This is a sequel to Benjamin and Me with permission from the original author. If you have any questions, ideas, or general comments about the story, feel free to email me joncoleman9999@gmail.com. If you can contribute to Nifty, remember to do so from the Nifty main page!
The Return of Benjamin and Me (Part Two)
Slowly regaining consciousness, my senses remained slow. My vision was grainy as I sat up and looked around, noticing a difference in my surroundings. Rubbing my eyes, several figures ran past and I noticed I had woken in the house from my dreams.
The wizards were still trying to protect the house, but it was apparent that it was a losing battle for everyone in the house. Panic began settling in as the wizards continued to defend the house from attack, but nothing was helping and the battle would soon be over.
As my vision come into focus, I began to look around for either Alex or the hooded figure from the barn. Knowing they would hold the answers of how we got here, panic began to rise in my chest as I realized that neither were here. Rising to my own feet, I began to formulate a plan on finding them and getting out before the battle was lost. Watching the battle rage on, I knew I didn't have much time to find them.
Looking around the room I woke in, I saw a group of men kneeling. Figuring I could read their lips to see what was being discussed, I made my way over and as I got closer, something caught my attention. As I kneeled next to them, I realized that I could hear them. Realizing that I could hear them, I listened to their words and realized that they were praying. The leader of the group, who was dressed much like a clergyman, was speaking in tongues, similar to Latin. Having studied the language, I was able to understand what he was saying.
He was attempting to banish an evil entity named Golgotheria, who was the leader of the evil attacking the wizards and the house. Not recognizing the name, I made a mental note to research it when everyone was to relative safety.
As I continued to listen in on their prayers, I made several more mental notes on names and places. However, as I listened, a bright white light suddenly appeared and blinded all of us. Getting to my feet, I was still unsteady and had to take several steps back as I covered my eyes, doing everything in my power to keep the light from blinding me. While it didn't last long, the light was intense and I had to shield my eyes until it dissipated several moments later.
Finally lower my hands as the light disappeared, my eyes readjusted for a second time since arriving to the house. Yet, it took less time to adjust and I realized that I was alone, as all the men I had seen moments ago had disappeared. Running into an adjacent room, I thought the men might've been transported elsewhere into the house by the light. As I looked around, I realized that I was alone in the house...or so I thought. The house remained eerily quiet and calm however.
"Is anyone out there? Can anyone hear me?" I yelled out, hoping that someone was nearby and could hear my cries. Hearing nothing, I didn't want to arouse the evil that was lurking just outside. Deciding that I needed answers about what was going on, I began to look around the house for answers.
Looking around the room I had yelled into, I realized that it appeared to be a study. Walking a bit further in, I realized that it was filled from top to bottom with books on a variety of subjects. Realizing that I could hear the men earlier, I wanted to test how physical this world was. Walking up to the bookshelf, I studied the books on them and realized how long it must've taken to collect all of them.
Walking along, one book spiked my interest almost immediately. Along the spine read `Book of Shadows.' Remembering back to a comparative religions course, a Book of Shadows was owned by a solitary or group of witches and wizards to record their journey along the Wiccan and natural paths. It was a history of those who owned it and I realized that it must've belonged to the two wizards living among these men.
Understanding its importance, as well as knowing the answers it held, I knew that I needed that book. As I stepped closer to the book, I began hearing whispers, similar to what I heard in my dreams and in the library. There was something special about this book and this moment and it only helped the fire grow within me. As I got into striking distance of reaching the book, I was about to put all my energy into reaching for it before I heard someone behind me yell, "STOP!"
Startled, I turned back and looked for the source of the voice. Noticing a figure standing in the doorway, he stepped forward. Cloaked in a shadow, I couldn't make out who it was, but what I could tell, he was rather tall. Stepping forward, he came into the light and I realized that it was a man with vibrant blue eyes and red hair. He was shivering, as though he had come in from a cold winter's day, but the house itself was rather warm and humid. So, as to why he was shivering intrigued me.
Closing the gap between us, I wanted to assess his physical and mental state better. Reaching forward, I gently grasped his shoulders, which helped to slow his shivering a bit as I introduced myself. "My name is Jonathan. Is everything okay? I said, as I gently held onto his shoulders and rubbed them.
"Yeah, I think I'm okay. I just wanted to stop you from grabbing that book, which has harmed so many already," he said, his voice wavering, but not his conviction. Not sure what he meant by that statement, it sounded rather ominous and made it appear that he knew something about this house and the disappearances.
