Terrible Fates (BEN Drowned story)

Chapter 31

[Is both excited and disgusted that I'll be 17 on the 14th.

oH BOY

Video in the multimedia is a Spanish lullaby called Arrorro mi niño (although it's not the entire song, the melody is still there??).

Second half of this chapter is a bit, uh...disturbing??? At this point, I've gone so far that I'm not sure what to consider horrifying... Anyway, enjoy the chapter!]

Stay Creepy, My Friends!~

Chapter 31

Reese's POV

When I woke up, it was still dark. I was about to go back to sleep, but my bladder protested and bugged me not to just yet. Groggily, I slipped away from Ben's sleeping figure on the couch and headed for the bathroom. After I relieved my annoying bladder, I washed up and headed back to the living room.

With a sigh, I crawled on top of the couch and reached for Ben's blanket, but halted in my spot. There was a strange, quiet noise in the living room. I sat there, listening intently, trying to figure out what it was. Finally, after wavering in my spot, I discovered the source of the weird noise and followed it to...Ben.

He was whimpering in his sleep.

Worried, I nudged his shoulder to wake him up. At first, he didn't react and only curled up into a tighter ball. Then, after my seventh nudge, he began to stir and his whimpering ceased. His blue eyes were stark in the darkness as he gaped at me. He scrambled, panicked for a moment, but then eased up once he realized where he was.

"Hey," I whispered, "are you okay?"

The wraith took a moment to get his bearings and nervously rubbed his left hand. He released a sigh and gulped audibly. "Um...yeah, I'm okay..."

"Did you have a nightmare?" I questioned.

Ben nodded slowly. "Something...like that..."

"Do you...Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, reluctant. I wasn't expecting him to agree on it, but I felt I still needed to ask.

Ben shook his head, staring down at his knees. "N-No..."

"Need anything? Glass of water, or milk?"

He shook his head again, not looking at me. Though it was dark, I could make out how tense his body was.

I pursed my lips for a second before saying, "Well...if you want I can get some blankets and pillows and sleep on the floor. To give you space."

"No," he answered immediately. I was taken aback.

Ben grabbed onto my hand and murmured, "Stay. Please. Don't...don't leave me alone..."

The pleading in his tone concerned me further, but I knew he wouldn't talk about whatever was bugging him right now. So instead, I said, "Okay," and gently squeezed his hand. He squeezed back and I smiled at how soft his grip was. But then I heard him sniffle and realized he was starting to cry.

"Ben...?" I called. All I received in response was a sniff and a soft sob.

"Ben...," I called to him, hoping he would tell me something, anything. But he never did. All he did was cry, and I felt terrible because I felt I should do something but I don't know what.

My sleepiness from earlier was gone now; I was too worried to feel tired. I sat on the couch, holding Ben's trembling hand, listening to him cry. Geez, Reese, how fucking useless can you be? He's crying! Do something!