The Invasion (14 page)

“Not a dream,” he said. Now he was serious Tobias again. The grin was gone. “It’s all true, Jake. All of it.”

His eyes met mine. I knew what he was saying.
He
had tried to pretend it was all a nightmare, too. But it was real. I looked away. I didn’t want to start believing it had all been real. I wanted it all safely stored away in my head, just another bad dream. Bad dreams should stay in your head, not come jumping out into real life.

“I just kept concentrating on changing,” Tobias said, “and in a few minutes, I was … not myself anymore.”

His eyes bored in on me. “You have no idea what it’s like, Jake. Being a cat is so … it’s … I can’t even describe it. You’re so strong, for one thing. Just all this coiled power, and the way you can move! You know what I did? I jumped onto my dresser. Three feet straight up in the air, and I landed like a feather. Three feet! You know how high that is when you’re
a cat? It’s like a person jumping maybe thirty feet straight up.”

He stopped suddenly and looked at me. “You don’t believe me, do you?” he said.

“Look, Tobias, it’s just that sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between something real and something you’re just imagining or dreaming.”

“You think I’m crazy.”

I considered for a minute. “I don’t know, Tobias, let’s review the facts. You say you turned into your own pet cat. Turned
into
an actual cat. Yes, I have to say that sounds crazy to me.”

Tobias nodded thoughtfully. He gave a little smile. “I understand, Jake. You still don’t
want
it to be true.”

“What? You mean do I
want
to believe that you can change yourself into a cat? And all the rest of it? Do I
want
to believe that Earth is being invaded by slimy slugs who live in people’s brains and turn them into slaves? Do I want to believe that … that … Duh! No! I don’t want to believe any of it.”

“And how about the Andalite?” he asked in a quiet voice.

I hesitated. I don’t know why, but I didn’t want to just pretend the Andalite away.

Tobias put his hand on my arm. “Stand right there.”

“What? What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to help you decide whether it’s real or not.”

“Tobias …”

“Just wait. And don’t scream or anything.”

So I waited.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Tobias just stood there. I glanced at his face. His eyes … his eyes were different. The pupils weren’t completely round anymore. I swear there was a reflective greenish light in them. And his mouth was protruding a little, puffing out.

He was shrinking. Growing smaller right before my eyes.

The neck of his shirt was loose. His pants started scrunching up at the ankles. He was shriveling. And at the same time fur—yes, fur! — began to grow on his hands and neck and face. It was gray striped with black, just like Dude’s.

I had this absurd desire to start giggling. Tobias was becoming a tabby cat! But I knew if I started giggling I’d just keep on and on and never, ever be able to stop.

Tobias was more cat than human now. The pointed ears rose atop his head. The whiskers stuck straight out from beneath his delicate pink nose. He had dropped to all fours, clothing now half-draped
over him, like so many rags. His tail twitched. Yes— his
tail.

I wondered if I would just drop dead from the lump that had filled my throat, or from the jackhammer pounding of my heart. Then I wondered if I was still asleep.

But if it was a dream, it was a really convincing one.

I was standing there in my bedroom, staring down at a gray-black cat that less than two minutes earlier had been my friend, Tobias.

I
hope I’m asleep,” I muttered. “I really do.”

You’re
not
asleep.

“Is that you?” I demanded of the cat.

Can you hear me?
Tobias sounded surprised. Although “sounded” wasn’t quite the right word.

“Yes,” I said cautiously.

I did not know I could send thoughts like this,
Tobias said.
Just like the Andalite.

“I guess it only works when you’re … morphed.”

I am talking to a cat! I realized. And I thought
Tobias
was crazy?

I wondered if Tobias had heard my thought. I concentrated.
Tobias, can you hear me?

He didn’t respond.

“I just thought something at you. Did you hear me?” I asked.

No. I don’t think it works that way. You have to be morphed first. Hey, watch this.