My Pet Human {UNDER SERIOUS EDITING}

Chapter Six: 'David's Past'

Ben wasn't his real son.

David Malross had been married to Lilly for a little over a year now, after Ben's biological father had died in a shooting, having been serving in The Great Laquanian War at the time. That was why his step-son had battled depression for so long. Time had changed, yes, but the memories would never leave him, and not even David could mend those holes in his heart. He knew what it was like to lose everything, though, and could relate to Ben in more ways than he liked to admit. David had lost so, so much, and it was all Godpheus Mathew's fault. He was a scientist, yes, but his smooth, discreet profile was the mask of a madman, and David knew it from first hand experiences.

He'd never told Lilly any of this; what he'd been through before their marriage, only because it would chill her to the bone. If only she knew the real reason behind his prosthetic left leg. He was alone in his bedroom now, staring at the wad of metals and plastics moulded to his severed limb. It ended just below the thigh, where the surrounding skin pulled taunt at a stump. Losing his limb three years ago felt so distant, now. But he remembered fine. The reason why he truly hated the human race...

~

It was late, and the moonlight cast a silhouette over the Laquanian man as he walked briskly down Meridia's main street, arms folded and head down. His crumpled work shirt stood out in the darkness, practically glowing. Opaque eyes sent twin beams of light out in front of him, brightening his path home.

 

The world was different back then, as crazy as that sounded. David was nothing like the man he'd turned into after marrying Lilly. He'd just finished a course on biology and hoped to study one day with the top biologists, particularly his idol, Godpheus Mathews. Godpheus was the first man alive to create a miniature being that would years later break a number of records for being the world's most popular item of purchase. It had been a year or so after humans had hit the market and now almost everyone had their very own pet. David had at the time been excited to adopt a human of his own, but decided to hold it off until he settled down with a girl and got his own house.

David used to find humans fascinating; in fact, they were exactly what he wanted the basis of his works to focus on. He'd received word though from an anonymous source that Godpheus had switched to trialling Laquanian subjects for his latest drug: the 'humanization' serum. David had always opposed his methods of cruelty, but knew he had no say on that front.

He strode with his shoulders slumped down the dark alleyways, his feet squelching in drying puddles of water produced by recent rain. The path the Laquanian took was dimly lit by an overhead street light. Another long day at the corner store. His job, that is, until he could earn enough of an income to focus on his biology studies. He wore the regular dress code of the store; long red pants and a button up white shirt with his name embroidered at the chest. A light drizzle trickled down his back.

They came at him in the dark. Through the shadows, like animals prowling the jungle outside the city. He waved off the telltale signs at first, guessing it was just a pack of raptors, who were the size of rats to the Laquanians. But before he could defend himself, the two men seized their opportunity to leap from the darkness and tackle an unsuspecting David to the ground.

"Take my wallet!" David yelled over their grunts. One drove a fist into his gut and he flew into a concrete wall with a thump. Stars clouded his vision. "Ge- off me-" Eyes lolling, David swung a blind punch at his attackers, but froze when the sound of a gun clicking broke the silence. The man swallowed, eyes locking with the rifle aimed at his chest. David slumped down, useless, as his wrists and ankles were bound together. The last thing he saw was a boot clad foot slamming into his temple before his head swung forward roughly and he opened his eyes to see nothing but black.