Chapter 16
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All you could hear from the room was the sounds of the large table being set up, then a map being thrown across it. We used pegs to pin the map to the very edges of the table, finding it hung over just slightly.
Slowly, we all converged, all of us surrounding the table.
"Okay, here's the school" Ithiell placed a small black object that looked like a checker piece on the map "We'll start expanding our search from there"
"We need to assume shes gone on foot-"
"And if she hasn't?" Leo spoke up, sharing a look with Ithiell.
"If she hasn't, well never find her" I spoke up, leaning on the table and looking at it. Donnie had a pretty accurate map of this area. I could see familiar streets I walked down every day.
"Now, we can't do that to ourselves" Ithiell shook his head, surveying the map again.
I looked at my friends. Rachel was on one side of me, Donnie the other. I was kind of glad the rest of the Animorphs had gone back, I doubt they could have helped too much in this search, especially with Jake now MIA. I knew Marco was worried about him...
"All right, now we have to work out how far a human girl could have gone on her own" Ithiell scratched his head, and Rtaia flicked her ears a little.
"We must assume that the Yeerks would still be looking for her"
"Maybe that's why Kristiana came back to the school" I bit my lip "She was looking for Serah, and I just happened to be there"
I felt Donnie tense a little, putting a hand on his arm.
"Could be she really was sulking" Rachel muttered, her arms crossed.
Speaking of Kristiana, Rtaia said that she had made it through the worst, but it was still touch and go. She still needed monitoring, but not as closely as she had before. I was just hoping she'd wake up soon... I wondered how long she'd been Yeerked for. And if I had talked to the real Kristiana at all in the time I'd known her. I half hoped it had only been a recent thing...
"Has anyone actually wondered why Serah hasn't tried to make contact with us?" Raph spoke up, looking around the table at each of us.
"Good point" Leo spoke up, looking at me "Do you think she's still scared of us?"
I shook my head "No way, she was on Donnie like butter on toast the other day"
I felt Donnie shuffle beside me, continuing "The only thing I can think, is that she can't find her way back here"
"Or she doesn't want to put her new friends in danger by leading them here" Ithiell's hands were now on the map again, surveying it.
"So where the hell is she?" I muttered, looking around on the map.
"Dudes, could she have just gone home?" Mikey perked up, looking like he was trying to hard to be helpful, nodding at me in that silly way he did.
Suddenly, everyone else was looking at me.
"I- uh- I don't know!" I finally said, feeling really put on the spot. Up until two days ago, I thought my friend had been Yeerked, and it was all over.
Now I had one friend who had been Yeerked fighting for her life in the next room, and the other... well, that was a complete mystery where the other was.
"How about we do a search there as well" Ithiell placed another little checker piece "Just to cover our bases"
I nodded finally, shrugging as well.
"All right, are there any places she might go?"
"Well, she would need food and shelter, so..."
"Okay, so that rules these places out" Donnie placed a couple little red checkers down. He and the other turtles had a few each, so they could mark out the places we should avoid. Splinter would point out anything if he thought of it.
"Okay, what about-"
The conversation continued, and I watched as the map filled up with more red checkers than black, finding my heart sink. There weren't many places she could go...
"Hey" Rachel clicked her fingers, and we all turned to look at her.
"What about the mall? Big place, she could hide there easily"
"It's an idea. But we can't go searching there until night"
"We'll put it on the 'to-check' places then" Ithiell threw another marker where I pointed the mall was. Rachel bumped my shoulder, and I looked at her, seeing a look of utter joy on her face.
"We could go there tonight! Oh my gosh how exciting!"
I couldn't help but laugh a little "You love your shopping"
"Well, you need some new clothes anyway, you haven't really changed since-" She stopped then, and we were all silent.
"Well, I do need a change of clothes...and maybe a shower" I added, trying to make light of the situation.
