A Time Traveler's Companion: Chapter 8 Excerpt

 

(excerpt from Chapter 8:The Host)

A few more days passed, my memories returned in flashes, I felt less pain in my head, and I asked Leila to tell me what happened.

 “Don’t you want Mr. Smith to tell you?” I shook my head. 

 “I feel embarrassed, I want you to fill me in, please.”

 “Okay, I hope I’m doing the right thing. Mr. Smith said that I should let him know if you start to remember but I think I’ll fill you in a bit before you face him again.” I looked at her wondering if I had done something horrific. As she began to recount the bizarre events that led to my unexpected stay in a high-tech alien medical facility, her eyes widened with urgency.  "You see, those strange creatures that were leaping out of the pond were actually parasitic aliens. Once one of them latched onto your face, Mr. Smith rushed you into the monolith, where the infirmary's advanced AI was able to remove it. We were optimistic about your recovery, so Mr. Smith brought us back home, believing everything would turn out alright."

 "Did we make it back home?" I asked, and she confirmed with a nod. With a heavy breath, she elaborated, "We were unaware that something had been injected into you by that creature. Just a day after he left us, you began to express that you felt unusually cold. Upon our return, he instructed me to reach out if you started behaving strangely." I gazed at her, bracing myself for an unsettling revelation. A sense of dread washed over me. She swallowed hard, "You spent two days resting; your mother assumed you had caught the flu or something similar. You did run a fever, but by the third day, you seemed to improve. I came to see you, and we shared everything we had gone through, except that you didn’t remember the star-fish creature,” she paused. “I must say, I never want to travel with him again,” she added.

 Then I asked, “Tell me what else happened.”

 She took a deep breath and continued, “So, you were changing. It was clear that something was happening. You mentioned migraine, and your demeanor shifted dramatically. During our chat, you abruptly froze, turning to me with an unsettling blank stare that sent chills down my spine. Your eyes held an eerie quality as you stood up and approached the mirror, gazing at your reflection as if it were a novel sight. I couldn't help but joke, “Take a picture, it will last you longer,” and laughed lightly.”

 “I do remember that. There was a voice in my head, something odd that seemed to speak for me,” I said. A worried look shadowed her face.   

“Well, um, you sat next to me on the bed. You then said you felt cold, and I looked at you and wondered if you were feeling well, I touched your forehead to see if you were running a temp. "You might want to rest a bit more," I suggested. Then you embraced me tightly. 

“What’s wrong with you?' I asked. You replied, "I need your warmth; I feel so cold." It struck me as strange since it was a sweltering summer day, with temperatures soaring close to 100 degrees. considered calling Mr. Smith, as he had requested updates on any unusual behavior from you. Just as I reached for the phone he provided, you knocked it from my hand and kissed me with urgency. Something strange flickered in my mouth. I quickly pushed you away and dashed out of the room, escaping what felt like an imminent assault.” I expressed my sincere apologies, unable to articulate the reasons behind my unusual behavior. It felt completely out of character for me, and I couldn't shake the guilt that lingered from actions I couldn't even recall. She responded with a nod, her understanding reflecting the oddity of the circumstances we found ourselves in. She continued, "It seems that whatever you went through on that planet, the only one who can truly help you is Mr. Smith," she remarked, emphasizing the necessity of his expertise in this perplexing matter.

 “Unfortunately, when I ran out of your room, I left the phone behind, and I did not want to go back in there, so I hid downstairs. Your parents weren’t home, and your brother is always out somewhere.”

“When did you go back and pick it up?”

“After you left.”

“What? You let me leave?”

“Well, I waited to see when or if you’d leave your house, it took you a while too. I hid in the closet next to the front door.” Leila shifted in her chair. Flashes of that event came to me and now I understood what was going on. The parasite invaded my body and possessed my mind. I was still there inside but dormant I couldn’t stop what it was making me do, I had no control of my motor skills and my body’s movements. I remember that after Leila ran out of my room, I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I took off my clothes and I heard myself say, “Perfect body, I like this species. The body is easy to repair.” 

My voice sounded strange; it wasn’t me. I went to the closet and looked through my clothes. I picked out an adorable red crop-top with black lace detailing, paired it with a black lace shrug and a black velvet choker and some cute earrings. To complete the look, I threw on a denim mini skirt and slipped into my black closed-toe sandals. Feeling good about my outfit, I headed downstairs and stepped outside. I was fighting every step of the way, until I gave into the parasite. Leila continued her story: “So, after you left, I ran upstairs and grabbed the phone and called Mr. Smith. He arrived quickly but you were nowhere to be found. But you did leave a trail of breadcrumbs,” Leila said.

“What do you mean?” She was reluctant to tell me. “Come on, is it that bad?”

“Well, when Mr. Smith came back, we took your car and drove around looking for you. We spotted you walking down a sidewalk in town. A man walked past, and you stopped and started following him. We called out your name, you glanced but did not acknowledge us. Mr. Smith mentioned that he returned to that planet to collect water samples, revealing that the parasites inhabit and reproduce in the hot spring located at the pond's depths. Apparently, the parasites in that region, only had the warm-blooded local animals to attach themselves to and they would consume the insides and leave the host, but they’ve never been inside an intelligent being before.”

I then chimed in, “That’s why I felt cold because it needs heat. That thing needed body heat.” She gave a nod and continued, “While we trailed behind you in the car, the man made his way into 21 Fitness, and you decided to follow him inside. Once we managed to secure a parking spot, we entered the gym, but since we weren’t members, we had to approach the receptionist for assistance. Mr. Smith presented her with a blank card, and for some inexplicable reason, she assumed we were some sort of investigators. He was in a panic, worried that you might have harmed someone, and unfortunately, his fears were confirmed. We discovered a man sprawled on the floor of one of the sauna rooms, a peculiar greenish-yellow foam seeping from his mouth.

 "She must have just left," I told him. He gazed at the lifeless body and his expression somber,” Leila paused and asked me if I wanted something to drink, I smiled and nodded. She stood up and went to a table where there was a pitcher of water and a cup next to it. She poured the water and brought the cup to me. I took a sip. "What else happened?" I asked her.

“Mr. Smith retrieved his scanner, gliding it over the man's body and then remarked, "It seems he wasn't quite the ideal partner," a concerned expression crossed his face. "The parasite residing within Remi is on the hunt for a companion to reproduce and spawn more of those things," he continued, his tone laced with a hint of empathy. A woman walked in and saw the body.
She screamed and Mr. Smith told her to call 911. “This man died of asphyxiation, and shock. I guess his body couldn’t take it.” After the woman left the room, I asked Mr. Smith, “Have you ever encountered anything like this?"

He shook his head. “We need to locate her,” he insisted, “and I know a hospital that specializes in cases like this.” We walked out of the room and just before we departed, Mr. Smith briefed the security personnel on his findings, carefully omitting any mention of the bizarre parasite incident. As we walked out of the fitness center I asked him, “Won’t they investigate why the man died?”

 He nodded and replied, “Yes, but they might throw it off as food poisoning or something. Right now, our main concern is Remi.” We got back in the car and drove around.”

 “I can’t believe I killed someone,” I muttered. Leila put her hand on my hand to comfort me. “It wasn’t your fault,” she said.

 “What else happened,” I asked, fearing the worse. “Well, I suggested going back home, maybe you had returned to your house. But instead, we found you entering Mr. Leon’s house.” She fell silent.

 “Well, what?” I asked. 

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