My friend had forced me to come with them to a hybrid shelter. I didn’t want to, but here I was. She had bought a hybrid and was going to take it home with her today. The hybrid shelter reminded me of a prison or an orphanage. It looked like a mix. I got to see the one she had picked, but as she started to sign paperworks, I looked around. Hybrids of all ages, genders and animals were playing together.

Wait, what’s this?

‘Last Chance’ was written on a sign. I glanced into the room through the little window, but couldn’t see much.

“Hey, what is this?” I asked a guard.

“These are hybrids that no one wants. We’ve made them a whole lot cheaper because if no one has bought them before the end of the month, we have to put them to sleep.”

“That’s horrible…why won’t anyone have them?”

“Because they aren’t children. It’s the same with any pet shop or orphanage. No one wants the older ones. Do you want to go inside?”

I found myself nodding. I knew that if I went inside, I would get sad and want to adopt them because I would feel so bad. I came into the corridor and found prison-like cells along the walls. I glanced inside the rooms, seeing how depressed the hybrids were. I felt so sad. They would die and for what? Being hybrids? It was horrible. I noticed that they were around my age as well. It made me even sadder. What if I would die at this age for something I couldn’t control?

“I’ll take them. All of them”, I found myself saying.

I noticed how the hybrids looked up in surprise at me.

“Are you sure?” the guard asked.

“No...but I’ll do it anyways.”

The hybrids went over to the bars, wanting to get a better look at me.

“Let’s fix the paperwork”, he said. “Miss, would you come with me?”

I nodded and came with him out of the corridor.

—♤—

“What just happened?” I said quietly.

“I think we got adopted”, another guy said. I believe his name was Sangyeon.

We didn’t know each other. Before we got to this corridor, we had seen each other here and there, but never spoken. When we got put in these cells, we didn’t speak at all. We were too scared of our future.

“She’s...she’s getting us all?” the penguin asked.

“I think so”, I answered just as confused.

I could hear someone cry. I looked across the hall and saw the hamster squat down and cry into his hands. I felt like crying too. I really thought we would die.

After signing paperwork, I went back into the corridor.

“Uh...hi, guys, I’m Y/N”, I said as I walked past them.

One of them was crying. I stopped by his cell and crouched down in front of him. I couldn’t tell what animal he was, but he reminded me of a squirrel.

“Hey”, I said softly, grabbing the bar. “Don’t cry.”

“I-I’m sorry”, the guy sobbed and wiped his tears.

“Can you all tell me your names?”

I got to know their names and what type of hybrid they were. I noticed though that one of them didn’t look at me. Chanhee, the penguin.

“Hey, Chanhee, are you alright?” I asked.

“Yes. I’m fine”, he answered quietly and looked at me. “Thank you…”

“I have to go now, but I’ll be back soon to get you with me. I will be back, I promise.”

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