Contains a few quotes from books up to
47 and above, plus a bit more down the series. I wouldn't consider them as
major spoilers, but I'm just warning.
Thirty-four
crucifying hours and forty-five excruciating minutes worth of waiting…waiting
for it to just end.
It turned out that the symptoms were much like that of a cold or flu. I
had been told I have a high fever.
My face might have felt as if it was set on fire, but my hands were stone
cold. At times it was as if I were alone in the isolated chamber.
Other times, it felt like the whole world was watching. I'd hear
jumbles of speech around me, I'd try to reach out to find comfort in them, but
the effort of thinking proved to be too much. I felt myself spinning wildly out
of control. Pitching forward in a dark pit. A searing headache made me wonder if
what I was experiencing was real or not.
The headache felt real, what I was seeing was not.
"You!" Cried a voice.
I whirled around and found myself face to face with visser two. I jerked
back. Gasped.
"Who gave you the right to play god?"
Horrified I backed away. The visser cornered me, furious. He held a
scolding human finger at me, "You kidnapped me! You threatened to fry my
people! You know how many were back there? Potential hosts and Yeerks? Do you
want to know?"
Only it wasn't visser two speaking now, it was Jake, my Prince,
"I'm disappointed in you Ax, I thought you knew better."
Rachel jumped into my face, "You did what?! You used our
primitive devise to chit-chat behind our backs to your people!? Can I kill him
now Jake? Can I?"
Marco shoved me backwards, "Why? So you could throw us in a corner
while you start yes siring and no siring the next Andalite officer we see?
That's not good enough."
Where were they coming from? Why was this happening to me?!
"Dadddyyy! Daddy where are you?" Melissa Chapman. Wondering in front
of me. The day I… the day I played torturer.
Melissa faded in the darkness. But her sobs were still there, the
owner's sob changed. Erupted in a full-out thought speak cry. NOOOOOOOO! I
beg you please! Please! Don't do this to me! I swear I'll…Noo! You
aren't god! You can't judge me! The rat ran in crazy circles.
My hands jammed at the side of my head, futile, you couldn't stop
yourself from hearing thought speak by covering your ears.
STOP! I screamed, Stop it!
But the screaming wouldn't stop!
KEEEEEERRRRRRRROWWWW!
Pain seared my consciousness. Hands on my bleeding ears I staggered,
running away from the Howler's screams, collapsed on to cool dirt, all around
me was darkness, but the sounds…the memories…
Stop. I whispered, Stop.
They called me, at first, I didn't know why. Why would they call me?
But then, I was told. And the news shocked me.
He was alive.
I didn't believe it. And I still didn't believe it even though I had
seen him only a few hours ago. I worked with half my mind on the task. My brain
was filled with emotions. Irrelevant, if I wanted him to live I should
concentrated on breaking the virus's code.
They had another twenty or so of our best scientists working on it, I was
one of them. Our job was clear. We were to find a way to kill the virus that
Aximili was exposed to.
Problem.
None of us ever saw a virus like this one, the protein code was
unfamiliar. Plus there was the pressure of working fast. Time was running out.
There was additional pressure on me, for me this was personal. And it was
a slight relief that my colleagues knew of this.
I had exposed Arbrat's scheme to the war council. It had never gone
public and even though the accusations from the human race were loud, they were
backed by no proof.
My colleagues knew my story. I suspect that many of them think of me as a
criminal fool, many think of me as if I'd let my emotions get the better of me
and was manipulated by Arbrat's power and influence.
Other's think that I thought as a scientist and went ahead. I think
that this opinion is the worst in mind, the truth was, all of the three views
were right, but each to a certain extent.
Unfortunately, what no one knew was that the war council had approved of
Arbrat's sad scheme. He was carrying out orders.
It may seem a bit strange that so much effort was being put into saving
one life. Truth was, the effort was to analyzing the virus. If it had been that
one life verses the unleashing of the virus. That life would have been long
forgotten.
But you know what got me most? Aximili did not deserve this; if anyone
was to be placed in his place it would have to be me.
As I said, I had only seen him once. And I wasn't alone, they took us
in little groups to witness the virus's effect and allowed us to take a
limited amount of blood. He was unconscious at the time. So he did not see me.
I don't think he would have recognized me, I recognized him immediately
because his body had not aged much. I had aged a lot. I was not old. But too old
for him. Twenty years older.
He's getting worse from what I've seen. A voice shook me out
of my thoughts, I looked up at Fayalon, my friend and the head science officer.
