Beware the Red Eyed, Red Headed Demon
By: Paige hey, it's actually creepy Collins
Author Note: I want to be were the people are…
My name is Cora. Yes, Cora. No, not Mora, you nut, Cora. D-uh. Sorry, that happened to me once. You know, people mess everything that comes in the mail. I mean, can you imagine getting a letter saying 'Dear Mora Monsalls? I mean, stupid! Anyway, I is a Animorph… I mean, I am an Animorph. Sorry, not that I'm stupid, I just am used to talking like that. I'm from down south. Not that everyone is a redneck and let's face it, 12% of the populous are rednecks, but what about the rest? Normal folks, I guess. Anyway, I'm an Animorph. Hey, where are you going? You stupid…it can't be found in a dictionary! Unless this is fifty years in the future and Animorphs is a common, household name and I'm a nun. Just kidding.
Yes, we have enemy. Good things always have a catch, don't they?
" Oh, um…cough, cough, Cora, you left out one detail: What…is…an…Animorph?" You may say. Oh…yeah. Who can tell me who an Animorph is? Yes Timmy? You can go to the potty after our lesson. Jane? Very good. It's an Animal Morpher.
Given to the Original Six. They walked through an abandoned construction site, and saw an alien space craft. Anyway, it belonged to a Andalite named Elfangor. He had the blue box. He gave them the morphing powers. He was the #1 enemy of Visser I'm an idiot Three. He died. Thus the Animorphs were born, using their…aw, heck, this ain't some warped version of The Powerpuff Girls. This is reality. And let's face it, reality is a nightmare. I know, cause I live in fear of my people. Some are Yeerks, some aren't. Oh, but what is a Yeerk?
A Yeerk, commonly known as a snotty slug, crawls in your ear, squeezes it's nasty way into your brain, there, it crawls and sinks into the crevices of your mind. Oooh. There, it controls you. Your every move is it's wish. If it's wants you to go to the bathroom, by golly, you're going to the bathroom.
Sick huh? There's more. Half the entire, well mostly, the race of Hork-Bajir are enslaved. Except for a few remaining free ones. Sigh. And those evil thingy's the…drum roll…Taxxons!!! Ewwww!
Back to the point. Whoa…let me see, my name…Andalites, blue box, Visser Three, Yeerks, Taxxons, yes, we covered everything. Timmy, you may go to the bathroom now. Bad boy Timmy. We wait to go to the potty. The classroom is not a potty area. Bad!
" Cora, help me with this." Marco said. He snapped me out of my crazy daydream. I was a kindergarten teacher…oh well.
" Okay." I said, helping him set a box on his bed.
" Hey, Marco, got one thing for you to get rid of." Aimee Friedman said. Marco's girlfriend. My best friend.
" What's that Aimee?" He sighed and wiped sweat from his forehead. Redecorating was a hard job. Especially his room. Oh which we were doing.
" This tacky thing. My gosh, when are you going to get rid of it and put up another beautiful picture of me?" She was holding up a picture of Robin. Robin was Marco's girlfriend, but she was shot. It's a sad story, it was. I almost cried, but I don't cry at many things. I didn't cry at Titanic, till Leo died, then I bawled.
Marco really never got over it, like his dad never got over the fact that his mom…was down in the living room, vacuuming! Yes, she is back. But, since she died, Marco put her picture of her on his night stand. I think, still, in his heart, he loves her. Like I love my Reggie.
" No way, I am never parting with that." He took it from her and let it resume it's position.
" You people." I said. I began to pick up something. I noticed it was something priceless. It was a picture of Marco and Robin on their first date. And last. That brought tears to my eyes. Turning way, I picked it up and put it back on the shelf.
" Hey." I said, wiping tears from my eyes.
" Yeah?"
" Why…are…we…doing…this?" I asked like I was teaching a French three year old to speak proper English.
" Cause, I am sick of looking at the same bedroom. Besides, it's messy." He said.
" Ahhh, look at this. Why, Marco, do you have a piece of rope on your dresser?" She flipped it over.
" Marco and Cora are best friend and coosins? What?"
" Cousins. We were about four then." I turned to face Marco. " I'm surprised you kept that."
" Yeah well…" He looked at the floor.
" Well, I got to put this in the hall closet." He picked up the heavy box of junk and waddled out the door.
WHUMP! I heard him open the door and slide in the box. Then, a scream pierced the air. It was Marco.
" What? What?" Aimee cried, running out into the hall. Marco was leaning against the wall, scared and out of breath.
" I saw her." He said.
