Chapter Eleven: Don't Leave
Kimberly
I woke up with the strong light hurting my eyes and I lifted one arm to shield them. Once my eyes adjusted, I gazed up to see sunshine streaming through green leaves. Bird songs were everywhere, filling my ears.
Nature was talking to me, promising me I was safe. Everything was alright.
I had hoped I'd wake up in my bedroom. But it was okay. Waking up to see treetops and the sky above me was good enough. The sounds around me and the ongoing breeze, it made things peaceful for me.
I slowly sat up and found myself in my campsite, not on Antinanco's back. Not eight years ago. It was all but a flashback in a dream.
How I wish I was with Antinanco again. To see Nature with him, to listen to his stories about his people and advice about the wilderness...to feel safe with him...
But what about the monsters, the animals and the people in cages? Was that just a dream too? Maybe...if I had a dream of my past with Antinanco, then that was it too. That had to be it. I had another dream of animals fighting monsters again.
A recurring pain was in my hands. Why? I looked down and saw the bandages that weren't there before. I soon became in terrible shock.
I remembered I was kidnapped. I remembered I was in a cage before those animals appeared and starting fighting those monsters. I remembered one of the monsters went after me and threw me out of the window with his tail.
I remembered everything.
It wasn't a dream. It was real.
The pain was proof.
Cassie
It was the next morning. Luckily, there was no school that day because the roads were closed up so I didn't have to worry about it that day. Instead, I had spent the night worrying if Kimberly was going to be alright.
I cleaned up everything and disposed the broken glass, rust and blood-soaked towels so my parents wouldn't find out. I tried to act causal so they wouldn't get suspicious and later went to check on Kimberly's dog, Malcolm before I hit the hay.
Malcolm knew something was wrong. He hadn't seen his master for a long time and kept scratching the barn door.
I wondered if Kimberly would be alright. Was she going to be traumatized after the incident in the factory when she'd wake up? Or pretend it never happened? And would we have to make her part of the group because her dreams could become either a means of fighting the Yeerks or a danger to us?
Which was going to come first?
I got up early, had breakfast and said I was going out for a walk.
Kimberly would probably be awake at this time. I wanted to be sure she was okay and the wounds weren't bleeding. There was no way I could approach her, say hi and check her bandages. I'd just have to see if she was fine from a distance. Maybe I should morph into a bird...
"Cassie?"
I jumped. I looked over my shoulder and calmed down. It was Ax.
...As a human in clothes?
"Ax, what are you doing here? And why...have you morphed human?" I asked.
(We should say the same for you. Where are you heading this time of the morning?)
I looked up. Tobias perched on a branch above us.
"I want to see Kimberly. Kim-ber-lee..." said Ax.
"Oh." So that's why he morphed. "But Ax, maybe you shouldn't go."
Ax looked at me as if I had just taken away his Cinnamon buns. That was a surprise. And it made me a little guilty.
"Ax, it's nothing personal. Just that maybe it might not be a good idea."
"I do not care. Ca-rr-ee. I want to see if she is all right."
(Cassie, there's no stopping him so you might as well let him tag alone.)
I sighed. Tobias was right. I couldn't stop him even if I wanted to.
"Fine, but stay out of sight," I said. "Okay?"
He nodded. So we went off to Kimberly's campsite and hid.
At the campsite, Kimberly was on her knees as she was searching through her bag, her back to us. I couldn't see her bandages until she pulled out what she was looking for, a clean blue shirt. Good, her hands looked okay but in need of some clean ones.
Kimberly pulled the collar of a yellow-cream shirt underneath her jacket to her nose and sniffed it. She then flung the clean shirt onto a bush and grasped her jacket off. It was then I realized something.
A girl with clothes, and two guys...
"Get down!" I yelled softly, shoving Ax down. Maybe a little too hard because he hit his face on the ground. "Sorry, Ax."
"Ouch...!"