The human scientist said we have less than three days to do this.
Fayalon, I don't know if it will work.
Be an optimist. He said, he reached out and grabbed the vial from
my hand, Is that the sample from '24hrs'?
Yes, I replied, When I compared it with the a recent one, I
saw something strange.
Really? Fayalon turned to the computer, Let's see it shall
we?
I brought out the two samples magnification 200X, arranged them side by
side and said, From this magnification it appears that both strands are
similar.
Foyalon nodded.
But watch. I increased magnification to 500X. Foyalon inhaled
sharply. The virus…it's evolving. It had reacted to the antibodies we
used to bring down body temperature, and that worked for a few hours. But look
now.
It developed some aerial type arms. He observed. Estrid, how
do you win a battle like that?
I don't know. I muttered, my hopes receding, How can you if
your very weapons are manipulated and used to aid the virus itself?
It must have been in the protein coding. Fayalon said,
Let's ask the human shall we?
I said nothing at first, as if I wanted to talk to the scientist who
created the virus, I shook my head. Fayalon looked at me, What?
You go. I want to see… I stopped, rephrased, When was the
last blood sample taken?
Fifteen minutes ago? He shrugged, But it's about time we
took a new one. Tell Cyas to get it.
No, I'll go. I said.
He gave me a strange look, Ah, okay then.
He left.
I left the lab we were in and headed towards the isolation area were they
had kept him. I had to put on a full suit to go on, it was annoying, but the
dangers of not doing so were very high.
The nothlit was there. He stood perched at a side. He fluffed out
his feathers when he saw me come in. By now he knew who I was. Remembered me. I
avoided his alien stare. Instead I started to draw out a blood sample.
The bird looked around, then very casually he said, You people seem
to be doing that a lot.
Yes. I replied, I was going to leave it at that but decided to
offer an explanation, We need to monitor the virus's changes.
Silence.
It had been changing?
Yes.
It wouldn't change not unless you tried to stop it by messing
around. The tone was neutral.
A trickle of suspicion aroused me, did he know? He wasn't a scientist.
And what is it you mean by 'messing around'?
In an off-hand tone he said, By…I don't know, resisting the
strain in some way? Medication? He fluffed out his feathers, You
didn't do that did you?
I stared at him.
You did?
I continued to stare.
He made a sort of groaning voice in my head, You people did.
How did you know?
It's always kind of been this big unofficial no-no on Earth, flu is
a virus not a disease, it only comes back because it adapts to whatever cure
that had been found for the former strain. At least, I think it goes this way,
I've read about it briefly. Didn't think of it much at the time. From what
I've heard from George, the virus is very similar, but is different in such a
way that it is already resistant to many local antibodies.
So. I hesitated, couldn't for my life believe what I was going
to ask and who it was I was asking, What do we do?
The nothlit laughed, You're asking me?
It appears that the viruses your people are used to are much tougher
than what my people face.
Are you just saying that for the sake of saying it?
No, the protein coding is unlike anything I had ever seen.
Wasn't that idiot any help?
He was referring to the human scientist. George. I don't know, my
colleague went to speak with him.
And you came here. His tone wasn't accusatory. Not close to it.
Why? Is it so that you feel sorry? His voice was a bit cold, it lacked
emotion.
Why would he care?
What was it to him anyway? I started to say something but stopped.
Aximili stirred. I focused all my attention to him. So did the nothlit.
Ax-man?
Aximili's hands reached towards his face but fell. Stop…Stop
it…
I did not know whether it was meant for me, the nothlit, the virus
or aimed at nobody in particular.
But I wished I did.
I wished I knew.
STOP! I screamed, my hands flew to the side of my head, the
howler's scream rang in my ears. I ran away…coward.
Two more minutes, three. Then I'm free. Please let me go. A
hopeful pleading voice said. The Yeerk-falcon flew through the air.
My head was spinning out of control! Emotions boiled down on me. Guilt,
anger, fear, disgust, pain.
And isolation.
Why? Because I was the outsider, the stranger, the alien.
Marco laughed harshly, Oh, I trust you to be ruthless Ax-man.
Ultra-focused. Heartless even. What I'm not sure is what this stunt is all
about. Is it really about human lives? Or about pumping Andalite morality?
Marco's face disappeared from view, replacing him was the human form of
my shorm, my best friend, he looked at me, concerned.
Tobias put a hand on my arm, "Do you even have the smallest idea of
what this will do to your head, Ax-man? Whether you win or lose?"
