You all have Winky23 to thank for this update, read AN at the end of the chapter.
.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.

So many questions, things left unsaid
So much confusion going around in my head
And so many reasons that just don't make sense
Oh no

I try to carry on
But something's missing inside
 ~Someday, Elliott Yamin

.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.

Chapter VI

EPOV (Ezekiel)

Ian, this isn't working for me, tell me why she's talking that way, what did you do? Who is she? I demanded

I felt him slip away but I refused to let this down. After much persistence he caved. She is Kristina, a friend whom I left behind when we were fleeing. We were sort of together but not really, I guess it was a fling. I liked spending time with her and all but I didn't ever love her, I never was in a relationship with her, she was just a really close friend although I think she became really attached and she fell in love. I met her here before we left and when we were running to the caves I lost her. Kyle lost Jodi as well. He never forgave himself and in a way I felt guilty for leaving Kristina behind but if we'd gone back the whole group would've been caught, He explained.

"Ian I can't believe you did that, obviously I knew you didn't love me as much as I did you but….." A tear ran down her cheek. "You left me there you gave me up." The way she talked intrigued me, it was like the host talking not the soul.

"Wait this is me talking here not Ian but why are you talking like the….." I wasn't sure how to put it.

She knew what I was talking about. "We've been together a while and we've learned to live with each other we know our every thought and we think alike and when she talks I let her, it's a mutual kind of thing. I let her take control when it is needed and when she wants to. I don't resist, after all it is her body."

Maybe her way of doing things was better than mine. I erased them and she lived with them. It makes much more sense. It was…compromise.

I pulled her over to the side so that we didn't attract unwanted attention. "Who are you?" She didn't seem to understand my question. "Your name, I mean."

"Kristina, I told you I live with my host. I don't necessarily have a name of my own."

Tell her I'm sorry, it's all I have to offer

"He's sorry. He says his apologies are all he can offer."

"Let me talk to Ian, let him talk to me."

"He can hear you."

She shook her head. "You know what I mean, let him talk to me."

For a moment I considered the idea of giving Ian control but there was no way I could do that. I have always been in control, losing it, is not an option. What if he takes over, that would make me a failure and I would be subjected to his will.

I can hear you, Ian mutters.

I know, I replied.

"Ian," She whispered ever so softly. "Please, you owe me this, you know you do."

Let me talk to her, he finally said.

No.

Relax, big guy, I won't go AWOL.

Five minutes, I warned, and only five.

It's my body. You don't get to call the shots.

Without a reply I let go, I loosened the grasp I had. I wasn't sure if I could do it but I tried. I let him take control while I took his place.

"Kristina." Ian stated. "I'm sorry."

"That's all I deserve, an apology."

"I can't offer anymore, if it makes you feel any better, I got what I deserved didn't I? I got stuck with some jerk that is out to delete me." He said unhappily.

Back where I was, the view was limited but sharper. I took in the girl standing before me. She looked pretty, her hair was pin straight, and jet black. Her almond eyes fluttered in…anger, frustration, perhaps.

"Why didn't you come back for me?"

A strange feeling swarmed Ian and I. I'm sure he knew what it was but I didn't. It felt so bad. It was like a deep hole, forming inside of me. It was such a horrible feeling. "I couldn't, and it's not because I didn't love you, it's because I truly couldn't. Had I gone back for you, dozens of people would've have been caught and I would've been to blame."

"You sacrificed me against my will, I wanted to be saved. I wanted to live, this right here, wasn't easy. You don't know how long I waited for you to come for me, finally I gave up. I miss everyone, I didn't know them very well, but they were all I had, Ian. You took everything from me, you took my soul away and it was replaced by another. You know how bad that feels, just think…think back on how suppressed you were."

Ian had yet to reply to her accusations and quite honestly I couldn't give him a helping hand, she was right, he left one of his own behind.

Shut up, he hissed, don't you dare be judgmental, you cold hearted piece of….just shut up.

"I feel bad about it. I want you to know that. The thing is that in a situation like mine, I can't allow myself to feel all these emotions. I would wither away into nothing. Don't you think that losing everything and everyone that meant something? That it didn't hurt. Do you think that I didn't want to stay back and fight? I knew that at the point where I was, I couldn't take things to heart. At that point all that mattered was to survive and save those who could be saved. I'm sorry that you and Jodi, and all of those people had to have been sacrificed against your will."

She took her eyes away from us and stared down at the ground. "So what now?"

"What do you mean?" Ian asked.

"I know you well enough to know that you won't conform to this, you must have a plan Ian O'Shea."

