Chapter 6

Reese's POV

It was all a blur when I woke up. Mostly because when I woke up, I had bolted upright from bed and started hyperventilating. I accidentally yanked a heart rate tracker clip away from my finger and the heart monitor went from rapidly beeping to a droning buzz in seconds. Hands grabbed at me, trying to lay me down as gently as they could, but when that didn't work they resorted to shoving me. I kept trying to fight them, not knowing who they were or where I was. That's when a voice spoke to me in a soft tone, "Reese, mijito, calm down."

I listened to the voice's command and laid back against my pillows. To my right was Mom, sitting on a recliner pulled up beside my bed. She was leaning forward, almost in apprehension of what just happened, but she remained still and patient. The two nurses that tried to hold me down let go of me, and held awkward expressions on their faces, like they had that moment of panic for nothing. One of them clipped the heart rate tracker back on my finger and the machine picked up on my pulse quickly. Mom's hands cupped my right hand and I tried to squeeze a gentle grip on her. Trying to do that exhausted me. Doing anything exhausted me now.

"The nurses wanted to wait until you were awake for you to eat a proper meal. You're anemic right now," Mom explained, as if sensing my concern.

"What happened?" I murmured, my mouth feeling dry.

She flashed me a delicate smile and answered, "You've been in the hospital for two days now. It's Monday."

"What...?"

She nodded and added, "Doctors say a custodian found you by the emergency entrance, and nurses took you in. You had lost a lot of blood."

"But...how--?" And that's when I suddenly remembered the encounter I had with that black, deformed creature, and what had been happening to my body. My heart started racing faster as I looked down at myself. My hands were clear of any black vein-patterned substances, and there was only a sore pain in my body. I touched the left side of my face and found a large, bandage patch on my cheek. Then I remembered the shadow coming closer before I had passed out. Who was that?

"Did...Did Artem come back to the shop?" I asked, hoping it was him. But, then I realized after I asked that it wouldn't make sense for him to just leave me at a hospital.

Mom shook her head and said, "He was just as surprised as we were when authorities called us here. That wasn't until a day later after you went missing, so we were all worried sick by then."

So then who brought me here?

I remembered other voices that talked to each other while I was in my unconscious state. A man and a woman, I think. The blue light was there, too. It made me feel better. But I passed out again before I could figure out who I was with and what they did to me.

There was a clock underneath the TV on the wall across from me. Noticing the time, I turned to Mom and said, "It's eleven. You should be at work."

"Took the day off. Probably will again tomorrow."

"Mama..."

She brushed her fingers against my right cheek, then through my hair to push back the stringy blonde locks that fell in my face. "Don't worry about that, mijo. Just relax and get better, okay?"

I nodded. It was then that I remembered my brother. "Where's Hunter?"

"He's planning on visiting you after he gets out of school. He'll be coming at two o'clock or so," Mom responded.

That's a long time to wait if I'm going to be stuck sitting in bed. "Can I eat now?" I ask Mom, and she stifles a lighthearted chuckle. Hearing her voice makes me smile and I feel some of the tension in my body release.

In a few minutes, the nurses have brought me a tray of food piled on with whatever the hospital cook can give me. Shit, I can't be that anemic.

And I guess I don't care whether or not the food is good or tastes crappy, because I scarf it all down like a wild animal. Mom has to remind me every other minute to chew my food and take moments to breathe before eating. I half-listen to her.

...

When Hunter comes in, he doesn't just show up and visit. No, he had to convince the nurses to let him in with whatever he had, and I burst out laughing when he came around the corner with a giant bear half the size of me in his arms. He set it down on another chair in the corner and said, "It took a while to convince the security guards I wasn't carrying drugs in this thing."

"Why a teddy bear?" I asked, chuckling my last laughs.

"Why not a teddy bear," he murmured, before walking up to the bed and giving me a hug. I hugged him back, and this time I wasn't exhausted by the action. "I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered against my shoulder. I smiled and held onto him longer.