Letting go of his shoulders, I took several steps back and thought about my next courses of action. Questions were flowing like a river, but I knew that I had to be strategic about what I asked. The mysterious man had answers and I had to get them before anyone else got hurt.
However, before I could ask any questions, the mystery man had turned back and slowly made his way back from whence he came. Wanting to keep an eye on him, I followed him closely as he went into the next room and sat down in a rather large armchair in the center of the room. Noticing an equally sized armchair directly across from him, I walked over and sat down as I thought about the various questions I had for him and which I wanted to ask first.
Sitting in silence gave me a chance to collect my thoughts and look at the orname decorations that made up the sitting room. Not having time earlier to truly look, it was apparent that the builder handmade everything and took time to truly build this house. The books in the house were equally impressive, appearing to have been first editions for most.
The mystery man broke the silence between us as I took my time looking around. "My name is Nicholas, by the way. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier, but as I mentioned, I didn't want you grabbing anything you weren't supposed to. It's lovely to meet you Jonathan."
Listening to him speak, it was clear that he had an Irish accent, which had always turned Alex and myself on. Extending a hand to shake, I wanted to see if Nicholas would take it. As he took it and shook it, I said, "It's very nice to meet you Nicholas. But, I do have several questions for you, if you don't mind."
His face didn't betray any sort of emotion except for happiness and joy as he shook his head and said he would love to answer some questions. Deciding the simplest question would be the best, I delved straight into them.
Taking a deep breathe in, I asked, "How long were you here before you found me?" As Nicholas thought his answer, it felt like an eternity for him to speak again, but his answer was thoughtful and thorough.
"It was no longer than five minutes before we met each other in the study. I was helping search for something important when I fainted and got transported here. As I woke, the fight was raging outside and I knew there was something I needed to do in order to help. Looking around, I made my way into the study and found the Book of Shadows, much like yourself. Knowing it could be of use, I went to grab for it, but as soon as I touched it, the white light came along and took all the men away. Stumbling along, I was disoriented by the light and that's how I ended up in this room. It shook me to the core and that was why I was shaking so badly," he said, shivering a bit again as he recounted the story.
Listening to his story, he didn't mention anything about hearing voices as he reached for the book. Thinking he might've been embarrassed about hearing voices, I attributed it to that as to why he didn't mention it. Yet, it also worried me that his face was showing pure joy as he spoke about the men's disappearances and the white light. It led to more questions than answers, which I hated more than anything.
We continued to talk for quite some time, asking each other questions about our lives, how we got to this world, and the like. Until now, nothing really stood out about Nicholas, besides the fact that he always appeared happy, even in sad situations. Yet, something frightening started to happen as we continued to talk. When Nicholas first appeared, his eyes were a bright and sparkling blue, but as we continued to talk, I would look into his eyes every so often and they had begun changing colors about halfway into our conversation. It wasn't noticeable at first, becoming duller as we spoke until his blue eyes eventually became green and finally brown. Knowing something was wrong, I tried to keep calm and not let my face betray my emotions.
Realizing that we had been talking for what felt like the better part of an hour, I knew that we had to refocus ourselves onto getting answers and getting back to our own dimension. Once he stopped and asked me about information on my home life and where I grew up, I knew that it was my opportunity to focus in on getting answers and seeing where Nicholas' loyalties lie.
"How about we figure out how to get back to our own dimension and I show you my hometown? I'll introduce you to my whole family and friends back home. How does that sound?" I said, waiting to see what his temperament would be like after I asked that question. Chuckling, what he said in response alerted me to how evil Nicholas truly was.
"Getting out of here? Why would we want to leave?" he asked, getting onto his feet and towering over me. The blood drained from my face as I could tell he was angry and could easily end my life on the spot.
However, as I looked into his eyes and saw the rage, Nicholas arched his head back and sparks began coming from every orifice in his body. They were hot and lasted several seconds before he exploded like a firecracker. Having raised my arms to protect myself from his rage and subsequent explosion, they protected me, but were also burned.
Lowering my arms, I looked around to see what happened. Noticing burn marks along the floor and armchair, and the burns along my arms, I knew I had to get away before any of his friends came along, as well as to tend to my burnt arms before they got infected or worse. Raising out of the chair, I was greeted by a hooded figure, similar to the one from the barn. He was standing in the archway between rooms and was holding a rather large book.
Realizing that he was walking towards me, I put my arms up to defend myself, but only got them so far before I winced in pain. Once close enough, the cloaked figure took his cloak down and my jaw hit the floor, as it revealed the man I had been talking to mere moments before. Keeping my stance the best I could, I began to go into a bit of a shock, both mentally and physically.
