A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed: silverbell1, WritinGale – Thanks! alkmin5 – thanks for reviewing and helping me figure out his age! It helped a lot and I hope this chapter helps me to answer your question. Ali, QueenAnnie1, Symphonie – thanks for reading and reviewing guys! :)

Anyway, here's the second chapter! Please review after? (I rhymed!) Thanks!

~ xXx ~

Luna's POV

My hands groped the ground, reaching for something, looking, finding, searching.

"Ah!" my muffled scream echoed beyond the cave filled with nothing but rocks, earth and wild creatures that my blind eyes cannot see. Darn it, I thought as I gingerly lifted my left hand that got pricked by who knows what. All I know is that it was something that was very sharp and prickly. What was it? Cactus? A porcupine? Shards of broken glass? I would never know. My guesses weren't always accurate and correct and I'm sure as hell that I'm not going to touch it again.

I blew at my hand. It really stung. There were about four or five prickly things stabbing my palm. Using my thumb and forefinger, I got the thing out quickly and painfully. I winced at the pain. I repeated the process until my hand was bleeding but blister – free.

I felt for my shirt and tore its hem using my right hand. I wrapped it around my left hand like a bandage. That should do it.

My right hand continued to pat the ground, a little bit cautious this time. I don't want to have a repeat performance of what happened a while ago.

My hand didn't stop until it reached a plastic surface. A few more pats told me that it was indeed my water bottle. I grabbed it quickly, opened the cap and drank the water inside like I haven't drank before, like the water inside was from paradise. Maybe it wasn't water from paradise but it was the only water I've got. After a long journey mostly done by crawling, I've been dead tired. If I'd have gone on a few hours or so without water I'd be dead by now.

But life wasn't so giving. It made me suffer. It made my life here on Earth pointless and bleak. Considering what I'd have been through these last few days, I'd have chosen death if it was the only option besides living.

I stared unseeingly at a piece of nothing and grieved while silent tears flowed down my face, cleaning the parts where dirt inhabited my face. I got the dirt when I'd have fallen countless times on the ground.

But that wasn't why I was grieving. No. A few scratches here and there won't hurt me. Physically it would. But mentally? Or emotionally? No. But the current loss of my Comforter – my guide, my friend, my mother figure?

It was far too much. Worse, I couldn't do anything about it. She screamed and fought with her all, but they were too many for her. And she just let them drag her all for me. So I could escape and be free from them while she suffered in their clutches.

I didn't even know that they were still here. I thought that they were long gone, extinct, a mere myth that I would have told my grandchildren.

I've heard of humans. I inhabit one of them but that doesn't mean that I wasn't surprised that they were still among us souls.

And to hear – to witness their abduction of Wendy… I'm surprised that I haven't gone insane with the situation now.

I set my jaw in wild determination – in this new determination. It was as if the memory of Wendy's kidnapping brought me to my senses. I must keep living. I wouldn't die in this place. I stood up ignoring the pain in my body and clutching the water bottle tightly in my hand. I grabbed my stick – the ones blind people use – and walked forward.

Whether or not I survive in this or not, the important thing is that I keep going. It doesn't matter how slow I go as long as I don't stop. I must figure out what happened to Wendy.

After that what next? A part of my brain whispered fiercely.

I'll cross the bridge when I get there.

...

Staying outdoors while seeing absolutely nothing is apparently a very bad idea. I get the goosebumps every now and then. A howl of a coyote would be heard very near from where I was and even the faint breeze scares me. If only Wendy were here I wouldn't be so scared.

It'll be like a campsite if she were here. We would build a nice fire and tents and smores. I smiled wistfully as I recall our last camping trip. It seemed so long ago now.

We talked about a lot of things like her passion for singing. Wendy's voice is like magic. Mine sounds like a bit of squeaky reptile but when we sing together, it sounds nice. It sounded okay.

We also discussed about her job, which is Comforting.

"As long as you need me, I'll be here for you," she said.

Wendy and I compromised on the fact that she was my ideal partner. Not partner for life but my partner for now. My guide and my friend. My Comforter.

But now she's gone and it's my entire fault. I went back to the day when I was begging her for another camping trip.

"Oh please?" I whined. My eyes were doing their best puppy dog eyes even though I think this was childish. What? It always worked on Wendy. I even had my hands clasped in front of me to complete the whole 'pleading look'.

Wendy grew silent and I was almost sure that she was looking at me with her most motherly looking gaze and concerned eyes. Not to mention her 'Comforter look'. "Luna honey,' she began using her therapist voice, "what's with these camping trips? You know I don't mind when we go out to the desert and have some talks and fun once in a while. But three trips in a month? You've got to be spending more time out on the desert than on your school."

