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!
For Michelle's poor and human eyes, the darkness concealed Feral like a cloak. And it was in part his stealth and the clicking of her own nails that masked the sound of him drawing closer and closer. If she had realized, perhaps she would have mirrored his own movements just to get farther away. She wasn't afraid of him, too much. But it was the being in the close proximity of a boy that repulsed her the most. Michelle wasn't one to believe in cooties and whatever, but boys were gross. Actually, make that people in general were just gross. And she didn't need anyone -least of all Feral- getting all up in her breathing space.
To be fair to him, her personal bubble was very large, probably larger than the Isolation room was wide. But perhaps given the narrow channel that didn't say too much. But when Feral spoke so suddenly, Michelle flinched, hands clenching into tight fists. She raked the darkness, eyes searching for the faintest movement that would give him away. But given the fact that she could just barely see her own hand in front of her face, by the time she imagined he would see him he would be way, way too close.
So instead, Michelle shifted a few paces down the wall, halting when his growling ceased. Was he going to pounce or something? The thought would have been amusing if she wasn't stuck in here with him. If it happened to someone else maybe, then she wouldn't care. But armed with only her bare hands and her shoes, she would beat him if he gave her the chance, or end up in the infirmary trying.
His words were met with a rush of annoyance and she tapped her nails irritably before she stopped, remembering he didn't like it. "I just told you what I had in mind you daft idiot." Daft idiot? Did that really make sense? Well, she didn't care. It was much more polite than what had been initially on her mind. "Riddles remember? Or mind games," her voice dropped to a purr. "I'm really good at mind games." She offered, her tone somewhat malicious.
She was also good at reading body language, hence watching people. But Michelle couldn't watch him here. All she had to go on were his frequent noises and levels of verbal aggression. Perhaps games would get them nowhere if he could lie in the dark and get away with it.
She seemed to be a bit surprised by his voice then, Feral watching her tense up and noting the tightened fists. He'd avoid getting hit if he could, even if he was certain he could take it. Still, he didn't back up, neither did he approach any further. Not just yet anyway. Instead he waited, watching her movements closely. He was close enough now that it would hardly take much for him to lunge at her, but still a good distance that he could evade her if she did decide to use that shoe of hers. Blind or not, there wasn't really much room to move in here. She'd get him eventually.
A daft idiot? He snarled again, not appreciating the name calling apparently. But it was not enough to attack her and she instead was given the opportunity to continue. "No riddles." he muttered flatly, not really elaborating and having no intention of doing so either. Mind games sounded just as bad, really, especially since she was evidently good at it. "Give me an example." he suggested, obviously not wanting to really start this little game, but also not too sure about it either. At least he wasn't threatening to attack her at the moment, though that could change pretty quick.
Feral sits on his haunches, hands planted in front of him and keeping him balanced.
At his snarl, Michelle flinched. Perhaps it was because he was a lot closer now. Damn it, what she would give to have a match right now. Or a flashlight, either would be better than this blinding darkness. At his words, she raised a brow. No riddles? 'Maybe he really is an idiot. Lucky me.' she thought wryly, nibbling her lip as she stared into the darkness.
"Fine, how many fingers am I holding up?" To be fair, it wasn't a trick question. She wasn't holding any of her fingers up, they were both still making tiny fists. But if Michelle could prove he could answer a simple question, he could answer all of hers unless of course he really was stupid. But it wasn't a waste of a question as Michelle found herself wondering, how well could he really see in the darkness? Could he see every move she made, or just smell her? Could he smell her fear? Her uneasiness?
Michelle didn't like being outmatched. Even her smarts would be useless if he outwitted her by sight. She crossed her arms with a scowl, slowly wiping all expression from her face. The scowl remained though, just to show how pissed off she really was.
She'd end up flinching again and Feral felt a small ounce of victory from such a response. She was obviously uneasy in his presence, he could smell it off of her, but she was still remaining vigilant. Then again, panicking wouldn't really help the situation either and would probably only make him more annoyed. Remaining calm was certainly the way to go.
Her question would make him quirk a brow though, head tilt once again. Was this supposed to be a mind game? Seemed simple enough. There had to be some sort of trick to it though! But after considering it for a moment or so, he finally decided to answer the obvious, "None." She might not be able to see, but this close, he could easily make it out. "This some sort of joke?" he asked, clearly confused. He hadn't known what he'd expected, but this certainly wasn't it. Perhaps she thought he couldn't see her? After all, she hadn't even really tried to hide her hands so it made sense.
