Chapter Text
A bright, blinding light unceremoniously forced Momo Ayase awake. Immediately, she threw her arm to shield her eyes, shouting obscenities at her grandmother for waking her up so rudely, especially when her alarm had yet to go off. She continued to keep her eyes covered until she was able to finally adjust to the annoyingly bright light that seemed to shine more than the literal sun.
When Momo finally was able to see, she found out it wasn't her grandmother who woke her up. She wasn't in her bedroom, or even at her house. She had no idea where she was. The room was metallic and cold. The only furniture was a table that was now stained with her drool from sleeping, and two chairs, one she sat in. Momo looked down and saw she was wearing some type of pajamas she was pretty sure she never bought. She looked up at the ceiling and saw a small surveillance camera glaring at her.
"What the fuck," muttered Momo, still trying to understand where she was and how she got there. "Hello?" Momo called out. "Is someone gonna tell me where the hell I am?"
Momo attempted to get up from her seat, only to be forcefully yanked back down, the sound of clanking metal hitting the chair legs. She got a better look at her legs to see she had been cuffed to the floor, as if she were some sort of dangerous criminal. Her imagination ran wild as she tried to figure why she was being kept as a prisoner. Momo closed her eyes and tried to remember where she was before waking up in this cold, desolate room, yet her memory was failing her.
She really couldn't remember what happened to her the previous night. All she could remember was that day when she was in school. She had just been dumped by her boyfriend after refusing to sleep with him, and because she was defiant of him, he decided he was going to make Momo's school life a living hell. The joke of a man decided he was going to reveal to everybody a secret Momo tried to keep from everybody, except for her closest of friends. He revealed she lived at a shrine, and her grandmother was a spirit medium who genuinely believed she could communicate with ghosts and yokai.
Since she was little, Momo admired her grandmother. She thought she was cool and strong, up until her grandmother made her do rituals on the way to school that made other kids bully her. She was only six at the time, and Momo declared she hated her grandmother, that she was a fake, and ghosts weren't real. Deep down, Momo still believed in ghosts, and she still thought her grandmother was cool and strong. She didn't want to be bullied anymore, so she kept that part of her hidden as she climbed the social ladder. Thanks to her ex-boyfriend, she plummeted down the latter until her back hit the cold hard floor.
She vaguely remembered how he decided to announce to the entire student body that she and her grandmother were freaks that believed in ghosts, thinking he would be really cool about it. Then again, she also remembered humiliating him that morning with a kick to the face after he tried to call off their date. Momo was the arrogant type, and she had declared she could prove ghosts were real, and she'd return to school the next day with definitive proof.
Now here she was, in some sort of interrogation room, chained to the floor, and not knowing how she got there in the first place. A small twitch of anxiety triggered in her brain, wondering if perchance she was possessed by a spirit, went on a killing spree, and now she was arrested and about to be questioned for murder. Momo gnawed at the inside of her bottom lip, knowing if she tried to tell the detective that she had no memory of the previous night, she may as well be declared guilty on the spot.
When the single door in the room opened, Momo was greeted by two people, one male one female, both wearing lab coats. Momo now wondered if she was taking part of some elaborate prank.
"Good morning, Miss Ayase," the man said as he sat in the chair across from Momo. The woman followed along and sat next to him. "How are you feeling today?"
"Where the hell am I?" growled Momo. "Why am I chained up, and why am I in this gross getup?"
"If it makes you feel better, one of our female doctors was in charge of changing your clothes."
"Yes, because that totally makes this situation leagues better, thanks."
"Very good."
The woman nudged the man in the elbow. "Sir, she was being sarcastic."
"Ahem, my mistake."
"Miss Ayase," the woman said in a more calmer, friendlier tone than the man, "Do you have any recollection of last night?"
"If I did, I wouldn't be hollering for answers."
"Perhaps this will jog your memory."
The woman pulled out a cell phone and held it carefully in her hands. She started a video which looked to be security footage. From the recording, Momo was in the abandoned apartment complex. What didn't make sense was in the video, Momo was levitating, and shoved piles of debris telikinetically when she moved her arms in a certain direction. Her clothes were tattered, and her eyes were rolled in the back of her head. There was a sudden explosion, and then the footage had stopped."
Momo felt her forehead pulsate, and she threw her hands onto her face. She closed her eyes, and for a moment, a small spark ignited in her brain that presented her with a short memory of the previous night. She was surrounded by figures cloaked in shadow. They were closing in on her. Momo had yelled, and her memory went blank again.
"Did you remember anything?" asked the man.
Momo continued to hold her head as she waited for the pain to subside. "As if I'd tell creeps like you. If anyone is to be demanding answers, it should be me. You assholes kidnapped me, ya know?"
