Chapter three

John

I really think that this underground living for the last month has seriously gotten to April. She's been quiet… and you have to understand that she's only barely quieter than Nikkei, and Nikkei could beat a foghorn in a loud sound contest. I'm worried about her… I mean, she has done this before, just holed up, but that usually only happens when her feelings are severely hurt, and that couldn't have happened in here.

Could it?

"Hey, Shell?" I said, walking over to Shelly, who was coming down the stairway.

"Yeah, what?" She asked.

I thought of how to phrase my situation. "I'm worried about April." Oh, gee, classic. You thought for at least ten seconds for that? "She's been quiet."

"So has Nikkei, are you worried about her?"

"No, Nikkei being quiet is a good thing. But this just isn't like April. You've known her longer than I have, what's up with her?"

"I guess since all the action has died down, it's finally starting to settle in. About her parents, and such. You know how it is, more than any of us. Your dad…" Shelly stopped, noting how my worried look had changed to a more sad expression.

"I know. Thanks, Shell." I turned to leave.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" Shelly asked, staring up the few extra inches to meet my eyes. "Hm?"

"I'll think about it." I walked into the living area again, then up the 'stairs' to the living quarters.

Allison was leaning against one of the walls, writing in a notebook. Nikkei was walking down a hallway toward the room that she shared with Stephanie, Al was working at a makeshift computer in a wall, and basically everyone else was downstairs.

"What'cha writing?" Jeff asked, popping up beside Allison.

"Nothing," She pulled the notebook out of his sight.

"C'mon, what is it?"

"It's nothing." She closed the notebook, lifted it, and slammed it on his head. Believe me, you do not want Allison to smack you with so much as a sequin, because it hurts. Badly. Jeff was dazed for a moment, shrugged, and headed to the 'kitchen.'

I rolled my eyes, and walked down one of the hallways on the left, toward the room April shared with Shelly.

"April?" I called into the hallway after walking about ten feet.

"In here," She replied. I walked into the room.

In case you don't know, the average room was circular, about 15 feet in diameter, and about seven feet tall. This was one of the larger rooms, probably no more than three feet bigger than average.

When I entered the room, something caught my eye.

"What's this?" I asked, picking up the hunk of metal from a desk-like formation. It was no more than seven inches long, maybe less, shaped like a tube, but wider in the middle than on the ends. It seemed to have a switch.

"Oh, that?" April said, sitting on a beanbag we had salvaged from Stephanie's house. "Just something I found in the Yeerk pool. Wanted to ask Al about it."

"You went back?" I set down the little tube, and sat down on another beanbag across from her.

"Yeah, just for surveillance."

Back to the Yeerk pool? I shrugged. "Heh."

"What did you want to talk to me about?" April asked.

"It's just… You've, well, been kind of quiet… lately," I said lamely.

"Well, Nikkei's been quiet—"

"Yeah, I know!" Must everyone bring that up? "It's just… I'm worried about you. You were just a loud, obnoxious—"

"Oh, so now I'm obnoxious?" April asked, standing up, her left hand on her hip.

"No, I'm just saying… I want you to be okay about all of this, about…" I trailed off.

"About my parents? Look, John, it will never be okay. Never, and that's the reason I'm fighting, to save them. Not because I think this will be some joy ride, but because I need to. And I don't know about you, but the fact that my parents are Controllers… It will never be okay…" She collapsed onto the beanbag, sobbing.

"April… I… My dad is a Controller too. Has been since… actually, I don't know. Since before we met Al, anyways. Before this."

"Duh."

"Look, I can tell you need some time," I stood up. Grabbed the tube. "I'll show this to Al."

I could see worry on her face for a moment. "Okay."

As I walked out into the clearing, I could hear a raspy voice singing, the words somewhat muddled with sobs.

"So help me heal these wounds, they've been open for way too long. So help me fill this soul, even though this is not your fault. 'Cause I'm open, and I'm bleeding, all over your brand new rug, and I need someone to help me sew them up."

Okay. I am sorry I haven't updated anything. There's a good reason. And it's not writer's block. See, I type my stories on one computer, burn them to a CD, then transfer them to this one. The CD burner's on the fritz, so the only one I can update is this one, since it's completed. I am so sorry.

Janika: Like I said above, the chapter is on the other computer, and I can't transfer it.

Elwing: Yes, I live in Minnesota. It's okay here, except most of the people I know are idiots. There are a lot of lakes (hence Land of 10,000 Lakes,) and it's cold about 20 percent of the time. But I remember a year where it got to 90 degrees in May. I don't think that the stores carry Animorphs anymore, except for Barnes and Noble.

cherryangel6464: That's really sad that you don't know my character's name. But yes. And also it was the rutabaga thing.