Ghosts of the past

S0nya had always sworn she'd never return to the labs. In fact, she had clearly stated she'd rather die than go back. With Scyth3 beside her in agreement- the two were certain those dark days of their lives were buried in the past, left to be forgotten. Yet, their eldest son Katana wasn't content on hearing small snippets of his parents pasts. He was not interested in their deflections, in their simple -" it's too dangerous to go back" appeals. Katana wanted to know what was so terrible about these now fabled labs that he took it upon himself to investigate. 

So one morning, not out of the ordinary, the small family of escapees made their way down their all too familiar path. Heading for water and to hunt for fresh tracks in the hope of a good meal. Yet, before Scyth3 or S0nya knew what happened, Katana had slipped away and was running full sprint in the direction he suspected the labs would be. Of course his parents would never outright tell him- but their quick "not that way!- don't go there" seemed to secure in his mind that it had to be close by. 

It didn't take long, as the pair looked around with haste for their son, that they realized he had gone off on an adventure both Utahs feared most. One, their son might never return. It left them with little options on what to do- they could do nothing, or they could protect their son while facing their greatest fears. Any good parent would know, there was only one real choice. 

Racing through the dense wood, S0nya and Scyth3 came upon the familiar form of the laboratories. It's haunting entry way putting both utahs into a sense of panic, yet they knew their son was inside by now. His scent wafting through the air, and mingling with cold metal and mossy overgrowth. 

Tepidly, they made their way inside, the clack of their nails bouncing around the eerily quiet corridors. S0nya tucked behind Scyth3, barely keeping her eyes open as the terror she once felt her gripped her heart once more. Though she would ultimately continue on for their son, however there was no denying she'd rather be anywhere else. 

However they didn't have to journey inside too far before they found Katana once more- the desire to scold him strong, yet when he turned around to face them, his eyes were welled up with tears of horror. A newfound understanding in his youthful gaze. How could they yell at him now? It seemed his punishment was already doled out. 

"Why... why are they like this?" Katana muttered, looking back in horror at the cold tanks behind him. At first they seemed empty, at least from where S0nya and Scyth3 stood, but as they approached to stand beside their son, the dinosaurs inside became clear. Though the species varied from tank to tank, their levels of decay were entirely different. The liquids meant to preserve these poor souls didn't always seem to work, leaving startling sights behind the weathered glass. Upon a few more quick glances, they were also able to make out some utahs, though none they knew in their time in the labs. 

"The creatures who built this place, did this." Scyth3 muttered cooly, his eyes flickering away, his own stomach churning at the sight of it all. Left to rot, it seems based on the conditions of the room... and the lab entrance. A horrid sight to be sure. 

"I see..." Katana muttered under his breath. "And, what are those?" He gulped, his gaze now moving to another part of the room, where skins were sprawled out and pinned up, dim lights illuminating them in a haunting red glow. 

"Best to leave that question unanswered." S0nya piped up, now slightly uncrouching from behind her mate. Her stomach was still churning and in knots of course, but she attempted to push past that to look around. Not like there was anything worth seeing but still, she felt she had to preoccupy herself with something. 

Besides the skins and dinosaur bodies in giant decaying tanks, the room was filled with other horrors beyond their imaginings. Jars with brains, bones and heads. Skeletons suspended from the ceilings, open vials with curdled blood. The stench of which was finally hitting their nostrils over the moisture ridden overgrowth. It was putrid and perhaps even worse than the tanks- Thankfully there was more mundane aspects to the room as well that S0nya also recalled- the clipboards with scribbles and charts, the scattered pens, the strange devices they used to speak to each other from far away. There was rulers and markers, lights and signs... the white lab coats. A shiver ran down her spine at the reminder- Scyth3 watching her reaction nodded in agreement, though he was more stoic. 

The room was a mess- like everyone had left in a hurry... or at least the ones that could. However, one clipboard caught her eye, leading her to flee the safety of her mates embrace to look. Upon it was a lot of writing she couldn't make out, whoever wrote it didn't have superb penmanship. Yet, the typed parts of the paper- that she could read clear as day. 

6,439 

Quite the number, especially knowing that that number denoted how many poor souls had been experimented on. S0nya and Scyth3 just two of the thousands who had been trapped here - the only things now that even declared any of these dinos even existed. And now they were back, with their child- free, yet still haunted by these ghosts of the past. 

"Let's go." Scyth3 piped up, noticing S0nya Linger. "Yes please..." Katana spoke, his own disposition growing worse by the minute. 

"Next time you get any wild ideas like this- dont." 

"You got it." Katana said, pulling close to his mom as they began to make their exit. 

"This could have been us-" s0nya spoke softly, making one final pause at a lone tank, who's occupant inside was a Utah like them. Her nose gently pressed against the glass, her eyes now glossy with tears. "You may be gone now... but we and our children... and our children's children, will never forget."