"I can see." he answers the unspoken question. "I could probably even make out your tag if you let me get close enough." he chuckled. Doubted that, seeing as she was already rather uncomfortable with him being as close as he was.
Michelle was more than pleased that her simple question confused him. She hadn't made it difficult to be 'nice', but now he was over thinking things. He had expected difficult, he'd gotten simple. And now, Feral was confused, stuck looking for hidden meanings that weren't there. But he knew what she wanted, Michelle wanted to glean information about him. What he probably didn't know was why.
When Feral continued to willingly speak about himself, she flashed a wicked grin in his direction. "Oh really?" There was jingling noise as she shuffled amongst the folds in her clothing until she produced the linked metal chain from which hung her ID tag. The edges of the metal were chipped and worn as if having suffered from a blunt trauma of some sorts. Michelle ran her thumb smoothly over the pressed numbers she knew by heart. 4512242307188. Her birth date, her age, her gender, it could all be derived from the code she bore. But was he smart enough to decode it? "I bet you're lying. When's my birthday?" Again, it wasn't a trick question. But he would prove his intelligence by decoding the numbers into years, months, and dates or failing to do so. This was no longer a question of his ocular abilities but of intellect.
Michelle wasn't willing to let him get much closer though. She held her foot out as far as it would go -not very far given her height- too keep him from getting that close at least.
She doubted him? Well she was normal so she probably didn't know too much about freaks other than the fact they were usually dangerous enough to warrant shock collars. But despite the doubt, even outright calling him a liar, she decides to test that theory and of course Feral falls right for it, having no qualms about proving himself.
With the question proposed, the male inched closer on all fours, going as far as she'd let him, inches away from her foot. She could probably make out his figure a bit better then, but would likely still have a hard time making out his features, which was totally fine with him. Now that he was closer though, he could make the tag out a bit better. It took a bit of straining but he could eventually make out the ID. "Mmm...." he hummed thoughtfully. It took him a bit to realize they were more than just random numbers. He didn't know what they all meant, but he'd realized the first few had corresponded with birth dates. Or at least his did, as he never really tried the theory with anyone else's.
"December... 24th?" he offers with a slight tilt of his head, not sounding entirely sure about it. The 45th year as well, which meant the girl was actually younger than him. He didn't know why that surprised him. There were much younger kids trapped here, after all.
As Feral approached, Michelle found herself wilting further and further away. Unfortunately the cold cement wall behind her didn't give her much wiggle room. When he stopped, she could almost feel how close he was, and if she strained she could see the faintest outline of his form. As everyone has rather...silly thoughts, it suddenly crossed Michelle's mind Feral might just steal her shoes. What would she hit him with then? But she dismissed the foolish thought almost the moment it came to mind along with the petty fear of losing her only decent weapons.
As he hummed and hawed, she drummed her nails against the fabric of her sweater. The dull noise was nothing like the steady clicking from before, so he really had nothing to get upset about. Although if he could see as well as he claimed and he growled like an animal, was it fair to assume he could hear just as well? Perhaps the constant tapping of her nails had sounded more incessant than she imagined.
At his answer, Michelle actually offered a small round of applause. "I was beginning to think you were an idiot. Well..." She added thoughtfully, "you still are I guess." Tucking the tag out of site, she rubbed her hands together. He'd sounded hesitant, so maybe he didn't have perfect night vision, but that he could make out the small numbers in this darkness was still impressive.
Unfortunately Feral hadn't proved to be as stupid as she had hoped. He wasn't just an animal without a mind. But was he cunning? The girl stewed in silence for a few moments as she evaluated what she knew. He growled, had a foul mouth, a short temper, enhanced senses, and an intelligence she was only just aware existed. But those small facts hardly made up a worthy report.
She was drumming again, though fortunately the fabric had dulled the sound to where is was a bit more bearable, though not any less annoying. Still, he was able to keep his cool at least and after giving his answer, he waited to see if he were correct. What he got was a small round of applause that didn't feel too genuine. In fact it was kind of condescending, especially when she commented on it. Kind of a bitch, wasn't she? He was an ass so it worked out, didn't it? Not really able to come up with a good retort, he simply flashed those fangs of his, not feeling much better about proving himself since it didn't really produce his ideal outcome.
Now it was his turn to ask, right? Well he wasn't too good at mind games, so he just decided to try and pry into her mind instead. "What did you do to get tossed in here?" Must have been pretty shit since it wasn't often a normal patient got tossed into here. She didn't seem insane or anything, just couldn't stop running her mouth. Hardly a deserving offense, but he could argue the same for his own situation. Then again he was convinced the guards just had it out for him, as well as everyone else for that matter. It was him against the world.
