Author's Note: So I just finished reading the Host (yesterday) and had to write something. This follows the events in the last chapter very close, and uses some of the speaking lines etc.
I DO NOT own The Host or any of the characters or anything. If I did, this story would not be up here, and I would be sitting on a beach in Hawaii, thinking about my rich-and-famous-ness.
-----------------------------------------------------
Another set of humans – how fascinating!
We had all been excited by the prospect of meeting this other group, of course, but we couldn't be sure it wasn't a trap. But now, to see their eyes in the beam of our flashlights, the absence of reflection...well, this was really quite invigorating.
Of course, here was one of them; one who stood in the back, half hidden by the rest...there was something I found quite intriguing about her. I half-listened as Nate introduced everyone but me, paying slightly more attention as the leader of the other group – Jared – introduced his companions. I watched as one of the males shifted his weight, trying to block any line of sight to the girl.
I repeated her name in my head. Wanda. A perfectly ordinary, human name, and yet...
Then Nate made a slight slip of the tongue, saying my name for the first time.
"Might as well get that out of the way," Rob murmured.
Everyone in our group tensed, preparing for the reaction to what came next. People were often shocked, even scared to see me.
But although everyone in our group was tense, the other humans seemed to already know what was coming next.
Nate began talking quickly as I stepped forward. "This here is Burns. Now, he's with us, so don't go crazy. He's my best friend – saved my life a hundred times. He's one of our family and we don't take kindly to it when people try to kill him.
Rachel pulled her gun out and pointed it at the ground in preparation for their reaction.
But I wasn't expecting a huge reaction – or at least, not the one everyone else was. I kept my eyes on the girl in the back, speaking as I stepped forward. "No, its okay, Nate. They've got one of their own." I pointed to the girl, seeing the man before her tense protectively. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's gone native."
I walked forward into the space between the two groups, watching as the girl came forward, beaming comfortably.
"Burns Living Flowers," I introduced myself.
I watched her eyes widen at the name. "Wanderer," she told me, shaking my hand.
When I next tried to speak, my voice was filled with wonder and amazement. "It's... extraordinary to meet you, Wanderer. And here I thought I was one of a kind."
"Not even close," she replied softly, and I raised an eyebrow, wondering if she meant what I thought she meant.
"It's a strange world," she murmured to herself.
I thought of my time here, on this strange planet. So different from all the others, with all its colour and emotion, and the strange developing loyalties to the native humans.
"The strangest," I agreed.
----------------------------------------
Please review!