-Chapter 12
BEN'S POV
Five years ago
The Moon Children most likely stared at me through their horrid masks, and I felt the pressure of their eyes spreading in my entire body like some kind of poison, going up and down through my veins. I was still cold and shaking, and I thought about how helpless I probably looked in that moment.
"But" I began, my voice rough and still trembling "you're asking me to be just like my father." I coughed after finishing speaking, and I felt so tired and cold.
"You are not like your father. Isn't that what you keep telling yourself?" One Moon Children said, amused vaguely.
How did they know what I was thinking about? Or were they just guessing? I took a deep breath, only to realize that it was painful and somehow unnecessary. I felt sick afterwards, which resembled the way I deeply thought about the whole situation. The Moon Children didn't move, but they were facing me, as if they expected something from me I wasn't aware of.
I didn't even care why they were helping me, even if I should've. I had to be human again, I couldn't stay in this awful body forever.
I was twelve and little did I know about attachment. The Moon Children seemed to have noticed that so fast...
Three weeks ago
She spends most of her time locked in her room, drawing. I can't tell if either she doesn't have any friends or if she just likes her own company better. Through her curtains, light slowly invades her room and partly uncovers the piece of paper she's holding. Her hands are pitch black from the chalk, but she doesn't mind, obviously. She's listening to The Kooks crooning about the seaside. She probably imagines that she's there.
Sometimes I do this while I watch people, deciding if they're worth my time or not. I try guessing what's their favorite band and things like that, because eventually I could use that in my advantage as well, but today I'm not in the mood.
I don't recall what she's drawing, but she is good at it though. Very good. She looks interesting, that type of person you'd insist to know more about and do everything to find out, because she doesn't tell much, but now I couldn't care less about why she does what she does.
I look at the Majora's Mask cartridge, which lies on the flowery bed cover, with a crazy smile. I don't have much time left, but this time I'm very sure I found the right person, finally.
It's going to be so easy.
But first, I have to take care of that aquaitance of hers, Alex.
I felt a huge grin spreading on my face, that kind of grin you see maniacs wearing in bad films.
And that's going to be easier.
LANA'S POV
Ben held my hand the entire road to Offender's House, as if he was afraid something bad will happen if he'll let go. I didn't mind, anyway. At some point he started gently rubbing my palm with his thumb, but he didn't seem very aware of it, and again, I didn't say anything, because his touch was both electrifying and calming in the same time.
"Offender's a little flamboyant." Ben started all of the sudden, when our group stopped in front of a Mansion identical to Slenderman's: immense, posing with a ghostly facade. One silhouette rushed to the door, but I couldn't distinguish its features because of the darkness, so I wasn't sure who that person was exactly.
"You're telling me this so it won't come out as a shock?" I asked, my eyes quickly trailing the highlights of his face in a moonless night-sky.
"I think so." He paused for a few seconds, then he smiled, and I immediately knew that I liked his smile a lot. "I don't know, actually. I just wanted to make conversation." He confessed, laughing slowly.
"You two!" I heard an unfamiliar voice shouting and my head instinctively turned towards its direction. I recongnized a Slenderman look-a-like figure which I assumed was Offender. I took a closer look at his garment, and then rapidly shot Ben an understanding look. He nodded and scratched the right corner of his mouth with the opposite hand, in order to succesfully hide his amusement. He probably wanted to say I told you so.
"Hello!" Offender said excitedly. He nearly bowed. He produced a red rose from his coat and he gave it to me, winking. I accepted it awkwardly.
"Come on in. Everyone's waiting for you." Offender offered, then began walking, without expecting an answer, as if following him was unquestionable.
I looked at Ben, trying to figure out what he's thinking about, but his expression was suddenly neutral. He looked like he remembered something about this place, and now he didn't want to be here anymore, because it was seemingly wrong. I swallowed, but my throat remained dry.
I need to find out what's going on.
I leaned against the closed, wooden door while the others were reluctantly talking in the next room. Barely talking, more whispering, like they didn't want me to hear them, but still, a whirring caused by their voices could be distinguished. The surroundings quickly caught my attention, nevertheless. For someone as flamboyant as Offender, this house, unexpectedly, was poorly decorated. From another perspective, at the lack of other words, it wasn't. The walls were covered with tapestry, colored blankly. Hanging on them were dozens of portraits and paintings, with sumptuous frames which gave this Mansion a heavy atmosphere. I frowned. Despite the abundance of paintings, the Mansion at least seemed neatly furnished.
I considered settling in while the others finished whatever discussion they started there, but I rejected that thought immediately because it implied that I'll search for a room on my own in here, and there were various reasons why I wouldn't do that. I calmed down a bit after tonight's incident, but not knowing what's happening still troubled me. I felt like me being in that drawing wasn't just a coincidence, that all of this had something to do with me too, but also I really wanted to believe Ben wasn't hiding something from me. Because I remember how all of the sudden he was mysteriously nice to me. I just didn't want to have any doubts.
While I sat there alone, a memory occured to me. Last year, when I was a freshman, I spent my first weeks in highschool mostly in my own company. In my first day though, I went there full of confidence, and I kept thinking about the friends I was going to make, and how exciting it will be to find someone who has the same interests as me. And I was disappointed. Anyway, after those solitary weeks, a sophomore group began talking to me, and they kept saying that they noticed me from the first day, mostly due to the bandshirts I was always wearing. I was happy. But eventually it turned out that they were just using me for their amusement, and that screwed me up. I lost all confidence in myself.
I hope that's not gonna happen again.
"Lana?" Ben slowly thouched my shoulder, emphasizing his question.
