It all started with Ahmet Benici. The World's lead scientist published his findings that the laws that govern our world would change so drastically human life would not be possible. It was his findings that urged the U.S government to begin a secret project, Project New World. The purpose of this project was to save humanity from its impending doom. So I invite you visitor, whoever you are it doesn't really matter. Come, sit down at your keyboard and tell me, what role are you going to play in this story?
Setting
There are many rumors and stories to be told about the city of Chase. Stories and tales rise from the mysterious forest that borders its northern side. There's big talk of some government project happening on the other side, but no one can know for sure. The small town has a rather sparse population of 20,000 people and is kept isolated from its neighboring town by Wyers lake.
In terms of time, this site will follow real time to accommodate for the short life expectancies of compound patients. The current month is December, the year 2062.
Note: Please note this site is rated PG-13.
Disclaimer: All pictures and images on this site belong to their rightful owners. We do not and will not claim to own them. However the site plot and idea belongs to Time Lapse, please do not steal!
When he turned to face the boy again, he realized he looked a bit different. In fact, if he hadn't known any better, he might have thought this was a completely different person. It caused Feral to quirk a brow, head tilt to the side slightly. The words were so quiet and so rushed that he might have missed them had it not been for his enhanced hearing. The pen? He looked down to the tool in his hand, pressing his thumb against it dangerously. With his amount of strength, it wouldn't take much to snap it in two. In fact, if he really wanted to be an ass, he could break what appeared to be a very important object, right in front of the boy's face. Would he?
Well it had certainly crossed his mind. A nice payback, he thought. But though he threatened it by pressing against the tip, hard enough that it actually started to bend a bit. Just another inch and it would snap. "Not sure if I can trust that." he admitted which wasn't too outrageous of a claim, he thought. After all, the boy had done nothing but pester him. Well... save for the request to draw on him but that could have very well been a trick. Even when he even humored the idea, the boy had just turned around and proceeded to antagonize him, leading to this little 'standoff'. "You've got an unhealthy habit of pissing people off." he reasoned.
"You really seem to like this thing." he mused out loud. "Would be a shame if I were to accidentally break it." he went on. Well now who was antagonizing who?
He couldn't trust him? Well, Feral would be a fool to do that. Ephraim probably couldn't stop antagonizing Feral as much as he couldn't keep out of trouble. While it may sound wrong, the other freak had given him the best pain he'd ever felt. Momentary, shocking, and yet satisfying. Ephraim was never more aware of himself or more adrenaline filled then when the other freak decided he'd had enough of him.
But threatening to break his pen? Now they were crossing into a new territory and Ephraim's face contorted in a sulky scowl. His eyes flashed as Feral felt the need to point out what he deemed was his 'unhealthy habit'. If Feral's height was a sensitive matter for him, Ephraim's sanity and wellbeing were the next closest thing.
Ephraim had spent a long time reflecting on himself and why he 'didn't exist'. It wasn't that people overlooked him or simply pretended not to notice he wasn't around. It wasn't because he was ignored and constantly pushed to the fringe of every social situation. It wasn't even because he had to fight to be heard. It was because Ephraim had nothing. An ID tag with a score of useless numbers, a birthday, and a name that very well might not even belong to him weren't good enough. Not even the clothes on his back were his own. Even the things the faculty 'gave' them could always be taken away and in his case, they often were.
Ephraim had nothing that was 'his own', nothing he could claim and have control over. He had no influence over a single thing - aside from those he constantly annoyed - and therefore had no earthly attachment. If he just disappeared one day, would anyone notice? Probably not. Well, Flint might notice at first and Ephraim imagined the other patient would be sad. But would he wake up in his bed a year, two years from now with a fist in his mouth as he fought back mournful tears? Probably not.
Was it eccentric to tie someone's worth and worldly attachment to a pen? Perhaps. But there were very few things in his world for him to hold onto. "I said I was sorry," Ephraim murmured, slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position. His ribs hissed with a fiery pain, and he placed a hand to his side remorsefully before his gaze shifted back to Feral. "Just give it back. Please?" Was being sincere his best chance of getting it back? Well, who knows. But Ephraim no longer had a choice. This wasn't a game to him anymore, the freak held something very important to him and he wanted.it.back. As Feral proceeded to apply pressure to the plastic object, the boy's eyes grew round. He fell silent after that point, only wishing the freak would 'do the kind thing' and give his pen back. This time, the fear he felt did not satisfy his need to reassure himself. He didn't like it, and he wanted it to stop. He wanted Feral to stop.
