by Rae Knightly
“Actually, I did.” Mesmo replied, unaware of the boy’s inner struggle. “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 the nausea. He pictured his grandfather and Mesmo making plans about him.
I wish I’d been there.
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 narrowed: “Are you sure?”
Ben nodded. “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 all 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. Immediately, 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 immediately taken back to the night of The Cosmic Fall.
***
“Mesmo.” The girl said quietly 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 was running up to him, terrified. “Benji! Oh my God, are you all right?” He pulled Ben to his feet. “What are you doing here, you Potatohead!” He usually used that name when he was joking, but it wasn't the case now. His brow tightened as he said angrily. “I told you to go to the house!”
“The house went dark!” Ben whimpered. “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, but his Grampa paid no heed.
“This isn't right.” Grampa muttered through clenched teeth. “Something's not right.” Grampa 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 was standing before them, surrounded by burning debris. He was shrouded in the darkness, so they could not see his face. He did not move, but kept his shining eyes on them. It was Mesmo.
Grampa held on tightly to Ben, ready to run, alert for any sign of danger.
Mesmo swayed. He fought to stay upright, but his legs gave way and he crashed to the ground.
Grampa didn't wait to find out more. He was already running again with Ben in his arms.
“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. But 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.
After what seemed a long and tedious time, they finally arrived at the house. Grampa pushed through the kitchen door and headed for the living room. There, he dumped Mesmo onto the couch like an old potato sack, then sagged to his knees, wheezing.
Ben put a hand on his shoulder worriedly. Grampa nodded to say he was fine. When he had caught his breath he stood up, as both stared at the mysterious man on the couch.
Ben gently took his grandfather's arm.
“Grampa.” He said softly. “There are others.”
Grampa stared at his grandson in amazement. He nodded slowly, answering in a distant voice “I know. I saw them.”
“We must help them!” Ben stated. The boy squeezed his grandfather's arm. “It's ok, I’ll stay here.” Ben nodded reassuringly: “I'll be ok.”
Grampa nodded back. Without a word, he headed outside again, his shoulders slumped as though he were still carrying a heavy weight.
Ben tried the phone, though he knew the line would be dead. He headed to the dining-room window to watch his grandfather cross the field once more. He watched even after he had disappeared into the trees, following him in his mind's eye as he would reach the first crash-site.
Maybe Grampa will find the girl.
Ben absentmindedly rubbed the palm of his hand, suddenly remembering the small diamond he was still clasping in his other hand. Tiny sparkles of light emanated from it. He stared at it in awe as it began to glow.
The windowpanes rattled alarmingly, making Ben jump and drop the jewel, which rolled under the brown china cabinet. Tike barred his teeth as he crouched low.
Something was going on outside, in the field right before the house. A dark spacecraft was descending slowly to the ground, about twenty meters from the house. It was black as the night and had a sleek form. It hovered a meter above the ground, humming softly, each hum sending an invisible wave that rattled the windows.
Then it went silent.
Ben froze to the spot, his throat dry and the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. The night was silent, expectant, as he hardly dared to breathe.
From some invisible opening in the craft, the form of a strong man appeared. He had spikey, white hair, though judging by his strong build, he could not have been that old. He was too far away for Ben to distinguish anything else, but for some reason he broke into a cold sweat. No matter how much he longed to hide, he was rooted to the spot. He was afraid the slightest movement would alert the man to his presence.
Then an unexpected sound caught the attention of them both: the sirens from a police car were swiftly approaching on the road that came from the town.
The man from the craft stood alert for an instant, listening for the direction the sound was coming from, then after confirming the siren was approaching, it ran straight for the house.
The spikey-haired man reached some bushes below Ben's window just as the headlights from the police car illuminated the house, coming to a stop on the gravel before the front door. The whirling red and blue lights on its roof splashed across the lawn.
Agent Theodore Edmond Connelly stepped out of the car. He spoke some indications into the radio, listened as a woman's voice gave him instructions, then shut the car door and jogged towards the house.
Ben could hear the police officer’s footsteps on the gravel as he approached, before he started banging on the front door. The noise shook Ben to the bone. “This is the police. Open the door! Mr. Archer, are you there?”
Ben's heart pounded in his chest. He sensed the presence of the man lurking below, like a spider in a web waiting to catch its prey.
