now, David."

~Sydney~

I closed my eyes, smiling slightly. It was painful, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. It was nothing next to having a scientist jab you in the arm with chemicals that make you feel like you're dying. "Whats with the coins, anyway?" I heard her say. I sighed, following her over to the fountain. I explained, feeling the memory invade my mind again, "I have memories, you know. From before i was here. I'm one of the few people here that wasn't kidnapped at birth. They didn't recognise the signs in me until I was four. The coins are the only shred I have left of my old life. My mother died giving birth to me and I was left with my dad. My dad understood everything. He understood magic. Every morning, he would take me out to the pond behind our house. I used to use shells instead of coins. He said if you can place a wish at the bottom of the water, The water will grant your wish. I know it seems stupid. Ridiculous almost. But it's the only thing i remember about my father. I don't even remember his face anymore. He used to say that happiness is a wish that will always be granted. Even through hard times. When I first got here, I didn't believe a word he said anymore. Everything was dark and gloomy, just depressing. One night, I had a dream. His voice said everything was going to be alright. Just find any shred of happiness you can, and act on it. Freedom is always in reach. Then the dream just died. I don't care if it seems ridiculous. I'm not going to lose my father. I heard some of the scientists talking a while back. I'm an eavesdropper when I have to be. My father's dead. But I just know he's watching me. And I'm going to make him proud. No matter what some ignorant people think." Tears were threatening to escape my eyes. I didn't know why i just said that. I had never told anyone that. Everybody here thought I've been here forever. I choked back my tears, putting on a grim smile, "Not everything's bad. It just depends on what you make of it."
I looked back behind me. I felt David's pain. "Not again..." I murmured under my breath. "Please tell me he's okay..." I glanced back at Jackie, sending her a pleading look. Slowly, I drew a breath and ran into the building. I cared about everybody in this building, aside from the scientists. I wasn't about to let one be in pain. Swiftly turning corners, I found the room David was in. I pushed back exiting scientists, dropping to his side. I couldn't stand pain. I could feel that emotion from miles away. "David?" My voice choked.

David | Examination Room

Years ago, having a girl near me without clothes freaked me out. But this was Sydney and she already knew everything about me. Once she spoke, I collapsed, coughing up drops of the silver fluid they had pumped into my veins.

My black eyes turned, watching her blurry, spinning face. She was morphing, changing shapes like one of the small teleskopes the scientists gave us as children. I fell back onto my backside, coughing up more silver blood. I leaned back, grabbing my shorts from the table and sliding them on over the scar tissue. I knew she was worried, and I hadn't said a word yet, but she knew. She would always know. I leaned back against her and coughed once more, losing my inner balance.

"If you would," Dr. Shairo chimed from the doorway, "Take him back to the dorm facility?"

Declan l Blessed Cell

He was the only one not allowed out his room. They knew what he would do once out.

But his chance had come. There was a new scientist, and she was itching to conduct experiments. She even took David out before reading his file.

Declan's lips curled into a smile. This was it, people. Time to break out of this place. Declan's eyes glazed over as he remembered that glorious time they let him out. That was so much fun. Almost everything in the place was possessed for an entire week. Guards refused to walk alone in fear of zombies. Alarms were raised over ghosts passing over them. Cerberus especially scared everyone. But he was such a good dog...

Footsteps in the hallway startled him out of his thoughts. The door opened and Dr. Shairo stepped inside, surprise etched all over her face.

"There's a...cross here. Is it one of your requests?" she asked.

Declan ignored her and continued scratching at the wall. Sixteen years and 364 days of wear had taken effect on that part of the wall, and it was going to be a hole by the time he reached 70. Too bad he turned eighteen yesterday. 364 more days and he'd be dead. Or gone. He'd be just one of the spirits...

"I swear they get more and more uncooperative the farther into the hall their cell is."

Ah but Madam, they also got more and more dangerous the farther into the hall their cell was.

"Carry him out if you have to. I'll be reviewing his file in the examination room."

