Those horrible laments were becoming more and more noticeable. That hybrid sounded as if it were going to die.

It may sound illogical that, being the son of the person who created the hybrids, never in my life have I seen one of them despite my closeness to the neutral zone of the E.M., where the exiles are allowed to stay the rest of their lives, if they do not prefer to move to the forest first.

I get out of the shower, and I see my skin a little irritated by the acid rain, it had a reddish color that is not particularly pleasing to me, so I go back to the garage to look for the first aid kit, which my mother installed strategically just before the door, before she went to work in America but that's another story.

I open it carefully to prevent the small door from falling off because of the rust, and I carefully remove the plastic bag that holds a round container of ointment. It's cold and wet, but I still put it on my burns.

And there it is again. That fearsome roar, desperate to be attended, was heard closer, or was it my nerves? I did not know and I would not like to know. But the doubt persists.

That hybrid was wounded, I could identify pain in its cry.

Something inside tells me not to do anything, stay at home and try to rest a bit, recovering energy for the day of work that awaits me tomorrow, but ... there is something else, that somehow I cannot explain, makes me feel guilty

Since I was a kid, I always liked to save little animals from the street by letting them enter the house, but when I returned from school the next day, my mother had already disposed of them.

I know that what was out there was not a puppy or a kitten, it was a hybrid, one of the most dangerous creatures to human beings, mainly because of its aggressive and territorial behavior that they usually have even with those of their own species. I just can't go out and offer it a den away from the acid rain.

I'm not going out to help it.- I said to myself.- ... I should not, they would cause me to betray the E.M. or something similar if they see me helping it. Besides, I do not know which of the two factions exiled him ... it's a shame-

After the great civil war in which the European Metropolis expelled from its city all the hybrids, many groups of these beings were created, but the biggest ones were the Vortex community, whose ideology was always the contempt of the human race. But there was also the Cilt community, which, although they were not against humans, was not in their favor either. It was more than anything, a neutral community between the two parties to the problem, a group that took as a place to stay the ruins of a city close to ours, whose lights have been seen a few years ago on the horizon. It is known that there are people living in Cilt, and that they have formed a prosperous city based on respect for both species, in which hybrids and humans, are in charge of government.

But ... not everything is perfect in both cities, and there are times when you have to take drastic measures. If an individual commits a serious fault to the ideology of the city he resides, he is exiled and he is forbidden to return, and he is duly marked to warn any being, whether he is human or hybrid and to think twice before helping them.

Now (returning to the hybrid outside my house), if this is an exile from Vortex, that means that his only serious fault was, maybe, helping a human. Which would not mean a potential danger, at least not for now.

But, if he's an exile from Cilt ... that would mean he could kill me if I ever approached him. Depending on the faction, they put a different exile mark on you. Vortex usually kill their exiles if they do not survive by escaping with deadly wounds all over their bodies. The Cilt limited to tattooing them with a symbol, similar to a V with an interspersed X, possible abbreviation of "Vortex"

That's why I prefer not to take such a risk.

I listen to the hybrid again, but its roar is not as powerful, it seems as if it weakened. More and more tenuous, more tired, and with less agony. Unfortunately, the only way to know with certainty what faction was the one that exiled it is being ten meters away from him or her. Ten meters that the hybrid would not take a second to run and attack.

I just have to wait ... until it is quiet.

It is already beginning to get dark and the rain still hasn't subsided. It is very cold inside the house, and in my attempt to turn on the heating I do not measure my strength and I take the small lever of the switch between my fingers.

Great ... what else it have to happen this day?-

I got myself to look for the warmest blankets in the house and I put them on my bed. I've been living in this house for just a couple of months, and I've had enough. It had to be, you can not expect much from the cheapest house bordering the neutral zone, (which no one comes near because of the lack of security in the area) also, it does not look at all like the newspaper ad. The heating does not work, the light comes when it wants and there are leaks in the ceiling.

I lay in the bed, and an uncomfortable growl coming from my stomach makes me feel a little stupid. Apparently, I have to eat before I go to sleep.