She mentioned it lightly but I heard the mild accusation there. I became uneasy. I never really counted on Wendy to know that I wasn't attending my classes anymore. But since I brought this question on myself, I might as well answer it.

"Wendy, about the school stuff…I don't really find the lessons interesting anymore. I mean they just talked about the other worlds and such. And we both know that I'm not interested about plants or spiders. I mean I was when I could see them. But when I'm here on Earth on human form and I'm an abnormal?"

I didn't notice that I had been rambling. I felt Wendy took my shoulders to stop me.

"Luna! Don't you ever say that you're abnormal. You're not. It's not your fault that your host can't see," she insisted.

But I knew the truth. There was nothing wrong with my host. I was the wrong one.

"No," I started, my voice shaking. "My host hasn't got a problem. I'm the one who has imperfections. When I was a seaweed, all of them can communicate to each other. They were great storytellers. I on the other hand cannot say anything. I can't express myself. I was pathetic. I had a disability. And now here on Earth I can't even remember my host's memories."

Except for a face. One face.

"And I can't see too."

I felt Wendy's arms went around mine for a hug. I felt her shocked silence when she heard the truth. "Oh sweetheart. Are you being bullied by your classmates?"

She disregarded what I said about my abnormality. I bet she's thinking that the other kids were giving me a hard time because I was different.

But that wasn't it. They were treating me the exact opposite. They were treating me as if I couldn't do anything or be independent. They pitied me.

And I hated the feeling of being pitied.

"No. It's not like that," I said softly. "It's just that I wanted to be treated like I can do something. Alone. All by myself. Independent. Making my own decisions."

I felt Wendy's lips curved into a smile. "I've heard being placed in a teenage body makes you feel like that."

I smiled too and my body slumped in an attitude of weariness. "Yeah. Maybe it's just because of adolescence or something."

"But Wendy?"

"Yes Luna?"

"We are still having a camping trip right?"

I felt her smile wryly. "Well, I can't afford you to go out there alone right?"

I hugged her tightly. "Thanks Wendy! You're the best Comforter I've ever had."

"I'm the only Comforter you've ever had," she said.

"You know what I mean," I said sincerely.

"I know what you mean."

I froze.

I hadn't noticed that I had fallen asleep. My body was slumped on the ground in an act of tiredness but I suddenly grew alert. I could feel somebody else's presence around me.

I was one hundred percent sure that whoever spoke wasn't Wendy or someone else from my memories but someone else who was a stranger to me. The voice was tense and cautious and it was apparently speaking to somebody else, which led me to the question, How many of them are there?

I wasn't afraid like I should be. If they were Seekers, then they would bring me back to town. If they were humans, well… they could bring me to Wendy.

"Do you think she's a…" the voice faltered.

The man the latter was speaking to understood the meaning what the other wanted to say since he said in a grave tone, "I think she is."

"So what do we do?" another voice joined the conversation and I felt my heart quickened its pace in panic.

There was silence as my fate was being decided.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, someone said, "We'll take her with us."

Jamie's POV

I watched Melanie pacing the room, her forehead creased in concentration, her mouth curved downward for a frown. I would be doing the same thing if it weren't for the fact that I was tired and needed rest.

"Chill Melanie," I called out to her. "Jared will be back soon."

I was annoyed that Jared was the only thing she's had in her mind. It was my birthday for crying out loud! Why can't I have a normal birthday party like everyone did when it was their turn? No. I had to have been born on the day that chaos was brimming to the edge like today. There's only one thing I want. To have peace and quiet even just on my birthday.

Melanie stopped pacing the room, came down on the mattress with me but instead of lying down and sleeping which is what I would've wanted her to do, she just sat on the edge of the mattress and buried her face in her hands.

Oh boy. I was so used to Mel being tough all the time that it hurt to see her being helpless. I hurriedly sat up and put a comforting arm around her. "You know that Jared's coming back Mel. He always does."

She looked at me sadly. "Jamie, is this what you guys were feeling when I didn't come back? I'm so afraid. What if something happened to him? What if he didn't find Aaron? What if-?"

I hugged her. I didn't want her to feel what Jared and I have been through when she didn't come back. It was so painful. To know that I would never see her smile again. Hear her boss me around. To stop being both my sister and mother.

"He's coming back Melanie. Have faith in him," I told her. The tears she was trying to stop fell pathetically on her cheeks and I hugged her tighter. "Jeez Mel. If Jared knows this is what you'd be like if he goes out in a raid without you, he'd break up with you as fast as he could. Guys like tough women you know."

