June 21st, 2006

"You're not going to get away with this." Tangled in cable, I squirm and struggle. All I have to do is tap the watch.

The summoning circle below me glows bright neon red. Charmcaster sits in a trance at the very center of the pentagram. Smoke swirls around her into a vortex. I can't believe what they are about to do. Stealing magical artifacts are one thing, but this is unbelievable. Hex is actually summoning a demon. A legit demon, in a church library of all places.

"You're already too late boy. The summoning is almost complete. So, let me take my place."

"It doesn't matter if you have that demon. We're going to beat you just like the last time!" I shout back.

"This demon is something beyond you. Neither you or that lucky girl will be able to stop me after the summoning," he boasts.

And right on cue Gwen crashes through the stained glass window in full costume. She casts a shockwave of magical energy toward Hex. Dust is kicked up and wood is splintered, but Hex stands firm through the chaos. He counters by launching a flurry of books at Gwen. She narrowly manages to dodge the projectiles.

"Hex you're making a mistake! Think about the consequences of what you are about to do!" Gwen shouts back.

"Oh and you don't think I have?"

I feel the cords lax slightly. Yes, if she can just keep him distracted long enough.

"You would sacrifice your soul just for a little bit more power?"

"Do you know how black my soul is? I already have a nice warm seat down below. Why not make my journey there more fun? Why not bend the world to my image?" A shockwave from Hex kicks up the rug and more dust Gwen jumps out of the way.

"What about Charm? You still haven't told her the details of what this deal will mean. What will she think when she finds out you're about to sell her soul?"

The floor tears apart violently. Planks of wood, glass, and tile fly at Gwen. She narrowly roles to the ground as the debris shreds through the wallpaper and wood behind her, but she isn't quick enough. She winces from a dozen splinters that slice into her arm and tumbles to the ground.

"You dare think I would trick her! This is my sacrifice and my sacrifice only! You and her greed are the ones who are damning her. Can't you see I am trying to save her from my fate before it's to late?" He walks out of his summoning circle blinded by rage. And with that the cords loosen just enough.

I feel the cables that ensnared me strain once more, why does a library have to have so much rope and computer cables just lying around? I struggle in the new tighter snare.

"Now let me take my place!"

I flex my arm to get it in the right position wriggling it out through the rope and cable. I turn the knob to heat blast and slam the button. You're not going to hurt my cousin. It's hero time.

With a flash my skin turns to flame and molten rock. "Time to dance!" I open my smoldering hand. I shoot out a burst of flames at hex's feat. He skillfully jumps back from the miniature inferno.

"Stop!" He shouts back.

A volley of flames from my hand grows and rapidly crawls along the ground to the pentagram in the center of the room. Flame engorges and envelops the summoning circle.

"No!" he shouts.

The illuminated lines from Gwen, Hex, and Charmcaster's artifacts go dark. The snare around me goes limp falling to the ground.

"Y-you just started the final phase of the ritual," he stammers.

The bottom of the floor begins to sink, and an inferno belching charcoal smoke slowly wraps its way around the summoning circle. Despite the flame, an uncomfortable chill sweeps throughout the room. I look up to see a layer of frost encrusting the ceiling and spreading to the walls.

The smoke and vortex begins to grow more violent mixing with the flame. Another cracks and fissures grow across the ground glowing with orange and red embers. The concrete begins to bubble and warp, as a large indentation is formed in the center. Charmcaster remains aloof in her trance with even with the inferno about to engulf her.

Hex rushes forward. But he is tripped by the tremors that quake the building. Before he can regain his footing a bookcase tumbles over pinning Hex to the ground. He struggles and squirms spouting all sorts of incantation, but his staff remains dark and lifeless. The demon must be sucking the magical aura from everyone's artifacts.

"NO!" Hex shouts, vainly reaching outward toward the circle with his free hand.

Charmcaster sits in her calm tranquil state. A flurry of all white flower petals and black feather begin to materialize, flowing and mixing around her in the flurry of smoke between the ice and flame.

