Ben Archer

by Rae Knightly

  Mesmo! Where are you?

  He wished the alien would magically appear to save him again, but Mesmo’s words echoed in his mind. “If you cross this inlet, I can’t guarantee that I will be there to help you.”

  Ben lay down on the paddleboard, exhausted. His dog’s absence from his side weighed heavily on his heart.

  Mom! Tike!

  Something thumped at the back of the paddleboard. Ben gasped in fear and pulled up his legs as he turned to see what had hit him.

  The head of a brown seal popped out of the water, observed him curiously, then disappeared again under the board. Before him, another seal appeared. Ben watched as both animals flipped and pirouetted at great speed.

  “You’re the ones from the harbour!” he exclaimed.

  He relaxed, realizing that they were not out to harm him. Instead, the big, black eyes of the good-natured mammals invited him to join them in their underwater game.

  Play! They seemed to say.

  Their whiskers glistened with droplets as they waited for him to react. All Ben could do was shiver with cold.

  “Help me!” he begged through shivering lips.

  Immediately, one of the seals grabbed onto a rope that was tied to the front of the board, tugging at it briefly. The rope disappeared into the water, as did the seals, but a moment later, Ben felt another tug. The paddleboard moved forward slightly, and suddenly Ben found himself being pulled across the bay.

  Ben was dumbfounded at his luck, though he had to lie down as he began to feel dizzy. Drops of water sprayed into his face. He closed his eyes. He tried to stay awake, but the constant up-and-down movement of the board lulled him.

  The seals surfaced, then dove again in a kind of dance-like movement. Ben didn’t know whether he was awake or dreaming. He felt as though he was dancing with them below the surface, twirling gracefully in a weightless world. He forgot about the heavy burden of the sky. He felt liberated. Nothing could touch him. His mind was free to wander and whirl below the waves. His heart leapt with excitement as he tried to keep up with his playful companions.

  Then, suddenly, the marine mammals disappeared into the depths with one swift movement.

  “Play!” Ben heard himself plead, longing for the seals to keep him company. He blinked awake at hearing his own voice and found himself floating under the shadow of the mountains, not far from shore. He could make out small beaches separated by big, grey boulders topped with fir trees and, a short distance to the left, the towering lighthouse. The seals were gone.

  Ben tried to stand on the paddleboard. His brain was strangely lightheaded as if he were suffering from seasickness again. How long he had been unconscious, he couldn’t tell. The sky had become a soft pink reflecting on the calm waters. Gentle wisps of clouds were turning a brighter red while the mountains threw black shadows into the water.

  So close!

  He was only about ten yards from shore. He knew he had to put his mind and effort into reaching land, even though he ached as if he had been swimming for hours. His soaking wet clothes stuck to his body under the life jacket and he trembled uncontrollably.

  After trying unsuccessfully to put some weight into his paddling, he glanced up at the imposing rock formation from which his mother had almost slipped and fallen some nights before. It seemed to taunt him to come closer.

  That’s when Ben spotted Mesmo.

  The alien man was standing tall and proud on the ledge, roughly at the same place where Ben and his mother had found him on the night of the downpour.

  The silhouette of a woman came running up beside him, followed by a small dog.

  Ben’s heart leapt into his throat. "Mom!" he yelled, exhilarated.

  She saw him, waved, and yelled back, “Ben!”

  Tike ran back and forth before her.

  Ben’s energy returned in an instant. He paddled as fast as he could.

  Susan joined the others on the ledge. She and Laura searched for a way down to the small beach where Mesmo had helped Ben recover his memory. Laura headed down when she realized Mesmo had not budged. She followed his gaze out to sea-not towards Ben-but further away into the horizon.

  Ben saw Mesmo raise his arm to point into the distance. He turned to see what had caught the alien’s attention. He noticed the dot of a ship far away.

  “Ben!” he heard his mother yell again, only this time the tone of her voice had changed. She was desperate.

  He saw her point in the same direction as Mesmo. “Hurry!” she shouted.

