The Decision #2
**Authors' note** I recommend you read #33 for a brief part of this story. I also recommend you read The Promotion #1 or else you won't understand all this babble (but it's good babble)
Chapter One
Tobias
Setting: Cassie's Barn
My name is Tobias. I can't tell you where I live or my last name because of one thing; Yeerks. Yeerks are a parasitic species. It enables them to crawl into your head and take control of your body. Total. Complete. Control. And you're reduced to a small corner of your brain just watching and screaming helplessly.
Not a pretty sight. Anyway, I was in Cassie's barn lying there paralyzed by an Encon beam with Ax (me as a hawk and him as a fly). I was moving around, looking around the barn listlessly. Suddenly . . .
TAWWWWWW! An Encon beam!
TSEWWWWWW!
"Find the bandits. I am sure the one I saw running in the field is here." I heard a woman's voice. I guess it was the new Visser Three. It was cold and hard, much like the new Visser One.
Hork-Bajir entered the barn. A pretty Hispanic lady was with them. One of them said, "Look! That body . . . up there on the rafters . . . I am sure that one is a bandit, I've seen it around the pool a couple times."
"Seize it." She ordered.
I watched helplessly as I was lifted off the rafter and out the door. The fly was still there.
TSEWWWWW! And I knew no more.
Chapter Two
Ax
I watched helplessly as my shorm was taken away. Tobias called out a soft strained message to me.
A Dracon beam fired. I had no doubt that they had just stunned him. They couldn't have killed him, for they did want him as a host, didn't they? They wanted his morphing power, that was all. My internal clock told me 20 minutes had passed. So this was the Ellimist's warning. What sort of game did he play anyway? I "paced" around the room listlessly, waiting for the others to return.
"Hi Ax, Tobias. Wait a minute, where's Tobias? Ax? You there?" It was Cassie.
She put a hand to her mouth, a human way of describing shock or amazement.
"We have to warn the others quickly. I-" She headed out the door, then looked back at me. "Thank god you're stuck as a fly so people can't see you all that well." I wanted to tell her about the Ellimist's promise, but she was gone. Besides, it would've taken too long.
I could only sigh and pace some more as I waited for her to come.
Chapter Three
Cassie
I walked toward Jake's house. My mind was reeling from what Ax had told me. Oh god, Tobias is going to be infested. This is all my fault. Why couldn't I hide him better? I was stupid, stupid STUPID for thinking the Yeerks wouldn't have found him.
I was there. I stood still for a moment and tried to regain my composure. Then I knocked. Tom opened the door. He looked a little surprised at seeing me.
"Oh, hi, um, Cassie. Jake!" He called, "You're girlfriend is here!"
I blushed slightly. Jake and I like each other, as in like, but I didn't think Tom knew that.
"Huh, wha? Girlfr-oh, hi Cass." I could tell he was slightly embarrassed but didn't say anything.
"Okay Cassie, what's up?" he said as soon as we were out of earshot.
"Well, uh, Tobias has been taken by the Yeerks. Ax told me."
He turned to face me, surprised. "Really? Are you sure?" I nodded. "Well then, you go get Rachel, and I'll get Marco," he said, getting all leader-like again. Not that I didn't like it, in fact I sort of "admired" him for it.
Next stop, Rachel's house.
Jordan opened the door. She peered at me, trying to remember my name. "Oh, hi Cassie, Rachel will be down in a sec'. Rachel!" she called.
"What?! I'm doing my make-up homework! Tell whoever it is I don't want to be bothered." I felt sorry for busting in on her. I mean, we were all back on homework now.
"It's Cassie!" Jordan tried again.
"Cassie? Oh, tell her I'll be down in a sec'!"
Jordan grinned at me. "Toldja'." But I couldn't figure out why she had said that.
Rachel thundered down. "Hi Cassie!" To Jordan, she said, "Shoo!" Jordan made a face and ran off saying, "Mommy! Rachel said 'Shoo!' to me!"
Now Rachel made a face. "She's such a tattletale. Plus my mom spoils her. So what can I do? But at least she's not as bad as Sarah." She paused. "So what's up?"
"It's about Tobias." She stopped.
"You said To-bi-as right? Not Toby?"
"Yes, T-o-b-i-a-s. The one in our gang?"
"So what about him?" she kept her voice carefully calm.
"He's been taken by the Yeerks. He's probably infested by now."
"WHAT?" she screeched. "Why did you tell me this NOW?"
I shrugged helplessly. "I just found out, and then I told Jake, who's getting Marco." Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Chapter Four
Jake
I was on my way to Marco's house to tell him about Tobias. I hoped his Dad wasn't home
So much for high hopes. He was.
"Hi Jake," Marco said. His dad looked up startled, then looked down back at his newspaper and mumbled, "Hi Jake. Haven't seen you around lately."
"Yeah, well, I was busy."
"Kids are always busy these days." I looked at Marco.
"Bye Dad, I'm going with Jake. Don't worry, I'm not doing anything dangerous, I have the keys," he took a breath and rolled his eyes, "and everything else . . . "
"Will you be home in time for dinner?" Marco shut the door.
"I swear, he's killing me these days." He tried to smile and said, "So what's up, o fearless leader?"
"Well, Tobias's been taken by the Yeerks, and-"
"No kidding? Bird-boy's finally gotten himself taken? I knew-"
"MARCO. Let's head to the barn."
"All right, whatever you say." He saluted me. "General Jake. I like that."
"You know, you're just as bad as Ax sometimes." He grinned.
"At least I don't call you 'Prince' and say one or two of YOUR hours or minutes or days or whatever . . . " he said, trailing off.
We reached the barn.
Chapter Five
Marco
We were at the barn. Everybody. Except for Bird-boy, of course.
"So what do we do?" demanded Rachel.
"Must we do anything, Xena? I'd much rather watch you rant on and on like this." I said, smiling.
"Marco, I'm warning you . . ." she threatened.
"No, no," I cowered in mock fear.
"Well," said Jake. "I guess we have to go down to the Yee-"
"Oh, no, don't you say that Jake. Don't say we have to go down to the Yeerk pool."
The Yeerk pool. The last place I wanted to go.
The screams, the shouts, the begs. Furthermore, a less obvious reason: my mother probably would be there.
My mother. The new Visser Three.
"Let's do it!"
"We're doomed . . ."
We were all down there, flies. The BioGleeter was broken down for repairs, so instead there were two Hork-Bajir guards posted there. Ax had wanted to go, but obviously he had to stay back there. I envied him for it.
We found a spot to demorph. Then we all charged out, battle morphs.
And then I saw her.
My mother.
Visser Three.
She was just as beautiful as ever, but in her eyes there was a ruthless fierce intensity, which scared me.
Really. Scared. Me.
She's a Yeerk now, I reminded myself. But that still didn't help. Mom, Mom, I wanted to scream, Do you remember me? You did in that Leera place, but you forgot in our trick about the Hork-Bajir. What about now? Now? Do you still remember me? Me? Marco? Your son? Do you still think about me? But of course, I couldn't say that.
But somehow, this time had more effect on me than before. I wanted to turn and run, run home and cry like a baby into my pillow.
And I did. Me, Marco, the one who swore never to let anybody pity me and everything, went home.
In gorilla morph.
To be continued . . .
Next book: Unexpected Suprises-The Choice #3
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