8

My third year being with the tribe during the spring I got to go off and explore the market. I was 11 now and there were a lot of hybrids there. The leader and head lady just knew I would be safe because they were close with the hybrid tribes leaders because the head lady was our tribes head lady's cousin. I was supposed to meet Lucas, Max, and Emily at the field near the market so we could all go explore together. I was at the field before they were.

I was so excited to go explore. I really didn't want to wait for them, but I knew I had to. I heard someone and I thought it was them, but it wasn't.

There was a boy who was about my age with blonde hair and red golden eyes. I hadn't even seen him before, but my sense said he wasn't human. The boy smiled at me and opened his hand inside it was a bracelet made of flowers. His smile was so white and it made me smile. The bracelet was made of red and yellow-ish orange flowers. The boy spoke and said "Can I put it on your arm?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to or except things from strangers."

"My names Corey." He said after thinking for a second.

"Mine Megan."

"Now we aren't strangers." He said with a brighter smile and I could see in his eyes he was proud of himself and thought it was a smart idea. I couldn't help but hold my arm out for him. He put the bracelet on me. Then asked "wanna come with me to the market?" I don't know what came over me, but I felt drawn to him and nodded yes. I started to walk away from the field with him towards the market. It was as if I had forgotten I was waiting for my friend. I realized it and stopped, we were already at the front of the market. "I have to go back, my friend was supposed to meet me there." He look back at me and tilted his head but said "ok, I can walk you back then."

"No, it's okay. They might worry if they see me with you." I said. And he nodded his head. As I turned around and started to walk back to the field he said "I'll meet you there again tomorrow." I don't know why that made me smile as much as I did but I looked back and nodded my head, then we went off our separate ways. When I was back at the meeting point at the field I was still smiling. I saw Lucas, Max, and Emily walking towards me. I ran over to them before they could even get there. I was so excited to tell Emily about the friend I had made, but seeing them changed it. I knew I couldn't say anything to them about him. They would tell the leader and I wouldn't be able to meet him there. I also might not be able to go out to the market for the rest of the time we were there. We still had another two months of being there, so I just smiled and went off to the market with them.

I meant Corey every day for the next two months and he brought me a flower bracelet every week. I also started picking flowers at the field and making him bracelets. The flowers at the field were blue-ish purple flowers so that's what I used to make the bracelets for him.

We also had dinner with the hybrid leaders a few times within the month. Nobody seemed to notice the flower bracelet or the people that did never said anything about it. I think everyone assumed I was making them since I knew how to make jewelry.

I wasn't ready to leave, when we did but I also knew we needed to go. I enjoyed being around Corey and around the hybrids. They weren't like the humans I was around and when I was with them I just felt more comfortable and less like I needed to be uptight. I knew I didn't know any of them for very long so I didn't understand why I felt so comfortable with them and was able to be myself. I knew I'd see them ago though, but it would be in about 4 years. I kept one of the bracelets Corey made me, but I felt lonely for a while after we left.

I started getting closer to Lucas though over the next few years. Max was set to get married the next year to one of the people in the hybrid tribe. That left Lucas as one of the main guards that were left for watching out for me. Lucas was there from the very first time I came to the tribe and he was the first person I saw. I was also obsessed with his hair and eyes, even when I was younger.

The tribe leader had talked a lot to his parents about the two of us. I knew I would have to marry eventually and so did they, but they didn't want to have me marry out of the tribe because we wouldn't necessarily see each other as much and it wouldn't be someone that they could control. After all I was 14 I'd be turning 15 soon.

It's common for women to get married when they turn 15, because that's when they are considered to be adults but the ages for marriage are 15-18.

I figured Lucas would be who I married since he was someone who the leaders have always been able to control and would be able to continue to control. They would know how I was being treated and make sure it was to the level they wanted and expected. It also meant they could decide that they wanted us to have a child and tell him that is what was going to happen and I would be no farther than arms length away from them. They feared losing me, and they always had. They also knew me and Lucas had been close and that I trusted him since they had made him my guard and I was friends with his younger sister.

I don't want to have someone decide who I marry. Lucas means a lot to me and always have. I love him, but I don't know if being in love with someone and love them is the same. I know I should have time though I'm only going to be close to turning 15, and I should have 3 years after that. I also know they won't have me wait that long, as you get older the more seem to go wrong. I like my freedom, and my ability to decide who I want to be with and when I knew would be gone. I don't have very much freedom even know but I can sneak out since I have nobody close enough to me to sneak out and how would I even hide who I was from my significant other. Once your going to spend you life with someone you might have a child with, my child could easily have my abilities and that's not something that easy to explain to someone who doesn't have any clue what you are. Plus who are very religious and strongly believe something that isn't true, that could cause my child and myself to be killed in ways that won't be quick or painless. No matter how much they don't want me to leave and be married out I don't think I have much of a choice.

I trust Lucas with my life normally. I don't trust him with my future though. That's why I need to leave, it's almost breeding season. It'll be the only chance I might have to find someone who I can relate to and try to see if I can marry who will come to my tribe to appease the Leader so I can choose who I am with for the rest of my life.