  When Ben looked behind him again, he was startled to see how quickly the ship had turned from a dot on the horizon to a fast approaching speedboat heading straight towards him. Ben’s heart leapt into his throat.

  I know who’s on that boat!

  He wanted to get to shore and safety, but his hands were frozen. He lost his grasp on the paddle in panic. It slipped into the water and began to drift away. Ben dropped to his stomach, frantically trying to reach for it. He could hear the motorboat roaring towards him. He spotted Mesmo, Laura, Susan, and Tike disappearing into the trees as they began clambering down the hill to reach the beach. Ben gave up on the paddle, resorting to his hands to move forward in the water, like a surfer.

  It was useless.

  In no time, the large motorboat passed him by, cutting off his path to the beach. Ben hung onto the paddleboard for dear life as the waves almost toppled him into the water. The motorboat went quiet after it maneuvered as close as possible to Ben. The boy’s fingers curled tightly around the paddleboard even after the surface of the water had gone still. The dark blue metal of the ship pinged with static while the paddleboard thumped against its side.

  After a moment, a rope ladder bounced down.

  Hao called out, “Benjamin Archer!”

  The boy lifted his head. The inspector stared down at him grimly. Next to him stood Bordock. Ben spotted a couple of police officers. The white letters on the side of the boat confirmed that it belonged to the Vancouver Police.

  “Climb aboard!” Hao ordered.

  Ben searched around with his eyes: his mother and Mesmo were nowhere to be seen. Overwhelmed with despair, he stood slowly on the paddleboard and stared helplessly at the rope ladder.

  “We could wait here all night.” Hao said impatiently. “You wouldn’t last long. The temperature is dropping fast. So make a wise choice and get up here!”

  Ben bit his blue, shivering lips. He knew the inspector was right.

  I’ll freeze if I stay out here much longer!

  With a sinking heart, Ben grabbed onto the ladder, and put a foot on the first step.

  Don’t!

  He stopped. Something in his mind was urging him not to take another step upwards. He glanced down at the space between the paddleboard and motorboat. It was very dark. Eerily dark. He stared at the water, transfixed.

  Hao’s voice was icy cold. “Benjamin Archer! Hiding is useless; I already know what you are.”

  What’s he talking about?

  Ben cast a look at Hao, then at Bordock, gritting his teeth. For a split second their eyes locked in a silent battle. Ben took his foot off the ladder and pushed himself away from the boat as hard as he could. Not that it mattered, as he only floated a couple of inches away. Hao lifted his arms in frustration.

  Ben bent down on his knees, and slowly paddled away from the boat with his hands.

  Hao shouted, “What do you think you’re doing? Get back h…” He broke off in mid-sentence, his mouth wide open.

  The massive humpback whale breached the surface. It soared like a huge mountain between the paddleboard and the motorboat as if in slow motion, reaching way up above their heads. For a split second, it remained transfixed in time, towering over them, its massive grey body glimmering in gold and red in the setting sun, majestically poised like a statue. Then it plummeted back, shattering the illusion.

  Ben grabbed onto his paddleboard with all his might, bracing for impact.

  Hao yelled in shock.

/>   There was a colossal splash and the paddleboard somersaulted in the air before falling back into the water, ejecting Ben far below the surface, but closer to shore. For a moment he was lost in a silent, dark world of air bubbles and churning seawater before his life jacket pulled him upwards. He spluttered, gasping for breath.

  There were cries for help as the motorboat groaned and tilted sideways dangerously. Already the whale breached for a second time, soaring above the ailing ship. A new shockwave sent them tumbling in all directions, submerging Ben again, while causing the motorboat to dangerously take in water.

  Ben struggled to reach the surface. He had gulped in a good amount of water this time. His arms flailed desperately, while he tried to find his bearings. His hand fell on something soft. He blinked, trying to make out what it was.

  It was Tike. The dog had come to his rescue.

  Ben grabbed the dog’s collar and let himself be pulled to the shore.

  Laura and Mesmo ran up to him as the waves tossed him against the beach. “Ben!” his mother yelled, wading into the water to pull him out.

