A/N: I've been throwing up, sleep-deprived, and taking care of both finals and babies. And I still know that I don't own the Host. Wait, do I? No, no, I'm pretty sure I don't. See, I still have a brain!

"Is it true you that you want to leave!?" Lily shrieked at me.

I was unable to answer her, for I was on the floor with my face on the ground, my butt in the air, and my knees slouched and scarred. My mess of blond curls were obscuring my view.

Why can't I ever make a clean get-away? Someone always has to find me! Am I just not the good at sneaking? I thought to myself.

I've lived with a voice in my head before, but it still surprised me when it answered. Yes. You're really crappy at sneaking. I would've done way better.

I don't need any comment, Voice! I groaned.

"Wanda!" Mel whispered. She quickly ran to me and helped me up. "Are you okay?" she said , once I was up.

I nodded.

"Are you going to answer me, Wanda?" Lily pestered. She was looking at me with such a shrewd look, I felt like I had to duck my head.

Melanie answered, "Lily…, yes, we are leaving for a raid. We're going to get some medical stuff for Wanda. Her stomach pains haven't come back, but we just can't risk it."

Wow. She was really good at lying. Unlike me.

Lily looked unfazed. She turned to me and answered, "I want to hear Wanda answer me."

I gave a stupid little "eep." And after that, I gave a stupid "Um…"

Lily exhaled loudly. "Wanda, I'm not letting you go. Well, at least not without me."

I felt like someone had just thrown a bowling ball at my head. "…Uh…Can you repeat that?"

"Wanda!" Lily shouted.

"Shut your trap!" Melanie hissed. She looked around; people would be getting up now. "Alright, that's it! You're coming with us and Wanda don't start anything!" Melanie said quickly through her clenched teeth.

And just what did she think I would be starting?

I heard someone sigh inside my head. You are so clueless…

I ignored the voice for now. In the meantime, I had to deal with more important things, like trying not to fall on my face again, trying not to trip over my feet, and keep a hold on the tote bag. Plenty of stuff.

The three of us were running through the tunnels as fast as we could. They were awake and I heard some of them chasing after us, voicing questions.

I'm surprised they didn't catch me. Lily and Melanie were natural-born runners; I was a natural-born…well, I just know I'm not a natural-born runner. But still, I managed to escape.

We ran towards the Jeep without slowing down. Mel and I threw our bags in and jumped in. Since we basically dragged Lily out here, she didn't have any luggage. She just jumped in the back seat and strapped herself in. I took shot-gun and Melanie jumped into the driving seat. As soon as she was seated, Melanie threw the car into drive.

And so, we drove in this burning night. Yes, in Arizona there was actually such a thing as a burning night. We had no idea where we would be going, the people we would see, or the surprises we might get.

But we were on our own. I looked up from my feet to face the city lights. The city lights that were drawing closer to us. Or rather, we were drawing closer to them.

For some reason, that feel like it had a double-meaning.

"So…where are we going again?" Melanie said ten minutes later, ultimately breaking the silence.

It hadn't occurred to me that I would actually need a place in mind.

I frowned and scratched my head. "I was kind of hoping we could just wander the streets and keep our eyes peeled…"

"Great plan, Wanda," Mel said while rolling her eyes.

"Got something better?" I challenged.

Melanie smiled. She always smiled when I acted like her. "Not really."

I crossed my arms across my chest. "Hmm, maybe we should stay at a hotel. So we can catch up on our sleep."

"Sure."

Soon, we had reached Tacoma. The town seemed…oddly quiet. I had seen all the lights from afar, but now that we were here, Tacoma seemed so empty.

"It's like a ghost town," Lily whispered behind my back.

Meanwhile, Melanie kept her eyes on the road and the speed limit. My eyes were doing a bit of wandering around.

There was something…familiar about this place. I had never seen an empty town, so I had no idea why it was so familiar. It's just…the emptiness. It brought back memories…

Wait, what memories? My eyes narrowed, trying to figure it out.

"Wanda? What's wrong?" Lily was looking at me with her head cocked to one side. "You look like you're doing a hard math problem."

"Am I?" was all I replied.

"Yeah…is something bothering… Never mind." Lily shook her head and faced away from me.

I stayed silent. It was a good thing she didn't finish that question, but I still feel like she had said it out loud. Was something bothering me? Was something bothering me!?

I shook my head and pulled the tip of my fingers to my temples. I would've been so disgusted, if she had actually asked me that question, I thought to myself.

You're not alone on that, someone echoed me.

I wish I was alone on that. Now, can you please be quiet? I'm trying to think, I whispered.

Think about what? the voice questioned.

Uh, didn't you just hear the "be quiet" part? I thought.

