The Change

Ben stood on a forest clearing. The green grass was full of life, the wind tickled his cheeks. He looked up in the sky, the sun greeted him with pleasant warmth, and the sounds of the forest wrapped around him like a protective cloak. Deep inside he felt that here he would be happy and free. Just as he realized this a rumble came from the depths of the forest. At first, the growl was distant and quiet, but slowly it became louder and closer. He turned around and started to run as fast as he could. He didn't want to leave this place of happiness. But he couldn't escape. The growl came closer and closer until it caught up to him: beep beep beep beep.

Ben opened his eyes. He was lying in bed, full of sweat. Through the closed window he heard a train passing by. After turning off the alarm clock he checked the time: 7:42. He overslept.

After quickly jumping out of bed and getting dressed, Ben almost tripped over his sleeping mother on his way to the kitchen. In one hand she was holding an empty bottle of Vodka. After he carefully covered her with a blanket, he checked the fridge for food. It was empty. Ben sighted. He would have to buy food with the money he earned yesterday, on the way back after school. While searching for the keys he rechecked the time: 7:54. He would have to run.

Saint deval high school was an old and honorable school. The big, grey building stood out in the rather colorful inner city of London and created an uncomfortable feeling for anyone passing by due to its prison-like appearance. This elite private school was mostly visited by children of rich parents; the entry cost was accordingly high. But there was also one exception. Every year a publicly accessible entry exam was being held. The person with the best score would get a full scholarship, as well a few other benefits, to attend the school.

Originally Ben never planned to participate in the exam but when he heard that the winner would not only get a full scholarship but a full two-room apartment close to the school, he knew this was his chance for a better life. A life he didn't hate. A life without the lack of privacy or the permanent stench of alcohol and other drugs.

He made it barely in time through the front gate before it closed. While he ran through the hallway and sat down in class catching his breath, he didn't miss the derogatory looks of his classmates. Since he started going to this school everyone looked at him with this glance, even the teachers.

"They probably don't think I deserve to be part of such a prestige school", he thought. Though his achievements have proven the exact opposite so far.

Since he started going to Saint Deval he finished with one of the highest scores in every exam. And yet, during the seven months he already spent here, he failed to make a single friend. Not that he cared too much. He didn't have time for friends. After school and on weekends Ben had to because while the school paid for the apartment, it didn't pay for anything else.

After school, Ben went to the supermarket and headed straight home to eat. The small two-room apartment was empty. "Mom must have gone drinking again", he thought. This happened almost daily. Nevertheless, he put an extra plate with food on the table before leaving for work.

On his way to work through the, despite the rain, lively inner city, Ben noticed a strange man who was standing motionless on the sidewalk. He was dressed entirely in black rags and his face was hidden by a hood. Something about him didn’t seem quite right to Ben. "Weird guy", he thought and went on with a shrug.

The rest of the afternoon proceeded normally. Ben was working as a waiter in a rundown café in the outer part of the inner city. He didn't like the job but the pay was good. On his way back after his shift, Ben saw a man that was slowly trotting towards along. It was the man he saw earlier. "Weird. Should I ask him if he needs help?" The moment Ben asked himself this, the man turned and started walking over the street. Ben gasped, "Shit, is this guy insane? Does he want to kill himself?"

Ben looked around desperately, the street was empty but at the speed, the man was going, a car would show up and hit him before he managed to cross the road.

He screamed at the man: "hey stop, you’re gonna get hit!"

But the man didn't react. Ben clenched his teeth, what should he do? The moment a car raced around the corner he made a decision. He ran across the street and stretched his arm out to grab the man. The moment he touched the man's arm everything around him turned black.