Well, here goes. The first chapter may seem very familiar, but the second chapter may surprise you….

Oh

Yeah, the second chapter will be posted on Sunday.

NATE'S DIARY

THE CAVERNS

04/05/2002 - An amazing thing happened last night and it gives me hope for the human race. A few days ago Burns got a call from the local police chief. He said a seeker had gone missing in the Arizona desert while searching for a soul that she believed had been led to a pack of humans. They were looking for volunteers willing to go into the desert and search for what they assumed would be a body. It was dangerous and many felt it was a lost cause. We figured there might be humans out there so Burns volunteered and said he had a team ready to go. The team included Burns and myself as well as Evan, Tom, Kim, Rachel, Rob, and Blake.

We got more than we could have hoped for. We not only found an entire clan of humans in the desert, but they also had a soul with them - a very young and pretty female by the name Wanda. Her real name is Wanderer but everyone calls her Wanda.

It turns out these people do live in the desert. You would never know it, but there are caves in the desert. Not caves really, volcanic tubing, but inside it's much like a cave. The set up is wondrous. The guy who set this up is an absolute genius. His name is Jeb and he runs this whole place. He managed to create a bathroom using the underground river that flows very deep within the cavern. It must be some kind of volcanic spring. There are no septic tanks. The waste is just carried away in the torrent. This same river is used for bathing, but the current passes through the huge pool size tub before it flows through the room with the toilet. It's amazing.

Tomorrow, Jeb says he will show us the kitchen and the gardens. Gardens in the desert, who would have thought it possible? Sleep beckons me. I am excited for tomorrow.

A bunch of us were gathered in the main cavern where the big garden was located. Jeb had just finished giving me and Burns the full schematics of his vision to bring sunlight to the garden.

"Whoop, whoop, whoop! Yeah bro!" Kyle hollered.

"What the hell?"

Burns learned towards me. "It's that soul, Wanda. She's with Kyle's brother."

Wanda and the protective guy from yesterday approached our little group that had been deep in discussion about the wondrous workings of the gardens. Wanda approached another member of the clan named Lily.

"I'm so sorry I worried you."

"The 'someone's going to die' seriously freaked me out," she replied still looking leery.

"I know and I'm sorry. It was really meant to get Ian's attention to my frustration."

"It worked," the object of her affection blurted out. He had his arm around her shoulders. He dropped his arm and turned to Burns. "Hey. I'm sorry about the misunderstanding back there. I just get a little possessive when it comes to Wanda. I've done my time with the sharing thing." He glared at the couple Jared and Melanie and they both looked at the floor. I could only imagine what that was all about.

"So you lovebirds made up," Jeb interjected. "Never would have expected that!" he said stroking his beard.

"Actually, Jeb, you forced my hand." Kyle's brother said with a smile.

"I forced your hand?" Jeb replied.

He turned and got down on one knee. "Wanderer, you are the most beautiful and loving creature in my world and I can't live without you. Will you be my bride?"

What? He's proposing? You've got to be kidding me. She's a soul!

She started to cry as she said "Yes, Ian. I want that more than anything."

Ian! That's his name! I can't believe this. I was hoping for a match for Burns. They would have been perfect. Damn! I mean she is seriously cute but marriage?

Ian whispered 'I love you' and he kissed her. This is just weird, watching a soul making out with a human.

It seemed as though they had forgotten we were here. I was waiting for him to undress her. Jeb cleared his throat quite loudly. It did the trick. Wanda pulled away obviously embarrassed.

The youngster, Jamie stepped forward and threw his arms around the happy couple. "Cool! Can I be in the wedding?"

"Will there be a real wedding?" she asked her intended.

Not if I can help it. You belong with your own kind. You belong with Burns.

"Of course. Anything you want, angel," he replied looking very satisfied.

Wanda turned back to Jamie. "Then of course you can be in the wedding. Just give me some time to think about this whole thing."

Kyle piped up. "There's never been a wedding since we came to the caverns. It should be quite a party."

Jeb regained control of the crowd. "Well. It's not going to happen today. I'm sure everyone has something to do. Tomorrow we'll be working on gettin' those mirrors clean; so everyone skedaddle!" The crowd dispersed.

Jared turned to Burns and I. "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat," I replied.

"Burns?" Wanda called out.

Burns stopped and turned. "Yeah?"

"We never got to finish our conversation and I was hoping…I was hoping that we could still finish it."

Burns looked off into the darkness. "Sure, sure," he answered.

"Do you mind if Ian tags along?" she asked. It seemed that he was determined to stay close to his pretty little bride.