When Hunter pulled away, he turned around to hug Mom and say hello. Afterwards, she had to get up and go to the restroom, but said Hunter was free to take her spot. So that's what he did and leaned back against the recliner. I asked him how school was today and he shrugged. "Kept worrying about you," he had said.

"How have you been since...," his voice trailed off, hesitant to ask me.

I shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I've been unconscious for two days, bro."

"You definitely look like you have," he remarked and I shot him a playful, nasty look. "Seriously, you do. Your hair's oily and your face is pale. I almost didn't want to hug you."

"Whatever," I grumbled. "You look the same way even without being unconscious for two days."

"True."

I chuckled and relaxed into my pillows. The TV was on now, since I requested to watch something an hour ago. Nothing good was on, really, but I stuck with a cartoon channel. The volume was low, so all that came out of the TV was a quiet murmuring of wacky voices and music. The memory of that incident with Ben came back and my smile faltered.

If he travels through electronic devices with screens, can he watch people through them, too? Can he watch me?

I tried placing my thoughts into something else to ease my tension. Like an idiot, my next thought wasn't any better. In fact, it was worse.

"It's been so long since I've been in a hospital," I murmured. "I think the last time was when..." I stopped myself before I could take the sentence any further. By the look on Hunter's face, he guessed what I was going to say. He stared down at his lap, scratching behind his ear like he does when he's uncomfortable.

The last time I was in a hospital was when Dad had shoved me down the basement stairs and I wound up unconscious at the bottom.

But Hunter has been here more times than I have. Five times. Once because he twisted his ankle on the elementary playground. The rest because of Dad.

"I'm just glad you're back to your old self," Hunter stated genuinely, changing the subject quickly. I didn't mind that he did.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked.

I thought for a moment. The scary thing was is that I did remember everything. I can clearly picture that damned monster and its bulbous eyes staring hard at me. The sound of its cries are still fresh in my mind. Everything about it haunted me, but I shook my head, lying to Hunter. "It's still a little fuzzy."

"Police said you had tried calling 911, saying you were being attacked by that strange creature," he said.

"I...was attacked by something...but I don't know. I don't want to know," I murmured. I clearly knew enough for me to want to forget all about it.

Mom finally came back into my room and said, "Artem called and said he'll come by before visiting hours are over."

"Did he say anything about the shop?" I asked.

Hunter looked taken aback and said, "You're worried about the shop? After almost dying?"

I shrugged.

He shook his head. "I'm a little annoyed at Artem for leaving you alone. I mean, everyone knows that the creature had been roaming about."

"Please don't blame Artem for this," I said. "He didn't know anything bad would happen."

"Reese is right, Hunter," Mom agreed and touched his shoulder.

"Besides," I continued, "from what I remember...I don't think he'd have been able to fend that thing off."

"Then how did you survive...," my brother questioned, and Mom gave him a narrow eyed look.

Again, I shrugged. "Got lucky..."

Extremely lucky.

Someone else did help me, though. Two other people, actually. I don't know their names, and all I have to go by is voices and a blue light. They stopped the black stuff from spreading and saved me.

I wish I could just leave things at that. I wish I could just appreciate that I'm alive and not question how and who helped me. I wish I could stop thinking about Ben and his piercing eyes, and about that monster and how it fucked me up...

But I'm a stubborn idiot.

...

Later on, Artem came to visit and kept asking me questions about how I was doing. I kept telling him I was fine. The look on his face was stern but I could see guilt in his blue eyes the entire time. He felt terrible about leaving me alone.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked.

With a smirk, I answered, "You can give me a raise."

"Anything else?" he added, and Mom laughed behind him.

At around eight o'clock, when visiting hours were over, my doctor came in to check on me. He went over my condition, and told me to be wary of my wounds if they reopen or get infected. Apparently I'll have to come back in five days to get my stitches removed. I didn't realize I even had any, but I should've guessed from the scratches I gained in trying to survive.

