Hybrid: The Awakening

Chapter 28-Asher

Date on Earth: Wednesday, October 11

This is a warning for all those one-foot aliens out there who roam the Earth:

If you are waiting for someone unconscious to wake up who's still getting used to the notion of alien life, do not be the first thing they see when they open their eyes.

Or else they might just fling you across the room and injure themselves in the process.

I let out a scream as I caught sight of the little alien's creepily big eyes. My brain hadn't even processed that I knew the creature before I pushed and kicked it off of me. The movement sent sharp pain down my leg and I let out a groan, gripping my knee.

There was an oof as the alien crashed to the ground. Only then did I recognize its face.

"Oops, sorry Zogi! I didn't realize that was you. Here, let me help." I started to sit up when the little creature stuck his arm out.

"Don't you dare get your human butt off that bed," he ordered. Zogi made a few incoherent noises before regaining his balance.

"Stupid violent human boys," he mumbled under his breath, jumping back up on his stool.

The best I could do was offer him a guilty smile.

I started as the alien quickly grabbed my arm, flipped it over, and studied my tattoo. He made a grunting noise as he said, "Just as I figured."

My confusion grew. "What did you figure?"

He didn't have a chance to respond before there was the sound of running from outside of the room. Tristen and Diana burst through the door with Tesha following shortly after. Tristen smiled brightly as he saw me sitting up.

"'Bout time you woke up," he joked. "How you feeling?"

I chuckled. "Oh, I'm feeling great! Not a single pain–ow!" My response was cut off as Zogi poked my leg with his little fingers.

"Oops," the alien said with a smirk as I glared at him.

Tesha walked over and stood next to the cot. "We're just glad you are alive."

"You scared us there, Smiles." I turned my attention to Diana. She stayed back and kept her gaze on her hands. Seeing her caused a mix of emotions. She had led us into a trap, after all. But she had also fought by our side in the last battle. The whole situation felt all too confusing.

Her statement didn't feel fake though. Fear and regret trickled into her words. So I smiled to reassure her. "It's nice to know you guys care."

Zogi ruined the moment by rolling his eyes. "Yeah yeah, so sweet. But we got other things to talk about." He hopped off of the stool and walked around the bed, moving to sit on the counter. "What exactly happened yesterday?"

Tristen shrugged. "Well, we got attacked by aliens, some water tower fell-"

Zogi put his hand up. "Not you. Him." He looked straight at me, his gaze causing me to squirm. "What happened before you passed out?"

I forced my mind to relive the recent events, trying to decipher exactly what had happened.

"I...don't know," I confessed. "It's kind of hazy, but I remember being pinned down by debri from the water tower thingy. That one general -Inugio– found me and placed his hand on my chest." I shuddered as I recalled the intense pain the action had caused.

"He was trying to freeze me from the inside, but for some reason it didn't work. It was like a heat arose from inside me and melted away the ice. It kept on growing and growing until it just...escaped."