Here's the next chapter! Sorry you had to wait so long.
Thanks so much to Mya the one and only. This chapter focuses on what you were saying you wanted to read about, so I hope you enjoy it. There is much more to be explained though, so stay tuned!
stargazingfromearth (sorry about the name being wrong. The uploader wouldn't accept it for some reason if I added the periods): wow, that really means a lot. Thank you so much for your kind words! It's always encouraging to hear things like that. I already have some ideas for relationships with many of the characters in the 2nd Mass planned out. I'll admit that's one of the aspects I'm really excited to write about!
Guest: thank you so much for taking the time to review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
"Anne, Ben thinks he can help," said Hal, walking into the trailer.
"Actually, Hal thinks I can help," corrected Ben.
Anne turned around from the counter where she was arranging her supplies. "Any help either one of you can provide, I'd be grateful for," she sighed.
Hal turned to Ben. "How do you want to do this?" he asked.
Ben shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "This was your idea."
Anne looked from Hal to Ben suspiciously. "What's going on?" she asked warily.
Ben gave Hal an I'm not saying it look.
"I think Ben can tap into this girl's mind," said Hal finally. "Bring her out of whatever she's in." He looked up anxiously at Anne, as if afraid she would laugh. But Anne simply looked thoughtful.
"It could work," she said slowly. She looked at the younger Mason brother. "I don't know the extent of your connection. It's up to you, Ben."
Ben took a deep breath. "It can't hurt to try," he said reluctantly. There was silence. Anne and Hal looked worried. Ben moved his gaze to Anne. "Are you sure there is no other way to bring her out?"
"No," replied Anne. "I'm not positive. I can try with medication, but it's risky. To be honest, I think there's more of a chance of killing her with the medication than there is of bringing her out of it."
"And you really think she'll die if she stays in this state?"
"Yes."
Ben took another deep breath. "Then what choice do I have?"
"There's always a choice, Ben," replied Anne gently. "You don't have to do this. She may wake up on her own or it may be that it's for the better if she doesn't. This is my responsibility, not yours."
"Well I want to do it," said Ben resolutely. He moved his eyes to Hal, who smiled encouragingly. "What do I do, Hal?" he asked, sounding uncertain.
Hal shrugged. "Let her into your head," he suggested.
"She's already in my head," reminded Ben.
"I don't think you're letting her in all the way though. No person would, especially not you."
"Wait a moment," interrupted Anne. "What do you mean, she's already in your head?"
Ben glared at Hal.
Hal looked caught in the headlights. "Ben can't stop thinking about her. All the time, doesn't stop talking about her. I meant it metaphorically," he said quickly, trying, and clearly failing judging by Anne's frown and Ben's murderous look, to do damage control. "Anyways," he said with an awkward throat clearing, obviously trying to change the subject.
Ben began to look slightly fed up. "Do you have a plan or not, Hal?"
"You need to get into that connection. Then, I really think you can get in there and pull her out of whatever it is that's keeping her locked up. I know, I know," added Hal hastily, seeing Ben's disapproving look. "'There's no such thing as telepathy or spirit walking.'"
"I guess it's worth a shot," Ben finally said grudgingly, clearly just wanting something to try.
There was silence, the three of them standing there awkwardly. "Maybe I should get your father, Ben," said Anne finally.
"No," said Ben, more sharply than he meant to. "Don't get him involved."
He closed his eyes. Hal and Anne watched with trepidation. Nothing happened for a moment. Then Ben flinched. His face tightened briefly.
"Ben?" said Hal, about to step forward.
Ben opened his eyes. He was breathing a little heavier than normal and his eyebrows were furrowed.
"I almost had it," he said. "I think she's trying to keep me out. Give me a moment, I think you're right. I can get in."
He took a couple of breaths and before Anne or Hal could say anything, he closed his eyes again.
He could physically feel himself moving now. It felt like he was flying. It was dark, but the movement made him slightly dizzy so he wasn't focused on the darkness. It was like he was pushing against something strong, but fragile at the same time. Easy to break with enough force.
Who are you? Ben asked aloud, his voice echoing. I know you can hear me, he continued, though in reality he had no idea if the girl really could or not.
He looked around him. There were streaks of light now swirling in the darkness. He continued to push against the barrier.
I want to help you, he said.
Getting no response, he suddenly pushed the barrier with one giant shove.
He felt it break and himself falling forwards, with nothing to catch him. The feeling of the barrier breaking was like feeling a knife cutting into his flesh, hearing nails on a chalkboard. It sent chills down his back and he had to stop himself from shouting out. He could feel himself falling with no restraint. Nothing to catch him. Plunging literally head first down into oblivion.
Suddenly he found himself in a forest. It was dark, the moonlight making eerie shadows of the trees. Shivering with fear and the cold, he looked around. He felt solid enough, though he knew it was happening in his mind. He took a cautious step forward. Everything felt real. It was in his mind, right? He felt uncertain now and he pulled his jacket closer to him. It looked lighter in the distance and he could see the edge of the forest. He took off towards the light, wincing as his feet crunched leaves underneath him.
He was close to the light at the edge of the woods when out of nowhere, something crashed into him. Ben yelled in surprise, throwing his arms over his face instinctively. He was in better shape than he had been before he'd been harnessed, but he was no fighter. He could feel that it was a person tackling him with enough force to say that they meant business. Ben tried to grab their thrashing arms to stop them from hitting him, and he felt their hair graze his hand.
