I came to. I saw lights above me, like in a doctor's office. That gave me a stab of hope. Perhaps I had some sort of medical episode, and hallucinated that whole scene in hell. Of course, that would probably kill any chances of Lucas actually asking me out, but as long as he was not some sort of satanist who hangs out in hell like it was the beach or something, I was okay with that. However, when I tried to move, nothing happened. Arms, legs, head, nothing. I could not even redirect my eyes to look at something else. I blinked, but somehow I knew I had not done it. Not like an involuntary blink, but like someone else had told my eyelids to close and reopen. A chill went through me as I suddenly considered that I had been taken, and entered into some sort of mind-control experiment. Maybe some mad scientist was controlling me by remote control, like a life-size puppet.
«You're close,» a voice inside my head said. My fear increased as I started to realize I was, in fact, going insane. «You're not insane,» the voice said, sounding bored, or annoyed, «but you may as well think of yourself as a puppet.» I tried to speak, to scream, to do anything, but I still could not get my body to respond.
«What's happening?» I thought.
«You've been honored with by becoming a host to a Yeerk,» the voice said. «My name is Tergiv 146, a loyal member of the Yeerk Empire.»
My brain struggled to understand what was happening. It formed a sort of mental image, where I found myself standing in what looked like the control center of a futuristic spaceship. The "view screen" showed what my eyes were seeing. However, I could not reach the control panel that made my body do things. I was trapped, bound to a small corner by a force field of sorts. Standing at the controls was someone who looked just like me. They turned to look at me, and the smiled wickedly.
«Interesting way your mind reckons this,» Tergiv said. «Much more creative than past hosts.»
«What are you?» I asked.
«A Yeerk,» Tergiv repeated. An image suddenly flashed in the space between us, like a hologram. It showed a grayish sluglike creature. «Presently, I am wrapped around your brain, nestled into every crevice, in complete control.» The way Tergiv said that last part, it was clear they wanted me to know, without any doubt, my body was no longer my own.
I felt myself sit up. I was in a small room that looked like an examination room in a clinic. Standing near the door were Kassidy, Lucas, and Taylor. Next to them was one of the demons, but I suddenly knew that it was acutally a Hork-Bajir, an alien from another planet.
«We own them all,» Tergiv said, inside my mind.
"I'm in control," Tergiv said, using my mouth, my voice. "You should probably go get the Visser."
"I will decide when it is time to get Visser Three," Taylor said menacingly.
"Of course, Sub-Visser," Tergiv replied. "I meant no disrepect." Taylor grinned.
"That's okay!" she said, suddenly sounding like a bubbly airhead again. "You're totally right! Visser Three doesn't like to be kept waiting." Taylor turned, and left the room. Kassidy and Lucas took the opportunity to step closer to me. However, I got what could best be described as an echo of Tergiv's reaction and thoughts. Instead of Kassidy and Lucas, Tergiv identified them as Sleen 412, and Herthen 538.
"I guess I should apologize," Kassidy said, and I realized she was speaking to me, not Tergiv. "But I did tell you this would change your life!"
"If it's any consolation," Lucas said, "my host does think you're 'cute.' He actually wishes you could've met under normal circumstances."
"Maybe we'll be nice, and still have you become a couple!" Kassidy suggested.
"Why are you bothering yourself with such nonsense?" Tergiv asked.
"This is your first teenage host, Tergiv," Kassidy said, no longer talking to me. "You'd be surprised how much other teenagers pick up. It's actually a little harder to maintain cover as a teenager than it is an adult. If an adult host starts acting differently, it can be easily excused as 'home trouble,' or 'family issues.' Even if you give those excuses as a teenager, there's a whole team of adults wanting to 'help.'"
"So? Infest them all," Tergiv replied.
"There's also the other kids," Lucas interjected. "They notice so much more than adults give them credit for."
"Your host, for example, is a 'loner.' She doesn't have many friends, doesn't really go out much. This is noticed," Kassidy said. "You, however, will need to go out an about, as part of your duties, and every three days to feed. That sudden change in routine will be noticed."
"Ah, I get it," Tergiv said. "Herthen's host and mine become a couple, and that will explain away Shana's sudden excursions." It felt strange to hear my voice, my mouth, say my name, and talk about me like I was someone else.
