Chapter 22 (Joe)
My response to that statement was: "Oh shoot."
I soon found out about Jake's idea. And I wasn't too happy about it. But, as Marco pointed out for me, I couldn't come up with any better ideas of my own.
This was the idea: Ax has a human morph. But it's unique. You remember how I said he looked a little like Cassie, Marco, Jake and Rachel? Well, he acquired each of them and then mixed their DNA. Apparently, apparently, it's simple to do.
So, I had to sneak into my house, acquire my mom and dad and mix the DNA, trying to look as different from who I used to be as possible. Then I had to stay over the two-hour time limit. Meaning I would be a nothlit. Meaning… I would be stuck in morph. But, as I pointed out to them, that would mean that I wouldn't Joe anymore. I would be someone else entirely.
"I don't know if I can handle that," I told them miserably, making as though I was watching my feet intently. I felt like I was being so ungrateful. To put it simply, these guys had saved my life. I trusted them. But I wouldn't take their advice. But was this a matter of taking advice? This was them asking me to change who I was. I could never be Joseph again. Never.
"Well, unless you have a better idea…" Marco let the comment hang. After I got out of this mess, I'd have to tell him what a complete and utter jerk he was. Meaning it in the nicest way possible, of course.
I sighed. "The point being, Marco, that I don't have one. I wish I did."
"Look," said Cassie. "You don't have to decide anything right now. Sleep on it."
I shot her a grateful smile. I intended to do just that.
I didn't go home that night. I couldn't. Firstly, the Yeerks know where I live and would be waiting for me to head straight there. Secondly, my parents would not let me out of their sight. I'd been missing for an entire week, they weren't about to risk losing me again. I really did not want to think about the thirdly. That my parents might have become Controllers.
Instead, Tobias and Ax showed me a spot in the forest where I'd be comfortable for the night. At least, that's what they said. I didn't go home, but I didn't sleep either. I was nervous, jumpy and downright scared. Every little noise in the undergrowth made me want to shoot to my feet and run home screaming. Have my mom tell me that everything was all right, and to go to sleep in my own bed. Forget it, I told myself sternly. You aren't going back home all right? Deal with it. Somehow, it didn't help.
By the morning I had decided. Crazy as it sounds, I was going to morph my parents. Stupid, crazy, idiotic lunacy, right? Yeah, I know. That's exactly what I said.
We stood at the bottom of my street. Well… I stood at the bottom of my street. Everyone else had morphed and was watching for any signs of trouble. I had been shown the blue box, and used it. So I was morph capable. But Jake had been very strict. I was only to acquire my mom and dad, nothing else. After about an hour in tuition with Ax, he felt I was ready.
So, there I was. Waiting for the signal. All clear, rang out Rachel's thought speak voice. Six more voices sounded out. Now it was my turn to move it.
Joe? I looked up. I couldn't see Jake anywhere, but that didn't surprise me. He could have been anywhere. Don't let them see you.
I nodded. If – heaven forbid – my parents had been made into Controllers, we didn't want them to work out where I had gone. But we figured that they would work it out for themselves if they woke up to find me about to acquire them. So I took Jake's warning very seriously.
I took a glance up at my house. We had worked it all out before hand. My house was on the end of a street, and had a very conveniently mature tree growing outside it. One of the branches was only a short jump away from my bedroom window, which had been left open. I had often looked out of the window, imagining how easy it would be to get out. I had never done it of course. Not until now. Except, now I was doing it in reverse. Breaking in instead of out.
Reaching for the lowest branch, I put both hands above my head and jumped. I felt my fingers wrap securely around the branch. The bark was rough under my fingertips and it gave me a good grip. The branch was slightly higher off the ground than my arms would reach, so my feet were dangling a few inches from the ground. Walking carefully up the trunk, I finally managed to tuck my legs around the branch and let go of it with both hands. I was literally hooked on by my knees. Careful there Joe. I was so surprised that I nearly fell out of the tree. Glancing into the branches, I spotted an owl. She cocked her head before stretching out her wings and taking flight. Cassie.
Swinging, I made a grab for another branch. Missed! Taking a deep breath, I swung out hard and managed to grab the next branch. It more or less went on like that, until about the eighth branch up, when I managed to get a good hold with my feet. I stood upright, shakily at first, but getting more confident with every step.
Cautiously, I made my way to the window and hoisted myself in. This was easier than I had thought it would be. Jumping off the sill, I felt my feet touch solid ground. I darted a look about. My room. Posters of the latest video games across my walls, a book I had been reading on the desk. I had been going to tidy my bedroom hadn't I? That's why it was still a pigsty. My parents had barely touched it. Someone had thought to turn my computer off, but the cartridge was still in the slot. I wondered if they had saved the game.
Shaking my head, I pressed on. I still had to make it through Chance's room, which was joined onto mine. The house was built so that you had to go through his room to get to mine from the landing. I walked as quietly as I could through the bedroom. A board squeaked.
I held my breath anxiously. Had he heard? To my horror the quilt shifted, and Chance peered out from under the covers. "Joe?"
I let the breath out and took another deep one before walking to my brother. I could only think of one thing to do. I sat on the edge of his bed. "You're having a dream Chance."
Normally, he wouldn't have believed me, but he was still half-asleep. "A dream?"
I nodded. "I'm not really here. You're just dreaming."
"I wish it were real."
I chewed my lower lip and felt a single tear begin to well up in each eye. "So do I buddy. So do I." I put a hand to his forehead. "Now do me a favour? Go back to sleep."
Obediently he did so. Carefully I took my hand from his forehead and glanced at it. I had done it. Jake was going to go nuts, but he would understand right? I had had to do it otherwise Chance would have woken the whole house. I had just acquired my little brother.