The Hybrid Project

Chapter 3: Goodbyes

CHAPTER 3: GOODBYES

Heather dipped her spoon into the mush on her tray, resisting the urge to spit it out - the food at this camp wasn't very good.

Ace sat across from her, his own spoon digging restlessly into the mush. Her obvious dislike of the food amused him. He continued to slide his spoon around, eager to say what he needed to, but unable to find the words.

"Well?" Heather asked with a slight tone of impatience in her voice. Ace had said that it was terribly important, what he wanted to share with her. Now he had gotten the wolf all excited, yet no words came yet. She wondered if his news had to do with the coronation ceremony which was coming closer and closer - only a week away.

"Okay. I know you're going to be leaving soon..." There was a pause, for it was a hard subject for Ace to talk about. Him and Heather had spent 4 years together now - Heather being 16 while he was 18, just like the Prince. Her time to leave was quickly approaching, while the crow was still here, causing the Headmaster grief.

Ace continued, staring at Heather with his piercing golden eyes, "We've always talked about escaping. And... I think we can, before you have to leave. A week should be enough time, right?"

Heather looked away guiltily, her ears drooping just the slightest, "Well yes... Bu--"

Ace interrupted her, new found excitement in his voice. He took her hand from across the table, clutching onto it as if he would fall apart if he were to let go, "Before I tell you the escape plan, I have to tell you the truth. About us, about other hybrids. You're not who you think you are, and--"

"Ace!" She looked to him again, but her face had changed - sadness replaced the guilt that lingered there once before. "I... I can't leave with you."

"What?" He asked a bit too loudly. Some of the hybrids around the mess-hall glanced over in their direction, curiously staring. His voice lowered as he spoke once more, "Heather, what do you mean?" His dark messy hair shadowed his face, made the lines of worry around his eyes even deeper.

Heather gulped and looked down to her lap, "I-I can't leave with you because.. I'm going to the castle today. To stay there." She had known about this change in plans for weeks now. But every time she tried to tell him, she just couldn't. The moment that she looked into his eyes, she saw such genuineness, a fire that had been doused in many of the hybrids' eyes after years of living in the Camps. She didn't want to be the one to put it out. It would break her heart if she did.

But now, Heather could see that she had done it. She had broken her heart, as well as Ace's. His grip on her hand went limp. He stared, his eyes wide. His bottom lip trembled, his voice barely a whisper, "No... Heather, NO!" He stood up, swiping his tray across the table, food splattering everywhere.

This caught the attention of the hybrids, all of them staring now. Heather pinned back her ears, looking up at her friend. His wings were starting to spread and he gazed down at her angrily. But behind the anger, Heather's keen eyes could see grief, loss. She spoke, hoping the guards wouldn't interfere quite yet, even though she could see them stirring out of the corner of her eye, "A-Ace... I'm sorry, I know that I should've--"

"Told me? Let me know, sometime earlier than the day of?! Why are they taking you so early in the first place?"

"Th-They just want me to be accustomed to the castle before the coronation ceremony... so I don't make a complete fool of myself... I would've told you earlier, but I knew you were going to react like this and--"

He grabbed her arm, pulling her from her seat and bringing her closer. She winced, his grip digging into her skin. He spoke, and she could feel the hurt coming off of him, his hand shaking as he held her arm tight, "None of that matters, now!" The crow looked around, as the guards started to slowly advance, weapons raised. He looked back to Heather, his voice urgent, "Before you go, I have to tell you the truth, so you can tell everyone else. What the Headmaster told you, what the scientists told you, it's all a lie! Everyone here is more than just a simple Creation!"

He was about to say more, when the guards had him by his wings, the weak spot for any bird hybrid. He let out an earsplitting shriek - resembling that of an infuriated hawk. They brought him down to his knees, where he squirmed and struggled, throwing punches left and right.

Heather had to back away, watching as they shocked him with a taser, but not after receiving a few well-placed blows from the angry crow first. While he was down, electricity surging through his body, they cuffed his hands and pinned down his wings, pushing him back up to his feet and leading him towards the hallway where the Isolation Rooms were situated.

Heather stood still, in shock. She had never witnessed a hybrid being taken away so forcefully before. Little did she know that Ace wasn't done. The crow used all of his remaining strength to shout, one last time, "Tell them the truth, Heather! Don't let them fool you! Every single human, they're all liars! Don't trust them, don't trust anyone!"

And with that, he was thrown into a dark room, the door being slammed and locked tightly. She and every other hybrid in the room could hear him banging against the door, cawing angrily, demanding to be set free.

"Ace..." Heather whispered, not even fighting as one of the guards led her away to be prepared for her departure - she was too shaken up to register anything going on around her.

She just softly whispered to herself, replaying the events in her head over and over again. "What does he mean by... the truth?" Heather glanced back one more time, but Ace's Isolation room was already out of sight.

~•~•~•~•~•~

Heather sat quietly in the vehicle, fidgeting with the silky fabrics of the dress she wore.

Soon after she had been taken away, the workers at the Camp, supervised by the Headmaster, had begun to prepare her for her arrival at the castle. They snipped at her hair, giving it a neat trim. Behind her ear, a beautiful white rose was pinned - the symbol of the royal family.

She was put into a deep rouge dress, one that flowed out elegantly behind her. They decorated her neck with a diamond necklace, and graced her feet with shimmering dress shoes. With a small amount of make-up on her face, and a sweet smelling perfume doused all over her body, the wolf hybrid was ready to face the King and his son at last.

But as she sat in the hover-car that was speeding over the Quadrants with a clear passage, it's destination Quadrant 1 where the castle was located, she felt anything but ready.

Heather felt as if she was going to crumble, just from one touch, like a fragile house of cards. Her heart pounded in her chest, with so much fervor that she was afraid the driver could hear it. Her hands began to tremble now, the fear of going to this unknown place filled with powerful humans getting to her.

It was then that she knew that was missing.

Ace.

She looked to her right, imagining that he was sitting right there next to her, giving that reassuring smile that he always did, ruffling her hair playfully and laughing light-heartedly with her. But Heather only saw an empty space, a space that broke her heart in two.

All she had left of her dear friend, his only friend was the memory of his face, and the last words he'd said to her...

Don't trust them. Don't trust anyone.

____________________________

Author's Note:

This one's kinda short, but I hope you like it! :) Get ready for Chapter 4, when we'll meet The King and the Prince, and most importantly, Conrad.

Sound familiar? ;3

(Psst, remember to vote!)