Subjects

54 - This Was Not Part Of The Plan

I'm sure you are all very curious to hear what Leo taught Ben but unfortunately, you can't. As of now, there is only one person who knows what actually happened and that is not me. It is Roa.

"Stop it, stop talking," Roa never thought she'll have to use that power, the influence. The four of them, being caught off guard, are easily trapped with her command. They try to speak, to protest, but the words just don't come out. Ben jumps at Roa to hit her but he has no chance against years of combat training and experience. She twists his arms behind his back.

"You will not remember any of the things we spoke of today," Roa says. Ben tries to break free but the hold is too tight.

Eva covers her ears and closes her eyes, trying to block the influence. Roger and Emily do the same. Ben still fights to escape Roa.

Angie and Alice, still out at the lake, don't hear a thing.

Roa holds Ben against the wall with one hand and with the other she takes out her gun and points it at his friends. Ben shakes his head violently and pushes against her hold.

You need to scream, say something, anything.

You can't.

Please. Do it.

No! Don't you understand? You can't! You will die! They will die! Everyone will die if you try to talk!

"Listen to me," Roa says to Ben.

Ben tries to fight it. Just like they practiced with Leo back at the island. That's it! Think about Leo, think about the island, anything that isn't here and now. Just block her out, don't listen, don't understand.

Roa releases the safety. "Listen to me right now," she demands. "Or they die."

Ben's eyes widen with horror, that he did understand.

"Good," Roa says. "You will forget everything that happened today. You will now go to your room and not come back until I say so."

Until I say so.

No!

You will not come back until I say so.

Fight it!

Fight what?

Fight... This. This thing that is happening.

But why?

Because... Because...

What are you still doing here? You need to go to your room! NOW!

No, I... I think there was...

Go, go now! Don't you see that they are in danger?

By the time Ben walks up the stairs to the room he shares with Roger, he can't quite remember why is he so scared. When he gets to the second floor, he is not even scared anymore. What is there to be afraid of? He is here in this cabin with his friends and everything is good. True, the aliens are still out there, but they will not find him here. Roa says that they all think she killed them.

"Hey, it's time for dinner," Roa calls him.

Ben walks out of the room, "I think there was something I wanted to talk to you about, I just can't remember what."

"No, you don't. What will you have to talk to me about, anyway?"

Ben doesn't suspect the wave of reassurance coming from her. He lets it take over and ease all of his doubts. He smiles when he sees his friends down in the living room.

"Let's eat, I'm starving!" Ben says.

"I made pasta!" Alice calls them from the kitchen.

As they sit down together at the table, there is some sort of calm in the air. Angie is happy to see how well everybody gets along. She always knew that Roa is good, just like her father said. Alice feels good after the day out at the lake with her daughter. It felt almost normal. Also, the teens all seem very happy, so that's good too. Even that one who is always nervous. What was his name? Bill? Barry? No, no. Oh, well, she'll have to ask Angie later.

Roa knows her body well, and she knows when something is wrong with it. Just like it is right now. Her heart won't stop beating way faster than normal. There is even a little sweat on her forehead. It must be from all the influence she used today. She is not used to it. That must be it.

She is more than relieved when dinner is finally over and she can leave the house without raising any suspicions. Her trusty motorcycle awaits her at the front of the house and she starts going without bothering to put on her helmet. Only after an hour of driving, she dares to stop and catch her breath. Why is she panting so hard? The influence must have made her sick. She never heard about it happening to anyone before but she does try to avoid this topic of conversation. She waits at the side of the road until her heart rate slows down and then gets back on her bike.