The Host ¤ The Next Chapter

The Host ¤ The Next Chapter: 10

The Host ¤ The Next Chapter: 10

"My God!" She howled.

The woman came closer to me, dragging her feet like she could barely control herself.

"What have you done to her?!" she screeched, her face errupting into an angry yet sad grimance.

She seemed to be talking to me, but by 'her' I had no idea what she was talking about.

That was, until Jenny's mind connected two and two together.

"You're Aunt Felicia!" I beamed, happy to see her in person. Seeing people through Jenny's memories wasn't the same as real life. Her mother's sister was dressed in a pink sweater and an old person's tan khakis. The old woman's white hair was combed off to the sides and back. Aunt Felicia's skin only wrinkled when she smiled or made some other such expression.

Before I could understand what was happening, I was struck acrossed the face by the old woman's bony hand. 

"Don't you dare utter my name! You have no right!" she grumbled, her voice coming in and out. The pain that was tainted behind her words was making her voice crack.

I remained with my head turned off to the side, not knowing what to do. My head was swimming with confusion. Why had she hit me? What did I do wrong to her? 

"Felicia dear, don't hurt the child." Uncle David came to my defence. He tried to grab his wife by her shoulders to lead her away, but she resisted. I couldn't even see him. My eyes couldn't make out his image. I think they were welling with water Jenny's memories called tears.

"Give my Jenny back!" Aunt Felicia demanded me. Her hands reached out and clutched my arms. "Give her back, you demon, give her back!"

The old woman, despite her appearance, was able to shake me senselessly. I couldn't tell up from down once her hands were finally renched from me. Without her to hold me up, I stumbled back into someone. They caught me and made sure I didn't fall to the floor as my body recovered.

"We're leaving, Felicia." A gruff voice, Uncle David's, ordered his wife.

I heard their steps leading away, even though my head was still spinning. Whitney, Taylor, Jamie, and several other people were gathered around me. My head put up the question: Who's holding me up if the ones I know are standing before me?

"May, are you okay?" Taylor asked, his concern coming over clear into my ears.

Uncapable to say my full response, I just said, "Dizzy."

The humans stood back and gave me my space, laughing. I had no idea why. I'd been shaken by an old woman. Shouldn't they be worried for me?

After I gathered my senses, the person who had caught me let me go so I could stand on my own. I turned around to face a man who was older than me in appearance, but was a Soul by his eyes. He had wirey black hair and a light beard on his face.

"Thank you." I told him and brushed myself off.

"You're welcome." he replied, equally as kind. The man backed off and let the others take me.

"May, that was Calsafer." Whitney was first to collect, giving me a quick glance over to make sure my body was unharmed. "He's new to this life as well."

I looked back to the Soul. He didn't look confident in his actions. He simply stared and moved out of people's ways when they asked him to step aside. As intimidated by this new life as he was, he didn't seem to hate it. In fact, he almost looked a bit curious. Much like myself.

I turned back to Whitney. "How many of the eighteen Souls were allowed to stay?" I asked.

I hadn't thought of the question earlier. Out of selfishness, I'd only thought of my life. Wanda was right. I relied too much on my host body's memories.

"Three---including you." The wise Soul informed me.

Three? Me, Calsafer, and who?

"Angel." Whitney spoke as if she could read my mind. I knew she couldn't, but it was eerie that she knew what I was thinking before I opened my mouth. "The little girl on the bus. She sat acrossed the aisle from you, if I have my facts straight."

The little girl? Oh yes, the girl that I had wondered how old she really was. She had an angel's crop of blonde hair and blue eyes like all Souls. It was strange to know that she was okay. I had thought of all people, they would remove Souls from children so that the hosts could take back their lives. 

Thinking more on that, I was sure if Jamie had been possessed by a Soul, his sister Melanie would have ripped my sister or brother from his head. The female was very protective of him. Whenever I saw them in a room together, I felt a barrier around the boy. It told me his sister would do anything to make sure he was safe.

"May?" Whitney asked, drawing me back to the center of action.

I blinked my eyes. I hadn't realized I'd slipped from reality that easily. "Yes?" I replied in question, wondering what she wanted.

"I just asked you if you'd like to see another Soul who has lived in the community for a year or so." She repeated herself calmly.

I blinked again. Another Soul? And this one used to this human base life?

"Her name is Sarah." Whitney continued, trying to convince me of her way, but gently so that I could make up my own mind. "She has dark red hair. I think it reflects her personality wonderfully. Sarah's a little bit more lively than most Souls---Gabbie likes her."

Gabbie? The human female who absolutely despised my kind? It made no sense that she had made a friend with a Soul. What made this Sarah so special? Would she like me, or hate me just like Gabbie? I supposed that there was only one way to know.

"Okay." I agreed. It wasn't confident, but wasn't too weak either. 

Whitney understood my nervousness and smiled. "Don't worry. She's not THAT bad." she assured me.

That only deepened my worry.

Sarah's home was on the third level along with Whitney's, but it was further down the line because she'd arrived after the wise Soul. All the homes were basically the same. When you went through the door, which was usually either a shower curtain or a normal window curtain, there was the livingroom on the left and a kitchen on the right. A small carved out doorway would lead into a bedroom. Not a single house had a bathroom. That was to be done in the rooms towards the back of the cavern tubs people washed in. This way, the waste went directly back to the earth instead of through all the baths.

Whitney and I stopped at the doorway. I waited as she knocked. Unlike all the other times, a hand pulled back the curtains. Sarah had decided to meet us at her home's entrance.

"Who's she?" the tall, scarlet-dye haired girl looked at me through narrowed eyes.

I could feel her glance over me. It wasn't the most pleasant experience either.

"This," Whitney took the priveledge to introduce me, "is May."

"One of the newbies?" Sarah presumed.

"Yes." the wise Soul answered simply.

The scarlet haired girl looked over me again. This time not as cruely. She sighed and looked at Whitney. "Come in." she said as soon as her back had turned to us.

With her arm no longer baring entrance to her home, we followed her in. Whitney looked mildly pleasant that Sarah had allowed us to visit her. We sat down on her couch, which was a giant body pillow, and waited as she took the smaller pillow-chair.

"So, why did you choose me of all people?" Sarah asked, lounging causually. She had meant the question for Whitney.

"You know what it's like to have a human consciousness inside of yourself even after you've invaded their body." Whitney replied calmly, being pacient with the other girl's attitude.

Sarah scoffed. It was her way of laughing. "And she doesn't." her eyes flashed to me for a second. She was going to wait for Whitney to speak again, but an idea suddenly came to her. "Oh, I bet you want me to tell THAT story to her."

The wise Soul nodded her head. "If you would."

Sarah smirked, looking directly at me. "Alright, hold on. This'll blow the socks off of you."