" Saw who Marco?" Aimee said, very anxious to know.
" Robin, I saw Robin. She winked at me and walked into the closet. I saw Robin." He took a couple of deep breaths and kept mumbling about " She's dead, but how…" Let me tell you: He was scared.
" Marco, you're making me scared, stop it. Besides, this means…" Aimee's voice trailed off. " You're back in love with the old devil! I knew it! I knew it! Just saw it coming." She walked down the stairs.
" You're leaving? Are you mad?" Marco cried, running down the steps after her.
" No, I remembered I had something to do." She made a little noise and strolled out their front door.
" Satisfied?" I asked as we walked up the stairs.
" What do you mean by that?"
" You obviously hurt Aimee's feelings. I've been her friend since we were two, I'd know." I looked at the wall.
" Yeah, you're right." He said as we entered his room again. " I mean, it was my imagination. It always makes me lose a girlfriend."
" Yeah, but you've only had two girlfriends." I said and ducked at a incoming pillow, aiming straight for my head.
" Well, let's not go near that closet again, okay?" He said. I laughed.
" I'll be right back. I gotta go get another box." He left the room.
I sat on his bed and looked at the picture of Robin. Maybe her ghost was haunting Marco's house. Or maybe we were over reacting.
WHUMP! Someone was on the stairs. Then in a room or something.
" Marco? Laura?" I asked. Then I heard Marco in his mother's room and Marco's mom downstairs. I gulped. Looking down the hall, I glanced at the closet. Robin stepped out of it and was coming down the hall slowly. I screamed and closed the door. I turned and bumped right into her. Oh, my Gosh! She was in the room. She disappeared, but by that time, I was booking down the hall.
I tripped and rolled down the stairs. I screamed and screamed the whole way down. I bumped into Marco's mom's feet. I screamed. Marco came thundering down the stairs.
I felt pain shoot up my leg, where I'd hit it. I began to cry and cry. No! No! I did not just see that.
" Cora, are you okay?" Marco asked.
I began to cry even harder and struggled to catch my breath and answer.
I was walking to my house.
" Cora, are you okay?" My mom asked.
" Yeah." I wiped a still remaining tear from my eye.
" What's wrong?"
" Nothing." I said and walked to my room. Sadly, we don't have a two-story house since we moved from Orlando, Florida.
" Well, maybe I should wait a minute before telling you the news." I sighed. I stood up, and got off my bed. I walked through the door, through the kitchen and towards the door. Ah, yes. I was going across the street. You see, I live in a neighborhood were you can play in the streets. I also, with Aimee, live at the dead end of the road.
" Hi Cora. Something wrong?" I must have looked like I'd been crying. I had been crying. After I'd got, I had caught a glimpse of her going into another room. I mean, I ran outside. I was screaming. And you may think I was a wimp or something, there was something wrong with her. I couldn't place my finger on it, but something was different. Something was-
"Hello? Are you in another world? I said is there something wrong?"
" No. It's just…" I looked in the direction Marco's house was. " Nothing. Nothing."
" No, you wouldn't be crying."
" Okay! Okay! Okay! I saw Robin. She looked…odd. Something was wrong with her."
" Gee, Cora, you just figured that out? D-uh! She's dead and possibly in Heaven…"
" Or…" I said, coming across the street.
" I can't believe I'm having this conversation!!! Think about it, my boyfriend saw his dead girlfriend in his house, his odd cousin did and I see nothing! I am jealous."
" Don't be. It was creepy." I laughed. " But seriously, don't be. Something was wrong."
" Sigh, Cora. You need to be in a straitjacket." I came up to her.
" Aimee, Aimee, Aimee. If I were the little brown hared girl named Aimee, I'd go crazy. You were actually weird enough to like Marco. Now tell me boys and girls, is there anything wrong with her. You're right, there is. Yes, Timmy, you can go to the bathroom." I said. Aimee burst out laughing.
" Cora, Cora…" Aimee began.
" CORA?" My mom called.
" Coming! See you later, Aimee!" I ran 'cross the street and into my house.
" Yo, whuz up?" I said.
" A lot of things are up. Mommy is going to Japan and so is Daddy." Morgan snapped.
I promised you, if I didn't know better, my family is a bunch of Andalites. I'm the only idiot of the group. Example: Morgan likes to shop, but she loves music, art and science and math. Sam, my six-year-old brother, likes art and math. My younger brother, Austin, who is four-years-old, likes art and is a computer whiz. Now, they all talk like " Yes, I will do that." While I said. " Yeah, I'll do it." I mean, it's odd. Then again, Marco, me and Laura and Marco's parents are the only sane ones. My cousin Veronica is very odd and so is her sisters Victoria and Vivian.
