Well, it took long enough, but I finally have an update finished. Apologies for the delay; turns out that a busy schedule and lousy time management makes for a bad combination...

Anyway, hope you enjoy.

I lay still in my cage, my ears ringing from the screams of my fellow prisoners. Humans and aliens alike shouted and cried, pleading for a mercy that would never come. Yeerks moved between the rows of cages, indifferent to the suffering around them.

I, however, did not scream. I couldn't scream, nor could I move in any way. All I could do was breathe in and out. And even so, I felt free. For a few blissful hours, I was free of Morkis Three-Four-Six-Eight. These cages were my sanctuary. They were the one place I could never be harmed.

'Oh, no, Lucas. You'll never be free. Don't you understand that yet?'

A hoarse wail escaped my throat. I tried to move but my body refused to obey me. I couldn't see the speaker, but I knew all too well who it was. Mom!

'Oh, Lucas,' she said, her voice silkier and sweeter than I'd ever known. 'You shouldn't think like that. Not while Morkis is around to hear. Don't you know any better?' Her voice seemed to be everywhere at once, with no obvious source.

I tried to lift myself, tried to see her, tried to speak. I wanted to talk to her, or at least to the slug that was surely controlling her. Tears leaked form my unblinking eyes.

'Oh, stop it,' she said. 'Hosts like you shouldn't move. Not on your own. You're a body, Lucas. A body! A body to be used, and nothing more! Isn't that wonderful?'

No, I thought. No, no, no! I wasn't just a body, and neither was she! I wanted to say it, needed to say it more than anything in the world, yet my mouth refused to listen.

((But she is right, Lucas)) came Morkis' voice. ((A body is precisely what you are.))

((No! No, I'm not!))

What was Morkis doing here? I was in my cage; he was supposed to feeding in the pool, away from me. This was supposed to my sanctuary.

'Listen to Morkis, Lucas,' my mother said. 'You'd be so much happier if you listened.'

'No...no...' I mumbled. 'No...NO!'

I surged up onto my hands and knees, my head darting in all directions as I searched. And just like that, everything...stopped. The screaming was gone. The cages were gone – all beside my own. Darkness encroached on me from all directions. And in the back of my mind, faint but ever-growing, was the laughter of Morkis Five-Six-Seven-Four.

((Oh dear, Lucas...)) Morkis said. ((Still rebelling, I see. I suppose your previous lessons weren't quite...sufficient.))

I felt his glee at saying those words, and felt even more his excitement at what was to come.

((No. No, please...))

((Too late for that, Lucas. You've left me no choice. And now...we begin!))

I don't even remember precisely what happened next. All I know is that I screamed and screamed and didn't stop screaming. I could only scream in my own mind, but I screamed nonetheless. Even then, I heard his shouts. Even then, I heard his laughter. And still I screamed.

It would never end, I knew. Never, never, never...

My eyes snapped open.

((Shhhh...it's okay...shhhh…))

It was still dark around me. I lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling, well-tucked into my soft bed. My pounding heart soon calmed under Arash's steady control.

A dream, I thought. Of course it was a dream, just like it had been on every other night. Morkis was gone from my life, never to return. Arash has promised me as such. It had to be true.

But what if Arash was lying? Or what if he was just wrong? What if Morkis came back? What if he was put into Mom? Or Dad? Or Darren? Or...

((Shhhshhhshhhshhhshhhhshhhhhhhh...))

I went quiet, trying to calm myself. Of course Arash wouldn't turn on me: he had said he wouldn't, several times. He had promised, I told myself. He'd promised!

But Morkis had made promises too, and he'd broken every last one. Maybe all yeerks lied. Maybe Arash was lying, too. But he couldn't be! He'd been so nice to me, so why...

((Lucas,)) Arash said. ((Just…try to relax. Talk to me.))

((Sorry,)) I said. ((I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...))

((Hey, we've been through this,)) Arash said, giving my arm a gentle squeeze. ((No apologies, okay?)) Through me, he began to smile.

((A…alright,)) I said. Already, my heart was back to normal. Despite my inner turmoil, my body was completely at rest. ((Arash? Can I ask you something?))

((Of course. What is it?))

((Can I…can I have control? Just for a little while?)) I waited for and dreaded his answer. Had I gone too far?

((Of course you may,)) Arash said. ((But I'll need you to keep quiet, in that case. Can you do that?))

((I...yes. Yes.))

For a few short seconds, my body tingled all over. Then it died down, and I knew Arash was gone. I had control.

I couldn't do much, of course. Most of my limbs simply didn't work. I remained in bed on my back, looking up at the ceiling. I got my fingers to move, much to my delight; I bent and straightened them rhythmically, enjoying the scratch of my nails against the mattress.

And then I heard my mother, heard Morkis, felt the remnants of...whatever the dream had been. My breaths quickened. My heart raced. I opened my mouth, breathed in deep, ready to...

((Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...))

He took control immediately, of course. I couldn't be allowed to scream. Not here, at least.

For a while, we just lay there. I didn't want to go back to sleep, nor did Arash make me. Neither of us spoke, but I could still feel him there, ready and waiting to talk when I needed it. At no point did I ask for control.

Finally, Arash broke the silence.

((Lucas, there's…there might be something I can do to help. With the nightmares, I mean. And the memories.))

((What can you do?))

Arash shuffled my body a little, before turning onto my side. ((When yeerks access memories, they can do more than just experience them. They can adjust them too, if they wish – particularly when the host is willing.))

I'd have gasped at the news, had I been able. Could he really be saying…

((No, I can't remove the memories completely,)) Arash said. ((That would be far too dangerous. But I could…mute them over time a little, if you want. Would you like that?))

((Yes,)) I said. ((Yes. Yes!))

((Glad to hear it, Lucas,)) Arash said. ((I promise I'll do all I can.))