"Animorphs: The Invasion" Book 1; An Audiobook

My name is Jake. That's my first name, obviously. I can't tell you my last name. It would be too dangerous. The Controllers are everywhere. Everywhere. And if they knew my full name, they could find me and my friends, and then . . . well, let's just say I don't want them to find me. What they do to people who resist them is too horrible to think about.

My life used to be pretty normal. Normal, that is, until one Friday night at the mall. I was there with Marco, my best friend. We were playing video games and hanging out at this cool store that sells comic books and stuff. The usual.

Originally it was supposed to be this new shopping center. Now it was just all these half￾finished buildings looking like a ghost town. There were huge piles of rusted steel beams; pyramids of giant concrete pipes; little mountains of dirt; deep pits that had filled up with black, muddy water; and a creaking, rusted construction crane that I had climbed once while Marco stayed below and told me I was being an idiot.

(Mocking) - "Are you going to come and protect us, you big, strong m-a-a-a-n?"

(Surprised) - "Wait a minute. Chapman is one of them, too? Our Chapman? Mr. Chapman the assistant principal?"

(Confident) - "Cassie is right about one thing. The only thing we have going for us is this animal morphing thing. And so far the only morphs we've acquired are a cat, a bird, a dog, a horse, and a lizard. I think we need a little more firepower. We should head for The Gardens. We need to acquire more DNA — from some animals that are not going to be easy to acquire."

(Awkward) - "So, like maybe I'll walk home with you guys?"

(Serious, encouraging) - "Jake, listen to me. It's just what happened to me when I morphed into a cat. The dog brain is part of your brain now. You have to deal with it!"

(Dedicated) - "That was before. Before the Andalite. Before he died trying to save us. I can't let that go. I can't let him die for nothing. So whatever you guys decide, I'm going to fight."

(Cautious) - "Let's think it over for a while. This is a big decision. I mean, it's not like we're deciding whether to wear jeans or a skirt."

(Hurried, urgent) - "Which way should I morph? Horse or human?"

(Conspiratorial, shaken) - "Nothing is normal here. Can't you feel it? All these so-called full members, they're all being so perfectly nice. So perfectly helpful. They're so perfectly normal it's abnormal. And all the time their eyes are following you, watching you. Watching you like . . . like a hungry dog watching a bone."

(Playful, mocking) - "Certain people keep forgetting that the SleazeTroll shows up right after you cross the Nether Fjord. So certain people keep losing the game - and losing our quarter."

(Concerned, but sarcastic.) - "I think it sees us. Should we run? Maybe we should run home and get a camera. Do you know how much money we could get for a video of a real UFO?"

(Scared, sarcasm for levity) - "We should tell someone. I mean, this is kind of major, you know? Spaceships don't just land in the construction site every day. We should call the cops or the army or the president or something. We'd be totally famous. We'd get to be on Letterman for sure."

(Malicious, Smug) -

(Villain Monologue. Touch of respect here) -

(Commanding, hurried) -

(Instructive, somber) -

(Pressing, desperate) - Go now! Only remember this - never remain in animal form for more than two of your Earth hours. Never! That is the greatest danger of the morphing! If you stay longer than two hours you will be trapped, unable to return to human form.

(Unaffected, cold) - "Well, I quit the team, anyway. A couple days ago. I didn't say anything because I knew you and Dad would make a big thing of it. Look, there are more important things than throwing balls through hoops. Besides, we do much cooler stuff at The Sharing. Maybe you should join up?"

(Mocking) - "It was in the newspaper. They said some kids were there shooting off fireworks. A bunch of morons who live around there decided it was flying saucers or something."

(Mysterious, hiding something) - "I have to go for a while now. The full members have a separate meeting. You guys stay here and have fun. Have some more of that barbecue. It's great, isn't it?"

(Commanding) - "Everyone, quiet. We have problems,"

(Authoritative, Stern) - "Item one. We still have not found the brats who were at the construction site. I want them found. Visser Three wants them found. Does anyone have any clues?

(Cruel, Commanding) - "Just save the head. Bring that to me, and we can identify it."

Sample a few voices you can emulate. Variety helps but is not always necessary.