The Future
By: Paige Collins
My name is Jake. Just Jake, no last name. I don't give it out. I used to give out my last name, that was until the Yeerks arrived. Now I can't risk me and my friends getting killed.
Who are my friends? You might ask. Well, we are Animorphs. A made up word, as you suspected. My friend Marco made it up, it's short for Animal Morpher.
Who are the Yeerks? Brain stealing aliens. Yeah, I'm for real. No, they don't want our planet, our money or our president. They want our bodies.
The Yeerk, in it's natural state, crawls into your brain. The flatten themselves and sneak into every nook and space of your mind. There, they control you. They read your memory like a book. They do whatever they want with you…and for the bad part…we don't know who is a Controller and who isn't.
My older brother is one and my best friends mom is one. So is a whole bunch of people.
" Hey. Are you still alive in there?" Marco asked. The scene rushed back to me. I was in the bad part of town, the part where all the old, falling apart buildings are.
" Yeah, I'm still alive." I looked up. Above us was a huge building. Old. It wasn't used anymore. There was wood and bricks missing from the top and sides. Then I noticed something. Something was falling. Falling very fast. Falling right towards Marco. A piece of wood bigger than him. And he didn't see it.
" Marco! Look out!" He didn't have time to move. I leapt, pushed him out of the way as the wood came slamming down…
Beep! Beep!
An alarm clock. But not mine. How could I have gotten home?
" Honey, are you awake." I almost screamed. Honey? Honey? I rolled over and there was a woman lying there.
" Who are you?" I said, leaping out of bed. She laughed.
" Jake…I'm your wife."
" Stay back. I'm not married. Gosh, I'm only a teen!" She smiled.
" Jake, Jake, Jake. You always amuse me."
" What year is this?" She told me. According to her, I was thirty.
" No! No! Did the Yeerks win?" I said, hoping she wouldn't say: " Andalite!"
" No, my little Animorph. You guys won. Now get dressed or you'll be late for work." She climbed out of bed.
" Work? Work?" I squeaked.
" Yeah, you got a job, remember? Are you feeling okay honey?"
" Yeah…it's just that…"
" That what?"
" Where's Cassie at?" I stared at her. " And what is your name?"
" Jake, I'm Veronica. Remember? Cassie left after we graduated from high school." Cassie wasn't here? Where was Cassie.
" Why do you ask?"
" No reason." I went in the bathroom. I looked in the mirror. An adult stared back at me. What was happening? Where was I? Where was Rachel, Tobias, Marco, Ax???
Where…
I got dressed and went down stairs. Two faces peered at me. Two children were down there, at the table.
" Who are you two?" I asked. The little girl laughed.
" Don't you remember? I'm your daughter, Rose."
" And I'm your son Scotty, which is my nickname."
" What has gotten into you this morning?" Veronica asked, coming down the stairs.
" Nothing. Now, where do I work?" I asked. Everyone laughed.
" Honey, you're a doctor." I almost fell down at that moment.
" No."
" Yes."
" No!"
" Yes dear you're a doctor, now stop arguing and eat some breakfast." I just walked out.
" Honey, your car keys. Honestly, I don't know what you'd do without me."
" A lot better." I said.
" What did you say Jake? Hon, you know our marriage is in trouble. Why do you make it worse?" She sighed, shook her head and went inside. Now, how do you drive? I thought.
I put in the keys, and well, did my best. I had to start all over again. I finally pulled out of the driveway, hitting a trash can. Well.
I drove down the road, flying. I wasn't going to work. I was going to get some answers. I drove to Cassie's old house.
I knocked on the door. He mom came to the door.
" Oh, hello Jake."
" Where's Cassie at?"
" My goodness, you never wanted to know before."
" Where. Is. Cassie?"
" She's a vet part time and for her living she takes pictures of animals. Jake, she's in Africa."
I couldn't believe my ears. Cassie was in Africa?
" Uh, okay. Bye." I said, and got in my car. I drove the best I could to the airport.
" I'd like to get a ticket to Africa. When's the next flight there?"
" Tomorrow at 3:00."
" Ah, okay." I left the airport.
I came home. I had spent the entire day getting answers. I also found out Marco marries a model named Cher. Where I was. What year it was. All that good stuff.
I came to a white house. I drove in the carport without hitting anyone or anything.
I pulled the keys from the car and walked up the stairs. Opened the door and came in.
" Honey? Did you go to work? A nurse called and said you never came."
" Aw, what does the nurse know?" I said and sat down.
" Jake, what is wrong with you?" She narrowed her eyes.
" Nothing! Now get off my back!" I yelled.
" Jake." Tears formed in her eyes.
" WHAT!?"
" Nothing." She said. " Dinners ready." I went up stairs. I heard my kids in their room.
" Daddy is acting odd. They're getting a divorce, I'll bet."
" Uh-huh. Your right Scotty."
" Hey! Scotty! Rose! Dinner!" They thundered out of their room. I just sighed and came down.
We were having mashed potatoes, chicken, and biscuits. Ugh.
" Um…Veronica…I'm going to Africa." She spit out the water she was drinking.
" What!!! Why???"
" Cassie is there."
" That's it Jake. We are divorcing."
" Glad to hear it." She ran up stairs, crying.
" You made mommy cry." Rose.
" Who cares?" I said and went to pack my stuff.
I sighed. I looked around the airport. I felt bad, but I wasn't happy. I didn't love Veronica. I loved Cassie.
I got on the plane. I got a window seat. I sighed and looked out the window. People got smaller and smaller as the plane took off. A woman sat by me.
" Hi." She snapped and yelled at some man right next to her. Her husband.
Great. I had to fly to Africa listening to these two yell at each other. I looked out the window once more and fell asleep.
I felt something. We were there. Yes!
I got off the plane and got my luggage. I went to a building called the International Africa Photo Agency. Fancy name.
I went in.
" Um, can you tell me the location of a Cassie----?" I said.
" Yeah." He told me where she was. I drove there in a rented jeep. It took me about an three days to get there.
I saw a large jeep like thing. A black girl was taking a photo of a lion. I waved at her. I drove up to jeep thing.
" Jake! What are you…" I explained to her what was going on.
" Well, now." I climbed in with her.
" Wake up Jake. Wake up!" Huh?
" WAKE UP!" I opened my eyes as rain fell in them. Huh?
There was Marco, looking at me. He was all wet and so was I.
" You okay Jake? Man. You been knocked out for about three minutes." I sighed. " What were you doing in there."
" You'll never know Marco. You'll never know."