After a moment, the sounds of footsteps on the gravel told Ben the police officer
was moving away from the front door. His feet stopped for an instant, before breaking into a run over the lawn. Ben peeked and could see Connelly stopping as he took in the dark spaceship. His hand was on the gun at his side, but he was clearly too dumbfounded by what he was seeing to remember his own safety.
In the distance, more sirens wailed. Connelly turned around to head for his car when he noticed something in the bushes behind him. Ben heard him shout “Hold it!” as he reached for his gun. But too late, he was struck by a sudden ray of intense blue light. Ben heard him groan as he tumbled to the ground.
The dark form materialized from the bushes under the window, running toward the dead man. Quickly, the murderer placed his hand an inch above Connelly’s face until a blue light emanated from it, enveloping them both. Before his very eyes, Ben saw the white-haired man’s face transform and take on the bald police officer's traits. He seemed to be in great pain as this was happening. His mouth was twisted and the muscles of his body bulged abnormally beneath the clothes. As the transformation completed, the eerie blue light faded away. In a swift movement, the murderer heaved the dead man’s body on his shoulder and carried him to the spaceship, where both disappeared. Shortly after, the fake Theodore Connelly reappeared in full police garments, his victim still inside the spaceship. He ran to the middle of the field, just as a helicopter flew overhead, its powerful searchlight illuminating the ground. Ben saw the murderer with Connelly’s face gaze up to the house with its eyes that were two pools of darkness that carved themselves into Ben's mind.
Twisted eyes!
Ben screamed, certain that he had been seen.
Then several things happened at once. Mesmo, who, a moment ago, had been lying unconscious on Grampa's couch, placed a firm hand on Ben's mouth, pulling him down. The lights of the house sprang back to life. The helicopter hovered over the police officer who was shielding his eyes with his arm. Several police-cars, ambulances and firefighters made a dramatic entrance onto the road next to the field, as the night came ablaze with noise and flashing lights.
***
The liquid screen lost its consistency and returned to where it had come from with a splash.
Ben backed away, breathing heavily. He stared at Mesmo with wide eyes.
“You passed out.” Mesmo explained. “I carried you out of the house and ran all night until we reached the town. I left you under a tree, close to some houses, and sent Tike to look for help. Then I left.”
Tike’s pricked his ears. They followed the dog’s gaze and found Laura walking towards them, her hands stuffed deep into her jacket pockets to fend off the cold.
“Any luck?” She asked cheerfully.
Ben stood up hastily and handed her the bucket with the trout’s head sticking out of it. “I’m turning vegetarian.” He said gloomily.
Laura laughed, but then noticed her son’s sunken eyes and pale face. “What’s the matter?” She asked worriedly.
“Tired.” He muttered. “Going to bed.” He trudged off back to the cabin with the fishing rod.
Laura followed him with her eyes, then turned to Mesmo: “What happened?” She asked, holding the bucket tightly in her arms.
“He’ll be fine.” The alien replied grimly.
She studied the tall man for a moment as they headed back to the cabin. She noticed the grayish tint on his skin. She stopped and said softly: “What about you? We haven’t had a chance to really talk. Are you all right?”
He turned his head towards her. “I am better, yes.” She pulled out a hand from her pocket and gently waved it through his own. There was only empty air where her eyes clearly saw a firm hand. She held her breath, then said: “Ben told me about your troubles. He said you are being held against your will.” She looked up at him again. “What happened to you?”
He stared at her grimly as they began walking again. His voice sounded pained: “I was kidnapped at the Toronto Airport. The man who is responsible for holding me knows that I am not from this planet. He is the head of a powerful organization, I can tell.”
“A government agency?” Laura ventured.
Mesmo shook his head: “No. I don’t think so. This is something else. I have not been able to figure it out yet.”
Laura said: “We will help you in any way we can.”
Mesmo shook his head again: “That would not be a good idea. You are safe here. Leaving this island would be too risky.”
She noticed the dark rings under his eyes: “You don’t look well, Mesmo...” She said softly.
Mesmo grimaced. “They placed me in a confined space. It is the one thing my species dreads.” He glanced at Laura. “I couldn’t take it. My heart stopped. They were able to bring me back. But I barely made it…
Laura gaped at his words. “Mesmo!” She breathed worriedly. She stood before him to get his full attention. “Don’t give up!” She said determinedly. “We’ll find you and get you out, I promise.”
