Back at Square One (BEN Drowned)

30

The first thing I heard after that was a click from upstairs; somebody must have locked the door again. That couldn't have been good, but I had other things to worry about. Ben placed an icy hand on my shoulder and I flinched, still unsure of whether Jason could see him.

"So you're the one who tried to use my Avery."

"Ben. It's okay. And don't say my Avery."

"It's not okay, though."

Jason looked far more confused, and pointed behind me with narrowed eyes.

"Who...wait, do I know you? Are you the guy that—"

"I knew something like this would happen. I don't know why I even bothered avoiding it. I need to put an end to all this."

I turned around as soon as he said that, and saw that Ben's fingertips were turning black and his eyes more red than before.

"What are you saying?"

He glanced at me with a twinge of regret. "I have to kill them. All of them. It's the only way to fix—"

"What? No, no, no, no. Now is not the time to get fixated on killing again. Not these people."

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

"It's the only way."

"Are you even listening to yourself? Didn't...didn't you say it yourself?! You've gotten even enough with them! If what your story says is true, you've already gotten rid of some of them! When are you going to be satisfied if you keep going?"

Ben hung his head, and I went to hug him when he looked up again, the corners of his mouth twitching and his eyes black.

"Never."

Fuck.

I stumbled, reaching back for Jason's arm so I could help him get away if I needed to. But when I turned around, unsuccessful, I found him hunched and shaking against the wall, still pointing at Ben but now like he was some monster. To his credit, he might as well have been at this point.

"No. Y-you...you're the kid that...Avery, that's your—?"

"Shut your mouth, Moon Child. I never want to hear your kind speak again."

"Ben! Don't you see what's happening?" I tried keeping his attention for as long as I could. "You're losing control again. You're...probably already gone, if I'm being honest. But you can't do this."

"I'm not sure how I could have tolerated it for this long. They've been this close to where I've been living for all this time...how didn't I see it?"

"Ben, I think it's time to go home. If you would just take a breath and look at me..."

"I don't want to go home. You really don't get it, do you, Avery? Do you think I can just leave this place, knowing it's still intact, that there's people still alive in here?!"

"Yes! I do! Look, I don't know who started this whole mess, but I do know that Jason's been tricked into joining it. I know that there's others who have all been cheated, and I know you're one of them, and I know that you're angry. But isn't this what you're afraid of? Being set back at square one? Because if there's one thing I've learned from all this, it's that."

Ben just floated, his outline growing fuzzy, his expression becoming more and more outraged.

"And killing isn't going to help you anymore. I don't think it's helped you in the first place. It just made you more angry and bloodthirsty, and I'm sick of this. You need to come back, Ben—"