He learning a little more about this kid after stealing his pen, strangely enough. Where his height seemed to be an issue, questioning his 'habits' was Ephraim's weakness. He made a mental note of it as he threatened to break the pen, it all a mere matter of how the boy would respond that'd determine it's fate.
Ephraim would insist he was sorry and Feral would beg to differ. He'd said he was sorry last time too, but obviously it hadn't exactly lasted, seeing as they were at this stage again. He probably would be after he destroyed his beloved pen, but he could also get angry if that scowl had meant anything. Feral hadn't seemed to be too intimidated though. If nothing else, his anger just encouraged him. But then his expression changed as he grew closer to snapping it in two. Fear.
Even if it hadn't been obvious on his face, he could certainly smell it. He really was quite attached to this thing, which was rather interesting to think about, if not very odd. Still, Feral continued to watch him, seeming to be considering his options. Eventually, he rolled his eyes, loosening the pressure on the pen before tossing it towards him, purposely aiming for his face. He'd get some sort of satisfaction out of this.
Why'd he do it? Feral could easily be mistaken as a total bully, but he had no interest terrorizing people who weren't even fighting back. At that point, it just got boring. It wasn't like he had a heart or anything. "There better not be a next time, cause you wont be getting your pen back in one piece." he warned as he leaned against a nearby pillar, still seeming rather annoyed, but no longer looking like he was about to attack.
The pen nailed him in the forehead with a sharp thwack! Flinching, the pathetic patient was quick to gather the fallen pen, searching for any cracks in the plastic before he quickly tucked it away into his clothes. He wouldn't risk the guards coming along and taking it. They surely wouldn't be as merciful as Feral had been.
At the boy's threat, Ephraim had the decency not to call him a 'Pipesqueak'. Considering he still had his pen on his body, it wouldn't take much for the freak to follow up on his sinister promise.
Watching with watery eyes as the boy stalked back to the pillar, Ephraim rubbed his side before drawing his knees to his chest. "Sheesh, what's your problem Pips?" He grumbled, hoping his new nickname would go unnoticed. He'd been thinking about Feral lately, not in a weird way, simply out of curiosity. The boy who was riled up far easier than any other and unwilling or perhaps incapable of backing down from a challenge. He'd seen the freak lose it entirely and had unfortunately been victim to a rather brutal but provoked attack. In Ephraim's own mind he'd seen nothing but hostility from the boy, so this sudden act of mercy was confusing. Or perhaps had Feral decided he simply wasn't worth his time? That wouldn't be too surprising now would it? And then there was there was the fact that the freak was still here, why?
Feral gave a look that really said it all. Was this kid seriously asking what his problem was? Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice the name at any rate, but he still didn't look very amused with that stupid question. "If you can't figure it out yourself, it'd be a waste of time trying to explain it to you." he scoffed. Ephraim was his problem! Well... No maybe that was a tad harsh. He pissed him off sure, but Feral would get over it soon enough and go about his business as usual until Ephraim would eventually come around and antagonize him again. The kid just wasn't worth his time.
So what was his problem? Plenty of things, really, namely the fact that he's still trapped here, being poked and prodded not only by the white coats, but by nearly every other fucking person in this damned place, treating him like the caged animal he was. The more he was stuck here, the more restless he became. Even worse than that, the longer he remained, the less likely he'd be getting out of here alive. He didn't know what this place had planned for him, but had no intentions of waiting around long enough to find out. But just as annoying as his brother, his one shot at getting out of this insisted on playing it safe and being patient. At this rate, he was convinced the whole world was against him. As if it was much different than his opinion before, of course.
Feral crossed his arms over his chest again as he leaned back and attempted to relax, closing his eyes for good measure. He should really just leave, shouldn't he? It'd be smarter and spare him the headache. But, no. Despite it all, he still remained stubborn. If nothing else he expected the teen to flee now that he had his precious pen. But maybe he was hoping too much for that.
Ephraim wasn't talking about superficial problems in the 'right now'. He was simply prompting the boy to talk, to tell him something about himself he didn't already know. Why was he the way he was? Sure, the white coats probably played a part in it, when did they not? But why the hostility towards everyone else? Why was he always so withdrawn? What was his problem?
