I can feel the power of literature begin to flow throw my mind like leaves in the wind. Sensations that are unexplainable in plain text take hold of my gut and begin to wrench it.

I am studying writing styles of different authors and developing technique in my writing. I will, eventually, write the perfect Bwen story, and the art of failing will be my mentor.

For those of you skeptics who do not truly understand what perfection is, it is the feeling of pure comfort and accomplishment in something you do or have. It is all personal based. All of my stories thus far have been good, in my opinion, but none have felt completely 'complete'. Soon, though, I will be able to stand on my own ground with a base of a story.

Chapter 11

The plastic bag full of blistering-cold ice sat lopsided over Ben's nose. The chill was definitely not controlled and sent the nerves that sat throughout his body electrifying messages. It was almost as if someone were trying to freeze the ten-year-old's nose off.

"You're lucky it isn't broken. That would've caused a mess of problems." Max said while pouring more water into the ice maker.

After he had finished paying for Gwen's dress, Max strode back outside the clothing store. There he found Ben lying on the ground, save for his head which Gwen was holding up. He rushed over to his injured grandson and, without questioning the situation, took him back to the Rustbucket. On their way out the mall manager had approached them. Worried of the possibility that he could be sued, the man offered them discounts and free rounds of food. Max assured him that he need not worry about charges.

"So," the older man finally asked, "what exactly happened while I was gone in the store?"

Ben shot his cousin an uneasy look. He wasn't quite sure if telling their grandfather the truth about what happened was a good idea. Maybe leaving out a few parts would make it believable. But Ben knew by the time he could formulate a perfect lie, his grandfather would have seen through it. Instead, he rounded a couple of thoughts together and placed them in chronological order.

"Ben was trying to show off to a few girls that were passing by. He fell face first on the ground." Gwen spoke for Ben. The brown-haired boy threw his cousin a disdainful look. In reality, Gwen didn't know Ben had thought of a lie and she believed that she was saving both of their skins.

Their grandfather eyed them like a hawk skulking out prey. His stare seemed to send out a message saying, I know you're hiding something.

Ben couldn't help but get tense. He was afraid that his grandfather could see right through the transparent lie that Gwen had told. What if he saw it...what if he knows we're lying and he saw the whole thing. What if he heard what I said! Ben's mind was racing faster than a NASCAR driver.

"Well, alright then. Let's all head on to bed." Max finally insisted, but Ben swore he could see some glint in his grandfather's eye. Of course, it must of been his own imagination because of the tension he was going through.

"But grandpa! It's still light out!" Gwen protested.

"You know what they say, early to bed early to rise."

Both children were about to rise in an all out riot of refusal, but something about Max caught them as odd. He seemed all too...accepting with their explanation of the events that supposedly went on in the mall.

Gwen retired from argument - clenching her fists in irritation. Something always has to ruin a good day for me, she thought. "Ruin?" Her subconscious questioned, "What's it going to take for you to realize that today was the best day of your life?"

The young girl became flustered by her own thoughts. They were conflicting, but her subconscious was right in every way. Today was a day full of more happiness than she could have hoped for. Gwen had always admired Ben's bravery in tough situations, but he was able to admit that he - basically - thought she was beautiful. The memory of him saying so sent imaginary sparks flying throughout her body - it made her excited and left her wanting more. But neither of them had spoken of what he said since then.

After he gave them both a brief smile, Max hopped into his fold-out mattress and entangled himself under blue sheets. Gwen wanted to believe something was up and that her grandfather was just joking. However, she knew he was serious as soon as the snores began to come from the bottom of his throat.

For the second time, Gwen and Ben exchanged glances - shrugging in confusion. Instead of talking or conversing in any way, Ben let his head fall onto the soft bed pillow and Gwen climbed onto her bunk.