Mesmo smiled sadly: “What Ben is doing for me is enough already. His spirit portal allows me to escape my jail briefly, even if it is only part of me. The man who is holding me has gone away for several months. That will give me some time to recover and find a way to escape.” He trailed off and looked up at the night sky.
Laura gazed up as well, then said: “I meant to thank you, for taking care of Ben. Ever since… what happened in Chilliwack, he’s been so afraid, so fragile. But he’s changing now. I can see it. He’s becoming more confident by the day. You do that to him. He trusts you.” She smiled: “So for that, thank you.”
The door to the cabin opened and light splashed onto the lawn. Susan let them in and took the bucket from Laura. “Here, let me get that.” She said. “You go on up and get some rest.”
Laura nodded and smiled shyly at Mesmo. “Well, good night then.” She said, her eyes on him, before turning away.
Susan dumped the fish into the kitchen sink. She washed it thoroughly before cutting it open, then removed its entrails, while Mesmo watched curiously. Finally, she said coolly: “Still playing with their hearts, are we?”
Mesmo straightened as he replied: “I need them, just as much as they need me.”
Susan eyed him with displeasure: “Yes, but who’s going to get their feelings trampled on in the end?” She shoved the fish into the freezer, then peeled off her latex gloves. “You?” She asked accusingly.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Flight
TWO WEEKS LATER BEN WOKE UP TO A MISTY morning. He found Susan bustling about in the kitchen, making breakfast. She had spent almost an entire day on the mainland the day before, returning with loads of fresh food. The whole house smelled of eggs and bacon. Ben checked in on his mother to see if she was ready to come and eat.
Laura was waking up, stretching lazily. Ben grinned, noticing how much better she looked: her cheeks were rosy, she had put on some much-needed weight and she looked rested.
She smiled at him: “’Morning, honey.” She said, as she patted the bed to invite him to sit beside her, noticing that his mood had greatly improved since last night.
He did so reluctantly, his stomach grumbling. He leant back and stared at the ceiling. “It’s as if we are on holiday or something.” Ben commented.
Laura turned to face him, saying cheekily: “Well, technically, it’s the middle of the term. We need to find a way to get you back to school.”
Ben stared at her in horror: “Are you serious?”
Laura poked him in the side: “Dead serious.”
“Ouch! No way!” Ben objected, half giggling. In defense, he grabbed a pillow and hit her gently over the head as she poked him playfully in the side again. That only triggered more pillow fighting. They both giggled until Mesmo appeared in the doorway. They stopped midway in their fight, their hair in a mess, grinning sheepishly as the alien man stared at them with utter bewilderment.
“Well, don’t just stand there!” Laura said, grinning, as she threw a pillow at him, forgetting that he wasn’t really there. The pil
low simply went right through him, landing on the other side of the doorway. Ben fell backwards on the bed, laughing uncontrollably.
“Oops!” Laura said, putting a hand to her mouth.
Mesmo frowned: “What are you doing?”
Laura wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes as she tried to control her laughter: “We’re being foolish, is all. Don’t you ever have laughing fits where you come from?”
“No, of course not.” He said, “Why would you want to do something that makes you cry?”
Ben guffawed, placing a pillow over his face.
“That’s enough, Benji.” Laura said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder with a smile still on her face. Addressing Mesmo, she said: “Sometimes people cry from happiness. It’s really very liberating. You should try it sometime.”
Mesmo shook his head in disagreement: “We learned, long ago, that excessive emotions were the root of many wars. Strong displays of emotion are considered barbaric.”
Laura’s smile wavered, as she wondered whether to feel offended. She gazed at Mesmo with renewed interest, then asked carefully: “Is there…. family…. waiting for you back home?”
Mesmo shook his head.
Ben, who was still recovering from his laughing fit, stared at him quizzically, blurting: “What? Don’t you have a wife or something?”
“Ben!” Laura growled from the corner of her mouth, her face flushed. This conversation was taking an awkward turn.
Ben blushed immediately. “Sorry!” He mumbled.
The alien man answered: “If by ‘wife’, you mean a life companion, then, yes, I had a ‘wife’. She died not long ago.”
Laura and Ben stared at him, suddenly silenced. “I’m sorry.” Laura said earnestly, before adding slowly. “Perhaps one day you will remarry.”
Mesmo frowned: “What is ‘remarry’?”
“Er…” Laura struggled: “It means to take another wife. Find another… ‘life companion’.”
Mesmo shook his head. “That is not possible!” Mesmo said. “We are matched once in our life. There can be no other.”