And if you're wondering, Laura is Marco's little sister. Little as in one.
" Cora, we are going to Japan. I am taking Sam and Austin with me. You know they didn't get to go on the last trip."
" How could we forget?" I muttered.
" Anyway, you're going to stay with Marco." I felt a chill run down my back. Okay, so basically my mom wanted me to spend the night or possibly the rest of the week with a ghost. Oh, joy.
" How many ore hours till the plane leaves?"
" It leaves at 8:00, so we have about two hours. You can go pack or enjoy your time as it is."
" But what about our pets? Sporty and Fluffster can't stay here all alone! And what about N' Sync and Britney? I can't leave my little fish behind! What to do…" I said, a sly grin coming on.
" Oh, all right! You can take them."
" Yes!" I squealed as the doorbell rang. I opened the door. Aimee stood there.
" Come in." I said in a deep voice. She giggled. We went into my room, were Morgan the Weird was talking on the phone.
" Oh no!" She said, hanging up the phone. " Jennifer was coming over."
" Not that dumb blonde. Last time I nearly died because of the idiocy radiating from our room." Morgan laughed.
" Yeah, I know."
" What do you need Aimee?"
" Um, nothing. Just came to chat." The door swung open and in stepped Jake?
" WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?" I shrieked.
" Matters." He said.
" Oh, look at the time! I must be going." I looked at Aimee. She knew if she were to stick around, trouble would brew even more. Then, just as Aimee left, Jennifer came in. Oh, no! Too many idiots!
" Like, your mom let me in." No, this wasn't happening.
" And you should be leaving. I'll show you to the door."
" But…but…"
" BYE, Jennifer." She said.
" EEEEK! Oh, my Gosh! Jake is over! Jake!" We still don't get how Jennifer could like Jake. Then again, Jennifer likes Marco, Tobias, Reggie, Ax, Shad, Erek, Morgan's boyfriend Justin, my enemy April's boyfriend Jonathan and a lot more. Also, Reggie older brother Charles, Tom, who is Jake's older brother, and any singer or movie star. That girl is boy crazy.
" Jake, look at my lovely Lava Lamp." I said.
" Huh?"
" I said my lovely Lava Lamp." I added more urgency. He picked it up and tossed it at Jennifer. The Lava Lamp landed on the bed and Jennifer on the floor.
" Okay, what?"
" This Sunday, meaning tomorrow, we have to go to the Yeerk pool. Rachel said earlier that the Yeerks have gotten out of hand, so we're paying them a little visit."
" Jake, that is by far the lamest attempt to do something." I snickered.
" Okay! Okay! So we're all bored."
" Darn, you must be pretty bored to want to go to the Yeerk pool." Morgan pointed out.
" Besides, we need to get the Yeerks in control. You don't want another of those missions were we morph camels and go to the desert. Even though you weren't there, you've heard stories. That's how it happened. They got sick of secrecy, realized they could do anything, and boom. It happened."
" All right." I said.
" Oh, yeah." Jake began to walk towards the door. " Your friend Jennifer is waking up."
Jennifer began to sit up.
" I'd better go home." She began to walk towards the door.
" Oh and what about Jake?" Morgan teased.
" Jake? Who's Jake?" I laughed as everyone left the room. I sat there and picked up a book. One of my favorites, The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I began to read when my cat, Fluffster jumped into my lap. I said an inappropriate word.
" Cora? You need to start packing." I sighed and picked up my over night bag. I put clothes, lots of clothes in that one, and some personal belonging like a hairbrush, a picture of my family (which I bring to friends houses with me, so if a fire comes, I'll have a picture of them,) some board games, pet things, and Mr. Teddy Bear.
" Cora? Morgan? Come on. We're going." Darn it. I'd spent my time worrying with that idiot Jake.
I climbed into my car and Morgan into hers. It took about three seconds to get there. I hopped out.
" Bye Cora!" My mom said as she pulled out and drove to the airport.
We stood there, bags at our feet, fish bowl in my hands, cat at my feet, Morgan with our dog Sporty on a leash and just looking. I hadn't told Morgan about Robin, but I had an odd feeling she knew. Marco came out of the house.
" Let me take that." He said, picking up my bags. I walked as my cat strolled along beside me and Morgan went into the back to put Sporty. She back about three seconds later as we entered the house.