I wasn't sure if Kimberly heard us. But a few minutes of silence passed by, declaring that she just continued on to change tops.
"Tobias!" I hissed quietly. "Look away!"
(I'm not looking. I didn't see anything. Nothing happened. No sire.)
I glanced up to where he perched. Sure enough, Tobias had turned his back the moment Kimberly started changing.
"Cassie, why did you push my head to the ground? Grr-ounn-d. That hurt my face. Fa-sss."
(Do not tell anyone about this, Cassie. And that goes for you too, Ax,) Tobias groaned.
I looked over the bushes. Kimberly finished changing and wore back her jacket. Kimberly gazed up to the sky. It was for a while.
Then she looked back at her fireplace and began throwing away the rocks that were circling around the soot and burnt wood. Once that was done, she covered the soot with dirt and patted to make it flat.
"Cassie, is she all right?" Ax asked. "Allll-riig-th."
"Yeah, she's going to be fine. I wonder if she's found out about the bandages."
"I don't believe she is doing well. Weellll."
"Why do you say that?"
"She isn't smiling."
I was shocked when he said that. Even more surprised when I realized Kimberly was really not smiling. She looked depressed. Did that mean she remembered what happened to her?
Then out of the blues, Ax stood up and walked out of the bushes.
"Ax!" I cried out quietly. I didn't want to blow my cover so I stayed put. I bit my lip hard, hoping Ax knew what he was doing.
"Kimberly?" Ax called.
She looked over her shoulder in response. She was surprised at first but grinned cheerfully.
"Phillip, you're alright," she said and put her hands in her pockets. She was hiding the bandages. "Thank goodness. I thought that horrible woman got you. I'm glad she didn't."
"Are you leaving?"
Kimberly's eyes went wide for a second. He asked a question out of the blue that caught her off guard. She quickly hid her shock with another smile. "Now why do you say that?"
He gazed at her backpack, to the soot-covered ground and finally to Kimberly.
"Your home...it's as if you are clearing it away. And your companion, Malcolm, he is not here. Mel-ko-mm."
He saw right through her. She sighed.
"Guess I can't lie to ya. Yeah, I'm leaving this place." She wheeled to her campsite. "It's about time I should get going. If I stay here, I'll get too attached to this place."
"But your companion-"
"It's okay. He's at a friend's place," said Kimberly. "It'd be better this way. He'd want a good comfy place with all-you-can-eat, not on the streets, filthy and chasing birds and cats."
She scratched her nose lightly. "He's a good dog. He's been with me through thick and thin. It's the least I can do for him. Have him stay with a classmate of mine is the right thing. I'd miss him but it's for better. Otherwise, I'd worry a lot if he comes with me."
I saw a side she had. She was a dog person, loved Malcolm so much that I knew it hurt her so much that she was leaving him behind in my care.
"Please don't," Ax pleaded, no more playing with his words. "Don't go."
Kimberly said nothing at first and then tried to assure him with another smile. "It's alright. I'm gonna come back. Maybe not tomorrow, not next month but I'll come back. Okay?"
Ax didn't believe her but she kept on smiling. It didn't matter to her if he didn't believe her. However, the fact was it might be longer than a month before she decides to turn back. It would probably be a year until she returns.
She might even decide to never come back.
"I need to go far away…to clear my head. Once I get that done, I'll come back. And you'll be the first one to meet. I promise."
Kimberly wheeled away but unexpectedly, Ax grabbed her hand.
"It's because of those dreams, isn't it?" he asked demandingly.
She faced him, stunned to hear that from him. He brought up the reason for her runaway.
"You don't have to run away," Ax uttered.
"My hand... Phillip, you're hurting me."
"They are only dreams. That's what you have always called them. Then that is what they are. They are just dreams."
"Phillip," Kimberly called. She tried to ignore the pain and looked at him with meaning.
