Chapter 2

It all started on a normal school day. This was before I became an Animorph, if you are wondering. Actually, it was the very day before. It was the day I heard a conversation that changed my life.

I was walking home from school. It had been a normally boring day, and as I walked, I deeply wished that something exciting would happen for once. On my way home, I decided to to walk through the forest, which was near my friend Cassie's house. I live near Cassie, kind of. I was searching the empty streets, looking for what might be any sign of her, when I heard voices coming from deeper within the woods. I knew that I needed to be getting home. Mom and Dad would kill me if I stayed out too late without them knowing where I was. And I also knew that it wasn't polite to listen in on other people's comversations. But it was so tempting.......Besides, I could hear Cassie's voice. And the voice of her best friend, Rachel. I figured that I could interurrpt them for only a minute, say hi, then leave. That was all I wanted to do. Simple, right? Just go up and say hello, maybe make friendly chit-chat, then I would leave. I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be doing anything else.

I was careful not to step on anything that would make noise, but in a forest, that's almost impossible. So I just ambled along, minding not to step on large branches. Then, as I got closer, I realized that I could easily hear their conversation.

"I don't know, Ax," Cassie said. "You said that you were sure that no one else survived the crash. Now, just after a year later, you're suggesting that there might have been survivors? Why didn't you figure this out before?" Cassie paused, as if she was listening to someone else talk. But my ears heard nothing.

"What do you mean, you never thought it was possible?" Rachel asked. The tone of her voice told me that she was angry. "If just one of the Andalite warriors had survived, do you have any idea what that would mean?" She, too, paused. I began to wonder why they were waiting like that. Maybe they were insane. I didn't know.

Suddenly.......SCREECH!!!!! SCREECH!!!!!! Some kind of bird swooped down and almost raked my head. I ducked, but not in time to realize that I had been pushed within the range of vision of Cassie and Rachel. And the Andalite.