Sarah

A fanfic of The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Seventeen year old Sarah is a wild human on the run. Her boyfriend that she had been living with was captured, and went through insertion. He didn't make it. The soul took over Malachi's body and lead the seekers to Sarah, which she narrowly avoided. Now a broken hearted Sarah is on the run. She created a contact lens that allows her eyes to give off a faint silver shine. So she takes her opportunity to move into a community of souls. She gets a job singing at a night bar that doesn't mind old human songs as long as they're censored. Armed with a guitar and a book of Anya Marina sheet music, she starts a new life for herself. One night at the bar, a new soul in town decides to hear the, according to the souls, Angel of Music with the sweetest voice. Arden, the soul, falls in love with Sarah, as she tries to dismiss her feelings for him. But Arden, at twenty-four, is hiding a dark secret against the souls, even though he is one. And worst of all…he knows Sarah is a human.

Chapter one: Dreams

Tears leak hot down my face, as I stare into Malachi's eyes that are no longer his. A faint silver shine shows through them.

"Oh, Sarah, please don't fight!" he cries. "Please! Sarah, I love you, I need you!" Raising the gun, pointing it at his heart, I scream, my voice cracking with tears, "YOU ARE NOT MALACHI!" I fire the gun and his eyes fly open wide. I fire the gun three more times, at the Seekers. Taking my contacts and back pack, I steal the Seeker's car and drive away. I murmur under my breath, "I love you, Malachi."

I bolt up gasping for breath.

"Sarah?" A voice calls. I turn over, and remember whose couch I'm sleeping on. The soul who owns the bar where I sing. He comes and sits on the end of the couch. He holds my face. "Are you okay? Did you have a bad dream? A Malachi dream?" I nod my head. I may have changed my story a little. What I told Rushing Water is: When I was inserted, I began looking for Malachi, and when I did find him, he shot at me, and the Seekers killed him.

Rush, pulls me into a tight hug, and rubs my back. Being in the arms of a soul should be terrifying, but it's strangely comforting. All Rush wants to do is comfort me, so I let my tears run down my face, and soak his shirt. "I miss him so much!"

"Shh." He whispers into my hair. "You shouldn't have had to go through that at such a young age." I nod my head. "Are you ready? You're on in ten minutes." I nod my head again, and wipe at my eyes. Rush gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, and heads out into the small stage to announce me, as I strap my guitar onto my back.

"And now everyone, please welcome, our very own, Sarah Wilder, but first I'd also like to welcome a new soul to our town, Arden Burn. And now, Sarah."

"Thank-you, Rush." I say coming to the stool in the middle of the stage. I sit down, and start to play.

"H-hi." I say into the microphone. Damn stutter. I've had it since I was seven.

"So pretty, so smart. Such a waste of her young heart.

What a pity, what a sham. What's the matter with you, man?

Don't you see it's wrong? Can't you get it right? Out of mind and out of sigh.

Call on all your girls, don't forget the boys. Put a lid on all that noise.

Cus, I'm a satellite heart, lost in the dark. And I'm spun out so far. You stop by the start, and I'll be true to you.

I hear you're living out of state; running in a whole new scene.

You know I haven't slept in weeks? You're the only thing I see.

Cus I'm a satellite heart, lost in the dark. And I'm spun out so far. You stop by the start. And I'll be true to you. No matter what you do. Yeah, I'll be true to you.

Oooo oo ooo ooo oo oo.

The small crowd cheers, all accept the new soul, the one that just moved here. Arden. He just stares at me, half dazed, half crazed. I drop my gaze, and walk off the stage. I hurry to gather my things, rush out the door, and make a run for my apartment.

I race down the numerous blocks as fast as my New Balance tennis shoes will let me. After about five minutes, my guitar bouncing against my side begins to hurt, so I swing it all the way around, so it rests on my lower back. I come to my building, and am stopped right at the front door, by a broad chest covered with a black t-shirt.

"Excuse me, Sarah?" The man's deep, husky voice asks. I look up, and see faint silver shining through his black eyes.

"Um…Y-yes? C-c-can I h-h-help you, sir?" I ask, keeping my voice singsong and polite.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on tonight. You were very beautiful." His eyes gain an almost predatory look that makes me stumble back a few inches. The look in his eyes, unlike any look a soul would have, makes me tremble. But not with fear.