The double doors at the front of the darkened library swing open. It's grandpa. "Ben, Gwen, what did I tell you about waiting for… oh my god! We need to get out of here now!"

Grandpa rushes over to Gwen in a panic.

"Are you alright?" Grandpa says as he picks Gwen up.

"Yeah just a couple of bruises and cuts. Nothing that can't be fixed."

I turn to Charmcaster. The flames rise higher and higher, while the frost descends. I step forward.

"Ben what are you doing?"

"But," I glance into the anomaly and aura overtaking the circle; it grows more terrifying with each second. "What about Charmcaster and Hex?"

"Ben, an Arch Demon is a code black interdimensional creature! You can't fight it!"

"Please don't let it take her soul! She wasn't supposed to do this!" Hex squirms desperately attempting to break free.

Even with all she's done, she doesn't deserve this. If the summoning is completed her soul will be consumed and that creature will be free to roam the earth. I can't let that happen.

I shouldn't have chosen heat blast; if I attempt to fly her out I will burn her for sure.

A voice as chilling as the frost above enters my head. Leave her. No. Don't be a coward. I need to hurry. I frantically search the floor below. Think ben think.

"Ben!"

I look toward my hand, the flames licking the fibrous rope, it refuses to melt or burn. The rope.

Take the flame retardant rope and wrap it around my burning hands. I fly through the air keeping my makeshift mittens stretched out far away from my immolated body. I slope down and back up as I collide with charm caster knocking her above the flame and into a soft fabric couch.

"Ben, get out there now!"

I unwrap one of my hands and release flame marking and scorching glowing runes. I look above to see the frost recede and the flurry of smoke feather and petal dissipate, and around me the flames of the circle begin to weaken. It's working.

Then I hear a horrifying sound, the beeping and whining of the omintrix. I try to jump upward ejecting flame from my feet to vault over the circle, and a then flash of green light envelopes me. Transformed back into a simple human kid, I land with a loud thud. Quickly rising to my feet I make a mad dash to a small gap in the fire. With each step it rises higher and higher. I see Gwen and Grandpa shouting and waving. Grandpa rushes forward to grab me. Our hands connect and lock.

Then I feel a jerk and I am torn away by my arm. I trip and fall to the concrete, stupid clumsy legs. I reach out again.

Gwen is muttering spells from her book to no avail, while grandpa reaches out with his arm through the gap in the flame.

Come on you can get to him. The tugging returns to my arm. Don't stop now you almost have his hand. I'm sliding backward. I turn behind me; the rope is still wrapped around my arm is being sucked toward a fissure in the ground. Grandpa grabs my hand once more.

"Don't worry I've got you." He desperately tries to get a foothold on the marble floors to no avail. I feel us being dragged faster toward the fissure my hand begins to strain. The flower peddles and feathers reappear swirling through the air. An invisible force knocks grandpa backward.

"Grandpa!" I shout. Come on get this rope off. I pry between the fibers with my fingers and then it comes loose, yes. The rope flies backward and is consumed by the fissure. The fissure grows, the ground begins to cave in, and the force continues to pull me back.

Harsh squeaks are emitted as I slide across the floor. I scramble, clawing at every crack and edge on the cold tile floor. I can just barely get a grip in a fissure of the collapsing floor. I look behind me to see a deep depression in the ground. A void of pitch-black night rises from it surrounded by a vortex of smoke, feather, and flower.

No.

I feel my legs lift into the air.

No!

My sweaty hands begin to slip.

"No!" I scream.

I feel the tugging force become stronger. I turn again, my legs enveloped by flower and feather.

"NO!"

My hands give way.

"GRANDPA!" I flail in the air.

"Ben!" Gwen and Grandpa scream back narrowly jumping into the air over the flames. The last thing I see is them sprinting over the collapsing ground toward the portal. The flower and feather overtakes my vision. I try desperately to swipe them away.

"Stupid flowers! Get out of the way!"

The vortex stops and the debris slowly sink in mid air. I desperately search for a light, an opening, or something, but any trace of library has been replaced by a completely pitch black void. I struggle, waving my arms and kicking my legs, but I wont budge. There is nothing I can push off of with my arms or legs.