I'm going to stay here and just wait for the sun to go down, she thought rebelliously. Turning to the side, she now faced the small rectangular glass window that was in the back of the RV. They were parked in a mall parking lot. Gwen could see people still coming in and out of the building happily dancing away. Over everything that was happening, the sun was just above the level of the horizon. It was sure to be dark in half an hour, but that was still too soon to go to bed - at least that's what Gwen thought.

She devised a whole plan to escape from the RV and enjoy herself in the mall. As soon as Ben and her grandfather were asleep, she would quietly climb out of her bed and sneak out. As soon as she was outside, the whole mall would be hers to roam freely.

Gwen laughed inside as she remembered when she had decided to sneak out and go to the boardwalk during the night on the beach. It left her tired and drowsy. But it was worth it, she thought and smiled to no one in particular.

An hour ticked by - which seemed like mere minutes to the orange-haired girl. Many times had she dozed out of reality and fallen into a brief sleep. It would chip away minutes of time as if they were seconds. However, she was now sure that everyone was asleep - as the only sound was her grandfather snoring continuously.

Easily, she slipped out of the vehicle unnoticed. The whole 'sneaking out' part was so easy, and maybe a little too easy. As soon as she finished closing the Rustbucket's metal door, the air of a new night was thrusted into her head. It was coming faster than her senses could tell her brain what exactly was happening. Although, there was one sound that her brain registered instantly.

"Going somewhere?" The raspy voice of a familiar ten-year-old grinded its way into her mind.

She jumped back in surprise and was just about to let out a shrill scream, but Ben's hand covered her mouth.

"Shh" he whispered into the air. "You can scream all you like in the mall, but lets get away from Grandpa first."

With her cousin's hand still over her mouth, she nodded in acceptance - allowing the adrenaline that had just pushed its way through her body to subside. Ben took his hand back and was prepared for a million questions. He had hoped they could wait until they got out of earshot of their grandfather, but apparently his hopes don't ever mean anything.

"What are you doing out here?" Gwen whispered hesitantly in the brightly-lit night.

Ben motioned for her to start walking. They began to head towards the entrance of the mall.

"Ha, please. I wasn't going to let Grandpa's sleeping problems get in the way of having some fun before we sit in the Rustbucket all day driving." Ben answered snidely.

Gwen smiled in response, but also shook her head playfully - as if some part was denying the whole sneak out business. Then she remembered Max's face before they went to bed and got a little worried.

"But didn't you see his face? Don't you think that was a little weird?" Gwen asked, stopping and putting her hand on his shoulder. Normally, she wouldn't have stopped just to ask a simple question, but Gwen saw this as a chance to feel him. She wanted to savor every moment of being connected to him in some way or another.

Ben didn't reject the unexpected gesture, as he loved the way her fragile hand would grip his shoulder blade - and how her eyes would seep into his as if trying to telepathically connect their minds. Neither of them would ever say so, and that was normal. As they always took a chance at any moment to be next to the other or hold the other. However, the two would never say why. Sometimes, though, it just didn't seem like talking had to be done.

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean anything. He was probably losing himself because he was so tired."

Gwen looked to the side, still holding onto Ben's shoulder. "I hope you're right. Because I don't feel like getting grounded."

They both smiled weakly and then continued into the mall. Once they entered through a set of glass double-doors the familiar scent of food and cologne attacked them like hungry lions overwhelming their prey. There was definitely not that many people - which didn't shock Ben or Gwen. It was a Tuesday night and most people had to work the next day so they didn't stay out late.

Instead of running throughout the mall like dogs without a leash, the two walked next to each other calmly. If they ran around then one of them was sure to leave the other's side, and neither wanted that.

They passed by a jewelry store which held overly-expensive diamond jewelry and gold pendants. All of the rocks were shiny and attractive, but didn't appeal to their sense of beauty. Walking by the jewelry shop, another store which sold hand-made items caught their attention. Looking on from the outside, Gwen spotted a large wooden Tiki head. It was masterfully shaped and formed. Even Ben thought it was quite amazing.