"Um…th-th-thank-you." He just stares at me for the longest time. "I-I-I should b-b-be g-g-going inside." I step around him, but he blocks me again. "L-l-look…um…I uh…h-have a p-p-partner, and he's p-p-p-probably wondering where I am. So, excuse m-me."

"You don't have a partner." He says. "You're all alone."

"W-w-who are you?" I demand.

"Arden Burns."

"Well, Arden Burns…LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!" I take in a sharp breath at my words. I swore.

I look up, practically shaking with fright. Arden smiles. Not big and bright like normal souls, but understanding.

"You don't have to be afraid, Sarah." He whispers. Tears leak down my face, and my body begins to shake violently with sobs. Arden pulls me towards him, and envelopes me in a warm embrace. "You don't have to be afraid." He murmurs into my hair. "Malachi's gone."

I jerk violently away. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't have to be afraid of the Seekers anymore."

"W-w-what are you t-t-talking about?" I demand again.

"You're safe with me." He says. Without warning, he reaches for me again. He crushes his mouth onto mine. His kiss is rough, and filled with passionate longing.

Just then, my mind shorts out. I kiss him back. Our lips weld together. He pulls me into him. Our bodies mold together. His tongue flicks my lip and I shiver violently, but not from the cold. He breaks away, and just holds me as tight as he can.

"God, I'm sorry. It's just been a long time. I never thought I'd find another." His voice is breathless.

"You're human." I gasp.

"I saw it in your eyes."

My hands fly instantly to my face.

"They wouldn't be able to see it."

"H-h-how d-d-do you know Malachi?" I ask suddenly, jerking violently away from me.

"I was in his rescue group. I haven't seen you since you were ten, and we got you from your mother." He looks down at me. "I was seventeen."

"Th-that was you?"

He nods, his inky hair falling around his angular face.

My hand flies instantly to my lip.

"W-w-w-why d-d-did y-y-you k-k-kiss?"

"Oh." He says looking away. "It's just been so long. So long since I've seen any resistance."

I look up at his eyes, and see the silver again.

He sees me looking, and says, "I gave myself up for insertion." Seeing my shocked expression, he adds, "Because I knew I could overpower the soul."

"Oh. S-so what's your real name?"

"Daniel, your?"

"It's still Sarah."

"Well, I never knew your name. Malachi would never talk about you in case any of us were to be caught."

I look away, tears wetting my eyes.

"Aren't you even worried he might transfer here? It's well populated town."

I plop to the ground right were I was standing, bring up my knees, wrap my arms around them and cry, like I did when I was a little girl, the scene of me firing the gun three times into Malachi's heart.

Daniel crouched down over me.

"Whoa, hey, I didn't mean to open up old wounds or something."

"M-m-m-Malachi isn't coming h-h-here. He found m-m-m-me before and I-I-I-I k-k-killed h-h-him." The tears drain from my eyes and spill down my face, only to be replaced by more wet tears.

"I never thought Malachi w-w-would be the one t-t-to g-g-get caught."

"Oh, Sarah." Daniel leans over me, and pulls me to him. "I'll protect you."

He sits down on the ground and pulls me into his lap, resting my head on his shoulder. He moves my hair away from my ear. His breath his hot and moist.

"I'll protect you form anything."

Stubbornly, I wiggle out of his arms, and get to my feet, wiping my tears away from my stained cheeks, all in one swift movement.

"I don't need protection. I'm not the little girl Malachi thought he loved."

"What do you mean, think?" Daniel asks exasperated. "He loved you more than anything. He wouldn't even let us know your name! Sarah, all he cared about was you. All he worried about was you. All he wanted was you. All he loved was you!" His hands grip my shoulders, and his black eyes pierce mine, the silver barely showing.

"Think about it," I begin, "It's not like there was anyone else. I was fourteen when we got together. He was twenty-one. You really think if there was any woman older than me, he would still pick me?"

"He may have never said your name, but you should have heard how he talked about you. The things he said. He would come to meetings every week, with more to say about how wonderful you were."

"If you came here hoping to find that girl, than I'm sorry to let you down." I say angrily. "I'm nothing like her anymore. I've killed. I've tortured to get information. Malachi's little Sarah is GONE!"