The Rebellious Host | ✓

Laina

"What's your name again?" the man who had introduced himself as Jeb asks. 

"Autumn Skies." The Soul that has taken over me replies. "I'm from the Planet of the Flowers."

"Well, that makes sense then." He says. "How old is this girl?"

"My host?" she searches through my mind. It feels like a hurricane ripping through me. "Thirteen. She'll be fourteen in a month or so." She twirls our long, dark brown side braid around our fingers. Our. I hate that and she knows it.

Seeing my tannish-oliveish skin so distantly from my own eyes is strange, like looking through a permanent pair of binoculars. My- our, she corrects me- nails are a wreck, and I bet our face is scratched up and bruised.

An older man- he's about thirty- comes in. I recognize him as the man that Jeb had called Doc. He'd sent him to get someone, but who I hadn't been able to hear. Maybe it's someone to torture us. I have no secrets, but she does. I only have secrets from her, and that is everything that means something to me. So, a lot.

A man in his twenties walks in the room, followed by another man maybe a year or three younger than him. Stop assessing. Autumn Skies snaps. You're hurting my brain.

It's my brain, bitch. I reply angrily. And it'll do you good to remember that.

After the second man a girl no older than eighteen walks in. She's short, only up to the second man's shoulders, and judging by how they're holding hands, they're romantically interested in each other. She has shortish brown hair and pretty brown eyes with a silver ring around the pupils.

Finally. Another Soul. Autumn Skies sighs in relief.

I ignore her.

A girl about the same age as the other one walks in, and my heart beats harder. Melanie. I think, carefully guarding my thoughts. Her brown hair is the same way as I remember it, before she disappeared. She looks exactly the same. She's holding the first man's hand, so he's either her boyfriend or a really good friend. I suspect it's the first one.

"Laina?" Melanie gasps. I see something move next to her, and my eyes land on a boy with brown hair. He's taller than me, almost as tall as Melanie, and his hair still comes down to his eyebrows like I remember.

Suddenly I'm in control of myself. "J-Jamie?" I stutter. Then I'm sucked backwards, flung back to my corner of our brain.

It's enough for Autumn Skies, though. Who's this? she taunts. You're boyfriend?

I will kill you. Is my reply.

She focuses outward. "What are you staring at, human? I'm not a circus performer."

Melanie's hands clench tightly into fists, and Jamie doesn't seem sure what to believe. "She's tricking you, Jamie." Melanie's voice is tight.

Autumn Skies rolls our eyes at her.

Jamie doesn't reply, just moves closer until he's right in front of us. He balances on one knee easily. He watches us for a minute, not breaking eye contact. They'd chained us to the wall by our wrists so that we can't attack anyone, and I'm glad. Autumn Skies's hatred for these people is so intense, I'm sure that Jamie can feel it.

I fight against the Soul. I have a reason to now, and I use that reason. Jamie lets out a gasp and jumps up, backing up. "Mel, did you just see her eyes? Yours and Wanda's never did that." So Wanda must be the Soul in the blonde girl. Maybe she was in Melanie at one point?"

"No, we didn't see anything, Jamie." The girl that must be Wanda says. She and Melanie approach us slowly, as if we're a wounded animal.

I hear Jamie mutter something, and the words float into my ears. "Come on, Laina. Come back."

I fight against her again. Autumn Skies is shocked by how hard I'm fighting, and for a second I have control. Wanda and Melanie look at each other, shocked.

"Jared...did you see that?" Melanie asks.

The first man that came in shakes his head. "You and Ian better go watch, then."

"I've never seen that happen." Wanda shakes her head.

Now the men- Jared and Ian- stand in front of me. Still shielding myself from Autumn Skies, I think about how badly I want to meet these two, how badly I want to be able to talk to Jamie and Melanie normally again. I fight as hard as I can, and when I'm done- without any success, though- the guy that must be Ian lets out a low whistle and stands up.

"How is that possible?" He asks, backing up to Jamie.

Jamie smiles, watching us. "She hung out with Mel and I a little too much, I think."

Victory fills Autumn Skies, and dread takes over me. "Oh, so you two were together? She refuses to tell me anything." They all jump, surprised to hear her. Jeb and Doc are the only ones unaffected by it.

I force her back. "Jamie, don't tell her anything!" My voice sounds desperate, pleading.

Autumn Skies is getting irritated. She rolls her eyes. "Sorry. That happens sometimes." She waves it off. "Just bits and pieces of my host's old memories."

"Yeah, sure." Melanie's voice is cold. "Like we're going to believe you."

"Souls don't lie, Melanie. They can't." Wanda reminds her.

I break through again. "She does! Autumn Skies does!" 

Jamie is the only one focusing on my eyes. "Will you stop doing that!" Jared snaps. "You do not know how irritating that is!"

Autumn Skies shrugs. "I can't help it. I'm sorry." Then, to me she says, If you know what's best for you, Laina, you'll shut your mouth.

Aha. So you admit that it's mine and not yours.

No. It's mine. This is my body, and you are the disease that I need to rid myself of.

Really? Because last time I checked, I'm the one with all of the memories. I can't stop myself from smirking.

Wanda steps closer and kneels in front of us. "You're name is Autumn Skies, correct?"

Autumn- I'll just call her that for short- nods. "From the Planet of the Flowers, yes."

Wanda smiles. "I am Wanderer."

Autumn gasps. "You are the great Wanderer? The one who has had eight hosts?"

Wanda's smile broadens. "Yes, that is me. And it would be nine now." Autumn widens our eyes. "Continuing on, I have something I would like to ask you."

Autumn nods, a hard and fast motion. "Anything."

"Now, I had this same type of experience with my friend Melanie over there." She gestures to Mel. "What I would like to know is whether or not your host is still in there with you."

Autumn's heart sinks. Why the heck does she care about you? She thinks. You are nothing.

Maybe it's because of my stunning looks and my beautiful voice. I reply. She doesn't catch the sarcasm.

Autumn plays the sad Soul and shakes her head sadly. "Unfortunately, no, Wanderer. She is not. According to the Healers, she had a disease when I was implanted. They said that I had almost been killed."

I see Melanie hold Jamie's arm tightly. His eyes shimmer, and I think he might cry. I'm right here, Jamie, I think, Please, please don't believe her.

"Y-you're lying." Jamie says, loud enough that we can hear. "Laina isn't dead."

Autumn fixes Jamie with a sad look. "Sadly, I am not."