Beauty and her Beast

When first we met she seemed so white

I feared her;

As one might near a spirit bright

I neared her;

An angel pure from heaven above

I dreamed her;

And far too good for human love

I deemed her…

-A Lost Angel (Ellis Parker Butler)

A young girl was once sold to a bunch of science freaks, her name is Eunica Angel. Her family suffers from poverty ever since her grandfather disowned her father because he chooses to stay in the marriage with her mother. "True love exists? What a joke," she thought while looking back at her parents grieving face when they sell her to the men who are now laughing their asses off from discovering new things, thanks to her. It's been three years since she was brought in, it's her birthday today but no one knows about it except the celebrant herself. When she arrived here, her name was changed to a code, E.A. #002. Her name's initial are used and her number as an experiment object. She's sitting in her bed inside the white painted wall room. Ever since she was a child, this prison-like room is the most decent place she's ever been. It's quite small but there's a division between the comfort room and her bedroom where a small table is placed. At least they gave her privacy if ever they need to call her and she's in the bath, it will give her space from being embarrassed. Looking back, selling her off is better than working on a bar where all she can get are assaults and minimum salary. Here, she can have everything she wants except freedom. Luxurious things are not a big deal, but not being able to use them in public since she can't go out except when she is transferred to another site is the worst. Well, at least she can send money to her family. Even though she hates her parents, she needs to give money to her siblings to be able to live comfortably.

Strategic Intelligence for National Safety or SINS has a secret base where they create hybrids for military and safety purposes. It might sound good to the citizens but what they do are usually unethical. Combining two living creatures which don't need any permit such as plants are fine; while for the animals, they do have a permit so it's alright; but using a human to create a sick experiment are out of line. That is the base of SINS, they use human objects and create entities that can be used for the safety of the country. For the past three years, there have been at least six hybrids that were made in her site. Two were killed because they are "defective".Eunica doesn't know if there are other hybrids from other sites. The four left, 3 males and 1 female are hybrids from different kinds. #001, an 18-year-old lion and human; #003, a 16-year-old girl who is half rose plant; #005, a 19-year-old half- alligator; and #006 a half ant. It might seem creepy if you imagine them being half-half but they do have the ability to change fully from human to their other identity or choose which part or characteristics to change. Eunica's favorite is #006, he can combine his human face and ant face with its mandibles. She thinks that it looks awesome.

Giggling from remembering each memory she had with the hybrids, someone entered her room. The "White-haired guy" that she calls because of his naturally white hair, "You need to go to the site Dominiarium," then left. She knows the protocol, she immediately went down to the parking lot and there were soldiers waiting for her already. Everything will be explained to her when she gets to the site. They rode the SINS aircraft and traveled for almost three hours when they have arrived at the site, fear crept throughout her body. The site was almost erased, only half of its building is still standing. The Head of the site greeted her with a nod but she can see that he's tired, scared and angry and with no more chitchats, they entered the building. The scent of blood, dust, fire, and bullets fills the air, "They escaped, except for one," the Head said. Eunica still lingers around the damaged site when the soldiers arrive while pulling a large cage- a cage for hybrids. She went nearer to see who or what it is. "This is #008," the Head hit the cage making such noise that didn't echo much because of the open space made by the destruction, he's trying to make the hybrid react but no movement or noise was seen from it. "He's half human and half of whatever the scientist used when they're messing around," he looks at the hybrid with disgust and anger. "So, there's also one from here? And they don't even know what he is." The hybrid hides his face with his long tawny hair. He sits silently like all of his life is nowhere to be found. A strong wind suddenly brushed a part of his hair away of his face revealing his blue cat-like eyes which are looking straight to her. Instead of chills, she felt alone and sad for a moment, "You need to make him speak. You can do anything, physical contact can be done if needed. There's the containment room. We'll take you there." The head went on his way to the containment room while the cage is being pulled and she's left there looking at the damaged part. "What happened?" she thought, if the information is needed for her to comply with her tasks they'll tell her but whatever happened is something that she does not need to know, "But how am I gonna do my job if I don't know?" she thought while following them to the containment room.