Ben chuckled. "Who would put that in their yard, or even their house."

"I have no idea, but doesn't it look cool?" Gwen said, while still eying the statue.

"Well yeah but..." Ben stopped and decided to try and make the face that was on the wooden art. He cringed his nose up and furrowed his brow. Then he took his lips and pursed them together, making an odd frown face.

Gwen, turning to see why he suddenly stopped talking, started to laugh when she saw Ben's face.

"Oh come on, dweeb." She said and tugged on his shirt, pulling him towards another large hallway in the mall.

They walked down a bit further and came across something that was definitely different from everything else in the well-kept mall. In the center of the large walkway was a midnight-blue canvas stand. It was mostly covered up and the only real visible part was a large crystal ball on a counter in the front of it. There was also a sign attached to the bottom of the canvas tent. It read, "FREE Fortune Telling Booth".

Gwen's eyes shot open wide. It was something to do with magic - or a scam - and she was like metal to a magnet with anything magic. "A fortune teller!" She gasped and spoke at the same time. "Come on."

Something just isn't right here..., Ben thought and followed his cousin.

She ran towards the booth and quickly sat down in the chair. The man who was behind the short counter was tall and most of his body was covered up by a blue cloak. Ben swore he saw the man smile when he looked up to see Gwen sitting in the chair at the booth.

"Welcome, you are hear to get your fortune told I presume?" The man spoke in a deep voice - almost as if he was trying to hide his real voice - and he spoke extremely slow.

"Yes!" Gwen answered eccentrically.

This time it was all too obvious. The fortune teller did smile.

"Very well, allow me to see your hand"

Gwen obeyed and let her hand rest on the counter. When the man took a hold of it Ben got tense. The young boy put his hands behind his back and had the Omnitrix ready in case anything happened. Something...there is something about this guy I don't like.

With Gwen's hand in his own, the fortune teller put his free hand on the crystal ball. Weird lightning strikes appeared inside the glass orb. What was really odd about the strikes was that they seemed to be coming from the man's hand, rather than the ball itself.

"Would you like to hear what your future holds now?" He asked Gwen.

She was all too happy to hear what was in store for her and could not speak. All she was able to do was nod.

"Death," the man said and smiled a large and devious grin, "and the bringer of it will be me!" After he finished his sentence, his voice sped up and became more sinister. Letting go of Gwen's hand, the fortune teller stood up quickly and ripped off his cloak. Behind the whole charade was Hex. Before the magician had any time to subdue his rivals, Ben transformed into Wild Mutt and nudged Gwen ontop of himself.

The orange hound began to race down the mall hallways. Behind him evil laughter rang throughout the marble-stone floors and ceiling. The sound echoed through the mall - bouncing off every corner and floor tile.

Gwen was having a hard time hanging onto the dog-like alien. The only thing she could keep a grip on were his long fur strands. Everything was happening at a fast pace. Wild Mutt contiued to dash down the halls and Hex was hot on their trail - blasting lightning and using spells to make the water from fountains splash them.

Ben was in Wild Muttt's body, but he still had his own mind of course.

I knew it. That guy was definitely not some cheap fortune teller, The boy's voice rang through his own head. Wild Muttt slid into different hallways and dug his claws into the ground so he wouldn't tumble from the smooth floor. Ben had gone into panic mode and was furiously changing directions and jumping over obstacles. A few people spotted the orange alien and let out a shrill shriek - then ran for the nearest exit.

"Ben!" Gwen shouted - beginning to get a headache from being flopped around. "Stop, he's not following us anymore.

Wild Muttt turned on another hallway corridor and then slowed down to a stop. He stood on all fours, panting from the frantic rush of escaping the sight of Hex. Sucking in deep breaths of the mall's cold and dry air, his throat began to hurt.

