The Secret Manuscript (Complete)

Chapter Twenty

Ben could not wait for Kyle to come home. He wanted to tell him all about the secret room and the manuscript he had found. Above all else, he just wanted to give Kyle a hug and thank him for being such a good friend throughout some of the toughest times of his life. 

Ben continued to read through the pages of the manuscript. He was thoroughly enjoying the story and actually admired the writing style. Instead of recounting every mundane detail of Ben's life, the story seemed to focus on significant events that had been instrumental in shaping him. 

The next passage Ben read changed everything.  

Ben sat alone in the dark, staring at his computer screen. This time the words did not come. He wanted to write a happy story as a form of escape, but in all of his twenty-four years of existence, there were not too many happy memories he could draw upon. 

In a drunken stupor, Ben stumbled to his room and passed out in his bed. At 4:00 a.m., he awoke befuddled. The sound of the fire alarm blared in the background while a mysterious man pleaded with him to get up. 

Ben sat at the dining room table and was completely stunned. It was strange enough to read stories about his past experiences, but not like this - this was recent. He eyed the rest of the manuscript and saw he was about halfway through it. The remainder was undoubtedly about his future. The implications were immediately apparent. He considered for a moment jumping ahead and reading later chapters, but chose not to. Instead, he followed the natural progression of the story.  

After describing how the fire had ravaged his residence, the story went on to describe Ben being demoted at work, meeting the lawyer in Calgary, meeting Kyle, finding the secret room, finding the manuscript, then finally sitting at the dining room table reading the manuscript.  

What is this thing? Ben asked himself. How could it possibly know all this? 

Whatever the manuscript was, he needed to share it with someone, and there was only one person he could think of to share it with. 

It took Ben a little over an hour before arriving at the University of Calgary. He had never been there before and was unfamiliar with the layout. Upon arrival, he entered the first building he saw and asked someone where the science buildings were located. He was given directions and began walking. Once he approached the general area, he realized the odds of finding Kyle were astronomically small, but he remained optimistic. 

If I can find him randomly in a city the size of Calgary, surely I can find him on a university campus, he thought to himself. 

It was nearly four o'clock when a lone raindrop came down and hit him in the face. He looked up at the sky and saw dark rain clouds overhead so he sought shelter in the nearest building.  

Once inside, he was overwhelmed with students walking every which way. His social anxiety kicked in, as the busy university campus had more people than he was used to. He found a bench located down a quieter hallway and sat down. It was at that time a wild thought occurred to him. He reached in his bag and pulled out the manuscript. He began reading from the last place where he had left off. The story described Ben arriving at the university.  

A rain cloud loomed overhead so Ben went into the nearest building. After finding a quiet bench to rest, he looked up and was struck by the beauty of an attractive woman wearing a long green jacket. In an uncharacteristic manner, Ben initiated contact with the woman by saying hello. 

The woman did not stop, but she at least acknowledged Ben by looking at him and offering a polite smile. It was a small gesture, but it was enough to satisfy him.