Hybrid Aria by Jessica Hall

Introduction

Fear. Pure fear, the sort of fear that makes your skin itch. When you can feel every hair on your body

rise. When you feel like your skin is crawling. Fear that makes your body freeze, paralysing you on the

spot, that’s the sort of fear I felt when I heard her blood-curdling scream. The only thing was I was her

big sister, so I couldn’t run away. I had no choice but to move, to go to her. I forced my legs up the front

porch of the Pack house, running in the direction I could hear her screaming my name. My feet pound

on the floorboards in panic. I’m moving so fast, I felt myself slipping on the hallway rug, making me skid

along the floor and into the wall. My head and shoulder twist at an awkward angle into the kitchen door

frame, with enough force that black dots danced in front of my vision. My collarbone and shoulder send

shooting pain through my body as I feel my shoulder dislocate on impact.

“Aria! Aria!” Her petrified scream echoed through the house. Jumping to my feet, my head spun. I

turned the corner into the kitchen to see the Alpha dragging my sister by her hair into the basement

with a whip in his other hand. I start running to her, grabbing the basement door frame just in time for This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

him to slam the door shut on my fingers. My own scream escapes my lips in agony. I reach for the door

handle, only to find it's been locked. I start trying to yank my hand free. I could hear her crying and

screaming for me on the other side of the door.

“LEAVE HER ALONE!” I screamed at him, slamming my body into the door, trying to free my fingers

and get in. Not being able to get a run-up, I threw my body with all my might towards the side where my

fingers were stuck, the door moving just enough for me to free my injured bloody mangled hand. My

fingers were definitely broken as they twisted and jutted out at unnatural angles. Backing up into the

kitchen, I ran full force into the door and bounced off, knocking the air out of my lungs. I stood up,

backing up again and running harder. I dropped my shoulder hitting the door with so much force it burst

open, my feet hitting air as my body was thrown down the stairs landing at a weird angle. My head

smashing into the basement’s concrete floor.

"Aria"