"Please don't go. Please. I...I want to help you. I can find their meanings. And I know who else can help. So please-"
"Phillip..." she started. She was still smiling but had a light sadness in her eyes. That quickly changed as she grinned broadly. "You're so sweet, you know that?"
Ax stared at her, awestruck and concerned at the same time. Seeing her wide smile, he knew he couldn't press on. Whatever he would say, it wouldn't stop her from going, even if he tried. Ax wanted to say something. He wished he said something. But he had nothing to say.
With that, he left go of her hand and stared down with regret.
"...Can you do me a favor?" Kimberly asked suddenly. "Just one favor? That's all I ask for."
"...Yes... Of course. O-ff...course..."
She smiled again, walked closer to him and...
...threw her arms round him.
Ax was taken by surprise. Tobias and I were too. Ax has never been hugged by anyone, not even know what a hug is.
He blushed. He didn't know how to react but somehow, feeling her arms behind his back, Ax slowly raised his arms and wrapped them around her. He wasn't very sure if that was the right thing to do.
Kimberly didn't care. She just wanted one in return, especially from Ax.
"Thank you..." she whispered in his ear. "For everything..."
Minutes went by. Finally, Kimberly let go. They gazed at each other, Kimberly still smiling and Ax still wondering what to do. She backed away and approached to her bag. Kimberly picked it up, flung it over her back and glanced back at Ax.
She smiled again. It would be the final smile he'd ever see. Ax knew it.
"Bye, Phillip."
Kimberly turned and walked away.
Ax was devastated. He took a step forward, reaching his hand out but halted. I knew he wanted her to stop. He wanted to call her name and help her with her problems. Ax wanted to do something.
But there was nothing he could do. I was sure that was what he was thinking. Ax's glance locked on Kimberly as she disappeared behind the bushes, then moved to the ground.
(Ax?) Tobias called.
Ax didn't look up. This was the second time I have ever seen Ax disheartened. The first time was hearing the death of his brother, Elfangor.
"Ax?" I called.
Finally, he spoke.
"I want to help her... I don't want her to be sad anymore but...I don't know what to do... I don't know what... Cassie, I don't feel right... I don't like it... I feel...terrible."
He didn't move. He just stared down. The feeling inside of him was choking him.
Poor Ax. He met a girl he really liked, even though they have their differences. And now she was leaving forever.
Ax was never going to see her again.
I bolted up and started to run to Kimberly's direction. She couldn't leave. Not when Ax was like this. Not when Ax really liked her. It didn't matter to me that Kimberly could become like us or worse, a Controller.
So I decided to stop her from running away.
(Cassie-) I didn't stop to listen to what Tobias had to say. I just ran.
Until I realized I lost Kimberly. Where did she go? She couldn't have gone far. But I had never been in this part of the woods before. I'd got to act or else I'd lose her
What I needed was an animal. A wolf.
I concentrated on my wolf morph. I felt fur grow over my skin and my teeth getting sharper. Crackling noises came from my bones reshaping. I fell on all four as my tailbone grew longer and my nose stretched.
I was a teenager a few seconds ago. Now I was a wolf. Ready to hunt for prey-no, no, I had to find Kimberly.
I sniffed the ground, got her scent and followed it. It didn't take me long to catch up with her.
Kimberly was running. Running as fast as her legs could possibly take her. She ran without looking back, grounding her teeth hard. She didn't stop to take a breath.
Teardrops ran down her cheeks. Kimberly was crying.
Some time later, she was out of breath and stopped. She almost tumbled to the ground but arched her back down and rested her hands on her knees.
"Antinanco... I wish you were here," Kimberly uttered.
Who was that? A friend?
She wiped her face with her sleeve. "You told me to live my life...but I can't even do that." She smiled feebly. "If I leave, everyone will be unhappy...but if I stay, everyone will get hurt..."
Kimberly glanced up to the sky, begging for something, anything, to happen.
"Antinanco... What should I do? I...I don't want to leave."
She burst into tears and fell onto her knees.