Oh…, well, I'm not gonna shut up so easily!

It's not that I don't like you…wait, I don't like you, but that's not the point. I think I'm just getting to the point where I realized how bad my life really is. I'm feeling so dizzy and I just want to cry…

I think you're in shock.

Yeah, I sighed sliding one hand from my temples to cover my eyes, I think I am.

Um…don't…worry…I'm sorry, but that's all I've got.

It's okay, I said with another sigh.

At least I'm not Lily.

Yeah…Come to think about it, who exactly are you? I don't mean to be rude, but if I'm seriously going to share my head with someone, you could do me the favor of telling me your name.

Oh…

Privacy issues? I asked with a small chuckle, Well, that sure is going to be a problem. When you share a head, it's kind of hard to keep secrets.

No, it's not a secret…

Then tell me.

I just…Fine. I'll tell you…

Still waiting here.

Um…it's Silver Flames.

My eyebrows rose. Well, Miss. Silver Flames, it's very nice to meet you. Just in case you don't know, my name's Wanderer. But friends call me Wanda.

I know who you are, Wanda.

Oh yeah? Well, since you're treating me so politely…, do me another favor.

…What?

Tell me how you got in my head.

The wall came up again.

So, not gonna answer me again? Oh, you're just so nice. When I tell you to shut up, you keep talking; and when I want you to say something, you shut up. Where did you come from---Opposite world?

Silence. But I swear, I heard a faint chuckle.

So far away, girl; I came from Fire World.

You decided to invade my head again? So Fire world? Now, do you mind answering my last question or should I ask another?

Ask another.

Okay, tell me…how did a girl from Fire world end up in my head?

…

Oh, how clever you are! See, I just rephrased that question, but you still gave me the dot-dot-dot symbol! I guess I'll have to try again...

Ugh, why won't you shut up?

Well, we're currently in Opposite World, so this time I'm the one who won't shut up.

I heard her groan.

How about "what are you?" Can you answer that question?

What do you mean, what am I? I'm a girl, obviously.

No, really!? How amazing, I had no way of knowing that! Well, thank you so much for clearing that misunderstanding! You know what I meant.

Another groan. And you should know by know, I'm not answering that.

Well then, how about "Are you alive?" "Are you human?" "How many lives have you lived?" "Are you my conscious?"

Ugh, shut up, shut up, shut up! If I shut up, will you shut up!?

Maybe…I still don't know what you are or how you got in my head…I think I deserve to know that.

Yeah, well that is one--no, two--question that I will absolutely, certainly, not answer!

Pushy! If I'm going to be dealing with you, at least tell me some more about you! That way, we're even!

Even? Yeah, right! The only thing I know about you is that you have curly blond hair, you're an expecting mother, and you have a husband lost at sea or town or whatever! Oh yeah, I know you're name's Wanda.

But…My head cocked in confusion, Aren't you the one invading me, though? I remember when I invaded Melanie, I learned mostly everything about her. I didn't learn the important stuff, but I still knew. Don't…you know anything about me?

I felt Miss. Silver Flames shake her head. Or my head. Well, our head. But she didn't actually shake it, no, I just felt her try. Anyway.

No. I don't know anything about you, besides what I've learned since I've been in here.

And how long is that?

I…don't know exactly how long. Or even when I came here. But I know when it was that I first felt myself inside another person. A.K.A You.

And…when would that be? Last year? Since I was born? I'm thowing suggestions, untill you throw me answers.

When that guy you're so in love with put the morphine inside of you.

The day I first started having my dreams, I stated.

Yeah…

My instinct kicked in like a bullet. Do you…I narrowed my eyes, Do you know anything about those dreams?

Your dreams on…that place? No…, I don't know.

I could feel her trying to put the wall again.

You do know something. Tell me, why I'm having those dreams. That was…that was you I was dreaming of, wasn't it? My eyes were widening in fear now. You were the girl with the wings.

No, I wasn't…Or rather…I wasn't the only one with those red-colored wings.

What…do you mean? And why was I seeing it through your own eyes? It felt so real… It almost felt as if it were actually me up there…But I guess dreams are supposed to be from your own point of view. Hmm, I wonder. That place…

I could feel her fear rising up. I was getting close to the jackpot.

That…was that the Fire World?

I could feel it again; her trying to put up the wall. But she wasn't so good at it; I hear her say yes.

Wow…and I always thought Fire World was so repulsive, but if I remember correctly, the view was so pretty. And I remember soaring through the sky… I thought silently. But it almost seemed as if they weren't my words. Almost.

These, however, were not my words. Remembering? Do you mean remembering an experience or a thought of an experience or a thought of a thought that's just a thought and nothing more?

