"Ben," someone was calling to me. "Ben. Honey, wake up!" I struggled to open my eyes, and found my mom hovering over me.

"What's wrong?" I asked sleepily. She looked extremely frantic as she kneeled down next to me, and then I realized I was lying on the floor. How had that happened? I don't remember deciding to sleep on my floor.

My cell phone was at my side and I grabbed it. Gwen's number was on the screen, ready to be dialed. What did I need her for? The thought was somehow obscured, like I knew but couldn't quite recall what it was. Whatever I wanted from her before I fell to the ground was gone now. Yet somehow I felt completely unsettled seeing her name on the screen. There was something important I needed to say and something still felt off.

"Oh thank goodness. I was about to call an ambulance. I came to check on you and found you collapsed on the ground. You weren't responding to me at all." She said and relaxed a little.

"Sorry Mom, I don't know what happened. I think I got up to use the restroom, and um, fainted." Honestly, I couldn't think of the reason I was on the floor. I could remember waking up and walking to my bathroom. Was it a bad dream that woke me? It definitely felt like it. My skin had goosebumps but it wasn't even cold in my room.

"Well I'm just glad you're okay."

"Yeah. I'm just great," I snapped, and immediately regretted it. I could see the hurt in my mother's eyes. Why did talk to her like that? I've never really been one to be hurtful, especially towards my parents.

"Let's get you up into your own bed." She took my hand and helped me to my feet. My body objected to the action as it was still immensely sore.

"Sorry, I-I didn't mean to say it like that."

"It's all right, honey. I know you're still hurting." I lay down on the bed, sinking into the pillows. It was early morning according to my alarm clock. Only six A.M. "Do you need anything?"

"Maybe some Tylenol? My head is killing me."

"Oh dear," she sighed. "You probably hit it when you fell. I'll be right back."

Mom left the room and I glanced back at my phone again. Maybe I should have Gwen stop by later today, it might trigger what I was trying to call her about before. Or maybe I was just panicking…that happens sometimes when I have nightmares.

Nightmares. What was I dreaming about? It still left me feeling anxious. It must have been something dark.

"Here you go, Ben." Mom said as she came back into the room. She handed me two tablets and a small glass of water. I took them gratefully. "I have to get ready for work, but you can call me on my cell phone if you need anything. Gwen is going to stop by around ten o'clock."

"Okay Mom. Thanks." I could feel myself starting to get drowsy. Mom smiled softly and left my room, the door closing behind her with a soft click.

I fell asleep shortly after that. I don't know what I dreamt about really. It was strange (not that my dreams are actually normal to begin with) but I felt like there was something urgent that I needed to know. There was some kind of presence in my dream, it was watching me or chasing me. All I was aware of was that I had to escape it. Yet before I could actually figure anything out I was woken up.

"Ben," this time it was Gwen who was calling me.

My eyes snapped open and I looked at her. She had a funny expression on her face, like when I mix smoothie flavors together that she doesn't agree with. "What?" I groaned.

"Oh someone's cranky this morning. You were getting restless in your sleep; I wanted to make sure you were all right." She pointed at the bed and I noticed that my sheets were tangled around my feet or thrown to the floor. "Also wanted to make sure that you didn't injure yourself further by flailing around like that and pull your stitches out." She poked my arm when she said that in mock anger.

"Oh. Well I'm okay. I didn't hurt myself." I tell her and slid up into a sitting position. I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake myself up.

"Do you want anything to eat? I can make you some scrambled eggs." She offered. Gwen was still staring at me, but I could tell she wasn't going to say anything even if I asked her.

"Uh, yeah. That sounds good, thanks. I'll meet you in the kitchen."

"Okay," Gwen said and left the room.

I got up slowly from bed and walked over to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror, and was somewhat shocked at my appearance. I had dark circles under my eyes as though I hadn't slept in days, and face was extremely pale. That must have been why Gwen was giving me such a weird look when I woke up. I looked awful. Not to mention that my reflection set off some really bad warning signals. I just couldn't decipher what they were trying to tell me.

I was finished in the bathroom I went toward the kitchen. I could hear the sizzle of the frying pan as Gwen poured the eggs in. I realized that I actually haven't had anything to eat since being released from the hospital, but surprisingly I wasn't too hungry.

As I entered the kitchen I immediately noticed it was way too bright. I gasped and covered my eyes since I was practically blinded how much light was pouring in through the windows.

"Ben! What's wrong?" Gwen asked, alarmed.

"Too bright," I told her. She must have shut the curtains because the room instantly dimmed after I told her the problem. I removed my hands from my eyes and could actually see this time, despite the spots that danced in my vision. Only the light was on over the stove and sun had been blocked from coming into the kitchen.

"Geez Ben, you scared me. I thought something was seriously wrong."

"Sorry, I guess I'm still a little light sensitive. I had a headache this morning." I explained to her and took a seat and the breakfast bar.

"Give me some warning next time, okay?" She turned back to the frying pan. "God, he's so pathetic." I heard her mumble with her back turned to me.

Did I actually just hear that? Gwen was never one to throw insults around unless she was joking (and we both knew it) or she was really ticked off, like in a battle.

"Did you just call me pathetic?" I asked, upset.

She looked over her shoulder confused. "What? No, of course not."

"I heard you, Gwen. When you turned around."

She clicked the burner of the stove off, and put the scrambled eggs on a plate. "Ben, I wouldn't say anything like that to you. Especially now. I know migraines hurt. You probably just heard wrong."

Did I hear wrong? I could have sworn that's what she had said, but then again this morning has been really weird. "Then what did you say?"

"Um, I made you toast too." She said and pulled a piece out of the toaster, and put it on the plate after buttering it. "You sure everything's all right with you?"

"I'm not sure. I think so. This morning has just been…strange."

Gwen handed me the plate and a fork, and then sat down next to me. "Like how?"

"I woke up on the floor this morning and my phone was set to call you." I said while taking a bite of my breakfast. I wasn't really hungry, but the warm food was comforting.

"Why were you going to call me?"

I shrugged, and then winced as the motion pulled at my stitches. "Don't know. I can't remember, but before you arrived this morning I was having a dream. It felt like something was chasing me. And now the whole thing with the lights, and hearing things that weren't actually said. It just doesn't feel right…I don't feel right."

She didn't say anything at first. Gwen just looked like she was thinking it over, like when she's trying to solve a problem. "Maybe you were going to call me about your dream, and just fell back asleep without realizing it. As for everything else, it could just be stress from being out of the hospital. You're adjusting."

"Maybe," I muttered, but I wasn't convinced. I don't think this was just simple anxiety. There was something lingering. A cold, dark presence in my thoughts and I couldn't brush it aside.

I am truly sorry for the extremely long update. I didn't want to abandon this story, but I was having some really bad writer's block with it. I am going to finish this though. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

By the way, Omniverse makes me sad. I miss the old animation style. Ben has become immature...again! They had so much character development and then it just gets wiped out with this new show. It's so frustrating. Gwen and Kevin are missing (and Kevin looks like a thug from the 90's) I do enjoy Rook though, and Khyber looks like he could be a really awesome villain.