The two adults looked at one another. The woman nodded, and then both turned to face Momo again. "We're part of a top secret government department focused on tracking down, capturing, and researching all things considered paranormal and extraterrestrial. You are here, because last night, you had a supernatural encounter, which either granted you the power of telekinesis, or it was unlocked within you. "
"That apartment complex you went in has been under our supervision for a long time," added the man, "and you destroyed it within seconds. After using your powers, you passed out, and we took the opportunity to bring you here."
"So you just kidnapped me?" snapped Momo. "Wait until my grandma finds out I'm gone. She'll find me and kick your asses, and-"
"Your grandmother has relinquished custody of you as of this morning," the man interrupted.
"Bull! My grandma would never do that!"
"Today starts the beginning of your new life," the man continued while blatantly ignoring Momo. "We have provided appropriate accommodations to make sure you will live comfortably here. We have an extended catalog of entertainment, meals, and education. In return, we will be conducting tests on you and your abilities on a daily basis."
"Hmph. I'd rather die than be some sort of test dummy. I don't even know about these powers that you keep talking about!"
"We can assist in training and honing your powers," negotiated the woman. "Without our assistance, there is a chance that power inside you could cause catastrophic destruction to the country if not controlled."
"Why should I believe anything you've told me?" snapped Momo. "Everything you've said sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me!" Momo stood up and slammed her hands on the table. At the time, she didn't realize the chains on her ankles had yet to pull her back. An enormous surge of power jolted through every nerve in her system. Both adults trembled as Momo now looked down on them. "I have some strange power, and that gives you the okay to kidnap me? Let me out of these chains so I can kick your asses and get out of here!"
Vents in the room opened, and clouds began to fog up inside. Momo had no choice but to inhale whatever had come through the vents, and immediately she felt dizzy. Her body lowered back to the floor. She looked up at the two adults once more, their faces now covered in gas masks. Momo struggled to keep her eyes open. All the muscles in her body had become too heavy for her to move.
"I don't think we brought this up," the man said as Momo closed her eyes. "But you don't have a choice in the matter."you don't have a choice in this matter."
Ken Takakura was only five years old when his parents went missing. He was used to his parents not picking him up after Kindergarten, so he knew the way to get home. He only realized something was wrong when they didn't come home before he went to bed. His parents were absent the next morning.
Without his parents, Ken did the unthinkable, which was watching television while eating breakfast and not sitting at the dining room table. At his age, he took everything he saw and heard from television at face value. Without his parents to guide him on what was real and what wasn't, Ken was tuned into a show about folklore and alien abductions. There was something on the show about a phenomenon known as being "spirited away," which involved the disappearance of people when crossing tunnels.
Ken knew of an abandoned tunnel that was nearby his home. Perhaps if he went to that tunnel, he would find his parents in another world. Instead of going to Kindergarten that day, Ken dressed himself in his street clothes, stuffed his backpack with snacks, and armed himself with a flashlight.
The tunnel was dark and creepy, even during the day. The boy took a deep breath, and called out for his parents before entering the tunnel. He waited for what felt like forever. If he waited for a certain amount of time, perhaps his parents would come out to see him.
At some point, Ken remembered the world around him becoming fuzzy, unable to understand what was going on in the world that surrounded him. He swore he heard some kind of voice calling out to him before everything went dark Next thing he knew, he was in a strange room he had never seen before. Strange adults in white coats watched him from the other side of a piece of glass, like he was an exhibit at the zoo. Some of the adults appeared to be terrified of him, holding themselves closely as if they thought Ken was some dangerous monster. He stood up, and even though the wall protected them, a couple adults backed away.
"Where am I?" the little boy asked the crowd of adults. "Where's my mama and papa?"Ken couldn't remember how the adults answered him. What he could remember was him crying to the point where he once again fell asleep.
Since that day, that room became his home. If he were to leave that room, everything would go black, and would wake up in that same room again. Each time he woke up, he'd be covered in bandages with injuries he didn't remember happening.
Ken was 17 now. Some adults had left the facility, and new ones took their place. Regardless, there was always a handful that were scared of him. Over the years, he learned his trip to that dark tunnel resulted in him being cursed and posessed by a vengeful spirit meant to wreak havoc and destruction on those who crossed their path. Ken was only himself whenever he was in his room. The moment he would leave, the curse would be unleashed, and the spirit that posessed him would take over.
Despite being cursed, forced to live in a confined space, and having to be consitently tested, Ken didn't mind the facility. He had access to good food, shelter, education, and any recreational activity he so desired. One of his favorite activities was reading, and would spend days reading novels, manga, magazines, and the occassional newspaper the adults would bring to him so he could keep up on current events around the world. For supposedly a caged animal, Ken felt content, aside from a few downsides, one being the kids of the employees that would stop and stare at him.