Stop. I whispered, Stop it.
"It's time to choose, Ax" Cassie said very quietly, appearing
suddenly by my side, "Once and for all. We know what Alloran did to the
Hork-Bajir world, trying to keep them from falling into Yeerk hands. The
Andalites won't allow Earth to fall into Yeerk hands right?"
Guilt seared my hearts.
All because of Ax and his precious Captain… Marco was yelling.
At the same time, Rachel was shouting as well. "Why so some Andalite traitor
could rat us out?"
Shame.
Stop. I whispered.
"Why? Does the truth hurt?" Rachel's cool blue human eyes looked
into mine.
Humility.
Shoot! Aximili Shoot! I screamed at myself, Shoot!
I let the moment pass. The Visser was out of the way. Not a miss.
Coward.
All around me the battle raged! Beneath my grisly cover, my brain
spinning to rationalize what I was seeing, leave the humans and their killing. I
thought I understood them, but I understood nothing.
Yes, leave them alone; hide. This was not my place to fight, not my place
to die here. The beach was not my beach, the war, not my war. Hide. D-day Marco
called it.
Coward!
I was a coward!
Then, suddenly, the madness disappeared; I was all at once on all four
hooves, a lone red eye glared down at me, I jerked back, stumbled.
As an echo of the assault of memory and emotions a voice spoke mockingly,
"Aximili. The pitiful, pale shadow of his dead brother. If only you insisted
on going with Elfangor, maybe he'd lived. Too bad."
I have no words to describe what I was going through. Guilt, pain, shame
and fear were the primary emotions, but beneath all that was sorrow. For myself.
Self-pity. I pushed the emotion away. It was of no use to me.
So. It was you. I tried to sound strong and unafraid. But what
bold message it had been in my mind was transferred into a ragged torn out voice
for them to hear.
It was no longer completely dark, but there was enough light for me to
make out the Drode's form coming towards me, he jumped into my face, "Do you
know that you are my master's second best Animorph?"
I said nothing, the though disgusted me, but I was too tired to make my
stand. I did not notice the Drode nodding his head to his master, as if
approving of something.
Why was I here? What did they want from me, surly there was some aim out
of this.
"Of course, of course." Drode sighed, "You don't really think we
would have let you off the hook now, would we?"
What hook? I winced slightly, remembered when I had said exactly
the same thing; when my Prince was demanding my assistance after we had been
betrayed by one of my people.
"You couldn't guess? We didn't let Rachel off the hook, so why
would we let you?"
What?
I was confused. The headache was still there.
"I will remind you." Chirped the Drode. A window opened and viewed
what looked like two birds of prey flapping away from an outcrop of rocks above
Earth's ocean. My hearts sank. I knew. I knew it.
One of the birds was larger than the other, a bald eagle. The other a
northern harrier. Rachel. Me.
Then I heard my thought speak voice speaking out, sounding a bit drained.
Rachel?
Silence.
I think…I think I never want to speak of this again.
"Unfortunately for you, you have to want to speak of this again."
Laughter rang out loud..
No.
"Oh yes. You see, it was in the belief of my cunning master and his
less witted archenemy, the Ellimist, that David's incident was far from fair,
sooo..."
So?
"Re-trail. A re-match. It's show time." Crayak said. Drode laughed
again.
What?
"Face off. If you can't endure what David did; a world of isolation
and helplessness, no friends, no family to help you, far away from home facing a
bazaar reality. Can you live with it?"
No, no no. This had to be a nightmare!
"But yes," Crayak whispered softly, "the nightmare is real."
"If the coward in you wins you, then you lose, and David gets his
re-match, he would be human again. Human but with the horrors of living as a rat
on an outcrop of rock miles out in the ocean."
No. No.
"You are saying this is unjust?" Crayak's voice was silky.
I moaned. This is not fair.
No! Hissed a voice It is, it is fair, it is justice and it is
right.
My hearts stopped beating.
David?
Yes. David.
My nightmare was real.
I'll go with you. Tobias said.
I nodded my head, I doubt anyone would object to that.
I entered the cell were they had kept the human scientist in; two guards
stood outside and four inside. The human was busy talking to Fayalon, I had
already given Cyas the last blood sample, he had marked the time frame.
"Look, how many times do I have to repeat? It wasn't what you put
into him, I checked the virus and the make up of the anti-body; it wasn't what
had it develop."
Then what was? I interrupted from the doorway. The nothlit,
Tobias, drifted in.
