disclaimer- i dont own these characters
Chapter 27: Sanctuary
He smiled at his surroundings. His brother really could pick them, it was a beautiful place. Ben had his own little island in a way, where no one could harm him.
Ben ran around like a child through the wooded area. There were trees with larger trunks than he'd seen. He heard the birds chirping, the only other life besides his own in the secluded area. The birds sounds were beautiful, they were telling a story. He would have to listen later to save the story for when he saw his siblings again.
Ben's thoughts turned to one of his siblings, the special one, his sister Max. She didn't seem like a sister to him, but that was their initial connection. He wondered what Max was doing. He hadn't seen her in years. He had been following Zack's orders to keep them all safe, keeping separate to not jeopardize their safety. Although the thought of his brother keeping them apart upset Ben, picturing little Maxie as he remembered, imagining the beautiful woman she must be right now, Ben found he wasn't that upset if it meant she was safe.
Ben lifted his head to the sound of water flowing. It must be the waterfall. He followed the sound for some time before he found it.
He noticed a waterfall flowing onto some rocks. He remembered what his brother had said "Behind the waterfall, that's where you'll find everything you need. Rations, a sleeper, your pills. Don't forget to take your pills, Ben."
Ben's smile formed into an angry frown at the thought. Did Zack really think Ben wouldn't be aware of his surroundings enough? Did he think Ben wouldn't be in his sound mind?
Ben found there was everything he would need for a while in the cave underneath the waterfall. Upon examining the pills, Ben only became more upset and disappointed. Had Zack forgotten that Ben was a trained soldier? Surely Zack had known that Ben would know what these were, not vitamins. The pills were meant to sedate Ben into a non-violent state, almost like a tranquilizer.
Ben's attention moved to a sound he heard that bothered him. It was a bird squawking. Ben tried to shoo it away, but in vain. Instead, more of them came, squawking, shouting at him.
They were spying on him. Zack must have sent them to keep watch. He didn't trust Ben, so he'd sent his own methods to keep him in control while he was away.
Ben glared angrily at the birds, then his eyes fell to the pills. They wanted him to take the pills, then they would leave him alone. I don't want to take these pills, Ben thought angrily. There really was only one way to stop them.
Ben changed the sounds they were singing to his own sort of song. He began dancing to the music, with a sharp rock in his hand. Ben blocked all sounds except his song.
When his song ended, he enjoyed the silence. He looked to the ground, admiring his work.. He would need to give them proper burial, it was what the Blue Lady would want. She loved everyone, even the birds.
He grabbed their little bodies and placed them in the river, to let the Blue Lady decide where to take them.
Ben pulled out a rosary and a prayer card, stroking her image gently. The Blue Lady would be pleased with the sacrifice, it was all he could do for where he was trapped.
Yes, Ben was trapped. His brother had kept him here to keep him contained, away from civilization. Ben scowled at the thought. Zack was constantly underestimating Ben, they all were.
He stared one last time at the pills before chucking them as far as he could. He couldn't see where they landed, and he didn't care.
The water flowing no longer calmed Ben. It only angered him, the liquid bars meant to keep him at peace while in nature's cell.
"You'll have a sanctuary," he remembered Zack saying, "You'll be safe here. I picked you out a beautiful spot, I know you'll like it."
Ben at the time was foolish enough to think his brother meant it. "Will the Blue Lady like it?" Ben recalled himself asking.
His brother had smiled genuinely. No, it wasn't genuine. It was fake, it was meant to keep me trapped here. "Yes, of course, she will like it." Zack had answered before leaving. Zack had left him here.
Ben sat upon the ground clutching his knees with the rosary in hand. He held onto his rosary tight, so tight he was bleeding from the hand. It was all he had She was all he had. He would probably never see his family again. He would never see Max.
Ben had wanted to ask him about her. Zack would surely know. Zack didn't think anyone would notice, probably, in the short time he always spent with his siblings, but Ben was smarter than that. Ben knew. A CO wasn't supposed to have favorites, but Zack did. Max was his favorite. Zack wanted Max for himself. If Ben had asked, it would have put the suspicions up for Zack.
Ben was disgusted with his brother. Zack would never understand. He wouldn't be able to accept that Max was not his. Ben felt his heart beat, longing for Max. Max could never be Zack's, because Max was really Ben's. But he would never get to tell her. He would never get to share his stories with her.
This was no sanctuary.