"Sure. Where?"

Ian interjected. "Let's go to our room. It's private and there's plenty of light."

I decided if Ian could tag along then so could I. I followed the others to the room that Wanda and Ian claimed as their own. What was nice about these volcanic tubes was the fact that each couple had their own space. Each cubicle was small, but it was private and warm. There was a queen size mattress on the floor and a couple of shelves that held their clothing. Their belongings were meager. It seemed obvious to me that this clan lived with only the bare necessities. We sat on the floor at the foot of the mattress. I was facing Ian with Wanda on my left and Burns on my right.

"So, Burns you were about to tell me how you found Nate."

"Everyone already knows this story," I blurted out since Burns had told our story to Jeb and some of the others last night.

Burns shot me a warning glance. "Excuse my friend. He assumes too much."

Burns continued. "I was living alone in the house and some of the people in the town asked me what my calling was. I couldn't tell them I was a student and I didn't want to work in the town. I had to think of a calling that would make sense to them. I told them that my human father had killed the souls and the hosts of my mother and sister. I didn't tell them that he took his own life. Instead I told them that he disappeared and for that reason I had chosen to be a Seeker. They had sympathy for me and believed everything I told them. I was able to stay at my home in the mountains for weeks at a time without having to come back to town. They never asked me what I was doing up there. They just assumed I was on the road somewhere looking for humans."

I noticed Wanda slide her hand to the inside of Ian's thigh probably in an effort to reassure him. Ian was leaning forward, his arms folded tightly across his chest. He was such a Neanderthal. He reminded me of those big dumb jocks that I used tutor in college and then I'd hustle them at the pool table. Asshole.

Burns spoke again. "I was living my life in peace. I wasn't content, but I did appreciate the beauty of the land. It was months before I met Nate. I would often go on walks through the woods to explore all the plants and creatures that shared my mountain. Then one day I heard someone yelling. I really wasn't sure where it was coming from and it took me some time to track the sound. I found Nate in an old well that had grown over from years of disuse. He had fallen through and broken his leg. It was a pretty bad break. I told him to hold on and I raced back to the house to get some rope and a tarp. When I got back I could see that he knew I wasn't like him. I fashioned a seat with the rope and the tarp so I could pull him up. I threw down my creation and told him to sit in it. He refused."

I needed to defend my actions. "You gotta understand. I had ten other people I had to think about. I couldn't risk them being found. I was weak, but I wasn't crazy."

Ian shook his head in agreement.

Burns pressed on. "I knew the only way I was going to get him out of that hole was to do it myself and he was not going to come willingly. I tied the rope around a tree and found a sturdy tree limb that had fallen to the forest floor. It was a struggle, but eventually I managed to push it to the edge of the hole. When I pushed it in, it laid at an angle giving me a better footing when I pulled us both out."

Ian shook his head again. "It's a good thing you're such a big guy."

"You're telling me. Dragging my unconscious body couldn't have been easy," I pointed out.

"Unconscious?" Wanda seemed disturbed by my remark.

Burns responded. "Well, yeah. He fought me as soon as my feet touched the ground and so I had to resort to knocking him out. I just kept telling myself that I was saving his life. I hit him in the back of the head with a tree branch and he dropped like a rock."

I nodded in agreement. "When I woke up I was in his bed which he had moved to the root cellar and he was nowhere to be found. I knew I couldn't run. The door was locked anyway. I was trapped like a rat. I was waiting for the enemy to return with an army of parasites ready to change me into one of them. There wasn't even anything in the room to kill myself with. Burns was good. He had thought of everything."

Burns smiled at me. "Lucky for you!"

I put my hand on Burns's shoulder. "Lucky for me."

"Where did you go?" Wanda asked Burns.

"I knew that Nate was hurt badly and in a lot of pain. I went into town to the hospital and told them that I was headed out on a dangerous mission in the mountains and that I needed supplies in case I was hurt and unable to return to be treated. The healer was most helpful. He gave me an assortment of hospital supplies."

"Let me guess. He gave you 'No Pain, Clean, Heal, and Deep Clean.'"

"Exactly. He gave me "Smooth" as well. I came back to the house and Nate had positioned himself behind the door in an attempt to escape. He knocked me to the floor, but he didn't get far."

"I didn't even make it up the steps of the root cellar," I said dismally.