First the feathers and flowers begin to fall. Then I descend slowly along with the debris. Oh no. No what is that? A warm light opens below me. I stare below with my mouth gaping open. The light grows larger and closer, while the tornado of feathers and flowers returns. I don't want to go to the bad place. I didn't do anything I press the omnitrix multiple times. It remains bright red. Shut my eyes and cover my face. I don't want to see it.

Gently I touch some sort of warm surface lying in a fetal position with my arms wrapped around my face. Several seconds, then a minute, then another minute go by. I finally work up the courage to peek through my arms. Instead of a blasted wasteland of fire and brimstone I am greeted by wood planks, water, and forest bathed in an inky twilight greet me.

Stupid portal. Stupid watch. Stupid demon. Hex and Charm just had to summon that demon. The watch just had to time out. Now I'm stuck god knows where.

Okay just calm down and catch your bearings. I'm on a boat of some kind, its got a mast at its front and back, as well as large black iron pipe belching out a thick black smoke. Beyond the side rail I see river, woods, woods, and more woods.

"*Sigh* I'm completely lost."

Its okay don't panic. Grandpa and Gwen will follow me through. They'll probably know where we are.

"Grandpa!" I shout across the empty boat deck.

No response.

"Gwen!"

Nothing.

"Grandpa! Gwen!"

"They can't hear you." A pleasant voice whispers. I turn, all I see its deep greyish water illuminated in the moonlight. Not a soul in sight.

I start breath heavily. Calm down its just in your head you're hearing stuff that isn't real.

"Gwen! Grandpa!"

Silence.

"Gwen and Grandpa? Hello is anyone there?""

The voice returns, "Oh don't worry they are fine."

I begin to shiver. No. It couldn't be.

"Oh well look here, we got another nosy brat."

I turn back around to see a large man illuminated in the doorway. He dresses in white suit that looks golden in the light behind him, his neck, hands, and shaved head are covered in tattoos, a grin stretches across his face. He leans into the steel door his hand balled into a fist.

"Oh you want to go buddy!" I can't to see that smug smile turn to shock when he sees…rip jaws…the Omnitrix? It's not even red, it's just grey and lifeless.

"The Omnitrix?" I wail.

"Omni what?" The man shouts.

The voice spouts from behind. I turn back around again; no one. I turn my gaze forward to the man. At his side a pearl-handed revolver glints in the moonlight. And in his right hand dangles a hatchet. He slowly raises his ax into the warm light revealing the sharp blade is coated in a thick red liquid. Blood.

"It don't matter kid. You're too late. I already took care of the captain."

I begin to quiver.

"Who are you?"

" I'm just a guy trying to do an important job. Look kid it's nothing personal. If you stand nice and still I'll make it quick and painless." He stretches his left arm toward his side and raises the revolver. I take another step backward leaning against the rail. I can't move. I can't run. I can't speak. I can only stand in horror knowing what's about to happen. This is hell.

A door slams open three of men dressed wet suits and lugging sub machine guns pour out of the door to my left. All around the ship I hear splashing. Another man in dive gear emerges behind the white suited behemoth. "Boss we got a problem. The timer on the dynamite wasn't calibrated right. We need to jump now."

"Shit!"

Boom the ship rocks and shakes. I am knocked from the railing and into the water with a loud slosh.

"It's s-so c-cold!" I rise back up gasping for air. I see the man over the rail looking down toward me. I force myself back under into the frigid water a revolver round narrowly misses me splashing next to my shoulder. I swim and swim frantically. Am I still to closes to the ship? No they can't possibly see me when its this dark. I'm safe.