"Exactly!" Kassidy exclaimed. Before they could talk anymore on the subject, the door reopened. Taylor walked back in, followed by Mr. Visser. Again, I felt an echo from Tergiv, identifying him as Visser Three, leader of the Yeerk invasion of Earth. An image accompanied, showing a frightening picture of a bluish centaur, but with legs more like a deer, and mouthless face, an extra set of eyes swiveling on stalks on the top of the head, and a long, whip-fast tail that ended in a scythe shaped blade. I saw a fuzzy "video" play in my head, an echo of Tergiv's memory, which showed that tail, that blade, remove someone's head quick as lightning. Overall, what I could feel coming from Tergiv was a mixture of respect and fear, mostly fear. An unconscious acknowledgement that in the blink of an eye, failure or incompetence would be rewarded with an instant death sentence. However, Visser Three was currently in his human form, whatever that meant, and was not as deadly. Still, he could easily order the Hork-Bajir to mete out the punishment, so Tergiv was still on guard. Visser Three looked at me, and I suddenly put it together why he seemed so dark before. It was the Yeerk I had been sensing.
"I trust there was no trouble claiming this host?" he asked.
"She panicked more than was expected," Taylor said, looking bored, "but it was nothing I couldn't handle." With help from Tergiv's echos, I realized Taylor, or rather Sub-Visser 51, was throwing Lucas and Kassidy under the bus.
"The fact that we got her down here at all was no small feat," Kassidy said, as aggressively as she dared. "This host has never been friendly to her, so I had to quickly get her to trust me, which I did."
"And I was able to get her to follow me to the Pool," Lucas said. "It was only because we had to pass through the main Pool area that she panicked."
"A new tunnel is being built as we speak," Visser Three said. "Soon, we will be able to bring new hosts straight from the Community Center to an infestation room without exposing them to the Pool first. It will be far more effcient." Visser Three turned his attention back to me/Tergiv, and the mental image of Tergiv shuddered. "You have your mission, Tergiv. Upon completion, your promotion to Sub-Visser will be all but a guarantee."
"Thank you, Visser," Tergiv replied subserviently. Without another word, Visser Three walked out of the room. With a smug look, Taylor followed.
"We should get going," Tergiv said. "My host's parents will begin to worry if she is out too late." My body stood up, and began walking, accompanied by Lucas and Kassidy. We made our way through a hallway that, like the other, turned into a stone tunnel. The same screams and cries filled my ears again, and I felt Tergiv's reaction to them. Pleasure. Superiority. Satisfaction. We walked back most of the way I had run earlier. Past the hell lake, which I now knew was the Yeerk Pool. Full of unhosted Yeerks feeding on Kandrona Rays. Past the giant worms, now called Taxxons, performing their various tasks, all the while battling insatiable hunger that turns them to cannibalism at the drop of a hat. Past the living room setup, filled with voluntary hosts. I felt physically sick, now knowing that there were humans willingly helping the enslavement of the planet.
Once we were back up the drop shaft in the community center, Lucas took my hand. I could feel it, but there was a disconnection. I was feeling it second hand. Tergiv was feeling it first. Kassidy smiled broadly, putting on the whole popular girl act. I felt my face smile as Lucas moved his arm to loop around my shoulders, and pull me closer. It all would have been awesome, if it had been real. Instead, it made me nauseous.
«Stop it!» Tergiv said to me.
«Stop what?»
«Trying to make yourself sick!»
«Sorry, but this whole thing is sickening!» I replied, not at all apologetically. The more I thought about it, the more sick I felt. Suddenly, my body lurched, and Tergiv managed to pull away from Lucas quickly enough not to vomit all over him.
"What the hell?!" he shouted.
"She...I…" Tergiv sputtered. Tergiv looked around, then dropped my voice. "The host had a sudden reaction to her situation. It came on too fast for me to tamp it down."
"Maybe it was something you ate?" Lucas said loudly enough for a passing group of kids to hear.
"Must've been," Tergiv replied. "I should probably head home." Lucas bent down, and kissed my cheek.
"See you at school tomorrow," he said.
This was what it was like to have your dreams twisted into nightmares.