AN: I'm so glad people like this story and bothered to tell me, like noris251311, Nayleen, Scaevola2, naylizzlex3, Guest, Wadjett, isabelmeiser34, and WandalovesIan. You guys are great.
I'm sorry I didn't update sooner. I meant to post this on Friday, but something came up and now I'm up late trying to get this to you all. I hope you appreciate it.
I don't own The Host. Sorry.
Ch 45
She stood up abruptly. "What do you mean 'humans'? Aren't you a human?"
I realized I had offended her and now I had a difficult question to answer. I got up from my place and drifted to the back of my room to the bed. I kept my eyes down and my mouth shut.
She turned around and ran off.
I suddenly felt extremely tired. I climbed into bed. After what felt like a minute, I awoke to several noises and voices. My eyes opened to so many people—humans. They passed me by, looking at me as if I were on display.
"It's in a child," one mumbled.
"Why are we keeping it here?" another asked.
I had this strange feeling I had been in this situation before. It was a little like being at the Seeker station, but more so I was a prisoner—just like my mother used to be.
A woman and Caroline came baring a tray of what I could only guess to be breakfast, some substance floating in a bowl of white liquid.
"Are you hungry?" Caroline asked. I nodded. "I'm sorry if this doesn't taste very good."
"Caroline!"
She turned toward the adult. "It doesn't. Can't we add some sugar, Mommy?"
"You know we ran out. There will be a drop off soon enough."
I carefully took the bowl and took a taste. I recognized the liquid as milk. We didn't have it too often down in the caves because it would turn bad, but when we would get some all the children would get the entire supply, like a big treat. I ate heartily and enjoyed the food. I didn't understand why Caroline thought it wouldn't taste good. It was fine to me.
During the course of the next few days I was let out sporadically under the watchful eye of the doctor for ten minutes at a time. I was given dirty looks and fearful glances by the surrounding crowd. The leader's name General Pete was a name given to him affectionately by his followers, but he wasn't an affectionate man—at least not to me. He constantly interrogated me on what I was, how I came to be, and how to remove a soul from its host. I kept tight-lipped every time and this resulted in numerous infirmary visits. Every night I would let out the tears I held onto during the day mourning my lost family.
"Why are you crying?" I heard a soft voice ask.
I halted my sobs. I couldn't let anyone see they were getting to me. When I looked at the kind voice, I recognized Caroline. She had been afraid to befriend me after her question on my human status.
"I miss my family."
"I asked about your uncle. They don't know where he is. My dad said that Gen. Pete thinks you're a new kind of alien. That you're inside a little boy's body to make us feel bad and not want to hurt you. But really you will bring others to take over. He is really scared of you."
I was completely shock by that. "Scared of me? I'm just me."
"What's your name?" she whispered.
"Born."
"That's a strange name. Do you have a mom and dad or only an uncle?"
I approached the metal door and sat down. She followed the act. "I have a mom and dad, but I also have a sister and a few aunts and uncles. Where I lived, everyone was your family. But most of all, they really were. I'm not some foreign being. I was born in this body. I'm as human as anyone and as alien as the others. If that information will get me out of here, then you could go share it. I just want to go home." My face dropped to the ground to hide the salty water from her view.
She reached in and took hold of my hand. "I bet I could find the key." I looked up at her. Was she serious?
She got up and disappeared behind the infirmary door. She tip-toed back with a few keys in her tiny hands. She carefully tried each one as quietly as possible. When a key was wrong, she put it on the side to keep track it was wrong.
As she got to almost the last one there was a click. We swung the door opened.
"You're free."
There was a voice coming from the other side of the large room. "Caroline? Caroline, what are you doing?"
"Run!" she whisper yelled at me. I took off down the hall and up the steps to a closed area. It looked like some kind of storage room.
"Oh no!" I heard a female scream and then a loud alarm sounded off, echoing against the walls of my darkened hiding place. I covered my ears as the loudness rang through me. My heartbeat sped up with the realization of there was nowhere else to go. I crouched in the far corner hoping I won't be spotted. I had no idea what I was going to do now. I was loose, but not free. The alarm was turned off thankfully, but now I could hear the muted footfalls. My heart still beat like crazy and I tried to calm down with deep breaths. If my heart beat any louder they'll hear it. Flashlights flickered all around, searching for me. I kept myself in a tight ball knowing they were getting closer and I was going to be found.
My calming breaths were of no use and suddenly the light settled on me.
