Project: Revenant

Part 1: Another Ghost Story

Life is often like a stone tossed into a pond. This triggers ripples of events all caused by one entity. Some may think it is the stone, but really it is the one who tossed the stone that triggered it all. This is how my life happened: a man ordered his men to kill my family one by one until I was the only one left, but I managed to escape, only that was after they killed me too. This would be confusing to most unless you understand that death has never been a final thing; in some ways, it can be a new begging with a new way of thinking in terms of how the world works. The hardest part, however, is coming to peace with the sad reality that you have died but still breathe while everyone you loved has not been given the same chance.

I wake in an ample room with white walls and laboratory equipment. Large screens show data that I cannot understand, as well as small viles with different liquides in them. Off to the right coner of the room stood a microscope and some samples from animals. The rims of the room are illuminated with bright lights and small golden crests spaced between them. The room itself, gave a sense of a safe haven almost.

 There was a glass wall with one door separating me from the rest of the room.

No more than ten minutes passed when Dr. Esther Gillespie walked into the room, saying, "Good morning, Hector. How are you feeling today?"

Dr. Gillespie is a kind woman and an old friend of my father. She is the reason I am here. See, she is an excellent scientist in bioengineering as well as biochemistry. Her mission has always been to uncover the secrets of our genetics so she can better improve the human body.

"I am feeling fine, thank you," I respond.

"Good!" She said with a smile. "I've been recording your vitals, and everything seems to be working well, I suspect you will be fully functional very soon." She said as she walks across the room to pick up her tablet to review her notes.

"Is that when I will be able to leave?" I ask.

She freezes for a moment and looks over to me, "I know you're eager to leave this place, but I have told you that what I have pumping through your veins is very dangerous, you will require further examination before I can allow you to interact with the public again."

"I understand," I said with sorrow on my face.

"Trust me; once we can lower the toxins in your blood, you will be able to leave." She put down her tablet and picked up a syringe. She looked at me and asked the same question that she asks every morning, "May I draw your blood?"

I nod to her, and she enters the room as I pull up my sleeve. "Your goi-"

"Going to feel a small pinch." I interrupt.

She nodds and injects the needle into my arm. "Repetition can be difficult to deal with even for the smallest things." She says as she pulls my blood.

"May I ask a question?" I ask.

"Of course."

"Why am I still here?"

"Well, I told you that I could not allow you to leave until-"

"I'm not talking about that. I mean, why am I still alive, but the rest of my family is dead?"

She pulls the needle out of my arm and stands still, "The serum in you, I only had enough for one person, and your father made me promise that if anything happens to them or you, that I would do anything to keep you safe." I was silent. "I am very sorry about your family, Hector."

"There's still something that I am confused about," I said.

"What's that?" She asks.

"Well, I remember that day very well when my parents died. It has always been a clear picture in my mind, but what I find very interesting, is that I do not look the same, I look older. How old am I?" I ask.

"You're twenty-three, but when it all happened... You were sixteen."

"Twenty-Three! You mean I've been in here for seven years?"

"I'm sorry, Hector."

"I don't understand," I said.

"I don't expect you too, and I promise I will explain everything when the time is right." I begin to breathe heavily, unable to control my thoughts and feelings. "Hector, look at me." She said in a calm voice. "Life has always been a mystery, its colors, its people, its environment, but what has always been the most mysterious is its events. No one understands why things happen the way they do, but we must remember that there is a reason behind it all, and I promise you that when the time is right, you will not only understand why this horrible thing happened to you, but you will also become a stronger person because of it."

I begin to calm myself; her words are very helpful. "Thank you, Dr. Gillespie."

"Of course." She said with a smile. "I will be back with some breakfast shortly." She said as she exits the room completely.