Jake
I stared. I wasn't seeing properly. I thought I saw Tom standing next to Visser Three. But that's impossible. Tom is dead. I started to demorph, hardly aware of what I was doing.
((Jake, no,)) someone was protesting about me morphing. But why? Didn't they realise that Tom was alive? I still had a brother.
((Jake, listen to me)) it was Cassie, in her wolf morph. She trotted over to me. ((You have to morph back. They might have you on camera.))
I was hardly paying attention to her. I was staring down at Tom speaking softly with Visser Three.
((Jake, man, you have to snap out of this, Marco snapped. ((Save it for another day.))
I was hardly aware that my friends were morphing in front of my eyes. All I could do was think about Tom. He was supposed to be dead, but he was right there talking to Visser Three.
"We should get out of here," I heard Cassie say softly to the others, once they were fully human. "We could be on camera."
((The cameras have been taken down,)) I heard Tobias say. ((There are no cameras around.))
"Still, we need to get him out of here," Marco said, pointing his finger at me. "They could see us." He said, now pointing down towards the Yeerks.
((What do you mean the plan failed!)) Visser Three roared suddenly. Everything just went quiet.
I saw Tom mutter something under his breath.
((I promoted you for a reason, why do you continue to disappoint me?)) Visser Three growled.
Suddenly Visser Three started to change shape. He grew bigger, more menacing and I knew what he was turning into. He was turning into the same creature that he had morphed into to swallow Elfangor that night at the construction site. I felt sick and I knew what was going to happen. And so did everyone else in the cavern because they started to chant horribly.
"No," I whispered as Visser Three finished morphing and leapt towards Tom. I started forwards, but I felt strong hands grab me around the neck and pull me back. I was chucked forcefully on the floor and saw Marco come into my view. He was the one that had pulled me back and was now pinning down my arms as Rachel sat on my legs. My vision was blocked, however, as Cassie brought her hands over my eyes, but nobody blocked my ears. I could hear Marco and Tobias saying over and over again that it wasn't my fault, Rachel and Cassie sobbing, the chanting and the terrible screams.
I shouted till my voice was hoarse, but it didn't matter. Too many hands were keeping me down and nobody heard me over all the screams and chanting.
When, finally, the screaming stopped and the chanting took a halt, I heard a cruel evil voice in my head.
((Tasty,)) was all Visser Three said.
I just lay there, breathing deeply, feeling numb with three kids holding me down, a bird watching over us and an alien somewhere nearby.
Finally, Marco slowly let go of my arms and Rachel stood up. Cassie lifted her hand slowly from my face and I sat up, avoiding all eye contact and wishing I could just crawl in a corner and die.
Suddenly I felt cold and started to shiver. I put my head between my knees and took deep steadying breaths, but that didn't stop the pain. I felt Cassie's arm around me and Marco's hand on my shoulder, but I didn't look up.
((Prince Jake, I don't mean to seem rude, but we must move from here,)) Ax said softly to me.
"Come on, Jake," Marco said, taking me under the arm and pulling me to my feet.
I saw Rachel and for a moment I didn't recognise her. She was tear-stained and still crying. Cassie was supporting her like Marco was supporting me.
I hadn't started crying yet, but it wouldn't take long. I felt like crap. The pain was too unbearable. I felt like every step towards that door was taking so much effort.
We reached the alley where we had morphed. Tobias flew overhead, saying nothing. There was nothing to say. Ax stayed back from the rest of us, flitting in the shadows. Marco let go of me when we were deep within the alley. I felt dizzy as soon as I was standing on my own two feet and started to stumble.
"Whoa, whoa," Marco said as he grabbed me before I hit the ground. I've never seen Marco cry before, but I swear he had a tear in his eye then.
He slid me down to the ground just as Rachel arrived supported by Cassie. Rachel sat down on the ground next to me and started sobbing uncontrollably. I just sat there, feeling numb with pain.
Cassie, Marco, Tobias and Ax stood apart, but I could hear what they were saying.