Noticing my burns and their severity, the new Nicholas put his book down and came over to check on them. Suspecting that I was on edge, Nicholas put his book away and put his hands up as he approached me. "I'm not here to hurt you. The other Nicholas you saw was an evil doppelganger that I had been fighting as I was transported here. Let me help and show you that I'm not here to harm," he said, as he continued his approach.
Realizing I wasn't in immediate danger, I lowered my arms and let him come closer. Nicholas gently took one of my arms in his hands to check on the extent of my burns, noticing they had gone up to both elbows. Pointing to my burns, he asked, "May I treat your burns? I won't unless you give me express permission."
Looking up at him, I was curious as to how he was going to treat them. But, I nodded and said, "Yes, you may treat my burns. But, once complete, I have several questions for you." Nodding gently, he didn't say much as he began working. Holding one arm in one hand, he used his free hand to move along my arm and spoke an incantation. As he spoke, the arm his hand was going over began to heal before our eyes, as though he was doing the work of the gods. It only took minutes for him to complete work on both arms, but once completed, he let my arms free and asked how they were doing.
Looking them over and moving my fingers across them, I realized that there was no pain and they were effectively brand new. Smiling, I looked up into his eyes and said, "They're wonderful. Thank you for whatever you did to them."
Shaking his head, he said, "That was nothing. It was the least I could do after having my doppelganger hurt you." Both of us smiling, we enjoyed each other's company in silence as I looked over the newest addition to the realm.
As we enjoyed each other's company and the ensuing silence, I realized something as our eyes were locked. Nicholas' eyes were different colors, even from one another. His right eye was emerald green and his left was sky blue. Having not mastered keeping my emotions to myself, in either my own dimension or this one, Nicholas realized that something was wrong and asked what was wrong. Deciding that he wouldn't believe me if I told him, I walked him over to the nearest reflective surface and showed him his eyes were different colors. Looking into the surface for a moment before looking down, he spoke with a slightly lighter tone, as though he was ashamed of something.
As he began speaking, he looked me in the eyes and I could see a tear rolling down the side of his cheek. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize this dimension had taken away my ability to cover up my imperfection. I only hope that this doesn't put a wedge between us or make you think I'm only here to hurt you," he said, another tear rolling down his cheek.
Wiping away the tears, I knew my face was beaming with the brightest of smiles. As I turned to face him, I gently squeezed his shoulders and asked, "Why do you think that would create a wedge between us?"
Shaking his head, he was at a loss for words. Taking ahold of my hand, he brought me over to the book he had bought in with him and opened it to the first page. All he was able to say was watch and I gently nodded as I looked down at the page, slightly confused. Realizing that the page had become animated, my jaw dropped for a second time within minutes as I saw what appeared to be a firsthand account of Nicholas' life from childhood through the present day.
The animation showed Nicholas being picked on from an early age due to his eye colors. The kids tormenting him for having two different eye colors and how he would come running home from school and would hide away in his room, crying every night. The next bit of the animation showed when Nicholas' family introduced him into the Wiccan path, which they had hoped would empower him to take control of his life. It showed Nicholas working on controlling his newfound power and his ability to control his eye color, which made him less of a target growing up. Yet, as the animation was ending, it showed Nicholas kissing a boy at school and another student seeing them. It showed how Nicholas' classmates changed from tormenting him about his eye color and powers to tormenting him about his sexuality.
As the animation ended and Nicholas closed the book, I sat down in a nearby chair and took a minute to absorb all that I had seen. Coming over and sitting on the table in front of me, he clutched the book in his arms and gave a wry little smile as he looked down at the ground.
"As you saw, I've had a tough life over the years and I haven't had a lot of wonderful people come into my life. I was able to cover up my physical imperfections, but other things were tougher to cover up, especially when someone goes running to tell the entire school," he said, looking back up at me with a smile and new set of tears. Reaching up for his cheeks, I felt heartbroken as he recounted the story and knew that his mind must've been bouncing around. Knowing he must've always had an emotional shield up 24/7 and how hard it was to keep up, it was a wonder how it kept it together for so long.
He finished speaking and I gave him a moment to collect himself. I wiped away a new set of tears and said, "I think you are incredibly beautiful and so strong. You need to hear me when I say this. Don't change for anyone, especially those cruel people who would try and put you into a nice, neat box in the corner. You have such incredible talent and you deserve to be put on display. Think about how strong you were against your evil doppelganger earlier. It was because of how incredible you are, so no more tears, okay?"