I'm here to help you! Ben said to the best of his ability.
This person clearly was not a fighter either, but they were stronger than Ben. He was surprised when they stopped hitting him, but it made more sense when they grabbed his arms and pinned them to the ground so that he was defenseless.
You need me, said Ben desperately. Don't do this to yourself.
The person on top of him paused for a moment and then let go of his arms roughly. They got up and stopped. Then they turned around and started walking away.
Wait, said Ben, getting up and hoping the person wouldn't tackle him again. Please. He held out his hand on an impulse.
The figure turned to look at him and the moonlight shone on their face. He had been prepared for it, but it was still a shock that sent a coldness running through his body. It was the girl lying on Anne's table. Her clothes weren't bloodstained but she had a mysterious air about her.
She fixed him with an impassive stare. It was almost a dead look, the moonlight adding to the haunting effect. She didn't say a word. Ben took a step forward, still holding out his hand.
Please, he repeated.
She let him get close enough to where he could take her hand. The entire time she remained silent, as though waiting to see what he could do. Once he had taken her hand, his own trembling with nervousness, he took a step backwards trying to lead her towards the light.
Immediately she yanked her arm, the expression on her face turning cold. Ben held on, the girl's reaction confirming his thought that the light would take them back to the living. Out of this limbo.
But as her struggles got stronger, so did Ben. He remembered Hal's words to him: You can do things I can only dream about. Those are gifts, Ben. Treat them like it. He wasn't going to, under any circumstances, admit that Hal was right. But on the off chance he was, Ben supposed now would be the time to use them. He wasn't quite sure why he was fighting so intensely to save this girl, other than the fact that he had, quite literally, come too far to turn back. And so he pulled even harder on the girl's arm, dragging her towards the light.
He was taken by surprised when she suddenly lunged towards him, clearly an attempt to knock him to the ground and break his grip on her. He was even more surprised when he was able to withstand the blow, no doubt thanks to the thing Hal called a 'gift.' He was able to get his arms around the girl, despite her struggles, and he finally reached the edge of the woods.
Suddenly the light became blinding. It surrounded them and Ben let go of the girl. There was a piercing noise that made Ben cover his ears and screw up his face. He could hear the distinct sound of mechs in the background moving about. He hadn't been back in the 2nd Mass for long, but he knew what they sounded like. Everybody did. The girl was nowhere to be felt or seen, but Ben wasn't concerned with her at the moment.
I accept your offer, came another voice out of nowhere. This was a female voice that he didn't recognize. The light was still blinding, but Ben tried to open his eyes. The light came from a source now. It was behind him, so he could see just a little bit. He could tell they were in some sort of field, but he couldn't see much else. He couldn't tell if the light was a spotlight or if it came from a mech. Blurry shapes moved around the light. It was like watching a movie that hadn't been properly cared for. Ben squinted his eyes to try and see more, but it just got even blurrier.
I think we're done here, came the voice again.
No! came an anguished scream. It might have been a little boy's voice or it might have even been the girl's, he couldn't tell. The scream was so raw and visceral that he shut his eyes to it, trying to block it out. The scream echoed in his ears and he forced himself to try and open his eyes again. Everything was black and he felt panic surge in him. Then he felt his feet lift off the ground and his body flying backwards.
Someone was calling his name, somewhere in the distance.
He tried to respond but he didn't know where it was coming from. He was still flying backwards and everything was still black. He could feel pressure building around him and he tensed his body, because there was nothing else he could do about it.
"Ben!" came the voice again. It was urgent and it was a voice he knew.
"Hal," he tried to say, but he couldn't even hear himself so he doubted his brother could.
"Ben, wake up!" Hal's voice was stronger now, penetrating though the darkness.
With a huge effort, Ben pulled open his eyes. He was gasping for air and it filtered into his conscience that he was on the ground. Hal was leaning on top of him, his hands on Ben's shoulders.
"Ben, talk to me," demanded Hal. "Are you alright? Say something, anything." There was fear in Hal's voice, which was no doubt the cause of his agitation.
"I'm fine," Ben managed to get out. He lay on the floor gasping for a few moments before he noticed Anne in the background. He was almost frightened to look at the girl, scared he would see the same dead look in her eyes before he remembered that in this world, she was asleep.
He got up slowly, Hal moving back. The two of them walked over to Anne who immediately began taking Ben's pulse.
"I'm fine," muttered Ben, but Anne took no notice of him.
Because everyone was focused on Ben, no one was looking at the girl, which made what happened next so terrifying. In a move so sudden that all three of them jumped, her arm reached out and her hand closed on Ben's jacket. Ben honestly thought he was going to have a heart attack because he was so startled. Hal had his gun out in the time it took Anne to blink, and the doctor was frozen next to Ben.
The girl's eyes suddenly opened and Ben found himself staring directly into them. These were not the emotionless eyes he had seen earlier. These were full of agitation but as they focused on Ben's, they became guarded almost instantaneously.
In a moment Ben was overcome with emotions so strong that he knew they couldn't be his alone: horror, anger, confusion, and most alarmingly of all: he identified betrayal. The feelings crashed into him until he could barely breathe. Then all became empty. It was like a room full of yelling people who suddenly all stopped talking. He was grateful it went away, but strangely enough he felt like he had lost something. As though a piece of him was missing. Like he was searching for something desperately but he knew he would never find it.
"She closed the connection," he realized aloud in shock. "It's gone."
I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you thought and thank you for reading!
~moviegal101~
