My stupid heart skipped several beats when I saw the moving truck pulling on to the highway that leads from Tucson to Pheonix. Typically that was the only time I had any control of my own body was for it to betray me.

"What are you doing?" Asked Fern as Flickering Song pulled out onto the highway behind the truck.

"Ian recognises that truck," said Flickering Song plainly.

That shut Fern up.

Now Ian who's in that truck? Asked Flickering Song, is it Wanda.

Go. To. Hell. I snapped back.

It's Wanda isn't, Flickering Song had a hint of amusement in his thoughts, as if he were enjoying watching me squirm. I had never met a soul who enjoyed pain as much as Flickering Song did and I found it very unsettling.

"I believe that there are humans in that truck," said Flickering Song. Fern tensed.

Flickering Song switched on the siren and I watched as the truck pulled over. Flickering Song pulled over on the other side of the road and flicked on the spotlight so that it shone into the windscreen of the truck. Flickering Song saw a flash of silver from the person sitting in the driver's seat, as their eyes reflected the light back. This set Flickering Song's nerves at ease, I had given him no reason to suspect his own kind. My nerves were still close to breaking. The person in the driver's seat was small. There were two larger people in the passenger seats, who Flickering Song assumed to be sleeping.

Fern climbed out of the car and Flickering Song followed her, making his way over to the driver's window, where Fern had already begun a conversation with the driver. In the light provided by the spotlight, Flickering Song could easily see all three figures in the truck. The two figures in the passenger seats did indeed appear to be sleeping. Flickering Song's attention went to the back of their necks and was calmed by the sight of the scars that he saw there.

What has you so worked up about this truck? He asked me, eyeing the back of the truck.

There were several things that had me worked up about this truck, but I wasn't going to let him see that. This truck belonged to my band of misfit humans who were clearly returning from a raid. The two passengers (who appeared harmless to Flickering Song) were Melanie and Jared, I could see how tense both of them were despite their valiant effort to feign sleep. And finally, the driver of the vehicle was Wanda, looking small and terrified.

She hadn't seen me yet, but when she did Flickering Song would see the recognition in her eyes and Melanie and Jared would have to act fast to subdue Fern and Flickering Song before the two seekers caught on to what was happening.

As Flickering Song moved closer to the window I readied myself to fight for control of my body.

"I'm sorry I think I must've fallen asleep," Wanda was saying to Fern, putting on a convincing act of being tired.

"Not to worry," smiled Fern, "I suggest you return to Tucson for the night if you're tired. There's a very nice hotel not too far from here. How does that sound?"

But Wanda did not reply having frozen in place staring at Flickering Song. 

"What's your name miss?" asked Flickering Song. In the corner of his vision, I could see the muscles in Jared's neck ripple as he heard the sound of my voice.

"Sunlight Passing Through The Ice," squeaked Wanda. She had adopted Sunny's name. Perhaps in her frozen fear, she had not been able to concoct a new name fast enough. It hurt me to see Wanda look at me with such fear, but I had to remind myself that it was Flickering Song she looked at in this way, not me.

Be careful, I urged her with my thoughts, I love you.

It is Wanda isn't it, I could almost feel the smile in his thoughts and once again I cursed myself for slipping and letting him hear me. Flickering Song ran through several different possibilities as to how humans had learned to fake the reflection of silver from the eyes of a soul.

"Isn't it Wanda?" Flickering Song raised one of my eyebrows and cocked his head.

Several things happened at once.

Melanie (who was sat closest to Wanda) snapped to attention and her eyes flew open. She launched herself across Wanda and out of the window (which I thought was a rather impressive move). She landed on Flickering Song and knocked him to the ground. I was sure that if he hadn't been taken by surprise then Melanie wouldn't have been able to move him. Jared's door was flung open, and he landed a perfect punch on Fern's face, very effectively knocking her out.

"Mel, get the girl in the truck!" Jared yelled as he barreled towards me.

Flickering Song tried to scramble to his feet with no avail.

I knew the way that Jared fought, so I saw the punches coming, bit Flickering Song didn't know Jared.

Jared? Flickering Song asked, there's more?

Yes, there are more, I said triumphantly. Flickering Song didn't have time to press me on this point as he had to focus on defending my head from Jared's attack. And now my friends have won. I could have smiled at the pain the Flickering Song (and therefore I) was experiencing, it meant that I would be going home and this whole nightmare would have ended.

As I felt Flickering Song beginning to loose conscious I let go. The wall was tiring to keep up and I simply couldn't hold on any longer. I let it crumble, I let him see everything that he had been searching for, knowing that he would not have the chance to use any of this information.

I let myself fade into the back of my own mind, knowing that soon enough I would be the only one here again.