Animorphs #55

Moving On

Chapter One

Cassie

My name is Cassie.

Four years.

It's been four years since the war with the yeerks.

A few months earlier, Jake, Marco, and Tobias went on a suicide mission to save Ax.

I know they're still out there somewhere kicking alien butt. But I'm the last Animorph on Earth. I sometimes think back and miss when we were still the Animorphs. When it was still Jake, Marco, Ax, Tobias, Rachel, and me.

Rachel…Rachel was dead. Was it because of Jake? Was it because he sent his own cousin to kill his brother?

I swallowed a lump in my throat. Thinking of those times made me feel so empty, so hollow, so alone. I knew it wasn't true. I was an international hero now. By now, everyone in the world probably knew me. I guess I should've been proud. I'd saved an entire species, but it just didn't feel right without my friends, the other Animorphs who had fought alongside me.

I stared at the gravestone in front of me. Rachel's gravestone. It had a dead rose underneath it, which had been from Tobias. I placed a new batch flowers. I had tried to move on for four years, but I knew my friendship with Rachel was irreplaceable. The thing with Jake and I was over too. All the things that had gone on in the war, was now the past. The day Rachel and I bumped into Jake, Marco, and Tobias at the mall and we decided to take the shortcut, which eventually led to the whole war. It made me sad to think that all of that was over. I knew it was a good thing that it was over, but we had lost Rachel and Tom. Now, Ax was in danger as well. Now, all it was were memories, happy and sad.

"Bye Rachel." A tear rolled down my cheek. Rachel had died as an honorable hero. I remembered watching her last moments. She had just demorphed. Then, a polar bear killed her with one blow. I couldn't take it anymore. It was too heartbreaking. I morphed to peregrine falcon.

While I was flying, I considered going to Rachel's house just to talk with her family. I decided it was too tragic. It wouldn't make me feel better. It would make me feel worse. Then, I spotted Ronnie Chambers, a friend of mine. (Hey Ronnie.) I said in thought-speak.

Ronnie looked up and spotted me. He gave me a warm smile and said, "Hey Cass." I landed on his shoulder and tried not to hurt him with my sharp talons.

"'Sup?" he said casually.

I felt a sudden urge to tell him my true feelings. I couldn't keep it bottled up inside me forever. (Rachel's death,) I said grimly.

He stopped walking and looked at me in my peregrine falcon morph. "I know it's hard Cassie. You just got to let it go. If you keep grieving about someone, eventually it'll drive you mad. Just treasure the memories, they'll be enough. Trust me," he said it with such an understanding voice.

(Have you ever lost anyone?) I asked caringly.

"Yes, I have… My sister Catherine, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer when she was just twelve. I was nine at the time." He paused and took a deep breath. "Unfortunately, she didn't make it."

(Oh I'm sorry.) I said with sympathy.

"Naw, it's okay, really. She passed in her sleep, and that's the best way to go. Now I know she's with the angels. I know she's happy now, and would want us to be happy too. She would want us to move on."

I thought about what he'd just said. He had lost his sister. I had lost my best friend. Maybe he was right. Maybe the best way to cope with death was to move on and forget the past. Maybe that's what Rachel wanted. (Thanks Ronnie,) I said with a smile. (Hold on.) I told him. I jumped to the ground and demorphed.

After that, we walked for a long time without saying anything. He walked me to my house. "Thanks for the chat," I told him.

"No problem. It was fun," he answered.

"Well, I'm gonna go in now. Bye," I said.

"Bye," he replied. Then, he walked away.

I entered my house. "Cassie, you're home?" my mom said.

"Hey Mom. Where's Dad?" I asked. My mom's face turned pale.

"Cassie, there's something I need to tell you," she said. I looked at her in a puzzled way. "What is it, Mom?" I asked. "Your father…he was involved in an accident earlier today."

"Oh my god! Is he all right?" I burst.

My mother gave me a pitiful look. "Cassie, the doctors at the hospital said he didn't make it."

She broke down to tears. I was crying too. Sobbing actually. I was sobbing uncontrollably unable to stop. I thought Rachel's death was already too much to handle, and now I was finding out my father had died. I couldn't speak. My mom hugged me and patted me on the back softly, like old times. My mind was racing ahead of me. I was dismayed by the news, yet there was something else in my mind. I had a feeling I wasn't supposed to be here doing what I was doing. I had a feeling that I was supposed to be somewhere else. I saw a flash of light and it was over. My mom was still crying and so was I.

That night, I grew restless. My heart was drowning in sadness, and what was that flash of light? Suddenly, a thought hit me. I remembered long ago, a Drode had told me that I was an Anomaly, which meant that no matter what fake time line he made for me, I'd be able to squeeze right past it and see the truth. I never told anyone about it, not even the other Animorphs. So what was the flash of light? Was it just my imagination, or was it something more?

I got up to get a drink of water and to hopefully get my mind cleared up. Rachel, Tom, and now my dad. Was this some kind of death streak? I knew I was thinking crazy. I cleared my throat and tried to forget everything. I couldn't.

And right when I was about to sip my glass of water, everything went dead quiet. No more crickets, no more hustling wind. I let go of the cup and it stayed there in mid air. Then, a bright light appeared in the distance. As it came closer, I saw two figures. I recognized the Ellimist, an old time friend I hadn't seen for a long time. And behind him, was someone I never thought I'd see again. Right then, I felt tears fill my eyes. "Hi Cassie," she said. My voice shook from emotion as I said, "Hi Rachel."