DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN THE HOST. Keep that in mind during this whole story because I'm not saying it again.
"Why did I do this?" Jasey groaned. It was so incredibly hot. The sun beat down on her dark red hair, causing it to stick to the middle of her back uncomfortably, sighing she placed her gallon on the ground so she could tie up her hair. With her hair in the messy bun she had made, her neck was exposed to the sun and sun burn was inevitable. Jasey thought about taking the sunscreen out of the heavy army duffle she lugged on her back but decided against it, too much work. Jasey had left the car just hours ago, hiding it perfectly. She drove as far as she could until the big jeep couldn't fit on her trail anymore. She had passed her necessary markers, just one more to go. This was her journey toward a potential human resistance. Sky wasn't specific on what humans he wanted, just that he wanted humans. In exchange, she got Brylee back. Jasey easily knew her way back 'home' with Burns and Nate but that was her family, she couldn't do this to them. Burns had given her a picture and told her that if she got a captured that she could fight back and that somewhere in the desert there was another human resistance where they could extract souls. That's where she was headed. She might as well give someone else's family. Her excuse? She's a selfish human.
Out of her pocket she pulled out a picture with squiggly lines on it. It wasn't long ago that she learned what they meant. Burns had told her the story. Her eyes scanned the sunny skies for the next marker. It was no where to be found. Groaning she picked up her water and her pace walking in the right direction. After what seemed like days of walking she pulled the heavy duffle off of her back and stretched. She felt every vertebra in her spine crack, filling her with a better mood, her back feeling like it was in heaven. She unzipped the duffle and took the first devil dog she saw, it was squished but she didn't care at this point. She stuffed three into her mouth and ate through a can of spam before she zipped up the duffle that was almost the size of her. Jasey huffed throwing it on her back, but she was not going to complain anytime soon. This bag held everything that she could possibly need out here in the desert, extra gallons of water, non-perishables, clothes, a special battery that charged in the sun. Those worms had hooked her up. Jasey knew that she had it easy but she still managed her food carefully, she didn't know how long it would be until she got there. She also knows that Smokey Skies didn't give two shits about her or her safety, but he was in her brother's body and she just couldn't disobey Brylee.
Jasey just kept running, cursing silently at her slip up. She just had to get caught didn't she? She had stolen food so many times without anyone catching her and tonight she just had to have that pie right?! Jesus she felt so stupid. Now she was paying the price. Seekers were after her.
"Just wait! We don't want to hurt you!" One of them screamed, they were so far.
Jasey just had to laugh about that, As if you could catch me she thought to herself.. No one could catch Jasey. No one other but Brylee, but he's been gone for so long.
"Boss, she's too fast. We need your assistance." Another of them gasped into a walkie talkie.
Shit. They're bringing more. Jasey quickened, making a quick left turn. They'd never catch her, they'd only see the tail of her red hair.
"I'm on it." the voice from the walkie talkie answered. The sound of the voice caused Jasey to trip, she caught herself with her hands before she could completely topple over. She winced at the pain in her palms, but didn't stop running. The person just sounded like him it couldn't possibly be who she thought it was.
That's when she heard the foot steps. They were gaining on her. But how many could be so close in pursuit? She listened more intently as she pushed her legs to their limits, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Only one. She looked down at her feet to see if her pace had some how slowed. It hadn't. And then there was pain. Pain was everywhere. Her mind couldn't even comprehend what had just happened until she opened her eyes. Brylee was right there, she could hold him, touch him. Her heart beat was erratic in her chest, he was alive. She couldn't contain herself, she threw her hands out to wrap them around the strawberry blonde above her. "BRY!"
That's when the look of disgust traveled onto Brylee's face and his glowing irises glared at her. He pushed her away from him before she could even touch him. Her head hit the concrete with a loud crack and she groaned, her vision darkening. "BryBry..." she whimpered reaching to the back of her head.
"Jasey." He hissed pushing himself off of her.
Her hand reached up to keep him close to her but it was quickly knocked away. Jasey wanted to believe that Bry was still alive in there, that he was fighting against this imposter like the infamous Melanie Stryder had... but that was unlikely. As her body lost consciousness she managed to hear something. "You caught her boss."
Boss. He was their boss. Brylee's body was a seeker.
Jasey could feel the lump rising in her throat. Brylee was losing, to a seeker. The angry tears rose in her throat into her eyes and she wiped them from her eyes with the back of her dirty arm. Sniffing, she touched the back of her neck, feeling the unnatural bump there. Her chip. When she found this alleged resistance she was supposed to activate her silver bracelet, and since she wasn't trusted they placed a tracking device in her neck, that was only activated when the bracelet was activated. She hated Sky, she hated him with every bone in her body, she hated him for stealing her brother's body. For keeping Brylee trapped in his mind, for being the filthy body snatcher he is. But as much as she hated him, she couldn't betray him, because the reward he promised her was greater than anything she imagined. Her brother back.
Jasey didn't notice how much time had passed until she tripped on a rock that she didn't see. It was night already? That would explain her screaming muscles and droopy eyes. Sighing, she dropped to the floor, using her bag for a pillow she looked up into the black sky. There were no stars out tonight, no moon, nothing but blackness. It wasn't long before she was out cold.
