Chapter 3: Acceptance

Daylight crept through the open window, its gentle rays shining on Phelan's face as he blinked and wiped the sleep away from his green eyes. Now that his fur was standing up on its ends, he looked more like his usual wolf-like chipmunk self. The beds were empty and still unmade, which Phelan assumed that everybody else was downstairs. As he stretched his back, he realized that he'd almost forgotten about his trench coat, but he couldn't seem to find it anywhere.

A sudden wave of anxiety hit him. The necklace!

Phelan rushed out of the room, taking three steps down at a time as his feet barely made any sounds. He found his hosts in the dining room, waiting for Theodore to serve breakfast.

"Good morning, Phelan," said Dave. "I trust you had a good night's sleep?"

"Has anyone seen my trench coat?" the chipmunk blurted out.

"Oh, I put it in the washing machine along with the other dirty laundry. Don't worry; you'll get your coat back as good as new."

A gasp escaped Phelan's breath. "No! Please wait, I was supposed to empty out its pockets, and-"

"Were you looking for this?" Dave held up the golden chain. The white gem caught the light of the morning sun, and now it turned a deep-blue.

Phelan heaved a sigh of relief.

"If my memory serves me correctly, what you have here is adularia, a mineral more commonly known as the moonstone." Simon couldn't resist showing off a bit of his knowledge as Phelan put it around his neck.

"That bling sure is shiny," said Alvin. "It must be worth a fortune! Why don't you just sell it on E-Bay or something?"

His questions earned him a sharp, but brief glare from Phelan.

"This necklace is more than just a keepsake. It was my mother's. It's all I have to remember her by."

He was saved from any further questions as Theodore came into the dining room. The chubby little chipmunk set the plates in front of everyone. "Breakfast is served! Eat up!"

Phelan looked at his plate. On it was two slices of bread, but they were golden-brown and the crust was hard. He bent forward and sniffed cautiously at the food, allowing the wafting aroma of eggs and butter to embrace his nostrils.

Theodore wasn't the only one who looked confused. "You mean you've never heard of French toast before?"

"Oh, so that's what it's called?" asked Phelan, licking his lips. And without picking up a fork or knife, he held the toast in his paws and wolfed it down. Within seconds, his plate was crumb-free. Phelan licked the tips of his fingers as he savoured the aftertaste of butter.

He sat and waited as the Chipmunks and Dave finished their breakfast, and then asked as the boys got up for the door. "Where are you guys heading off to?"

"We're going over to visit the Chipettes," said Theodore. "They're our best friends. Would you like to join us?"

Go outside? The thought of it sounded like a death trap to Phelan, especially in the light of last night's events. He made up an excuse on the spot.

"Oh, I don't think I'll be able to follow you. My chest's acting a little funny. Perhaps it would be better if I stayed and rest myself thoroughly."

"Okay, if you say so," said Alvin. "Well, we were just about to discuss our last minute plans for tonight's sleepover. Brittany and the others are coming, you know. It'll be great for you to get to know them, but I suppose that can wait until tonight. See you!"

The door slammed shut. "Yeah, that would be great," mumbled Phelan to himself.

As he walked over to the couch and sat down, Dave came over to him. "If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen washing the dishes. Do you think you can be all by yourself for a while?"

"Don't worry, Dave. I'm a big chipmunk. I'm sure I can manage, even for a couple more days," smiled Phelan.

Dave winked back at him and headed for the kitchen to finish his chores.

Once Dave was out of sight, Phelan hopped off the couch, landing as agile as a cat's footing. His watchful gaze swept across the room when something caught the corner of his eye.

There was a section of the living room that hid itself in the dimness of the light, away from the curtains and the sun. Phelan stepped into the shadows, feeling a surge of strength fuelling his body. Hesitantly, the chipmunk reached out for the shadows cast by the hall mirror and grabbed it. It felt like silk in his paws, only darker and the feeling that it was somewhat contaminated.

He glanced at himself in the glass. And gaped in horror.

Phelan jumped a step back, the wind being knocked out of him. One might have thought that a wild chipmunk like Phelan had never seen his own reflection before.

Except that the thing in the mirror wasn't entirely Phelan at all.

Instead of his usual mahogany fur, another chipmunk stood in his exact spot; its fur as black as a panther. Bloodshot crimson eyes stared back at him. Phelan cautiously approached his reflection while the other Phelan did exactly the same, an exact look of confusion and dread etched on both faces.

He reached out and laid a hand against his reflection's own, as though hoping that he could fade through the glass and become one with his glassy self.

I see things haven't been looking so bright with you lately. The other Phelan sneered at the mention of the pun intended.

"What d'you think you're doing? You're not supposed to be here!" hissed the chipmunk.

On the contrary, I have every right to be here, same as you do. I am you; after all, as you are me.

"What do you want? I told you I'm through with doing your bidding. Go find someone else to be your puppet!"

But his reflection was either not bothering to listening, or the fact that it was simply doing its job – reflecting.

Darkness loves you. You embrace it like a lover and you see the world through its eyes and what is now was. What was sweet is now bitter. Everything smells like poison.

This can't be happening. I can't be talking to my own reflection, thought Phelan. He clamped his hands over his ears and mumbled over and over to himself under his breath.

"I'm not mad. I'm not mad. I'm not mad. I'm not mad-"

Oh, now that can't be helped with. I'm mad. You're mad. We're all mad. Even the great Alvin and the Chipmunks have some level of madness. Or else we wouldn't subject ourselves to this pitiful world.

