The Ranch

Slumber Party (6)

(Warning: The Slumber Party Arc will talk about some dark and disturbing things. You've been warned)

There's three people left: Kai, Abel, and Lucien.

They have a small staring match, offering the other to go first.

Eventually, Lucien grumbles," I also have mem-not memories, skills."

"Of your past life?" Sherlock asks.

Lucien nods," I was the... illegitimate son of a conglomerate." He sneakily glances at Pierre.

"I was, bullied by my classmates and family. I was pushed down the stairs. Then I had memories, but only involving hacking and tech-related stuff. I got my revenge, then came here."

"How'd you get your revenge?" Victor is curious.

"Exposed corrupt businessmen in the company. Stocks dropped and they went bankrupt."

"That...that was all?" Sherlock wonders if it's that simple.

"There were a lot of them, and they did a lot of bad things."

"Wait, but if your family went bankrupt and you didn't end up coming here, what we're you going to do?"

"Start a company." Lucien simply shrugs.

"...right."

"So you don't know who you were in your past life? You can't remember anything other than technical skills?" Victor asks and Lucien shakes his head.

Time continues to pass by and they reach the last two people. Kai and Abel glance at each other. After a moments Kai speaks," I'll go."

"I'm not a chatter-or, at least I wasn't to begin with. It's more of a habit now, but it was originally a defense mechanism. I was purposefully annoying so that no one would want to be around me for long. That was my was of surviving in that place.

Human trafficking. I don't remember at what age I fist arrived. I was sold from place to place, along with different groups of children. There were a lot of children. Crowds worth of them being sold in a stream-like fashion in underground markets. There's a whole political network and underground system of distribution.

There's a multitude of ways to use a trafficked child and I've seen most of them. Luckily, I got off easy. They gave me labor-related jobs. Factory or farm work, occasionally jumping in front of car and asking for money to pay for "hospital bills".

Lotta kids grew up in the system and didn't think of trying to leave. If you escape, they find and kill you, or if you remember your family, they threaten you with that. Even if you did escape, where would you go?

I also didn't have any particular reason to escape at first, but I'd happen to meet one of the military suits during a job. I think he must have been there to scout another kid in the system.

But he saw me and said," That's an interesting gleam in your eyes there, kid. How bout this, if you ever feel like escaping, go here." He gave me a map and left.

And I took him up on that offer. I didn't have much of a will to live at the time and trying to escape sounded interesting.

This is where my annoying personality came into play. See, a lot of children liked to make pretend friends then snitch any info to the owners for extra rations or clean water, but no one could listen to me long enough to befriend me.

No one liked being around me, including the guards, who got easily annoyed with my rambling skills. Sure they'd, kick the cage, beat me a few times, but when they realize I won't stop, they eventually leave. Simple but effective.

Of course, there's no way they would leave if I had a record of escaping or being nosy, but I was always well-behaved and kept my head down. In their minds, escaping was the last thing I would do, which made it all the more easier.

After escaping, I followed the map and it led me to a bus stop. I camped for about a month before the bus came and that's how I landed up here."

They take a moment to organize their thoughts.

Pierre wonders," But you're not that much of a chatterbox?"

"It happens less frequently now, but I used to talk non-stop for hours on end." Kai recalls something and grins. He relaxed his body against Tih's side now that he's done his part.

"What time is it?" Theodore yawns.

"Around two." Victor answers.

There's only one more person left.

Abel twiddles his thumbs as he starts,"My older sister doted on me, so did the rest of my family. I was..sheltered. I was too attached, I realize that now. My sister did something, no one told me what, but they said she had to leave.

I-I couldn't. My thoughts went...I, I'd started to think I was at fault. She was leaving because of me. That, that thought grew in me, engulfed me.

She was in front of me, saying goodbye. She showed such a sad smile. I hadn't know what I'd done wrong and the thought of her leaving-

I tried to pull her back but she slipped out of my grasp. I couldn't understand why, it was too sudden. I couldn't- she couldn't leave me.

...by the time I realized what I had done, I was holding a bloodied candleabra, blood splattered my face, and my sister was lying in a pool of her own blood.

She still could have been saved...but at that moment a though popped into my head,"Now she can never leave me".

And then I woke up. I was on the train that brought me to the island. I still don't know if that was real or a dream, but ever since I've been able to see...things. Like hazy images of humans but pure black."

Abel points to his side,"This one's been following me around since the train ride. I assumed she's my sister, but I have no real way of knowing.

And I can kinda hear her? But not always clearly, especially the further away she is."

"Wait so what are you hearing?" Sherlock is very confused at the moment.

"So instead of a voice, it's more like thoughts being transmitted to me? If that makes sense?"

"We have no way of contacting the outside world right now, right?" Kai looks to Lucien.

Lucien shakes his head.

"...uhh, so just curious, are there any of those black figures in this room right now?" Pierre asks as his eyes dart around warily.

Abels looks around the room," Not right now."

"I see." Pierre quietly sighs in relief.