"But I don't want anyone to die from these dreams either!"
Die?
She wept, burying her face in her hands.
Now I began to understand why she ran away. I understood why Ax believed they meant something more than just dreams. Maybe they really did mean a lot more than they seemed.
And they were taking their toll on her.
I wondered if they were like the dreams Tobias and I had about Ax before we first met him. Only much more frightening than ours.
A sound in the bushes was heard in a distance. And this scent...
Kimberly heard the sounds. She looked at the source. Her eyes slowly grew wide with horror.
Because hurtling her way was a Hork-Bajir with those wrist-blades aiming for her.
(A Hork-Bajir!?) Did they find out about her dreams?
It was charging towards her. But by sheer luck, Kimberly tripped and fell. The only thing the blades cut was her bag that dropped off.
Oh my gosh, Kimberly was going to be killed!
The Hork-Bajir towered over her and rose up a foot. Kimberly rolled to her left, missing the stomp that could have crushed her. She scrambled onto her feet as a fierce bite from the Hork-Bajir missed her shoulder.
I've got to save her. Without thinking, I charged in, letting the instinct of the wolf take over.
An enemy was in my territory...
I launched and bit on his throat.
The Hork-Bajir gave a shrill cry and tried to shake me off but I held on. By now, she'd run away again.
FWAPP!
The Hork-Bajir suddenly felt light. That was because his head was sliced off and the body plummeted. I glanced up and right there was Ax as Andalite.
(What is a Hork-Bajir doing here?)
(I don't know...but I think they're after Kimberly!) I said. His four eyes were filled with shock when I told him.
(Guys! I see more Hork-Bajir in the woods,) Tobias cried from above. (About six of them!)
(Kimberly, where is she?!) Ax demanded.
I glanced round quickly. Kimberly was long gone when I attacked the Hork-Bajir. Only her bag was left behind. I sniffed it, then the ground. At once, I found her scent again.
(That way!) I shouted.
Ax took off like lightning. I darted after him as quick as I could. It was as if all the determination he had was keeping him going.
(Oh no! She's heading towards a Hork-Bajir!) Tobias yelled.
That was it. Ax galloped even faster and vanished beyond the trees. I heard Kimberly's scream close by.
We were too late!
FWAPP! THUD!
I just jumped out of the bushes and I found a beheaded raptor drop before me. Ax was metres away from the bloody corpse, almost wheezing deeply from his mad dash.
Kimberly was on the ground, looking at Ax as she breathed heavily. She was alright but instead of yelling with fright like anybody would at a sight of an alien, she stared at Ax in absolute awe.
Seconds passed. She finally got up, never taking her eyes off Ax. Then she began walking towards him.
Ax backed away, worried. Seeing that, Kimberly stopped but slowly lifted a hand as if wanting to touch him. She kept it a level though.
It was then Ax, Tobias and I knew that she wasn't scared of an Andalite.
She wasn't afraid of Ax.
Kimberly spoke. "...You're...from my dre-"
(Ax! Watch out!) Tobias hollered.
The third Hork-Bajir came out of nowhere and slashed at Ax's torso with its wrist-blades. Blood gushed.
(AX!)
He stumbled back, not before his tail whished at the Hork-Bajir.
FWAPP!
The Hork-Bajir dropped dead.
(Ax! Are you alright?!) I yelled.
(Yes...Yes, I am fine,) he replied weakly and placed a hand on the wound.
Kimberly's face drenched with fear. The moment the Hork-Bajir appeared and attacked Ax, she was terrified. I could see it in her eyes. She trembled, wondering what to do.
(Run...)
Kimberly jumped. She heard the thought-speak. She gasped when she saw the four eyes glancing at her in pain.
Running was a very good idea in this situation but her legs were frozen.
(Run...! Run!)
She jerked, like she was snapped out of a trance. She turned tail and dashed, and then she was gone.
Ax heaved a sigh of relief.