Ken understood he was in a secret facility with a secret government department. What he didn't understand was why kids were allowed to come and go without consequences. He would have been fine with them if they didn't treat him like he was inhuman. While some adults were scared of him, the teenagers close to his age tormented him, knowing he couldn't fight back.
One of these teenagers was someone Ken only knew as "Hase." Ken detested his peer, but not once did he try to defend himself, physically or verbally. Hase overpowered him in terms of strength, so fighting back was pointless. Ken also understood that if he let his curse take over, he could possibly kill Hase. Despite Hase being the most irredemable person in the world to Ken, he never desired to take his life.
Ken always knew when Hase was around, as he could hear snickering akin to a hyena in the hallway. Most of the time Ken would ignore him and keep his nose shoved into whatever piece of literature he had chosen for that day. Even when Hase would open the door and throw things at him, he didn't budge.
Today's item to be thrown at Ken was peanuts. Ken desperately tried to ignore the consistent pelts to the head, but he was having a hard time focusing that day. He would get hit with a peanut, Hase and company would laugh, and another peanut would be thrown.
"Come on," Hase complained. "I thought monkeys liked peanuts."
"Pretty sure that's elephants, dude," said another teenager.
"Hey, 040621," Hase called out, dehumanizing Ken even more by referring to him as his test subject identification number, "I'm talking to you here."
"Are you sure about this?" Ken heard a feminine voice ask. "I heard he has very dangerous powers."
"Nah. As long as this dweeb stays in his room, he's nothing but a wimp. I can do whatever I want to him, and he won't do a thing. Watch."
From the corner of Ken's eye, he watched as Hase made his way over to the boy, his hands shoved in his pockets. "Hey, monkey. You gonna keep ignoring me? I'm trying to have a conversation here."
Ken continued to ignore Hase to the best of his abilities. However with the guy so close to him, it was difficult to hide how angry he made Ken. He sunk his head lower into the book, wishing he could be literally sucked into it. He'd rather be in outer space without a suit than deal with Hase.
Hase then yanked the book out of Ken's hands. "Now you can't ignore me." With his free hand, Hase dropped another peanut on Ken's head. "You want your gross nerd book? Beg for it."
Ken continued to keep his mouth shut. He adjusted his round framed glasses, stood up from his chair, and walked to the bookshelf to pick out something else to read. If Hase kept trying to take his books from him, he would just grab a new one until he couldn't carry any more.
"I said beg!"
Hase kicked Ken in the back, forcing the boy to fall face first onto the floor. Ken groaned in pain while he tried to stand back up and continue to the bookshelf, only for his head to be stomped onto the floor with the heel of Hase's boot. Ken's glasses slightly slid off him, and he tried to reach for them, only for the same foot to release from the top of his head, and slammed down on his hand and glasses, crushing them both.
"Can't read now without your glasses, freak," sneered Hase. He threw Ken's book on top of him, the pages creased as they folded on top of his head. "I told you guys he doesn't do shit. Hey, you guys wanna see an alien corpse? It's pretty nasty."
In order for doctors to properly examine Ken, they had to bring portable equipment to his room. Wires were stuck onto him with adhesive that made him itch like he was covered in insects just to check his brainwaves, and some other nonsense he really didn't understand, but he knew it had to be about his curse. These scientists had spent years trying to find a way to get his curse under control, but to no avail. With Ken being there for over a decade, he had lost hope a long time ago. Part of him wished he could go outside of his room and make some sort of attempt to befriend his peers, but considering the physical and emotional damage those like Hase had caused for him, perhaps being alone wouldn't be the worst thing for him.
"Your glasses broke again," the doctor noted when she looked up at him. "Were those teenagers bullying you again?"
The doctor had a nametag with the name "Queen" engraved on it. She had joined the department two years ago, and was the closest thing to a friend Ken had. Their relationship was strictly professional, especially with her being possibly 15 years older than him. He also understood when she was with him, she was only doing this for her job.
"No, ma'am," Ken lied. "I just fell." Ken would rather let his previous beating go, rather than let anyone try to confront Hase and the others again. After the last time Hase was reported, he made sure the rest of the week for Ken was a living hell, and Ken had just forgotten what toilet water tasted like.
"How did the test go with the supression device?"
Ken looked at his left wrist, where a metallic bracelet rested. He received the bracelet a couple weeks ago, supposedly meant to help keep his curse at bay so he could walk along the hallways. If it worked, he wouldn't be in his room. He might have gone exploring the facility. He wanted to see the recreational room he always hears employees praising.
"Doesn't work," he admitted. "The curse took over the moment I left my room three days ago."