"I tell you I don't know." Gorge, the human scientist said in
exasperation. "Maybe it was his body's reaction to the virus that keyed the
evolution."
That is highly unlikely, Fayalon said impatiently. His tria
gland would have kept the virus in his head and blood stream; since the immune
system had been malfunctioned by the tria gland -a confused command due
to the virus's infection, then his body wouldn't have sent anything.
Then what is it? I yelled angrily. Time was defiantly running
out. We were trapped. Unless we didn't do something then…we had to do
something.
Em, I have something to say, Tobias said.
All eyes turned on him. I noticed that the guards were listening too. If
I were in their position so would I, I suppose guard duty is the most boring
thing in the world.
But it becomes rapidly exciting if you happen to be listening on to
something that may or may not determine the fates of Andalites.
What would happen if, em, the gland weren't there?
The body would have reacted to the virus. And sent it's
defense. Fayalon explained, his patience dribbling out. We're over
that, do you realize how much valuable time we are wasting?
Err, sorry, but we aren't over that. Tobias said, Do
Andalites by any chance regenerate the tria gland.
No, I said, then stopped, stared, why are you asking us
this?
Ax doesn't have a tria gland any more.
I thought you checked his medical records. Fayalon turned to me,
irritated, Does he or doesn't he have a tria gland?
Record didn't indicate that he had the tria gland surgically
removed.
That's because it happened on Earth.
What else can go wrong? Fayalon yelled, Couldn't you tell
us this earlier?
Hey, you didn't ask. Tobias snapped, Besides, what do I
know about Andalite physiology? Squat. You see my point?
Is there anything else we should know about? I asked.
No. Nothing I know of.
This is just great. Fayalon repeated bitterly as we stepped out,
Is there anyway for this nightmare to further escalate?
An Andalite I recognized jumped out of the observation room adjacent to
the isolation chamber, it was Cyas, he spotted us and yelled, Fayalon!
Estrid!
We hurried down the corridor towards him, What?
His hearts just gave out a few minutes ago.
What? Fayalon yelped. Why wasn't I informed, you do
know that I'm the head science officer.
My own hearts stopped beating all together at the news, it was too
bluntly said.
He stabilized right now, but I don't think it's going to last
very long. Cyas informed us as we entered the observation room. Thank the
trees, I thought silently. He isn't dead yet.
What do you mean it wouldn't last very long? I demanded.
Look, Cyas said sounding annoyed at our attitudes, His vitals
are clear right now, blood pressure normal, regular heartbeat and so on, but
look at this,
I did, at first I didn't understand what he was getting at, but then it
reached me, and still I didn't understand, Tobias who had been silent
throughout all this said, What?
This is very strange. Fayalon admitted.
It isn't a side effect of the virus, Cyas added, that's
for sure.
I don't get it, what's weird? Tobias asked.
I explained for him, His brain waves, the instrument that measures
the activity in the brain is giving us strange readings.
What, is it broken or something?
No. Cyas said with a little puff of irritation. It's new
and in correct working order, I checked that with the technician, I would not
waste anyone's time with incorrect readings.
Why are they so strange? Tobias asked.
The readings? Fayalon said, Well, Aximili is unconscious, at
a state like this, an Andalite's mind would not have shown brain activity
above that of a fully awake, and alert Andalite, the readings show that his
brain is functioning above usual alertness.
Like he's hyped?
What? Cyas frowned.
Like he's hyperactive or something?
Yes. Fayalon answered.
So is that affecting him positively or what? Tobias inquired.
Or what. Cyas said nodding, Defiantly 'or what'.
Hadon-Fallo-Sirear entered. A physiologist, at first he had been in the
chamber with Aximili, seeing us he had made his way out, he looked at us, Cyas
explained the situation?
Yes. I said, What are we going to do about it?
I already did something about it. Hadon said wearily, I had
him on a sedative, it will hopefully slow down the activity.
No. Tobias said, he had been watching us and then Aximili with
his fierce brown eyes, he looked away from the window and towards us, It
wouldn't work.
You sound so sure. Hadon
said.
I am sure.
And you made this decision based on what? Visual observations?
Hadon sounded sarcastic.
No. Tobias said sharply, On past knowledge and
experience.
That had us all stare.
What's responsible for this unusual brain activity isn't
biological. Tobias hesitated, It is virtual, almost. Non-existent.
No one said anything. I knew they were going to dismiss Tobias's
insight, so I asked him to evaluate on that before Hadon or Fayalon made up
their minds.
