Ben Archer

by Rae Knightly

  Ben’s gloved hands warmed abnormally. Blood rushed to his ears, accompanied by a wave of intense fear. Stars swam before his eyes, and he almost retched as an overwhelming pain made his left arm go limp. He dropped to his knees in the snow, wincing.

  Kimi, who was carefully pushing aside some branches, must have thought he had gasped in surprise, because she said, “Sh! Don’t make a noise. I think it’s hurt. And pull your dog away. He’s scaring it.”

  Ben blinked tears from his eyes and tried to ignore the staggering pain that drowned his thoughts. He inhaled silently several times, almost drowning in the bird’s fear as it coursed through his brain.

  Don’t be afraid.

  He directed the thought at the crow, trying to counter the bird’s panic. It eyed him with beady, black eyes, its wings spread at a strange angle, its beak half open. From a corner of his brain, Ben observed his huge self from the bird’s eyes. His heart raced in combined rhythm with the crow’s. The fear that grasped his mind was not his, yet he felt it to the core. He vaguely registered Kimi speaking next to him and tried to concentrate on what she was saying, though her words sounded foreign.

  “I think its wing is broken,” Kimi said. “I’ve tried to catch it, but it keeps flapping around and getting stuck further in.”

  It hurts!

  Ben’s head exploded with words that were not his. And searing pain throbbed through his own arm. His heart raced, thud-thud, thud-thud and for a second he lost himself completely in the crow’s mind. Frantically, he sent soothing thoughts to the bird.

  I’ll help you.

  The crow gave up flapping and regarded him with the eyes of a trapped animal. They stared at each other, each assessing plausible dangers. The fear in Ben’s mind subsided somewhat and he was able to think more clearly.

  Don’t be afraid.

  He sent the thought to the crow again, more clearly this time, and it bowed its head in acceptance. Ben reached out to it.

  “No!” Kimi pushed his arm away. “It’ll peck at you!”

  He heard her as if from somewhere far away. Removing his scarf, he held it from both ends and slowly approached the crow.

  It’s ok. Trust me.

  He wrapped his hands carefully around the tense body, ignoring the searing pain in his arm. With the greatest care not to touch its broken wing, Ben lifted the bird and wrapped it in his scarf. By the time he stood again, his mind had cleared somewhat, and he realized that Kimi was staring at him with her mouth open.

  “Wow!” she breathed. “How did you do that?”

  Ben hoped his inner struggle wasn’t showing on his face. He shrugged and replied, “I have a way with animals, I guess.”

  Kimi snorted, “Yeah, I’ll say!” She frowned, considering him with worried eyes. “Are you ok? You look like you saw a ghost.”

  No, I’m not ok.

  Cold sweat accumulated on his forehead. He felt sick, like his stomach was in his throat; his legs were weak. “I should take it to a vet,” he said unsteadily. “Do you know any?”

  An indefinite emotion flickered over the girl’s eyes, but Ben couldn’t tell what it was because her long strand of black hair hid half her face.

  “Yes, I know one,” she replied without much enthusiasm. She picked up her backpack and added, “Come on.” She headed off with Ben following.

  He found himself on the very sidewalk where Tyler had shouted at Kimi from the bus several days back.

  As if reading his mind, Kimi slowed down, so they were walking side by side. “I heard about what you said to Tyler on the bus the other day,” she said. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  Ben gave her a sideways smile. “Tyler’s a jerk.”

  To his surprise, her laugh came out crystal clear and authentic. He liked it immediately. “Wes, too!” She agreed, grinning.

  They chatted sporadically, Ben having to stop to catch his breath once in a while and to shift the bird's weight away from his aching arm.

  Twenty minutes later, Kimi led him away from the street and into a back alley. They passed snow-covered yards and garden sheds until they reached a property with a brick structure that was detached from the main house. Kimi opened a low fence and let him through. Then she fished some keys from her jacket pocket, one of which she inserted in the door lock of the small building. When Ben glanced inside the dim room, he found a curious table in its center while cabinets lined the back wall. A couple of animal cages were stacked against the side.