Queen reached for Ken's hand and unlocked the bracelet with a single click. It split into two, then fell onto the rug. She looked back at Ken's brainwave chart to check for any change. Even Ken could tell his brainwaves kept the same pattern they had been even before he was given the bracelet.
"Anything you'd like for dinner?" Queen asked while she jot down notes in her tablet. "Need anything, like new books or exercise equipment?"
Ken wasn't one for exercise. He did the bare minimum to make sure his muscles didn't atrophy, but that was mostly it. The treadmill was plenty for him for days when he actually felt like running. If there was anything he wanted, perhaps he could ask for a new game, and tomorrow's newspaper."
"What about hamburger steak for dinner?" asked Ken. "Been a while."
Queen wrote down his answer for his meal. "And recreationals?"
"…I saw an advertisement for a video game that sounded fun. It was…something Effective? I guess you play as a commander in space. It was in one of my video recordings, so I think it's an older game."
"You do enjoy your aliens. I'll see what we can find."
Sometimes Ken wanted to ask if there would ever be a chance where he could break free of his curse, but being a realist, he understood that he could be stuck in this remote location for the rest of his life. Despite the downsides of being stuck in one room, the room he resided in was about the size of a two bedroom apartment, and not everybody treated him like he was nothing but a test subject. Some, like Queen, actually saw him as a person who just got dealt a bad hand of cards. Things could have been worse for him, he understood. For example, since his parents went missing, he wouldn't have had a home to call his own anymore.
"Mr. Kizakura," Ken mumbled slightly. "Is he coming to visit tonight? He said we could finish our game of chess."
"He's on vacation. Sorry, Ken."
Ken sighed. "Okay."
"Have you ever tried playing go? I could teach you on my next break. It's quite simple."
"No, it's okay. I'll probably go to bed after dinner."
"Make sure you do your homework before you go to bed."
"Yes, ma'am."
The theme song to his favorite television show blasted throughout the speakers in his room, signaling to him that it was morning, and he was to get ready to start the day. Ken sighed, and begrudgingly rolled out of bed. From the nightstand, he grabbed his glasses, still bent and craked from his last encounter with Hase. Chances are Ken needed a new prescription anyway, so broken glasses were likely a good excuse to get a new pair, as frustrating and distracting as it would be to do any kind of work with cracks going down his glasses. He hoped his day would just be as ordinary as possible as ordinary could be in this facility.
Ken had trouble focusing during his classes, though this wasn't anything new to him. If a subject wasn't interesting to him, he would rather doodle in his notes. Ken wasn't always the creative type, but he did enjoy drawing every now and then. Nobody ever scolded him for doodling in his notebooks anyway, so he figured he could draw as much as he wanted as long as he made some sort of effort in his schooling.
Mornings and afternoons were the best time of day for Ken, purely because there weren't any kids or teenagers around to torment him. He could enjoy his lunch, read, study, and pretty much anything he could think of without the fear of someone deciding to laugh and throw things at him. He was munching on his lunch, which wasn't too spectacular, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. There was just something heartwarming about omelette rice with a little squiggle of ketchup on the top. He even had a small line of sausages cut up like octopus as a fun treat. It was simple, but Ken enjoyed simplicity.
He stuffed some of the omelette in his face and smiled, humming in delight when he looked up and noticed there was someone looking at him through the lone window to his room. The person was a girl who looked to be his age. She had auburn hair, and rose colored eyes in which Ken didn't know could exist. He had never seen this girl before, and it puzzled him why she was staring at him and wasn't laughing. Upon closer inspection, she had been wearing a similar uniform to what was provided to him, and immediately he realized she was yet another captive with paranormal powers.
When the girl hesitantly waved at him, Ken felt a rush of blood go straight to his cheeks. Nobody his age had waved at him before, at least in what he hoped was a friendly manner. He also hesitantly raised his hand up to wave back, and she replied with a slight smile. Ken felt as if his heart was trying to kick its way out of his chest and run away, and his stomach wanted to empty itself of his lunch. He set the box that contained his lunch down and considered the possibility of going up to the window and saying hello to her. If she was nice, and in a similar situation like him, perhaps this was finally his chance to have a friend.
His imagination finally started to kick into gear as he thought about all the things they could do together. Ken could let her borrow his entire library of books and talk about the stories they enjoyed the most. They could play games together, board games and video games. Did she know how to play chess? He could definitely teach her. Did she play video games? He would have to ask for another controller and multi-player games. He wondered what her favorite foods were and if they could have lunch together. If she liked popcorn, they could have movie nights, and Ken desperately would love to have a slumber party for once in his life.
Ken had to snap himself out of his fantasies. He didn't even know this girl's name and he had already planned out an itinerary for them. None of what he wanted would happen anyway unless he just said hello to her. Panic began to overflow the circuits in hus brain when he realized he didn't know how to properly say hello to a peer. He just had to be an awkwadd fellow, made more awkward by isolation.
