Summary: Meet Alex. She's just like you or me. Well, maybe not quite, but very similar. She dreams about meeting her storytime heroes all the time, and she's about to get the chance. But the Animorphs don't like Alex, and no wonder. She knows who they are, how they look, their strengths, their weaknesses and everything else there is to know. Including how the story ends.
A/N: Alex is a bit of a self-insertion but it's using me and my personality from a couple of years ago (I've changed a lot) except for the part where she says she doesn't like sports. I love sports . I've also added a few more quirks to make her a more interesting character. Please read and review. Constructive criticism is VERY welcome. Rated T for some minor swearing.
My name is Alex.
I don't think anyone reading this will ever believe my story. Seriously. I don't even believe it.
It begins in my room, on a boring summer day. Sitting on my bed, hair still wrapped in a towel from my shower.
I was basically a normal kid, living in the land of normal, boring normality. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Let's just say I was sick of it all. I was sick of my house with rounded corners and child-proof drawers. I was sick of the school, where the only excitement was who was cheating on whom this week and how long it would take them to break up and find someone else to date. I was sick of our planet, with people running around from place to place, filling our atmosphere with dangerous gasses while they stressed about their meetings and popped pills for tension. I was sick of whiny little brats who cry when they break a nail.
Basically, I thought I was tough shit, and I was sick of the lack of action.
I really didn't like sports. I guess I found them pointless. Chasing after balls or flipping around, I never really understood why people did it. There was no good reason in my mind. They were wasting their time. It's not like any of them were actually ever going to make it big anyway. I had few hobbies too. I thought most hobbies were outright boring. Knitting? Come on. I wasn't specifically good at cooking or drawing or anything like that, so I kept a diary and watched television in my spare time. My diary was filled with wishes of something exciting to happen to me, rather than the useless gossip most people fill theirs with.
The rest of the time, I turned to books. I read all the time, imagining myself as the brave and fearless warrior, who bore her sword and smirked as her enemy charged. I would be strong. I would practice until I was perfect. None would oppose me. It was the perfect image in my mind. People did it all the time in history, and I was sure I could easily surpass those wimpy idiots.
Okay, so my favorite books actually had nothing to do with swords and shields or knights and dragons. I loved the Animorphs series when I was little and, like many fans, absolutely hated the television show for its cheap and aggravating imitation of the books. It had been a very, very long time since I'd opened the books. Now fourteen, I finally picked up The Invasion again.
What did I expect? I knew it was sort of a little kid thing, and I hardly remembered the details, but I owned every book. Why not go through the series again? It was summer, and I needed something to do, considering my vacant social schedule.
So I opened the book. And everything changed.
Suddenly, I wasn't sitting in my room anymore. I was on a beach. I swore loudly, but luckily there was no one around to hear. What had happened? It was like a strange dream. Did I blank out part of my life or something? How else did I get here? I stood up, no longer holding a book. I was still wearing my sweats and T-shirt, and my hair was still wet from the shower I had just had. Or not, considering that there was no way I could be here in that little of time. I smelled my hair. Yep, it smelled like Dove shampoo. Not the salt water of the ocean beside me. I looked around, but didn't recognize the beach. Then again, it wasn't likely considering that I lived inland. The ocean wasn't anywhere near my house. I didn't know where I was or what was happening. I was alone. Needless to say, that was the second I lost my cool.
There were no vehicles parked in the parking lot above the beach, and the sun was setting. The tide was going out, and I was getting more and more frightened by the minute. My stomach tensed. "Hello?" I yelled, hoping someone would answer. Nobody answered. I called for a while longer, but still, no answer. "Where am I?" I whispered. Of course, the only answer was the roll of the waves and seagulls screeching above. I walked up to the parking lot, but there were no houses in sight, only a highway with the odd car racing past. I knew better than to try to hitchhike, with all the creepers out there in the world. I walked back down to the beach. My eyes started to water.