  Kimi switched on a bright, neon light, then hurried across the room to grab one of the cages, which she placed on the table.

  “Here,” she said. “You can put the crow in the cage for now.”

  Ben did so reluctantly, ignoring its caws. “So…uh…where are we exactly?” he asked.

  She avoided his eyes. “I live here,” she said, pointing vaguely at the house opposite the square building. When Ben continued to stare at her quizzically, she sighed and added, “My mom’s a vet. She doesn't practice anymore, though. She's been…sick.”

  “Oh,” Ben said, studying the room again. Suddenly the central table, the cabinets containing medical supplies, and the animal cages made sense.

  Kimi headed to the door. Still without looking at him, she said, “Wait here. I'll get my mom.”

  He watched her leave, a slight frown above his brow.

  It’s as if she didn’t want me here.

  Pain!

  Ben whirled to face the crow in the cage. The blood rushed to his ears again and he could not control it. The crow stared at him with its tiny, round eyes, oblivious to the boy’s inner struggle. A cold ripple travelled up and down Ben’s back. So, was this going to be his new reality? Was he going to feel every animal’s pain and thoughts? He wanted to cry from despair. He could barely stand the feelings of one creature. How was he ever going to survive the burden of thought from the whole animal kingdom? And with each contact, he could sense the blue filaments in his blood multiplying, anchoring themselves into his very being. He still had his gloves on, but he could feel his hands warming with alien power. A wave of nausea washed over him and he had to hold on to the table for support.

  The crow thrashed, causing searing pain to shoot up Ben’s arm every time the bird hit the cage.

  “Stop it!” Ben muttered through gritted teeth, before realizing he was no longer alone. He turned to find Kimi, followed by a woman.

  The woman was slightly taller than him, had long, straight black hair to her waist, dark eyes, thin lips and elegant features. She must have been stunning at some point, but right now she was wearing an old sweater and she seemed very tired. Even with Kimi’s beanie hat and side bangs, the resemblance to her mother was striking.

  “This is my mom, Maggie,” Kimi explained, sounding as though she was trying to excuse the woman’s unkempt appearance. “Mom, this is Ben Anderson.”

  Maggie stared at Ben with intelligent eyes, then turned her attention to the crow. She pulled the bird out of the cage, then carefully unwrapped it from its makeshift nest in Ben’s scarf. Speaking to Kimi in a language he couldn’t understand, she examined it.

  “It has a broken wing,” she stated finally in English, confirming Ben’s diagnosis. She gently stretched out the bird’s wings one at a time, revealing beautiful, shiny feathers that reflected a bluish tint under the artificial light.

  Ben bent in for a closer look. He had never seen a crow up close before. “She’s beautiful!” he exclaimed.

  Maggie glanced at him. “She?”

  He distanced himself from the table. Had he really said that?

  Maggie concentrated on the bird but addressed him. “You know your birds,” she said. Ben bit his inner cheek nervously.

  Maggie placed the crow back in its cage and busied herself in the medicine cabinets. “You say you brought this bird without getting a scratch?” she asked, eyeing Ben with piercing eyes.

  Kimi stepped in, “Yes, Iná[4]. It’s as if the crow knew we wanted to help it. It didn’t struggle at
all.”

  “Hm…” she said thoughtfully, before adding, “not many would save a crow. They are not popular animals. Yet they are particularly clever and have a great memory. They live in large groups called a ‘murder of crows’.” She paused, throwing Ben a glance. “But then, you probably knew that already.”

  “Ugh! Mom!” Kimi interjected, clearly irritated.

  Ben sensed the strain in Kimi and Maggie’s relationship. He tried to steer the conversation away. “Can you help her?” he asked, rubbing at his arm.

  Maggie pulled out some medical supplies and said, “Yes. I will reset her wing and feed her so she will survive the winter. We should be able to release her in a month.” As she turned back to the table, she spotted Tike sitting by the door. “And who’s this?” she asked.

  “Oh, that’s my dog, Tike,” Ben answered. “He’s a Jack Russell Terrier.”

