A/N: Oh my Carlisle! I really love when you guys review! I didn't think I'd get any reviews for last chapter…

Because one. It was so short and two. It was just a recap of the chapter before it just in Wanda's perspective.

So I'm really proud of this chapter…it's a lot more intense than any of my other chapters. I know a bunch of you are wondering when I'll give Ian or Jared's point of view of their shopping trip. Well to tell you the truth it was going to be in this chapter, but once again the story just flowed out of my finger tips completely unplanned.

If I reach almost 200 reviews… (I know that's a lot to ask for..but I think this chapter deserves reviews…even if they just to tell me that you hate it.) Anyways if I get close to 200 reviews I'll update again this week..Otherwise you'll just have to wait til next week.

Oh yeah… I decided to keep the poll for wanda's dress running until I decide that I'm finally going to write about it in a chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't the brilliant characters in the host. I only own Maudy's character and this plot. :D

Last Chapter:

-WPOV-

My eyes widened as I realized the sight before me. The saleswoman was stout, a little shorter than me, but what shocked me was that she had wrinkles. Now to a human, like Mel, that would go unnoticed. But I'm a soul, and souls are known to have the best plastic surgeons. Well, they aren't really surgeons; their job is more like a gym trainer's job. They train you how to use medication to get rid of your fat, wrinkles, crooked nose, slim lips, etc. So why did this soul still have wrinkles? I had never met a soul that would reject the products of our kind's advanced science and technology. I had never met any soul that would like to adapt to its host without altering it in anyway. I had never met any soul that felt the way I did about the humans on this world.

-MPOV-

I walked over to the bag and gently but quickly zipped it open. I pushed the flaps of the bag aside and gasped at the dress in front of me. My eyes traveled over the crystals that detailed the embroidery on the strapless empire bodice. My eyes became wider as they scanned over the draped silk fabric on the torso and the asymmetrical waterfall draping that flowed to the floor. It was beautiful. It was beyond what I imagined. It was the perfect dress.

Chapter Ten

-MPOV-

I don't know how long I stood there gaping at the white dress in front of me. The only words that came out of my mouth were, "It's perfect."

Maudy giggled lightly and said "Wait until you see the back." Then she stepped in front of me and released the dress from it's bag. She swiftly turned around and my eyes grew even wider. I was sure that my eyes would fall out of my sockets. The fabric was pinched together to create a tight fit around the torso. Ivory ribbons zigzagged through loop holes bringing the front empire bodice fabric together in the back. The waterfall draping in the front of the dress, looked even more intricate on the back of the dress as it flowed into a chapel length train.

"Mel," I heard Wanda say, but I was too busy taking in the sight before me. I was living the magical moment my mom had described to me when I was little.

"Mel," Wanda said again. This time she lightly shook my shoulders, persistent on getting my attention.

When she realized that I was just as persistent in ignoring her, she said "Mel, Jared is on the phone for you."

I snapped out of my trance, as reality slapped me in the face. Was something wrong? Was Jared in danger?

I shook my head frantically, to clear my head and then turned to face Wanda.

She smiled slyly. "Just kidding. But now that I have your attention, why don't you try the dress on? I bet it will look even better when you're wearing it."

I frowned at her cruel joke, but then decided she was right. I confidently picked up the dress from the hook it was hanging on and walked towards the fitting room.

-WPOV-

Mel opened the clamorous fitting room door and disappeared behind it. I deliberated if I should confront Maudy or not. She was busy digging through the shoe shelves.

"Maudy?" I said hesitantly.

"Yes, dear?" she replied.

"Are you a soul?" I blurted out. My hand smacked against my mouth and my eyes grew wide with shock at what I had just said.

"Yes. And no." she replied, meeting my gaze and smiling slightly.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Huh?" was all I could muster.

She sighed. "If I tell you, will you tell me something in return?" she negotiated.

I shuffled my feet; Deliberating for a few minutes, before deciding that she was harmless. I nodded, encouraging her to continue before I changed my mind.

She slowly walked over to a bench that was situated in front of the shoe racks. She turned her gaze back to me, and patted the empty bench next to her.

Once I was seated next to her, her eyes became distant and she began.

"It was around 20 years ago. Of course, as you know, the souls had already taken over. I was 35 and was married to the man of my dreams. We had a little apartment in Chicago. Since Chicago was so populated, it wasn't that hard to stay inconspicuous. But my husband and I still took precautions." She stopped abruptly, and turned to look at me. "Have you ever read the book 1984 by George Orwell?"

"I have." Melanie stated, before I could reply.

I guess I was more captivated in Maudy's story than I had thought, because I hadn't heard Melanie come out of the fitting room.

