Melissa

Shattered and broken. That's how I felt. Thrown into a meat grinder. There wasn't a part of my body that didn't hurt.

How Visser Three kept me in so much agony without killing me , I do not know. It was almost as though torture was a hobby he had been perfecting his whole life. His own sickening , self-invented masterpiece.

My face smarted. Probably bruised too. It was mostly from being slammed into walls and punched and backhanded by Hork-Bajir , which was why my head was numb. I wondered how long it would be until the numbness faded and I began to feel the full effects of what they'd done to me.

Cuts were in various places of my body that I never even knew I had. My lip was bleeding.

They had run at me again and again , cutting and slicing and hitting. The cycle never ended.

And when I finally collapsed , they had kicked me repeatedly. I think I passed out then. I cannot remember how many times I was struck at.

Pain for the sake of pain. No other reason. No questions were asked. They weren't there to interrogate me , they were there to break me.

It was pure , manic , torture , compliments of the Yeerks. And I screamed until even screaming hurt. I hurt so horribly that when they were done , all I could do was lie in my own blood and breathe. And even breathing was painful. My breath came in ragged gasps.

I was terrified. I won't lie. I'm not some superhero who can feel no pain and doesn't know what fear is. I felt every blow , and every time I prayed I'd just die. But surely death couldn't be far. I was sure I'd bleed to death.

That same night , a human controller came to me with a glass of water and forced it down my throat. Visser Three's way of insulting me: I was helpless. He didn't need to send a Hork-Bajir. And he sure didn't need to feed me. A human can survive eight weeks on just liquid.

A guard was always near my cell. I could morph to heal myself right? Wrong. Not only did it not work when I tried , it was almost torture in itself. Energy cracked the air as I tried to transform.

" What is the matter!" I screamed after my fifth attempt.

So the guard was just there in case? Jake and Sabrina's gang had beaten the Gleet Bio Filter so many times , I guess the Yeerks learned not to rely on their devices alone.

Ha , ha , ha. laughter; ugly laughter entered my cell. Visser Three swaggered in looking very pleased with himself.

So you've discovered the anti-morphing ray around your little prison? he said mockingly. Fool. We knew you'd try to morph.

He peered at me gleefully. It was as though seeing me suffer was some sick thrill for him.

You look awful! he said delightedly.

" Thanks , so do you." I gasped.

He ignored that. I guess he was enjoying himself too much to be bothered by my sarcasm.

He looked eager. So. Are we ready to come to our senses and talk?

" Wither and die!" I spat. It was a Yeerkish insult pertaining to kandrona starvation. At least that's - that's what Reubren told me.

I guess Visser Three knew and recognized it also. His eyes burned in an unholy fire. His voice and stature became threatening again. And Visser Three threatening is worse than Visser Three annoying and gloating. At least most of the time.

I see my men did not do their job in teaching you a lesson very well. Perhaps I should see to it myself? he suggested , spitefully.

Involuntarily , I began to tremble all over again. I had been so ticked at him that I had forgotten he didn't need Hork-Bajir to torture me.

He advanced on me , and I braced myself for it again.

Tom:

I was thrown roughly into the nearest cage to the right of where the pier was. I didn't bother to catch myself and landed on my rear. I drew my knees up to my face and bowed my head so that they wouldn't see the silent tears traveling down my face.

I usually don't cry at all anymore. I just sit there and try to imagine ways I could escape. Possible ways I could get rescued. But most of the time , I just try to remember when I was happier. Free.

It's rare when I have my memory to myself. Rare when I can sit alone and think of better days. I hate all of them now. But today had been especially harsh.

What's ailing you now human? the Yeerk had mocked. Depressed again? Oh that's right , you're never happy. Ha ha!

You're friend will be joining us soon , slave. So cheer up. You won't be alone in your bondage anymore! And soon your brother will join us also!

That's a sample of his talk. I'm sure you don't want anymore. I get weary days of it. He actually has this whole speech about how mighty the Yeerk Empire is and how it will never fall yadda yadda yadda yadda. I've heard it so many times , I know it by heart. Maybe if he changed what he said for just once , it would be interesting , but I seriously doubt it.

" Human darkap!" the Hork-Bajir controller who had thrown me in , kicked my cage.

I think just maybe I offended him by lashing out and knocking him into the pool when my Yeerk drained out.

I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to care to be honest. I brushed the tears away. But I mean , wouldn't you? I had precious little hope to cling to and the last had just been demolished.

I had heard of some kind of Yeerk peace faction. Yeerks who thought it was wrong to take unwilling hosts and despised the war as much as we did. I couldn't quite picture this is mind. Decent Yeerks? These evil creeps.these murderers , these warlords , ...could actually have feelings that didn't involve arrogance or hate?