"You don't look that much of a threat." he admitted. After all, she was threatening him with a shoe. Not really intimidating, to say the least. But that only proved that these guards were trigger happy and used any excuse to abuse the patients.
Bitch was something Michelle did very well, well enough to get herself tossed in this hellhole anyway. At Feral's comment, she found herself wishing she could growl just as well as he could. Instead, she settled for crossing her arms, a scowl settling across her features. Not much of a threat? How condescending could he be? She was practically the most dangerous person in the compound -not even close. But because he hadn't broken out the 'short jokes' yet, and to humor the little game they were playing, she answered his question in a scathing tone.
"For verbal aggression and taking dangerous action." She spat the words out harshly. First of all, she didn't think verbal aggression warranted time in isolation. So one of the guards had gotten touchy and she'd maybe threatened to cut out his tongue and choke him, but she hadn't taken any dangerous action. Well, aside from raising her knife of course. But the butter knife had been made of plastic, like most of the utensils in the dining hall. So really, as far as she was concerned, she didn't deserve to be here.
"They didn't even let me finish my lunch," she added begrudgingly before offering him a mischievous smirk. "It was pretty good too, a real shame you missed it." But they couldn't keep them in here forever. Sooner or later the scientists would have need for them though their time was probably better spent here than in the labs.
Sounded about right. Not at all a good excuse for this sort of treatment, but definitely unsurprising. Really, he wouldn't have put it past the fuckers to do worse to a girl, but he supposed they were smart enough to go on a total rampage. He heard the whispers, knew they were being watched for their treatment towards the patients as well. Unfortunately it did little to stop them from abusing their power. He swore he saw one of he guys grow hard while he was beating up one of them as punishment. He rolled his eyes at the thought.
She goes on about lunch and, as if on cue, his stomach makes a very audible grumble. He was in here long enough to miss a meal, evidently. Too bad he really wasn't a cannibal. He could use something to eat right now. And her mocking him for missing out didn't help much either. "Who knows? Maybe I'll get a taste when I rip out your stomach?" he shrugged. Another empty threat but he'd keep them coming until she knew the truth.
"Guards might come back to find just one prisoner left in here." Feral would add with a toothy smirk. "Less work for them, I guess." he shrugged.
Michelle smirked at his stomach and she would have gone on about the meal when his threat stalled her. She shot him a withering glare. "Well look at you acting all tough. Someone's compensating." She sneered. Michelle wasn't above making jokes like that, especially not when he seemed intent on returning her verbal aggression.
The game nearly forgotten, Michelle rubbed her hands together for warmth her tone becoming grave. "But whatever, you'd better just hope they don't forget about you. I knew a guy, a real jackass, he got put in Isolation a few months ago. The guards probably forgot he was here, came back a week later and found he'd just wasted away.. Probably suffocated or starved to death." she added after a few moments.
The solemn expression would have almost been convincing if she didn't crack a smile moments later. "Just kidding." But seriously, it could happen, right? "How long have you been in here anyway pup?" She tucked her hands neatly into her armpits to keep them warm. The last time she had been in the isolation chamber, it had been unbearably hot. Now, the air felt frigid. She wondered if the guards really were watching them from somewhere and tormenting them while they were at it. She wouldn't past them.
Clearly the faculty were all psychotic, stripped of whatever humanity they'd once possessed. But with the mysterious freak across from her, clearly they weren't the only ones.
Ouch. Low blow... Feral actually flinched at the accusation. Fortunately she likely wouldn't have noticed thanks to the dark. "You wanna bet?" he challenges. Eating her? Unlikely. Despite his diet favoring meats these days, he didn't figure human flesh would be on his menu. Course things could change as they certainly already have.
To make matters worse, she was just reminding him how horrible this situation was and could end up being for him if they decided to 'forget' him. That was an awful way to go. He'd much rather die on an operating table rather than something so slow and lackluster. It got him quiet for a moment at least, actually seeming to worry him a bit. All up until she cracked a smile and revealed she'd actually been joking. "Motherfucker..." he growled, not at all amused.
She moved onto another question then, regarding how long he'd been stuck there. "Too long..." he mutters, deciding to ignore the 'nickname' she seemed to paste to him now. He's not even withholding information, he genuinely doesn't know. But it wasn't too his liking by any means. Could have been hours, days even, he couldn't give a specific answer, not having any real way to keep track of time. Sometimes it felt like time just stopped, while others felt like it was going on forever.