Maudy smiled, and patted the empty bench space on the other side of her. Melanie strode over and sat down, still dressed in her white tank top and jeans.

"Well, in the book the people of Oceana are constantly monitored and every move they make is assessed. If they showed any sign of defying Big Brother, then they are arrested by the thought police. When they are released from captivity, they no longer doubted Big Brother. It was as if the Party has taken away their ability to think for themselves and their ability to voice their own opinions."

She took a deep breath, before continuing.

"In the beginning the main character Winston and his lover do everything together in secrecy. No one realized that they were defying Big Brother in anyway, for a while. They came to the unanimous decision that if one of them was caught, they wouldn't give the other one away…"

She paused and took a deep breath.

I wasn't sure what this book had anything to do with whether she was a soul or not. But at the same time I was entranced by the story.

Once her lungs were replenished with oxygen, Maudy continued "Winston and Julia were really careful at first, but then they became more careless. When they were finally caught, one of them caved right away letting Big Brother control them and the other one tried to hold out as long as possible. Julia was the one that caved in right away and she tattled on Winston. Eventually they both became followers of Big Brother."

She paused again. "That's what happened to my husband and me. We had vowed to never lead a seeker to the other if one of us were caught. After a while, we were assured that we would never get caught. We became careless, and let our human nature slip through ever so often. One day my husband didn't return from raiding one of the local drugstores. I waited a day or two, and he still didn't return. On the third day, I came to the conclusion that I had lost him forever even though my heart didn't want to believe it. It was mid afternoon and I was packing my duffle bag, when the door swung open. My husband walked over to me and told me that we had to leave right away. My gut told me that something was misplaced about him, but my heart deluded that doubt as it fluttered with happiness at the sight of him. I grabbed the duffle bag and we hurried out the door. When we got outside and the sunlight hit his eye in an angle, I realized that he was no longer my husband. He was one of them. "

She sighed. "Before I could blink, I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I was no longer alone inside my mind. The day my husband had left for his raid, I had found out I was pregnant. I guess the fact that I had to keep my baby safe, kept me from fading away. I blocked her out whenever she tried to penetrate into my memory. Unlike my husband, I fought for control against the soul inside me. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. I began to show, and the soul finally caught on. She was eager to get an abortion, but I wouldn't give up that easily. I begged, pleaded pathetically for her to see how much this child meant to me. It was the only thing left that reminded me of my husband, it was the only family I had."

Maudy sniffled, by instinct I reached over and wiped her tears away. She smiled weakly and continued. "I became so desperate I showed her all the memories I had with my husband. I would invade her dreams with my vivid memories. Soon she gave in. And though it bothered me a little that she started to think of the child as hers, I suppressed the annoyance with the satisfaction that at least my child would be safe. As the bump on my stomach got bigger, I became weaker. Then…" she choked on the sobs that were now erupting in her chest.

Mel and I soothingly rubbed her back.

"You don't have to continue, if you don't want to." We both said in unison.

She shook her head, "No. It's about time I let this out. In a few weeks, I sensed that something was wrong. I urged the soul to go to the healer. She complied. When the examinations were done…." She took a deep labored breath. "I had a miscarriage. I was devastated, but it would be an understatement to say that the soul inside me was too. She was beyond devastated and slowly started to disappear, giving me more and more control over my body."

She blinked back the final tears that had formed in her eyes. "I am human, but I still have a faded soul inside me."

I didn't know what to say. My mouth opened then closed repeatedly like a fish. Everytime I'd think of something to say, I'd realize it just wasn't good enough.

Instead, I just wrapped my small arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"And no one has ever suspected you?" Melanie asked curiously.

Maudy shook her head, her mood lightening. "Nope. And whenever someone questions if I'm human, I just tell them to shine a flash light in my eye."

"Then why did you tell us you weren't?" Melanie asked the question that I was about to.

"Because, you're not a soul." She affirmed confidently, looking directly at Melanie.

A/N: So hit or miss? I know it's short..but you don't know how long it took to write and how many times I restarted until I was finally satisfied.

If you haven't read 1984…it's not a bad book…the ending sucked but the concept behind it was really good.

Oh and if the whole 1984 connection confused you let me know…and I will try to explain it.

Alrighty then… I guess you'll either hear from me again this week or next week…depends on the reviews I get!

Sorry I'm so picky about reviews but it's just that I spend a lot of time doing fanfiction and when I don't get a response I'm left wondering if you liked it or if you were too lazy or if you hated it. I can't read minds…though that would be pretty amazing… so just take a few seconds/minutes to tell me what you thought.

xoxo

rmla

p.s. vote for wanda's dress on my profile if you haven't already!

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