But my Yeerk , Talass six-zero -two despised them almost as much as he despised his own natural enemies.

I decided that if he didn't like them , then they must be okay.

I had put my hopes in the Andalites at first. But they didn't show up. They never do. So I thought maybe...

But Melissa Chapman had been captured. And I knew for sure that she was with Jake and the ones that look like us , the Mendelites. I kept hearing about them too. They also were not on Talass's popularity list.

So I figured then they must be okay as well.

Capture meant torture by Visser Three. What if she told him something and he crushed the Peace Movement? I've gone through a lot the past months and I'm not sure if even I could do it.

" Really , Shaiel , I can't believe they haven't figured you out yet." said a hushed female voice behind me.

I almost fell over in my cage. Shaiel! The Shaiel I thought it was? The one the Yeerks were so ticked at?

I turned to see some human controllers standing in a dim corner feet from my cage. I couldn't see there faces. I suddenly realized what I was doing and turned around. Talass would be back and any information from my eyes could help him figure out who they were.

Please don't mention anymore names , I prayed.

" I told you not to call me by my real name in public." a boys voice hissed urgently.

" Sorry. I forgot the alias." the young woman's voice sounded embarrassed.

" I guess the wig I'm wearing DOES look a little obvious." the boy admitted. " I have to get a more realistic one. At least my colored contacts look natural enough. They know my host body so I have to be careful. And little boys are prone to wearing all sorts of funny things anyhow."

" True." said an older mans voice. " Look , I have to get back to my post or the Visser will suspect me. Remember what we planned. Everything Aftran started is staked on this. That human must be gotten away from Visser Three quick."

" Okay , we know what to do." said the boys voice. " We'll see you later."

I heard a new person walk up as the man left. Sounded like a guy my age. " Made it. I know where she is."

" Where were you? We were beginning to think you turned us in!" said the woman.

" Sorry. I was given an assignment directly by the Visser and I couldn't get away sooner. Luckily , it helped me find her. You should see what they did to her." He sounded disgusted.

I was shocked. A Yeerk concerned for a human? This had to be members of the Peace Movement! They were having a meeting only 9 feet away from me!

" Keep your voice down." said the woman. " I hate what he does to them too. Where is she? How'd you find her?"

" Pure luck." The teenage voice replied. " Looks like he wants to add deprivation of food to torture. I was sent to her cell to give her water. Unfortunately , these are the personal cells. They'll be more heavily guarded."

" We can pull it off." said the boy. " I've been in the Visser's personal guard before. So has she."

" I don't envy either of you." the guy replied.

They shared a nervous laugh.

" Hey!" a deep , human voice said.

The hair on my neck froze. It was Chapman.

" State your business!" he snapped. " Have you fed?"

They all replied yes.

" Then get back your posts. This is not a mingling place."

I heard footsteps as they all walked away. For the first time that day , I felt hope flooding back into me. When I felt it was safe to look , I turned. I saw Chapman.

He was staring after them eyes narrowed. His hands jerked , and he laid one against the temple of his forhead and closed his eyes a second. Then he was normal again. It may have been my imagination. But I think he was trying to get control of his host.

I wondered what the real Chapman thought of all this. If I felt bad , I could only imagine what he was feeling. He had to know what was happening to his daughter. I mean if Talass knew then surely Chapman knew. He wasn't only but two paces behind my Yeerk in rank.

How did he feel , knowing his daughter was trapped in a cell with one of the monsters who'd enslaved him , the foulest scum in the universe? I knew the feeling of wanting so bad to break free and to do something. But you can't. I never really liked Chapman , even as a normal human , but I felt a wave of pity towards him.

How many times had the scum who controlled me tried to lead my bother into joining the Sharing? How many times had I just wanted to scream , no , no , NO! He's not me! He's not your brother!

And even after he found out that Jake knew all along , how many times have I had to sit there , watching him imagining horrible fates for my brother and sometimes even playing and replaying those images?

But maybe Melissa would be able to do what I couldn't: escape. Maybe those Peace Movement Yeerks could pull it off.

I smiled to myself. Little Cassie , did you know what you started? And the Mendelite that I'd never met..what had it taken?

I sat with my head resting against the cage. I actually smiled. A small feeling of relief welled up inside off me. And I ignored the minutes ticking away my time , my little piece of freedom for just once , and held on to that feeling as tightly as I could.

( Well , this is developing nicely. I updated today because I'll be gone most if the weekend and won't get another chance. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.)