The Host ¤ The Next Chapter

The Host ¤ The Next Chapter: 33

The Host ¤ The Next Chapter: 33

Jenny

I walked into the garage with the dozens of others, drawstring bag on my back. Everyone was both anxious and nervous about the raid. You could see it in the way the shuffled their feet, or, by the way they looked around constantly. 

I wore a dull, greenish blouse that was made out of t-shirt material. It buttoned up the front and sat rather low on my chest, so I was wearing a white camisol underneath it. To complete my look, I had a pair of blue jean shorts on and some tenis shoes. On my head was a baseball cap and sunglasses. Many of the other girls my age were dressed relatively the same---we weren't underdressed or overdressed. We looked like we could blend in with the general population.

I walked up to the nearest SUV and jumped in along with nine others. Although the vehicle was meant for seven, we only had so much gas to go around. In other words, there was only two heading out. We'd have to stop at a gas station after the Store raid. The containers for the gasoline sat in the trunk, waiting to be filled. They would remain empty until we'd jammed every pocket, corner, and space with food and supplies.

"Hey." Sarah said, plopping herself beside me. 

We had both chosen the back seat, although I had prefered the left seat. She sat in the middle. Noiselessly, Gabbie slipped into the right spot beside her.

"Hey." I replied, but with less enthusiasm. The sight of her partner in crime had ruined my mood.

Sarah cocked her head sideways, not understanding what was going on. "What's wrong?" she asked with not an ounce of sarcasm. That was very unsual for her.

Everything. "Nothing." I said.

"Uh, huh." Sarah shook her head. "No, I don't believe you. Tell me what's really going on."

I sighed. 

"Fine." I agreed with a huff. "I'm worried about May."

"I thought you didn't care about her." Sarah replied lickity split.

I blinked and gave her a funny look. "What made you think that?"

"Well," she hummed. "You never talked about her. I thought you just wanted to forget about May."

"No." I looked down to the floor as the passenger door slammed closed and the SUV rocked. "May...cared to an extent. Not because her values as a Soul told her to, but because she thought I was important to save."

"Oh." Sarah mouthed. "So you two are actually friends?" she asked.

I opened my mouth to answer, but a short laugh cut me off.

"Isn't that the biggest joke I've ever heard." Gabbie scoffed from the far right. "A Soul caring about a human. That's BS. What Soul who invades a human's body cared about what happens to the person inside? They invade and take over without considering what the host itself wants."

Sarah, beside her, frowned.

"Yeah." I countered, drawing both of the girl's attentions. "Because Souls aren't people. They don't have feelings or have defects at all." I remarked sarcastically. "No, Gabbie. The one who doesn't have a heart is you."

The look on her face was just as good as if I had slapped her.

"What does...?" She began to say, ready to go off on me.

"You know exactly..." I began, but even I was cut off.

"Quiet ladies." Tomas ordered. He was our driver for the day. Currently, he was twisted around in the seat so he could face us. "As much as all of us want to hear your banter all the way to Store, I think you should save it for another time." he said, looking to Gabbie and I. He gave Sarah a look too, and she threw one back. Defeated, Tomas turned in the seat to face forward again. "It's a shame Doc wasn't a counselor, or we wouldn't have to deal with these issues." he muttered to himself.

With his last comment in, he plugged the key into the ignition and turned it. The engine roared to life, vibrating the car from bumper to bumpter. We were ready to roll out.

"Here we go." I whispered to myself dully.

¤

May

"How far are far are we away from the town?" I asked, hugging my sides like I was going to vomit over the side of the car.

I could barely keep myself together. If we didn't reach the base in time before they raided another store, it could mean disastor for them. This very moment, whether we kept them from danger or failed, could determine the fate of the entire human race.

"Half an hour." Skyfall replied, calmly gazing forward out the windshield. "I was thinking we'd head straight to the store and wait it out there. We're suppose to be watching them besides." he voiced his opinion. "Plus, we can't miss the group there. If we pass them without knowing it out in the desert, then we could risk exposing ourselves or them."

"Right." I hummed, although I wasn't paying very good attention. I was looking outside the car, watching the scenery go by. Any moment now, the town could pop up over the horizon.

"May." The male seeker called my name.

I looked at him.

"I..." he paused, then looked away from my eyes. 

I kept gazing at him, expecting him to say something. 

"Nevermind." he shook his head with a sad smile on his lips.

I blinked slowly, not fulling understanding what that had been all about. It sounded like he had had something on his mind he had wanted to share with me, but he had stopped himself. I looked away, figuring he'd tell me when he was ready. Whatever it was couldn't be too important if he had dismissed himself.

I turned my head to the window instead, watching the scenery again. I hoped that Jenny was still alive and safe. If she was already at the Store, I didn't know what I could do to save her. The security would have her on tape and so would BlackFire.

A silverish gleam passed over the red sand as we drove by, so I focused my attention on that. The rushing ground underneath it was confusing, but the gleam itself remained as it was. Other than the occasional bush or shrub, it kept its shape. Humans and Souls were just as different as the sand and the gleam, I realized. Humans changed, like the sand and objects on top of it. However Souls remained eternal like the gleam. The sand might be made of earth, cracked, broken, and beaten, but it was what it was. Souls might shine like the gleam, but we weren't perfect. Like the scenery the shine passed over, we made mistakes too. In that way, both races were the same.

When I looked forward again, I could see the shape of some dark thing growing on the horizon. As I focused, I saw that it was the town. It grew larger as the minutes passed, changing into buildings and houses. Soon after, even the white glow of the Store's side on the outside of it could be seen. 

"Here we go." I sighed worriedly.