Nicholas had closed his eyes as he listened to me speak and I could tell he was taking it all to heart. As I finished up, he opened his eyes and took the palm of my hand and kissed it, mouthing thank you. Leaning over, he brought me into a tight embrace and I could feel the tension leaving his body.
Leaning back after a few moments, Nicholas finally spoke up and said, "Thank you for everything you've done for me in the short time we've known each other. You've done more in that short time than anyone has done for me my entire life and it has helped." Smiling, I nod and give him another hug before letting out and sitting back in the chair.
Sitting back and looking up into his eyes, I said, "You're quite welcome. Like I said beforehand, you deserve to be the happiest version of yourself that you can be and keep the negativity out of your life. I know it's hard sometimes, but I think you've already come a long way."
Smiles crept onto both of our faces as we let the silence of the next few moments wash over us. Realizing how amazing and cute Nicholas was, all I could think about doing was kissing him all over, but we had only known each other for a short period of time. Thinking it wouldn't be bad if I just stole a little peck, I played the first move and climbed my way over to his lap, where I felt something poking at me.
Realizing that I had climbed straight onto his boner, Nicholas' face became blood red from embarrassment. Feeling his desire to get up and away from the situation, I got up and he darted into the next room. Seeing how fast he was, I knew I needed to catch up to him quickly if I were to keep my only companion within eyesight.
"God, I'm such an idiot. I'm terribly sorry for what you felt and you can rest assured that it will never happen again," Nicholas said, as he slowly paced the room and ran his fingers through his hair. Chuckling at how nervous and embarrassed he had become over a simple incident, I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist before kissing his cheek.
"What do you have to be sorry for? Never said I didn't enjoy it," I said, giving him a small wink as I laid my head on his chest, smiling shyly and looking down at the ground. He visibly calmed down after hearing that and chuckled himself. As I kept my head on his chest, he caressed my cheek and kissed my forehead as he whispered, "I owe you a date in our own dimension then."
Snuggling closer to his chest, I nodded gently and said, "Yes, you do. My treat." Trying to disagree, I kissed his lips before he could. Noticing that he was blushing when I let out the kiss, he was at a loss for words and let the silence take over yet again, both of us enjoying it as I laid my head onto his chest.
The silence we enjoyed didn't last for long though. Broken by what can be described as an earth shattering boom, the sound hit us mere moments before white light engulfed us. Lasting for no longer than three seconds, it left us dazed and confused.
While still in the embrace, Nicholas and I had used each other as shields, covering our eyes from the light. Letting go, both of us took steps back and checked to make sure all was well. Realizing how tightly I was hanging onto Nicholas, my ears became as red as Nicholas' were earlier. Looking up to gauge Nicholas' level of embarrassment, I was confused when I saw worry and dread on his face. Turning around, I saw the cause of his confusion, as two more men were deposited into this realm, both unconscious.
Rushing to their aid, we checked their vitals and overall well-being. Feeling strong pulses from both men, Nicholas and I decided that it was best to have them moved off the floor and into another room. Lifting both men, we moved them into the living room and laid them on long couches that dotted the room's exterior. Tucking them in and letting them sleep, we walked back into the study to discuss matters privately.
Pulling at my arm, so that we would face one another, he said, "What's going on here? Are the Gods or Empress Golgotheria putting these men with us as double agents or to have them harm us in some way?" As he let go of my arm, I turned to walk to a nearby window and looked out of the battle scorched earth and pondered the question before me. Who were these men and what was the purpose of depositing them here? How did Nicholas know about Golgotheria and who was she? Why were Nicholas and I here? Hating that I couldn't answer Nicholas' questions immediately, I was flustered and Nicholas could sense it. Walking over to me, he wrapped his arms around my shoulder.
Laying his head on my shoulder, he whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm a bit frustrated myself and we have yet another mystery to solve. We have to figure who they are and if they're friend or foe, as well as how to get out of here. Maybe once they wake up, we can ask them questions and see if they know a way back." Nodding gently, I empathized with him. I was curious about our newest guests and what answers they held about getting back into our own realm. As we gazed onto the property, a gently rain began falling, creating a surreal scene outside, even with the various battle scars.
Snapping back to reality, we could hear a commotion from the next room. Realizing that our guest must've woken from their slumber, I looked back at Nicholas and decided that it would be best to head back and introduce ourselves. Taking Nicholas' hand, we headed back into the next room only to realize that they were already on their feet and quite defensive. As we entered the room, our guests turned sharply towards us and had their hands raised in a defensive position, with orbs of light hovering slightly above their palms. Noticing what was happening, Nicholas was quick to get me behind him and put his hands into a similar position with orbs similar to our guests.