I walked up the stairs, up to our room. Marco set the fish bowl on night-stand thing and went to my bed. Their guest bedroom is magnificent. It is white, with white beds, white carpet and white curtains. Best of all, it has a balcony that you can go and stand outside It great.
I set my stuff down and looked outside. The curtains blew in the night air. It scared me.
" What's wrong Cora?" Morgan asked.
" Nothing is wrong."
" No, there has to be something wrong. You get that look when something is wrong.
" I said…" I was interrupted by Marco's mom calling us for dinner. I came down.
" Hey, guys." Marco said as he came to sit down. I sat down, wondering if anything was going to happen.
We were having Chinese food.
" Like I was saying, he said…" Marco began to talk as I listened to other things. The clock, the night sounds and the occasional fork hitting a plate. Too much, too much! Either I was going crazy or I was paranoid.
Then, for a moment, I saw Robin at the screen door. She smiled the sweetest smile, not at all mean and mouthed something. Noticing that I couldn't hear her, she disappeared. I didn't scream. I just sat in my chair, staring at the screen door.
" Cora, there is something wrong." Morgan said.
" No there isn't!" I cried. I accidentally set my hand in some rice.
" I'm going to wash my hands." I said and turned to walk up the stairs.
I walked into the bathroom and turned on the water. There was nothing wrong.
Then, the curtains rustled. I continued to wash my hands. Then, the curtains drew back, and Robin stood there. I screamed and began to flick water at her. I ran straight into a wall as I attempted to run out. Lying in the hall way, she came out of the bathroom and walked up to me. I screamed louder than I ever had before. Marco's dad ran up.
" What's wrong?" He cried, helping me up.
" I think we have an unexpected visitor."
" What?"
" Nothing. I just got…scared." I said.
It was about three hours after dinner. I was preparing to go to bed.
" Morgan, close that window." I said as I piled into bed with my stuffed bear, Mr. Teddy Bear. Fluffster climbed in with me.
" No, it's warm in here." She said. I sighed and closed my eyes.
Soon, I was asleep, dreaming.
A girl walked up to me.
" Hey, where does Aimee live? What's her phone number? What is her address? What time is she at home?" I feared maybe this girl was out to get Aimee, so I said I wasn't going to tell. I had some odd adventure with a cat, Pickachu and Christopher Ralph. Then, I was lying in my bed. I heard laughter and as the person laughed, pictures appeared on the wall.
" Ack!" I said up. I laid back down. It was all a dream. No Christopher, no laughter and no pictures.
" Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I heard a little girl scream.
Then, I noticed it was Laura. I said couple of curse words and race into her room. Marco and the others had beat me there. I noticed she's dropped her bottle and milk was on the floor. Something wasn't right.
I looked at the milk and it spelled out something: Beware the Red Eyed, Red Headed Demon.
" Uh-oh." I walked back into my room with Morgan as we got into our beds. I dropped my flashlight and as I picked it up, a hand grabbed me. I kicked it and began to sleep again.
I felt a hand run it's fingers down my back. Turning over, there laid Robin. Then I noticed what was wrong. She had red eyes. Radiating glowing red eyes. Freaky red eyes. She looked dead. Her face was, well, thin, and so was she. She stuck out her tongue and waved it at me. It was about two feet long, the tongue that is. I screamed, grabbed my teddy bear and out of the room. I heard something, but I paid no attention to it.
WHAM! Something slammed into my legs. I turned and looked down. A lump was in the carpet, about three feet high. It was moving backwards, gaining momentum for it's next attack. Oh, yeah. Robin was in the carpet. I ran down the hall, with Robin making some screaming sound and crawling in the carpet after me.
I took out the milk and mad some chocolate milk. I couldn't go outside, there were too many things to harm me. I sighed and sat down.
THUMP! THUMP!
It was coming from the cabinet. I got up and walked on the cold, tile floor towards the cabinet. I opened it and Robin was sitting in it, red eyes glaring.
I slammed it shut and sat down. I started to pick up my milk, when I heard something. I looked to the side and Robin was no more than a foot away from me, holding the Fluffster and stroking her. I screamed and ran outside.
I was going to drive outta here, since she'd get me on foot. I grabbed the car keys and looked in the mirror. Robin was sitting in the back seat.
I grabbed the door and tried to open it. It was locked. She began to inch closer. Success! I opened it up and raced towards the door. It was locked. Darn it. I could morph, but that would take too long.
