Through The Lens

7

Once again, I woke up. I opened my eyes and squinted them, because the light was so bright. My head was pounding and my leg was bandaged up. I had scratches all over me, and wondered what happened to me. I realized I was in a hospital laying in a white bed. Before I had time to remember everything that happened, a nurse walked in the room. She had light blue scrubs on, and came rushing over to me, in an urgent way. "Oh, you're awake! I'll notify your boyfriend right away, but first I'm going to ask you some questions." Boyfriend? I didn't have a boyfriend. "So, honey, do you know what your name is?"

"Yes, it's Ruth. Why am I in the hospital?" Suddenly everything hit me. I remembered Ben getting stabbed, and Jordan knocking me out. "Wait! Jordan's the killer not Ben! Where's Ben?!?" I tried to get out of bed the nurse pushed me back down.

"Everything is fine. Ben told the police everything. I'll get him in here for you. Okay, just don't get out of bed." She walked out of the room, and quickly came back in with Ben. She had to help him walk over to a chair by my bed.

"Are you okay?" I asked Ben, and he sighed and said, "Yeah, I was worried about you though." He smiled at me, and I smiled back.

"After Jordan kidnapped you, you guys got in a wreck, and the police realized what happened, because of the call you had made earlier. They told me everything that was happening to you, and I told them everything once I got to the hospital. They didn't believe me at first, but then I told them to go look at the wall, and his handwriting, and I'm pretty sure everything's going to be fine."

"Pretty sure!? Did they not believe you? I can tell them right now-"

He cut me off. "I'm just joking, they had enough evidence, and he'll be locked up. Everything is going to be fine.I'm just glad you're okay. When Jordan took you, I thought for sure that he would kill you, but if you hadn't called the police earlier, you could have died. "

"Well, yeah, but if it weren't for you, I would have already. Thank you." I reached out and held his hand in mine. He squeezed my hand and said, "Everything's going to be fine." We smiled at each other, and I felt like I had known him my whole life.

*****

August 5, 2019 5:29pm

"Just go put those boxes in the upstairs bedroom!" I replied to Ben asking me where he needed to put my moving boxes. It had been more than a year since Ben and I had met. After the whole murder catastrophe, I had nightmares. Getting through them after everything was the hardest part, but Ben and I had grown closer through it all.

Today I was moving into his house. I had never been more excited, because I would finally not be left alone, facing the fears of the past. I had told Ben everything, and I mean everything. I told him about seeing the dead through the camera, and he didn't even flinch when I told him. He told me that he saw them too, through the same camera. It was what made us closer to each other, because we just got each other.

Besides starting a new life with Ben, I had opened a photography shop with him too. He had been into photography just like me, and our business had only been open a couple weeks, and it was already thriving. It was surprising how the town adjusted to Ben. They acted like they never thought he was a killer, but Abbi never talked to Ben, which was really weird. I guess she never forgave herself after not believing Ben all those times. I knew Ben forgave her though, because he went and told her himself. She was so surprised, she didn't say a word to him.

Ben has amazed me too with how much he thrives with life. He had been in jail, conquered an unknowing town, and he still makes me laugh every day. He has nightmares just like me, but has less and less the more he lives. Ben inspires me, and makes me want to be a better person in life.

Our lives were moving fast though, and it feels great. My life before was always so boring and it felt like it went nowhere, but now it was actually starting to go somewhere for once. I couldn't wait to see what the future held for me, but for now I just needed to take one day at a time.