Flipside

Part 3, Part 1

PART 3: FLASHBACK

She ran down the street, in a hurry to get home before curfew.

It was a time of war, civil war.

The humans and mutants known as Hybrids were fighting over rights, and humanity. That was when she heard the screaming.

She raced down the alleyway and saw what could only be an execution by the Human Kingdom. The wings of Fliers littered the ground, along with decapitated heads and dead bodies. There was only one survivor left. A child, who could be no older than two, was pressed against the ground with an axe held above his neck. As the weapon came rushing down, Jada shoved her wrist between the child and the axe. Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal.

"Hey! What are you-" one of the executioners shouted. "Oh. It's you." He bowed down. "Forgive me, my lady, but you are intruding on Royal affairs."

"What has this child done to you!" She cried.

"Betrayal of the Human Kingdom." He announced. She was bewildered.

"How?"

"He's a mutant, Ms. Silver. This is our job, I'm afraid." He shook his head. She lifted the young Hybrid into her arms. He sank his teeth into her in fear. He was a Golem. "Give him back. We can't fail the king." The executioner growled. She stood up and ran. The water from the puddles splashed up against her dress, ruining it, but she didn't care. She kicked off her shoes for better balance. She turned to see the road that would lead to her home, then looked back at the pursuers. There wasn't enough time. She leapt into the trees and raced through the forest. The tree branches reached out, tearing her and the child's clothes to near shreds. Half an hour later, she arrived home, exhausted and wet. She pulled open the door and collapsed against the frame, breathing heavily. She eventually got up and closed it behind her. She undressed the young child and wrapped him in a fluffy towel, placing him before the fire. She heated some milk and put it in a mug before handing it to the small boy. He looked at it suspiciously.

"It's fine, young one. Drink it. I don't want you to catch a cold." She took a sip herself. "Do you know your name?"

"Andreas." He croaked. Through the thousands of years she had been alive, she had mothered many children in such a state. She knew exactly what to do. She poured some honey into a spoon and placed it in Andreas's mouth. He swallowed.

"Better?" She asked.

"Mhm." He nodded with the mug held up to his face. She lifted him up and brought him to her room, then placed him in the hammock hanging off of her ceiling.

"I'll be over in the next room if you need me." She promised after covering him with a blanket. She then went over to her sewing room and picked out some fluffy fleece and red flannel. She sewed then together into a hooded cloak, with the fleece as lining. She picked him up after finding out that he was still awake, and dressed him in the new clothes.

***

Seven years later, Andreas was nine years old. He wore fake teeth and gloves to school to conceal the fact that he was a Hybrid. A Golem was a human mixed with a snake and cat, some more catlike and some more snakelike, which permitted them to spit venom and have special vision. Andreas was more cat than snake, however, and he had yellow eyes, an inhuman trait.