Movement! I saw the shadows move and a girl stepped out. Robin wasn't on foot though. She was riding a lawn mower. I was safe except for one thing: It was going about 95 miles per hour and it had twenty five foot blades on it. I began to run. Run to the tree! Run to the tree! I tried to do just that, except the branches were too high. I was cornered. She came at me, blades slashing and all that. The door burst open.
" Cora?" Marco cried.
" Marco, I'm about to die!" She looked at Marco. She looked at me. Then, just before I was going to be slashed, she disappeared.
Then something dawned on me.
" Marco, did a little girl ask you were Aimee lived?"
" Yeah and I told her were she lived."
" Oh no. I think I know where Robin is."
We ran to Aimee's house. I didn't see anything, but the door was open. I walked in.
I walked down the silent hallway, fearing Robin was just around the corner. I peeked in Aimee's room, and gasped.
There were footprints coming at her in the deep carpet.
She got closer. Closer. Closer. Till she was at Aimee's bed.
I walked up behind her as she shimmered into visibility. She reared her red hair, and turned. She smiled, but this time she had sharp teeth. She made that same screaming sound, something like a woman screaming. Her eyes glowed with every shout.
Aimee's eyes snapped open.
" Ohmigosh! What the heck…" She said, took one look at Robin and began to scream. Robin slapped her hand over Aimee's mouth.
Robin grabbed Aimee and bolted out of the door, out of the house and into the streets. We ran after her.
I ran out to her.
" What do you want?"
" I want Aimee. Every since I heard Marco had a new girl, I decided I was his one and only. So, I came to pay a little visit to Marco. Only, when he was conscious, he wouldn't answer my questions. So I decided to get the girl. I tried to tell you while you were eating, in the halls and in the bathroom. But all had failed, till I decided dreams were the only way. Ah, yes, dreams. I scared you with that one, didn't I? Ha, ha, ha, ha. Well, since I couldn't get any answers out of you, I was getting aggravated. So, I thought about having a little fun. But, I got into Marco's dreams, found out about Aimee, and well I didn't have anytime left for fun. Action was at hand." She smiled.
" Fun? This is your idea of fun? What kind of sicko are you?" Aimee cried.
" Obliviously the jealous type. Marco doesn't love you, he loves Aimee." I said.
" No, don't say that. Don't say that!" She bent over and put her hands over her ears.
" And you're nothing but a jealous, rotten,"
" NO!"
" Spoiled, evil."
" NOOOO!"
" Dead ex-girlfriend." I smiled.
" So, I let jealousy get the better of me. But that doesn't mean I still can't have a little FUN!" She screamed and grabbed Aimee by the throat.
" Let go!" Marco cried.
" 'Bout time." Aimee gasped.
" Cora is right. I don't love you, but Aimee. And I wish you'd go away."
" Ha, ha, ha! The more insults, the longer I stay." OH! If…
" Marco loves you, he just wants to spare Aimee's feelings, that's all."
" HUH!?" Aimee cried.
" He does."
" Well, okay." She smiled. " I'll spare her life, since the poor girl has no boy."
" Oh, but I do. Marco. She's just saying that."
" AIMEE! NOOOO!" I cried. Robin reached out, grabbed her throat again and Aimee dropped.
" NOOOO!" Marco cried. " You…"
" Marco, just say you like her." I whispered.
" I love you Robin. But why have you come?"
" To kill… oh no." She began to melt into this yellow goo and it began to evaporate into the sidewalk.
" NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Her scream slurred cause her mouth melted. She disappeared into dust that was blown away by the faint breeze.
" AIMEE!" Marco said, rushing towards her. She sat up, her eyes began to flutter open.
" Aimee, I thought, you'd, well gone to the big thingy in the sky. Oh, Gosh!" He hugged her.
" I only hit my head. And I'll be darned if I didn't hit it hard."
" Oh my Aimee."
" Oh my Marco!"
" Oh my lunch."
" Cora!" Marco said. " I'll walk you inside." He walked her to her house and said good night.
" Well, ready to try to go to sleep?" I asked.
" Sure." We walked to Marco's house, walked up stairs and flopped on my bed.
" Scary night huh?" He said.
" Sure was." I answered. " I'm surprised Morgan didn't wake up."
" Didn't wake up?" I said something I should not have, cause she scared me.
" I was awakened by you screaming and I have been trying to go to sleep!" I was about to say something about how we almost died, but she was only half -awake.
" Good night, New York." She said and fell fast asleep. Almost. " One more thing, don't look behind you." By instinct, we turned. A picture of Robin was hanging on the wall. I screamed, Marco screamed and screamed.
" Ah-hah-ha!" A voice cackled. " You never can…get rid of a ghost."