I tried to regain my composure, but panic was really setting in. I started running down the beach, looking for someone that could help me. I ran over the sand dunes, jumping over puddle-like tide pools. I brushed past bushes, tears clouding my vision as I searched. After a minute I had arrived by a forest. I stopped running and fell down on my knees in the sand dramatically. I wasn't thinking straight. I had to get ahold of myself. I wiped my tears and ran over possible explanations in my head. Blackout, kidnapping, dreaming… none seemed logical. It didn't matter. I had to be brave. The tears ceased, making my dry eyes sting. I stood slowly and decided to calmly search. There was no use in wasting my energy. So I turned right and began walking, right through the bush that had been hiding me from the thing I was now standing in front of. I looked up. At first, in the twilight, I thought it was a person on a horse, but the horse was a little small, and when the person turned to me, they had no mouth. I screamed and staggered back, getting a good look at what now seemed to be a blue, mouthless centaur. This was scary. In the blink of an eye, I felt cold metal at my neck. A knife was my best guess. The centaur looked down at me with a very calm composure.
((Who are you?)) A voice asked. I was terrified to answer, but I was more afraid of not answering, knowing that a sharp object and my jugular don't mix.
"Alex," I said meekly. Then I realized what I was looking at. At least, I thought it was, from the descriptions I had heard. I stared in awe. There was no way this could be happening. It was just too weird. I was about to blurt out 'hey, you're an andalite,' when the andalite interrupted me.
((Yeerk,)) the andalite said, hatred dripping off his words.
"No. Not yeerk," I said. "Definitely not Yeerk." Tears were rolling down my cheeks again. If I messed up, I would be dead in less than a second.
((You lie. You must have followed us,)) its voice taunted.
"I'm not lying. I'm not a yeerk. Please, please don't kill me."
By then I had realized that knowing what an andalite was would raise awkward questions. I had to play stupid.
((She's alone. She might not even be one of them. Let her go,)) another voice said. A hawk settled in the sand nearby. Only this particular hawk had red tailfeathers.
"Tobias," I whispered, cursing myself the second the word was out of my mouth.
((What?)) the andalite who was obviously Ax demanded angrily, pushing his blade onto the skin in my neck. It was really starting to hurt.
"Nothing!" I yelped, realizing exactly how big my mouth was.
((Don't play games. If you don't repeat that now, your head will roll across the sand.))
"Okay, okay, I said Tobias," I said. Tears were streaming down my face. I was going to die! He could just flick his tail and my head would roll. How was I supposed to explain myself? Would it hurt to die? What had I gotten myself into? What the hell was happening? I thought Animorphs was just a book series.
((Where do you know that name from?)) Tobias asked.
It had to be a prank. My friends were pulling a prank on me. They must have found my books or something. I didn't understand how, but I knew it had to be a hoax. "Okay guys, very funny," I said nervously. "You can stop now."
((Answer the question.))
I figured they just wanted me to admit it. "Okay, okay, I read the books already. Give it a break."
((What books?)) Tobias asked.
((I believe you are not making any sense,)) Ax said, frustration edging up in his 'voice.'
I swallowed hard. This wasn't a prank. They really were speaking to my mind. I never actually heard anything. The metal was pressing into my neck painfully. It was time to stop pretending it was all fake. "Um…"
((Where do you know that name?)) Tobias asked again.
"I don't know," I said, feigning innocence. "I—I'm not sure."
Ax was getting frustrated. ((Tell us the truth!)) His blade tensed.
"Please, please don't kill me. If you promise not to kill me I'll tell you everything."
Ax quieted for a moment, looking beyond me. Then he nodded, a strangely humanlike thing for him to do, and lowered his blade. It occurred to me that someone was behind me, but when I turned to look there were four wolves. That didn't make me rest any easier. I hadn't ever actually thought of real wolves when I read the books, but here they were, yellow-white teeth bared, lips pulled back, wet noses so close that I could reach out and touch them, real.
((What is the truth?)) A male voice asked.
"You won't believe me." If they were wondering how I knew Tobias, there was no way they knew about the books.
((You'd be surprised by what we believe.))
"I'm sure I wouldn't be surprised," I said, gaining confidence like a snowball going downhill. I knew these guys. There was nothing to worry about, right?
((Just get to the point,)) a female voice said angrily. It must have been Rachel.
"Oh man, you guys aren't going to like this," I said. "I don't even know how it happened."
A wolf growled. ((Stop stalling.)) A different male voice this time.
"All right, all right," I said, holding up my hands defensively, even though they would make no difference against the wolf. "I've read about you guys, in a book."
((About us?))
"Yeah… the Animorphs," I said hesitantly. "Jake, Marco, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias and Ax. Um… right?"
All four wolves stared at me stupidly. The blade went back to my neck. ((I don't believe her,)) Ax explained.