The nurses changed my bandages so I could (finally) take a shower, and while they were off, I took the opportunity to get a look at my face in the bathroom mirror. The three scratches on my face were going to be hard to hide, especially since they cover my entire cheek. Not like I care about my face. People will be able to tell Hunter and I apart easier now. Can't wait to get weird looks from people at school, too. And the rumors--oh the rumors! I wonder if I'll get a nickname now, like Scarface, or something. I kind of hope not.

I was released from the hospital an hour later. When I came back home, I set Hunter's teddy bear at the foot of my bed, and was tempted to throw myself onto my blankets. But then I remembered the doctor's orders and slowly crawled in. I rested my arm on my unwounded side and stared up at the ceiling.

"Reese," Mom said as she walked into my room, "Hunter's going to get pizza. Do you want anything else?"

I shook my head. She began to turn to walk out, but I raised my hand and said, "Wait."

Mom came up to my bed and sat on the edge. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it tenderly, then carefully sat up in my spot. Without a word, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight. She hugged me and rubbed my back gently. "I'm happy you're alive, mi niño. I don't know what I'd do if I had lost you..."

I don't say anything and only rest my head on her shoulder. I stared ahead at my closet, my mind blank except for one thought that I finally gave attention to.

After all of that, I'm alive.

...

People did give me looks at school, though most of them were some of concern. I didn't really expect anyone to care about me, especially when I've never given them a reason to. But I know their polite questions of 'are you okay' and 'what happened' will pass soon. Ah, the effects of not having any friends.

When I got back home, Mom was in the kitchen cooking dinner and singing.

"Acaricia mi ensueño
El suave murmullo de tu suspirar
Cómo ríe la vida
Si tus ojos negros me quieren mirar..."

After many years of listening to her sing that song, I unconsciously sang along with her.

"Y si es mío el amparo
De tu risa leve
Que es como un cantar
Ella quieta mi herida
Todo, todo se olvida..."

She turned around and started walking toward me. She held a hand to her chest and held the other out to me. Together, she and I sang, "El día que me quieras."

Then I screamed really loud. She flinched, then playfully smacked my arm as she laughed. "You ruined the moment!"

"Good," I deadpanned. She shook her head and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Where's Hunter?" she asked, looking for my brother.

"Dropped me off so he could go studying with his buddies again," I answered.

She frowned. "He knows I make dinner when you two get home."

"I don't think he's studying, but he's studying," I remarked.

She flashed a smirk and said, "Studying, huh. Maybe you could try that."

"Ew, mama," I groaned.

She chuckled and added, "Well, at least there's more food for you."

"Sweet," I whispered under my breath, and fist-pumped the air.

When I was walking down the hallway to drop off my backpack in my room, I glanced at Hunter's bedroom door. This might be a good time to test out the Majora's Mask game again. Hunter won't be here for a while, and Mom will be busy in the kitchen or living room. As long as I don't make a ruckus, it'll be as if nothing weird has happened. Stats homework can wait.

Quickly, I opened my bedroom door, tossed my backpack on the floor nearby, then went into Hunter's room. I turned on the N64, which still had the Majora's Mask cartridge inserted, and then the TV. The title screen showed up and my thumb pressed the start button faster than I could process. The game files came up and I stared at BEN's for a while. Should I do this? What if it goes wrong? What can I do then?

But what could someone like me be worth to him? I'm no one; just a rough-edged seventeen-year-old who spends his time gaming or sleeping. Picking BEN's game file is the only way to get his attention towards me again so I can get the answers I need.

I selected his game file and was sent to his world. Clock Town was normal, and there was no creepy music like I expected. I thought back to the first time I went to his game file. What did I do? Nothing apparently significant. Just some walking around and talking. Things got weird on their own.

I sat on Hunter's bedroom floor, waiting and messing around with the residents of Clock Town. I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. Until...

