allergic

there's a ghost in hawkin's lab

It was a particularly mundane day at the Hawkin's lab, everybody was doing their work like clockwork. And it was expected that during work sometimes there'd be power surges, some maintenance issues as they said, but if one was honest it would be a very eerie pattern like flickering of the lights, starting from one end of the lab all the way till the other end. The guards and orderlies would only chuckle to themselves to lighten the dread it would cause, "Must be the Hawkin's lab infamous ghost." A guard spoke low to his other colleague with a light chuckle as the flickering persisted for a while. "Do you think this place is really haunted?" A nurse asked the doctor in a hush, "Oh it's nothing just maintenance issues." She had spoken but both couldn't help but feel an eerie sense of someone being there, the hair at the back of their neck would stand and they'd have to suppress the dread until everything went back to normal.

Peter touched the back of his neck as well feeling an overwhelming sense take over before it all subsided. He looked over at the edge of the hallway as if sure someone would come around but there was nothing but silence until he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. Startled he turned to see 011 standing there. 

Back in her room, 011 was seen being comforted by Peter as he knelt down in front of her, "There's nothing to be afraid of, it was just a power flux alright." Peter spoke in his soft demeanour, nurturing and kind as always to the kids. He stayed there for until the little girl was calm enough to scurry into her covers. However, his absence from his shift had alerted Brenner and he immediately called for him in his office. When Peter stepped in he could see another orderly calmly trying to argue for her case. "The children are scared Mr Brenner, we are only doing the job you assigned us." The woman spoke and sighed. Peter caught on to the subject and spoke, "If I may be allowed, I agree with what she has to say." Brenner scoffed and rose up from his chair rubbing his temples, "What so now you're telling me you weren't at your shift because a child was scared of the 'ghost'?" He inquired. "Yes." was all Peter replied and Brenner realized maybe this was a problem, he'd have to address it tomorrow, he wasn't going to hold them accountable for lack of diligence now. He waved his hand dismissing them both.

~

"Alright children, today I want to talk to you all about something very important," Brenner spoke standing in the rainbow room with all the children lined up and Peter and another orderly were standing on either corner of the room. "I understand that the recent maintenance issue has caused some distress but I want you all to know-" and there it was again cutting Brenner off, the flickering of the lights, Peter looked up at them and immediately looked away, it was always unsettling and uneasy for him as if he was being watched, he was so focused on the minor sounds of metal rattling that he didn't hear a word Brenner said. And then just like that it was back to normal, "See what'd I tell you, there is nothing to be scared about, you children are the strongest beings here, remember that." Brenner finished his speech. He gave an extra hour in the rainbow room to everyone that day, but he was oddly busy throughout the day and Peter couldn't help but feel something was brewing, otherwise, he'd never skip his schedule like that.

"Which number are you aiming for?" Peter had asked sitting down next to little 011, "One.." she spoke softly, Peter watched as she tried again and the sound of the circular block clinking its way to the bottom could be heard. Peter helped her collect the blocks and handed them to her when she seemed to look like she had something to say. She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening or watching, "I saw the ghost..." She spoke and Peter froze for a second. "..in my room." She finished, her eyes looked terrified as if she was about to cry, "but Papa said it’s not real." Peter felt like his gut was telling him the truth, something was amiss. The ghost wasn't just a random supernatural entity, he was sure of it. Brenner was probably hiding something.

That night when everyone was done with their shift and had retreated to their rooms, Peter was preparing to finally unwind, there was a book on his table he thought he'd read a chapter or two before calling it a night, he unbuttoned his cuff sleeve and felt the lights flicker above him but this time they actually went out for a good few minutes. He was left with his thoughts in the darkness taking a breath when he felt the hair on his neck stand, his hand reached for it instinctively pressing past the soteria in his neck when he heard it. It felt like someone was almost next to his ear, "burn this place to the ground.." those words had just been uttered and the power was back on and the dreadful feeling seeped away trickle by trickle but Peter's throat was dry. He had questions and he was confused most of all at whatever this was, he felt lacking because of his soteria unable to use his abilities without being tracked. Sleep was restless that night, the words kept recurring in his mind, to the point that they almost felt like a memory, words plucked out of a conversation he couldn't hear.

~

After that day the flickering anomalies stopped occurring, things sort of fell into place, and the workers and the orderlies were at ease as were the kids now. Much to Peter's disappointment he too slowly started forgetting about the incident, taking it as an isolated matter that happened maybe due to the distress it had caused. But the seed had been sown, not that Peter himself didn't plan this but that was the last nudge needed for him to do what he did.