Yet before he could stand up, the girl had run off with one of the facility employees running after her frantically. Seeing the girl leave his eyesight saddened him in a way he couldn't understand. All he really knew was she could be a friend, and he had this urge, this burning desire to properly say hello to her. Never had he felt inclined to do so with anyone else who had made their way into the facility, whether it be an employee, another test subject, or an employee's bratty kid. Ken sprung up to his feet and made his way toward the door. The moment his hand touched the handle, reality finally set in that if he were to leave now, his curse would be unleashed, and he could possibly harm her and anyone near her.
For the first time, he truly understood that he was cursed. Not many test subjects that were brought in would last long, and he feared the same would be for this girl. If he didn't at least try to talk to her, he may regret it for the rest of his life, for how long that would end up being. Not once had Ken tried to fight off the curse. If he was required to leave his room, doctors made sure he was tied up so he couldn't cause harm to anyone or the property, and he would fold and give in the moment he saw the restraints. Ken's breathing was heavy, and he clutched his shirt above his heart. He felt as if he needed to try and talk to this girl. Perhaps if he actually tried to fight back the curse, he could finally walk out of his room a human. Ken braced himself, swung the door open, and took the first steps out of his room.
Immediately Ken felt as if he was dunked in boiling water without preparation. His body itched as he felt his bones, muscles, and joints contort in ways the human body should never in a natural setting. He gritted his teeth as she repeatedly told himself in his mind to fight through the pain and keep his conscience clear. He took a couple steps forward, which felt like he was tied down to weights the size of a semi truck. His mind started to slip away, and Ken continued to try and keep his consciousness. He needed to stay in control. He desired to talk to this new girl and say hello. He never wanted anything more in his entire life. He couldn't let this chance slip.
Ken took another step, and he collapsed onto the floor as if the gravity had multiplied. Yet that didn't stop him from attempting to crawl his way to where he thought the girl was. He opened his mouth to try and call out to her, or anyone who might have been within earshot. For a brief moment, the weight on his back lightened, and he swore he saw his fingers position back into their normal position. He raised an arm to wipe the pouring sweat from his forehead, using his newfound strength to continue on. He was going to meet that girl, and nothing would stop him from doing so.
After Ken took one more step, everything went black.
When Momo woke up, she had wished she were still sleeping. In her dreams, she enjoyed a wonderful fantasy where she was running through a field of flowers, enjoying the breeze and the floral scent that tickled her nose. In the field sat the man of her dreams, an actor she idolized only a little less than her grandmother. When she smiled at him, he smiled back, held her hands bashfully, and said all of the lines that made her swoon while watching his movies.
Momo would have preferred that world to have existed than the one she was in. Not only was her celebrity crush still alive and with her, she was free. She rolled onto her side and faced the barren white wall and wondered why fate had chosen to screw with her when she had done nothing wrong. All she wanted to do was prove her grandmother was right and wasn't a fraud. She was trying to stand up for what was right, yet she was the one kidnapped and imprisoned in this peculiar facility.
The doctors that interrogated her the previous day mentioned that she had awoken psychic powers that lay dormant in her. She had no memory of this ever happening, and trying to remember gave her unbelievably painful headaches, so she figured best not to try and remember. Momo didn't feel as if she were psychic. She saw the world like she did before getting thrown into this hellhole.
Momo wondered what she could have done differently to prevent her from being caged up like an exotic animal. The only problem was she couldn't remember the events that led to her supposed psychic awakening. All she could remember was the stupid bet she made that brought her to an abandoned apartment complex.
It was lunch time, and Momo was on her way to the cafeteria when she overheard that disgusting excuse for a human being boasting about how stupid Momo and her grandmother were.
"Yeah I went over there," she heard him laugh. "Was pretty frickin' hilarious seeing those talismans to drive off evil spirits. It was like something out of a cheesy horror movie. Her grandmother though, god damn. She apparently is a spirit medium who can communicate and fight the dead."
"Do you believe that kind of thing?" someone asked him. "Do you think ghosts are real?"
"Hell no! It's all fake. The broad sure knows how to swindle though, considering the size of the place, and all the junk they have there. Though her grandmother had a smokin' hot bod. I bet she actually makes her money whoring herself out. Maybe I'll stop by there again, see if I can get a freebie. Probably say some dumb shit like there's a ghost in my dick and she'll need to exorcise it out, if you catch my drift."
Momo marched forward to reveal herself to her ex and the people surrounding him. Her face beet red purely from anger from hearing the nasty slander he was saying about her grandmother. "How dare you!" she shouted, which brought more attention to other students. "You think you can act like you're hot shit, maybe everyone should know you refused to pay for any of our dates!"