"There you are! Stay right there!"
I was caught! The man ran toward me and I bolted. He was faster and ran to the direction I was headed. I turned quickly not paying attention to what was directly in front of and BAM! I bashed something with my face. I fell down hard and could feel some heated liquid trickling down from my forehead and from my nose.
"There is nowhere to run, kid. It will be better if you came quietly with me." I recognized the voice of the guard that put the metal link on me. "If you keep running, you might get seriously hurt. Look, you already are. I don't want to harm you."
"I just want to go home," I begged.
"I know. But we need you around to catch James."
"Why?"
"Look, just come with me. It would be better for everyone if you are not a threat on the loose," he suggested.
He walked slowly to me. My vision was blurred from the pain. I saw a fuzzy man with his hands extended out at the sides. I felt helpless and allowed my recapture.
"If you give me your hand, I won't use the hand cuffs." He clinked something metal. "Come on. I'll take you back to your cell. It'll be breakfast soon and we are expecting a food shipment this morning."
My tummy rumbled to the appetizing offer. He stood in front of me waiting. I really had no choice, but it was kind of him to make it appear as if I did. I took his hand and we headed downstairs. So much for my escape.
I held my face with my other hand. I was in so much pain and I felt so much blood on me. He called out, "He's coming voluntarily. Put your guns away."
I was lead to the infirmary and helped to sit down on the table. The doctor had a wet cloth in his hand wiping away at my injury. I winced with each swipe. "Sorry, but you shouldn't have run."
When I was cleaned up, I still couldn't see. "Looks like whatever it was got you in the eyes. Not directly so, but the seems to be some bruising forming around the orbits."
"What?"
"You're not going to be able to see for a while."
He helped me to my room again and the door locked behind me with a loud clang. I wondered what happened to Caroline. I listened intently and I could hear someone reprimanding her a distance off.
I felt my way and crawled to my bed. I allowed my tears to run. It had been an awful day and it just started. I had gotten Caroline in trouble and I was being used as bait to catch my uncle. I had missed my Mother and Dad so much; I regretted ever wanting to be outside my rocky home. I even missed Mira.
The gate alarms signaled the arrival of the food. I could see fuzzy figures headed to rooms and doors slamming shut. I guess it was to give the illusion they were prisoners. The sound of grunting could only mean people were hauling in the boxes of food through the halls. The sounds rose in direction and seemed to go up to the room I had hidden in earlier. Unfamiliar shapes were helping in the storage.
The added help said their goodbyes as the gate alarms rang again. "New human recruitment," was said loudly through some kind of devise.
The shippers were escorted out quickly while new prisoners were brought in. They were placed in cells near the entry way. I wasn't able make out how many at that far a distance.
I assumed once the humans were sure the souls who brought the food were far enough away I heard the cell doors all unlock, including mine. The large shape of General Pete came to my door and slammed it shut again. "Not so fast!" he said as if I unlocked it myself. I retreated back to my bed, my back to him. I didn't like letting him see the fear on my face.
I could hear the new humans questioning their freedom. "You see here we humans have control. This is our safe haven from the aliens. They think we hold the humans until more of the aliens can be brought in from other worlds," General Pete explained. "Let me give you all a tour."
They walked around seeing different parts of the building. Loud voices too jumbled to hear individuals echoed all around. One voice I recognized came close to my cell. The kind guard brought me some food. From the smell of it it was scrambled eggs and some sweet fruity substance spread on bread. He left it by my door. I had lost my appetite.
"Who's this?" a female voice said outside my cell.
"Careful. He seems innocent because of his age, but don't be fooled. It is one of them," the general stated.
"Why are you keeping . . . it?" she questioned. I knew that voice. I turned around and sat up. I didn't know precisely who it was, but I scrambled out of bed quickly.
"Step back!" General Pete yelled and they shifted positions.
I still had tears rolling down my face from earlier and reached out to them blindly. "Help me."
"Eat your food." He kicked the tray into the cell. "Or you won't get any more."
"Hey over here," a male called out to another. "Look what they've got."
I rubbed at my eyes trying to focus. It was another familiar voice, someone from the caves. I was just about to squeal, when a flashlight shined in my face, revealing my reflective eyes. The brightness stung my irises and I flinched.
The new figure jumped back. "Ugh! What is THAT doing here? I thought we were supposed to be safe?" There was clear disgust in his tone. But this voice I definitely knew. Dad?
AN: Well how do you like the turn of events? I would love to hear from you.
