Wow! This story got a better outcome than I was expecting! I'm so glad you're all liking it. I'm trying my best to really get into his head and make it seem like it's his POV. I hope I'm staying on track. For those of you who are Host fans, I have a website dedicated to the book (and soon to be movie). thehostfandom[dot]com. He can't post links on here, so just replace the [dot] with . lol. There is a forum, too, so sign up! I will also be posting updates to this story on the forum, and some extra chapters from others POV's if you want to hear something from someone besides Jared. Can't wait to chat with some of you around the forum!

And thanks again for reading!

I stood in front of Jamie, both of us watching the dirt settle back to the ground from Melanie's tires. Once the dust settled, we stood, silent, starring into nothing.

I was waiting to listen to the car turning around. I was hoping to see her coming back to me. But I knew this was something she had to do. It was her family, and I had to understand that.

I heard the door shut behind me and glanced over my shoulder. Jamie was more upset than I was to see Melanie leave. I gave him his space, knowing he needed it. I needed my own space, but I would stay strong until I knew Jamie was asleep.

Neither of us spoke for the remainder of the night.

Jamie and I sat, silent, on the couch, starring at the darkness outside.

"You should eat something." I said, breaking the four hour long silence.

"Not hungry," he said, his voice cracking.

I glanced at him and straightened myself up. I reached for his shoulders and straightened him up as well. "Perk up, boy, it's not the end of the world. Be a man." It killed me to tell him that, but he needed to stop moping-I needed to stop moping. I was talking to him just as much as I was talking to myself.

Jamie immediately squared his shoulders and held his chin up. His face was serious as he stared out the window in front of us.

I wasn't hungry, but I knew he was only going to eat if I did.

I threw together two sandwiches, and forced mine down while Jamie forced his.

When it was time for bed, I stared at the dark empty room and was almost scared to walk inside.

I turned to see Jamie on his knees, praying- something he only did when Melanie or I went out on a raid without him. He crawled onto the couch and pulled his blanket over his head, turning to hide himself in the back of the couch. His shoulder shook lightly and I dropped my gaze to my feet, feeling my own tears threatening to spill over.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. She's left us before and came back. This time was no difference.

The night was restless, and I knew it would be that way until Melanie was back, sleeping safely in my arms.

The days dragged on forever, the sun couldn't set fast enough to end the day. By the seventh day, Jamie and I had completely stopped eating what little we were forcing down.

"Jared, she's not back yet." Jamie whispered. We were sitting outside on the ground, starring at our normal spot.

She wasn't coming home.

I nodded, not able to force my words to agree with him. I took a few deep breaths before speaking. "Give her some more time. Probably took her a while to convince Sharon that she's still Mel."

"Yeah," Jamie's voice sounded far away.

Three more days passed and I had to come to terms that she wasn't coming back here. She couldn't have been caught. She has never gotten caught. She must be hurt. That had to be it. She hurt her ankle, broke it while she was running. She's hiding, waiting for me to rescue her.

"Mel!" I yelled, jumping out of bed.

"What's wrong?" Jamie asked frantically as he watched me race around the cottage. I was throwing things into bags. Enough food and water for Jamie and I to travel with.

"Get ready, kid, Melanie needs us."

"Why? How do you know?"

"She's not back yet. This whole time she's probably been hiding because she's hurt or something. We have to leave, now."

Jamie didn't speak again. He raced around the house just as quickly as I was. Within ten minutes we had the jeep packed up. We raced towards Chicago, ditching the jeep to continue on by foot.

The building I knew she was going to was not far from where we parked. The street was quiet for the time of day. The sun had set a few hours ago, and many of the houses on the street were dark.

Jamie and I hurried across the street, our black clothes blending in with the moonless night.

The heavy metal door echoed in the empty building as I shoved it open.

Jamie and I moved, sneaking along the wall, with our backs pressed up against it.

I wanted to call out for her, but I wasn't sure if someone was in here.

We moved silently through the vacant building.

We found ourselves at the door where Melanie had said she would leave us a note if something was to separate us. She would give us a hint that she had made it here.

I pushed open the door and got down on my hands and knees, searching for the note I was hoping not to find.

"I found something," Jamie whispered, touching my shoulder before he handed me the piece of paper.

I walked over to the window, careful to stay in the shadow. I slid the paper into the light from the streetlamp below and gasped, the tears I've been holding in spilling over.

Not fast enough. Love you love Jamie. Don't go home.

I ripped up the piece of paper when I felt Jamie beside me.

"Was it the note?"

"We need to get out of here." I hissed.

"Why?" He asked, his voice frightened.

"Lets go," I grumbled, and we raced for the doors of the building. No one followed us, and I was mad at that. I needed to get my hands around one of their necks. They were going to pay for taking her away from me.

"Jared! Stop!" Jamie yelled after an hour of running. "Where's my sister? What did the note say?"

"She's… they got her." My voice was cold, I had no more feelings. No more feeling in my entire body. I was numb.

"No…" I heard him whisper behind me. "She promised."

I couldn't answer him. I didn't have a voice. The hatred for the centipedes grew to rage in my body. I would make sure they all pay for taking Melanie from me, from her brother.

We stole another jeep. I couldn't go back to the one I had when I drove around with Melanie in the passenger seat. I couldn't drive it without her brown hair flowing in the breeze, or the smile on her face from a successful raid. I couldn't drive it with the coldness I felt in my chest now.

We drove in silence. I glanced at Jamie out of the corner of my eye. His angered face mirrored mine. It was strange seeing it on his childlike features. The hatred look he now wore made him look years older.

I wasn't one hundred percent sure of where we were going, and I didn't care. Melanie wasn't going to be there. But I had to try and keep us safe. She would have wanted it, she would have begged me to keep Jamie safe. I would do that for her. I would do anything for her.