"Reese, come get dinner," Mom called. I groaned and set the N64 controller down on the floor. I went ahead and turned off the TV on the way out of the room to get food.

Dinner was delicious, as always. It was just Mom and I, which is both nice and awkward. Nice because she gets this opportunity to chat with me one-on-one. Awkward because she chats with me one-on-one... Both of us kept anticipating Hunter to come back in the middle of dinner, but he eventually called to tell us he'd be getting food with his friends. Mom and I sighed in unison, and finished our food. The mood was lightened when she told me, "Mi niño, guess what I did today while I stayed home..."

"What?"

She bore this wide, giddy smile as she got up and went to the refrigerator. Carefully, she pulled something out and I gasped happily. "You made tres leches cake!"

She set the medium sized cake down on the table and said, "I figured you deserved it after what you've been through."

When I looked up at her, I could see how her chocolate brown eyes twinkled, and I wondered if my eyes were doing the same. I got up and hugged her lovingly, and she squeezed back.

"Te amo, mama," I murmured.

"Te amo, mijito," she replied, and rubbed my head.

When we pulled away from the hug, I announced, "Let's eat...!"

"Try to leave some for Hunter," she said, as she handed me a fork and plate.

"He better get here soon then, because I will obliterate this cake," I stated.

To Hunter's fortune, I did not obliterate the cake. But he still wasn't home when Mom and I finished eating. The cake was put away, and I went ahead and cleaned all of the dishes to let Mom rest. When all of the dishes were washed, the apartment was silent. Mom hung out in her room, so I'm practically alone.

As I was drying off my hands on the towel hanging on the oven handle, I heard a muffled thump from down the hall. I froze, staring down at my hands. I listened in to see if maybe it was just Mom or the neighbors. I stood still and listened towards Mom's room for a few more minutes. It was quiet in there. Knowing Mom, she probably didn't get enough rest last night, and busied herself with other stuff today. She'll be napping.

There was the familiar sound of Hunter's bed creaking that sent me on edge. Quickly, I grabbed a kitchen knife and rushed into the hallway to get to the room. The door was closed, so the apprehension of what was behind it killed me. Carefully, I grabbed the doorknob and turned it fast. I dashed into the room with the kitchen knife wielded in my hand, ready to attack if I needed to.

Instead of something dangerous, I found no one inside. No Ben, no monster, nothing. Everything was left how it was. The TV was off, and when I looked down at the N64...the Majora's Mask cartridge was gone.

"Shit," I muttered and went around looking for it. I was sure that I didn't take it out, so where did it go? It can't just up and disappear.

Checked under the bed. Nothing.

Checked in the closet. Nothing.

Checked the cartridge case that Hunter keeps in the dresser. Nothing.

I checked everywhere and found nothing. Nervously, I turned off the N64 and left Hunter's room. I returned the kitchen knife back to the knife block, then went to my room to do my Stats homework. When I walked in, I half expected someone to be in there instead, but it was empty. Solemnly, I grabbed my backpack and sat on my bed.

How am I going to explain to Hunter that the game is gone?

...

Ben's POV

I got back to the mansion with the cartridge in my hands. It was easy to get; no one was in the room. I didn't get a chance to check on the kid, but I'm sure he's fine.

I placed the game cartridge in a drawer of my nightstand so I could put it somewhere else later. As soon as I closed the drawer, there was a knock at my door and I answered. Ms. P came in tentatively and said, "Benjamin, it's dinner time."

Right. That.

"I'll be right there," I said. She nodded, then closed the door. I stood around in silence for a few moments, preparing myself for the third time today. Like I do everyday.

Once I got my bearings, I went to the kitchen to get Jeff's food, and walked back upstairs. I could easily just teleport there, but I like to have some time to myself for thinking about what I'll say to him. He's become more talkative as the months go by. Becoming more capable of taking care of himself, but not trustworthy enough to allow near the others all at once.

