But that didn't change the fact that I could still be stabbed to death by a regular human.
The thought of that kind of death had a sad sense of hope to them tonight. Rain was starting up as the full moon was high in the sky. I didn't spend time looking up as the danger from the stars wouldn't come screaming in on a Bug fighter, but from a Controller on the ground.
I tried to keep myself calm as I walked down the alley. The stink from trash and possible piss was overwhelming. I wanted to be walking down the alley as a hyena and have no fear that anyone would attack me.
And if someone did, they would most likely be drunk or Controller. One I could kill and the other wouldn't be a bother to me at all.
I listened for any sound and hid when I thought I heard footsteps. Part of one of the walls jetted out slightly and I hid behind it. When I made sure I was calm I turned to see who was sneaking up on me.
I had to hold back a laugh as I saw some of the rain had made a bottle tip over. Maybe I did need the other Animorphs to help me. If I was getting so scared by simple things I did need others to watch over me.
That hurt me to think since I didn't like to think about telling one of them that. I didn't like to think about telling the group that I needed them now.
Some movement in the sky made me look up and I saw an owl. It looked like a Barn Owl and I got a little scared.
A few of the Animorphs had that morph. One day Rachel and myself had had the bad fortune to be alone together and she had told the story about how Jake had been infested for three days. She had told the story to prove I shouldn't start thinking too highly about myself.
Some of the Animorphs had used the Barn Owl morph to make sure the Yeerk didn't escape.
For a few precious moments I hoped that it wasn't one of them and then it landed on the roof and said, Amanda?
I didn't move but knew that was useless. Owl eyesight was supposed to be amazing, so whoever had found me would already know I was there. I was guessing Cassie since I thought I recognized her thought-speak.
When I stepped away from my hiding spot, that probably didn't even hide me, the Animorph flew down and started demorphing.
I could tell it was Cassie as none of the others could morph as well as she could. Ax had called her an Estreen which basically meant she was extremely good at morphing.
"Cassie?" I asked when she had finished demorphing.
I was worried that she was going to reprimand me but then I saw the concerned look on her face. It had started to form once she had finished demorphing.
"You're wondering if I'm me?" I asked. "If I'm a Controller again?"
"You'd have made it easier for us to find you." Cassie replied and then answered the obvious unasked question. "Ax told us."
I had figured Ax would tell them at some point. Him and the other Animorphs had had a rocky relationship at first. He had to deal with how not to break Seerow's Kindness and, at the same time, he also had to help his fellow Animorphs.
So Ax felt bad about hiding things from the group and I didn't expect him to keep my secrets.
"So what are you here for?" I asked, my courage returning to me. "To tell me that you'll keep me safe? Or that you've found some miraculous cure for me?"
"We have found a cure." Cassie said and there was a moment of silence.
No way could they have found a way to cure my Hereth illint. Unless Ax had remembered something, there wasn't a way to fix me. I was broken beyond repair. It was foolish to think otherwise.
"What's this cure?" I asked, pretending to take the bait.
Cassie paused as though figuring how to tell her lie.
"This is a secret that must not be known to anyone outside of us Animorphs." Cassie said. "There are androids on Earth that no species knows about. They are called the Chee and were made by the extinct race called Pemalites."
I felt my pride tugging at me as I realized I was being let in on a secret of the group. I was being treated like a full-fledged member.
"One of them, Erek King, has helped us in the past." Cassie continued. "He can't fight as Chee are programmed against violence."
"Why doesn't he find a way to change that?" I asked.
"He did reprogram himself but then reverted back to his original programming a short time later. A Chee's memory remains forever and he did not like the memories he made while he fought."
I thought that was a stupid move for him to make. Then I wondered what it'd be like if I had to remember in detail every experience of my Hereth illint. Could I keep it together if I had to remember, in detail, being infested by a Yeerk?
Erek did make the right choice, but I still didn't agree with it.
"So why bring him up?" I asked.
"He has a way that he believes will heal you." Cassie said. "The others do miss you. Especially Ax."
Could there really be a cure? What could the Chee do? Part of me wanted to run in the right direction and get the cure now, but part of me didn't. Part of me didn't want to see the others' pity for me.
That fear, the fear of pity, had made me run off in the first place. But would it really be wise to give up a shot of being cured for a life hiding in fear?
At some point I'd have to learn to not let pity bother me. Maybe that time was now.
"I don't care if the group misses me." I lied since I did care about Ax. "But, if possible, I'd like to be able to fight against the Yeerks again. If the cure doesn't work you will allow me to live out my remaining days in peace."
Cassie didn't bring up that I would never have peace with the Yeerks continuing their invasion of Earth. She was the peace maker of the group and so she wouldn't bring up that point to convince me.
"Do you really want to live like this forever?" She asked and I was silent.
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Inbetween tumblr
All of Inbetween: The Incredible Burp
THE ANIMORPHS SERIES
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