Remember When You Were a Mad Man

"Alright Scale Skins, the Ray gun is simple. You just point and shoot...now depending on the condition of your gun it may have a bit of a kick to it so concentrate", I spin my gun in my hand as I pace back and forth in front of the new recruits.

"You, reptile boy. You're up first so get over here", One of the junkies scrambled over to me and I hand him the Ray gun. His hands were shaking uncontrollably as he held it up to aim at the soda can targets, " I don't think I can do this Ghost, can't I just have another job?"

The boy jumps about 10 feet as I snatch the gun from his hands, " You think you get to pick what you do in this world now? You think you can protect yourself , you're weak, you have no experience and if I know anything about how to survive this world now is that weak and naive children won't be protected. Trust me you can leave right now if you want but you'll be dead in a week"

The boy was all but shitting his pants as I continued my speech. He picked up the gun again and prepared to start the lesson again. He apologized and wiped his tears from his sun burned face. Meanwhile the other boy was still sat quietly off to the side watching the whole ordeal go down with out a word.

"It's an honor to be trained by you Ghost...", the boy I had yelled at sniffles.

"You know need to call me Ghost, please. I'm Nova" , I muttered.

The boy shot aimlessly at the soda can tigers. I've got to admit he's an okay shot but it still needs work.

"Why? You're a legend, we've all heard stories about you. We also thought you were dead, word spreads pretty quickly out here. I've got to admit you look different .. Maybe because your hair isn't purple and you let it grow out but you still have your sword...after all this time...", he prods even further

" Maybe it's because it's not really Ghost.", kid who had been completely quiet spoke up, " Tell us Ghost, what happened to you. Word was that you were attacked. You broke your leg and you were bitten but one of the undead. Now from what we've seen is that when you're bitten you turn. They said you were taken away but Dracs. Why show up now, why didn't you escape the first chance you got?"

I felt like my chest was going to burst and I couldn't breath. " I did. I escaped the facility. The first chance I got"

" Oh and when was that?" , he asked sarcastically.

Suddenly Frank swings open the black door and strolls out of the dinner chewing on a toothpick. He explains that training is over and orders the to trainees to go inside. After they leave I start to pick up the soda cans and putting them in a box for later. Frank hasn't said a word to be directly since the boys left. He's been staring at me for a while.

"What did you tell them?", Frank crosses his arms and leans against the door. He continues to quietly watch me.

" Trust me I didn't say anything but one of those kids has a sneaking suspicion about me. What am I supposed to do? " , I finished picking up the cans and put them away. I go to grab the Ray guns we had used for practice. I hold it up in with my left hand and get ready to fire at one last bottle I had left. I haven't had much practice with guns so I guess I need the practice as well. Frank snatches my hand.

"What are you doing? Ghost is right handed. This won't work if you use you're left hand. If that kid thinks you aren't Ghost just by looking at you. What do you think the others will do?" Frank takes the gun from me and gathered the other supplies before heading back inside but not until he muttered, " We're having mashed potatoes for dinner today. Ghost hated mashed potatoes so remember to decline to eat it. I'll find you something else to eat."

Frank left and I was alone outside with my thoughts. I don't think o can do this. There's too many conflicting memories clashing in my brain. I remember her... 'Ghost'.. We shared a cell together. I remember the day I met her too.

*FLASHBACK*

I was weak. I began refusing to eat for several days now as an act of defiance. The Keepers only escalated their torture. The new serums they pumped into my veins burned stronger than ever and I would often writhe in pain until I passed out. I felt like I had nothing to live for.

One day they pumped a sweet smelling blue gas into my cell that made me dizzy. My vision was blurred but I saw two Keepers enter the room and fitted my helmet onto my head that prevents me from sight and sounds. They picked me up from under my arms and began walking out of the room. My legs were failing me as an effect from the gas I couldn't move much.

I couldn't see but I felt my feet drag across the cold smooth floor as we turned through the maze of hallways. We stopped and they took of my helmet. I was in a new room...but I wasn't alone.

The keepers shut the door and I was left in silence to check my surroundings.

"Look little ghost, we've brought you a friend" a voice came through the the speaker on the ceiling. That's when I noticed another girl was in the room. She was laying on a neat white bed but her hands and legs were strapped done and she stared blankly at the ceiling without a word.

I stayed stilling in my spot on the floor near the door. This room was much colder than mine and the floor was even colder.

"Nova, we would like you to untie Ghost over there." The same voice said from the speaker.

Slowly I wobble over the girls bed and begun to undo the restraints. There are scars on her wrists from how tight they were. Her legs were covered by a thin blanket. I go to untie her legs but the girl stops me.

" I can do those...please", she sits up and throws the blanket off and undoes the straps on her ...leg..

This girl only had one leg..the other looked like it was amputated. I gasp and she sighs at me.

" I broke my left in a fight and then I was bitten in the thigh by one of the undead. They said if they didn't take my leg I would die. They have me and a special serum that keeps the virus from spreading. So far it's worked but... I wish they would've let me die..." , the girl runs her hand through her hair and I realize that it was hacked off quickly and it looked dyed as there were hints of purple coming through.

________________________________________________________________________

I never learned the girl's name but we spent our time in the same cell for the rest of my time there. She would tell me stories about her days out in the desert wth the rebels back when BL/I ruled the land and trade.

She showed me a secret picture that she kept taped under her bed. It was her and four guys in the picture. She used to have beautiful long hair that was dyed purple.

She points to each guy in the picture," That's Mikey. And that's Gerard, his brother. That's Frank and Ray.... We called ourselves The Fabulous Killjoys"