It started out a normal day, in my life here on Earth. After my second insertion into a human's body, a petite frame with curly brown hair and luminous green eyes, I had fallen into an unmistakable pattern. I never strayed from the repetitive, predictable routine that my guardians, my host's parents, set up for me. Rise around seven o'clock, shower and dress and eat breakfast, go to school, come home, do any assigned work, and participate in activities. The host had liked to sing, and I found that it had stuck with me, somewhat. I caught myself humming to tunes I had never heard before, singing to church hymns I didn't know, and being complimented on my lovely voice.
When Singing High in the Trees, my "father" from the Singing world, found out that my host had a voice, he had immediately introduced me to a friend of his, Voice Carries on the Wind. This timid, beautiful soul was in an elder's body, a woman of around sixty years with silver hair and supple hands she used now to play violin. She taught me to sing, and I liked it well enough.
But something had always seemed wrong. I always felt like it wasn't truly me liking to sing; I always felt influenced by my host and her previous hobbies. So I started to become reluctant to go to my lessons, and requested other activities to do after my homework. I played soccer, tried martial arts, swimming, painting, crafts, beauty, even mechanics. I was always truly bored, but at least it was me.
This normal day, Singing High in the Trees and Ice Speaks, my "mother", needed groceries. I tagged along, hoping to sneak a box of sugary cereal into the cart when they weren't looking. I hadn't had any in so long, and it was a treat I hoped I had earned with my good behavior of late.
We were in the deli section, and I was shivering from the temperature, and was mildly bored as Ice Speaks discussed pepperoni quality with the soul behind the counter. This is what caused me to look around in a mild daze, the "daydreaming" my Comforter had told me of. I was thinking of my time with the See Weeds, when everything was always cool. I hadn't liked it. I liked the desert here on Earth.
And that's when I saw her.
She was a beautiful woman. Tanned, like so many souls here in Arizona, but it was natural under the sun's addition. She had dark hair, which looked freshly cut, and groomed eyebrows and nails. Her clothes were simple, but it was her eyes that caught my gaze. They were hazel, like Singing High in the Trees's eyes. A little more brown than green. And there was the ever-present faint silver reflection.
A wave of strange emotion washed over me, sort of numbing everything but my brain. I felt suspended, in memory almost, except I did not remember this woman. I had never seen her before; she was not one of my instructors, and was not a friend of my guardians.
Melanie!
I gasped involuntarily as the voice that was not mine gave way to a weak call inside my head. No one around me noticed, and I continued to stare at the soul that had struck me frozen to the spot. Terrified of the voice I had just heard, I shook my head, my heart hammering in my chest and sweat breaking out on my palms. When I looked again, the soul's back was turned; she was only shopping.
"Light?" My mother was speaking to me, concern in her voice. I blinked, and turned to her.
"Sorry, Ice Speaks. I was daydreaming."
She chuckled at me, a tinkling laugh of gentle bells. "That's all right, Light. I wondered if you would like some lunch meat for school?"
I glanced back over my shoulder, looking for the strange soul. She was gone.
"I would like some turkey, please." I forced a polite expression on my face, refusing to reflect the torment going on inside my head. Who was that soul? And who was inside my head?
