The Host ¤ The Next Chapter

The Host ¤ The Next Chapter: 9

The Host ¤ The Next Chapter: 9

"Where are we going?" I ask Wanda as we travel through the main cavern.

"You'll see." She replies calmly, brushing my question off easily.

I don't see how she can do that. All Souls, or at least the ones I'm used to, answer each other's questions honestly and immediately to resolve confusion. Wanda is acting just like a human.

I decide to try again with a more sensitive question. "Won't the Seekers be looking for the bus I was on?"

"They will." she answers truthfully. "But they won't find this place."

This place. She's leaving out information so I have no idea where I'm at. That just goes to show they still don't trust me.

As much as I'm complaining, I know that it won't do any good. Whinning won't get me back on the bus on my way to California. Begging to be released will only get me killed. It's best for me to survive and go along with their little game to see how far I can make it.

Wanda goes up a set of stairs carved out of the wall. Obediently, I follow. At the twelfth step, there's a resting platform, then another staircase going upwards in the direction we came from. I can see that this one area is one big zig zag up to the third floor of homes. They ran out of room along the ground, so they started building up. I can see Gabbie's point now. There's only so many people they can house and they'd rather keep their own than letting invading Souls into their community. Accepting any more really could hurt them.

On the third floor, we walk along the side of the wall. There's twenty four feet from us to the ground below and no hand railings to keep us from falling off. Although the path is seven feet wide, I'm still warry. Wanda walks as if she's done this plenty of times before. I try to straighten out and walk on fearlessly.

We stop at the fifth home on this level, hanging outside a blue, polka-dotted shower curtain. 

"Whitney?" Wanda asks, pausing before she goes in. She brushes aside the makeshift door and walks into the livingroom-kitchen area. 

I follow in after her, taking it as a sign that we're allowed to go in. The kitchen, livingroom, and bedroom is empty. There's no one inside. I begin to wonder if she took us to the wrong house accidentally.

The sound of a curtain being pushed open goes off behind us and a voice follows. "Wanda?"

Both Wanda and I turn on our heels to see a young woman with beach blonde hair standing at the doorway. Her eyes tell me that she's a Soul. She's carrying a bag of rations for her home in her arms.

"Who's your friend?" she asks. The Soul moves towards the kitchen table to set the bag down.

"This is May." Wanda introduces me, acting like the girl is a long lost friend. Then she turns to me. "May, this is Whitney." she tells me. Wanda faces Whitney to speak to her once more. "Whitney, I was hoping you'd take in May and show her around. Ian and I..."

"Are scheduled to go on a raid. I understand." Whitney inturrupts softly. "And you're hoping that I'll get May to understand how we live here at the base. You don't have to worry about a thing." she reassures her.

Wanda's expression relaxes. "I know you'd understand." she smiles. The Soul looks to me again. "Be good for Whitney. I'll see you in the evening."

With her task fullfilled, Wanda walks out the door, going in the direction of the stairs. I'm left with the Soul named Whitney.

"May." She speaks, but not to call my attention. More like she's thinking outloud. "You either named yourself after the month your human host was caught in, or the month you were born in on the human calander." Whitney muses as she puts the items in the bag on the counter.