A Web of Spider Bites

Chapter 3

Being patient isn't something Ben can do easily. Over the years he's learned to look after himself and, due to that, he's got everything he owns straight away because he hasn't had to wait for anyone. So he doesn't possess such a useful thing such as patience. Ben wasn't always a bad person; this is his first "Victim" although he doesn't think he's going to be able to do anything too bad to her because of the way he's feeling. He thought he could be mean, he thought he had pushed every last shred of kindness out the door that sits on the side of his head.

At this exact moment in time Ben is circling the torture table debating whether or not it's worth hurting this young unknown school girl.

"Don't do it yet, hurt her when she least expects it."

"Do it now so she gets put in her place"

"She pretty, I don't want to scar her more."

"There's something about her causing a strange feeling inside of me"

"Guilt"

These are just some of the thoughts that are poisoning Bens' confused mind. What made him do this? What good would it actually do him? Make him feel powerful again, like when he was younger and was the most popular kid in school, until he got expelled for having sex with his girlfriend in the corridor. His parents never took much interest in his life so he just did what he wanted and they wouldn't care.

"Why did you never love me?"

"I could have done so much better with myself if I actually had parent love like a kids meant to actually have."

Before Ben could think anymore thoughts about his life and start to hate himself more, he heard a soft soothing lullaby come from the corner of the spooky basement. He followed the angel voice with his ear around the room until he found the source of the calming sound. His dull brown eyes landed on the source of the singing: Bell.

"This is not what it is; only baby scars.
I need your love like a boy needs his mother's side"

Bell was singing this over and over to herself whilst looking at the floor. She chose this song for a reason: She has scars and she's trying to say that they're not what it looks like just so she can avoid talking about them and Ben said all his thoughts out loud. Not too loud, just enough so Bell could hear it.

Ben stood in awe of this unpredictable girl. For one reason, why was she singing that song out of all songs?

Bell can feel Bens glare burning holes into her pale body so she stops singing and slowly looks up. Without trying their eyes both naturally meet. Because Bell doesn't like eye contact she quickly looks away.

"Why.... Why w..would you sing that song out of all songs?" Ben stutters softly as he takes a few steps closer with his skinny legs.

Bell thinks for a moment: Should she tell him? If she lies and he finds out it will only be worse for her but she could use it against him. However, he thinks she is pretty so could she use that to get out of this place? She decides on telling him the truth, after all, she has been taught that telling the truth is the best thing to do.

"It reminded me of us, kind of. I heard all your little thoughts over there and you said something about..... About your... parents." Bell stutters because she is unsure of what his reaction will be. "And you've already pointed out my scars, so it just fitted so to calm us I sang it a little.... I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

"It was beautiful." As soon as Ben said this he started mentally shaming himself. Both of their calm cheeks turned a light shade of red, both of their feelings turned from comfortable to awkward and embarrassed.

"Thank you, I guess." Bell says as she tries to break the deathly silence.

"Wait! You heard my thoughts? Did I say them out loud?" Ben asks having just clicked on everything.

"Yeah...." Bell says fading out at the end.

Ben sighs a sigh of defeat and closes the distance between them and stood next to Bell against the wall and slides down.

"I haven't had a perfect past." Ben admits

"What?" Bell is really confused at this point. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, you probably heard me say you were pretty and there's something about you. So I guess that makes me want to open up a little bit." Ben admits.

You'd think that this gives Bell a confidence boost but it doesn't. She wraps her tine arms around her legs to hide herself. She realises now that he's been looking her over, and she doesn't like people looking at her; it makes her very self-conscious.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Bell says because she knows in return she'll have to tell him some of her past.

Ben looks out the corner of his tired eye to see she has tried covering herself up. "Why are you hugging yourself?"

Bell doesn't reply, she's now scared that he's going to be rough with her because she hasn't answered but Ben knows why he just wants to make her say it.

"You don't need to hide yourself you know. I think you're beautiful so don't cover up what you have. Show it off."

"I'm not hiding... I-I-I'm a l-l-little cold." Bell fake stutters out.

Ben sees through it and just shrugs it off. He'll talk about it later.

"I'm from a broken home, you know? I wasn't always like this. I wasn't always messed up in the head. I guess growing up before you're meant to can do stuff to the weak people." Ben admits whilst looking straight ahead into the darkness of the wall. "You're the first person I've taken."

"You're the first person to take me." Bell stifles out a laugh.

Without another word Ben stands up and steps up the screaming stairs and through the door, locking it behind him. He places the key necklace around his neck and tucks it under his white shirt.

He takes the usual walk to the kitchen fridge and pulls out a beer and then back to the sofa to put the bored TV on. He changes the setting from TV to HDMI so now he can watch the young girl that is not only trapped in her own head but is now chained to a wall. "I don't even know her name." he tells himself. "But it doesn't matter; I'm more likely to get attached the more I know about her and we don't want that."