Benie & Bell: Locked005

Benie & Bell: The microstories of two souls in eternal orbit.

Locked005

"I am sick of this." Bell's thick accent all but swallows her words. She stalks off, leaving Benie almost out of earshot. She turns and yells. "And I'm sick of YOU!"

"Bell, you are always sick," Benie says quietly. She scowls. Exhales. Then bends space-time to snap Bell back to her.

"STOP. DOING THAT." Bell screams then cries. "What do I have to do to unlock us?"

Benie stares at her, tired. They've rehearsed this a thousand times.

"There isn't anything you can do and you know that." Benie states plainly.

"Fine. Then what can you do to unlock us?" Bell's question is steady. For the first time there seems to be relentlessness in her. A determination to break their bond.

At this, Benie softens, eyes going sad. "Oh Bell." As if on the current of her breath, a saltiness is in the air.

They both smell it.

Angry Bell says, "Benie, I am done. And I mean it this time. You've always said I couldn't do anything but never once stated you couldn't. Is that the secret? Did I solve the puzzle?"

"Bell, there is no puzzle. But there is a key." Benie pauses, evens her breath. "And yes I can do something but," Benie looks into Bells eyes. Dives into their depths. Makes sure Bell can hear what she's about to say in her soul. "I don't want to." Something electric arcs between them. "And Bell, neither do you."

Through gritted teeth and tears Bell stammers, "Unlock us."

"I can't." Benie admits. "I've...tried and I can't because you don't want to be unlocked."

"Yes I do!"

"No," Benie calmly replies, "you don't. You want to stay tethered to me, but you also want a caricature of me. I won't become that. And I wouldn't ask you to either."

At that Bell wails, falling to her knees. "Then let me go as far from you as the tether will allow. Stop calling me back to you. Why do you want me if I only want a non-existent version of you anyway?"

"Because," Benie states, "The only reason you want a caricature of me is because you insist on being a sketch of yourself." Their eyes lock and Benie bends down to meet Bell. "Please," Benie pleads, "I just...go as far as you want, as you need. I just...want you to be whole."

Benie & Bell is my first published fiction series. Microstory feels like a format within which I could practice my narrative brevity.

Thank you for being here to read it. I’m inviting comments (read: not foolishness) and sharing! What I love about microstory are all the unknowns readers can fill in, and I dig some good co-creation.

Question: What allows Benie to manipulate space-time?