I heard a laugh and felt a sharp slap at my back. Ow. She gave me an amused look. "Guys like tough women huh? So who's the tough girl you're liking?"

I flushed. "No one." This wasn't a lie. I found nobody in the caves … well attractive. All the girls just seem older or much younger than me.

She gave me an understanding smile. "Yeah well, you'll have your chance someday Jamie."

I looked at her and I could tell that she was thinking how left out I am now because I wasn't… well 'in love'. I looked at her, this woman who was never afraid to love even though she knew she could get hurt in the end. She took the risk and here she is now happily in love with Jared and nothing seems to stop her from loving him even with her past situation what with her being imprisoned in her own body by Wanda.

Now back to her last statement. "When? Next lifetime?" I asked sarcastically.

"Now now Jamie. Don't underestimate love. Look at Wanda and Ian. They're a perfect example that shows you can still love even in … uh strange conditions. And of course look at me and Jared. We found each other in the midst of chaos and havoc and people transforming into aliens. We overcome it all because we love each other."

"You guys were lucky," I muttered.

"And you're being stubborn," she muttered back.

"Melanie?"

Mel and I looked at the door to see Ian and Wanda looking at us worriedly. "Jeb said Jared and the others have arrived. He wants you to go to the game room. He said it's about Jared," Ian said anxiously.

Mel stood up quickly and rushed to the direction of the game room. Ian followed her while Wanda came in my room. "Wanna go?" she asked me gently while she outstretched her left hand toward me.

"Nah. It's for adults only right?" I asked bitterly.

I glanced at Wanda to see her smiling gently at me. "Who told you that? Anybody's allowed to go. And you're almost an adult. If the souls never came, you'd be allowed to drive now right?"

I thought about what she said. "Yeah and I'll be driving a BMW. A black convertible one."

"I have no idea what you just said but I'm betting it's about driving right?" she asked me quizzically.

I laughed. I reached for her hand and let her pull me up. I was still a kid in that way. "So what's this about Jared?"

"I don't know but let's hope it's nothing bad," she answered optimistically like the optimist she is.

We entered the game room. The awfully quiet game room. Once it would have been filled with cheers and laughter when we hold a game, but now it's kind of eerie. Like someone just died. I scanned the people in here and noticed there were only a few. Uncle Jeb was there. Jared was present too with his arms around Melanie. Aaron was nowhere to be seen but maybe he already went to bed with the others. Ian was there and he walked to us and placed a hand around Wanda's waist. Doc was there too and so were Kyle and Sunny.

"So what's the problem Uncle?" I asked Uncle Jeb.

"Nothing out of the ordinary Jamie. Jared here found another soul and intended to do the usual procedures," he said gently. "But we haven't got any cryotanks now and I've told Jared to take a break from raids even just a little bit."

I don't see what the problem was and I felt like I've wasted my time coming here. "So where is the soul?"

Uncle Jeb took a step sideward and I saw that he was covering it. She, I corrected fiercely. She had flaming red hair and her face was buried between her knees. Uncle Jeb looked purposefully to Wanda and I get the meaning behind that look quickly. Souls communicate better with souls than humans.

Wanda stepped forward and walked to the girl. She placed a comforting arm around her and whispered to her, "It's okay. You're safe here. No need to worry."

After a few whispered conversations, I heard Wanda spoke in her normal voice with her arms outstretched towards the girl. "Can you stand?"

The girl nodded. As she stood, I felt a year passed me by. It was as if the whole standing up action had been put in slow motion and I recognized her face at once. The nose, the cheeks, the gray eyes tinted with silver now, those slim arms and those hands…

"Higher Jamie!" her gleeful laughter sent me laughing too. I pushed the swing a little higher.

"Careful now. You don't want to end up on the moon don't you?" She jumped as I said it and I had to control the rush to go and help steady her.

"Sure why not? It's beautiful there," she said in a dazed voice.

"Can I come?"

She looked at me. Smiling, she held her hand. "On one condition. Let me lead the way there 'kay?"

I placed my hand on hers and nodded. We ran up the hill and lay in the fields while she told me in a still dazed voice, "The moon is the most beautiful thing ever." I just listened to her wanting to tell her that she's more beautiful than the moon but can't express it.

"Hillary?" I asked the same but different girl in a shaky voice.

She turned her gray sightless eyes on me and I stifled a gasp. What have they done to her?

~xXx~

A/N: Now that's the second chapter finished. I've been so busy that i've forgotten to upload it. Please review? Thanks! (: