He was so lightheaded and dizzy, time passing either too quickly or too slowly. All Ghost knew was there was a slight puddle of blood that had dried under him from the various wounds he had gotten from Roach. No, not Roach, Gonzalo. Gonzalo gave him those injuries.

"I think you're just lying to yourself, English. You know it was Roach. Don't lie to yourself."

Ghost clenched his eyes shut, hugging his knees as he put his head on his arms, trying to take deep breaths. He could calm down, no matter how long it took.

"You used to be in this box for days, even weeks. You used to cry more."

Deep breaths helped calm him down, he could ignore the lightheadedness from blood loss. He just had to remember to breathe.

"We used to drop all kinds of things in here with you. You particularly hated snakes, spiders. Scorpions."

Ghost was trying to ignore the things possibly crawling or slithering over him, he didn't know if it was real or fictitious. He couldn't trust his body not to give off random, fear-induced signals, to think there were actually things in with him. He couldn't handle if it was real. He could pretend it wasn't and hope his mind was just supplying the very close to real sensations.

"English, you felt how good it was to just obey. Your friend felt the same way. You should just give in to it next time. Makes it so much easier."

Ghost flinched harshly when he opened his eyes and thought he saw Roba's face in front of him, taunting him. He screwed his eyes shut, shaking.

"C'mon English. Or should I call you 'Mr. Death'? You never said that you didn't like that name."

How long has it been since he was locked in here? Any longer and his heart felt like it would explode. Ghost took a shuddering breath, trying to let it out slowly. He failed miserably when something slammed on the box he was in. He couldn't hold back the small cry he let out, curling in on himself more.

"Jorge do not kick the box. Simon, I have come to you with a bargain. We release you on the understanding you submit to more testing." Gonzalo's voice drifted through the box. Ghost was highly tempted to take the offer, he couldn't stand small spaces after his last stay in Mexico, if you could call it that. But he had seen what happened with Roach, and didn't want to experience that again. The inability to tell them 'no'. But was that better than the box? The small space, objectively, was better than the lose of his sense of self. He could stay in the box, not necessarily because he wanted to, but it felt like the better option. When he went to respond, however, no sounds came out, silent 'piss off' going unheard as his throat shut. "I am assuming your silence in this manner means you are denying my bargain? Shame. Another few days should change that."

"I told you to give in, English. Don't fight it, give in."

Ghost could only sit in silence, fading in and out from exhaustion after Gonzalo had hovered for a few more moments, leaving him alone. His body taut with panic as time sped by or slowed down. He couldn't tell from Gonzalo's voice if it was day, or night, if more time had passed than he thought or not. All he knew was that he was in a box. At one point it seemed like he could feel someone sitting next to him, and when he opened his eyes he thought Roach was next to him. But then Roach started to decay rapidly until he resembled Vernon's horrid visage when he was buried alive. Ghost snapped his eyes shut, but he could still see it behind his eye lids.

"Listen to me, Mr. Death. What are you fighting for? Why go through all of this? To go back and be a trained killer? You don't have any family, and your attempts of friendships were attempts at best, nothing more. You know they feared you more than respected you."

Ghost clenched his teeth, trying to ignore the intrusive thoughts. He wasn't sure if it was his own voice or Roba's speaking to him anymore. He was so tired, worn out physically and mentally, but the voice had a point. Why was he still fighting this? He could always see the fear in their eyes when he talked to them, hell even John had that small flicker of fear whenever they talked. Roach was the only one who didn't surprisingly. Maybe at fir-

"-st!"

-st he did, but it went away. But that was it. But who knows now how he'll react now, if they get through this. Maybe it was better to leave it all behi-

"-host! C'mon ma-"

And now the voices were starting to sound like Roach. Adding a voice to the horrible image of Roach decaying before his eyes-

"Ghost!"

"He has been unresponsive for several days."

"Ghost! Dude pleas-"

"He does mumble on occasion, but I believe through delirium. It is not a purposeful response."

-but these voices were too loud, louder than the other one. He didn't need this, his mind was taunting him.

