Hahaha, I LOVE cliff hangers! Anyway, here is the next chapter. ENJOY!!! BTW, I don't own any of the characters in this story. Do I look like Stephanie Meyer? Well, most of you don't know me, but trust me, I don't look like Stephanie Meyer.
I will have to move quickly if this is going to work. I grab a cryotank from under the couch and move Mel's body to the coffee table. I don't know how much time I will have to get this done, so I think fast. Alright, I need the scalpel first; the bladed tool is in my hand before I realize that I even picked it up, so I make a deep incision at the base of Mel's neck. This has to be the fourth time that this cut has been made; I can't imagine what that is like, for a human. The blade sinks deep into her skin and blood immediately starts the flow. Ugh, I forgot to get towels. I run to the closet and grab the first things that my hands encounter. When I reach the living room, scarlet is staining half of the floor. I should have thought this through!
I put some towels on the ground and then place the remaining ones on the coffee table under Melanie. The next step is to retract the soul. As I slide my hand into the deep cut I just made I feel the warm body heat of Mel. It is strange to be in this position, digging around in Mel's head. But I have a feeling that she will thank me later. And now I can feel Radiant Sun! Gently, I remove Radiant Sun from Melanie's body until she is crawling in my hand. The cryotank is sitting right beside me, so it is easy enough to turn it on and slide Radiant Sun in.
I have to stitch up Mel, and as I am doing that all I can think of is getting home. So that I can see Jamie and Ian and all of my new family. Even Kyle has been nicer towards me since I helped out with Sunny. I am putting smooth on Mel's fast-healing cut when I am anxious that I did the procedure wrong. Maybe I accidentally cut part of her brain and she never wakes up? But I see her chest move and know that she is coming around. Thank God. Now all I have to do is wait for her to resurface.
***
As it turns out, Mel had been aware of everything that had happened in the last week, so there was no need to explain anything. The moment her eyes opened and she smiled at me I thought I was going to die of happiness. Then, with some unspoken directive, we started cleaning the house and getting ready to head back to the caves. We are going home. The blood was a hassle because we had to deep clean it and scrub for a couple of hours. The towels and coffee table were easier to take care of. It's amazing how far a little bit of bleach will go.
We still had to ship Radiant Sun off on a shuttle, so we had to wait until around midnight to sneak into the parking lot of a hospital. I decided to send her to the Flower Planet. She seemed to like it enough to pay another visit. After all, she kept her Flower name and didn't change it to a human name. Radiant Sun will enjoy the Flowers more than Earth, I have no doubt.
The hospital we usually drop the souls off at was too far away, so we settle with a small local hospital. It is just like any healing center, extremely white walls, clear windows, clean-cut everything. It is all sterile and too perfect to be trusted. I drive the van back around to where the shuttle planes are loading. It takes a while, but I spot one that is heading to the Flower Planet. Then, with Radiant Sun safely stoaded away, we leave this awful city behind. It is still very dark, so Melanie and I go back to my apartment to rest.
By dawn we are off, Melanie was in the back of the car telling me directions and I was in the driver's seat taking us to the caves. I was restless and the drive was long and uneventful, which didn't help. I was glancing out the every few seconds, and constantly switching the radio station. After about five hours of driving we reached the turn off to the rock garage that we usually store all the cars. We didn't even bother waiting until it was dark to pull into the rock garage where we usually store the cars.
"Hey, Mel?" I ask, because I bet she has more information than me. Even though I've lived here for a year, they still don't trust me completely. It secretly hurts, but I can't blame them for not trusting me, after all, I destroyed their world. If I could change the fact that the souls found this planet, I would in a heartbeat. But that is not up to me.
Her head pops out from the back seat with a curious expression on her face, "Yeah?"
"Do you know why all the other cars are gone? Was there supposed to be another raid while we were gone? Any ideas?" I can't stop the questions, I know she won't have time to answer them, but I keep firing them, "Are we meant to be here? How long have we really been gone?"
"Whoa, whoa, Wanda, slow down. I don't have any idea where everyone is or why the cars are not here. This is absolutely the best place to be, even if the others are temporarily gone. They probably left to find us. Besides, it's not like they could move everyone." While Mel is explaining, I begin to relax. She is speaking nothing but truth. It would be ridiculous that everyone would be gone. I bet only a few would have left to come and find us. Well, they'll have to back sooner or later. And now I am completely relaxed, I don't even know why I was worried.
"Okay, are you ready to go?" I am itching to get back inside our safe haven. I feel so vulnerable without the guys here. We've already been held captive once when the guys weren't there. They are strong and fast and would protect us with their lives, I wish they were here.
"Definitely," is all that Mel says. Then she is getting out of the car because dusk is falling quickly over the desert. Time to go. I follow her lead and get out of the car, heading towards the mountains that house all the people we love.
***
Our steps are echoing all through the long hallway that leads to the storage area. It is eerily quiet and somehow feels colder and more sinister since we were last here. There is definitely something off about it; everyone should be waiting for us. Why aren't they greeting us? I am starting to feel anxious and break into a full out run, Melanie trailing behind me. All of the passageways we go through are completely empty, and they look like they've been that way for a while. I have to stop because I am doubling over from the sharp panicked breaths that are bringing my oxygen level down. No matter how hard I try, the hyperventilating doesn't stop and soon Melanie leaves to see where everyone is. She must be gone for at least an hour before she finally returns to the spot where I collapsed. My breaths are low and even, but my mind is still racing with wild thoughts of my entire family being slaughtered. Totally wiped out and empty, filled with other souls, or simply lifeless bodies.
Mel approaches with a look of complete horror on her face. "They're gone. All of them, gone. What did you do?!?" Now it is her turn to hyperventilate. Miserable tears are streaming down her face, which is so out of character for her. She has always been the strong one.
"I didn't do anything! Are you absolutely sure that everyone is gone? Did you look everywhere? Everywhere?" I am determined to calm her down, so I go on my own little investigation. Someone has to be here.
As I pass all of the empty bedrooms and bathrooms and fields the truth slowly starts to dawn on me. Everyone is gone. I have no idea where, but I know that the situation is far worse than anything I've ever encountered. The worst part of the new caves is the silence. Every breath I take is carried all through the caves, every step; every whisper of a sound reverberates throughout the all the walls and rooms. And there is no living thing in here besides me and Mel.
I slowly make my way back to Melanie, trying sort out my emotions so that we can get through this. We just have to find everyone and then it will be simple enough to retract the souls, as I have done easily 20 times, and relocate once we find everyone. When I get back to Melanie she is sitting against the wall, no signs of tears on her face what so ever. She looks up as I approach and there is a blazing determination in her eyes. She must be thinking the exact same thing as me because she opens her mouth to talk. Before she can say anything, I hold up my hand to cut off her words. She closes her mouth and I nod, copying her expression. Translation: I know we have to find everyone, I am totally on board.
The second wave of souls has swept over my new friends, and I will not rest until I get each and every one of them home. I will do everything in my power to save them.
She nods and we both leave our home to find our lost family. The next time we are here, we will be here with everyone.
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