Wait, what was that last one? I crossed my arms, Well, I know it wasn't an experience. I've never been to the Fire World; why would you even ask me that?

Because…Just because.

You know, you're just as bad a liar as me. Well, at least I'm learning. But wait, that was your experience, right? Youwere the one who was flying, right? Right?

…

Why are you giving me the dot-dot-dot?! I don't want to hear a dot-dot-dot, I want to hear answers!

It's called an ellipsis!

Like, I care! I want answers!

Well, I'm not giving them to you! I told you before and now I'm saying it again; I'm not going to answer those questions!

Why; are they too personal for you!? What the hell is wrong with my questions and why won't you just answer them!!

Because that would be giving away too much. Because you would give me out. Because I would see that bastard again.

Bastard? Who's he? Wait a second, is that giving away too much?

You are so annoying…

Look who's talking.

I'll tell you, but it won't do you any good.

Fine then, forget it.

No, no, no. You want to know, don't you? You absolutely love having your answers.

I grumbled silently to myself. Wait for her to finish, wait for her to finish…I chanted silently to myself.

Unfortunately, "myself" answered back. Yes, wait for me to finish, good girl. Okay, the bastard's name is Rivers Soothing. I used to love him, but now…I can't.

You…can't? Is he gone? I felt a little weird; this was more than I was used to her saying.

You're not the only one on that. And no, he's not gone. But it doesn't matter if he's alive. It doesn't matter if I know he's in Phoneix, Arizona, right now. I don't care about that…

What!? I was fed up, trying to search for the love of my life--the father of the child I was carrying--and here this girl was--inside my head--who loves some guy, knows he's alive and where he is, but she doesn't even care!? How selfish is that!?

Calm down! The reason I don't care is because he doesn't love me back! I felt her fighting tears. It was strange, because suddenly I felt like crying. I mean, he left me there on the Fire World to die!!

I felt her remembering. She was remembering that vision I had seen before---when I first heard her speak to me. (Chapter 13, people. Just FYI) The place was on fire. There were people screaming and hiding---flying and running. I was running. I was scared. No, she was running and feeling scared. Hang on…

I was absolutely positive it was me who was running and feeling scared. I was absolutely positive.

And she knew. She slammed the wall with such a force I felt myself actually swerve.

"OH CRAP!" I heard Melanie shout. She was getting sleepy and started to swerve along the road. The smooth ground turned rough and Melanie had swerved out of the way---before we hit that huge cactus.

"You're sleepy." I answered. "Maybe we should just stop here and sleep in the car."

Melanie turned to look at me. "No, we're almost there. I'm so sorry for doing that. You didn't get hurt or anything, right?"

"No, I didn't. How about you, Lily?" I asked, while turning around.

Lily looked kind of scruffy. She was scratching the top of her messy hair and yawning, "Nope I'm not hurt. But you sure hurt my sleeping radar."

"Sorry, Lily," Melanie said. "Say sorry to your sleeping radar, will ya, Lily?" Melanie had a big smile on her face as she stared deeply into the road.

"Sure, sure. I just want to go to the hotel already--" Lily froze when we passed a street lamp. She was staring at me with a worried face. "Wanda? Um…you're looking unusually pale…"

At least it wasn't a stupid question. I remembered why I was unusually pale, like in shock. After all I had heard from Silver Flames…I kind of dozed off after that and didn't hear Melanie and Lily's attempts to get my attention.

I was spacing out too much. The shock really hadn't worn off. I was lying in a hotel bedroom, facing the wall. I turned around and saw Melanie's sleeping anxious face. She was anxious even in her sleep. I propped myself on my elbow to see Lily on the other bed, sleeping silently.

I lay back down. This shock really wasn't going away, was it?

But the shock came to some use. If it hadn't kept me awake, I would've never heard the door opening slightly. I would've never heard them coming in. And when I mean them, I actually mean them.

Sometimes being in shock was a good thing.

A/N: Big sigh I think that's one of the longest chapters I've written! Long time, no see. I've been kinda busy, you know: throwing up, sleeping 4-5 hours, taking care of baby niece, studying for finals. Yeah…But after all that crazy studying, now I have made time! Even Eisten never made time! In your face, Einstein!

So, I've revealed a lot of things, haven't I? "This answered so many questions, but they were significant to the amount of questions that just now opened up. At least the rain has stopped." --Bella Swan. Now if I didn't say that right, please don't do that twilight-craze-thing on me. I hardly have the time.

Now, I really worked hard on this, so please give me thoughts (in review form)! If you liked it, if you hated it, if you are absolutely confused and are thinking about seeing a therapist. Anything that makes me think. If it doesn't make me think…well at least you tried.

I'll update soon, if you send me serious reviews!