"Well then let him ou-"

No, he didn't want to be let out he could stay in there just fine, it would be better to stop in here and giv-

"Regardless of what you think, Gary, the point of this exercise was to damage his mental stability. The-"

"Ghost, please! Answer me-"

Roach said that before too, but that was a long time ago. Or yesterday? What was that, it sounded too close.

"Ghost! You're not dead don't do this to m-"

"We have been monitoring him, Gary. He may be in a heightened and panicked state but he is certainly not dead. That was not part of the plan."

That other voice, he heard it before. When the man with bones tormented him. Was he hearing footsteps? They were getting closer.

"But perhaps ten days in isolation like this is a bit too much."

"Ya think you asshol-"

Ten days. It was only ten days. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So he did both. He thinks.

"Yes. Ten days was too much. Miscalculation on my end."

"Gho-"

"Jorge secure Gary, I have an idea."

"No, stay awa-"

"What would the fun in that be Gary? I need you sedated for this portion."

"Sedat-no! No stop not again-"

The voices were too loud again, he couldn't stop crying. Or laughing. There was scuffling sounds and it got quiet. Not him though.

"Simon. I know you can hear us."

He didn't want to. The voices were so loud. They usually go away after speaking their piece.

"Please Simon, we have much to discuss."

No, there wasn't anything to discuss why couldn't they just leave him alone so he could di-

"Do entertain the notion that I do not wish for your death now, Simon. I do like to adhere to my plans."

But he wanted to di-

"Juan, release him if only to stop his...laughter."

Oh, so he was laughing. He thought he was crying. Or both. Why couldn't they leave him alon-

The world tipped, he was falling. Why was it so bright?

"Ah, there he is. Welcome back Simon."

He could only let out a groan, curling on his side instead. Why was he out? He was so close to dyi-

"Simon, do you not wish to see Gary? He has been waiting for you."

No, not Roach. It's a fake just like the voices.

"What voices, Simon?"

Wh-what? The voices-

"Hm. Gary, lift him."

No, don't touch him stop-

"Simon cooperate, this is no time for theatrics."

Who? Why were they moving? It was too bright. The person holding him felt familiar, but who was it?

"Gary put him on the bed, then sit in the chair and await instruction. Nate, we need you in the medical lab."

Who were all these people? Couldn't they leave him alone? He just wanted to sleep.

"What on earth did you do to him Gonzalo?!"

"Isolation. Ten days."

"In a crate?!"

"I know you are asking out of sarcasm, but yes."

"Fuck's sake sir that-"

"I told you before that they were here as punishment."

"Then what's the point of me fixin' what you're tryin' to break? You got the other guy in the chair in a catatonic state-"

"That is the result of the latest development."

"Sir I don't know what to do other than sedate him. He can't be...laughing, or whatever while I examine him."

"Fine. I just need him aware of his surroundings. He is not coherent. Believes he is hearing voices."

Was he still laughing? He thought he stopped. Or were they talking about someone else?

"Ghn...nn...Ghost…"

"I did give Gary a lower dosage, he is fighting it off remarkably if he is able to communicate."

"Aza, bring me a sedative before you attend to the other one."

There was something cold on his arm-was that his arm?- and something poked the same spot. He was so tired, he could just drift off into sleep. That sounded nice.

Hey. I'm back lol.

Kinda? It's been a weird...four months...? Working as an "essential worker" (i.e. a gas station employee harassed by the general public because no I cannot take that as a form of ID, yes I do need you to move your mask for the one second to be able to see that this is indeed your ID and you are of age to buy liquor and or tobacco and no I do not have that we are out because of covid holy fuck stop coughing without covering it up you heathen that walk into the store without a mask and go 'oh i forgot =]' and for christ's sake stop trying to buy a $1.73 item with a hundred dollar bill are you trying to set me up to be robbed? )

...Needed that off my chest. But I'm starting training at a new job tomorrow so I'll get more money and less fuckfaces. I hope. I'm rewriting some of the stuff I have planned for the next few chapters but can I just say this fic has haunted my life to the point where I have dreams of what happens but to me personally? I need therapy. And help. Maybe something hard to drink. I dunno. I'm rambling but I'm back. Trying to update at least once a month.

I also started a discord account so if you wanna hit me up my user is Manami_Murasaki and if the number is important it is #9672. I dunno how it works.