"Okay, squeeze every info you can get about where his friends are going and what are their plans. Also, why he didn't go with them." Was all the Head said before leaving, now she's in the containment room with the chained hybrid. Now that she had a closer look, she can clearly see signs of abuse. Bruises almost covered his body, he's not clean and his nails are not even trimmed, he's so thin and weak. "He looks so gross," she thought while sitting on the only chair in the room. The hybrid is sitting on the floor but suddenly, cold air fills the room. They turned on the aircon, "How cruel can they be? He's only wearing a thin shirt and a pajama with tons of holes in it!" She was signaling them to turn off the aircon but there was no change in the temperature and she can see that the hybrid is shivering. "They must be planning to torture him." If there's one thing that Eunica learned while she's in the SINS is that- a creation that does not work will be terminated, if something is useless it needs to be destroyed and if it's not cooperating- kill it. They don't respect life, not even if it's half human. The hybrid was not moving, it just shivers in the same place, in the same position. He's hugging his knees while his head is resting on it. "I need to help him or else I can't comply with my task and they'll cut my money for the whole month!" She stands up and takes off her jacket, good thing she's wearing a thick long sleeve under or she'll be the one to die off from hypothermia. Slowly, she walks toward the hybrid, the room's not that big and the walls are also covered with the same white paint she has on her room. "He's in chains," she keeps on reminding herself to throw off her fear. "Um, hey there. I don't know if you understand me but here, you need to wear this because they won't heat up the place," she whispers while she's holding the jacket forward to him but no response, he just shivers strongly. He can't control his muscles due to the cold temperature anymore, seems like he can't regulate his body temperature to adjust. "Okay, I'll put this on you." His hair was like a cloth that flows from his body, but it's not thick enough to make him feel warm so she puts her jacket to his shoulder and covered his head with her hood. "Oh, he's unresponsive. He's nice!" That's what she thought but the moment she turned her back, he jumps at her, making him on top of her then he made her face him. His hair was all over the place but not in her face because they are almost 1 inch away from each other. His hair reflects the light and it looks like the sun is setting around her. The warmth from their breath makes her feel at ease, but his eyes are screaming danger. His eyes really look like a cat's, since she's not good with animals she can't identify if it's a type of cat or just a regular cat. Blue eyes stare at her, the feeling is mixed up, she can't clearly see what he is feeling. He's so hard to see through, he tries to smell her neck but this tickles her and she laughed lowly which scared off the hybrid and made him jump back to his place. "Woah, you jump on top of me and now you're scared of my laugh? That's rude!" she says while composing herself and sits. He looks scared and out of place, "Wait, you never heard a laugh before?" she said, his face frowning and he keeps on sniffing off the air. "Hey, I know you're not rude, unlike the other hybrids." She remembers the first hybrid she met touched her on the inappropriate places because he said she never saw someone like her- a girl. "Hm? You like the smell? It's in my jacket, that's my favorite scent, vanilla." Observing that he keeps on sniffing off the air, she pointed at her jacket. He looked at her before taking the jacket and sniffed it. It kind of creepy but you can see that he likes it, he looks innocent like a child eating candy. "Yeah, you can keep it. I'll just introduce myself and we'll continue tomorrow, you look tired so I'll keep this short." She takes her seat and placed it nearer to the hybrid, "Um, I'm E.A. #002. I'll just ask you questions and you need to answer it. Yeah, so who are you? What's your name?" He sits on the floor while hugging the jacket, Eunica thought he looks so cute even if he's quite dirty. "Wait, he doesn't smell bad earlier," she thought. "8," he whispers then covered his face with her jacket like he's shy and it made Eunica's heart fill with cuteness. "How old are you?" Looking at him, thin and wearing over used clothes, he looks like he's 13 but since he's taller than her, she can't point his age. "20," he answered, still covering his face. "Oh, same!" She sits comfortably like she's enjoying the ambiance. She's tired and it's her birthday, but meeting someone her same age makes her happy. She twirls her hair unconsciously while smiling, it's a sign of flirting for humans but of course, he doesn't know that. "You, give the jacket to 8?" He peaks at her, his hair all over his face but it doesn't bother him. "Give to you? Yeah, you can have it. You seem cold," she said while smiling. It's the first time that a hybrid treats her nice and talks to her normally. It's usually hitting, bitting and shouting that she gets while talking to other hybrids. "Well, can I cut your hair?" She did not realize that his hair really bothers her to the point that she wants to cut it. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to say that." He looks at her seriously, he's frowning like he's offended, "Cut? You can cut it?" She was ready to receive a bad reply but he was just shocked that they can cut it. Ever since he's born, no one cut it. So he thought that it's just like that, let it grow longer and longer. "Yeah, I'll do it tomorrow," she answered then a beep suddenly alarmed him, he suddenly felt scared and he holds himself tightly like he tries to defend himself. "They must've traumatized him," she thought while looking at the door. Her time's up and she needs to go. They will conduct their own questioning to him now, "Hey, 8. I need to go. See you tomorrow." She stands up but she heard the chains move, she looks back looking at 8 who is crawling on his knees while wearing her jacket. It's an Army Green Military Parka Trench Hooded Coat Jacket so it's not that small for him, but looking at him crawling, he doesn't want her to go. His eyes are begging her to stay, "Hey, I'll see you tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll watch so they won't hurt you." She bends her knees and patted his head, "See you, 8," then she smiled before walking towards the door.