  Susan joined them, then helped Laura drag Ben onto the shore. Laura sobbed and kissed his forehead as he hugged her back weakly. In the distance, the police motorboat lay on its side with half a dozen agents splashing in the water.

  As Laura stroked her son’s hair, Ben stared dazedly into the bay. He watched as the humpback whale slowly retreated into the distance, its tail sticking out of the water as if bidding him farewell.

  Ben turned his attention to Mesmo, who stood nearby, gazing at him intently. Just before losing consciousness, he saw the alien break into a discreet smile.

  He’s proud of me!

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  The Shapeshifter

  After resting for two full days following Ben’s escape at the lighthouse, both he and his mother made speedy recoveries in the cozy island cottage. Laura’s appetite returned, while Ben was thrilled to find Tike again. He covered his dog in praise after hearing how his faithful companion had made it all the way back to Laura with the asthma inhaler clamped in his mouth.

  That evening, Ben was heading out with a bucket and fishing rod when he caught sight of Mesmo’s tall form on the pier. He had not seen the alien man since he had been pulled out of the water beneath the lighthouse. Ben ran over to him, Tike close at his heels.

  “Mesmo!” Ben gasped, catching his breath. “You’re back!”

  Mesmo smiled. “Yes,” he said. “And I see you are feeling better.”

  Ben nodded. “If it hadn’t been for that whale, I don’t know what would have happened. Did you see that? How could it have known I needed help?” He spoke in wonder.

  “Because you asked for help,” Mesmo said matter-of-factly.

  Ben frowned at his words. “Really?” he asked. “How? I don’t remember doing that.”

  Mesmo smiled. “You don’t realize your power yet. Your skill is barely beginning to take hold.”

  That smile again!

  Mesmo’s words made Ben feel uncomfortable. “You’re proud of what happened, aren’t you?” the boy quizzed.

  “I am,” Mesmo answered.

  “Why?”

  “Because I wasn’t sure my daughter’s skill would survive. But clearly, it has,” he answered, still smiling.

  He seems to think this is a good thing.

  “What if…” Ben asked carefully, “…I don’t want it?”

  Mesmo’s smile faded. “That question is irrelevant,” he replied. “It is part of you now. You should be happy.”

  Ben walked to the end of the pier to avoid Mesmo noticing that he did not share the alien’s enthusiasm. He attached the hook to the end of the fishing line while he carefully thought about his next question. “What if the skill is making me sick?”

  Mesmo went to stand beside him with a look of confusion on his face. “Sick?”

  Ben shrugged, already regretting his question. He attached the bait to the hook, ignoring Mesmo’s stare. Then the boy leant back and threw the line far out into the dark water. “I didn’t know you could fish for trout in the dark, did you?” Ben commented casually.

  Mesmo wasn’t letting him get away with a shrug as an answer. “Ben, what do you mean: the skill is making you sick?”

  Ben sat down at the edge of the pier and sighed.

  “It’s nothing, really. I felt nauseous after encountering the whale. And there were seals, too.” He wound up the spool and threw the line into the water again. “It was strange. In my mind, I was swimming with them under water. All I wanted to do was play with them. I forgot where I was and lost track of time. But when I came to, I felt so dizzy!”

  Mesmo smiled again. His face relaxed. “Well, of course! You’d been floating on the ocean for hours! I’m not surprised you felt seasick!”

  Ben didn’t answer.

  I knew you’d say that!

  He anchored the fishing rod between two wooden planks so he wouldn’t have to hold it and scratched Tike’s head as the dog lay down on his lap contentedly.

  What about the ants? I wasn’t on the ocean then!

  Ben didn’t want to talk about this supposedly fabulous skill anymore. The alien obviously had no idea how uncomfortable the subject made him. While Mesmo was totally relaxed about it, Ben realized that the more he thought about this alien skill, the more afraid he became. It had been shoved on him without his consent, and he did not understand it.

  They both gazed at the starry night until the fishing rod suddenly tensed. Ben grabbed at it and expertly caught a decent sized trout, which he placed in the bucket. He wasn’t smiling when he saw his prize, though. “I used to go fishing with Grampa,” he said softly, remembering.