---
Jasey awoke to a loud shaking noise, her eyes shot open and she grabbed her bag.
Reflex.
That's when she saw the mildly angered rattle snake right in front of her, its sleek body ready to strike at the blink of an eye. She slowly picked up her bag and never let her jade eyes wander from the snake. Jase began to walk backward and to the right hoping to God she was out of striking range.
"Jase, if you ever see a rattle snake and it's angry you must make sure you don't make any sudden movements." Brylee whispered. Jasey moved closer to him from the back seat, straining to hear him.
"Why are you telling me this?" Jasey asked, her 10 year old attention failing her. "Where are we going Frank?" she asked again.
"We are going to Phoenix." He answered "And I'm telling you so you know, because we will be in the desert. Now listen. If you see one you have to make sure that you are out of striking range before you turn around. Then you run as fast as you little legs can, and you keep running until your safe." He smiled and looked back at her squeezing her chubby cheeks. "You know that you look just like mom? With all that red hair and these chubby cheeks!"
Jasey giggled and swatted his hand away; then become serious and asked, "Frank, will you be there, just in case I can't run fast enough?"
He gave her a famous smirk and squeezed her cheeks again, "I'll always be there."
A wave of grief smacked Jasey in the face and she stumbled forward, her knees buckling. The snake coiled back even farther, ready to strike. Jasey straightened her posture gradually as she backed away slowly. When she was sure that the rattle snake could not touch her, she turned her back on it and began to sprint away. Sooner than she expected, her legs began to go numb. She could no longer feel her leg muscles moving, she could only feel the soles of her worn out converses slap the hard ground, and that was soon numb as well. But Jasey would not stop running even though her legs felt as if they had turned into jello. Her thighs cried in protest as they chafed each other with much friction. The sweat was the only thing preventing them from becoming nothing but raw meat. Her red bun bounced against her sweaty neck and her bangs flew out of her eyes as she began to pick up even more speed; she wasn't stopping anytime soon, the only thought in her mind was Brylee's words I'll always be there.
"Liar."Jasey hissed and kept running. She wasn't even aware of the tears streaming from her eyes until she tasted them in her mouth. Jasey just kept running, she didn't know for how long she had been running but she could see that her pace had slowed. She had to have been running for a while. She saw the marker, and froze. It was so... far. She couldn't help but to laugh. She was going to die. That was is. She was going to die out here, laughing she pushed herself toward her last sprint. Jasey smiled at the fact that it felt as if her back pack straps were laced in acid, burning her skin with every step she took. The sloshing of her water bottle made her laugh too, she was losing it. Jasey kept running until it turned into a slow jog. She couldn't see anymore, eyes filled with tears. Another memory smacked her in the face.
"Casey, baby. Wake up." Brylee whispered into Jasey's ear as she slept soundly on his lap. She got up and rubbed her eyes groggily.
"Hmmm?" she grumbled sleepily.
"You're 12 right? A big girl."
Jase laughed as he talked to her like a baby. "Yeah I'm a 'big girl'. Why?" She looked at him now. This made her worried. He looked terrified. Brylee never looked terrified. "Bry." She said grabbing the sides of his thin face. "What's wrong? What's happening?"
He didn't answer her instead he held out his pack. His green army pack that their Dad had given him long ago, it was big. "Take this."
As Jasey took it, terror washed through her tiny frame. Brylee was never this scared. His strawberry blonde hair fell into his now watery green eyes. He would never give this to herme unless… Unless he was leaving her, no that can't be true. Can it? "B-Bry?" She whispered through trembling lips. Jasey began to cry as she looked at his terrified face.
"I need you to do something for me. One last thing." His eyes were now more than terrified they were scary.
"Anything." She vowed to him. Her hands found his and she gripped them tight.
"I need you to run. That way," He pointed north. "Run as fast you can. Don't stop. Don't turn back. Just run."
"But Bry!" She cried, tightening her grip on his hands. "What about you?"
"I'll see you soon. Just don't stop running. Remember Jase, never stop running. Now go," He kissed her forehead and pointed north again.
She nodded. Tears in her emerald eyes. "I love you Bry." She whispered.
"I love you too Jase." And then she did what he said to do. She stood up with the heavy pack and ran. She didn't look back. She just ran, just like he told me to.
A sob broke from Jasey's lips and she almost toppled over. Her numb legs kept walking, in the direction they needed to go, unwillingly. She could tell that time had passed because the sun had moved, it was going to be setting soon. Out of all the things Jase was expecting to happen--a wild dog attacking her, a scorpion stabbing her, another rattle snake--Jasey wasn't expecting the pain that shot through her leg. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground loudly.
Burns had lied to her. There was nothing out here!
Jasey screamed in frustration, punching the nearest rock. A loud thump came from the rock and her fist throbbed horribly. She let out another scream as she clutched her throbbing hand to her body. The scream came out louder then she had expected and she kept screaming, her lungs forcing the air out in large quantities. She threw her back pack into the rock with a loud noise and heard a ripping sound, it sounded like a loud screech of pain and agony, a wounded animal crying out in pain and from what she can hear… it wasn't going to live for very much longer.
Then to her horror Jasey realized that she was the dying animal. But from the foot steps she heard running in the sand, she might be able to live a bit longer than she expected.