In the dark, damp tunnel Scott stared in shock at the little Soul woman. This whole night has been the strangest in Scott's entire life.
It was a cold, gray, rainy day when Jason's appendix burst. He lay on the floor, horribly pale and writhing in pain, hidden between old storage boxes in the hospital's basement as Scott desperately searched for something to help ease his pain. Then being discovered by the young blond-haired Soul Healer, who had stared at them in open astonishment.
Desperate, Scott had begged the Healer to help his friend. Wide eyed the Soul had nodded as he watched Jason moan in agony. In a whispered-shaky voice, he told them he could not bear to see another being suffer in such pain. But as the Healer bent over to check the stricken human, Jason grabbed him with a fierce grip and growled out through pain clenched teeth.
"If you're…just going to…turn me over to…the Seekers…just…let…me…die."
"But…you're in pain. I just want to help," pleaded the Healer.
"I'd rather suffer…than have…one of…you…in me."
Agonized the Healer looked to Scott, but there was nothing for Scott to say. After a long moment, the Soul bowed his head and spoke so quietly that Scott barely heard him.
"I will not inform the Seekers."
Jason had spat out as he gasped in pain, "Swear it!"
Slowly the young man's head bobbed once and he whispered something only Jason could hear. Whatever the healer said, Jason had visibly relaxed and the Healer began his treatment. When done, Jason lay sleeping peacefully on the floor, his normal complexion already returning.
Scott remembered how he marveled at the miracle of the Souls' medicine. "Thank you," he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Please take him and go," spoke the Soul Healer in a hushed voice.
"What is your name?" Scott had asked.
"My name is Matthew."
As he tried to wrap his mind around whom the woman he has met by pure chance, Scott hesitantly asked, "Matthew is your husband, err partner?"
Sings from the Shadows nodded with a small smile, "He told me about the human he cured, was that you?"
"No, but I was there. He saved a friend of mine. We were sure he would report us to the Seekers, but he never did," explained Scott.
"Matthew was very conflicted about not reporting his activity to the Seekers. I was so worried about him. I didn't want to see him so upset," confessed Sings from the Shadows.
Curious Scott asked, "Why didn't he, or you?"
"He promised not to. My Matthew would not break a promise," explained the Soul as if the answer was obvious.
Scott paused to consider her response. He knew some Souls keep the name of the host they inhabit, the healer Matthew would be such as Soul. He has long wondered if keeping the human's name means the Soul is somehow closer to being human. "But you didn't promise, why didn't you report us?" pressed Scott.
Sings from the Shadows closed her eyes and trembled for a moment. Concerned Scott leaned forward to see if she needed help, but her eyes opened and locked onto Scott's. "What your friend said, he would rather suffer and die than be given over to insertion." She grew very still and asked in a near murmur, "Is it so horrible to be joined with one of us?"
She asked with the innocence of a child and Scott could only shake his head in wonder. 'They can nearly wipe us out and still they think they are kind. They kill us with kindness.'
Scott sighed deeply, "I've heard all your reasons before: Humans are violent and dangerous, that we destroy our world, and the Souls are saving it. But what Souls do to humans," and Scott shudders at the thought of a parasite being inserted, "it's worse than dying." On saying it out loud, Scott realized how foolish he had been to even consider letting himself become a host.
"Like the northern forest of the See Weeds," said Sings from the Shadows sadly. Scott frowned, not understanding her words. She continued, looking down at her human host's hands, "maybe we are ...cruel."
Looking back to Scott she suddenly swayed on her feet and went pale. Scott was at her side in an instant and caught her. He saw how his scarf is now soaking with her blood. In a gentle motion, he picked her up and cradled her head as best he can.
With grim determination, Scott began down the tunnel again. To Sings from the Shadows, he said firmly, "I'll get you to you to the hospital and your Matthew, I swear it."
She moaned quietly in his arms but managed to say, "If you go to the hospital they will know what you are. They will call the Seekers."
He knew she was right, but somehow it did not matter. He was moments away from killing himself when she crashed her car. Be it fate, an act of God, or the universe playing impossible odds, Scott saw how he was meant to find her. "Doesn't matter," explained Scott, "I'm supposed to find you, save you."
"You're a ssstrange beinggg," replied the Soul, her words again becoming slurred. Scott stared down at her, but her eyes were already closed and she was seemingly asleep in his arms. He quickened his pace down the drainage tunnel. He needed to hurry now, but he could not keep a smile off his face. "Yeah I'm the strangest."