"This isn't about me this is about you." Ephraim grumbled, wiping at the ground for a few moments. But who was he kidding? Feral probably wouldn't talk to him even if his life depended on it. So, Ephraim did what he did best, tested the waters a little. "You were gone for a few days this past week," he'd actually noticed? Of course Ephraim had noticed, he'd wasted much of his time looking for Feral. "What happened? Did they take you away somewhere?" 'They' being the scientists of course. "Or were you hiding?" He shot Feral a suspicious look that quickly dissolved behind a rather annoying smirk. "Did your girlfriend break up with you?" Slowly and tentatively, Ephraim rolled to his feet. "Is she taller than you?" He suddenly asked, the jab was payback for his earlier comment. "That's embarrassing. I'm sure you make up for it somehow," he concluded. Lifting his gaze briefly from Feral, the boy noticed the clouds. Ushered by a cool breeze they moved swiftly now, their white fluffy appearance giving way to the dark ample thunder clouds that followed behind. It would rain soon. And the rain drops that'd once clung to the freedom of the clouds would be trapped in the compound like the rest of them
Ephraim's gaze slowly slide to Feral with a hint of mischief. Whereas Ephraim was a rather submissive person, Feral clearly was not. He seemed quite bent on asserting his dominance, and pissed off whenever Ephraim challenged him. He was like...well, he was like an animal, a lion perhaps? This was an intriguing thought, though Ephraim only said, "you must really hate them huh?" He gave no indication as to what he was talking about though his thoughtful gaze met Feral's collar before darting elsewhere.
Despite asking so many questions, Ephraim seemed to know more than he did, claiming this was about Feral rather than about himself. Feral simply rolled his eyes again, keeping his gaze ahead rather than looking at him, knowing it would only end badly. If he continued to ignore him, surely he'd grow bored, especially after their little interaction. Surely he'd want to leave before Feral would try and hurt him or his pen again.
But, no, he'd keep going, words actually surprising him at first and warranting his attention a bit more as he looked over to him out of the corner of his eye. So he'd noticed? Well it was more of a surprise since people had a tendency to avoid him rather than go looking for him, so the idea that his absence had been noted was odd, as well as a little creepy. Knowing him, the fucker was probably looking for a fight though. Feral had certainly had his fill in those couple of days, fighting guards and white coats alike. His hands still hurt from shattering the tank they'd imprisoned him in.
Still, he didn't answer though, which probably only opened way for the boy's next comments. Girlfriend part? Didn't bother him a bit. Not only did he not have one, but he wasn't too interested in relationships of any sort anyway. It was the jab at his height that caused him to snarl. "Shut up.." he warns, already on the verge of lunging at him again. It was through willpower alone that he remained against the pillar, and even then it was only barely.
Fortunately after that he seemed to be quiet a bit and Feral turned his attention back ahead, smelling the approaching rain in the air. Honestly? He never minded a bit of rain. Could actually be soothed by it, unless it was the more aggressive storms, of course, though he really didn't need to tell Ephraim that, his nerves being one of the reasons he'd attacked him that day.
It was only when he spoke again that Feral looked back to him, catching the glimpse that was directed at his collar before Ephraim's eyes had turned away. Out of habit, he reached for the damned device, not even able to get his fingers beneath it anymore with how tight it was. "You ask the dumbest questions, you know that?" Of course he hated them. Who in their right mind wouldn't? "Why the hell are you asking so many questions anyway?" he sounded, somewhat angry but mostly confused. He didn't understand what was going on. Then again, he didn't have much experience with this sort of interaction. It was mostly anger-filled or just outright violent. He never really just spoke with anybody like this before. Then again, he was still rather angry so perhaps it wasn't that much different than normal.
Dumb questions? Were they really? Perhaps a little, but Ephraim hadn't missed the boy's surprise or the way he gripped at his collar. He now had many questions about the freak, but it was the answers to the questions he burned to know that he didn't dare utter, not yet at least. In time, Feral would come undone before him just like everyone else.
But for now, Ephraim set aside thoughts of 'anger management' and 'control issues', instead focusing on the boy's dominant animalistic traits. He must make an interesting experiment for the white coats, and it was a little ironic he was tethered to a collar. Not so different from the menagerie pets now was he? Although, most of the animals in the menagerie were quite friendly, unlike Pipsqueak over here.
Instead of answering Feral's question, Ephraim only shrugged. Perhaps that could be a conversation for another time. Venturing towards the boy, Ephraim made like he was going to simply walk past. At the last moment he reached out, clamping his hand on the boy's shoulder. He decided then he didn't like looking down on him, physically anyway. The boy's ego and temperament seemed a little too big for his body. It made one want to scoff like one would when seeing a Chihuaha with the demeanor of a Great Dane. "We should play chess sometime Pips," he offered shyly before allowing his hand to fall to his side.