"How about this" Rachel spoke up, looking over at Ithiell "Jade and I scout out Serah's house, to see if she went back there, and while we're at it, we see if we cant drop through Jade's place and get her a fresh batch of clothes. It wouldn't hurt, and Jade could finally destink"
I felt my face flush a little, unable to keep a small smile in. She was really trying to be supportive...
Ithiell didn't look as pleased.
"You have two hours. If you're not back by then I'll send the boys" He indicated to Donnie and Raph.
"Fine by me" She shouldered me again, and when she looked at me I saw her wink "Double date!"
I groaned, hearing the others make out similar sounds as I covered my face with a hand.
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I flared my wings, landing on a tree across from Serah's house. Rachel was starting to circle above the roof.
(Do you see anything?) She asked as I pretended to preen my feathers, seeing the house itself was quiet.
(Guessing they're all out) I stopped preening, looking in one of the windows. It was the middle of the day after all. Her siblings would be at school, her parents at work...
(Do you want to go in, or should I?) She asked, pretending to dive bomb something in the front yard, then going back up.
(I'll do it. Probably safer for me to anyway) I braced myself, trying to look like any old red-tailed hawk, pretending to dive bomb a rodent, instead putting myself in the bushes near the door. I folded my wings up, quickly shifting to my least favorite form; the cockroach.
(I'll keep watch) She said as I slipped under the door, flatting my disgusting body down as far as possible.
When I was in, I shifted to a mouse, finding it was much easier to move around then a cockroach.
I did a basic search, finding nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until...
(Oh my... ) I looked around Serah's room, which was usually neat and tidy, no matter what she did.
(What's wrong? You okay? Need firepower?)
(I...uh... no) Was all I got out, surveying the scene in front of me.
Serah's room was torn apart. Her table and chair were in splinters, the mattress had been thrown the the ground and ripped to shreds. Clothing and papers and whatever else had been strewn everywhere. There was not a clear spot of floor anywhere.
(Jade?)
(Oh... her rooms been shredded. I don't know who or what came through here, but guaranteed they were looking for something)
(That's... odd, even for Yeerks)
(I agree) I tried to head into her room, finding it was just too dangerous, turning around and dropping my little mouse butt down the stairs as fast as possible.
(Any sign of Serah?)
(Doesn't look like she's been here)
(Well...that's probably a good thing)
(Yeah, sounds like they were after her for something)
(Yeah, but what?) I managed to squirm out through a small hole near the front floor, heading out into the middle of the yard.
(Is that you?)
(Yes... pick me up, pick me up!) I tried to sound like a little kid, hearing Rachel laugh as she swept me up in her talons.
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We reached my house a few minutes later, Rachel dropping me onto the roof then landing beside me. I pretended to play the dead little mouse.
(Looks pretty dead)
(Why thank you!)
Rachel grunted (Not you...)
(I know what you mean. You'd think they'd be watching my house or something)
(I think I see a dark van just around the corner, but I'm not sure)
(Don't go after it just yet. It's possible they just think I'm going to come walking down the street)
(Ah, good point)
Thankfully, they didn't know I was a shifter.
Which would work well for my next trick.
I wiggled my little mouse butt, feeling Rachel take a peck beside me, then managing to bounce away, maneuvering myself so I fell onto the window sill below us.
(Can you get in?)
(Uh, yeah, I think) I saw a small crack in the window, pushing and squeezing until I popped through.
(I'm in) I looked around, seeing I'd managed to get into Phoebe's room. Toys were scattered everywhere. My littlest sister...
I wondered how she was doing. If she was all right, or if she was scared. She was too young to even go to school...
I couldn't imagine what she thought of Toby and the other Hork-Bajir. The poor thing...
(I'll come in with you, if you let me know the place is clear) She offered (I don't really see anything else up here besides a van on either side of the street. Looks like they were waiting for you to come one or the other way)
(All right) I did a quick sweep of my house, finding it was pretty much almost the same way I remembered leaving it. I could see they had packed some bags, and both cars were gone, but it still felt the same.