The tunnel ahead dropped down and Scott went to his knees and leaned back to continue forward. Not an easy task while carrying the woman. He managed to make it halfway before he slipped on the slick cement of the shaft and began to tumble forward. Scott wrapped himself protectively around Sings from the Shadows, stopping her from hitting the ground, but not himself.
With a bang, Scott hit his head on the cement of the tube floor and his flashlight spun off down the tunnel. Stars danced in his vision for a few moments as he recovered. A quick check on the Soul showed she was not hurt, or at least not hurt worse than before. He looked for his flashlight when he saw its light suddenly move on its own. It bobbed up and down as it closed the distance. Scott blinked in surprise at the man who carried his lost flashlight came into view.
Marc sat the flashlight down slowly next to Scott and glared down at him. "What the hell is going on?"
"Marc! We need get her to the hospital," spoke Scott urgently as he struggled to get himself standing while still carrying Sing from the Shadows.
"Scott, we're running all over this city to find you!" growled Marc. He pointed to the woman in Scott's arms and demanded, "Who is she? What happened to her?"
"She was in a car accident. Her name is Sings from the Shadows, she's hurt and I need to get her to the hospital," explained Scott in a rush.
Marc's eyes widened at her name, understanding what the name implies. He shook his head with growing incredulity, "Scott, you are making less sense than the wild girl Mia and I'm not sure how that's possible. What are you doing!?"
Scott started again, slower this time, "I saw her car go off the road, there was no one around, and so I went to check on her. She'd hit her head pretty bad and was unconscious. I got her out of the car and made it into the drainage tunnels."
Marc's look of disbelief slowly changed to one of anger, "Okay, I get what you are doing. The better question is why? You should have just left her. We can't afford to get involved!"
A feeling of guilt began working at Scott's stomach. The realization his half-mad quest to the surface has left all the humans of their vulnerable community hit like a punch to the guy. "The Healer Matthew, the one that saved Jason. She's his partner," at Marc's confused look Scott explained, "You know…his wife."
Marc's eyes narrowed in recognition, "How exactly do you know this?"
"She told me," explained Scott with a weak smile.
"She woke up? You talked to her, are you crazy?" Marc's words came out in an angry hiss.
"Marc…" began Scott, but his friend cut him off with a furious glare. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? She knows about you now. And what are you planning on doing? Just walk in with her to the hospital? They will be calling the Seekers before get through the door."
"Marc!" yelled Scott. "Matthew told her everything about me and Jason, but neither one of them has told the Seekers anything."
Marc paused for a second, considering. He then stuck one finger out. "One, just one. If we are wrong just once with trusting a Soul, we are all done for. We survive by not getting involved."
"What if this was Autumn?" said Scott, gesturing to the injured woman. "Are you telling me you would just let her die?"
A flicker of doubt registered on Marc's face as Scott continued, "I know you talk a good game with the others about Autumn Gusting Wind. About how you conned your way into getting her to trust you. But I've seen how you look at her. You would move heaven and earth to save her!"
Marc sharply shook his head, "It was different with Autumn, she was seriously grieving the loss of her partner. She latched on to the first person available and by a million to one chance it was yours truly." He points to Sings from the Shadows, "How can we be sure about her and this Matthew?"
"I'm meant to find her," said Scott quietly.
In exasperation, Marc flung his hands out as if he was surrendering to empty air, "What the hell does that mean!?"
Scott began slowly and softly, "Marc, why do you think I went up by myself?"
"Enlighten me," snapped Marc.
Scott smiled as he fought back tears, "I was just a few seconds away from chewing on a cyanide pill when she crashed. I don't know why or how, but I was the only one around. Just one little human to rescue a lost Soul." He laughed weakly at his joke.
Marc's jaw dropped at Scott revelation and his shoulders collapse as his anger drained away. "Scott…I didn't…know."
Scott let out a shaky sigh, "It's okay now. It's not like I was holding a sign up that said 'Scott is Suicidal.' I think I've got a handle on it. But we need to save Sings here."
Marc regarded the injured Soul in Scott's arms and said, "Alright, but let's be smart about getting her into a hospital."
Scott nodded, "Alright, but whatever we are going to do, we'd better do it fast."