"Well, you were in a ton of pain and you hadn't eaten in two days," Burns replied in my defense. "Anyway, I dragged him back to the room and I tried to reason with him. I told him I had no weapons and that I had no intentions on turning him in. I told him that I could heal his injuries and that he needed to trust me. I told him that a soul had to be inserted surgically and I would do nothing that would require a scalpel. I offered him the 'No Pain' and at first he refused. I explained that even if what I was giving him killed him, whoever he was trying to protect would be safe. He finally took the 'No Pain'."

My first experience with 'no pain' was a wonderful experience. "It was awesome! If my leg had not been so mangled that it would not hold me up I would have run out of there at that moment."

Burns looked at me in surprise. "And I thought you trusted me." He shook his head.

"What?" I grinned and shrugged.

Burns continued. "I used the 'Clean, Heal, Deep Clean, and Smooth' to repair his leg. When I was done I held the door open and invited him to leave, but he didn't go."

"I was afraid that if I went I would be leading a pack of them right to my family. So, I stayed. I figured I would wait until the right opportunity presented itself. I considered killing Burns, but for all I knew there were Seekers hiding in wait. I couldn't take that chance. I could kill myself now that I was healed, but I didn't want to die especially if there was a chance this guy over here was telling the truth," I explained.

"He stayed with me for weeks. We even went for walks together."

Wanda giggled. "Aw, how romantic!" she teased.

God, she's adorable. I shoved Burns in the shoulder. "No way!" I bellowed. I decided to pick up the story where Burns had left off. "Burns never asked me about who I might be protecting. He just seemed to be enjoying my company. I knew my family had probably assumed the worst. One night I decided to take a chance. I left in the middle of the night and wandered off into the woods. I didn't go in the direction of my family. I stayed in the woods for two days watching, waiting, for any sign of a Seeker. Finally, I went to a place where I knew my family would see me. I let them see that I had no scar on my neck and I went to them using what we call the emergency back door. I told them what had happened. We hunkered down for two weeks watching for Seekers. They never came and we were in desperate need of supplies. I decided to go back to Burns. I'm not sure why exactly. I can't explain it other than he saved me from dying in that hole and then he healed my broken body. As I approached the house the shades were down and the word "NO" was written on them. There was an unfamiliar car in front of the house. I waited in the shadows of the forest. Eventually, two people, a man and a woman exited the house and got into the car and drove off. When they left, Burns put the shades up and came out onto the front porch and sat in a chair and began to read."

"He warned you." Ian said unfolding his arms. He pulled Wanda's hand from his thigh and held it between his two hands. "How did you know this wasn't a ploy to gain your trust?"

"Ian!" Wanda squealed. The sound of her voice was so sweet; it made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Exactly! At what point did you put your trust in Wanda?"

Ian thought about this for a minute. "I don't know if there was a precise moment. It started for me when she put herself between Kyle and Jared."

Wait a minute. "Isn't that when you tried to strangle her?" I snapped.

Ian closed his eyes and pulled her hand to his face and whispered, "Yes." And then he added, "I'm so sorry my darling angel."

She grabbed his chin with her free hand and stared at his eyes. "Hey, we're all here happy and healthy. I don't want to dwell on the negative only the positive. Okay?" she goaded. He still didn't open his eyes. "Okay?" she repeated.

He finally opened his eyes and whispered, "okay."

Wanda leaned into his chest and she didn't let go of his hand. "So, Nate, you made a decision to trust Burns?"

Jesus, how friggin' needy is this guy?

"I did. I brought him to our hideout and a friendship was born."

"Wow. It seems we both have fascinating stories," she surmised. "Burns can I ask you a personal question?"

Burns creased his eyebrow. "Sure, hasn't everything we've said here been personal?"

"This is different. It's not about the past. It's about the present. About your emotions. It's about Sunny." Ian straightened up finally giving her some freedom.

"I noticed that you seem to be very...aware of Sunny's presence whenever you are in the same room together. Do you have a thing for her?"

"Wanda, you are very observant." He smiled sheepishly.

I was shocked. I had no idea that Burns had been crushing on Sunny, and here I was trying to devise a way to set him up with Wanda. Boy, was I ever wrong.

"Well it kept me alive for many months," Wanda explained.

"Can you tell me; what is the status of the relationship between Sunny and Kyle?" Burns asked.

Wanda looked at Ian for an answer. Ian looked up surprised. "Why do you ask me?"

"You are his brother," she reminded him.

"Hell, I don't know. Kyle is nothing like me. I fell in love with Wanda for who she is inside. Sunny walks around in Jodie's body. I don't honestly know what he's thinking." He paused. "Plus Sunny is always with him. When would I ever get the chance to even ask him?"

