Ben

I should have known it was a bad idea, but that didn't stop me. I had driven to Tony’s Supply Store to buy a ghost. I had just found out my wife, Paisley, is pregnant and I need someone to protect my soon to be family. I bought the scariest one I could find. His enclosure was labeled with the name “Ben”. “Ben,” I wipered, “Ben, I like Ben. Well Ben, you’re going to live with me now. Okay?”. I saw Ben nod his head slowly, after hesitating. I carefully walked closer and picked up his enclosure and brought it to the front. Giving the cashier a twenty dollar bill, she said," Are you sure you want to buy him?". I said," Yes I'm sure, I need someone to scare away the burglars that lurk near my home." She then replied," Okay then, but once you buy him he will never leave your mind, sorry, I mean side." I'd start to get frustrated, I told her," I'm completely fine with that, can I buy him or not?" I had not heard  the despair in her voice as she had warned me of the danger Ben may hold. She said," Sorry, if you sign these waivers, your total will be fifteen dollars and ninety nine cents with tax. Would you like your change?". "No" I said as I walked out with my little ghost friend, well not “little”, Ben was almost flowing out of his box.  And he wasn’t  much of a “friend” either, on the car ride home, every few minutes he would smile, but not just  any smile, it had this creepy, murderous look to it, with these pointy teeth that looked as if they were from a shark. I brushed it off thinking it was nothing, but oh was I wrong.

When I got home I released Ben from his “cage” and I froze in fear. Ben was seemingly over eight feet tall. Once I calmed down, knowing it was too late to turn back, I told him all of my rules and his job around here. I must have made Ben mad because when I was done talking his eyes grew a dark, piercing, red, as he flew into the darkness of my cold house. I started to think about how good of a job Ben is going to do not realizing the danger.

After a few months me and my wife welcomed  two beautiful daughters into the world, which we had named, Iris and Jasmine, after Paisley’s favorite flowers, and I had started to forget about Ben and the night he seemed to disappear. I also eventually decided to buy a dog after about a month because it was clear Ben was not doing his job well. I bought a big brown and black doberman. Yet, I always felt like I was being watched. To try to get rid of this creepy feeling I put up cameras and started a journal. I started to write about all the creepy things that happened to me, I wrote about how scared I was, how my dog, Hazel, was barking every night at the seemingly empty corner, and how my things were always out of place. These would be the last things I'd ever write. One dark, storming, night I was watching a movie with Paisley, Iris, Jasmine, and Hazel sleeping at my feet, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ben's piercing, red eyes in the unlit corner of my room. I felt myself start to shake remembering the night he seemed to disappear. Then, I saw his eyes get closer, and closer. Until I heard a loud, high pitched, blood curdling, phantom like, scream, coming from Ben's direction.

Then, everything got dark. A few moments later, I woke up in the hospital. I seemed to be taller than usual. I was confused why I was in the chair off to the side and Paisley was holding another man’s hand while crying. My children were also crying saying,“Daddy please be okay. We love you.” And then I heard my wife ask if the man would be okay. As the doctor checked his vitals, I decided to ask the girls what is going on. I almost fainted when I saw my body “walking” to Paisley. As I went over to her, I realized I was just floating over the floor. I tried to scream but it was no use, nothing came out. A few moments later the doctor who was called “Dr. Madison” said, “Casey should make a full recovery, although his heart attack was mild, he will still need to rest for a few days.” I had switched bodies with Ben. I started to “cry” except there were no tears, just pain, the type of hurt where you can’t  even picture tomorrow, realizing what I had done. Realizing, instead of protecting my family, I lost every way to be with my family. Now, all I can do is watch Ben live my life. A week later, “Casey” more like “Ben” was ready to leave the hospital and I followed. I watched my kids run around and play, it hurt to see them not realize I had been replaced, but I was glad they were still happy. I watched my  girls graduate, Iris with all honors and Jasmine with a scholarship to go to an acting school. I watched my daughter’s weddings, Jasmine married a kind man named Porter, and Iris, a Strong, smart man named Owen. I even watched my funeral. Apparently, Ben forgot he could not fly and fell off a bridge while on vacation, but no one will ever know that I am fine. As my children cried I couldn't hug them, tell them I'm okay, tell them I’m safe. But I figure Ben was the only dad they knew as Dad. Now I know why the cashier was trying so hard to persuade me to get something else. Even years later, I remember the pain in her eyes, knowing she might as well have killed someone. I should have known it was a bad idea. That should have stopped me… 

Read Casey(Ben 2) to continue the story although as of May 5, Casey is only a first draft. The 2nd story should be finished by June.