The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)

Chapter 23.5: Time Paradox

Part 11/11

“What’s wrong?” Ben asked as he leaned against the wall of his hut. Sunny had a troubled look on her face, her eyes squinted and her head hung in shame. Her bright orange hair seemed duller than usual.

“Ben, do you ever regret not finishing your story?” she questioned as she looked up with remorse.

Ben paused, then put his fists in his pockets. More vines continued to ensnare his limbs as he struggled to find the right answer.

“Yes. And no, at the same time,” Ben answered honestly, “I never really told you why I stopped working on my story, did I?”

“No. You never did,” Sunny replied, her eyes darting around the area. The others were still asleep. But Sunny knew that Ben hated revealing his secrets to people he didn’t trust. People like Samuel could make way with that information and use it against him, to either emotionally bribe Ben or get him on his side. Ben took his hands out of his pockets again and clasped them together, trying to feel some sort of semblance. Some sort of semblance to affection.

“I never finished my story because I… I didn’t have the heart to… hurt my characters any longer,” Ben replied, “They suffered through a lot. Too much, actually. All for the sake of love. So I stopped it.”

Ben felt a chill down his spine, but he ignored it. Just the wind, probably.

“And besides,” Ben continued, “I no longer had a muse.”

“I understand how that feels,” Sunny replied, “I felt the same way when I killed… You know who off.”

“I know. You know I hated Michael for that, right?” Ben said with a soft laugh. Sunny laughed back. Ben sighed, and he scratched the back of his head.

“Well, I applaud you for your work. You finished The Terrible Demise of Tortuga, and I couldn’t even finish my story. I’ll always respect ya for that. You have a writer’s courage, I don’t.”

“Don’t say that about yourself,” Sunny said, “I’m sure your story could have been phenomenal.”

Just then, someone exited the thatch hut. Samuel.

“Morning, you two,” Samuel said.

“Morning,” Ben replied, “Freshen up and get ready. Grab your weapons and supplies, we’ll be going out as soon as Skyler gives the word.”

“Yeah yeah whatever,” Samuel replied as he walked off.

Although Sunny felt like something else should have happened, nothing did. It was nothing.

“Probably just my imagination,” Sunny thought. She blasted herself with a wave of warmth using her implant attribute, all while she waited for the rest of the camp to wake up.