2 WEEKS LATER
Ben stared down at a picture of his cousin and him when they were 10 smiling. He sat down her bed as Frank packed up another box. He sighed as he placed the box on the bed. "I'm not sure if you wanted any of her stuff Ben" He looked down at the picture.
"take what you want it'll probably just go in the attic otherwise" Frank sighed.
"Thanks uncle Frank" He kept his gaze down on the picture. He looked up for a minute thinking before looking down at the photo. "Keep it" Frank said as he picked the box up. "we've got heaps" He said as he walked out the room towards the attic.
He sighed getting up and placing the photo out of the glass and folding the photo into his coat pocket. He then began to walk out the room but not before tripping a little on a box tucked untidily under Gwen's bed. He bent down and pulled it out. A spell book. Ben looked down at it with curiosity. Strange writing covered it which looked daunting. He tugged at it trying to pull it open but it wouldn't budge. It had a padlock on it. Ben stared at it questioningly. 'why is it locked?' He started intently at the lock. "Ben?" Lily came up. Ben turned round to see the cold eyed woman holding a tissue.
"it's getting late. Do you want a lift home?" Hers eyes watered as she took in her surroundings. He got up and held her shoulders. "no thankyou aunt Natilie" Ben whispered holding the book. "what's that?" She asked curiously.
"Just something that Gwen…." He paused seeing the woman's face as he said the girls name.
He sighed looking down at it. "I hope you don't mind. I just wanted to borrow it for a little while" Ben stared down at it. "keep it" Lily said pulling him in for a hug. "she wont need it anymore" Lily closed her eyes and pulled away. "thanks aunt lily" Ben forced a smile then walked out.
"Ben?" Ben turned round.
"theres some flowers on the side of the table near the door do you mind going over and placing them on her…." She cut herself off as Ben nodded. "thanks dear" Lily said. Ben walked down stairs and picked up the roses.
GRAVEYARD
Ben toyed with the book as he passed the graves. 'click' the book opened as he stopped right next to Gwen's grave. "huh?" Ben looked down at it curiously. "that's… strange" Ben turned his attention to the head stone. He looked down at the inscription. 'Gwen Tennyson'
"sounds about right" Ben whispered placing the roses down on the grave. The wind fluttered by him as it flipped pages of the book. He looked down at it to see glowing writing. "Creepy" Ben stared down at it. He placed his finger near the words trying to read it "evigilo, expergefacio, excite perduco mei visum" Ben read the words. "Definitely creepy" the words faded on the page. "Definitely Gwen's style" Ben chuckled a little. "Creepy is not my style" a female voice said as Ben looked around trying to find out who said that. "Who said that?" Ben looked over the graves. "Over hear doofus" The voice said as Ben turned his attention back to the grave. "holy sh*t" Ben backed away as he saw his cousin sitting casually on her grave stone. "Hey Cuz" Gwen casually said crossing her legs. "G-G-Gwen?" He stared at her in shock as she gave him a questioning look.
"Yes?" She answered back. She came towards him as Ben backed away into a nearby grave stone. "This cant be happening" Ben stared at her as she placed her hand on her hips. "is that my spell book?" She pointed towards the book that Ben was clutching in his hands. "You're dead" He shook his head. "I'm not dead enough to know you went into my room without permission Ben" She bent over staring daggers towards him.
"Give me my book back Ben" She told him reaching a hand out waiting for him to place it in her hands.
"How are you even talking right now?" He got up and walked away from her. "It's called muscles Ben now my spell book" She walked towards him.
"I-I saw you d-die" Ben shook his head. "I Didn't die" she shook her head not believing him. Ben shook his head as more tears spiralled down his cheeks. Gwen sighed from seeing how upset he was. She gave up arguing and placed her hand out again awaiting to grab the book.
Ben winced his eyes closed and held the book tightly in his grasp.
"y-your not real, your dead" He repeated to himself over and over.
MORNING
Ben awoke to find a now not so scary graveyard.
"Oh it was just a dream" He smiled as he walked over to the book and picked it up. He whipped his left hand on it removing some of the dirt. 'I think I'm seeing things' he thought as he looked over to Gwen's gravestone.
'That's right just imagining' He looked down at the headstone to see the flowers placed on the grave.
His eyes watered causing him to winced his eyes and use his sleeve to remove the teardrops.
"I miss you so much" He whispered.
"well you didn't seem to miss me last night" A female voice said.
Ben looked around him to find a very mad Gwen.
