Disclaimer: This is an old idea I've been playing with for a while. I wrote it while the series was still running. In this story, the events following book number 45 never came to be, kay? Alright then…and oh yeah. Contrary to popular beliefs, I do not own the Animorphs. I just call on them to do my bidding. Muh hahahahah! (evil laughter).
Shadows of the Past
My name is Kit. And it was 3 am when I heard the muffled BANG from down the hall. Slowly, I pulled back the covers and tip-toed down the hall toward my parent's room, making sure not to step on the squeaky board. The bedroom door was half closed, but I could see the faint light shining through the crack that remained open. Rather than entering, I pressed my face up close to the crack and peeked in. My mother's covers were pulled off the right side of the bed and onto the floor, like she had rolled out. Her beside table light was on the lowest setting and I could hear the muffled sounds of water running through the closed bathroom door.
My Mom's name is Rebecca, and she'd had another one of her nightmares and rolled out of bed. When I was little, I once asked her what she dreamed about that frightened her so much, but she just kissed my head and told me they were about nothing. I didn't buy it, but I never broached the subject again. They've gotten better, but she still has them once in a while, especially after my dad returns to the base after a service leave. He's an Air Force pilot and, even through we'd moved to be closer to the base, my mom still worries when he's not at home. My mom is a D.A…a district's attorney for a law firm downtown. We live in a pretty big suburban area about a 45 minute drive away from the city, and a two day drive from the base.
Personally, I don't think anything could really frighten my mother. My dad took me to see her prosecute a case once and, well, I'd have been afraid if I were on trial. She questioned that guy to within an inch of his life; showed him no mercy. It was a change, this blood thirsty side of her. I mean, at home with me, my mother was as overprotective as they came. I was the kid who wasn't allowed to ride my bike around the block alone until I was 12…12 for Christ sake! But anyway, back to that night.
I was wide awake now, with no hope of getting back to bed, so I crept downstairs into the kitchen. I figured I'd get something to drink and then go back and tackle some of that homework I'd been meaning to do. I was walking to the sink when I noticed a funny red glow coming from that direction of the corner desk. I crept closer and realized that it was the 'extension in use' signal on the phone. Who would my mom be talking to at 3 am? Curious, I gently picked up the receiver, praying that the slight noise went unnoticed.
"…sure you're alright?" my dad asked. I breathed a silent sigh of relief. At least she wasn't…oh I don't know, talking to an on-the-side boyfriend or anything. But I didn't put the receiver down right away.
"I told you, I'm fine," my mom replied, frustrated.
"Hey, don't be upset with me, you called me, you know."
"I'm aware. It's just…just that I'm not scared really, I'm worried. What is something happened and we couldn't protect her."
"Nothing is going to happen dear. We've been through this," my dad responded aggravated. What the hell were they talking about?
"But they're getting more active. What if they come back. I mean, we did leave them a score to settle."
"But they're no coming back. I've been in touch with every contact we've got and they all agree that they're not headed here." Who's 'they'?
"Yes. I know you're right…I just worry. Are you positive-," she started to say.
"-the system's working? Yes, I went over it twice," my father replied glibly.
"And the dracon beam, is it-?"
"-where it always is? Yes. Everything is fine, but you need to get some sleep and so do I…"
"Oh, what, am I interrupting your REM cycle. Sorry, I'll just…," my mother responded, clearly pissed.
"Don't start with me, Bec, that's not what I meant. Listen, I'll check in tomorrow. Until then, try and get some sleep, okay?" my father replied. He was always the peacemaker in out family
"Yeah, I will. I love you," my mother replied. I could just picture her upstairs. Sitting on the edge of the bed, gripping the phone with both hand, eyebrows knitted together as she spoke.
"Love you too, sweetheart. It's all gonna be okay. I promise."
"Bye."
