(Warning: some very foul language in this chapter)

8/26/2014

Happy twenty-fourth birthday to me. I thought, ironically. Had it not been for the thought of possibly seeing Sam and Danny again, I would have drowned myself in the toilet after the first week. They were the only things that keep me going. Besides, if I did kill myself, my enemies would have won.

This place was horrible. The only meals I get are bread and water, and the only people I came in contact with are Dash, Kwan, and "Mr. Nobody". The first two were the worst. They treat me worse than anyone can imagine. They'd beat me daily, kick me, shout threats at me. One day they even broke two ribs and my collarbone. I'm not even "Phan-toad" anymore, now I'm just simply "ghost".

I lived in perpetual fear of that one day a month where they would come in, drag me to the lab, and test my skills. I hated the fact that I can't control myself. It scared me. It invades my sleep to this day.

"Alright, ghost," Dash said, spitting the word "ghost" out like a disgusting piece of food, "get up." Out of fear, I stayed in the corner, curled up in a ball. "Get UP!" he repeated, grabbing me by the chest and throwing me across the floor. Like a cornered beast, I got up and lunged at Dash, using the bar of my handcuffs to choke him by forcing him against the wall. I would have killed him if Kwan hadn't put me in a full nelson.

"GET OFF ME! GET OFF-oof!" I said as Dash punched me right below the ribs. Kwan released me, only to have Dash kick me in the nuts, then grab me by the hair and knee me in the face. I heard a loud crack as white hot pain seared across my nose. I put my hand to my upper lip and saw blood. Weakened by the pain, all I could do was lay there in a fetal position and weep.

"Let's go, Kwan. Leave this worthless piece of shit on the floor where it belongs."

"Is something the matter, Mr. Phantom?" asked "Mr. Nobody"

"Yo-you know damn well s-something's the matter!" I managed to say through all the pain. "Dash tol-told me to get up. I, the fool I was, stayed on the floor in a ball. When I didn't get up, he-he grabbed me and-and threw me on the floor. In a fit of rage, I nearly strangled Dash. Kwan then put me in a full nelson, where Dash punched me in the ribs. Kwan let go of me, only to have Dash kick me in the groin and knee me in the face, breaking my nose!"

"The way he tells it, he asked you to get up. When you didn't, he helped you to your feet, at which point you attacked him unprovoked. According to him, if Mr. Kwan hadn't been there, he would have died. They claim that you continued to put up a struggle until they had to subdue you."

"Listen, you sanctimonious asshole," I said, sweat dripping down my face, "I don't care whose story you listen to, just send me…a damned…MEDIC!"

The medic came down a few minutes later and set my nose back in place, gave me a shot of morphine, and left.

Someday, I would try to make a break for it. Little did I know that tomorrow would be the day.