When I got to his door, I took a deep breath before opening it slowly. The light was on and I saw his figure sitting by the window. He had it open, but we barred it up a long time ago so he can't jump out. He tried that shit, too. Ao yanked him back in and kept him on the bed until he could calm down. That took hours, and a lot of Sheba's magic.

The room was fresh now with the window open, and it seemed to serve Jeff better. I placed his tray of food on his desk and said, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

There was a pause of silence, before he answered quietly, "Okay, I guess."

I refrained from saying 'that's good' since it ended poorly when I said it another time in the past. Instead, I grabbed his cup of pills and his bottle of water. I walked up to him, holding out both items in his area of vision. He noticed me out of the corner of his eye and took the pill cup from my hand. Without hesitation, he tossed the medicine into his mouth, then grabbed for the water to drink. Once he was done, he held the bottle of water and kept facing the window.

As I went to return the pill cup to his tray, he suddenly asked, "How is everyone else doing?"

Taken aback, I pulled a smile (even though he wasn't even looking at me) and answered. "They're fine. Still busy working, you know."

"I heard you had to take care of a Corrupted," he commented. "How did that go?"

Stifling a chuckle, I replied, "Funny thing is, I didn't kill it. A human did."

He seemed to turn slightly at the mention of this rare occurrence. "Really...?"

"Yeah. You should've seen him. He was...well, he wasn't giving the thing any mercy. Of course, he did get poisoned, but I brought him to Sheba just in time. He's okay now."

Jeff nodded and kept looking out the window. There's nothing much to see out there now, as it's late evening. Maybe it was the fresh air that kept his attention, or maybe he just didn't want to look at me. Either way, he was actually making decent small talk.

"So, I should let you eat," I murmured and attempted to grab Jeff's food tray, but he interrupted me.

"Ben," he called in a husky voice. I froze and uncurled my fingers from the tray's handles.

"Yeah?"

When I turned, he was still facing the window. From my angle, I could see his dark colored eye, making it seem like both of them were as they used to be. It's rare that I see his other eye. Now that he's realized how bad it looks, he hides it. One time, I had accidentally caught sight of it and he snapped at me. The guy tried to gouge out my own left eye as a punishment.

"Don't you ever get tired of staying cooped up in this mansion?" he asked.

I rubbed the back of my neck and responded, "Well, I'm not stuck here all of the time."

"But you are stuck."

I paused. "N-No..."

This time he turned to look at me and I averted my eyes just in case he was still sensitive about me seeing his cloudy eye. Softly, I questioned, "Do you want to take a walk outside?"

"No, that's not what I want," he grumbled.

I dared a glance up at him. His gaze was stern. Something is up.

"This place...it's suffocating sometimes," he murmured.

It is.

"Sometimes I just want to run away, but I'm stuck here. Like you."

I want to run away, too.

"But...you're able to leave this place in a flash," he said. "You're able to do so much, and I can't help but feel envious of your freedom."

I suppose it is freedom.

"Going out for walks and training isn't enough to sate my needs to see the outside world again," Jeff muttered. "I want to go around killing Corrupted, too. I want to ride my motorcycle again, and just travel. I want to be back to my normal self. I don't want to feel or look like this anymore. But, above all of that, above all of this frustration and pain, what I want most is Ellie. I need her back. I know that if she comes back, I can endure looking at myself and all of the nightmares I have. All of the pain that life can throw at me I can bear with it for her. Torture me, maim me, dismember me, and I'll still be okay if I have her."

After he was done talking, I noticed how tightly he clutched his water bottle. It was practically close to popping.

"I need her more than anything," he continued. "And you know what's so shitty? I can't do anything to help find her. I want to do that more than anything but I'm stuck here...! What's even shittier is...you all shouldn't need my help. You all are fully capable of finding her and bringing her back. Ms. P has her magic, Jack is half-human and intelligent, Ao is the damn proxy, and you can traverse through the world with electronics. You, out of everyone, are the most capable, so why the hell do you bother sticking around to take care of me?"