Then a powerful shockwave thrashes me through the water. I tumble and turn in the current. I bounce off the riverbed multiple times and feel my arm scrape against a rock. Which way is up which way is down? I swat through the water with my arms desperately trying to get my bearings. My lungs feel like they are being cooked. I finally stop tumbling and feel the surface of the riverbed. I push myself up and gasp for the sweet air. My view is dominated by the far a way ship, now a ragging inferno casting an orange glow upon the waters surface. All I can do is float on my back drifting in the current and staring at the blaze

I drift until the glow of the fire is gone. That patch of cattails should be good to hide in. I see nothing in the darkness surrounding my hiding spot. I attempt to pull myself out. No wait what if they got off the ship? I don't have anything to defend myself with. I slump back down into the muddy shoreline. Maybe just wait a few more minutes in the cat tails. I can't stop shivering. I feel so cold and exhausted. I stare at my warped reflection in the black water illuminated by an orange tinge, and my eyes begin to feel heavy. Maybe I could just rest for a moment.

I groggily awaken. My vision blurs as I attempt to pry my eyes open, but the heaviness returns and they begin to flutter once more. I was supposed to be doing something. Something important. Think Ben think.

"Wake up a cheery yet masculine voice says." Dad? No it sounds too soft, but still familiar.

"You wouldn't want to be late for our special guest?"

That's right I was preparing for someone. My eyes jolt open. The room is bright and colorful. Each wall is covered in dozens of ribbons and bows. In the chairs to the sides sit two stuffed animals. It is a room so alive but not a soul in sight.

Wait that voice I heard it before. It was on the ship. My eyes frantically dart around the room, I glance everywhere looking for the source of the voice. Then I see a single rose peddle.

"What do you think of the décor? Has this been all you desired?"

Feather and flower begin to fall around me. A familiar chill enters the room. My body shivers as the cold creeps through every nerve in my body. I look at my arm in vain hope that it returned, but the omnitrix is still gone. My hand begins to change, it turning pale porcelain white, almost if the life was being sucked out of me.

Wake up. Wake up! WAKE UP!

"*Gasp*"

Where am I? It was just all just a nightmare. I feel something slick like plastic or a leaf slide off my arm. I look down at my shirt stained with cold muddy water. My pants and arms are caked in mud. Gahh Its so slimy and gross. I dip my hands in the water and do my best to bush it all off, its probably going to get all in the… the omnitrix it's gone. What happened to the omnitrix?

I wade my way through the mud, frantically searching for the omnitrix. I'm still sopping wet. This can't be happing. Then I see the black slick plastic material. I grab the omnitrix and try to place it back onto my arm. It slips off back into the water. Try as I might the omintrix won't latch on. It just sits there loose and lifeless. Is it dead?

"Now don't be sad, you won't need that silly toy here."

I frantically look around. I'm still alone. I stuff the watch in my soggy pants pockets and trudge out of the river bed as fast as I can and onto the dusty dirt road.

I don't have Gwen and Grandpa; I don't have the omintrix; and the arch demon… it can hear my thoughts. It was in my dreams. Wait how can it? What if… what if it thought I summoned it? Every part of my body quivers with fear. I don't want to loose my soul.

"You don't have anything to fear from me. I have an important job for a hero like you," says the voice.

"Get out of my head!" I scream at the lonely forest

I look around for any way to get back. I sprint towards the woods along the dirt road as fast as I can. I have to get away from him. I run for almost a minute before the woods begin to clear, and I see some small houses starting to line the road. A town. Gwen and Grandpa must have gone to this town after they couldn't find me. Yeah that's it.

As I continue to run Houses made of warm red brick, grey stone, and painted white wood crop up on either side of the gravel road. They look so old, they aren't run down they look like there from a history book or from the historical section of the tourist towns we went to. Far off in the distance I hear an unintelligible mixing of sound, but the streets here are almost completely empty. What few people are here, dress weird.

"Excuse me young sir." A man says in a stuffy English accent.

I turn to see small family of three approaching. They're all dressed up like they came from a wedding or something. The middle-aged wears a tan suit with white pants carrying a cane at his side. His teenage son is dressed in a more dower dark suit with and top hat of green, while he wears green and black striped tie. Accompanying them is middle-aged woman in dark green dress. She has silver hair with a slight yellow ting, and she has that stern expression a schoolteacher face.

"Has anyone seen my Grandpa or my cousin?" I ask in my best attempt to mask my confusion and fear.