I get up amid complaints and walk barefoot on the frozen floor of the house, towards the kitchen.

The refrigerator seems to be hotter than the rest of the house.

I reached the glass container of milk, which was still half full, and tried to pour it into a glass. At that moment, a horrible sound takes me out of my peaceful state and causes me to release the milk container, which is reduced to small splinters of glass that spread all over the floor of what could be called the kitchen.

Luckily, I reacted fast enough to move away from the path of the small glass that could easily cut my feet. I do not know what had scared me more, the noise coming from the garage door or the possibility of not having something called feet.

I run directly to my room for my shoes or what I had on hand to fit and pick up the glass from the floor. I walked slowly back to the kitchen, as if there was something there, because I did not like that noise at all.

I had two options. One, it could be the same door that fell because of the rust, or two, was that it could be the hybrid.

No ... it's not possible ... they can not get so close to civilization.-

I tried to reassure myself, in vain. Something inside me knew that it was possible, my house was the only source of light visible from the neutral zone. But no hybrid would have the audacity to get here, where the law allows the use of firearms and warning shots to subdue it. That creature must have a good reason to get here.

Carefully, and without letting down my guard, I cleaned up the mess on the floor with a towel, while I cleaned the remains of the milk scattered on the floor.

Then the horror becomes real.

The aggressive roar of the hybrid made the windows vibrate and my eardrums hurt.

I throw myself to the ground, avoiding the window that leads directly to the garage while I lay aside the remaining pieces of glass.

My heart was beating to the limit, I was beginning to sweat and my hands were shaking. The best option would be to stay recharged on the wall without making any noise. But I knew very well that that would not be enough to camouflage my presence. That hybrid knew I was inside the house.

Human ... - A powerful and tired voice was heard outside my house, and even though the metal gate was an obstacle so I could hear his voice, I could understand him perfectly. It was obvious that it was the hybrid .- ... I know you do not trust me ... but I need you to help me ... - The hybrid is silent for a few moments, while I fought not to generate any noise .- ... please, I know you're there ... I can smell you.-

I am petrified by the words of that creature, and as much as forced my body to do something, the terror had paralyzed me.-

... I'm a Cilt hybrid ... I protect humans, so you have nothing to fear.- The hybrid is still talking, in a vague attempt to convince me to open the door with that same ease .- ... I just need a place to rest and shelter from acid rain ... please, it's the only thing I ask of you. - I could hear a bit of desperation in his tone, which could possibly explain why he hit the gate in that way.

Obviously I did not believe him at first, I would not risk exposing myself to a potential killer even if he swore to belong to the neutral city of Cilt. I needed more evidence besides his simple words.

While trying to recover a bit of control of my breathing, a small but effective idea comes to my mind, I could possibly know what faction he came from if I peeked through the window in the upstairs room which conveniently overlooks the street and thus reduced the risk of having opened the door to a man-eater.

- ... Yes, I must be very crazy to do this ... - I say while my legs still trembled a little, and I needed to grab the walls to get up.

I stood up carefully not to step on the remaining splinters of glass on the floor and climbed as fast as I could on the staircase that leads to my room on the top floor.

I entered my room, opened the window and before I looked out, taking half my body to see the hybrid, I made sure that the rain that continued to fall was no longer acidic. Luckily it was not, and I held on to the window frame while peeking out.

It was not very pleasant to see, the hybrid seemed to be lying on the wet asphalt without strength continued to stand on its wheels while waiting for me. Looking more closely at the hybrid I could see that it was slender (possibly because it was malnourished), with a couple of vents on the top of its nose which he kept closed by the rain. His skin was a striking yellow color that stood out in the rain and the darkness of the street. He was really hurt, his sores were so deep that part of the water that slid down his body was trapped in his wounds, diluting the blood that came out.

I had never seen a hybrid up close, and having one out of my house right now was a cause of great vertigo, although fascination and curiosity at the same time despite the growing fear I felt towards him.

