Back at Square One (BEN Drowned)

17

The mother whisper-yelled, likely aware that her child was in the adjacent room.

"Ben is 11 now! Sh—um, he's growing, and we need to let him have a say in what he wants to do in his free time."

"So now you're saying what 򪪪򪪪򪪪򪪪򪪪 is doing in the middle of the night—"

"Dad, we've talked about this."

Excuse me, what did I just hear?

The old man standing in front of me said something...indistinguishable. I was right by him, I could hear his every word, except for that one. It sounded like painfully loud static right next to my ear, I think even his mouth when he said what I assumed to be Ben's name was just blocked out. Like he'd just cursed on TV.

He spoke again.

"...fine. I'll call the kid what he wants to be called. But you can't be alright with all of this sketchy bullshit he's pulling—running off places without permission, going to that, uh...what was it again?"

"His friend RJ's house. We've talked about this as well, they made up! I know you can't help it that much, but you need to at least try to trust people more. This paranoia about what he's doing and where he's going, I mean...sometimes I feel a little uneasy but Ben always comes back here safe and sound. He can take care of himself a couple blocks away."

"But the condition—"

"It's not a condition, Dad. It's a part of who he is, and besides, that has nothing to do with—"

"I'm telling you, it's got something to do with all those video games he's been playing these days. He barely says hello to us now, he doesn't know basic manners...something's happened to him."

"I don't know what you're even complaining about anymore! We all know you really wanted me to have a son, and look! You've gotten your wish."

"You know full well that I'm not talking about this anymore! I'm...I'm scared, 򪪪򪪪򪪪. I'm scared for him. Every day he seems to get even more of a look in his eye. It feels like he's waiting for something, and I'll be damned if I know what it is. Surely you've noticed that."

"..."

"I'm just trying to do what's right. A couple of weeks without the thing is all. Just trust me."

"What are you guys talking about?"

A sudden voice from behind made me jump, and before I could turn around to confirm my suspicion of who it was, the scene faded to an abandoned house that was painted dark, seafoam green on the inside. I saw Ben and someone else seated on the floor, both picking at rotting wood beneath them. I was barely able to tell what was happening; there was so little light in the room that I could only just make out Ben's face.

"And then he said it was the video games that were making me crazy, or whatever...I don't know how much longer I would be able to handle this if it wasn't happening today." He sighed and hugged his knees, looking up at what must've been another boy around his age. They looked at him sympathetically.

"That sucks. I know you're ascending today...and honestly, I'm a little jealous. But it really sucks to not be understood. I'd say that I know how you feel but you're on a whole other level of that."

"Thanks. I just...I should be grateful, I know that. But it still feels weird, to know that maybe he'll only accept me when I'm gone. Maybe he'll see that I was right to come here. Or maybe he'll just get worse." Ben furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "I probably asked this before, but you don't know what exactly happens in the process, do you?"