My name is Jake.
I live in a doomed world.
I knew it was earth's last days before it began.
I knew that humanity was lost.
But I didn't know that it would end like this.
I thought that if humanity would be destroyed it was because of the Yeerks.
The Yeerks are parasitic, alien slugs. They enter through a person's ear canal and once they reach the brain they will have full control of the body of that person.
A person who has a slug in its brain is what we call a Controller.
How can you tell if a person is a controller or not?
You can't.
The Yeerk can also read that person's memories. So he'll be able to act normal in front of other people.
One of these Controllers is Tom, my brother. So is Marco's mom and many other alien species that the Yeerks have conquered.
How do I know these things?
Well it started when me and my friends decided to take a shortcut through an abandoned construction site.
There was my best friend, Marco, who always likes to make other people laugh. My beautiful and tough cousin Rachel. Cassie, my girlfriend, sort of we never really made it Tobias, the kid I rescued from bullies seconds just before his head was flushed down the toilet.
Okay then we were making our way through that construction site. A spaceship crash landed and out of that ship came Elfangor, an Andalite.
He told us about the Yeerk invasion.
He was dying. But before he died, he gave us a weapon. The power to morph any animal we could touch.
Since then we started our secret war against the Yeerks.
Our parents don't know anything about this. They don't know that after school we would go out on a mission to stop the Yeerks.
We, the Animorphs, five kids and an Andalite are the only ones resisting a race of intelligent and technologically advanced aliens.
I thought that if we fought the Yeerks we may be able to save the human race. But I never thought that all the fights, pain, and nightmares that we've endured just to save the human race was going to be put to waste.
It was just a normal day when it all began.
Marco and I were at the same room, listening to Mr. Cordero's lecture about World War 2. Marco was sort of listening. Actually he's asleep facedown on his desk.
I was pretending to be listening but my mind was far off. I was thinking about the latest news.
Last two days, news spread about a video showing that Raccoon City, a city nearby ours, had been plagued by a virus that was said to be caused by the Umbrella Corporation.
Next day. The video was discredited and was said to be just a sick joke.
But what was more shocking that day was the news of nuclear meltdown in Raccoon City which destroyed the entire city. The state governor even thanked Umbrella for helping in evacuating the survivors.
It was said by our sources, the Chees, that Umbrella had an underground laboratory deep beneath the streets of Raccoon City.
They called it The Hive.
They said that Umbrella has technologies that may rivaled the Yeerk's. Their security is so tight that the Yeerks and even the Chees are having a hard time infiltrating them.
So we decided to check them out. We planed to do it today but then that news came.
(Guys! Tell everyone to get out of there. Now!)
Tobias called from outside.
Marco jolted awake.
We heard his voice in our heads.
Tobias was using thought speak. It was what we use to communicate when were in an animal morph. It's like telepathy only that you may chose to send it to everyone, or to specific persons only.
He was using private thought-speak so that me and Marco could only hear him.
And since we are not in a morph we could not reply back.
(Everyone get out of there! Now!)
My teacher and my classmates turned to their heads trying to find the source of the voice they heard only in their heads.
Marco and I were surprised that Tobias had spoken to everyone.
There was only one reason why he did this.
The Yeerks had finally found out who we are and they're coming for us.
The fire alarm sounded. Everybody slowly walked out the room. Some were smiling thinking it was a just drill.
Maybe Tobias or the others set to alarm to give us time to escape.
Marco and I were the first to get out of the room and that's when we heard someone scream. Our heads snapped to the source. It was our assistant principal, Chapman, he was down the hallway near the front doors. He was screaming because there was man eating his left shoulder.
He screamed for help as another one man bit his arm.
For a second everyone just stood there, not believing what they're seeing.
Even I can't believe it. These guys must be crazy.
Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe this war with the Yeerks had finally gotten into me.
My doubts were answered by screams as everyone ran in pure terror.
Other who are still inside their rooms began panicking as well.
"We've got to help him." I told Marco.
"Yeah, but we need to find a place to morph." he replied.
Then the unlikely happened, more of those crazy men were coming in. And what was more frightening was the fact that their mouth and hands were covered with blood. They have already covered Chapman still screaming as they ate him alive.
Marco and I ran trying to find a place to morph.
It was total chaos now.
Kids were running in all directions.
We pushed our way through the crowd of panicked stricken kids and teachers telling everyone to stay calm.
I wondered if they could even calm down if they knew what was really happening.
We turned to a corner.
At the end was another exit.
Except that it was blocked by the another batch of crazy men. Only this time, they look more horrible. Some were missing body parts other seem to have a rotting face. But there was one thing they all have, blood on their hands and mouths.
I have inkling feeling I know what they are. But I didn't say it. I don't want Marco to think that I'm crazy too.
"Did they escape from a mentally facility or something." I asked aloud.
A girl who wasn't looking were she was going, slammed into one of them. Before she could even stand up, a chunk of flesh on was bitten of her left leg. She tried to run away but when she tried to stand up, she fell. She screamed as another one bit her face.
It was a horrible sight to see.
"Jake come on we have to get out of here." Marco snapped me out my trance.
I took another glance at the now mutilated girl.
"I know you want to help but we need to get out of here. I don't think these guy are just wackos. I don't think they're human at all."
I know what he meant. It was pretty obvious. The way they look, the way they move. I have seen them many times on movies.