  Mesmo observed the trout, then said, “Ryan was a good man.”

  “How do you know? You barely even met him!” Ben quizzed. He sat down on the edge of the pier again and pulled up the side of his jacket collar so that Mesmo wouldn’t notice he had closed his eyes tight. A part of him regretted having caught the fish.

  “Actually, I did,” Mesmo replied. “I went back to his house a couple of times between my travels. We spoke about many things, including how to best protect you.”

  Ben remained silent, concentrating on Mesmo’s words to ignore a wave of nausea. Instead, he pictured his grandfather and Mesmo making plans about him. Thinking about his grandfather suddenly reminded him of something. “I meant to tell you,” he said. “Bordock was at the hospital on the night Grampa died.”

  Mesmo’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. He was also at the Police Department. Did you know he works for the CSIS? How is that possible? How can the police not know he’s an imposter?”

  Mesmo remained thoughtful for a while, then said, “He has shifted. He has taken on the appearance of another human.” He looked at Ben. “I think this would be a good time to finish recovering your memories from the night of The Cosmic Fall.”

  Ben frowned. “What do you mean? I thought we had done that already.”

  Mesmo bent over the side of the pier and placed his hand in the water. A soft, blue light emanated from the palm of his hand. The water responded by streaming upwards from the surface until a round, flat screen of transparent liquid took shape in front of the pier.

  Mesmo sat beside Ben again, his hand outstretched as he maintained the liquid screen before them. His voice sounded bleak as he said, “You need to go back to the night I crashed. We need to find out what happened after my daughter passed away.”

  Ben stared hesitantly from Mesmo to the floating screen. He bit his lip, then reached out to touch the water with the tip of his fingers. He closed his eyes and was thrust back to the night of The Cosmic Fall.

  ***

  “Mesmo," the girl murmured as she closed her eyes for the last time.

  “No!” Ben shouted, reaching for her, but her body had slipped out of reach.

  Ben stumbled away from the wreckage, sobbing. He held his right hand up before his
face, slowly uncurling his fist, and in the fire-lit sky, saw that he was no longer bleeding. Instead, in the middle of his palm lay a glimmering gem. It reminded him of his mother’s pretty diamond ring, the one she never wanted to wear and kept at the very back of a bathroom drawer.

  “Benjamin!” he heard his grandfather gasp behind him. Grampa ran up to him, terrified. “Oh, my God, are you all right?” He pulled Ben to his feet. “What are you doing here, Potatohead?” He usually used that name when he was joking. Not this time. His brow tightened as he said angrily, “I told you to go to the house!”

  “The house went dark,” Ben argued. “There’s a blackout.”

  Grampa muttered something under his breath, lifted a silent Tike up from the ground and pulled Ben away from the remains of the craft.

  “Wait!” Ben objected. His Grampa paid no heed.

  “This isn’t right,” Ben heard his Grampa mutter. “Something’s not right.” He froze in his tracks.

  Ben bumped into him and glanced around his grandfather to find out why they had stopped. He gasped.

  A tall man stood before them, surrounded by burning debris. He was shrouded in darkness, so they could not see his face. He did not move but kept his shining eyes on them. He had wavy, white hair. It was Mesmo.

  Grampa held on tightly to Ben, ready to run, alert for any sign of danger.

  Mesmo swayed. His legs gave way, and he crashed to the ground.

  Grampa didn’t wait to find out more. He was already running, pulling at Ben’s wrist to keep going.

  “Grampa!” Ben yelled. “Wait, Grampa! We’ve gotta help him!”

  Grampa stared at him in surprise, hesitated, then looked back at the fallen man. Slowly, he approached the stranger. Grampa shoved at him gently with his foot, so they could see his face. It was streaked with dirt, while his hair was pure white.

  Grampa lifted Mesmo over his shoulder until the man’s head and arms were dangling over his back. He groaned with effort, teetering under the weight. He stabilized himself, got a better grasp around the man's waist, and lumbered away from the scene of the accident; Ben following his every footstep with Tike safely tucked into his jacket.