"Gwen I'm so sorry I was just in shock" He walked over to her but she disappeared.
He turned round to see her but she wasn't there.
"Gwen?" He called out for her but she didn't answer. He held his head.
"Maybe I shook get some sleep" Ben began to walk to his car. He sighed and began walking to his car. He turned round hoping to see his cousin standing there but no such luck. He shook his head and climbed into his car speeding off to the sunrise.
BEN'S HOUSE
"Bengamin Tennyson where were you?" Sandra placed her hands on her hips as her son walked through the door clutching onto a book.
"Sorry mum I was at the cemetery" Ben said causing Saundra's eyes to soften.
"Alright then but just make sure you ring first before you plan on staying all night there or anywhere" Sandra said causing Ben to nod. "Okay" He said as he walked past her into his room.
He through the door into his room throwing the book onto the floor then jumping onto his bed and placing his hands behind his head closing his eyes. "Finally some sleep" Ben relaxed. "you know I risked my life getting that book off Hex and I still haven't returned it yet" Gwen sat down next to Ben.
"AHH" Ben backed away from her.
"okay this is just an illusion" Ben held his head as Gwen narrowed her eyes. She rolled her eyes. "Ben I'm not an illusion" Gwen crossed her arms and stared daggers towards him. "maybe you've got a fever" She placed her hand on Ben's forehead.
"I HAVENT GOT A FEVER" Ben screamed as a knock at the door silenced him. "Ben?" Max peaked his head through the crack of the door. "you feeling Okay son" Max came over to him as Gwen got up and crossed her arms smiling. Max placed his hand on his grandson's forehead.
"Hey Grandpa Ben thinks I'm dead can you believe that?" Gwen snickered but stopped when Max ignored her. Ben just stared at her as her facial expression went from happy to worried.
"Grandpa?" She walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder trying to get his attention but it just went through.
"Huh?" Her eyes widened as she stared at her hands. Max shivered slightly. "you must have a draft in here or something Ben" Max chuckled trying to lighten the conversation up as Gwen freaked out behind him. "I haven't seen Kevin since the ceremony" Max said. "Have you seen him?" Max asked worried. "No grandpa" Ben said as he watched his cousin placing her hand through the wall. "This is ridicules" She said as she walked over to Max and tried shaking him by the shoulders but her hands just went straight through again. She growled as she went back over to Ben's door attempting to open it. She cringed when she couldn't and dropped to her knees.
"Ben what you looking at" Max followed Ben's gaze to the door but all he saw was a pile of dirty clothes. He raised his eyebrow at him. "nothing Grandpa I just thought I saw something" Ben told him. "Thought you saw. Ben tell grandpa to stop messing around its not funny" Gwen insisted as Ben stared at her. "Grandpa?" Ben looked up at him.
"turn your head" Ben asked him as Max turned towards Gwen. "Okay now what?" Max asked as Gwen bent down a little trying to grab her grandpa's attention. "Don't you see anything" Ben asked causing Max to shake his head. "no Ben what am I supposed to be looking at?" Max asked as Gwen's eyes began to water. "Nothing grandpa" Ben said. "I'm gonna go you should come round mine later we can go fishing" max smiled as he got up. Gwen hugged herself as he left. "Sure thing grandpa" Ben smiled at him as he closed the door. "W-What did you do?" Gwen hissed standing up and growling. "I didn't do anything it's what you did" Ben said as he raised his hands up in the air trying to stop her from going insane. Her eyes began to glow. "I didn't do anything you Have MY Magic Book which MEANS you did something wrong" Ben's light-bulb bursted as well as well as his computer screen.
"Hey" Ben narrowed his eyes at her but stopped when she collapsed to the ground crying.
"Gwen?" He walked over to her placing his hand as well as he could on her shoulder without it going through her.
"Just leave me alone" She whispered turning her head away from him. "You don't remember what happened do you?" Ben looked into her eyes as tears slipped down her cheeks. "W-What happened?" Gwen asked scared. "There was an accident and then there was an explosion and then…" He paused.
"I didn't die" Gwen told him trying to convince herself more. "Gwen when we met on the graveyard whose grave where you sitting on?" Ben asked her as she thought for a moment. "Elena Validus's dad's grave stone?" Gwen said unsure. Ben shook his head. "Gwen that was yours" Gwen looked for Ben's eye to twitch but it didn't she closed her eyes and looked away. "I don't believe you" Gwen whispered as Ben sighed. "common" he said getting up. "where are we going?" gwen asked concerned. "to the Bellwood cemetery" Ben said walking out the door. Gwen decided to follow him as she held herself uneased by the whole situation.