Cyas gave me an odd look.
Look, what if Aximili was… He hesitated again, seemed to wonder
how he would word out what he was going to say, What if he was dreaming?
Sort of?
I saw it in Fayalon's eyes, Tobias's blew it. Just as it may have
appeared that Fayalon would dismiss Tobias, Hadon said, Continue.
You're taking him seriously? Cyas sounded annoyed, so he and
Fayalon were on the same line?
You know of the Ellimist right? Tobias asked. You finally
believe he's real?
Yes. Hadon responded.
He has an enemy.
He does? I wondered.
Just as strong as himself, they play these games… Tobias pause,
I think Crayak, the Ellmist's enemy, is playing one with Ax."
What makes you so sure? Cyas asked skeptically.
I've been around Ax for a while, he talked incoherently as the
shrink said, but I could relate to a few things he said.
Shrink? Fayalon questioned.
The psyche.
What? Hadon asked.
The psychologist you assigned. He said in exasperation. Jeez,
don't you people abbreviate?
Cyas blinked, No.
Look your psychologist said it himself, I heard him, he's says Ax
is stressed out of something, why don't you get him to talk to his parents,
maybe they'd know more than me what Ax's is facing, I'm his friend, I only
know a little about him though. Sorry to say, you Andalites maybe a smart bunch,
but emotionally? Thick as a brick, no offense.
None taken. Cyas muttered.
I was amazed; he analyzed the problem this easily? But I was still
unsure, all of it was words, backed by nothing concrete but trust and beliefs of
a god-like alien.
Which, I, for a start do not believe exists.
We'll be on that. Cyas said shrugging he gave me a look that
said, 'at least he has a clue. We don't.'
We appreciate your assistance, Hadon said, he like many Andalites
believed in giving credit when was needed, even though the receiver was human.
That's okay, He replied, I have to go talk to a friend,
okay?
No. I regretted saying that one small word the second it left my
head.
Tobias closed his open wings, preened his feathers. No?
We need you here. I blurted. It was true.
Fayalon sighed in my head, when I asked you to stop him from going
outside I do think it was implied that you stall him, not throw it to his face
directly.
Sorry I replied privately.
You don't need to apologize to me, he replied gruffly, find
a way to convince him, Fayalon existed the room.
You need me? Tobias asked. Oblivious to the conversation as it
was private.
Yes. I said carefully, I believe your friend would need your
moral support.
He looked at me with his intense eyes for a few minutes; it felt as
though he could peer right through my eyes and into my brain. What my friend
needs is my help. More than anything.
That would be help.
No, it wouldn't. He replied, his tone neutral, I have to go talk to a comrade, one that has first
hand experience with dealing with Crayak.
We will call the comrade in. I paused, amended, If you want to, that is.
Tobias was silent again.
Okay. He said finally, when I said one comrade I meant two;
Rachel and Jake.
I'll call them all, maybe this way they would be of more help to
you.
I called a guard in and informed him of his duty.
He left.
I have to go. I said, I wish I could remain longer but I have
work to do.
Tobias did not reply, just turned and looked at his friend behind the
observation window.
That gesture, more than anything, offended me, and reweighed my guilt.
Some memory had shocked me. I
couldn't remember what it was but I truly believed that my hearts had stopped
beating in remembering it, though it was still a surprise when I heard it from
the head physiologist, he had previously identified himself as
Hadon-Fallo-Sirear and informed me that both of my hearts had given out a few
minutes earlier.
Luckily for them, they managed to shock me back to life. Unlucky for me.
I have quite given up in living.
They were talking to me; by 'they' I mean Hadon and Psychiatrist.
Sigarf, an Andalite who specialized in Andalite psychology.
Psychiatrist. Sigarf, had been observing me for a lot of time, I had
often seen him behind the observation window, but this was the first time I met
him face to face.
Well, face to face behind his suit.
What hadn't bothered me before was starting to get on my nerves. And it
was the suits.
I was already isolated. Cut off, did it really have to go to this
extreme? For some strange reason I felt as if I were an alien to them. Something
they had to be careful about, something unknown, unfamiliar. A stranger.
An outsider.
Not really part of their lives. An accessory.
Like the kind of accessory I had been to my Prince.
I had been loyal to him, that was correct, but the more I thought about
it, the more I realized that they only put up with me because they needed me.
No, they didn't need me, only part of me; my knowledge.