Before her cronies could touch him - and they were hesitant to - he stood up. None of them had the guts to tell their new administrator what he could do. What he was likely to do. And it would be all their fault when they were eaten alive by Declan's friends.

The moment he stepped out of the room he stopped and took a deep breath of air. Stale. He bet the courtyard air was sweeter. Ah, but he couldn't go there.

He heard the guards behind him whimper and laughed. The spirits converged around him.

"Declan! You're out! This is our chance Declan," hissed Mary, dear Bloody Mary.

"Don't waste this boy. You've only got a year left," said another.

Oh he wasn't planning to waste it at all.

"M-move!" The guard jabbed his back with a club and nudged Declan forward.

Declan smiled and, before the guards knew what was happening, slammed them shut in his cell. They yelped and huddled together, eyes wide in fear.

Declan leaned his forehead to a bar and whispered, crooned to them the most horrifying yet reassuring message they'd ever heard. "Don't worry. At least you'll only starve to death here. The others are going to...suffer a bit more."

His powers were still a bit weak here, since he was pretty close to holy ground. He pushed himself away and whistled as he walked towards the examination room. No need to hurry his revolution. There would be more than enough time.

"Mary, tell the others we're breaking out. Today. Please?"

Bloody Mary cackled and vanished in a puff of smoke. He knew what she would do. She would write on the walls with blood, and to the others the words would appear on the wall out of nowhere. But did it matter? Declan couldn't care less if they didn't come with him. Today was the day HE was breaking out. He didn't know about the rest.

~Sydney~
I shot Dr. Shairo a nasty glare as she turned her back and walked away. Anger furled up inside of me but as soon as I glanced back at David, it evaporated. "Come' on David." I whispered, fear invading my voice. I glanced back at the unlocked medical cabinet. Suddenly an idea flashed in my head. Not ever letting David escape my eyesight, i reached into it and grabbed a vial. It was what I had nick-named as the miracle drug. I didn't know the technical name for it, but it worked. "Here, drink this." David looked at me cautiously before downing the vial. I sat by his side, his hand in mine, as he recovered. It didn't take more than five minutes. I could tell at least his vision had stopped blurring itself. "Okay, lets try this." The silver-ish blood seeped between my bare toes, but it didn't phase me. I was used to it by now. I helped David to his feet, my arm around his waist. Eventually we made into the dorm commons's area. The rooms weren't technically cells but that's what everybody called them. Gently, I helped him into a chair. "David? Are you okay?" I looked into his black eyes, pleading with every bit of my heart that he would heal. I breathed out slowly, trying to erase pain from his mind.
I screamed out loud suddenly, feeling the dead that Declan had aroused. Death was the one thing that rendered me useless. Death was the most painful emotion of all. Declan was going to hear all about this later.

David | Cell Hall (Haunted)

The drug was slowly infecting my system, removing the effects of the Zydrate Crash.

My eyes were no longer blurry, but the lights in the hall seemed... Dull.

I peered around, keeping Sydney close. I could feel her fear welling in her veins. "Easy, Sydney... It's just Declan..." The temperature was dropping rapidly, and shivers rolled down my spine. I wished I had my shirt with me, or at least some shoes. My eyes darted around, feeling my power fluxing down each time a spirit passed through me.

"He's up to something big..."

Pulling her along, I ducked behind the display case of all the security monitors in the facility. It was like all the guards had just... vanished. Peering around the corner, I saw the silhouette of a skinny girl writing on the wall with a dripping red paintbrush. The words were foggy from the Zydrate crash, but I could vaguely make them out:


Br ak Ou . ow.
e t N

In my hand, I felt a surge of energy welling. I raised my hand and smacked the wall with an explosive force, much like an elephant stampeding. The spirit down the hall phased out quickly and the hall lit up again.

"Okay... I'll need your powers if we're going to follow Declan... But your powers are useless around his ghosts. So we'll follow his trail, I'll spook the spooks, and we escape. Got it?"

She simply nodded, and we were off down the cell block.

((Um, Zebra? Quian is a guy. Did you not look at the picture or read the profile?))

