Hybrids

Chapter 1

I was sleeping in the corner of my cage when the pet master started to yell.

"BREAKFAST"

His voice was so load to my sensitive ears. He turned on the lights on the pet shop and all of us where still as statues. We don't know much about anything except what our parents teach us. We are raised by out parents till the age of three then we are taken away to be pets and the adults are forced to mate again. It's very sad my mom used to tell me the days before the virus and how she became a hybrid. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to be on the other side. To be born fully human and to be free from this hell. I'm 18 now and I believe it's been 23 years since the virus came into play. I watched as the pet master gave us our slice of bread and half an apple. It's always the same thing every morning. For lunch we each get a bowl of these pellets that taste awful. And for dinner we each get food for our animal sides. I wonder what it's like being him. Having all these "humans" in cages around him. I poked at my bread watching as it squished down with the weight of my fingers. I was hungry but I'm not in the mood to eat. My animal side wanted out of this cage I needed to stretch and to run. I have been told or more like informed that I'm part snake. I have orange/gold scales all over my face, neck, arms, hands and legs. From what I've been told snakes are deaf or more acutely don't have ears like humans do. So I guess being able to hear is my human side privilege. Also being able to well sort of being able to bear live children is also a human trait. Yes I'm well aware that only female bear children. I pick up my apple and take a bite. It's better than no food but I'm board of eating the same thing every day. Once I finish eating I move to the back of my cage getting ready for the store to open. It takes a while but the first costumer walks in.

"Hello sir how may I help you"

He says the same thing to everyone who walks in the door that is if he's not helping someone.

"I need a new bed for my hybrid she's a dog"

That's another thing I hate about pure humans, they label us by our animal side and really treat us as if we are that animal fully. It makes me sick.

"Of corse sir right this way"

I've been watching humans come in and out all day. Some adopted some of us others looked at us in disgust. Some people stoped to look at me some people where scared of me. I'm used to it though I mean I've learned that a lot if not most of people are scared of snakes and me being part snake doesn't help my case of being picked my a human. It's not like I'm hoping for a owner but being stuck here for about 15 years and seeing everyone else get "adopted" doesn't help my self-esteem. The door bell rung again and another costumer walked in. I didn't care to listen to them talk so I laid down the best I could in my small cage and closed my eyes. It was peaceful until I heard footsteps approach the line of cages. Great someone's getting adopted today. After a while I didn't hear any sound so I opened my eyes only to be met with a pair of dark brown eyes staring back at me. I jumped and gasped in surprise.

"This one" the man said
"You sir sir"
"I'm positive" he replied to the pet master

I was so confused but before I could tap my head around what was happing the pet master opens my cage dragged me out and dragged me to the counter.

"Any collars or leashes today"
"Yes the orange/gold one that matches his scales"
"Very good sir"

The pet master cam closer and put the collar on and attached the leash. This was it I was officially a pet. I lowered my head and held in my tears. I'm scared I don't want to go I want mom and dad again I do t want to be abused or used like I hear returned pets say. After my "owner" payed for me he tugged on my leash to signal me to walk. I didn't budge and he tubes again this time so hard I lost balance and fell.

"Tch stupid do you even know how to walk or do you slither like the snake you are."

I let a year fall as I stood up and followed him out the door. Great off to good start he hasn't even "owned" me for 5 minutes and he alertly insulted me and make me cry.