Her ex crossed his arms and smirked. "And why should I? Equal rights and all that shit."
"Oh fuck off! You're nothing but a broke dirtbag!"
"And you're not?"
"Better watch out," his friend sneered. "Maybe Ayase has spooky ghost powers that could suck out your life force."
Momo glared at his friend. "You got a death wish?"
"Maybe if I die, I can turn into a ghost that your supposed hot granny could meet with."
"You know my grandma could kick the crap out of you all. If she really wanted to, she could have given that asshole over there a concussion." Momo gritted her teeth and raised her head. "She's also one hundred percent a bonefied spirit medium. She's done exorcisms, fought evil yokai off our home, and hunts down ghosts on a daily basis."
There was an uproar of laughter now surrounding Momo. She gritted her teeth even harder as she tried to keep her composure. She felt like she was a little kid once more, laughter flooding her senses. Unfortunately, teenagers were more ruthless than kids.
"As a matter of fact," continued Momo. "I can prove ghosts are real. Tonight, I'll go to the most haunted place in the city, and I'll get footage of a ghost."
Momo's ex skeptically raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that so? Wanna make a bet of it?"
"When I prove to you ghosts are real, then you're going to stay the hell away from me for the rest of your life, and never talk about me again."
"Tch. Then if you come back empty-handed, you're paying for the love hotel."
Momo squints, really not wanting to take the bet if it meant giving herself up to someone as disgusting as him. Even if she did return empty-handed, she wasn't going to hold her end of the bargain. She'd find any possible reason to get out of the deal. She could always ask like she spent the night with him, then spread rumors about him having some gross disease or that nothing happened because he spent the entire time crying. She figured between the two of them, her story would be more believable. Momo had a specific type of men she preferred, and only recently she realized her ex was not part of that niche.
"Fine."
Momo's memory was fuzzy after that. She remembered finishing classes that day, then lying to her grandmother about spending the night at a friend's home before she made her trek to this abandoned apartment complex, a location popular for its multiple reports of paranormal activities. When she took her first step into the building, that's when Momo's memory went black.
As she snapped back into her horriid reality, Momo took surveillance of what was currently in her room. At the time, it looked to be a typical prison cell, aside from a few details in an attempt to make the room liveable. Near the wall was a simple plant sitting in a pot on top of a desk. Momo didn't know whether to be somewhat grateful her kidnappers would try to add a little color to her room, or annoyed that they thought a miniscule plant would make her stay better. She stared at the plant's leaves, unblinking. As her eyes started to water, she noticed her vision hone in on the plant. In the center of the pot, she could see something flickering, akin to a flame. It was yellow, and it made the plant glow.
"What the-?" Momo blinked, and the flame was gone. "What was that?"
Still on her bed, Momo reached out for the plant, nowhere close to being able to touch it. That yellow glow returned once more. She posed her fingers as if she were gently stroking the leaves, and the plant moved in tandem with her. She stopped moving her hand, and the leaves stopped shaking. She cupped her hand as if she were to pick up the pot, and the plant was suddenly floating in mid-air.
Momo gasped and yanked her hand back, letting go of the plant. the ceramic pot crashed back onto the desk and toppled over onto the floor. Momo desperately apologized to the plant for hurting it and would try to get a replacement pot for it, one bigger than before. Finally, she got out of bed and walked toward the mound of soil and greenery she had made a mess of. Focused in, she could still see that yellow glow. She reached her hand out once more, then lightly curled it into a fist. She noticed the plant compressing as if she had somewhat of a grip on it. She raised her hand, and the plant levitated once more.
"This can't be real," she murmurred. "Maybe this is the actual dream and I'm asleep in that wonderful flower field.
Just then, the door entering her room clicked open, and a female doctor she hadn't met yet walked in. The doctor had a commanding presence, her back straight and her head up high as she made her stride towards Momo. Momo tried to focus in on the doctor as well. That same flame burned in the doctor's core much like the plant, except the color was purple. Momo wondered if she would be able to use her newfound powers on this doctor as well. Ideas flooded through Momo's imagination about shoving everybody in the area away as she paraded her way towards the exit, looking like a total badass the entire time.
"Good afternoon, sleepyhead" the doctor said as she made her way closer to Momo. "Your name is Momo Ayase, correct? Age 17? Identification number 100424."
Momo decided to ignore the doctor. She didn't need to confirm nor deny anything, no matter how correct she was. All that was truly on Momo's mind was if that ID card in the doctor's breast pocket would open every door in the facility, including the exit.
"My name is Doctor Queen," the doctor continued without waiting for Momo to reply. "We'll be spending a lot of time together while you're here."
"I won't be here long," Momo scoffed.