Quian|Cell:

Curled up in the far corner of my room, I watched as Declan walked past followed by his ghostly goons and let out a sigh. At least the crazy doctor wasn't experinmenting on me.

Once he was out of sight, I got up and went over the door. Words appeared on the wall across from me. I had to work to dechipher them. Break out now.

"Now?" I asked out loud and kicked the door. "I'm still stuck in my cell!" I yelled.

Declan l Haunted Hallway

While he's halfway down the hall someone starts screaming. Declan covers his ears with his hands and falls to his knees, bracing himself for an attack.

But nothing happens. Declan opens his eyes and looks around. There's no one there. Great. A necromancer afraid of ghosts. Wonderful, absolutely wonderful.

The ghosts around him cringe at the noise. No surprise, ghosts enjoy silence. One of them floats away and comes back a moment later, reporting that a certain fellow prisoner is demanding to be let out. Declan stands in the dim hallway, lost in his thoughts.

Almost all the cells are empty. Most people have been allowed to head to the courtyard to interact with the other prisoners. And he knows everyone except a certain teen would jump at that chance. A certain teen who dislikes being thrown in with girls...

The lights flicker.

"Quian," Declan sighs. Why is Quian still around here? Can't he walk through walls? Declan turns around only for Mary to appear in front of him and bare her teeth like a dog. Like Cerberus.

"Don't go back. There's a boy who can get rid of us," Mary says. "I'm useless against him. We all are!"

A murmur of agreement ripples through the ghostly crowd but Declan shakes his head. Who does she think she's fooling? Quian can't get rid of ghosts. Quian's ability is power-stealing, not ghostbusting.

"Quian, much as I hate to say this, is the only person alive I can stand." A wry smile and Declan walks through all the ghosts. They stare at him in disbelief and a murmur passes through. Some follow him, others stay behind, apprehensive of what Mary reported.

Declan has to admit the empty cells are frightening, more frightening than any of his ghosts were. Some have a ratty teddy bear lying on the floor, another has rusty handcuffs on the bed and a few have syringes scattered all around them.

Which one did his ghosts occupy? He's tempted to ask, but ghosts are touchy about the way they died unless they died happy in their lover's arms.

"Declan! I'm over here!"

Declan stops walking and realizes he's passed Quian's cell. He doubles back. "Quian." Another wry smile. "Why can't you just walk through the wall?"

Quian raises an eyebrow. "Trust me if I could I would have. Help me?"

A spirit enters the lock and it clicks. The door swings open. Quian yelps with joy and scrambles out.

"Thank God I'm out. I owe you one, Deck."

"If you try to steal my powers I will ask someone to possess you, understand?" Declan massages his forehead. Why is he doing this?

Quian nods. "Let's get out of here, then. David and Sydney are coming."

Declan snaps to attention. "What?"

"Those two can interfere with your powers, Deck."

"I know that."

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's move!" Quian walks past the first few spirits with bravado, but he shudders when he sees the rest of the hallway, lined with ghosts. "Are they all your friends? Or are some of them, you know," Quian swallows, "unfriendly?"

Declan chuckles and pushes past Quian. "Cold feet, Q? You're going to be dead weight to me if you're scared of a few ghosts."

Clarity

One of the doctors burst into my room.

"Make it rain." He hissed.

"Why?" I ask slowly in my clear, high voice.

"Some of them are trying to get out. If you make it rain, they can not escape. Not just a little drizzle either, I was thunder and lighting, the whole brigade."

"I am not sure I am up to the task." I say with a grin.

"Are you not angry they did not come find you." he demanded.

"I will not prevent someone from leaving, in hopes some day I may do the same." I say. The scientist slaps me.

"Why don't we try again?" A nurse says. I shake my head. I am stalling, giving them time. I pull the sun out to its highest extent; the shadows would be darker for them to hide, and the light would blind the scientists.

He slaps me again.

"You will not hurt them." I say.

"You're brave girl, I will give you that." the nuse says. I feel like giving her a personal rain cloud, but I have better things to do.

"If you done?" I ask.