Unlike her, Feral actually seemed to be doing pretty well (or as well as he could), despite the cold temperature. He would have been more stressed had it been warm, the young man already having a warmer than average body temperature. Practically his own furnace. The last time he'd been stuck in Isolation, he'd actually gotten severely dehydrated. Course the longer he went without water, he might end up going through that again anyway. He frowned at the thought.
At his temporary silence, Michelle wondered if she'd really tricked him. Either way, she'd thought it was hilarious and bit her lip to withhold a chuckle. Making fun of him continuously was bound to get her in trouble. She wasn't sure outright laughing at him was a good idea anymore. Well, probably antagonizing him from the get-go hadn't been a good idea either, but he was proving more interesting as time wore on.
"Sorry," she apologized for the joke but she really wasn't sorry at all. Toeing the ground with her shoe she made small scuffling noises just so they didn't have to sit in silence. In a way, the silence got to her. She would start hearing things she wasn't really hearing, and then seeing the shadows take shape in twisting dark forms that weren't really there. That's what she got for being too attentive to the darkness.
"So that shock collar of yours," she spoke up a few moments later. "What's it like? Does it just go off at random or only you when you bark?" She flashed him another cruel grin. Michelle had only ever seen a shock collar active on one or two occasions, but both bouts -from her knowledge at least- hadn't been deserved. Did the guards just use them to make the freaks think they could control them, to intimidate them? Or did they really only trigger them when it was necessary. Somehow, the thought of guards taking such action only when 'necessary' made her want to laugh. They didn't give a damn if they made the patients suffer.
Once again Michelle simply wished this whole science experiment could be over. In all her wit and intelligence, the government had somehow brainwashed her with thoughts that when this was all over, they could go home. Even though none of the patients had any concept of home outside the compound, Michelle always imagined home being somewhere far from here, by the sea perhaps, or in the woods away from people where she could live how she wanted, and be whoever she wanted. Living and dying within the Compound was not on her bucket list.
Sorry? He doubted it. If she kept this up though, she would be sorry once he was done with her. But he tried to relax himself, sitting on his haunches again. He figured he ought to try and get comfortable, seeing as he'd likely be here for a while. He even closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He could handle this. He'd get out eventually, even if he had to burst through the door the moment it unlocked.
His attempt at calming down was interrupted when she spoke again, addressing the collar around his neck. "Woof." he said sarcastically, but received no shock. An answer? Half-assed perhaps, but he decided to give an actual answer eventually. "I don't know how it works. It just conveniently decides to shock the fuck out of me before I can do anything." he explained. Could be a matter of the device tracking his emotional levels, shocking him when he became too angry, or it could be remote controlled, set off whenever necessary. Really, it could be both. Regardless, he hated it nonetheless and just being reminded of it caused him to tug at it again.
"It weighs a ton and it hurts like hell." he explains. Not just when it was active either. He was sure he had some nasty bruises and marks beneath it and swore it was cutting into his skin at times. The constant tugging probably didn't help at all, and they usually tightened it when he managed to work his fingers beneath it, making sure that he doesn't actually remove it on his own. "Not exactly the hottest fashion accessory." he scoffed. Did he know fashion? Not one bit. Just something he overheard one day.
"Don't know why I'm telling you, though. I'm sure you'll find out eventually." They either died or they became freaks. Neither option was particularly a good one, but personally he found being a freak an opportunity to finally get out of here. It was simply a matter of finding that opening. Unfortunately the Compound had pretty high security, making it nearly impossible. Wouldn't stop him from trying, though.
He jus kept talking. In fact, the boy was humoring her now. Michelle smiled wryly in the dark. Feral was already telling her more than she would have imagined. It probably wouldn't be useful information to her superiors, but it was useful to her. And better still, he was offering it all on his own. But what he said in closing left her frowning. "What's that supposed to mean?" She had no intentions of becoming one of them- as if she had a choice.
The thought of becoming a freak made her cringe. They were seen as less than animals and from what she'd seen they weren't even treated as nicely. It was only natural for the scientists to become curious about the things they didn't know. It was no wonder the freaks had it worse than the rest of them. But still, Michelle would rather die than become a freak. If that happened, there was no telling what her superiors would do.
But if the shock collar would keep Feral in check before he could 'do anything', it was safe to assume that he couldn't harm her, unless the shock collar didn't work. But if it didn't work inside the Isolation chamber, what was to prevent them from simply taking it off?
