Chapter Twenty
Ben could not wait for Kyle to come home. He wanted to tell him all about the secret room and the manuscript he had found. Above all else, he just wanted to give Kyle a hug and thank him for being such a good friend throughout some of the toughest times of his life.
Ben continued to read through the pages of the manuscript. He was thoroughly enjoying the story and actually admired the writing style. Instead of recounting every mundane detail of Ben’s life, the story seemed to focus on significant events that had been instrumental in shaping him.
The next passage Ben read changed everything.
Ben sat alone in the dark, staring at his computer screen. This time the words did not come. He wanted to write a happy story as a form of escape, but in all of his twenty-four years of existence, there were not too many happy memories he could draw upon.
In a drunken stupor, Ben stumbled to his room and passed out in his bed. At 4:00 a.m., he awoke befuddled. The sound of the fire alarm blared in the background while a mysterious man pleaded with him to get up.
Ben sat at the dining room table and was completely stunned. It was strange enough to read stories about his past experiences, but not like this — this was recent. He eyed the rest of the manuscript and saw he was about halfway through it. The remainder was undoubtedly about his future. The implications were immediately apparent. He considered for a moment jumping ahead and reading later chapters, but chose not to. Instead, he followed the natural progression of the story.
After describing how the fire had ravaged his residence, the story went on to describe Ben being demoted at work, meeting the lawyer in Calgary, meeting Kyle, finding the secret room, finding the manuscript, then finally sitting at the dining room table reading the manuscript.
What is this thing? Ben asked himself. How could it possibly know all this?
Whatever the manuscript was, he needed to share it with someone, and there was only one person he could think of to share it with.
It took Ben a little over an hour before arriving at the University of Calgary. He had never been there before and was unfamiliar with the layout. Upon arrival, he entered the first building he saw and asked someone where the science buildings were located. He was given directions and began walking. Once he approached the general area, he realized the odds of finding Kyle were astronomically small, but he remained optimistic.
If I can find him randomly in a city the size of Calgary, surely I can find him on a university campus, he thought to himself.
It was nearly four o’clock when a lone raindrop came down and hit him in the face. He looked up at the sky and saw dark rain clouds overhead so he sought shelter in the nearest building.
Once inside, he was overwhelmed with students walking every which way. His social anxiety kicked in, as the busy university campus had more people than he was used to. He found a bench located down a quieter hallway and sat down. It was at that time a wild thought occurred to him. He reached in his bag and pulled out the manuscript. He began reading from the last place where he had left off. The story described Ben arriving at the university.
A rain cloud loomed overhead so Ben went into the nearest building. After finding a quiet bench to rest, he looked up and was struck by the beauty of an attractive woman wearing a long green jacket. In an uncharacteristic manner, Ben initiated contact with the woman by saying hello.
The woman did not stop, but she at least acknowledged Ben by looking at him and offering a polite smile. It was a small gesture, but it was enough to satisfy him.
Fortunately for Ben, something about him caught her eye. Ben was holding a manuscript in his lap, which caused the woman to slow her stride and comment on it. She must have deduced Ben was a writer based on his scruffy appearance and the stack of papers in his hands. It was obvious from the typeface and format of the document that it was a manuscript of some kind.
“Are you a writer?” the woman asked.
Ben looked shocked that a woman was showing any sort of interest in him. He stumbled to find the right words, and eventually managed to speak.
“Uhh... yeah… I am a writer. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Umm... are you... what are you studying?”
“I’m majoring in earth and ocean science and minoring in English literature.”
“My name is, Ben,” Ben said as he extended his hand.
The woman obliged. “Hi, Ben, I’m Vanessa.”
“Nice to meet you. So... earth and ocean science, huh?”
“Yeah, I just love learning about the planet, animals, and ecosystems. But don’t get me wrong, I also love reading and writing.”
“That’s nice,” Ben said.
“So what is that you’re reading?” the woman asked.
“Oh this, it’s just a manuscript.”
The woman laughed at his awkwardness — she thought it was cute. “So do you go to school here?” the woman asked.
“Me? Umm... no. I’m actually just looking for a friend, he’s a student here. His name is Kyle Watson. You wouldn’t happen to know him by chance?”
“No, sorry. There are a lot of students attending this school. But if he’s a science major, you might want to try the labs upstairs.”
The moment Vanessa walked away, Ben kicked himself for not asking her out, but that was not his style. Throughout his life, he had never once asked a woman out because he had always lacked the courage.
Ben stopped reading the manuscript and looked up, hoping to see the woman from the story. Just then, he saw her. A beautiful woman walked by with a beauty that surpassed the description in the pages. She too was wearing a long green coat. Oddly enough, she looked familiar, but he could not quite place her. Being that he was mischievous by nature, Ben decided to have a go at talking to her.
“Vanessa?” Ben said, deviating from the script of the story.
The woman turned around with a confused look on her face. “Yes. I’m sorry, do I know you?”
“I should hope so; I sat beside you in earth and ocean science class last semester. I think we even had an English class together, but I’m not sure.”
The woman looked perplexed, but gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“Nice to meet you… again,” she said.
“So are you still writing?” Ben asked.
Vanessa played along, but the confused look never left her face. “I’d like to write a novel one day, I’m just far too busy at the moment. This is so strange,” the woman said, interrupting her own thought. “I can’t believe I don’t remember you, I’m usually pretty good with faces. What did you say your name was again?”
“Ben Owen,” he said, extending his hand with a smooth confidence that was unprecedented for him. “Don’t worry about it. There are a lot of students at this school.”
“I’m Vanessa.”
“I know.”
“So, what are you reading?” she asked, looking at the manuscript.
“This happens to be my first novel. I’m just revising it.”
“That’s so awesome, I admire your discipline. I’ve written a lot of short stories, but never a full book.”
“I’ve learned many tips along the way that may help you, perhaps we can get together sometime and discuss them?” Ben asked. He could not believe the words that had come out of his mouth. It was as if he were on autopilot and was just a passive observer in the exchange. His sentences formulated cohesively and flowed effortlessly. This in turn inspired confidence in him, allowing him to take chances he would otherwise not take.
“Umm… sure,” Vanessa replied. “Let me just get a pen and I will write down my number.”
Ben accepted the number and then said farewell. He was overjoyed as he suddenly discovered a new-found value in the manuscript. A surge of energy consumed him and he thought he might explode if he did not expend it quickly. He felt like shouting from a rooftop, but instead he took off running.