  “Yes, I can see that. Six years old, I’d say. Though there’s something unusual about him. He hasn’t barked once at the bird…”

  Kimi’s eyes widened. “That’s true! I’ve never heard him bark.”

  Ben shifted uncomfortably. This was not the way he wanted the conversation to go. He was extremely aware of the crow nearby, nagging at his mind. “Tike never barks,” he said vaguely.

  Maggie frowned and headed over to Tike. “I wonder why that is,” she said, bending to scratch Tike’s ears. “I could check him out…”

  “No!” Ben interjected too quickly. Maggie glanced at him, frowning, so he added, “Thank you, but maybe some other time? Er…I actually have to go now. My mom will be wondering where I am.”

  I need air.

  He nodded towards Kimi. “Sorry, I didn’t realize how late it was. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Oh, ok,” Kimi said, sounding disappointed.

  Ben picked up his backpack a little too quickly, feeling their eyes burning into his back as he left. He hurried down the back alley and paused next to the side of a house. In his mind’s eye, he was lying on the examination table. The woman with the black eyes stared at him. She applied a pressure on his arm that hurt so badly his eyes watered and he retched. He swore he could physically feel the alien venom spreading through his body. He shivered, though not because of the cold air. He was cold inside. Cold from fear.

  “Ben?”

  He jumped at Mesmo’s voice. He held his jacket tightly around him, staring at the alien. “Jeez! You have to stop doing that!”

  “Doing what?”

  “Appearing out of nowhere like that. You startled me,” Ben replied, catching his breath.

  The man surveyed him, then frowned, “What’s the matter? Are you sick?”

  Turning away, Ben said, “It’s nothing,”

  Mesmo insisted. “Benjamin?”

  “I told you! It’s nothing!” Ben snapped. He strode off, his shoulders hunched, his hands deep in his pockets.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Enceladus

  Laura heard the front door open and close. She stepped out of the kitchen, her hands laden with dinner plates, just in time to see Ben rush up the stairs to his room. Laura dropped the dishes on the table and joined Mesmo by the door.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked. Not waiting for a reply, she climbed the steps and saw Ben shut his bedroom door, almost hitting Tike on the nose. Tike jumped back, his ears laid back, one paw off the ground.

  Laura knocked on the door. “Ben? Are you all right?” When there was no reply, she knocked again. “Ben?”

  His muffled voice came through. “Long day, Mom. I just want to lie down for a while.”

  Laura bit her lip, hesitating, then picked up Tike in her arms. Scratching his neck, she reassured him. “Don’t worry, Tike. He’ll get over it.” She headed back down the stairs, adding, “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”

  Tike hopped out of her arms, his tail wagging.

  “Can I join you?” Mesmo asked.

  Laura felt her cheeks flush, so she bent to put on her boots. “Yes, of course. Let’s go out back. There’s less chance we’ll run into anyone.”

  Once she had on her winter gear, they headed out through the kitchen door, which led to a small, fenced yard, then open landscape for as far as the eye could see. She gazed at the snow-covered fields to the right, the low hill before them, and an impressive string of mountain ranges to the left. They were at the edge of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, which dramatically cut the skyline with their jagged peaks.

  Tike scampered off in front, sticking his snout in snow mounds, no doubt searching for hidden rodents.

  Laura glanced sideways at the alien, noticing his grayish skin. She felt a pang of worry. “Are you holding up?” she asked, drawing her eyebrows together.

  He nodded but did not look at her.

  “Tell me about today,” she said. Laura knew he expected the question because she asked him the same one every day. He gazed into the distance, then answered mechanically, “Nothing new. Same, bare room: a hospital bed, a large mirror, cameras in the ceiling…”

  “Any contact?” she pressed.

  He shook his head. “They pushed the food tray through the slit at the bottom of the door–same as always. Hamburger, fries, apple slices, orange juice… No contact.”