~

The tiled walls were lined with dead bodies and blood everywhere, Peter made sure no one was spared, once the soteria was out and his powers were back there were no bounds that could stop him from his rampage. He was livid and mad at everything and everyone, and those that were innocent he considered them spared with mercy killings. He watched with an arm outstretched as the guard bled through his eyes and ears and his bones cracked as the man died before him and just like that Peter seemed to consume all that he killed. The body dropped to the ground and he heard amidst the horrid silence, faint sounds of people screaming, almost as if he was hearing an echo of his own doings from far away. But it could in fact very well be sounds from the nearby building of Hawkin’s lab, this place was like a maze and Peter and the children were only bound to one section of it. It was brief and immediately stopped right after and the feeling of something or someone else around him came crawling back. The same feeling everyone had when the lights would flicker, Peter knew whatever or whoever it was would come to find him so he kept going on his rampage while waiting to face the ghost.

In the rainbow room, the doors slowly opened and Peter who had claimed another victim looked over his shoulder feeling 011's presence, "I told you to wait." His voice was low and sinister and he turned around thinking he was sure it was the little child except it was someone else and Peter was taken by surprise indeed as his brows knitted observing. But as he looked on he felt like he'd been waiting for this moment, all that build-up and bloodshed had led to this day. You stood before him in your gray dull sweat pants and sweater. There was an electric collar around your neck that was actually connected to the soteria. Your hair wasn't exactly buzzed a little of it had grown out giving off a very, very small pixie cut look. Peter noticed as you shivered as if you were cold, but you were nervous and fiddling with your fingers. "Hello Henry," your voice was rather sweet and soft as you addressed him by his real name and gave a faint smile. You noticed his blood-spattered look as he circled around you like a predator eyeing its prey before the kill. He half-whispered to himself, 'the ghost of Hawkins lab'. You kept tugging onto your sleeves as you looked at him a little timid and frightened, there were marks of bruisings on your wrists, ankles and even your shoulders, both front and back. Marks of torture as one would put it, the punishments Brenner would put his subjects through. He paced slowly closer to you until he was right in front of you, he oddly had a look of genuine concern or was it curiosity, and his hand instinctively reached out to caress your cheeks. An innate sense of nurturing he always had, almost as if he cared. "What did they do to you?!" Those words he spoke, they felt like something you had been wanting to hear all this time, you held back a choked sob tears welling up and spilling helplessly. You shakily held his hand that had caressed your face and with the other reached out to him. His first reaction was to move his head back as if out of reflex and you paused before he realized what you were trying to do and your fingers traced over his temples. He closed his eyes and he could see, your memories, like a flash-forward movie, so much injustice, torture, punishments, and discipline all packaged into a horrible nightmare that was your life here. Isolated and away because Brenner was scared of your powers, you were what they called the discarded project 'eve' while Peter was supposed to be 'adam'. It didn't quite work out as Brenner had hoped and you were locked away even from the other test subjects in the lab. 

You removed your hand and Peter saw your nose was bleeding, you shrank back a little into your form, taking a single step away. You wiped away the blood and the tear stains leaving a few bloody smears on your own face. Your next objective was to be free from your collar and you held your hands up to it while looking at him, "Help, please." You had asked hoping he could do something. Peter used his powers and carefully broke off that collar as it dropped to the ground with a clank, taking the soteria with it. Your neck bled and there was visible bruising from years of having it on. Your hands traced the skin of your neck that was now free, your sobs were audible and you looked up at him as if you had found your messiah, the one who'd lead you to salvation. Your eyes held nothing but hope that he'd break you free, the blood and the fluorescent lights behind him only seemed to mimic a righteous battle being won and earning a halo of divine freedom. And your arms reached out by themselves enveloping him in an embrace as you cried. Peter was taken aback by the gesture, such a contrast to his rage yet he understood it all too well, his own arms held you close and his lips left a chaste kiss on your hair. "Shhh, you're safe, you know you and I we'll reshape the world." He whispered soft and low, in a darker tone and you replied slowly looking up at him, "and burn this place to the ground." the same words that now Peter realized were yours all along. The doors flung open then and 011 stood there confused and horrified at what she saw but even more horrified at her ghost standing before her in flesh and blood.

~