Lysis

Phase V : Maturation

Elena used her microchips to fly the Plumber cruiser back to Earth rather than fiddle with the autopilot. She held Ben for most of the flight, shushing him and mumbling empty words of comfort. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that but, eventually, they landed in an empty field just beyond the outskirts of Bellwood. It had gotten dark since they'd left for Galvan Prime, and Ben had the passing thought that his parents were going to be worried that he wasn't home in time for dinner.

Then he remembered that his parents would probably never care about him again.

It was a dull sort of pain, settling like a blunt object digging into his side. It compounded with everything else that Ben was feeling, and it was all just so much, so heavy, he could barely breathe through the weight.

"What should we do next?" Elena asked carefully.

Ben almost wanted to laugh. He glanced down at the metal shards he'd cleaned up off of the floor. At some point during the flight, he had curled his fist so tightly that he had managed to draw blood in a few places.

"I should probably buy a box, or a jar or something," Ben mumbled through the lump in his throat.

When he didn't elaborate, Elena tilted her head. "Why?"

"It would be rude to bury Eunice directly in the dirt," he answered.

He knew that it didn't really matter. Eunice was dead, and she wouldn't have cared, anyway. She probably would have liked being in direct contact with the ground. But Ben wasn't sure if any of her pieces were toxic for the environment, and he didn't think that she would like risking the local wildlife for her own comfort.

And it would feel more like a proper funeral than just burying some junk if Ben had a container to send her off in.

"I can make you a jar," Elena offered. She moved her hands as if to do just that, then paused. "Do you… want to do it now, or do you want me to take you home so you can get some rest? You've had a long day."

Her voice was so gentle; so compassionate. It made Ben want to start sobbing all over again.

"I don't want to go home." He rubbed his eyes with his free hand until they were raw and stinging, but dry. Ben swallowed. "It's not home anymore."

He didn't elaborate, but he didn't need to. Elena set a hand on his shoulder, giving a sympathetic smile. "I understand. I couldn't go home for a month after my father died," she told him. "It wasn't the same without him."

Ben's parents weren't dead but, in a way, he thought that was worse. They were right there, but still out of reach. Kept from him by something. They hated him. If Ben went home like this, fragile and shaken and coming apart at the seams, he wouldn't be able to take it.

He couldn't handle the hatred on their faces.

"I just want to—" Ben choked on his words. He had to look away, stubbornly denying the tears building up. "…Let's just get this over with."

Elena nodded wordlessly. She brought her hands together and used her microchips to make him a small jar.

              _____________________

Ben knew exactly where he wanted to bury Eunice's pieces. He described the location to Elena, and she made a motorcycle to drive them there. He could have flown, or ran, or even just walked, but Ben didn't have the energy to go alien.

He felt useless and pathetic, but what else was new?

He had always been incapable of doing anything on his own. Every time Ben succeeded, it was because of the wonderful people in his life, who fought with him because they cared about him. Without them, what did Ben have?