Reluctantly, I said, "Well...you're my best friend, and I know I should help you get back on your feet--."

"Don't give sentimental 'friendship' bullshit," he growled. "What's your real reason?"

Pursing my lips, I clutched at the hem of my hoodie and answered, "Ms. P and Ao want me to be your caretaker. I'm only doing as they ask--."

"But you don't have to," he interjected. "You don't have to listen to them."

"But--."

"You have freedom, Ben! Freedom! You can leave this place and never come back! You can fucking breathe and manage to tell yourself that you're okay! There's so much for you to do! Hell, I bet you could've found Ellie a long time ago, but you're just here wallowing and throwing yourself a pity party...!"

Before I could add anything, he threw the water bottle at my feet and I flinched. While I was distracted, he came up to me and grabbed my hoodie collar.

"You could do so much better than this, Ben. Instead of dealing with me, you could be useful!"

"I-I help Ao sometimes--."

"'Sometimes' isn't enough!," he snapped. "What the fuck are you doing here? Why do you stick around for me? I know you hate me, and you have every reason to!"

"No, I don't--."

"You hate me! You're scared of me! I bet that you've thought about killing me just to end all of this. And you know what--sometimes I wish you did. But both of us are here, wasting away!" He suddenly shoved me up against the wall and I yelped. His hand wrapped around my neck, strangling me as he hissed, "Why the fuck are you being so useless, to yourself and to others?! I expect more out of you! Quit being a god damn disappointment and make a fucking difference! Be free instead of wallowing away in here like me!!!"

I stared into his eyes as mine began to sting with emotion. I didn't even fight back and allowed him to strangle me to the point of lightheadedness. Just before I was close to blacking out, the door swung open and Jack stepped in. He was quick to find Jeff and yank him away from me. Jeff struggled for a few seconds, before slipping out and exclaiming, "Don't fucking touch me! I'm not going to do anything...!"

"Why were you yelling then?" the eyeless man inquired.

"Fuck you, that's why. Now, both of you get out of my room...!"

"Eat your food," Jack ordered.

"Get the fuck out of my room!"

"Jeff--."

"GET OUT!" Suddenly, Jeff lashed out and tried landing a punch at Jack's head, but the eyeless man was faster. He halted Jeff's oncoming attack by grabbing his wrist, followed by a smack across the face. Jeff ended up falling against his bed from the hit. After that, he just sat there, panting.

"Get out...," he mumbled. "I'm not hungry anymore...so please leave."

Jack sighed and began, "Jeff, you need to--."

"I'm done. I'm done trying. I'm done fighting you all. I'm done."

As much as I could see the frustration on Jack's features, he stayed quiet and left Jeff alone. I was leaning against the wall the entire time, and staring at Jeff's exhausted figure. When he finally noticed my gaze on him, he glared and said, "You didn't make this any better. Get out."

It wasn't hard for me to turn and storm out of the room. Jack called out to me but I kept running down the hallway towards my room. As soon as I made it, I barged in, slammed the door and locked it. In my panic, I ended up backing up in a hurry and tripping over into my back. But after that I didn't pick myself up from the floor. My chest felt tight as I breathed heavy and fast; I felt nauseated and sick but knew I wasn't--couldn't get--ill. The ceiling above me was growing blurry as tears welled in my eyes. Angrily, I wiped them away and berated myself for crying. I shouldn't be crying. Not me.

Why am I here? Why do I endure Jeff's abuse? Why do I keep being such a useless friend to everyone? Why can't I do anything right? I just want everyone to be happy.

My mind wandered to Majora's Mask, for whatever reason. I sat up and crawled over to my nightstand to open up the drawer. The game cartridge was there like I left it. When I grabbed it, it felt heavier than it was.

I don't know why I did what I did next, but it felt like a good idea. Then again, my ideas are weird and unprepared.

Without waiting around any longer, I put the cartridge in my pocket and teleported.

...

