Hybrid: The Prologue (Watty Awards 2012)

Chapter Three, Questions

Chapter 3, The Truth 

           Raze’s house is really big, and it feels like I needed a whole ten minutes just to get to my room. We went through, like, three hallways! When we got to my room, it made my spacious holing cell look like a doghouse.

      First thing I went to try was the bed. I threw myself on the bed and the soft red linen on my face felt so good. I never had a waterbed. It’s always been a yellow mat on the ground with a really hard pillow. I sat up and looked around, amazed. My walls were blood red and so were the curtains. I took off my shoes and jumped on the bed and started giggling. It’s immature of me but just this once. I hadn't a bed like this for a long time!

“I’m guessing you like your room.” Raze smiled and left.

I stopped jumping, stood up and watched her leave. Then I walked towards a mirror and looked at myself. My long brown hair reaches my elbows.

    My light green experimental dress is dirty and a little ripped. I walk towards a white folding door, and the inside surprises me. It’s a huge walk-in closet. There are enough clothes here for a whole year! There’s an outfit hanging on the front. It’s tan knee socks, brown boots, brown shorts, a red tank and a tan vest. I smile as I find a note in one of the boots.

“Hope you like this! Love, Raze”

I put the outfit on. Its much more comfortable than my old dress.

I wandered around, looking for my way downstairs. Time passed and I walked through a white hallway that I could’ve sworn I passed twice. My feet are aching!

“The stairs are here, Xena.”

I turn around to see Byron laughing. He is wearing a fresh new white shirt and some jeans. Great change compared to his usual grey experimental outfit.

Byron is standing right next to the stairs. Maybe I overlooked it. I look back up at Byron. Now he has a sly smile.

“Oh be quiet!” I smile. “You used to live here, you’re used to this!”

We both laugh. It’s been a long time since we had a laugh like this. Byron stepped closer to me. He looked around then back at me with a worried smile.

“Have you ever met Colleen?”

I look at him and laugh.

“The bossy girl with that ability to levitate stuff? Yeah. She comes with her nurse and plays with Avalon sometimes.”

I look at Byron’s face. His smile turned into a complete frown. My eyes widen as I realize why.

“Colleen . . . is she Avalon and Nyx’s cousin?”

Byron takes a deep breath and slowly nods.

“But, Nyx doesn’t even like her! He doesn’t even like the idea of his sister playing with her. When Colleen slapped Nyx, he tried to hit her with one of our steel lunch trays. Its that girl that Nyx lost his chance at freedom for?!”

“Obviously, Nyx never liked Colleen.”

“ Then why?!” My heart is beating too fast. I’m stressed out.

Byron took my hands in his. His face was full of worry.

“It wasn’t for Colleen, we know. We’ve known him since we were seven. He would never risk anything and was never close to any of his family, except Avalon.”

The rest of his family always thought he played around too much and was never serious, anyway.

“Don’t you kids want breakfast?”, said a voice from the stairs.

Byron and I looked at the bottom of the stairs and we saw Raze in a messy apron and a big smile.

“I see you’ve met your closets!”

She winked at us and said, “Come down at nine!”

I looked at a wall clock near us. Its eight thirty-nine. I feel like everything happened too fast. Unbelievably, all this really happened in one night. Our painful daily routine of testing and experimental hell turned into heavenly paradise. Byron and I look at each other then walk down the stairs. I can’t stop thinking about Nyx. My worried expression catches Byron’s eye. I walk ahead down the stairs then Byron holds me back.

“Are you okay?”

I nod stiffly. He puts his arm around me as we walk around, looking for the kitchen. I need to find out why Nyx stayed. Why he became a favorite in PARADOX. Why he did that for Colleen. Why, Nyx? Why?