"I want to go back to the caves. Someone's come to get me." He replied in a whisper.

"Who?"

"Wanda."

"A woman?"

"A soul, she's my soul."

"I'm not sure that's supposed to make sense."

He sighed. "It's a long story and this is not the place for it."

"Take me back, to the caves."

We are not going anywhere. I haven't made that decision. This may be your body but I have control.

She wants to go, Trina wants to go. Just trust me, we'll go back and we'll figure it out there, Ian insisted.

No, this is not happening. Do you not see any flaws in this? I do have access to your memory, to your dismay, and I remember that your people don't like us. Wanda may be a soul but she loves you. What do you think she's going to say when she finds out about Kristina? What's going to happen when we get there, I remember that when I first heard you there was this image in my head? It was of a capsule, it was empty and there was a man, in what looked like a dark room of some kind. I never understood that and at the time you refused to acknowledge me. Now I know that what I saw has to do with the removal of a host, I know it does. I can connect the dots. You've never let me see the outcome, what happens to us? To me, to Trina, you're still here and they want you, just not with me. Did you think this through? I think not.

He was silent. I assumed he was taking it all in. I did feel bad for lashing out that way but it was the truth and nothing more.

"Ian?" Kristina finally said. She'd been standing there with curious eyes for a long time.

"We're having a…moment, not a good one." Ian muttered. He did not reply to me. He began thinking of possible scenarios.

I decided that I hated being in the back so took back control, he didn't speak to me so I was left with Kristina and nothing to say.

"Look he's upset and not exactly talking, for the record he's pretty peeved…with me."

"So what now?"

"I'm not sure, but all I know is I live here and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, for any reason whatsoever. Keep that in mind." I turned my back and exited the center.

.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.

"You are out of your mind!"

Trina picked up her hair and walked out the door without closing it. "I'm going!"

"Trina! Did you hear what I said? There is another woman. I'm not plunging us into this crazy expedition to the middle of no where."

She whirled around, I could se the anger radiate off of her, and I had never seen her this way. "Is that what you're concentrated on? Are you not the least bit concerned that what we're living is a lie? Do you not get it? They shot him not only because that seeker wanted to but because he was able to? They have lied to us for so long, are you just going to accept that and move on?"

"You can't know that what happened was true."

She walked past me and I followed her. She stopped in front of a full length mirror. "Come here." I walked to over to her, confused. "Take off your shirt."

"What?" Without a warning she began to pull my shirt over my head.

"Turn around." Confused, I did what she asked.

Her cool fingers roamed my shoulder. "Look at this scar." I looked over my shoulder and into the mirror. "IS that not proof of the lie they've told us? They told you it was a scar from when he was captured, Ian wanted to keep it but even his recollection of what happened was vague. Remember what the healer said. She was a new to this world and she'd said 'Huh, I've never seen a scar like this, wonder how it got there. Do you want to get rid of it?' You remember don't you?"

I pulled away and put my shirt back on. "This is ridiculous."

"Tell me you don't care. Tell me you don't feel betrayed. They told us that we came to this world to make it a better place, free of the vulgarities and impurities within it, to make it perfect but they've been keeping things from us and that's not fair. I can't live in a world like this, in their world they knew about the shady things but now they keep it all hidden, they treat us like puppets and I for one am not a board with that. Do you see that this goes much deeper than this situation with Ian, Wanda, Kristina and the humans? This challenges the very essence of our society, that's what this is about. We can't allow this to go on, it's not right, we have to stand up for the truth whether we're human or souls."

It was a lot to take in. I had never thought of this situation like that. I didn't know she felt that way.

She's right, you know, Ian said. This was the first I've heard of him for a while. It's not right, they're lying to you and you have defend yourselves, let them know that you have right of will, that you can do things because you want to, not because you're forced, or eliminated if you don't. Even if you can't do anything about it, leaving shows that you're not okay with this and you're unwilling to live this hoax.

What about Kristina?"

He hesitated but he did answer. I did what I had to do that night, I won't take the blame. Now I have the chance to make things right and I'm taking it.

"Pack up, Trina. Let's go."

She smiled. "Okay, let's go."

.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.
There is no Excuse for the amount of time I've waited to update, I so dearly apologize but with the help of one of my fellow readers who directly asked me to update, I've figured out the second plot of this story. I will continue to write, I can't say that I will update every single day because I have a life, and school and church and…well a life BUT the wait won't be months at a time. I'll update maybe once or twice a week. Let me know if you're hanging in there because if you're not then, honestly, I'll be way less inspired.

~Toodles.