"Bye." There were two dull clicks before I finally hung up. I stumbled up the stairs to my room, completely forgetting my water. My mind was buzzing. What were my parents up to? Who was in danger? And who are 'they'? But most of all was this one: 'why are my parents involved in the first place?' Numbly, I turned over in bed and waited for sleep, sleep which did not come. Little did I know that down the hall, my mother was having the same trouble.
She was up early the next morning. I heard her in the kitchen around 6 am, but I rolled over and didn't stir again until she came to wake me at 7:30.
"Morning sweetheart. Sleep well?" she questioned. I pulled the pillow over my head and grunted in reply. I wanted to say, 'no thanks to you.' But I didn't. I was burning with questions after the conversation I overheard last night, but I didn't want her to know I'd been eavesdropping. Ever so slowly, I turned over and squinted at her, half blinded by the light as she open my shades. "Listen, I've got an early deposition to go to this morning, but I wanted you to be up before I left so you could lock the door behind me." See what I mean? Overprotective! I nodded though, deciding to be complacent this morning, rather than protesting like I normally would have. I had a sudden idea.
"I'm up, I will. Have a good deposition," I muttered, still half asleep.
"I'll call you when I'm done. Get some breakfast," she said as she leaned down and kissed my head.
"I will. See you later mom," I replied, brushing her short, blonde hair off my cheek.
"Bye honey." And she walked out of the room, just like that. Off to fry another scumbag.
I rose and got dressed and when I heard the 'click' of the door closing behind he, I made my way out into the hallway. Stretching up on tip-toe, I grabbed the pull string and wrenched down the attic steps. I was going to find some answers.
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The dust rose in puffs with each of my footsteps. I made my way over to the western corner. When my dad and I went up there to put away decorations and get summer clothes out of storage, he always told me to stay out of there. He said it's because there was a mouse hole over here. But now I decided to see what was really hidden behind those piles of boxes and bags. With some difficulty, I pushed aside a container of old Christmas lights. Behind the makeshift wall of junk, there was an old, worn cardboard box. It had the name of a shipping company written on the side, and was bashed in at one corner.
I brushed the inch-thick dust off the top and revealed a yellowing label that read 'My Stuff, Private.' Yeah, like that was going to keep me out. I pried off the tape that sealed the edges and slowly raised the lid. I was expecting to find a skeleton in the hypothetical closet, but I only saw several worn notebooks and a shoe box. Disappointedly, I picked up the top notebook and flipped through it. In was a Five-Star, you know, one of those 5 subject ones that had little dividers and a textured purple cover. I stopped somewhere in the middle and read.
"Another bad night. Awful dreams. Despite everything, I just can't get those…those pictures out of my head. I was back in the Yeerk pool, in bear morph for the first time. I was in a frenzy. The blood lust, the sheer power…I was out of control. And despite everything, I loved it, I loved the power…"
My breath caught in my throat. This couldn't be right. I picked up the second notebook, flipped through it again, stopped and read.
"I can't believe it! That cheat! He screwed us over! He makes us do all his dirty work and then he cheats us! Tobias…I don't know how he is right now. I feel like my heart is breaking though. He wouldn't do it. He decided to stay a hawk and…I don't know what I wanted or expected, but it wasn't this…"
This page was crumpled and I saw what looked like tear stains. But neither of those facts concerned me. I don't think I was actually comprehending what I was reading at his point. My mind was buzzing. I tore open the shoe box and dumped the contents on the floor in front of me.
Newspaper clippings. Pictures and articles from the time around the end of the secret Yeerk Wars…the Animorph wars. Headlines…Teens Save World, Extraterrestrial Invasion Foiled. The one thing that really caught my eye was a mauve document, very official looking. I unfolded it. The title read Certification of Legal Name Change. It listed a lot of information. My world fell down around me. My breath caught in my throat.
My mother's name wasn't Rebecca.
My mother's name was Rachel.
My mother was the Rachel.
My mother was an Animorph.
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A/N: So, what do ya think? This is a permanent 'To Be Continued' story until you hear otherwise.