Amalgamation

PROLOGUE

I sigh as I open the door that stands between me and freedom. My shoulders sag as I take in the fresh, if not wet, August air. Seattle's night skyline is just as beautiful as ever, despite the rain, and I am reminded all over again just how much I love this city.

The cold and the wet doesn't bother me in the slightest as I take in the cities lights and sounds. The hybrid shelter that I work for is situated on the outskirts of downtown, and the view of the sea from the hill on which the shelter stands is amazing, even at night. The cities lights dancing upon the surface of the sea never fails to take my breath away. I take in the night air greedily.

On any other Friday night I might be eager to go out and hit the town but for the last week, work has been particularly stressful. More so than normal. This particular Friday all I can think about as I head home is whether or not I will make it to my bed. After all, the couch is infinitely closer.

My feet carry me in the direction of the International District on muscle memory alone. As a general rule of thumb, I try not to use the bus often. My excuse? If I walk everywhere I don't have to actually exercise. It might be lame, but at least it keeps me in shape. Who needs a gym membership anyway?

My decision to live in the International District had been based solely on one factor. Rent. It was so much cheaper than living in downtown. Although I might have a fancy title I work for a non-profit organization. A shelter for battered hybrids called Haven's Place. The owner is a veterinarian, specializing in hybrid anatomy, who named the place after our childhood friend, Haven. She'd been a dog hybrid and the loss of her as a child had struck Kim Seokjin in an especially rough way.

When he had opened Haven's Place I was the first to join his staff. I was young and fresh out of college. Full of optimism and energy. I wanted to change the way the world saw them. We wanted to change the way the world saw them. The way they treated them. Haven's Place was supposed to be dedicated to that goal. But it's a lot harder than we had anticipated.

They aren't even second class citizens. Instead, to the world, hybrids are no more than pets despite the fact that they are essentially humans with ears and tails. What separates a hybrid from a human? Extra appendages? There are some who would argue that's the case. I disagree, and I disagree strongly. They are capable of emotions, thoughts, and desires the same as us. They are capable of higher thought and making their own decisions. Obviously, they are closer to human than animal and it still astounds me that others cannot see it.

I still want to change the world, but it is becoming increasingly more difficult to remain positive. Each new hybrid that arrives at our shelter brings with it just a little more loss of faith in humanity. Lately Haven's Place has been struggling to make ends meet, only driving home even further the hopelessness of the situation. The world around us does not care about hybrids, no matter how much we tell them they should.

I am pulled out of my inner turmoil by the realization that I am almost home, literally only a block away from my apartment. A commotion from the alleyway I had only just passed gives me pause. Without thinking I turn back to investigate. The sight that meets my eyes is one I will never forget.

The alley is dark and smells strongly of rotten food and feces. Dumpsters line the outer walls of the buildings on each side, and rats scurry in and out of the takeaway boxes that litter the ground. I hear a muffled groan and walk further into the alleyway, following the sound all the way to the back, behind the very last dumpster.

There, splayed on the ground amongst an array of soggy garbage, is a male cat hybrid with snow coloured hair. He is drenched to the bone and shivering as I cautiously approach. I do not wish to frighten him. Upon closer inspection, I discover that he is covered in bruises and there is a small gash above his left eyebrow. The flesh beneath the wound is puffy, swollen, and a dark blue.

I don't think I can carry him all the way home, but I know that I cannot leave him here.

"Excuse me," my voice is gentle as I address him "are you capable of walking?"

No response. He is unconscious, and I know better than to attempt waking him by force. There is no telling how bad his injuries truly are without a vet to look at him. My teeth clench in anger as I realize that I cannot simply call an ambulance either. Despite the fact that a hybrids body doesn't diverge all that much from that of a human, hybrids are forced to see veterinarians. As if they were actual animals. What a joke. If you took an actual animal to any of these "vets" they wouldn't know the first thing about taking care of them. There was little difference between them and actual doctors.

The situation at hand is desperate and I have to do something. I whip out my phone and call my boss, Seokjin. He's the only person I know who I can contact in this situation, and I know that he will be able to help. I only briefly bemoan the fact that I have no other choice.

It doesn't take him long at all to arrive. He reverses his van into the alley and helps me move the poor hybrid into the back. All the seats are removed, so there is plenty of space for a person to comfortably lay. We wrap him up in blankets, the best we can do until we arrive at our destination.

"Jin, thank you. For coming, I mean." I am awkward as I thank him. Despite the fact that Jin is one of my oldest friends and my boss, things have been strained between us ever since we broke up.

"We can't take him to the shelter Hazel, it's full to bursting right now. We literally just can't. I really hope that wasn't your intention in calling me." Jin tells me calmly as we exit the alley.

I want to argue with him, but I know he's right. The shelter already has more mouths than it can feed, I'd know that better than anyone. And complaints about the lack of beds are already abundant in Haven's Place. We really can't take him there.

"To my place then," I tell him "at least until we can find a place for him, or space clears up at Haven's Place."