A short story made for day 9 of Whumptober 2019! The prompt: Shackled.

If you didn't already guess, it's pretty angsty.

Maddie flicked on the lights in the lab as she went down the stairs. She could hear chains clanking in the corner, but she didn't look there anymore. It only reminded her of her guilt.

Several months ago Maddie and her husband had created a new weapon to once again try to rid their town of unwanted ghostly pests. What it was supposed to do was make a ghost forget its obsession so that it would be able to pass away on its own. A genius plan, really, but there was just one problem.

Instead of making a ghost forget its obsession, the machine made the ghost forget everything but its obsession.

The clanking chains started up again, louder this time, and Maddie automatically glanced over. She immediately wished she hadn't.

There in the corner, stalking back and forth on all fours and growling like an animal, watching her distrustfully with empty, glowing eyes, was the town's hero, Danny Phantom.

And her son.

As soon as Sam and Tucker learned what had happened, they had told the Fentons his secret. Needless to say they were horrified and had been searching for a way to reverse the weapon's effects ever since. But it was slow going, and every day that Maddie had to spend in the lab with this thing that, now that she looked closer, so closely resembled her son, she lost a little more hope.

After hours of working on a cure, Maddie's mind needed a break. She tidied up her workspace and turned to leave, happening to glance at Phantom as she went past. He was still pacing in that unsettling way, never tiring, eyes never leaving her.

Maddie sighed as her steps slowed. For the first time in months, she turned and actually looked at what used to be her son.

His ghost form was even more ghostly than normal. His eyes were blank green circles, his hair waved wildly in what seemed to be zero gravity, and his mouth was full of fangs. He gave a warning snarl as Maddie approached, but she ignored it.

She cleared her throat, a bit awkwardly. "Ah... Danny?"

He stopped pacing, but continued to pin her with his cold glare.

"Listen, honey... I know you're in there, somewhere." She inched closer to him, and he inched away. "I'm... I'm so sorry for what happened. I had no idea..." She looked deep into his glowing green eyes, and he looked back. "If I'd known, I would have never... I would have..." She stood quietly at the edge of his chains' reach, and he stood quietly backed into the corner.

"Please..." Maddie whispered, barely more than a breath. "If you would please just forgive me."

They watched each other for a moment in silence. For just a second, Maddie saw Phantom's posture change, almost loosen, and his gaze shifted. Was it... Did he recognize her? Were his memories coming back? A spark of hope bloomed in her chest and-

CLANG!

Quicker than she could blink, Phantom's fangs snapped shut an inch from her eyes. Maddie leaped backward as she suddenly realized the only reason she was even alive right now were the shackles holding her son prisoner. The shackles he strained against now, reasonless, thoughtless, clawing at the lab floor, governed by nothing but a violent ghostly instinct.

Maddie dashed up the stairs, the sound of straining chains seeming to follow her. She slid into a chair in the dining room while she waited for her racing heart to calm. Finally, she took a deep breath and went to go get something to eat.

Finding a cure was going to be a lot of work. But she would never give up on it. Never.

I originally posted this on my Tumblr @all-hail-trash-prince with some art but ehh it's not the greatest art I've ever done so I won't link it. Anyway I hope you liked it and congrats on being sad now.