"I know." I said. "They're zombies."
Their was no other explanation. Even if these guys were insane they wouldn't look like this.
Lots of those walking dead appeared.
They saw us.
They ran after us.
I have faced many battles before. Felt fear as we battled Hork-Bajirs. Escaped death a couple of times.
But this time I felt terror.
Not only had death itself had decided chase us, it also showed its true face.
We turned back and ran as fast as we could.
(Take the stairs to your right, turn left, then meet the others at third room from the left.) Tobias instructed.
I felt a fingers brushed my back. Man they're fast.
We turn left.
Ran up the stairs.
Hoping that whatever these things are, are not capable of climbing stairs, I checked my back.
Wrong, they could but it slowed them down.
I wish I hadn't looked back then because then I missed the last step.
I tripped. I broke my fall with my hands.
Then one of those things caught my left foot.
Although I was screaming my lungs out, I managed to kick it with my free foot.
I heard a sickening sound as my right foot came in contact with its head.
Standing up, I ran after Marco who was already on the lead.
We finally reached the room Tobias was talking about but unfortunately it was locked.
We pound on it but no one seemed to be inside.
The lead zombie had already reached the top of the stairs and was running after us.
"Open up, open up, open up." Marco yelled frantically.
Fortunately Rachel opened it and we managed to get in and locked the door just in time as the horde of zombies slammed their ugly bodies at the door.
We fell on the floor exhausted.
We just sat there for a while, huffing and puffing, hearts still pumping hard, letting the adrenaline rush subside.
The dead were still banging from the outside but we are safe for now.
"We can't stay here." It was Cassie. She's with Rachel they both have this horrid look. They must have seen what was going on outside.
I never felt so relieved to see them alive.
"We need to get out." Cassie said.
"What? Morph in front of other people?" Marco asked.
It was true. There were five other kids hiding inside the room with us.
"We don't have a choice." Rachel said. "I don't think secrecy is important right now or will ever be. You know what those things are. We need to save our family and we're running out of time."
Rachel was right, if those things are really zombies then our secret is not important anymore. Our family is.
"Okay," I said after taking a deep breath. "We morph into birds, go get our families then we bring them at..." I tried to find a safe place for all of us. "At Ereck's place. We'll be safe there."
The other kids just stared at us, not knowing what we were talking about.
No one objected so we started to morph.
I focused on my bird morph, the peregrine falcon.
Here is something about morphing, it's a slow process and it's kind of illogical. When we morph one body part always change after another and nothing change the same way they did before.
This time the first thing that happened was feathers sprouting from my body, then my lip burst forward and formed a beak.
"Aaaahhh." I heard someone scream. "what's happening to them?"
Oh yeah, and one more thing. Morphing isnt really pretty to watch.
I saw the others morphing too. Rachel has talons for feet though her upper body is quite normal. Marco is shrinking and forming an osprey head.
We totally look like monsters in people's nightmare.
Except for Cassie who has a talent for it. Wings formed from her back, making her look like an angel.
"They're turning into one of them." One guy screamed. "I'm getting out of here.
With my now sensitive falcon eyes I saw clearly how he ran for the door.
I wanted to say 'no you idiot don't open the door' but I no longer have a human mouth.
I saw the guy opened the door and instantly he was attacked by the zombies, then I started shrinking.
We weren't done morphing yet. I was a peregrine falcon with human arms.
Having hawk eyes didn't help, I could see clearly as the zombie walked in. I could also see their faces so clearly. A face that would make brave soldiers pee in their pants.
I noticed that somehow there were two different kinds of zombie. The lead zombie that got in had a rotting head that wouldn't be recognized as human. It was like he had decomposed for months. The others that came next looks more human except that they missing body parts, ripped flesh or open stomachs.
One of them was Chapman, or what was once used to be Chapman.
Chapman was slowly going towards my way.
I walked beneath the nearest chair as fast as my bird legs could.
He didnt seem to have noticed me so he passed. I would have sighed in relief if I were still human.
Chapman was searching. So were the other zombies.
Fortunately the other kids were able to hide in different place because I couldn't see them. I just hope be they wouldn't be found.
Aaaaahhh. Someone screamed. I knew it wasn't one of my friends, because it wasn't a thought speak sound.
I tuned my head. The zombies were crowding behind the desk. It was a good thing I couldn't see what was happening, but the sounds I heard would definitely be stuck in my head forever.
At last I was done morphing. I am now a complete peregrine falcon, But I still cant fly away. Not with these zombies around.
I was suddenly listed up. Upside-down I was able to see Chapmans mouth ready to devour me.
Then there was a flash of feathers. I was dropped. A red-tailed hawk, Tobias, had swooped in from the window and raked his talons at Chapman.
Chapman may not have felt any pain but it did caught his attention and so did the other zombies.
(I'll distract them. Just get away from here.) Tobias said and with that he took off out the door and into the hallways leading the zombies with him.
It was a dangerous act, but I wasn't worried to much. He has a lot of flight experience. He could take care of himself. I was more worried about my parents and my brother.
I opened my wings and flew out of the window, so did my friends. We turned towards our respective home and flew as fast as we could. Hoping to reach our family before it's too late.
A/n: This is my first animorph fic. Please tell if my English is okay or if I made some mistakes in my grammar. Please I need reviews so please review.