Reese's POV

Hunter finally came back, but he went to bed an hour later. He asked about Majora's Mask, and I said I didn't get to play it because I had homework to do. Thankfully, he didn't notice it was completely gone, but I know he'll eventually figure it out. I can just buy another one, right? I have enough money saved up. If Hunter catches me replaying levels, I'll say I accidentally deleted Smeffle's file when trying to delete Ben's (but I won't do that).

It was already 11:37pm when I got in bed. My left cheek was feeling weird from being covered by bandages for so long, but it was already time for me to let the stitches breathe. The stitches on my side do have to be covered, so I'm still wary of them. No sleeping on my side, which is what I like to do. I like to sleep in a crap ton of awkward positions that are really, really comfortable...

If people at school forgot about my wounds today, they're gonna be reminded tomorrow. I think even I'll be spooked when I look at myself in the mirror. I already spooked myself the moment I took the bandage on my cheek off. But I can't do anything about it. The scars will be there, along with the mini one on my upper lip. Hey, it has buddies now.

I left my phone to charge on my nightstand, then got under my blanket to sleep. All of the lights in my room were off, but light from the city outside came in through my window. I heard some crap about your melatonin getting messed up depending on how much light is on during the night, but I really don't give a shit. The city lights aren't even that bright anyway, despite common myth. They're comforting, in fact. Even if sirens wail in the night and cars honk, it's nice to hear. A big contrast to the suburban neighborhood I used to live in, where every night was insanely quiet. The days are livelier here, and the nights a little less so. I like to just stare off at the city beyond my window, thinking about whatever comes to mind.

There was a loud buzzing and I turned my head to see light coming from my phone screen. I leaned over to check and see who could've been texting me. Mom wouldn't text when I'm not even ten feet away from her, and Hunter is konked out in his room. I can tell by his snoring. Artem barely texts me since he's more of a caller (I think we send about two or three messages to each other every month). I have no friends, so who's texting?

When I checked the screen (which got cracked from when I chucked it across the auto shop office), I was puzzled by the strange, cryptic numbers that replaced an actual phone number. The message itself was clear.

-Hey, are you alone?

I frowned and responded back: Who is this? Why do you have this number?

Immediate response:

-If I told you, I'm not sure you'd want me to show up.

I took a minute to think before I came to a guess.

-Ben???

No response.

Five minutes pass and still no message.

I set my phone down and get up to grab my 'security' baseball bat from the corner. As soon as I pick it up, there's a quick flash behind me and I whirl around to see what has happened. A hand clamps over my mouth and another holds the baseball bat down. A voice shushes me close to my head and I freeze. If I try to do anything, I might put myself in more trouble than necessary. Instead of fighting, I stay still and make an effort to relax.

Two bright red eyes look up at me and I stare back.

"Don't scream," Ben whispered. I had a feeling he wouldn't let me go until I agreed I wouldn't. I nodded and he let go. Even though any normal person would have gone against his wishes, I kept quiet. If I want answers, I can't go scaring him off.

"What are you doing here...?" I questioned.

The elfin blonde stepped back into the light coming from my window, allowing me to see his face more clearly. I remember his skin being pale, but his eyes seemed darker than before. His eyebrows were knit together as he rummaged in his hoodie pocket. When he found what he was grabbing for, he held out his hand to reveal the Majora's Mask cartridge.

My eyes went wide and I nearly snatched it away from him. "Y...You stole it earlier," I realized as I held the game in my hands.

"I did...," he murmured.

"Why?"

He scratched his head as he answered, "I didn't want to keep getting pulled back to it. Anytime the game is used, I feel it. I hid it away a long time ago, but I guess someone found it."

I furrowed my brow. "If you don't want to keep getting called back, why are you returning it to me?"

He stood there for a moment, not making a sound. His eyes were turned towards the floor like he knew this situation was weird. His existence is just peculiar, but I sensed I shouldn't make any smart remarks.

"I don't know," he responded eventually. "I really don't know. But, you've already started a game, so I'll let you finish it."