I finally reached my room, not seeing anything out of place. It was almost odd. The image of Serah's room flashed through my mind...it was completely trashed...
And yet, the Yeerks knew I was a danger, and didn't come thundering through my house?
(All clear, as far as I can see) I shifted back, lifting my window open a little so Rachel could get through.
I moved out of the way, starting to head for my drawers as she landed on my bed, starting to demorph.
"Let's try and be quick, I'm already in the bad books with everyone" I sighed, grabbing as many clothes as I could, throwing them on the bed, then remembering I had a big bag for when we used to go camping, opening my wardrobe and grabbing it from the top shelf.
"I'm sure they'll all forgive you" She moved around my room, picking up this and that as I shoved all the clothes I could into the bag, then moved to go get my toothbrush and towel from the bathroom.
As I reached for my towel, I caught sight of myself in the bathroom mirror.
My hair was a mess, and my eyes looked worn. I also didn't realise how bad I was bruised on the face, or how injured I was. It now looked alot worse than it felt.
I shook my head, moving to grab my things as I said "I really messed up Rach, even for me. Ithiell relies on me to have my head on my shoulders. And I just-"
She stopped me as I moved back into my room, hands on my shoulders and looking straight into my eyes "Stop beating yourself up. You're human. You make mistakes. Everyone does"
I frowned "Not this many mistakes"
I moved around her, shoving my things in the bag, finding it was starting to fill up quickly.
"Jade, the more you beat yourself up about it, the more mistakes you're going to make" She sat on the bed now, beside where I was sorting things out in my bag, so I could at least put a few personal items in.
"Being with Raph has taught me I gotta let go of the anger, I gotta let go of all the bad things, so I can focus"
I finally sat on the other side of my bag, sighing "Rach, I really hurt Donnie"
"He'll forgive you"
"But...how can I forgive me?"
"It will take time... but it'll happen" She smiled at me, then patted my bag "Come on, keep going"
I sighed, getting up and walking around the room, then picking up a few photos. I looked closely at one in particular.
It was one of me and my littlest sister, Phoebe. Everyone used to say she looked like a mini me. And in this photo, she kind of did.
She was sitting on my lap, her little arms securely around my neck as I hugged her back. We were both smiling, and I remembered that day. It was mums birthday, and she just happened to take the photo after Phoebe jumped onto my lap, squealing like any three year old would...
I shook my head, going to put it in the bag, as well as move to get basic stuff like my hair brush and bits and pieces.
"So..." Rachel started up, making me look at her. She now had a huge grin on her face.
"Soo..." I copied her, watching as her grin widened.
"How was it?"
"How was what?" I raised an eyebrow.
"You know..."
"Uh, no I really don't" I went over to my book case, pulling out a couple of books I loved to read. One was old and tattered...
"You and Donnie the other night"
I jerked, dropping the books to the floor, my face going bright red.
"Oh, no..."
"Come on, you can tell me. Was it good?"
"Rachel!"
"Well, from the sounds of it you were having fun!"
"No no no, we are not having this conversation" I picked the books up, managing to tuck them into my bag, then moving around the room aimlessly.
"Why not?"
I let out a sigh, grabbing the sides of my head and trying to ignore her question.
"You know, Raph and I have-"
"Oh... nononono I don't want-" But the images were now floating through my head, and I gagged a little.
"Oh come on Jade, from the sounds you two were-"
"Rachel!" I cried out, looking at her. Could she not see this was a bad time to have this conversation?!
She giggled, her hands up "Okay, okay, I'll stop"
"Thank you" I went and closed the bag up, throwing it on my back.
We shifted and morphed, taking back to the sky, now two pigeons.
(So was he-)
(RACHEL!)
Gosh that girl was relentless!
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So... what happened to Serah?
Will I ever let you find out?
WE SHALL SEE! :D
And as always, Constructive Criticism appreciated :D