David | Cell Hall (Haunted)

Kinetic Crashes shook the walls, disrupting the ghosts as they did Declan's bidding. If he was going to escape, then they all would. And one way or another, this was a great opportunity for me to escape and have warfare with the prisoner I hated most.

As the ghosts scattered and released their screams of agony, the lights flickered on. Three hallways down, I heard footsteps, turning around to see two guards with aimed Zydrate guns. "Don't move!"

I grinned, my eyes absorbing the light energy around me; the energy passed through my muscles and, as my fists hit the ground, the floor tiles broke apart in a powerful fissure, sending the guards down below. I grabbed sydney and stopped at the end of the hall, when her powers lost their touch. "Declan... Is in this hall."

I looked up beyond the murky spirit clouds and grinned, seeing Declan and Quian standing at the end of the hall. "Declan!" I shouted, shivering as the clouds of mists began to gather around me, sapping my energy. "Nice little leeches you have, Deck. Now stop playing games with the guards and break us out!"

Declan looked up at me and just grinned, shaking his head. "But revenge is all the fun I can have." He outstretched a hand and the mists around me began to thicken, sapping more of my potential energy. Grabbing Sydney, I pushed through the mist, finally stopping when there was a break in the spiritual murk. My knees hit the floor and I focused, drawing out energy from the air and transferring it into a thundrous BOOM around me. The spirits shrieked and scattered down the hall to Declan, darkening his image.

It was then that I realized that not all the ghosts were responding to him.

A spektre hovered down in front of me, reaching out and giving me a touch of necro-fear. I shivered and fluxed a wave of energy around me, suddenly exhausted. "Control your devils, man!"

The lights began to flicker on and off, and I looked back to see four guards this time-- all with loaded weapons. Off to my side was the cell of one of the emotion twins. Weak and growing weaker, I gave a spare blast of energy through the doors in the hall, forcing the locks open on each. "All or nothing, right Sydney?"

I shuddered, nodding. My strength was fading, the dead literally draining my power. Breaking out was everything to me, but my vision was blurring. I grabbed David's arm, my head spinning. I could feel him weakening. I tried to give him the feeling of strength, mustering whatever i had left of it. I fell to the ground, just as a guard shot at my head, missing me by inches. David looked back at me, "Sydney?" I breathed slowly. I pulled myself up using David arm. "Remind me to kill Declan when this is over." My breath was coming in shorter and shorter intervals as I stayed close to David. A ghost passed us and I stumbled again. It was killing me being this close to them, but I pushed forward, sometimes having to grab David for support. I wasn't going to give up easily.

Fate:

I walk with Destiny through the wretched halls and hear what sounds like a slap. I follow the sound and peer through the door. Someone slapped a girl. I couldn't tell who it was but it was wrong of them to do. The person began moving to my will but I could feel him trying to resist. "Fate." He spat. Throwing him into the corner and walked in with Destiny straight behind me.

Destiny lifted the girls face and looked at her cheek while I glared at the man. I had never really used my powers against them often. I let him go and when he bolted Detiny flicked her eyes up and he stopped in midstep and just stood there not knowing which order his brain was telling him to do was what he wanted.

~Sydney~

We passed Quian's cell, a few ghosts lingering around in it. Declan and Quian were directly in front of us now. With anger came strength. I straightened my back and glared at Declan. I smiled. His necromancer powers couldn't control me. One of the good things about having the ability of empathy, I couldn't be controlled by anything, my spirit was too strong to allow another soul to interact with mine without my permission.

"Don't you even try to mess with me Declan." He was angry now. Good, I've done my job. I looked back at David as he nodded. I turned back around and stared into Declan eyes. "Stop this now. We don't need the dead to do something the living can. I don't care if you are too much of a wimp to do anything without your precious ghosts. Get over it. Either you get rid of them or I will." I said.

Declan l Haunted Hall

Declan wandered away, leaving Sydney dumbfounded in his wake. Quian suppressed a giggle.

"DID YOU EVEN HEAR WHAT I SAID?!"

What was wrong with her today? She was so touchy. One of the ghosts near him laughed.