Once again ignoring Momo, Doctor Queen continued. "According to your file, you posess psychic abilities once thought to be impossible. I'll be in charge of documenting your progress, and serve as pseudo-guardian. If you need or want anything, you're free to talk to me. If you're sick, want someone to talk to, or even something as simple as books or a game, you can come to me." The woman lowered her head and glared at Momo, immediately changing her demeanor into something more intimidating. "I also have a zero tolerance policy for bullying. If anyone bullies you, tell me. I'll set them straight."
"What if this entire place bullies me?" growled Momo. "You gonna blow up this place for me?"
"That would mean I lose my job. You coercing me to lose my job in such a manner is a form of bullying, Miss Ayase."
"So what are you gonna do to me? You gonna stick a bunch of wires on me? Perhaps you'll shove me in a dunk tank full of freezing water?"
"You're a feisty one. I think we'll get along like sisters."
"Hah. You look old enough to be my grandma."
Momo attempted to try and keep her gaze away from the ID card. This Doctor Queen person looked to be cunning enough to catch onto any plans Momo could possibly have for escape. All Momo needed to do was humor this woman and bide herself time.
"This facility is designed to make your life here as comfortable as possible. While not conducting tests, you're given access to non-research facilities, such as the recreational room, classroom, bath house, and cafeteria. We encourage you to explore on your own time. Any door that does not have a card reader installed is meant for you to walk through."
"So, what? You jerks kidnap people, then try to pretend they're in some luxury hotel?"
"It allows our subjects to keep a sound mind and body. Plus, if we give them correct accomodations, the more willing they will comply to testing."
"If you think I'm going to fold over like whoever else you have down here, you've got another thing coming."
"What would you like for lunch, Miss Ayase?"
Momo's eyes twitched, almost ready to explode on this woman. "Are you struggling with hearing loss, you old hag?"
"I did hear you, Miss Ayase. All you've said are things I've heard from others in the past. They all complied eventually. In my professional opinion, I advise you comply right away."
"Try me." Momo sat on her bed, her arms and legs crossed. "In fact, I'll skip lunch, and won't leave this room."
Doctor Queen sighed heavily, then closed her file on Momo. "So be it. I'll talk to you soon."
There was no way she would be talking to Momo soon. Once Doctor Queen had her back turned to Momo, Momo attempted to test out her newfound powers. When she touched the plant with her abilities, she could actually feel the texture of the leaves on her fingertips. She took a deep breath and held her hands up, honing in her telekinseis. Her psychic waves appeared to her as if they were elongated arms and hands, and they stretched and bent to Momo's will. She attempted to try and wiggle one of the hands over to Doctor Queen's chest and attempt to grab the card without her noticing. Momo could feel the fabric of her labcoat, then eventually the plastic of the ID card. She pinched the card as if she were playing an imposible to win crane game, and quietly slipped the card out of the doctor's pocket.
Momo smirked as she yanked her psychic hands back to her and let the ID card drop into her real hands. Her plan worked a bit too easy, but Doctor Queen did mention nobody had come to the facility with psychic abilities. Chances are, nobody knew how to handle Momo, and they never will. Momo stood up and walked out of the door to her room. She looked both ways in the hall to make sure nobody was watching her. Then, she decided to make her escape.
Much like Doctor Queen had stated earlier, Momo could go into hallways and rooms that did not require key card access, and to Momo's surprise, there were a generous amount of doors that slid open for her. This would make escaping easier for her if she could wander freely. Everyone would think she was just looking around and exploring. Everyone who worked here had to be stupid if they just let their subjects roam free.
Many rooms she passed were empty. She would occasionally glance through the windows in an attempt to see if there were any poor souls trapped here like she was. She was relieved to see so many empty rooms. As much as she wanted to help anyone, she knew extra bodies would slow her down.
Just before she was about to turn the corner, Momo caught her eyes on something moving. She snapped her neck towards the motion, and saw a lone boy, about her age, sitting in the room, munching on his lunch while appearing oblivious to the world surrounding him. Her eyes were soon fixated on him. He appeared to be rather scrawny, but not malnourished. His black hair was short, and seemed to stick out all over the place as if he never heard of a comb. The most notable feature of him was his round-framed glasses, which Momo swore she saw a few cracks in the glass.
What fascinated Momo the most about him, was she saw two different flames inside of him, one blue, and the other red. Momo deduced that if everything was supposed to have one flame inside them, there was a second being, or perhaps spirit, inside the boy. She had heard numerous stories about spirits posessing the bodies of living beings, but not once did she ever see someone posessed. The boy appeared to be as normal as normal could be, and definitely did not deserve to be locked up.