"That's not what this is about, is it," I remarked. He flicked his eyes up at me, then looked down again.

"Just keep it for now. Take good care of it, please. It's...it's my lifeline," he stated.

His lifeline? I looked down at the cartridge and gently squeezed it in my hands.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

Slightly taken aback, I mumbled, "I'm okay...?"

He motioned to the left side of his face and said, "Your scars... Are they bad?"

I was more obscured by the shadows in my room, so I took a chance and stepped closer to Ben in the light. He had to tilt his head back a little more to see me, which I wasn't sure why I took notice of. His eyes were directed to my cheek and I turned my face so he could see them better. With a sigh, he remarked, "Well, it could've been worse. You got lucky."

After staring down at him for a few seconds, I said, "It was you. You saved me."

Ben's expression was one of surprise, almost like he didn't even know it was him, though I was sure of it. His features softened and he pulled a nervous smirk. "Well, I just took you to someone who could save you. I didn't do the...saving..."

His voice faltered when he looked up at me and I wondered if maybe I had a harsh expression (I tend to frown unconsciously). When his eyes went back to looking everywhere but at me, I added, "You still saved me."

"It's my job to protect people from Corrupted," he murmured.

"Corrupted? Is that what they're called?"

He pursed his lips and rubbed at his nose. "I should leave. I've said enough."

When I thought he was going to just disappear right in front of me, he turned around and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. While he tapped his fingers on the screen, he said, "If you get into any trouble with monsters, call me." Then he handed me my phone to reveal a contact named BEN. (Capital letters again.)

"I could fix it for you if you want," he commented, referring to the crack on my screen.

I narrowed my eyes as I tried to understand exactly what this interaction was. "Why me?" I questioned.

He blinked. "Huh?"

"You're giving me your contact, you saved me from dying, you're entrusting me with your 'lifeline'," --I raised up the cartridge for more emphasis--, "Why me, a punk-ass teenager? Out of all of the people in the world, why do you choose me?"

He stared ahead with big eyes, maybe realizing that I was right. Then he stifled a wry chuckle and said, "I don't know... I really don't know..."

"Are you high?" I asked blatantly.

This time he smiled less nervously; more genuinely. "No, but that sounds tempting."

I think I can handle him better when he's comfortable.

"This feels like something I want to do," he murmured. "That's all I can really say, because I don't even know what I'm doing." He started taking a step back and put his hands in his hoodie pocket.

"I should really be going now," he continued. "It's late, and I'm sure you have, like, school, or something."

"I take it I might see you more often," I said.

He shrugged. "Only if you want to."

I still don't understand why he's doing so much for me already. Then again, he doesn't either.

"Well, I'll be seeing you, Reese's puffs," he said.

I frowned. "Don't call me that."

"Reese's pieces?"

"No."

"Reese's peanut butter cups--."

"Just Reese," I muttered.

He stared. "Reese sounds too bland."

I refrained from face-palming.

"I'll see ya," he said, giving me a sly wink. "Oh, and you might wanna look away."

"Why--?"

Not even a second later, my room was engulfed in a brief flash of light that startled me. I groaned and turned my head away, knowing what the warning meant now. When the discolored blobs in my vision disappeared, I found that I was alone. There was no sign of Ben anywhere in my room. He was gone again.

I looked down at my cell phone and at the game cartridge in my hands. Gently, I placed both objects on my nightstand and got back in bed. This time, when I let my mind run on it's own, all it was filled with was thoughts of Ben. About his bright red eyes, and his awkward expressions, and his random wink, and his tenor voice that I recognized now from when I was unconscious. Shit, his ears, too. He has those elf ears.

"It's my lifeline."

As strange as having a game cartridge be your lifeline is, I'm not going to doubt its importance. Although I'm not the best option, I can't judge what other options he had, if there were any. Maybe he did trust me just to trust me. If so then...

I'll keep his lifeline running.