"She wants to know if David likes her," the ghost whispered to Declan.

Hrm? Was that what she was asking him about? "David's feelings for you are at their tipping point." And with that Declan turned to Quian. "Q, d'you know where the courtyard is? I need to get there."

"Looking for your dog? It's this way."

And with that the two left Sydney and David in a hallway full of laughing ghosts. A few followed Declan, the others stayed to mock the dumbfounded couple.

The sunshine shone bright and Declan hissed, taking a step backwards. Quian walked into it and glanced back at Declan, tilting his head to the side. "Are you all right, Deck?"

Stupid sun. Declan frowned. "I think I can summon them from here." He spotted a girl by the fountain, throwing rocks into the fountain.

Soon there'd be zombies all over the place, and soon Dr. Shairo will understand just why Declan was never, ever allowed to leave his cell.

"Brace yourself, Q."

Dr. Shairo | Data Lab

"File retrieval: Cerebrus."

Loading. . . Loading. . . Complete!

"Cerebrus: The Demon-Dog Spirit. Relevant to locale. . . Found! Cerebrus is the familiar and epicentral powerhouse of prisoner Declan; age 18, execution in. . . 359 days. Guardian programs surrounding Cerebrus: Alpha, Zeta, Theta, Epsilon."

"Detect attempts of infultration, please?" Dr. Shairo pressed her forefingers to her frontal lobes and closed her eyes, listening for any sign of hope. In seventy-eight years, no one had escaped the facility, and she certainly would not be the first Purger to allow one to.

"Hacking attempt in-progress. Program. . . None. Guardian Epsilon, eliminated."

Shairo cursed under her breath.

"Guardian Zeta, eliminated."

"Guardian Theta, eliminated."

Alpha would take more than ghosts to dismantle. Gathering her Zydrate Staff and controller, Shairo rushed to the telepad, calling for reinforcements on her sub-comm device. The doors around her closed and opened quickly, freeing her into the open sunlight in the courtyard. Her eyes squinted at the white-hot intensity of the sunlight, almost as if there was a drought about.

"Stop right there, Declan!" She shouted over the peace of the courtyard, knowing he was in hearing distance. The concentrated shadows around the fountain's base showed his growing control of the Alpha Guardian. Her eyes scanned the courtyard, searching each crevice and corner until. . . There. In the Holding Cells he stood, his eyes closed and hands by his sides, palms open.

Her thumb pressed down on the remote in her hand, signaling an alarm throughout the facility. The guards would be swift to react, but. . .

The alarm suddenly lost power, shutting itself off.

"Dammit..." She whispered to herself, pointing at Declan. "Stop now, or your execution will be moved forward indefinitely!" She was beginning to realize just how much of a threat Declan was. She neared the fountain but stopped when she heard harmonious, demonic growling below. She had no idea whether Alpha was a digital program or a magical entity, but it was the only thing standing between her and the mythed "Fountain Dog" that the previous Warden had captured along with Declan at his birth. From what she knew, the dog had never seen sunlight, but she had never seen the dog.

She aimed the staff at Declan, charging it. "Just so you know, in four seconds, the Zydrate in your veins will react to this charge, dismantling your powers!"

Her lab goggles fogged, a sudden fear striking her as the clouds rolled in before the sun.

Suddenly, the courtyard was dark as night.

A voice chimed in on the sub-comm system just then:

"Guardian Alpha, elimina-na-na-na. . . . . . ."

The system had shut off. She braced herself, holding the staff at firing point, trying her best to ignore the hellish fear growing in her lungs. The growling below had ceased.

"Cerebrus..." Declan whispered, though it filled her ears as if in a microphone. Her feet shifted, the earth seeming to chill around the fountain. Slowly, the water turned into a blood-red goo, boiling from the inside out. She quickly turned-face, pointing the Zydrate staff at the water. The hair tied back into a lab-style knot began to turn gray, her skin paling in fear. As the blood continued to boil, she felt another spirit latch onto her, trying to break past the crucifix necklace to possess her.

But it was too late. Cerebrus... Was alive.