A fanfiction that came from a 3AM thought and really weird planning techniques! Oh yeah! Let's procrastinate with MORE FICS hehehe.

(Special thanks to seroswilt for being a beta on the first chapters.)

Day 1.0.0

J, 15, 12

His life ended a little while ago.

He couldn't remember many details about it, nor could he recall how he ended up here. It just happened.

Not that it was good in any way. The scientists - he didn't know what else to call them - had come and gone in this room for what felt like forever, now. They'd bring with them weapons and puzzles, and ask him to do things he never felt like doing.

Today it was an odd puzzle of sort: A box, with many wires and buttons covering it, with a little clock that counted down.

It was a bomb, they said. His job was to deactivate it.

If he failed, so what? He was a ghost, they had told him, and could just regenerate himself if it ever does explode. Ghosts don't feel pain.

He was weary about that, though. Failing to complete tasks like this always ended up hurting him. No matter how small the task seemed to be.

Now, so far he's only been hurt by three puzzles. One, his most recently failed puzzle, involved figuring out which treat had been poisoned. He was to eat the one he thought was safe.

Ghosts don't eat, the scientists said, so it was merely a test of skill. The fact he actually ate it meant nothing to them. Getting sick over it only gave the scientists more of a reason to continue such puzzles.

He wasn't so sure about the idea of ghosts not eating. The sight of the treats made his stomach twist up in knots, and made his mouth water. He'd been so eager to eat something at the time, that the thought of one being poisoned barely stopped his decision; he'd chose the biggest treat.

Thinking about it, now, he was pretty sure he was so hungry he barely felt hunger pangs anymore.

The box at the top corner of his room buzzes for a second, "hurry up," it says impatiently.

1:45, the numbers flashed.

He nervously picks a random wire and snaps it off, hoping that it would stop the clock.

Foolish of him, to hope.

1:28, the numbers flashed. Like a taunt. The bomb was taunting him, toying with him.

He holds his breath, cutting yet another wire, fingers shaking. He presses down a little button as well, cursing under his breath when the countdown speeds up.

0:97.

Another wire.

0:89.

A tear rolls down his cheek, a chill goes down his spine.

He didn't want to hurt.

He didn't want to feel pain.

0:68.

He rips out the remaining wires with haste, and goes to push another button, only to accidentally prick himself on loose wiring.

He's scared, he's scared. Ghost don't get scared.

Why is he scared?

0:35.

He stops.

This is it.

All the wires are disconnected.

All of them.

Why wasn't it stopping? Why? Was this a trick? Did they want to see him fail?

He sits there, on his knees.

He places the little box gently down.

0:14.

He closes his eyes.

He keeps his chin up.

He wants to go home.

0:03.

He wants to go home.

x