Finally, the boy looked up and saw that she was watching him. In an attempt to be friendly, Momo raissed her hand up in a half-assed wave. At this time, she also attempted to try and use her abilities to reach out to him and try to touch one of the flames in him, only for the glass to bounce of her psychic waves. She had been able to go through glass in other rooms, yet this one could somehow block her. The boy bashfully waved back, and Momo couldn't help but smile.
Momo decided she could help this boy with whatever spirit posessed him. Once the two were out, she could take him to her grandmother and get him exorcised. Momo took one step back, ready to turn heel towards the door to his room, but she heard the door to her left slide open.
One of the researchers shouted at her, demanding she return the ID card she had stolen from Doctor Queen. Momo cussed under her breath, surprised she had been caught so quickly. She had no choice but to make a run for it, or she risked getting captured again. Also under her breath, she promised once she shook off these pests, that she'd come back for the boy.
Momo was decently fast, but her stamina was abysmal for someone her age. She never did enjoy P.E. class, and made sure to do the bare minimum whenever possible. This didn't bode well for her, as the researcher that was chasing her was close to catching up on her. She saw the door in front of her had a card reader, and she stretched out her hand with the ID card in a last-ditch effort to leave, hoping the guy chasing her didn't have the same level of access.
The light on the reader flashed red, and Momo felt all signs of hope escape her body. Right away, she was tackled to the ground by the researcher, her hands forcefully wrapped around her back to restrict her movement.
"Let me go, you creep!" Momo demanded. "Don't you know it's not polite to jump on a girl like this?" Momo kicked her feet in an attempt try and pry the guy off her. "I'll fucking kill you if I have to!"
"That won't be necessary," the man said as he slipped the card out of Momo's fingers. "Looks like we'll have to keep you on lockdown until you have no choice but to comply."
"I'd rather die, dammit!"
"We need you alive, Miss Ayase. You'll eventually comply just like everyone before you."
With the key card placed in the man's pocket, he pulled out what looked to be some sort of tazer, at least from the corner of Momo's eyes. She kicked her feet faster and wiggled her upper body to try and get out of his hold. She wasn't going to go down without a fight.
In an instant, she felt the weight of the man vanish, followed by the sound of something being slammed up against the wall. Momo scrambled herself back to her feet, turned, and her eyes were met with something that appeared to be human, but also monstrous. Limbs were contorted, long, and bony. Hair that was ghostly white and almost touched the floor. Its skin was red just like blood. The most disturbing thing was its face, with its long jaw propped open, as if it were ready to devour her.
"Shit," Momo cursed. "Shit, fuck!" She turned to the researcher to demand him to stop whatever this thing was, but she saw his unconscious body lying on the floor, covered in rubble from being violently slammed into the wall.
"Stay back!" Momo shouted. "I know how to fight!"
The creature tilted its head left, then right. Momo attempted to hone in her powers in an attempt to find the flame inside it. Immediately she noticed it was red, such like one of the flames she saw in that boy from earlier. Momo took another step back, the creature now taking a step towards her.
"I said fuck off!" Momo shouted. "I'm not dying here today!"
At breakneck speed, the creature lunged toward Momo. Momo screamed and threw her arms in front of her. She saw her psychic hands reach out and grab the flame inside the creature. Once she felt the warmth of the flame in her physical hands, Momo realized the creature was now floating in thin air, flailing its arms and legs.
"Let me go, you bitch!" it boomed.
"Like hell!" Momo squeezed the flame tighter, and the creature yowled in pain. Tighter and tighter Momo squeezed, and the red flame began to dissipate, with a blue flame taking over. Momo's eyes widened as she saw the thing morph back into a regular human body, the boy that she saw earlier.
Carefully, she attempted to lower the boy back onto the floor without hurting him. He coughed blood, which he wiped away with his sleeve. The boy looked around at his surroundings, supposedly puzzled by what was going on.
"Huh?" he gasped. "I…I'm out of my room?" He looked at his hands, legs, torso, and then finally, towards Momo. He gasped and his cheeks reddened. "Did I really do it?"
Momo's brows furrowed as she attempted to keep her distance from the boy. He indeed was cursed, something she had never seen before, despite years of her grandmother telling stories about the people she saved from curses. Whatever curse had been bestowed upon this boy, it was a wicked one, and somehow Momo was able to supress it.
The boy looked up and saw Momo, and he stared at her, mouth agape. From facial expressions alone, Momo could tell him being out of that room, not transformed into a monster, was a feat that had yet to be accomplished before her. His wide, doe eyes sparkled as he kept his eyes on Momo like she was his savior. His open mouth wiggling into the biggest smile he probably ever wore on his face. It was enough for Momo to smile at him. Fueled by the rush of somehow surviving, a couple giggles escaped Momo's throat, her smile widening.
"Hey," she greeted, locked onto the boy's hopeful eyes.
"H-Hi."