He wouldn't get a response and though mildly annoyed by that, he decided it was probably for the best. He was supposed to be ignoring him, after all, not having a conversation! So he simply shrugged it off, returning his attention back up ahead. But he wasn't blind to the boy's movements. Though his eyes were off of him, his other senses did all the work and Feral knew he was on the move. For a moment, it seemed like he might have been leaving, Feral closing his eyes as Ephraim started to walk by, releasing a sigh. That was that, then, wasn't it? Not exactly.
Unprepared, he felt a hand on his shoulder and his eyes shot open, glaring up at the boy who dared to touch him. He was really quite lucky. Anyone else might have lost their hand for doing something like that, though it was honestly still on the table, the way he was staring at the taller teen and the way those growls gradually became louder. What the fuck was he doing? He was about to open his mouth to ask that very question when Ephraim beat him to it, once again surprising him with an offer to play a game of chess.
Now he probably did look like one of the menagerie animals, his head tilt and a puzzled expression clear on his face. "What the hell are you even talking about?" he growled, sounding more frustrated with the fact he didn't understand what was happening rather than the offer itself. Never mind the fact Feral wasn't even sure he remembered how to play, having not touched any form of game ever since he became a freak.
Feral's growls made him a little uneasy, his close proximity with the boy brought sharp memories of the incident in the hallway. Ephraim had been hurting for days after, and though it had been 'nice', the pain in his side was already reminder enough of Feral's hostility.
The freak's question earned him a look from raised brows. Usually people had the mental aptitude to say 'yes' or 'no', not inquire what he was talking about when he had just seconds ago told him. Ephraim rolled his eyes. "Well if your brain were working-" he fell silent as a fat drop of rain landed on his forehead, slowly slipping down the bridge of his nose before tracing a line down his cheek instead. Brushing the water off distastefully Ephraim abandoned his retort.
Why chess? It was because chess was the key to understanding people. To those who really tried playing, strategizing, thinking, it was as if their whole mind was laid out before him. Their strained expressions, confused looks, even the words they muttered when they thought he wasn't listening, it all added to his knowledge in some way. In most instances Ephraim was able to control the game, able to play not just a physical board game, but a much deeper and intriguing game that revealed the tricks and tendencies of the simple human mind. But before he could speak, he spotted a small legion of guards making their way over. Were they coming for him early? Well shit. Suppressing a shiver, Ephraim reached discreetly into his shirt. "This is farewell for now...or forever," he muttered dryly suddenly shoving his pen into the waistband of Feral's pants in one swift movement.
"For safe keeping," he explained sheepishly. The guards would no doubt strip and search him before the experiment began. He'd intended to hide it in his Ward but it seemed they weren't going to allow time for that. Why give it to Feral, the one who threatened to break it? He really didn't have a choice anymore.
In regards to his earlier question, Ephraim only offered a tilt of his head. "Think about it," was all he said as he trotted over to the guards.
They seemed more than content to wait for him and after surrounding him on both sides, led him away without restraints.
He'd started to insult him again and his expression was beginning to turn angry once more until the raindrop had silenced the boy. He still didn't appear too sure, but ultimately kept his mouth shut, growls only quieting slightly as he stared. It was when the boy started to speak again that things took a weird turn. He smelled the guards, sure, but he didn't think that justified him stuffing things into his pants! Feral's eyes widened as he casually stuffed his pen into his waistband, shock effectively silencing him and keeping him from blowing Ephraim's cover. Even when he tried to explain it didn't seem to change anything, Feral looking both frustrated and mildly embarrassed. Did this qualify as sexual assault? Well it wasn't like the faculty members hadn't done far worse things to him to be honest, but it still wasn't appreciated.
He hadn't really the time to complain though, Ephraim encouraging him to think about his offer before he scurried off to meet with the guards, Feral watching, feeling no less confused about what had just happened. "What the fuck?" he breathed out as they started to leave, the rain beginning to pour now, meaning he may be escorted inside soon himself. He sighed at the thought, pulling out the idiot's pen with a quirked brow. After all that fuss he made about him breaking it, he sure didn't hesitate to give it to him, did he?
Feral growled at the thought, putting the tool in a less awkward spot before he decided he'd better get inside. Last thing he needed was the white coats nagging him for getting sick. Not because they were concerned for his health, of course, but because they didn't want him ruining their results. He scoffed at the thought before pushing himself off the pillar and reluctantly heading back inside, hoping to forget what just happened. Unfortunately that'd be a little difficult with the temporary souvenir, wouldn't it?
