Mutation

Chapter 2: Truth

Laura and Neo had risen early that morning to bake and frost Trista's cake, and the nutty aroma of coffee followed Neo from the kitchen as he sat down in the living room across from Trista.
Neo took a draw from his coffee and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Trista, we probably should have told you this a long time ago, but . . ."

Trista's eyes widened. Could they be telling her the truth? The truth about their elusive past lives? The things she had asked about forever? She stared at her piece of rich chocolate cake on the coffee table, and shivered, far too excited to take a single bite.

"We wanted to tell you how we met," said Laura, a little calmer, rubbing her husband's knee.

She felt slightly disappointed. That was it?

"But it really starts with me." Laura cleared her throat. "I was living with my parents, and I was about fifteen, the same age as you. I had always wondered about the secret room my parents worked in. One day, I went into the room, and there were . . . all sorts of awful things. Mutated animals.

"My father found me there and sent me to a place. A horrible place." she blinked back a tear, taking a shaky sip of her coffee.
"The people there did terrible things, unnatural things. They melded animal DNA with humans', making hybrids."

"Is . . . is that even possible?" Trista said and tilted her head, processing this. "It's just . . . so wrong."

"We did have to keep some things from you, Trista," said Neo. Laura cast him a sideways glance. He furrowed his brow and returned her gaze. "You've grown up in a very sheltered environment. You don't know what people in this world are capable of." his voice faltered. "What sort of things they do to people they said they loved."

Trista's eyes flickered between them uncertainly. "You mean . . . they did that to you?"

"The 'scientists' there experimented on me. I was the first successful butterfly hybrid. The DNA changed me, though. I was no longer human. I had butterfly wings, and I was five inches tall." Laura confessed.

Trista gasped. "Wait, what? You . . . you were a butterfly?"

"Yes, part butterfly." Laura nodded ruefully. "My friend, Trudy and I, tried to escape by ourselves, but we couldn't. But then, with the help of Jesus, I discovered my power. Teleportation." she smiled at her daughter. "Like the power you now have. Me and Trudy just barely escaped, and we found the Haven. A santuary for escaped hybrids, where Neo was."

They both glanced at each other. "He was a dragonfly hybrid, but not small like me. At the Haven, we made plans to rescue the others at the experimenting place, the Facility. We succeeded, with only the loss of one . . ." Laura grimaced. She had tried to forget that.

"Go on," said Neo, squeezing her shoulder.

"After that, we made plans on what we were going to do and we traveled to a huge stadium. Then we got up to the stage and told everyone what the people at the Facility did to us and exposed them. The right people were brought to justice, we were cured of being hybrids, and, well . . . Neo and I dated for a while and eventually got married. Seventeen years ago." Laura and Neo gave each other a secret smile.

Trista looked at her father. "What about you?"

"I was experimented on also, but I was a 'failure'. With the help of the other hybrid's powers, we created the Haven for escaped hybrids, and the rest is history."

"What was your power?"

"I had wish-giving." he chuckled. "Pretty neat, huh?"

She grinned widely and giggled mischeviously. "Well, I guess I must have that power too." Trista ate a bite of cake. "Because this story is just what I wished for."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mr. Black's eyes flickered around suspiciously as he scanned the faces of the guards around his prison cell. His was in the very bowels of the jail, where not a flower could grow or a beam of light could get through. It smelled of rats and rot and all the things in a butchering shop left for a month.

He grumbled. They were supposed to have been here by now! Instead they had left him in this cursed place for another week. But it had given him plenty of time to plan. Yes, yes, great plans that would bring back what was rightfully his. And many more things as well.

But then, two figures appeared out of the shadows and started talking to the guards around his cell. "Yes, we've come to take him to Kansas . . . yes, for execution . . . not public . . . you didn't hear about it?" One of the figures stared at the guard for a moment and the guard's face went from uncertain to submissive, unlocking Mr. Black's cell and letting him go with the two hooded people.

They walked quickly with him, staring into the eyes of anyone who passed them. Finally outside, they got past the fence and security and they all got into a large white van parked in front.

"Took you long enough." Mr. Black growled as he put on his black-and-white suit. "I was beginning to think about Erasing you."

The two people shuddered, then threw back their hoods, revealing two sixteen-year-olds, one a boy with gray canine ears and a blackish nose, the other a girl with dull scales on her neck and face and beady little eyes.

"It was Trey's fault!" The girl flicked her pointed tongue toward the boy. "He wanted to go to the airport, and I said no, but he went there anyways and police off-"

"Hey!" Trey snarled, revealing his sharp teeth. "Who wanted to stay at that cabin another night?"

"Silence!" Roared Mr. Black.

His voice chilled their blood and they obeyed, facing forward silently, Trey turning the wheel and going just over the speed limit.

More than twenty years he had been waiting for this opportunity. For his associates to gather enough materials to set the plan in place, and they had dared to be late! Well, he would just have to work with these idiots for a little while longer. But then he would be in Kansas, in the middle of the United States. He grinned. And the real work could begin.

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Hey, everyone! Hope you liked the chapter. Also, you may want to read Experiment again, because I've updated the first few chapters and they are much better than the original drafts. Thanks! ♥

_pure_imagination_