"Maybe I can help. Tomorrow I'll see if she would like to bathe when I do. I'll tell her I want to spend some 'girl time' with her. That will give you the time to talk to Kyle. Don't tell him Burns is interested though. Just feel him out. Ask him if another guy was interested in her if he would take it personally. You know … see if he holds any jealousy."

"I hate doing that crap. Can't someone else be your patsy?" Ian muttered.

"Absolutely not. First of all, you are his brother and he will be honest with you. Second of all, you can relate. After all aren't you engaged to a 'soul'? And third …"

"Okay, okay. I guess I can take one for the team."

He caved. Wimp.

"Thank you." She gave him a peck on the cheek.

"So …" Ian spoke. "Anyone up for a game of soccer?"

"Not in this body!" Wanda moaned.

Huh. If you don't want to play the game, I'll be happy to play with you.

"Come on, give it a try. If you really suck, you can be my cheerleader," Ian teased.

"Thanks a bunch," she said sarcastically.

The four of us got up and ventured off towards the game room. We found several people in there lounging and talking.

It was time to take control of this shindig. "Warning! We are here to take over the game room. Join us or move to the stands," I announced.

"What's your game?" Rachel asked. Rachel was one of my people. She was hanging with Rob and Blake who were also from my clan. Rachel and Rob were a couple, but I had managed to charm her into my bed. She cheated on him and she probably would have left him had I asked her to. I don't want a relationship. Not in this world. She never told Rob about her affair and neither did I. It was nice while it lasted. Blake was Rachel's younger brother and he stayed close to her when we were away from home. Safety in numbers. That's what I stressed to each of them when traveling. The group they had been talking to bowed out of the competition. We asked them to let the others know of the game if they ran into them.

"Okay," I announced again. "The game is soccer and I call captain."

Ian spoke up. "Captain." He paused a moment before he added, "We need to choose teams. Who chooses first?"

"Nate is a guest in our house so he should have the first pick," Wanda suggested. Ian glared at her and again he wimped out and caved into her demands. What a pussy.

Of course I picked Burns first. That was a no-brainer. As if on cue Ian's brother, Kyle entered the room.

"Do I smell a game of soccer?" Kyle bellowed as he joined the group.

Ian grinned from ear to ear. "Hell, yeah! It's my turn to pick. Get over here, Bro!"

I got the sinking feeling that I had just been played. I chose Rob next. Then Ian chose Blake. The boys were all chosen and that left Rachel, Sunny, and Wanda. I chose Rachel. I knew how athletic that body was. Wanda and Sunny although both beautiful were not athletes from I could tell.

"Have either one of you ever played before?" Ian asked.

Wanda scowled at him. "You know I know how to play. I just don't know well this body will play for me."

Sunny piped up. "I'm good. I'll watch. You play Wanda."

Ian dragged her onto the playing field. "I guess you're with me, Babe. Try not to trip up Kyle. Okay?"

What a dick. Way to make your fiancée feel special, dude!

Ian faded back to the goalie position. Kyle came forward to the point position. Blake and Wanda took the two flank positions and the game was on. I pulled Rachel aside and instructed her to get in Kyle's way as much as possible. Burns took a shot at the goal but Ian caught it and threw it to Wanda. Blake moved forward on the opposite side of the goal so I had to play both sides of the goal. Wanda charged me and all I could think about how much I wanted to bend her over and pound it home. Damn she is fucking hot! Blake smashed it in for the first point. Shit! Get your head out from between her legs.

In the end we lost. I blame myself because that little tart just kept my mind in the gutter. I needed to get laid and soon.

I admitted it was a good game, but I blamed the loss on the home turf advantage.

Ian teased back. "I'll play you on your turf anytime." That was when I invited all of them to come to the mountain and meet my family. Maybe if I could get them on my turf I could convince Wanda to show me how good a soul is in the sack.

Kyle responded for the group. "You need to talk to Jeb and Jared. They are considered the leaders of this clan and they would be the ones to make a decision like this."

"I'm hungry." Sunny had managed to find her voice. Burns quickly made the most out of the opportunity. He approached her and offered to escort her to the kitchen. Kyle didn't seem to care. Maybe Burns would get his soul after all.

Sunny called out for Kyle.

Kyle nodded in Sunny's direction. "In a minute," he called back to her.

"Come on. You can come with me and Ian and Burns. Kyle will catch up to us later. You need to gain a little independence," Wanda said brazenly. "Sunny will be in the kitchen," she called out as they disappeared in the tunnel.

I decided I should take Kyle's advice and make my offer to visit the mountain to Jeb and Jared.