I startled, snapping out of my previous mood.
"I'm sorry you had to wait here."
"It's okay." I said.
"I'll show you around if you want." Ben offered.
I shook my head in disapproval.
"Can you just please show me my room?"
He nodded, insecure. "Sure." Ben then said.
I followed him around the Mansion, trying to memorize the way. We didn't talk, and this type of quiet combined with the silence that was already here. He opened the door for me and I smiled and walked in, turning on the light in the process.
"Are you okay?" Ben then asked. He looked concerned.
I nodded. "Yeah, I am. But I need to know what's going on, Ben." I demanded, gazing straight at him.
"Okay." He agreed and then he pulled himself away from the door, stepping towards me. Eventually, we both sat down, and I crossed my legs and entangled my fingers into a soft, almost nonexistent grip. "On my twelfth birthday, my father brought me an old Nintendo 64 cartridge. Just like the one you have. It was my first anniversary I celebrated without my mom, otherwise I don't think he would've bought that game." He took a deep breath, as if the memories were coming back to him in that rhythm. "Anyway, I started playing it. And you know what happened afterwards."
"You drowned.." I replied, and the corners of my eyes caught some long, criss-crossed red shades on both his cheeks. The trails didn't have a starting point, they seemed to encircle his entire eyes, just like he was wearing bloody makeup, and I wished that it would've been that simple.
"Those who did that drawing - The Moon Children - were also involved. They ultimately made me who I am. I mean, Ben Drowned." He finished, acting like it wasn't anything special, just some ordinary chit-chat. He gestured at himself, to make his point clearer. But I noticed the way his voice rapidly cracked when he said their name, and how quickly he tried to hide it. He really did look like he was afraid of them.
"They stole my eyes." Ben added, half-heartedly.
And now they've come back.
Silence fell between us for a few seconds.
"I'm sorry I made you remember these things." I said, apologetically, and my voice was lower than I intended.
"It's fine. I'm fine."
He smiled, but it looked a little bit fake.
"So this has nothing to do with me?"
"No." He assured me. "You were just there when they were too."
I decided to change the subject. I wasn't sure I completely understood, or that what he told me was actually an explanation, but I was going to persuade him later. It just felt awful to see bloodstains on his face and still keep making him talk about those who caused him this fate.
"What's your favorite song?" I asked all of the sudden, and I thought I sounded sheepish.
There were tons of CDs in his room, but most likely those were video-games.
"I don't really listen to music..." He had a thoughtful face, and his voice faded at the end of the sentence. Then, Ben grinned, as if he had just thought at something that was funny, but he wasn't planning on sharing it because he didn't know if I'd find it amusing or not.
"Seriously, in that case, what are you doing with your life?" I teased.
BEN'S POV
Oh God, she chose not to ask me anything else about that subject because of the subject itself, because of what I already told her.
I asked everyone to help me out with this, when we arrived. I guess now everyone knows everything right now, even that I rushed to Offender and that he helped me contact The Moon Children that same day. Slender didn't seem very pleased, but he remained quiet until the so-called meeting ended. I have no idea how they are going to help me, but the fact that they accepted to do so really made me rethink some things.
"What's your favorite song?"
Lana's question interrupted my endless chain of thoughts.
I don't actually have one. I don't understand the concept of favorite music, because to me it means that you find comfort in some words you'll never know if they're empty or not.
I used to, though, before. I remember having posters in my room and band members' signatures on their albums. It's weird how I remember things from my past, and how they don't particularly mean anything to me, yet I still want them back.
We ended up listening to hers. I've never heard it before, and she proudly introduced me to indie-rock - and no, indie didn't stand for India.
I put my arm around her, and she didn't mind, but she seemed lost in her song. Her skin was so warm, and the color of her hair seemed even brighter than usual. I wanted to kiss her, but she was really enjoying the song, so I didn't. I tried to pay attention to the lyrics, and I swear I've never before truly felt like any song matched how I thought someone should see me. I felt chills running through the core of my spine.
And you're cold and I burn
I guess I'll never learn
I'm corpse-like cold.
But how warm did I think the Moon Children could actually make me?
"We need to talk." Masky said, without bothering to knock or even mention who he wanted to talk to, because it was, obviously, me. He had the same dark posture, due to the fact that he rarely took his mask off. Clearly someone sent him here, and he'd rather do something else.
I followed him out of the room, moment in which he closed the door carelessly.
"There isn't any other way to put this." Masky said. "If you want us to help you with this, she needs to know too."
I almost choked.
"What?" I asked, amazed. "I can't tell her everything."
"Lana needs to know. It's a condition." Frankly, I think I understand why he didn't want to be here, arguing with me. But no. That was a stupid condition. They couldn't possibly expect me to tell Lana that I was planning on almost killing her before I changed my mind.
Then we heard the door creaking and shy footsteps coming out of the room we just left behind.
"Lana needs to know what?" She asked, biting her lower lip. "You already told me, right?" Her voice ringed with hope, mixed with doubt and surprise.
I looked at her and then at Masky, pleadingly.
Masky hesitated, but then he slowly shook his head in response, cleared his throat and answered Lana:
"No. Whatever he told you, it's probably a lie."
Author's note: Hi everyone! So.. here's the new chapter. Let me know what you think of it! :)
I still can't believe this story has so many views. It really makes me feel better. Thank you so much for reading this!
Also, does anyone else listen to The 1975? They're my favorite band, so I decided to make Settle down Lana's favorite song ( although Robbers is my personal favorite ). If you didn't know about them, you should check them out. :)