And Tobias? He lived his life as a bird in the forest, and as he always
said, "the forest doesn't have much to talk about." Meaning he'd rather
talk to me. Maybe that's how our friendship started, because neither of us had
anyone to talk to. I was the only
free Andalite on Earth and he was the only human nothlit in the forest.
But unlike me, Tobias had something else other than our friendship, he
has Rachel. Without Tobias I had nothing.
I really wasn't needed in this world.
Are you having problems concentrating?
What? I was shaken out of my deep thoughts.
I asked you a question. Sigarf said patiently. You did not
answer me.
Please, repeat your question, I was not listening carefully.
I said, when you are unconscious, do you dream?
What a strange question, I thought to myself, do I dream? I frowned.
No.
Are you sure?
Maybe I had, but I do not remember it, what is the problem? Why are
you asking this to me? Is this relevant?
Don't they get it? The problem wasn't in my head, it was in my body,
I felt frustrated a little. They didn't understand me, like maybe I was
speaking in an alien language.
No but we need to- He paused stared at me.
My hearts had started to thunder, rage filled my consciousness, Why
aren't you listening to me?! I yelled, were they that stupid?
Sigarf started to speak again but fell silent, Hadon had raised an arm,
silencing him, We will come back later.
I was almost angry enough to respond harshly to his comment, why did they
come and leave and tell me nothing? All they ever ask me about was if I was
feeling all right, whether I'd say yes or no the reaction was always the same.
I wanted to be alone.
That was easy and it wasn't.
I was already alone. But I had no privacy. This angered me further. If I
was going to die so be it, but I didn't want to die here lying on my side.
Another Andalite entered, one that I recognized immediately, I cringed a
little, it was Cyas, he came regularly to take blood samples from me, I have
never been afraid or angered by needles, but right then Cyas was just another
Andalite who took my helplessness for granted.
And he was another intruder to my privacy. Cyas no longer asked for my
permission to take a blood sample, he must have done it thousands of times since
I came to the home world.
As he took my blood sample he said, off handedly, May I?
I believe one says that before one takes what one wants. I said
grumpily as I watched him fill yet another test tube.
He did not reply. Ignored me.
I considered giving him a piece of my mind but what was-
-Arghhhh! I screamed suddenly.
I jerked away, fell backwards, Crayak! It was Crayak!
I was in the dark pit once again, I felt grass under hoof, but it was
dark, and the soil, cool.
What the…
I remembered.
It was David's appearance that had shocked me, and in reality it had
stopped my heart al together.
Were the emotions real?
Hello?
No one.
Alone.
Silence.
I had all the privacy I needed. And I was alone. A window opened. Light.
My memories of the past were being played; but not those of the harshness of
war, they were the ones were humans had shared what they had with me.
It was pleasure. Far off and away from me.
Close but unreachable.
Familiar but alien.
There was no grass under hoof. Just dirt. I must have imagined the grass.
A sun rose from a horizon.
Sand all around me, no vegetation. It was a desert. A rocky mountain far
away.
The sun's heat started to build up.
Then a voice spoke softly in my ears; Crayak. "When you need my help
call me."
I looked around to locate the source, nothing there.
"When you reach your limits, call for me. I will be there, we will be
watching."
Two voices.
What?
The sun was up, the temperature was rising fast.
"When your mind is torn apart from the pressure, beg for my mercy. You
will get it, only if you beg for it."
No.
"Do as you please. You will live in two worlds now, two realities. This
is one of them, the other is strange and distorted, you will not remember this
reality when you are back there."
"Your loneliness. Confusion and cowardly nature will rip you apart. And
so will your past."
This was unreal.
"If you endure what David did, then he stays in his reality, his
nightmare. If you cannot then he is back and becomes another nightmare."
I couldn't make a choice like this.
"No of course not, you are weak. You are a follower."
I started to shake my head.
"I will tear your mind apart, I will give you what you want in a
strange way, yank it away, then bring it back. Will you live? Can you
survive?"
The voice echoed.
My heart hammered. Something was coming towards me.
The sun had risen impossibly fast, and when it hung high in the sky it
stopped moving. The desert was a scorching blaze. Heat radiated off the ground.
I sagged.
I blinked, nothing on the horizon.
I started to feel thirsty. I headed in search for water.
So? What d you think about this? If you think what I did is mean you haven't seen the end of it. Hehehe. Please review I'm asking it nicely, failure to do so may mean that I'm going to blow Ax's head off, and you don't want that do you?
On a happier note; the next chapter explains Crayak's deal a bit better than here.