Disclaimer: The world and most of the characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

This is simply the back story for Burns Living Flowers that fell into my head when I read the book.
I am trying to put it down on virtual paper to see if I can do it.

Burns Living Flowers

Traveling to this world caused no memories to me. In this dreamless sleep spanning centuries and bridging the gap between two distant planets there was no consciousness, no thought, no feeling. No pain. No pain at all. Yet when I had left Fire World I felt nothing but pain. Not for myself. Not for my dying body. But for the countless sentient beings I had killed in the most horrific way. Burning them alive to inhale the nutrients that my host needed to survive.

Upheaval followed the knowledge that our food, the walking flowers, were sentient beings with thoughts, wants and fears. I got my name before this knowledge, but I did not change it when we knew. It would always remind me what I had done.

I volunteered for programs looking to find alternate nutrient sources for our host bodies, the Fire-tasters. But nothing seemed to replace the walking flowers. It was as if the nutrition did not come from any chemical reaction, no elements combined to give the Fire-tasters what they needed.

Finally, when my host body failed. I asked to be sent to a new world hoping that my consciousness could be stilled by the time I got to another world. By the centuries passing before I got there.

When I finally woke up in a new host not a second had passed for me in all this time. My first reaction was to scream. Like my body was already screaming, I just joined in and amplified the sense of urgency, panic and sadness.

My host body expressed tremendous sadness and grief. Like a separate entity crying out before fading away. The scream stopped as my lungs emptied, transforming into a dry cough.

I remembered coming in the door at the party being greeted by the boss. I walked into the living room where music was playing, but I could not hear anyone talking. I was thinking just how weird that was. Sue couldn't keep her mouth shut if someone closed a piano over her lips. Then suddenly a hand in front of me sprayed something in my face, a pink mist? Then there was darkness, and then the scream.

Out of breath, panting heavily, my body was wet and cold. What was this place? I worked out the senses from my memories. My mouth tasted horrible and was completely dry. I heard a gentle voice and tried to locate the sound with my eyes. After some searching, I found the right muscles to move. I turned to the side and could see a tall blond man standing beside me. I had no way of knowing what and who I was looking at, but my memories connected this appearance to a medical person, a doctor? Why would a doctor be at a company party?

The Doctor spoke to me. I could not make out the words at first, but soon they came to me. "Hello, can you hear me?"

I grunted a reply, trying to formulate words, but none came out. Only a low mumble and some clicking sounds.

"Ah… Good, do not be alarmed, you will shortly find your speech. Here, drink some water. Your host was under for some time before we could get you inserted." He handed me a glass of water and I emptied it in one gulp. Finally finding my words I thanked him for the water.

"Good, all seems well then. Welcome to this world. I am Healer Singing into the Light." he continued. "Are you feeling all right?"

I moved my head in a bobbing manner instinctively, nodding. "Yes Healer Singing into the Light, I feel fine."

He nodded in return, "Good… And what should we call you?"

I remembered that my name was Alex, but no. I would use my former name, that from Fire World. "Burns Living Flowers." I said, trying to conceal my feelings about it.

"Burns Living Flowers? Are you sure you do not want to change that? There could be bad memories associated with that name?"

I bit my teeth together, unclenching just enough to affirm with determination "Yes, I am absolutely certain."

"Ok" he said "Burns Living Flowers it is. And again, welcome." He turned to another man in the room. This one was dark and short, he was bald and had a very blocky appearance.

"Greetings Burns Living Flowers, I am Seeker Nathaniel. Please come with me. I would like to ask you a few questions?" and not waiting for my reply. "Thank you."

The dizziness was not completely gone, but I wanted to do what I could to help. "I will do my best." I said, and followed him as best I could back to a small, but very tidy office.

"Can you please tell us if you remember any other humans remaining on the lose"

"On the lose? What do you mean?" realization dawned as I said it. This was not yet a fully colonized planet. My host had lived in the wild before I was inserted.

The seeker confirmed. "Not every human is yet occupied by Souls, we need to find the last ones so they do not pose a threat to our society. Anything you can think of could be of help to us"

I searched my memories to see if I could find anything. But my host had been mostly focused on his work and had no relations outside of that.
I told him, listing the ones that I could remember.

"Then I think we have gotten the most of them, we will discretely collect the last ones when they show up for work the next time. Thank you so much for your time." He said.

"I am only glad to be of service."

"Good… We will take you home now so that you can get some rest and get accustomed to your new life."

Comment:

I should also thank: David Buchan, Joanna Maciejewska, Rayne Hall, Ciara Ballintyne, Susan Buchanan, Nat Russo, Alex Myers and more for their fantastic #writetip tweets on Twitter. You make it possible for me to improve my writing. Worth following for insight. Thank you all.
And to those who have read and reviewed by PM. Thank you for invaluable insight and feedback.

I will also recommend the writing of PhoenixPixie23. Her 'gone native' is awesome. And her back-story for Burns is very much the same as I have imagined.
I found it funny that we both came up with such a similar background, not only where he was from, but also how he felt about it.
Also after the likeness and into the story it really struck a cord with me, and it keeps the tension throughout.
She is definitely among my favorite authors and I wish her all the best.

I must also thank walker-98 for all of his insights and nudges when writing this story. The feedback has been priceless.
I only hope I can repay somehow.

This chapter is almost gone now after all the rounds of editing and tightening, I think the first draft version was like 3000 words? can't remember. Most of it is gone and now resides in my trusty notepad so that I can compare how bloated it was to how lean it is starting to be.

Still think I can cut more though... it will come to me on the fifth pass I guess :-)