Sorry to keep you folks waiting. This is the second chapter or first chapter depending on your perspective. Speaking of perspectives, this chapter's in Wanda's. Enjoy.


Wanda POV

There was a knock on my cell door. I turned myself over on the bed to see who it was.

"Hello, 'Wanda'," the visitor called, saying my name mockingly.

I groaned. This was the last person I wanted to see.

"What do you want now, Seeker?" I whimpered.

"You're getting a new neighbor today," the Seeker said.

A neighbor? I didn't want to admit it to the Seeker, but I have been rather lonely here.

"A neighbor, Seeker?" I asked as I sat up.

"Yes, Wanderer," the Seeker said cheerily, "She's still out cold right now, but I'm sure that when she wakes up, you'll be the best of friends."

I know that, as a Soul, I shouldn't be suspicious. But given my recent history with this Seeker, I couldn't help but feel something off in her cheeriness.

"Why are you so happy, Seeker?" I asked.

"I'm happy because I'm giving you a companion, so you won't be lonely anymore," she explained.

"But, you've made your dislike for me quite clear," I argued, "Why would you be so happy to give me a companion when I stopped you from fulfilling your Calling? It doesn't make any sense."

"You did what you thought was right, so I've decided to forgive you," the Seeker replied.

"I don't believe you," I said simply.

The Seeker dropped the façade, growling at me.

"Fine, then," she said, "I admit it. I still think you're a filthy traitor. Happy?"

"Not really," I said, "Now, what's the real reason for my 'neighbor'?"

The Seeker smirked.

"Well, I wasn't lying when I said she was a present to you," she said, "She's a human we recently captured here in Chicago. There were no Souls that would volunteer to be inserted into her, so we decided to lock her up instead. And, I figured since you seem to be so fond of humans these days, I didn't think you'd mind if I put her next to you."

A human?!

"How old is this human?" I asked.

"I'd say about 20 years old," the Seeker replied, to my horror, "I don't actually know."

Oh no! A young adult! She'll probably want to kill me on sight! Then, I gasped in realization.

"That's why you put her next to me!" I whimpered, "You knew she'd want to kill me as soon as she laid eyes on me!"

"Exactly!" she said, "I thought it'd be fitting considering your recent fondness of these creatures! Maybe now, you'll see why the child should've had a Soul inserted into her! So she wouldn't become this violent woman!"

"But, if a Soul was inserted," I said, "Then Hope wouldn't exist anymore and it would be someone else in her body! I don't think I'd be able to live with that!"

"So what?" the Seeker said, "Here on Earth, it's called nipping something in the bud. Your new neighbor will make your life a living hell, Wanderer, as she would to the rest of our kind. To prevent that, the human race needs to be extinguished, so we can lead peaceful lives here."

"You know what?" I asked, "Maybe you're right. Because with a Soul like you, who needs humans?"

"You take that back, right now!" she shouted.

"Why should I?!" I asked, "You put this human here with the sole intent of making me, a fellow Soul, absolutely miserable! What honest Soul would do such a thing?!"

She fiercely kicked my door in her anger.

"First Healer Fords and now you!" the Seeker said, "There is nothing wrong with me!"

I would've asked if she was sure, but I don't think I want her to be any angrier than she is already, so I said nothing. The way she's acting, she might pull out her gun and shoot at me. What on Earth would cause a Seeker to act like this? Like a human, almost?

After taking some deep breaths, the Seeker was calm again.

"Fine," she said, "Enjoy your present, Wanderer."

With that, she left.

I sighed. What am I going to do? The Seeker's out of my hair for now, but there's still the human girl to worry about. I can only hope that's she reasonable.

The door to the cell next to mine opened and I looked in through the rather large glass window. Two male Seekers carried a young woman inside. I suppose this is my 'neighbor'. She had slightly tanned skin and brown hair that went down to her shoulders. Apparently, the Seeker had given her a new wardrobe, because the clothes the girl was wearing looked brand new, despite that this girl probably lived in the wilderness somewhere, being human and all. That's what her kind has been reduced to since we've occupied their houses and reported them to the Seekers whenever we spotted them. Meeting little Hope didn't necessarily make me love humans like the Seeker claims, but it did make me realize that humans are more like us than we thought. Sure, they're more violent and emotional than we are, but they probably have friends and family that they cherish like we do. The fact that they've resisted us more than any other Host species in our long history should mean something. Of course, even if we did realize what we were doing was wrong, we can't just leave. First of all, we love this planet and, for some of us, this is our home planet. And, second of all, there's too many of us to move at once. This means that we need to somehow find a way to coexist with each other. Far from easy, I know.

I shook my head and sighed. I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm stuck in here with a human girl who will most likely not listen to a word I say, thinking I'm lying to her. I really hope that she realizes that I'm in the same situation she is. Once she hears my story, I'm sure we can at least become allies. But, I'd have to get through to her first, and that's not going to be easy because, as I said before, she'll naturally think me untrustworthy and, as such, will think I'm lying the entire time to save my own skin. As if I could ever be that selfish.

The Seekers laid the girl on the bed and walked out. One of them waved to me. I waved back half-heartedly. I then sat on my bed, putting my head on my knees, waiting for the girl to wake up. This'll be fun.