While the other Phelan moved exactly as its true master, yet the face of deceit and evil was clearly that of its own. It spoke again.

You think that being accepted into a house means that you can play happy family and start all over again. But that's where you're wrong.

You have your own life, Phelan. Come back to the way things used to be.

"That part of my life died a long time ago," spat the chipmunk. "And my new life says you can go to hell."

The other Phelan clicked his tongue in sympathy.

Interesting choice of words. For you see, Phelan, I am in my rightful place. But you, on the other hand, are not. You must accept who you really are. Your destiny is as clear as the mark on your fur.

Phelan rolled up his sleeve. The tattoo seemed to burn deeper into his arm, making its presence even more ominous.

You can't keep the truth from them forever, you know. They'll find out soon – the hard way. In time. And when they know of what you truly are, they'll get rid of you, because to them, you're a freak.

"You're wrong!" yelled Phelan, but deep down, he knew of the probabilities that might lead to the possible outcome.

They'll hate you, like everyone else, because you're an outcast.

"I don't want to hear another word!"

An abomination of creation.

"Stop it!"

You – are a destroyer.

"Shut up! SHUT UP!"

In his rage, Phelan clenched his fist and threw a punch at his other self's face. The contact was timely blocked by his reflection's movements, but the force of the impact sent a web of cracks scattering across the cold, glassy surface. In those last few seconds before the mirror crumbled away like falling raindrops, the chipmunk saw his reflection wink menacingly back at him.

Remember this; you will never escape from me. You are my vessel, and you will be mine. Forever...

Phelan could do nothing but stare aimlessly at the floor and the broken shards. He cared not for the throbbing of his cut paw, but he knew that he shouldn't have lost his temper at an inanimate object. And for the first time in the longest time ever – Phelan broke down.

Dave came running in and saw Phelan cradling his hand; the shards of broken glass scattered the floor. "What's going on? Phelan, what happened to you?"

"I – I punched the glass. It was my fault," sniffed Phelan, not able to look up at Dave. It was better to tell at least half of the truth. "I s-shouldn't have done that. I lost my temper. I'm so sorry."

Dave immediately scooped Phelan into his arms and carried him to the kitchen sink. He didn't say anything as he tended carefully to the chipmunk's wounds and wrapped a bandage around his paw.

Phelan was the first to break the silence. "I'm really, really sorry, Dave. I'll pay for the damage, I swear."

"It's alright. No harm done at all," smiled Dave as he ruffled Phelan's fur. "Whatever it is, I'm sure that you didn't mean to do it on purpose."

After the Chipmunks had returned from their visit, Dave called all four of them into the living room. He told them to sit on the couch as he called for an immediate family meeting. The mirror had been taken off its stand and the glass had been swept away, but nobody bothered to bring that subject up. Mostly, it was because Dave was looking very thoughtful that nobody, not even Alvin, had dared to interrupt his state of mind.

Dave was the first to speak. "I've been thinking about this long and hard, and..." He looked at Phelan. "I've decided. I'd like to welcome Phelan as a member of the family."

"What?" all four chipmunks exclaimed in unison. Dave gathered his sons closer to him.

"I took you boys in with open arms and cared for you because I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you out in the wild to fend for yourselves. You were too young to understand it when it happened. But now that you're older, I know you'll do the right thing by not turning your back on somebody who's in great need of your help. He needs love, a proper society, but most of all, a family."

Simon looked thoughtful. "Well, Phelan does look like he has intellectual potential. I'll finally have someone to talk to and share my scientific knowledge with."

"And it'll be nice to have another big brother," beamed Theodore. "Plus, he really likes my food."

"And not to mention," added Simon, looking at Alvin. "It'll be useful to have an extra pair of eyes around the house to keep you out of trouble."

"Now wait a minute!" exclaimed Alvin. "Him, I can bear living with us, but why do you make it sound like trouble follows me around like a magnet?"

"Because it does," said Dave, Simon and Theodore, much to Alvin's dismay and Phelan's amusement. The three brothers turned to face Phelan.

"So, what do you say to that, bro?" asked Alvin.

"Y-you really mean it? I get to stay here?"

"Gee, this is the part where you should say yes!"

Phelan could only nod in amazement.

The red-clad chipmunk put his arm around Phelan and pulled him into a brotherly hug. "I rest my case! Welcome to the family, Phelan Seville!"

All five of them burst into laughter as they got into a group hug. Phelan let his tears flow, but these were pools of happiness; of being touched by extreme kindness and generosity.

There was no other way that Phelan could describe this moment as being one of his happiest, yet the memory of it was the only thing that had kept him happy in the span of his lifetime. For once, he now had somewhere to call his home, and loving people and chipmunks who were now family. And nothing evil could touch him, at least for the time being.

Little did he know that his troubles were far from over...

To Be Continued...

Well, what do you think? Is Phelan completely sane? Will he learn to be a part of a new family? And will his inner demons spell disaster to the Chipmunks?

In the next chapter, Phelan is introduced to the Chipettes and experiences his first sleepover! As is with most sleepovers, Truth or Dare is a must have, and that is what the Chipmunks will play.

This is where I would like to ask you, dear readers, to send in a truth or dare to be put into the story. It can range from anything, from fluffs to outrageous (but appropriate) dares. Each chipmunk will perform one truth/dare, making it a total of 7.

So I hope to hear from you, and see you in the next chapter! :)