Silver Lining - The Host fanfiction

Chapter 24 The Doubtful

“What on Earth can you do on this Earth
but catch at whatever comes near you,
with both fingers,

until your fingers are broken.”

-Orpheus descending (William Tennessee)

 

Burns

 

The guitar stand empty in the corner of the room. Every time I open the door it’s the first object I see, but I can’t get myself to replacing it.

It’s quiet without her here and I even miss our arguments.
I pick up the remote and various channels pass by. I realize that I haven’t watched TV since Emma came to live with me. There’s a movie playing on Channel 2. I watch for a while, but it’s predictable.
There’s a girl that’s been with the Bats for three life terms and now she’s decided to try Earth.

And there’s a boy who has come from the Summer World. He loves to play the violin and the musical tones reach the girl through the window. Coming from the Bats, she loves music and she rings his door.
When they first lay eyes on each other, they are perfect strangers, but after many months they find out they have met before when they were both Dragons.
The violin makes me thing of Emma again and I turn off the TV. She was right. This is ridiculous.
I pick up my notebook in the hope it will distract me, but Emma’s scribbles are all in the margins so I snap it shut again.
How is it possible that a human causes so much chaos in my life?
But what’s even more upsetting is that I miss her.
It’s reason for concern. Why would a Soul want to be around a deceitful, lying and untrustworthy creature? But that’s exactly what I want.
Maybe I should get out. Spending time with my own kind might make me forget about that silly human.
I ponder about visiting Scales after all, but he’ll only ask about Emma and for some reason I don’t want to betray her. She may have lied to me, but I won’t scoop to that level. Souls don’t break promises. And I promised her I wouldn’t tell.
Still, I don’t feel like explaining why she didn’t come with me. I can’t lie to Scales.

Souls don’t lie.

I could ask that girl from the Photoshop to go out with me. That Flower. What was her name again? Something with leaves and rivers. She was pretty enough. And she seemed interested in my Calling. Perhaps she wants to come with me to the mountains.
I take my coat and step out on the street. It’s drizzling and immediately my mood drops. I hurry down the road.

The little bell in the shop rings when I enter.
The Flower girl is behind the counter, helping another customer. Her blonde curls dance on her shoulders as she nods ands smiles at the man.
I look at her for a moment. She’s nice, good-looking. This will be great. We’ll have fun together, I’m sure.
The customer leaves the store and I shuffle towards the counter. She smiles at me when she sees me standing there. “Hi,” she says, “need more film for your camera?”
“Ah… no actually.” I lean on the counter, what was her name again? I catch her name tag. River. Yes, I knew it was something like that.
She eyes me curiously. “Do you need a new camera then? A new shipment just came in.”

“I’m going on a trip again and I was wondering… if you want to come with me?”
River smiles. “Come with you? Where to?”
“I was thinking about seeing the Grand Canyon. I’ve bee wanting to got there for a while, but I’d like some company. So what do you say?”
“Sounds like fun,” she answers, “can my partner come too?”
Great, she has a partner. “Sure,” I say, “why not?”
“When are you going?”
“I’m not sure yet,” I tell her, “when the weather clears. I’ll let you know, alright?” This was definitely not a success, but River nods enthusiastically. “Can’t wait,” she says.
“So, what does your partner do? What is his Calling?”
“He’s a Gardener,” River tells me with a smile.
Figures. The Flower and the Gardener. It’s almost funny. Emma would have laughed.
“That’s nice,” I say, “did he come from the Flowers too?”
“Yes. We travelled here together. I’m not sure yet if we’ll stay. Maybe we’ll try one more planet before we decide.”
I nod in understanding. I wonder where they’ll go next. But that’s a rather personal question. “I hope you find the place you want to settle down,” I say instead.
River’s smile turns wider. “I’m sure we will.”

Behind me a new customer walks in and I use that as an excuse to leave. “You’re busy. I should go. I’ll let you know about the trip, okay?”
“Sure,” River waves, “I work here five days a week, so drop by anytime.”
“I will,” I promise before leaving.
It’s still raining outside and I wrap my coat tighter around me and put up the hood of my sweatshirt. I don’t feel like going home yet, but I’m not sure where else I could go.

I decide on the coffee bar at the corner and order a hot drink and a sandwich.

Even though this is just a small town, there are a lot of people in the bar. I suppose it is a meeting place of sorts. I don’t come here that often.
Most of the clients are in groups or pairs. That on it’s own isn’t surprising since we are very social beings, but I find myself wondering what connects them.
Were they friends when they were still human or did they meet here on Earth? What were they like, their bodies, before we Souls claimed this place?

“Your kind comes to this planet, takes over human bodies, and wipes out their beings, and you find nothing wrong with that?”

 

I flinch. Great. Now Emma is even guilt tripping me when she’s not here.
If anything, she made me think about her situation. I still can’t see the wrong she saw, but these bodies had a life before.
How many of them had been on the run like Emma? Did they know what was going to happen?

I finish my coffee and leave.
The rain has stopped, but the sky is still grey. I sigh. I really don’t feel like sitting in that house alone. I’ve gotten used to having someone around. I need a new scenery.
And I know just where to go.