Gwen dismounted the large beast and swayed back and forth. Her head was in a whirl from the fast-paced attack and instant change in situation. One minute they're walking through the mall enjoying each other's company and the next they're running from a deadly villian.

"What do you think he wants?" Gwen asked Wild Mutt - fully understanding that he couldn't speak. The alien simply stood on its back legs and shrugged. They took a minute to figure out what Hex might be after them for.

He could want revenge, Gwen thought, it's not like we took...

She stopped as soon as she realized what was in the Rustbucket that a magician could want. The Charms of Bezel!

"Ben! Hex wants the Charms of Bezel." She spoke directly to Wild Mutt's face - but then backed away because of the horrible scent of his breath. Obviously, Ben understood what this meant and motioned for Gwen to get back on so they could go after him. Ben knew that Hex must of stopped chasing them because he - somehow - figured out that the charms were in their RV.

But how could he have known? Ben wondered. There were so many questions that needed answering.

Gwen sighed. She didn't feel like taking another roller coaster ride. "Can you at least take it easy?" She asked Wild Mutt.

The orange alien nodded in acceptance. Gwen was weary about trusting Ben's word on something like taking it easy; however there wasn't much choice. She mounted the creature and sat atop of its back. Her mind then snapped into a scientific-action mode. Before Ben had a chance to take off, Gwen realized that lying down would make the trip less nauseating. She pressed her stomach and chest against the animals back - which was warm like a heated blanket. Then she let her legs drape over Wild Mutt's body and finally locked her arms around his neck.

Ben understood what she was doing, and thought of it as a good idea. Now that she was securely fastened - which Ben called it in his mind - they could smoothly move around the halls and locate Hex before he got to their sleeping grandfather.

Wild Mutt kicked off of the tile floor and rush back into action - a little slower as Gwen requested. He furiously strode through the hallways and corridors trying to backtrack his way back to the entrance they came in from.

They passed by broken fountains and large gaping holes in the ground. Probably where Hex had shot lightning bolts, Gwen noted.

Finally, they went by a familiar jewelry shop and were sure that they were on the right track. Unfortunately, before they were able to make it outside, the Omnitrix on Wild Mutt's body began to flash red and emit a beeping noise.

Oh not now!, Ben pleaded in his head.

In a flash of red light, Wild Mutt was gone and Ben was now in his spot. The boy landed on the ground because of the height Wild Mutt stood at. Gwen fell with him - her arms still around Ben's neck. She landed on top of his back and they were in a tangled mess.

Both of their faces were beat red, and they each knew. But nothing was said about it, as they had a more important job to do than talk about the color their faces turned when they were unexpectedly close to the other. Gwen unhinged her arms from Ben's neck and she stood up.

"Come on! He's probably already taken the charms in the Rustbucket!" Ben said loudly, taking Gwen's hand as she offered it to help him stand up.

The two rushed out of the mall and into the parking lot. It was much darker than when they had first entered the mall and the moon was now shimmering in the night sky.

Ben arrived at the Rustbucket first and frantically opened the door. He raced up the stairs and into the vehicle - Gwen sooned followed.

"He's not here!" Ben announced worriedly.

Gwen didn't need to ask who, as she could clearly see who wasn't there. Their grandfather wasn't in his bed and Hex was no where to be seen.

"Ben," Gwen started, "make sure the charms are still in the box."

Ben nodded and quickly ran to get the box that was under his bed. He dumped everything out of it, but then remembered that he had given the charms to Gwen.

"I gave you the charms, remember?" Ben asked hurridly.

Gwen instantly remembered and jumped over to her top bunk. She used Ben's bottom bed to stand on and held onto her own for balance. Lifting up the pillow she slept on, the Charms of Bezel were underneath it on the blue necklace - just like she left them.

"Something's not adding up." Ben spoke as Gwen lowered herself from his bed. "Where is Grandpa and what happened to Hex?"

The next chapter should be the final one. I have quite a bit to cover in it, but I should be able to complete it in 1-3 days.