Author's Note: I despise this project we're working on….It's taking up sooo much of my time! Evil school. . This one's short, and I dunno when I'm gonna be able to update next….My weekend just went bye-bye. Evil project of doom.
Sharina: Really? Lol! Coolies…I'm just sneaky like that. ^_~
SD: I agree….Let someone else go to school and do my homework for three days? All right!
Tigerlily-2250: Thankies! Glad you think it's good….And thanks for reviewing!
Liaranne: Lol. Sometimes, I really think Reese is a female version of Marco…But then I remember all the ways they're different and there goes that. ^_~
DH: Thankies muchly! Yeah, I'd be seriously creeped out with strange people knowing all sorts of things…Well, they get to sit there. And stare at the walls. Whee! I dunno, maybe they should bring some form of entertainment. And Marco's choice was pretty much about Reese. Although he didn't really have to be anywhere else, so I guess that's in it, too. ^_~
Rachel9466: Lol. I like my disclaimers, too. ^_~ Thanks!
Disclaimer: "And next time I'll use mustard!"
Chapter Twenty-Three – Jake
a.k.a. Enough With the Screaming
I was sitting on the floor of the shed with my English homework spread out in my lap. I was trying to concentrate on it, really, but my mind kept wandering. I glanced around the rest of the shed, checking on everything. Reese had fallen asleep, her head slumped down to rest on her chest. Marco was sitting by Daniel and the two were discussing math problems in low tones. Samantha was staring at the wall in front of her, seemingly daydreaming, but I saw her lips moving as if she was talking to herself.
I took a last look to satisfy myself that nothing was happening and looked back down at my homework. No, I did not want to do it…Stupid English essays…I hate essays. They're a tool of teachers to torment us, I know it. Add the fact that it was overcast outside and my mood was just way down there. I wished Cassie was there. As pathetic as it sounded, she'd know what to say to make me feel better.
I picked up my pencil again and started writing whatever came to my mind. Absolute bull, yes, but bull was better than not turning in the essay at all. My English grade couldn't afford another zero. A D, sure, but not a zero. I felt eyes on me as I wrote and looked up to see Samantha watching me. I raised an eyebrow and she grinned.
"Homework trouble?" She asked.
I nodded. "English essay."
Marco looked over. "That the one that was due a week ago?"
"No, actually, I turned that one in, thank you." I replied.
Daniel glanced over, too with a raised eyebrow. "Really?"
"Okay, so, it was a day or two late. Besides, this one isn't due until tomorrow. Unlike the math you're working on, Marco." I shot back.
Marco grinned. "Hey, at least I'm doing it."
"'Topic: The use of rhetoric to obscure a lack of content,'" Daniel quoted out loud and then laughed.
Samantha laughed along with him.
Marco shook his head. "I'm not even going to ask how you knew that."
I rolled my eyes and went back to my essay. I felt my eyes moving over towards my watch and suppressed a sigh to see we still had awhile left in there. Truthfully, I didn't really like being there. I kept being reminded of my three days in there…I didn't like being reminded of that. Especially of that eye I saw at the end. That eye still appeared in my dreams sometimes.
I looked over at the three we were watching once more, then back down at my essay. I wasn't sure whether I wanted them to be Controllers or not. At this point, though, I don't think it really mattered. At the end of three days they wouldn't be Controllers, whether they were now or not. If they were Controllers, though…Well, then the Yeerks would be looking for them. They could never go back home again. It'd be David all over again…
That stopped me. Whatever happened, at the end of these three days, we'd have to give them the morphing power. Either that or kill them. And since there was no way we'd kill them, they'd have to join us. We couldn't trust them to just keep quiet, not with all they knew…
Which was another cause for concern. How did they know so much about us? Even if they were Controllers, they shouldn't know any of what they did. The only possible explanations were that they had been following us everywhere we went, for everything we did….Or they were telling the truth. They were from some alternate dimension.
I wasn't sure I wanted that to be true. I don't exactly like the idea of people knowing all about me. Plus, it brought the question of how, exactly, they had come here. Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure a world where a war like the one we're going through is only fiction was not meant to come in contact with our world.
And that most likely lead to the Ellimist. He was about the only one capable of crossing two dimensions that I knew of, anyway. Well, him and Crayak. But I didn't think Crayak would do that. Then again, maybe he would. How should I know? I couldn't think of a reason why the Ellimist would do it, either.
I sighed. I hate problems that never seem to end. Every time I worked something out, it brought up something else.
I was staring at what was passing for my English essay again when I heard the thump on the door. I glanced up at it, only to hear it again, but this time much louder.
Reese woke up with a start, mumbling something about not letting it eating her. Marco and Daniel had stopped talking and were looking at the door. Samantha was looking at it, too, but she looked annoyed and was mouthing something.
The loud thump came again and the door shook. I bolted to my feet, watching Marco do the same out of the corner of my eye. Daniel looked confused, Reese was still half-asleep, and Samantha was muttering.
Another thump, much louder, and the door flew open. Reese screamed at the top of her lungs, causing the shed to shake a tiny bit, and Samantha shouted, "I said stop!"
Then there was silence.