  “Hm,” Laura said half to herself. “Until their boss returns…” She stared at the ground as she walked, deep in thought, going over the details in her mind. They had already determined that Mesmo was being held closer to the East coast, though in Canada or the US was not yet clear. They had figured this out because of the regular times Mesmo was being fed, which was twice a day. Only, they had calculated that the evening for Mesmo was early afternoon for Laura, meaning he was two or three hours ahead of her.

  She glanced at the tall alien again, noticing that his cheekbones were more pronounced. He’s losing weight, she thought, picturing a diet of soggy hamburgers. Something clicked in her mind–something that Ben had said before their departure to Canmore. “I’m turning vegetarian,” her son had said. His comment had seemed to have nothing to do with Mesmo, but for some reason, it made Laura stiffen. “Are you eating?”

  He turned his head away.

  “Mesmo!” she gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she guessed the answer. “You don’t eat meat, do you?” The realization sent a shiver down her back.

  He still did not face her. “I have no appetite,” he said finally. “The food on this planet is strange to me.”

  Laura stared at him with wide eyes, realizing where his unhealthy appearance came from.

  “Mesmo!” she said worriedly, “You have to tell them! You have to eat something! I’m serious! You have to keep up your strength to give us time to find you!”

  “I am running out of time…” she heard him say.

  “Don’t give up!” Laura pleaded. “We’ll get you out, I promise.”

  “That’s not it,” he said, turning to her at last. “I must complete my mission and reach Enceladus within four full Earth moons. After that, it will be too late.”

  Taken aback, Laura frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Every two hundred Earth years, the planets of your solar system align in such a way that their gravitational pull causes abnormal friction at a location near Enceladus. This opens a window between our galaxies, allowing us to travel from my home planet to Earth and back for a limited time. That window to my galaxy will close in four full moons or approximately one hundred and twenty Earth sunrises.”

  Laura sucked in a breath. She hadn’t expected such a mind-boggling answer. Once again, she realized how little she knew about this man and where he came from. “You mean…” She swallowed. “…that if you don’t make it to this Enceladus within four months, you’ll be stuck here for two hundred years?”

  His honey-coloured eyes fell on hers. “Yes,” he replied.

  Her heart dropped like a stone. “Mesmo,” she said gently, not wanting to add more to his misery. “Aren’t you forgetting something? Even if we free you from who
ever is holding you, you don’t have a spaceship.”

  He glanced sideways at her. “Bordock has a ship.”

  She fell silent, reeling from the task ahead. How were they ever going to free Mesmo, complete his mission–whatever it was–and find Bordock’s ship in four months? She couldn’t even begin to understand how long it would take him to reach this Enceladus, but anything located in outer space sounded impossibly far.

  They headed back, walking in silence. She wished she could tell him something encouraging. About to push open the kitchen door, she had an idea. “What about the spirit portal? Couldn’t you send your spirit to your planet? Send a message? Ask for help?”

  She released the door and faced him. He stood close and she could see the details of his jacket and the fabric of his shirt. She caught herself longing to touch him. He smiled, and she noticed his teeth stood out pearl white in his olive-tanned skin. The walk in the open had done him good.

  “Spirit portals have limited power. Their reach is only within your solar system. The signal would distort and dissipate within the contact point between our galaxies,” he explained. “It may seem that my spirit is free to travel great distances, but the truth is it remains bound to the spirit portal. That is why I am always near Ben. I am caught in an invisible bubble of which the spirit portal–hence, Ben–is the center.” He shook his head. “The spirit portal is not the answer.”

  “Fine,” she said. “We’ll find another way. But until then, you have to promise me something.”

  His brow lifted. “What?”

  “Eat!” she ordered.

  ***

  Laura knocked on Ben's door again but did not wait for an answer. This time she stepped into his room, followed by Tike who jumped onto the boy's bed.

  Ben’s head was propped against his pillow with a document in his hand and surrounded by school books.

  “Thomas brought Chinese food. Want to come down?” she asked.

  Without looking up from his reading, he answered, “Sure, I’ll be right there.”

  Laura hesitated, then went to sit at the edge of his bed. She sifted through the books. “Lots of homework?”