GRAVEYARD
"there it even says it" Ben pointed to the grave.
"Gwen Tennyson" Ben read the writing as Gwen shook her head. "happy now" Ben said as he looked over to the girl only to find her crying. "Gwen I'm sorry" Ben tried hugging her but he just went straight through her. "Please don't cry" He brought his hand up too her cheek. He could feel a cold water vapour as he touched her. He gulped and took his hand back. "Hey you know what we should do" Ben tried to lighten the situation.
"Go fishing" He patted on her on the back. She gave him a pleading look for a minute. "Ben" She whispered his name. "please wake up" She whispered harshly beginning to cry again. "Gwen I am awake?" Ben said as he looked over to the grave.
"it's you that's not" Ben whispered before turning back to her. "huh?" Ben stared. She's not there.
FISHING ROCK
"Here Ben" Max passed Ben a fishing rod as his cousin tapped her foot and kept her arms crossed. "Do you think grandma Verdona might be able to see me too?" Gwen asked. "Huh?" Ben turned to face her. "I said do you think Grandma Verdona might be able to see me" She turned to him. "I don't know maybe" Ben said. "Maybe what Ben?" Max stared at him clueless.
"I said maybe we should rent a boat and go into the middle of the lake" Ben said as Gwen rolled her eyes and leaned against the RV. Ben snickered as Gwen fell through. "Not funny Ben" She told him getting up. "Your right Gwen its hilarious" Ben laughed. She growled and crossed her arms. "Ben?" Max placed a hand on his shoulder. "yeah grandpa" Ben said in between laughs.
"You feeling Okay?" He asked genuinely. "Fine Why?" Ben smiled. "You said Gwen?" Max said as Ben just stared at him.
"Yeah I did" Ben shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. "you know cause she's usually hear and she's usually a clutz with this stuff" Ben smiled. "Am not" Gwen retorted. "Are two" Ben called back. Max placed his hand on his grandsons forehead. "Grandpa I'm fine. I just…. Miss her that's all" Ben said looking at the ground sadly. "I'm sure she's in a better place now, Ben" Max placed a hand on his back as Gwen rolled her eyes.
"yeah right" She whispered. "common theres a few rocks over there we can fish off" Max pointed to a few large boulders near the lake. Ben smiled and followed his grandpa whilst the redhead trailed along. "Hows you aunt and uncle doing?" Max asked trying to start a conversation. "Uncle Franks taking it on the shoulder" Gwen listened intently.
"Aunt Lily hasn't stopped crying" Ben said as silence grew. Gwen bit her bottom lip. Max sat a bucket of worms down on a rock and placed a grub onto the hook. Ben placed his rod down and began to do the same. He looked over towards where his cousin was standing but she wasn't there. "where'd she go?" Ben whispered. "where'd who go Ben?" Max asked him. Ben shook his head. "No one Grandpa" He forced a smile but Max didn't believe him. He threw his line out and sat down with Max. he smiled at the afternoon sun. "Ben?" a voice called out to him. "Huh?" He turned to see his cousin sitting on the rock next to him. "Holy Sh*t" Ben almost fell over. "Don't do that," Ben said.
"Don't do what" Max helped him back up. "The um fishing rod moved and it scared me," Ben said awkwardly. "….. Alright then" Max turned back to his fishing. "Does any of this seem real to you?" Gwen asked him. He shook his head. There was a silence for a few minutes before she said. "This isn't real"
"Your just imagining it" Gwen said to him. Ben shook his head again. "Then you must be imaginary too" Ben whispered back soft enough so his grandpa couldn't hear. "Maybe" She said. "But I'm not the one talking to a ghost" He was about to argue with her but she just gave him a pleading look. He turned back to the lake. "Maybe I'm the one alive and you died" Gwen said to him.
"How would that even work" Ben whispered. "I don't know. This cant be real right, so what if your in a coma or something or your actually dead and this is how you've interpreted heaven or the next life" Gwen said hugging her knees. "Gwen I really don't think this is a dream. It would be great and all but I know it isn't a dream" Ben whispered to her. "Ben" He looked over to her. "when's the last time we even went fishing with grandpa?" She asked looking concerned. "Gwen this isn't a dream" He shouted at her. "Ben you okay?"
Ben held his head. "Yeah, fine" Ben sighed and watched the time go by.