(Be somewhere safe...) he whispered. His two eye stalks gazed up with a gentle smile. (Tobias, you have to keep watch on Kimberly.)
(Ax, you know you don't have to ask me that. But, are you okay?)
(I am fine. It's a small cut, nothing serious.)
Tobias was reluctant to go. But Ax was right. The Yeerks were after Kimberly and she needed all the protection she could have.
(Alright. I'll try and lead her to a safe place.)
Tobias flew off, up the treetops. Ax sighed deeply but groaned painfully.
(There are three more still out there, am I right, Cassie?) he asked.
(Yeah, Tobias said six were here.)
(Then, please, get the others. I'll stay and fight them.)
(You can't fight in your condition! Not even against three Hork-Bajir! We can fight them toget-)
(No, we need reinforcement. If there are Hork-Bajir, there are bound to be Yeerks nearby. One of us should find Prince Jake. Beside, I have a reason why I should stay.)
(Ax-)
(Kimberly...saved me from being capture by the Yeerks yesterday. Although she knew nothing about the invasion, she grabbed my hand and we ran from those Controllers.) Ax looked down at his bloodstained fingers. (Now I must return the favor to her. It would be a dishonorable thing to do if I did not. So Cassie, I shall stay and battle.)
Now it was my turn to leave. I didn't want to leave him behind, alone to fight the Yeerks but he looked at me with meaning.
Ax wanted to protect Kimberly.
(Are you sure you can fight them?) I asked warily.
One eye stalk looked down at his open wound. The other three eyes gazed at me to reassure.
(I can heal if I morph. So I'll be fine.)
I could not help but worry. I hoped deeply he would be okay because he would need all the strength he had.
(I'll hurry back with everyone!) I shouted and raced off to get the others.
Some distance away beside me, I could see two green creatures hurtle towards Ax as I hurried. No doubt they were the other Yeerk-infested Hork-Bajir, spotting an Andalite in the middle of the forest. Behind me, I heard Ax holler loudly.
(I will not allow you to take Kimberly away again!)
I've been running so much these few days. But that's good, right? Least I'll be a bit healthier with all this exercise.
Who am I kidding? Everyone or myself? I wasn't running to be fit. I was running in sheer terror.
I ran away from home, I ran to save Phillip and me from letting that dream come true, I ran from being eaten alive from a giant snake and I ran because a blue centaur from my dream told me so.
I ran away from those dreams.
My dreams. My stupid dreams. They're the ones that got me in these situations. I wished I never had them! I'd probably be a normal girl. But then...if I was, I'd never see that centaur for real.
And he was fighting those raptors...to save me.
I stopped myself from running and looked back.
My fear was gone but now I was worried.
Would he be alright? Were there more of those raptors running amuck in these woods? Could he fight them on his own? He'd need help, wouldn't he? So where were those animals I always saw in my dreams? Where were they? Why weren't they coming to help him like always?!
Was it because he was alone?
Then it hit me. Alone. That word made me remember a dream some time ago. The dream was about me sitting down at the beach. That was around the time after the animals first appeared in my dreams. Yeah, that was it.
That's right. It was the only dream I found so peaceful and so confusing at the same time.
Vickie: FIN! I have yet again finished another chp! Chapter inspired by Seeter and Evanescence's song, Broken and other sad songs that moved me as I wrote this. :P Mostly love-breaking songs. And Hork-Bajir approaching scenes by Evanescence's Farther Away. I hope you all like this chp and give lots of review. Enjoy!
It's pretty late now so I can't give much of Marco-torturing right now. :P
Marco: WHAT?! I'm in the middle of a slimy fight here if you haven't noticed! -Sticks steel pipe between jaws of giant Nudibranch-like (sea slug) creature and runs cowardly away-
Well, that's all folks. See ya next chp!
Disclaimer: I don't own Animorphs but I do and officially own Kimberly, the black suited human and Kimberly's family.