They all look at me puzzled. I stare at there clothing. They aren't just dress clothes it's almost like they stepped out of an old black and white photo.

Then it hits me. Did I Time travel? How will Grandpa and Gwen be able to track me to here if they're on the other side still? Wait, what if they jumped through as well and got trapped in a different time?

"Please has anyone seen them?" I repeat more desperately.

"Are you an American by chance?" The woman asks.

A cold sweat drips down the side of my face. It must be during the revolution or something.

"Uhh I'm a redcoat I swear! Please don't burn me as a witch."

I catch a glimpse of bewilder faces I flee away down the cobblestone road. Think Ben think, they must be here somewhere. The houses grow larger and closer together. More people accumulate on the sides of the road all dressed in antique clothing. People, people, and more people not a car in sight. Wait is that a horse? No, not just one horse, but horses along with carriages. How far back have I gone? The mass of people continues emerge and grow. The mob flows in one direction: the town center. If Gwen and Grandpa went anywhere it must have been here.

I make my way through the immense mob of people into the town square, shops line the first floor of each street while dozens of flimsy stands fill the streets. I cover my nose it wreaks. It smells like a sweaty locker room filled with fruits and perfumes.

In the crowd I see it. A short cut of orange hair, a blue shirt, and white pants. I push my way through the mass of people.

"Gwen!" I shout.

"Eh watch it."

"Sorry." I apologies.

"Gwen!" I shout again.

"That brat just pushed me."

"Sorry, my bad."

"Gwen!" I run forward as fast as I can toward the mane of red.

I wrap my arms around her. "Gwen! You have no idea how glad I am to see you dork." Instantly the crowd's gaze shifts toward us. Faces gawk with horror.

Murmurs rise from the crowd.

"What did he just say?"

I look closer and notice the shirt is a light bluish grey blazer, and his pants are almost like white kakis. The kid's head swivels toward me; its all wrong the nose is too large, the eyes are a deep blue, and it is rather boyish; he isn't Gwen.

"Get off of me." He shoves me backward. I fall hard onto the cobblestone. He jogs slowly toward a wiry man, plump woman, and little girl all dressed in gaudy dress clothes.

"Sorry I thought you were…"

"Mum he tried to pick pocket me and cursed at me." His rather woman steps forward in her long dark gown with puffed up shoulder pads, her wide brim sun hat cast a dark sinister shadow over her scowled tomato red face.

"What did you call my son!?"

"What? All I did was call him dork."

The crowd gasps.

"That boy deserves a smack."

"No wait- I didn't?" I attempt to pick myself up off the road, but I collapse shivering, hypothermia is kicking in. I turn up to see a man in a dark black over coat and top hat. He firmly grips a wooden baton in white gloves. Annoyed strained eyes lie beneath his bushy eyebrows, and a tired frown droops beneath his mustache. A blinding shield adorns his top hat and coat glinting in the sunlight.

"Eh wot's going on here?"

"Constable this little foul mouthed wretch just tried to pickpocket my son."

"Oh he did now?"

"I…I…" I can feel tears welling up.

"Yah think just cause yah a kid don't mean da law applies to yah?" The policeman shouts.

I reach toward my arm instinctively; all I see is my own skin. It's been only a month since I got the omnitrix, but it feels like it was always their something that was always a part of me. I look around; the entire town must be staring at me. I begin to choke and snivel. It's gone. It's actually gone. They're gone too. I can't hold back any longer; tears flow forth from my eyes.

"*Sob* I-I-I J-Just wanna go home." I howl.

"Oh quit yah blubbering."

"Please no. I just thought he was my cousin Gwen *snivel* where's Gwen and Grandpa are they? *Sob* p-please they g-gotta be here!"

"Officer stop. He's very confused and tired." A man's voice booms. I turn to see the man in kaki.

"That doesn't excuse his behavior, my Lord."

"That's because he's not from here, you know how ill mannered they can be across the pond."

"Wot?"

"He's one of the Americans from the steamer. Can't you tell by his accent and odd clothes?"

The crowd begins to mumble and gossip around me.

No this is bad. Please don't let it be 1776 or whenever the war of 1812 happened.