Talking to our guests, Nicholas showed a side of him that I hadn't really had the chance to see. However, as the three of them spoke, I realized that the whispers I heard over the last couple of days had returned. Listening to the whispers, the focus suddenly shifted to me, as I was slowly phasing out of sync with this reality. Everyone put their defensive orbs away and walked over to me, where Nicholas put his hands on my shoulder in an attempt to help ground me.
"Jonathan, can you hear me? Tell me what's going on?" Nicholas cried out, worried about my well being. But, nothing appeared to work and it seemed as though I was going to be sucked away into another reality before I snapped back and became whole again. Frantic, panic crept into my very essence and I said, "We have to get out of this house! NOW!" Breaking free of Nicholas' grip, I began searching for the nearest exit in an attempt to get out.
Following close behind me, the three of them worried that I was having a mental break from stress or slip. Before anyone could begin to ask questions, we managed to find an exit and it led straight into olympic sized pool. As we stepped close to the pool, one of the guests was about to ask me a question, but before he could open his mouth, the house exploded and threw the four of us into the nearby pool. The explosion was massive and caused every inch of the house to shatter.
Yet, thanks to the force of the explosion and the property of water, the four of us were saved from the explosion. Unfortunately, it caused for the four of us to lose our senses momentarily. As I attempted to stabilize myself in the water, I realized that this realm cause a lot of disorientation and it was becoming a pattern. Sinking to the bottom of the pool, I was able to push off from it and it didn't take but a few moments for me to reach the top and pull myself out.
Rubbing my eyes, my vision cleared and I saw three others fishing themselves out. Watching our two guests, it appeared that they've had much practice swimming, but Nicholas had a bit of trouble. Being the closest person to him, I helped him out and the four of us looked back at the house in horror as we realized that it was completely flattened. Counting our lucky stars, the focus was brought back to me yet again as one of the guests asked how I knew the house was going to explode like that.
As we watched the house burn, Nicholas looked over at me and asked, "How did you know that we had to get out of the house because it was going to explode?"
"Well, ever since I began researching this house for a school project, I could hear whispers coming from the strangest of places. At first, it was in public places, like the school library, so I didn't pay them much mind, especially since I couldn't make out what they were saying until we were in the house. Then, all the sudden, as we were in the house and you guys were talking, I could hear the whispers again and they were crystal clear. They told me to get out and all would follow, especially if I ran. I don't know honestly, but it scared me enough to get out," I said, as we watched the remains of the house continue to burn. A stream of fresh tears came to my face for the first time in a long time. A fresh stream of emotions, such as embarrassment and fear came peaking to the top.
In a showing of trust, one of our guests walked over and began wiping away my tears. Nicholas was visibly on edge, but allowed the guest to continue. It appeared that he had become a bit protective of me in our time together, which I thought to be rather cute. As the guest whisked away the tears, I was able to get a better look at them, since we hadn't had much chance to earlier. The guest looking after me had the most beautiful, sparkling green eyes, similar to the one that Nicholas had. But, as I looked into his eyes, I could sense something was different about him and his partner and I couldn't place it until he spoke.
"The four of you have come a long way in your journeys, but still have so much longer to come. In the next part of it, you'll need to find Benjamin and save him. Once you do so, more will be revealed to you," he said, a smile forming across his face. Curiosity quickly formed and took the place of my tears. Yet, before I could ask any questions, the guest spoke up again. "First, you both need to wake up," he said, as his companion placed a finger on Nicholas' forehead, making him collapse to the ground. As he collapsed, I tried to run over to him, but the first guest placed his finger on my head in the same place, where I collapsed as well.
The next thing I knew, I was waking in the barn I had collapsed in. Feeling both rested and not, I was a bit groggy, but my vision was crystal clear. Looking around, I could hear the rain still hitting the metal roof of the barn and could see that the storm was raging worse than when I had collapsed.
"Took you long enough to wake up. Are you usually this sleepy?" a voice said from behind me. Jumping to my feet, I turned and saw someone sitting on a bale of hay, putting some items away in a bag. It was the hooded figure from earlier, but the lighting in the barn wasn't the best and I was having trouble making out who it was. But, the voice was unmistakable and it felt like I was having DejaVu.
"Nicholas?" I asked, but the man didn't do anything but chuckle. As he stood up and walked over, he took his hood off and I was able to get a clear view of him. "William actually. Nicholas is my brother. Have you two met before?" he asked, a bit confused, as though we had never met before.
Thinking back to the message from the guest in the other dimension, I realize that I had to find Nicholas and find Benjamin and figure out this mounting mystery.