(eng) K. A. Applegate - Animorphs 48 by The Return

Author:The Return [Return, The]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Two hours.

I had two hours.

And then my life might as well be over.

The rat's natural curiosity kicked in. I didn't try to stop it.

Maybe the rat's instincts for escape would pick up something I had missed.

Nose quivering, whiskers twitching, I ran along the four walls of the cube. Stopped to sniff at each corner. Stood up and pressed my front paws against each wall.

<There's no way out, Rachel. Do you think I would go to all this trouble and then build a prison you could get out of?>

I scurried back to where David stood, looking in. We were nose to nose. Eye to eye.

<Hungry, Rachel? Don't bother to answer. I know you are. Rats are always hungry.>

Tattoo came over to the cube. In his hand he held a plastic baggie. It was filled with rotted food. Methodically he began to poke pieces of moldy carrots and green meat through the airholes. Stinking, rotting garbage crawling with maggots.

<Stop!> I shouted.

<Just try it,> David coaxed. <Mold is not too bad once you get used to it. And the sooner you get used to eating garbage, the happier you'll be. It's what rats do. Unless, of course, you're me.>

Grease placed a chunk of fresh French bread next to David. A bunch of grapes.

<Luckily, I'm a genius,> David went on, casually poking at the bread with his twitching nose. <I've managed to rise above my station in life. Sure, I'm a rat. But I'm also the big cheese.> David looked at me and giggled. <Get it?>

Yeah, I thought. Pure genius. But I said nothing.

David didn't seem to mind my silence.

<Other rats have to forage for themselves. Not me. I have others do my dirty work. I don't like going into places where I know I'm hated. Do you?>

<I wouldn't know,> I answered swiftly.

Why had I spoken?

Given David more to use against me.

<Oh, I think you do, Rachel. I mean, come on. You know the others hate you. You know they'll be relieved you're gone. That you're not their problem anymore. That they don't have to worry about what wacko Rachel is going to do next.>

I think there's something pretty dark down inside you, Rachel.

<You don't know what you're talking about.>

I worry about you, Rachel. I don't know what will happen to you if it all ends someday.

<Oh yes I do, Rachel. You're a problem. The Animorphs can't control you. But they can't kill you, either. So my brilliant plan is the perfect solution.>

I looked over at Cassie. She was crouched, silent. David had kept his word. He'd instructed Tattoo to open an airhole. Cassie could breathe.

Was she breathing more easily because I was out of the way?

Was David right? Would Jake and Marco, Ax, even Tobias, be relieved?

Maybe they would. Maybe they wouldn't admit it to one another. But secretly, deep down, maybe they'd be relieved.

Whew. Rachel's gone. At least that's over!

I am not some kind of nut!

No! It was unfair! Unfair. Unfair. Unfair.

Since the beginning I'd only done what had to be done.

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