The Banished Hybrid book 1: Hybrid's Revenge (14+) (Draft 1)

Chapter 3 part 1

When evening came the next day, I noticed something terribly wrong. Jasmine and I were watching TV like always but Mommy wasn't home yet. That's strange, I thought. Usually Mommy's home before it got dark.

I didn't want to worry Jasmine. She gets severely upset at even the mention of Mommy not coming home for the night. I had told Jasmine that Mommy wasn't coming home for the night when she didn't show up for dinner one night and Jasmine stayed up all night, watching the door and didn't move until Mommy came home early in the morning. Maybe Mommy was just going to be late from work again. So if I was Jasmine's favorite, then Mommy was next in line. 

When it was time for bed, I turned off the TV. We had chips and soda for dinner, under constant pestering from Jasmine that she wanted Doritos cheese flavored chips. 

But when I helped her into bed after getting her pajamas on, she asked, "Where's Mommy?" 

"She must still have work to do," I told her, staying away from telling her that Mommy won't be coming home tonight. 

"Oh," Jasmine said. 

She wrapped her arm around me once I had climbed in bed and kept me close like a stuffed animal. I didn't mind. Jasmine kept my horrible dream away. So I snuggled closer to her to keep warm and stroked her hair gently as we slowly fell asleep. 

In the morning, I woke up to hear strange voices in the apartment. I tried to get up to hear them better but Jasmine was lying on top of me, snoring as always. 

"Jazy," I said, shaking her awake. "There's people here!" 

"Mommy?" Jasmine asked sleepily with hope. 

I shook my head. "No," I replied. "Other people." 

"Not Mommy?" Jasmine asked in confusion. 

"Not Mommy," I said. 

The loud footsteps and voices came closer to the hallway as they entered the kitchen. 

"Where are they?" A male's voice said loud enough to make me panic and hide. "The chieftain said they'd be here." 

"Hide!" I told Jasmine. 

I quietly climbed down the bed and walked over to hide behind the bed. I pulled Jasmine down with me just as a female girl opened my door. 

"It's okay," she called out without hesitation. "I know you're in here. Your mother sent us to get you!" 

I looked at Jasmine. She started to whimper. 

"I can hear you!" The girl said. "I'm coming in if you don't come out!" 

"Alice," the male human said sternly, coming closer to my room. "You're scaring them." 

"But Papa!" The girl protested. "I'm only trying to help them!" 

The male human chuckled. "I know Sweetie," he said. "But I doubt Octavia told them about us. They probably haven't seen other humans besides Octavia." 

"But can I at least talk to them?" The girl named Alice asked. 

The male human sighed. "You can try," he said. "But be careful, I heard that the one named Emily is a little protective of her older sister." 

"You're damn right I am!" I said as I stood up from behind my bed. Jasmine held my hand in an attempt to pull me back down. "Get out of our apartment right now! We don't need you! Mommy will come back! So leave!" 

"Well, I'm sorry to say that your mother's never coming back," the male human said a little harshly. 

"Wh- what?" I stammered with heartbreak and surprise. No! That can't be right! Mommy said that shapeshifters can live forever!