Silver Lining - The Host fanfiction

Chapter 100 The Ordinary

If you can't beat them, join them.

-proverb

Will

I never thought I'd set foot in a department store ever again in broad daylight, but here I am. With an alien no less.

We've been driving most of the day, only making one short stop at a drive-through where the four of us shared two portions of fries and two sodas. Now we're in some other nameless town and it's my turn to guard the alien and Blake's to babysit, though I know he has no objections. I can't make sense of it. If anyone had shown so much interest in my girlfriend, I would have punched his lights out, but this alien doesn't seem bothered by it. How could they have ever conquered Earth?

"Remember," the alien says, "stay calm and smile at people. You don't have to say anything, I can do the talking."

"Whatever, just hurry," I mutter. I have to constantly suppress the urge to reach for my weapon that's concealed by my coat.

I follow him inside the building. For anyone that didn't know better, it would look like any normal day on Earth; shopping families, groups of friends hanging out, but everyone is so freakishly happy and nice that it's anything but normal. I feel out of place, but I guess that I am.

"Right," the alien, Burns, I have to remember calling him by name, now says, "heating stones first." He takes a trolley and starts to push it down the aisle.

"Heating stones?" I question.

The alien, I mean Burns, smiles and nods. "They're perfect for cooking. You can leave them in the sun for a day and they'll store the sun's energy. It beats any generator."

So he's being practical. One point for the alien. The generator we have in the hide-out is about to die on us. I've never heard of these heating stones, so I am guessing they're alien, but if they make our lives easier I suppose it's okay.

I watch as he takes two large flat round stones and places them on the trolley.

People pass us and I stiffen, but no one even looks in our direction. I still hold my breath. It feels like everything about me screams human, but Burns acts like nothing is the matter. He looks at me calmly. "Batteries next, right? Just tell me which ones to get." He points at the large rack behind me.

I turn and study them carefully. This is my field of expertise. Quickly I take a few packs of the kind we normally use "Flashlights," I mutter. We'll need more of those too.

Burns nods. "Next aisle," he points at the sign that reads 'lights'. Of course. Categorizing objects seems to be the favorite pastime of these creatures. It was always very helpful on raids.

After the flashlights we move to the camping tools and I watch as Burns loads up on pocketknives, cutlery and sleeping mats and bags.

I almost jump out of my skin when there's a sudden voice behind us. "Wow, you sure seem like you have big plans."

My body freezes and involuntarily my hand moves to my belt, but Burns steps in between me and the intruder, blocking most of my view, and smiles. "Yes, we're going camping with friends."

"How exciting!" the annoying alien says in and excited tone, "where are you going?"

"California," I growl before Burns has a chance to answer. Of course the attention is on me now, but I couldn't risk Burns selling us out.

"Hello," the alien blinks, "I didn't see you there."

"Don't mind him," Burns smiles, "Growls at Claw Beasts is a little shy."