"It's true. The books, by K.A. Applegate. About the Yeerk invasion and the andalites and the hok-bajaar and the… um…. Taxes, no, Taxors? I can't remember. I've read about Ax's brother Elf-something getting killed by Visor three, and how Elf…Elf… Elfangor! That's it! He's Tobias' father," I pointed at Tobias. Ax's blade dropped from my neck. I had pronounced just about everything wrong and forgotten the rest, but I got my point across.
((We need to find these books,)) a different female voice said.
((No kidding. Who knows how many yeerks know about us now.))
((How do we know she's not one of them?)) Rachel's voice said angrily.
There was a silence in my head, and it took me a minute to realize that they were talking among themselves. I waited patiently, not really wanting to draw the attention of wolves.
((What else do you know?)) Tobias asked.
"Well, I know that you five are just kids, or were kids in Tobias' case. I know that Rachel and Jake are cousins, and Jake is the leader. Marco is funny, Rachel is really pretty, Cassie is nice," by now I was just listing off character traits, because I hardly remembered much of the plot. "Ax calls Jake his prince, even though Jake tells him not to. You guys meet in Cassie's barn…" I trailed off, trying to remember more.
Jake took initiative, at least, I think it was Jake. It could have been Marco. ((You have to come with us.))
"Where?"
((You have to spend three days in captivity.))
"Oh yeah, because yeerks die after three days. You have to make sure I'm not one. Jake got infested once, right?" I really wanted confirmation that what I was saying was true, but I got none. "What about my parents?"
((This is far too important. I'm sorry, but we can't allow you to contact them.))
I understood, but it still wasn't fair. "Just to tell them I'm safe? I'll tell them I'm sleeping over at my friend's house."
A pause. ((No. You can't contact anyone.))
"But they'll send out a search! I'll be in trouble when I get home!"
((If you get home,)) Rachel snarled.
I turned around to face Ax again. "Come on! Please?"
((That is not my decision to make.))
"But your parents are worried about you, aren't they?"
Ax stiffened, and I knew I had hit a soft spot.
"Please, let me go home. I swear I'm not a yeerk. I hate yeerks."
((Follow me,)) Ax said, and I walked behind him, losing sight of the wolves. We walked on the sand along the woods. I had long since strayed away from the parking lot and the road was nowhere in sight.
Only Tobias followed us, soaring overhead.
Night had fallen, and it was difficult to see clearly. Though it was easy to locate the shape leading me, I couldn't seem to notice the ups and downs of the sand, and I tripped and stumbled often.
I looked up at the black bird silhouette against the deep blue sky. "It must be so wonderful to fly," I said wistfully to Ax. I didn't realize that Tobias could hear me.
((It is wonderful,)) he said. I searched the rest of the sky before we turned to enter the forest, and noticed other birds flying into view.
"I didn't think you guys existed," I said conversationally. "Well, after grade four at least. Before that I thought you could be real."
There was another pause. ((How old are you?)) Ax asked.
"Fourteen."
((We haven't been fighting that long,)) Ax said. I stopped, stunned.
"But the books have been around since I was like, five years old!" I said.
((We haven't. Are you sure you're going to keep to that story?)) one of them said.
"It's the truth," I said. "If one of you morphs yeerk and checks it out, you'll know. Doesn't Cassie have one?"
Nobody spoke.
I ran my fingers through my wet hair slowly, letting out a long sigh. It was cold outside, and my hair had started to freeze in the slightest. I was cold.
What the hell was going on? It had to be a dream. A bit too elaborate for a dream of mine, but that was the only way. I pinched myself hard without hesitation. "Ouch!" I yelled.
((Quiet!)) Ax demanded.
Marco, on the other hand, was howling with laughter. Well, I'm pretty sure it was Marco.
((What?)) Rachel's voice demanded.
((She had to pinch herself,)) Marco howled.
((It's not that funny,)) Rachel said after a moment of fighting back her own laughter.
((It's okay,)) a kinder voice said. ((I have to pinch myself every day to make sure it's real. Don't worry, it is.))
"Worry," I muttered under my breath, "why would I worry? I'm kickin it with the Ani-freaking-morphs. No, I have no reason to worry."
Ax caught that. ((I believe this is sarcasm. Am I right?))
"Yes Ax, yes it is," I said, not believing myself as I spoke.