A/N: Like I said before, all the chapters belong to Hope now, since technically, this is her book. Please read my other story.
Disclaimer: I own Sarah, Bade, Josh, Alexandria, and Hope. K.A. Applegate owns Animorphs in general.
Hope
Hope here, and it looks like I'll be narrating for the rest of the story. So, I better start with where I left off.
My life couldn't get any worse. Marco's mom was Visser One. But that was nothing compared to having your mom be Visser Three and your dad Visser Two. And now they had to come over for dinner!
Bade was looking at me with a confused expression. I tried desperately to destroy the sad look on my face.
Bade, go now. I said to him privately.
But- he started.
Just go, I commanded.
He nodded to me, "I have to go now. Maybe I'll see you around sometime."
He left out the door. Left me alone with my parents who were no longer my parents.
"C.A.R.E is all about meeting people." My mom continued. I could barely sit through them talking without going on a killing spree.
"You told," I said while stifling a yawn. Just because I was in a murderous mood doesn't mean I couldn't also be tired. All day it's morphing, morphing, morphing. Let me tell you, try running one hundred miles, lifting a piano, and then doing algebra while on a treadmill and you'll understand what I feel like a little bit.
I had to be careful to watch my time. Two hours and I was stuck as stinking Julia forever. I miss being tall, even if I'm only short for two hours at a time. And I've never been particularly fond of red hair, especially on me.
"Julia, are you alright?" my dad asked me.
No, frankly, I was not alright. I was having dinner with Visser Two and Visser Three, and what's worse is that they are my parents! Why do they have to be my parents?! It was all I could do to start screaming and morphing leopard to wreak havoc at the Yeerk pool.
Of course, I am thankful that I didn't go crazy and wreck the Yeerk pool because, well, I didn't know where it is. I hate admitting that I can't do something, but there was no way I could do anything to help them without my friends. But I could do one thing without them…
"Say, when is your next meeting?" I asked.
My mom smiled, "Three days from now. Are you interested in going?"
"No, I was just curious, that's all." Okay, so now I knew when my parents were feeding. Now I just needed to know where.
My dad cleared his throat, "Honey, don't we have to go now before it closes?"
"Oh, yes. It was a lovely dinner, but we really have to get moving." My mom said and they left.
Wait, why did they leave so soon? I asked myself.
To feed, I answered myself.
But didn't they already do that, I asked the part of me that would be able to figure out the answer.
Remember the trouble you caused earlier, it figured out after a minute.
"I'm going to do my homework now. Do not disturb me." I told everyone and practically ran into my room, barely remembering to grab my backpack first. Once I was safe, I stripped down to Julia's leotard and began to demorph quickly. I think it was my fastest morph ever because in three minutes, a barn owl with a mission was flying out my window.
I quickly spotted my parents with my extra sharp vision. I followed them in the car until they stopped at the movie theater where we had gone to "see" Christina's Adventure only yesterday. I landed at the far end of the parking lot where it was dark and demorphed. Then I took one of the biggest risks of my life. I morphed halfway to Julia and stopped, with the blue necklace still around my neck. I took it off. I felt numb for a minute, then…
"AHHHHHH!" I screamed as I collapsed to the ground. Pain electrified throughout my entire body and then doubled back. Every bone was on fire and then thrown into gasoline. My vision grew dimmer.
God, this is how I die, I kept thinking. I don't die from battle or a disease or from pissing off someone with connections. I die from taking off apiece of jewelry! All I did was take off that stupid cursed necklace and now I'm dying. Isn't life wonderful? Well, ha, I don't have to worry about life anymore, now do I.
And yet, as I kept thinking that, my vision cleared and the pain, the still burning strong, was beginning to subside. Then I found out why. While going into spasms, I had grabbed the necklace. Now I see what the Ellimist meant when it said that I was the guardian of the blue box. But did it have to be that I couldn't take it off! Although, it would explain why this was the only thing that morphed with me. And it did improve my morphing, even though I was never able to control it, I could still do it gracefully.
"You!" I said to the spherical blue object, "Why did you just cause me so much pain?! Do you hate me? Why do I have to be your stupid keeper?"
I AM SORRY, HOPE. I heard the Ellimist say.
"Great, now on top of my rotten life, time has to stop again!" I screamed.
Actually, time didn't stop and a group of kids in the parking lot gave me strange looks. I tucked the necklace under my leotard and tried to get up. After several attempts, my legs finally obeyed me when I told them to support my weight. I was weak and shaky, but I was alive. And that was enough for me.
I stumbled my way across the vast asphalt space to the movie theater, refusing to rest, which was too bad because I collapsed three times and almost set off a car alarm once. By the time I did get to the theater, my butt was very sore and I had a number of bruises in various places. What was worse was that I had lost my parents.
I tried to stay in the back of the theater, in the midst of the crowds so no one would notice a pale teenager wearing a leotard. But while trying to stay unobserved, I observed everything I could.
A woman stepped up to the counter, "I'd like a large bucket of extra butter popcorn with extra butter." She requested.
"How much butter?" the guy asked.
"To the rim," she replied.
"I'm afraid you have to go over there and ask for the popcorn," the snack guy pointed to the other snack counter. I watched as the woman walked over to the second counter, but instead ducked behind it. I wouldn't have particularly cared if she wasn't the second person to do that.
I smiled, so, we find the Yeerk pool entrance.
I had to check to make sure, so I did the only thing I could.
"I'd like a large bucket of extra butter popcorn with extra butter," I told the guy at the first counter.
"How much?" he asked, just like last time.
"To the rim," I smiled.
He pointed to the second counter, "I'm afraid you have to go over there and ask for the popcorn." I walked over calmly and ducked behind the counter. I found a door. There was nothing to reveal that a Biofilter had been installed yet.
I had found out the code, the entrance, and the night. Now I needed to find my friends. I walked over to the arcade games and kicked them until a few quarters came out. After I had a dollar, I went to the pay phones and dialed Sarah's new number.
"Hey Sam! Listen, we have to do the project. I was wrong; we have to do it tonight. I know it's an inconvenience, but this will be are only chance. Get over to the movie theater ASAP." I hung up before she had any time to confirm that it was even her at all.
Next I dialed Bade, "Hello," he said when he picked up.
"No time for pleasantries John. Get down to the movie theater now." I hung up.
I called Alexandria and Josh the same way, except each time I called it would be even blunter than the last. Then I waited outside for them to come. It took them about ten minutes to arrive all together, but even that was too long because any minute now my parent's Yeerks would come out and we'd have to wait another three days with who knows what odds then.
"What's the deal, Hope?" Sarah asked, not even bothering to become Sammy.
"I found the entrance, but we need to attack now!" I said.
A/N: Finally, the next chapter they go to the Yeerk pool. What horrors will await? Mwhahahah!