"What's your name?" The man says gently.

"B-Ben, Ben Tennyson." I blurt out. Oh no why did I say that?

"Oy, Constable Fredrick! Tennyson was a name on da boat!" A middle-aged fishmonger blurts out from the closest stand.

"You stayed out all night in those rags? You must be so cold." The woman who was just scolding me now feigns.

"My god, how did you survive? That thing was set ablaze." A man blurts out in exasperation.

"I-I-I. I-fell. It's Hex's fault." I feel rage boil inside of me.

"Who is this Hex?" the constable asks.

"H-He tried to summon a d-emon and d-did t-this. There were m-men on the b-boat with guns and said something a-about d-dynamite." I growl still shaking from the cold water. Gasps and frantic muttering erupt from the crowd. "Sabotage?" "Anarchists?" "Occultists?"

"Please l-look…G-Gwen and Grandpa?"

"Have you seen them since the accident?" The constable asks.

"They were on t-the other side of p-portal."

The crowd looks at me in somber silence.

"Burned to death, what a horrible way to go." Someone whispers from the crowd.

"N-no they're not dead. T-they're just not h-here. P-please you h-have…"

"I'm sorry sonny, but I don't think they made…"

"Constable." The man in kaki shouts while crossing his arms across his neck.

"*Sob* you d-don't under s-stand they wouldn't leave m-me. T-They'll be here s-soon." I snivel. Gwen must know a way to re open it or find me. Unless... No… If they followed after me through the portal they would have arrived just after the ship exploded.

Tears rush uncontrollable from my eyes. I bury my head into my arms wailing.

"Shssh don't cry. It's going to be all right." The silver haired woman crouches by my side and takes my hand.

"You're getting hypothermia from the Thames. We need to get you into warmer clothes. Why don't you stay with us until we get this all sorted out."

I grip her hand tightly. It feels warm. It reminds me of the dream.

"O-ok. *Snivel*" I feel so embarrassed and ashamed. I follow the three shivering all the way. I feel myself lifted in manage to climb into the back of the carriage. As I slump over in the back cold and shaking. A warm blanket is handed to me. I look up toward the teenager who gave it to me; he seems a little shocked by all of this as well. I don't think he knows how to feel about me. Just going about your day shopping spending time with family; then some weird kid from another country and time has to ruin it all.

The horses whinny and stomp the carrying the carriage across the coble stone road. As the cobblestone gives way to gravel the houses transform back into woods. I recognize it; it's the same path I took into town.

We make a turn at the small boating dock and follow the road down the river. More docks appear and the woods begin to subside. The burnt out skeleton of a massive ship bow sticks out of the water. Smaller fishing vessels skim and raise pieces from the water, as men with drills and axes begin to scrap the un-charred wood and steel.

"W-were t-there any other survivors?"

"Only one other person was found alive, but they haven't said much about her." the young man says.

Gwen?

"What d-did she l-look l-like…"

"I saw a glimpse of her, she had brown hair almost the same color as yours." He says.

"Edward not now." The middle-aged man says coldly from across the carriage

"He has a right to know father," he reply's back just annoyed.

Not Gwen. I don't know whether that is good or bad. I'm too tired to even think about it.

I begin to slump back over. My eyes begin to flutter. I think back to the dream, the demon was there. No I can't go to sleep. I don't want to hear it, or worse see it.

I peer out the window eyes forced open as wide as possible. I keep my mind running with thoughts. Remember Ultraman and Captain Boomerang comics. Remembering Saturday morning cartoons. Remember all the good times with Gwen and Grandpa. Don't think of anything that will remind you of that monster.

The trees disappear and are replaced by an open field enclosed by a gate. I peer my head farther toward the window, and a large mansion engulfs my vision.

"This is where you live?" I ask.

"Yes. It isn't the largest manor in the country but it's more then enough for us."

"Wait, are you the King and Queen?"

The woman giggles, "No, but we are close to Victoria and her family."

"I am sorry we didn't give you a proper introduction my dear boy; we are the Midfords: nobles and knights of the British Empire."