Chapter 1
My name is Katie. You don't need to know my last name. A few months
ago, I decided to become a voluntary Controller. You may have already read my
story that explains why.
Since I became a Controller, lots of things have happened to me. For one
thing, I was kidnapped by the Animorphs and Illarim was very nearly starved to
death. After that, we joined the peace movement.
Or tried to. The peace movement has to be extremely careful. They never
know who really wants to join or who is just trying to turn them in to Visser 1.
Finding them turned out to be a challenge.
I was at school, half-listening, mostly just zoning out as my teacher, Mr.
Tidwell, droned on and on. Emily sat in the seat beside me. She had decided on
that seat at the beginning of the year so that we could sit next to each other and
pass notes as inconspicuously as possible.
We were best friends then, and did the sorts of things that girls our age
do, I guess. We went to the mall together, went to the movies, had sleepovers
and talked about boys, clothes, makeup. I've recently decided that normality like
that is about as good as it gets. Well, when compared to my life now it is.
Then our lives changed. It started with her, I guess. She went on her
family's annual camping trip up in the mountains. There was this huge forest fire,
and the way down the mountain was blocked. There was nothing they could do
but stay there and hope for the best. Her dad was killed in the fire.
After that, she changed. She didn't want to talk to anyone for a long time. I
hardly ever saw her. Her brother, Lewis, changed from being the friendly, fun guy
who was slightly dorky, but in a way that made him even cuter, to being
depressed and withdrawn.
I guess it was understandable. I mean, I'd feel that way if someone in my
family died all of a sudden like that. After a while, we started hanging out again a
little. Her mom thought it was a good idea for her to try to have friends again.
Maybe I could help her.
It felt good, hanging with Emily again. It was different, but I didn't mind.
The more we hung out together, the more I could see the old Emily coming back.
She was happier, and I could tell it had comforted her to know that I cared.
It was around that time that I started attending the Sharing meetings. I had
read all the Animorph books; I knew what the Sharing really was. I had made up
my mind that I was going to become a Controller.
I felt sorry for the Yeerks. Many of them just want to be able to experience
the things that we get to. You know, running, seeing, hearing, tasting. I figured I
could at least make a difference for one Yeerk.
For some reason which I never found out, the Animorphs found out that I
was a Controller and tried to free me. I guess it was probably because of Emily. I
found out when they were holding me, trying to starve the Yeerk, that she was an
Animorph. I still don't know why, when, or how she became one.
Anyway. I was in history class, listening to Tidwell lecture on and on about
the Reconstruction and Johnson's impeachment. And, of course, I was not very
interested. I rarely am when it comes to history. I was thinking about everything
and nothing else.
Then, it hit me. While I was sitting there listening to the lecture, I had been
'reading' every single Animorph I'd ever read. And I had gotten about to Chapter
3 in #29.
That's IT!! I yelled, glad Illarim was in control, or I probably would have
yelled it aloud.
Illarim was a bit startled. What?
I just remembered something! Something about Tidwell.
Uh-huh… What about him?
He's a Controller, and he's in the peace movement! I blurted.
Are you sure?
Well, he was in that book. The Sickness.
If he really is in the peace movement, that could be our ticket in... Illarim
muttered.
I'm not sure if it was Illarim or me at that point, but in any case, I looked up
at the clock, willing it to hurry up so that we could go to lunch. And talk to Mr.
Tidwell. The clock's hands seemed to turn even more slowly.
My name is Katie. You don't need to know my last name. A few months
ago, I decided to become a voluntary Controller. You may have already read my
story that explains why.
Since I became a Controller, lots of things have happened to me. For one
thing, I was kidnapped by the Animorphs and Illarim was very nearly starved to
death. After that, we joined the peace movement.
Or tried to. The peace movement has to be extremely careful. They never
know who really wants to join or who is just trying to turn them in to Visser 1.
Finding them turned out to be a challenge.
I was at school, half-listening, mostly just zoning out as my teacher, Mr.
Tidwell, droned on and on. Emily sat in the seat beside me. She had decided on
that seat at the beginning of the year so that we could sit next to each other and
pass notes as inconspicuously as possible.
We were best friends then, and did the sorts of things that girls our age
do, I guess. We went to the mall together, went to the movies, had sleepovers
and talked about boys, clothes, makeup. I've recently decided that normality like
that is about as good as it gets. Well, when compared to my life now it is.
Then our lives changed. It started with her, I guess. She went on her
family's annual camping trip up in the mountains. There was this huge forest fire,
and the way down the mountain was blocked. There was nothing they could do
but stay there and hope for the best. Her dad was killed in the fire.
After that, she changed. She didn't want to talk to anyone for a long time. I
hardly ever saw her. Her brother, Lewis, changed from being the friendly, fun guy
who was slightly dorky, but in a way that made him even cuter, to being
depressed and withdrawn.
I guess it was understandable. I mean, I'd feel that way if someone in my
family died all of a sudden like that. After a while, we started hanging out again a
little. Her mom thought it was a good idea for her to try to have friends again.
Maybe I could help her.
It felt good, hanging with Emily again. It was different, but I didn't mind.
The more we hung out together, the more I could see the old Emily coming back.
She was happier, and I could tell it had comforted her to know that I cared.
It was around that time that I started attending the Sharing meetings. I had
read all the Animorph books; I knew what the Sharing really was. I had made up
my mind that I was going to become a Controller.
I felt sorry for the Yeerks. Many of them just want to be able to experience
the things that we get to. You know, running, seeing, hearing, tasting. I figured I
could at least make a difference for one Yeerk.
For some reason which I never found out, the Animorphs found out that I
was a Controller and tried to free me. I guess it was probably because of Emily. I
found out when they were holding me, trying to starve the Yeerk, that she was an
Animorph. I still don't know why, when, or how she became one.
Anyway. I was in history class, listening to Tidwell lecture on and on about
the Reconstruction and Johnson's impeachment. And, of course, I was not very
interested. I rarely am when it comes to history. I was thinking about everything
and nothing else.
Then, it hit me. While I was sitting there listening to the lecture, I had been
'reading' every single Animorph I'd ever read. And I had gotten about to Chapter
3 in #29.
That's IT!! I yelled, glad Illarim was in control, or I probably would have
yelled it aloud.
Illarim was a bit startled. What?
I just remembered something! Something about Tidwell.
Uh-huh… What about him?
He's a Controller, and he's in the peace movement! I blurted.
Are you sure?
Well, he was in that book. The Sickness.
If he really is in the peace movement, that could be our ticket in... Illarim
muttered.
I'm not sure if it was Illarim or me at that point, but in any case, I looked up
at the clock, willing it to hurry up so that we could go to lunch. And talk to Mr.
Tidwell. The clock's hands seemed to turn even more slowly.