Ben

Ben woke up to the beating sun on his back. It took him about five minutes to struggle out of the sleeping bag that was practically keeping him captive. His face was red and he was sweaty all over, not enjoying the summer sun one bit. With a sharp inhale, he groggily looked to his left, where Ivy was supposed to be in her own sleeping bag - but she wasn't there.

"Ivy?" Ben called out cautiously, wondering where his friend could be. There was no answer. "Ivy?!" He shouted this time, standing up and looking around. Still no answer.

In panic and frustration, he started to walk off into the woods, wondering where she could be. Was she getting food? Water? No, water didn't make sense, otherwise she would have been at the river. His caramel eyes scanned the horizon and landed on a tree near their campsite. Out of nowhere, a dizziness set in right behind his eyes, making his head swim. A strange feeling, like an invisible hook in his stomach, dragged him forward. It wasn't a very strong feeling and he could easily resist it if he wanted to, but something about it felt so.... right. This was where he was supposed to go, and he knew it.

At the base of the tree, he found a hole, like a squirrels nest or something else. The feeling intensified and he crouched on the ground, partly to follow the hook, and partly to stop the rushing in his mind. He found his pale hand reaching into it, and to his surprise, closed around something small. He drew it out quickly, falling backwards onto the dry grass. In his hand was a small notebook, crinkled and crusty from the moisture that must have soaked into it over time. He blandly flipped through the blank pages, annoyance rising with every flick of the page. What was this for? Wait - there! Something small was scrawled across the page.

You're not supposed to be here.

Lily

What did this mean? Who was Lily? Was that Ivy's real name? Did they not even know their own names? Where was Ivy anyway? His mind was reeling as he skimmed through the pages, but nothing else seemed to appear. Ben's head hurt like hell as he tried to retrieve information that wasn't there, and he could've imagined it as a voice swept through the trees.

"She's not dead."

"Who said that?!" Was Ben hearing voices? Was he actually going crazy right now?

"Not important. Don't worry, Ben. She'll come back. Don't bother looking for her right now, find answers instead. Return to the alleyway."

"Who are you?!"

No answer. That was weird. It had sounded like a girl, oddly similar to Ivy.

"Ivy?" He wondered timidly at the air. Again, no answer.

Fine. He thought. I'll do what she said. Maybe I can find something.

He was pretty convinced that this... ethical voice he had just heard was a girl. A young girl. Thirteen, twelve, maybe? He wasn't sure. Honestly, he wasn't even sure how old he was. Fourteen? Fifteen? He grunted in frustration as he crossed the river carefully, then along the path the two had taken yesterday, taking extra care not to fall into the thorn brush again. Once he was back in the city, he easily and smoothly found his way back to the alleyway. It seemed no different. Still grey, dingy, dead-end and oddly eerie. Almost like there was some sort of affinity here. Could it hold answers?

"Hello?" He asked into the air. A young girl of about seven stepped out into the light.

"Benjamin," she said. Her voice was steely and quiet. Ben gulped.

"...yes? I guess you're not here to offer me a sample of girl scout cookies," he suggested, hoping humour would help. She didn't crack a smile.

"You're not supposed to be here," she hissed.

"You think I don't know that?" He muttered. She took a step forward, grabbing his wrist. It startled him, and he tried to step back but found he couldn't. Her grip was like steel. How was this possible? Was she the same one who had spoken to him at the river?

"Listen."

"Listening."

"Ivy is alive and fine. I strongly suggest you do not go after her, she will come to you. Go back to the spot, and wait," she explained. Ben shook his head.

"Who are you? What do you want? How do you know this? Why can't we remember anything?" He demanded. Her eye twitched in response.

"I cannot say. Do I as I have told you. Go now, and wait. Think, think so much until your brain throbs. Only you can unlock the information in your mind here. Where you belong, others can do it for you. If you feel a pull, follow it," she whispered. Ben gulped.

"What's going to happen to us?" He whispered back fearfully.

"A girl named Lea will find you at the river. She will take you and Ivy back to her base and you will be given a mission. I want you to accept it. This way, you can learn the truth and retrieve your memories. You need to level up, Ben," the little girl insisted, squeezing his hand.

"Level up?" He wondered, furrowing his brows. What was she talking about? Was this some sort of...game? The little girl bobbed her head.

"Every time you level up, it will bring a new challenge, but it will bring you closer to the finish. I can't say anymore. They're calling me back," she answered unhelpfully, cocking her head to the side like her mother was yelling for her to come home for dinner.

Ben felt an odd resolve sweep over him as the girl ran off. This had only raised more questions, but at least it had answered some about his future. He knew what he had to do now, and he was fairly certain what he was dealing with was supernatural. As he made his way blissfully back to the campsite to wait for this Lea girl, his mind was calm and concentrated, no longer all over the place and hurting from the lack of information. He still had plenty questions and more to find out about his past, but for now, he was going to sit and wait for the future to come to him.