I looked for the Vortex symbol on his yellow skin, and I could not see anything. They are usually tattooed in a visible place so that everyone close to them is warned, commonly on the sides and on the nose, but this had no trace of the mark of exile.

Maybe, I could trust him.

Despite recognizing that the blissful hybrid was not a Vortex my nerves did not reduce. It was not strange that I felt like that. Anyway, it's one of the first hybrids I've seen in front of me, and feeling fear would be the most natural reaction I could have.

With a little more confidence, I quickly climbed down the stairs and came back towards the gate, ready to cautiously open the small door, for although I knew very well that the hybrid could not fit through a door designed for humans even so I did it to have a small barrier in case things got violent, and of course, to verify before that the hybrid was really a Cilt.

- ... Oh, I see you're already here ... - Says the hybrid from outside the house even though I had barely put my hand on the knob. - I knew I could count on you ... you were my last option before things got worse ... –

- How do you know I'm going to open the door? - I asked with my forehead resting on the cold metal.

I have already told you ... I can smell you, that's why I know you're about to open the gate ... - His tone was strangely calm, the tiredness began to affect him.

A little more convinced of my actions, I turned the knob of the door, but apparently the force that exerted on it was not enough to open it even though it opens outwards. Possibly something was obstructing it to open. It must be something big, and the only option that crossed my mind was to imagine the silly hybrid recharging its side over the door, so I could not open it with all my strength.

Hey, it would be good for me if you get out of the way of the door so I can open it ... - I say a little frustrated to the creature outside. I'm not the one who is interfering- said the yellow hybrid with a very serious, and a bit intriguing, tone What do you mean? - I raise my voice in disbelief.... You better see for yourself-

Now I would no longer have the delicate but significant protection that the door frame would give me in case this were a betrayal. I would have to face one of my worst fears face to face, and all for wanting to help.

I plucked up courage as I moved to the garage door switch, partially hiding behind some boxes that had been stacked. Using them as a shield in case something bad happened.

Feeling my heartbeat in the neck I activate the gate switch, which with a horrible sound of metallic squeaks and rusty chains shows, little by little, the side of a red-colored hybrid that was charging its body in the gate , and next to it, the yellow hybrid I had seen through the window. Something was terribly wrong, because I had not seen this second hybrid of red skin.

The gate opened so slow that gave me the luxury of observing the increasingly clear silhouettes of both hybrids before running scared indoors.

I could hear the sheet of the door being sharply carved against the thick skin of the red hybrid. It should have hurt, but it had no reaction at all.

The yellow hybrid is facing the house, opening its eyes and making eye contact with me just when the gate was at a reasonable height level.

Suddenly, the gate returns to what would be its normal retraction speed and ceases to carve the now worn out skin of the red hybrid, which, when stripped of its support, suddenly drops the lower part of its body on the ground, even without any gesture.

Now you see. - said the yellow hybrid making a small gesture with his body toward the red guy, keeping quiet while the rain continued to fall on his abraded skin.

I started to approach both of them little by little, and only a few meters were enough to realize that the red hybrid was a Vortex. But there was something else.

That hybrid was dead.

Completely covered with its own blood, which was quite difficult to distinguish by the same color of its skin.

That scenario froze my blood. The first hybrid with which I had direct contact and was dead, or rather, had been killed by another of his own kind.

On the other hand, the yellow hybrid with noticeable fatigue, looks at me with his penetrating green eyes, waiting for some reaction of mine.

- Do you think it's better ...if I explain everything to you inside? - The hybrid asked, somewhat uncomfortable before looking into my eyes.

-S-sure ...go ahead.- I say as I step back a few steps to leave more space to maneuver, without taking my eyes off him.

My nerves fade completely to see the terrible condition of that hybrid, which I could deduce that he was a McLaren P1, a hybrid race that, just like many others, is on the verge of disappearing. Now instead of fearing him I began to feel a little sorry for him, but it did not cause me more pity than the red hybrid whose body lay lifeless outside my house, condemning me involuntarily to ally with the McLaren to avoid problems by the brutal murder, because now I had become his accomplice without even knowing it.

Hybrid-Kira (2018)