She is A Hybrid

Episode 2 - Elisha's POV

Jake came up to my room, I was awake and was sitting on the step leading to the balcony snuggling Gus, Gus, he looked at me

"it's Saturday. I came to see if you wanted to play," he said

"What if Scarlet sees me?!" I said panicked a little

"She won't... I know a secret she doesn't, " he said with a mischievous grin on his face, I smiled, and I did hesitated at first.

"Trust me?!" he said as he held his hand out for me, I took a moment to way my options up, then I took his hand. We ran down the stairs as we reached the top step of the last set of stairs coming down the servants' stairs. Jake pushed a panel in the wall, and a panel opened into a small passageway behind the walls.

"I found this when I was trying to hide from your aunt Scarlet," he said, I giggled, he held my hand, and we walked through the passage. The door shut behind us, once we got a few feet into it. We walked along the long walkway and pushed the wall at the other end. It opened up, and brought us out in the back of the larder cupboard in the kitchen.

We ran out through the kitchen and out towards the lake, we played all morning into the late afternoon. "Jake?" I said as I climbed the old oak tree, I climbed the tree faster than Jakey, we settled on a couple of huge branches.

"Yeah leesh" he answered

"Do you think scarlet will ever like me" I asked him,

he took a moment before he spoke.

"I don't know, I don't know why she doesn't like you now I love you" he said I smiled, as I laid back on the huge tree branch I was sat on, my legs swayed either side of the branch and I looked up at the sky.

"I love you to Jakey" I said, and I meant it. Everything had changed for me but the one thing I was certain of was that I wasn't alone I had people that cared for me.

"you're the best brother I ever had Jakey" I said

"And you're the best baby sister I ever had leesh let us always stay best friends" he said

"always Jakey" I said as we both moved to sit together right at the top of the tree, we watched the sun set over the fells. Anna came to look for us.

"Jake, Leesh come down you need to get ready for dinner" she shouted from the ground Jake went down first and I followed, Anna helped me down at the last moment she looked at me smiled and squeezed my hand a little.

"Come on you two dinner time" she said

Scarlet seen us as we walked back, she stormed towards us. I hid behind Anna, I was scared to go anywhere near her after the last time I seen her.

"What is that little s**t doing out of her room, when I said she was to stay out of the way, I meant she is not allowed to leave her room unless she is doing her chores or at my request do you hear me, Anna?!" she yelled at Anna. I felt so bad I had gotten Anna into trouble.

"It wasn't Anna's fault I came out" I sheepishly said hiding behind Anna's leg

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME!" Scarlet shouted at me. Anna tried to stop Scarlet from getting to me, but it didn't work she pushed Anna out of the way, grabbed hold of me by my hair, and pulled me towards the house,

"OW ... AUNTIE PLEASE STOP YOUR HURTING ME" I shouted at her, she stopped and looked at me. Anna followed me with Jake holding her hand,

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?" she shouted, holding my hair as far as she could so I was on my tip toes.

"Auntie?" I said.

Scarlet dragged me into the house, her guests just watched as she slammed me to the floor.

"This little rat believes she can disobey me and talk back to me," Scarlet hit me across the face, opening my previous cut that was on my lip and making my eye bruise more than it already was. Scarlet and her friends were laughing at me.

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT RAT, I want her back in her room pronto and you downstairs is that understood Anna" Scarlet said

"Yes ma'am" Anna said

I ran towards the kitchen, holding my face, crying. I ran up the servants' stairs to my room.

Jake ran after me, with Anna following closely behind him. I layed on my bed crying, snuggling into Gus, Gus Anna was crying to when she came up

"leesh,...? leesh sweetheart come here, I'm so sorry she hurt you" Anna said. I sat up on my bed Anna looked at my lip, it was still bleeding. Anna took a tissue out of her pocket and began to gently wipe it. "I'm sorry sweetheart," she said

"It's ok Anna. I shouldn't have said anything," I said Anna

"How about I get you and Jakey some food to eat and you and him can have a sleep over" I smiled and wiped my tears away with my sleeve. Anna left jake and I in my room and headed downstairs to get some food. After a few moments, Anna came back up amd brought a tray with two warm bowls of corn beef Ash and a cookie each, for pudding.

"I will come back for the bowls later. be good you two and stay here ok" I frantically nodded, Anna then left again. Once we finished our teas, I took my coloring book and pens out of my bag and began to draw some pictures mostly of my mum, dad and Gus, Gus. However I did draw one of the oak tree, I was climbing today with Jake. Jake drew some pictures too and most of them were of cars.

"One day leesh I'm going to have a car like this" Jake said

"Really Jakey? can I ride with you?" I asked him

"Yeah, I'm going to drive really fast and of course you'll be the first to go for a spin with me" he said so excitedly.

"yey, promise Jakey?" I asked him

"Yeah, I promise" he said I placed all our pictures on the floor and looked at them with pride.

"Do you think your mum had something we can use to stick them to the wall" I asked Jakey

"I'm sure she will have leesh" he smiled at me, I began to yawn and I climbed into bed,

"Night Jakey"

"Night leesh"

The next morning, I woke, washed, dressed and waited for Anna to come and find me. Anna walked through the door.

"Leesh sweetheart the police are here they want to see you again, let me look at you?!" Anna said worried.

"Is it Luke and Emily?" I asked her

"Yeah, that's right sweetie" she said kneeling in front of me.

Anna looked at me, I had a scab on my lip and nose, as well as a black eye. There was nothing either of us could do, we just had to go through it and hope for the best.

"Right sweetie if they ask what happened will you do me a favor and please tell them for now, that you fell ok, I promise that I will explain everything when your old enough but for me..." she waited for me to answer. I looked at her and I knew what I had to do.

"I fell over" I answered.

"good girl" she said kissing me on my forehead.

we walked down the stairs. I spotted Emily and Luke waiting for me with huge smiles. I ran down the stairs to them and gave Luke the first cuddle then Emily, Luke lifted me up into his arms.

"Hey little buddy, how are you doing?" Luke asked me, then he noticed my face.

"what did you do little one?" he said. I looked at Anna

"I fell over outside in the garden" I said. Luke noticed but didn't say anything.

"Well you need to be careful" he said

"Did you find my mummy and daddy Luke?!" I asked him.

"Well little one, we came to tell you that we found your mummy and daddy, but they've gone to heaven they won't be coming to see you anymore sweetheart" Luke said, at first I didnt understand and Luke's eyes began to sparkle

"I want mummy and daddy Luke why are they in heaven can I go visit them?" I asked him, tears ran down his face.

"aww little one, unfortunately you can't go and visit, I'm so sorry" Luke said, I began shouting and crying "WHY NOT I WANT MY MUMMY AND DADDY? WHERE ARE THEY LUKE"

Scarlet was smirking at me, I ran as fast as my feet would carry me, Jake ran after.

"LEESH.... STOP COME BACK PLEASE, LEESH" Jake shouted, I fell over a tree root that was sticking up from the ground, I had hurt my knee and elbow. Jake finally caught up with me.

"I'm sorry leesh," he said. I never said anything, just sat up, on the edge of the tree root. Jake joined me he put his arm around me.

"everything will be ok leesh! you always got me" he said I couldn't think of anything else right now, I just smiled at him.

"Want to play by the lake before we go back" he asked me, I shook my head and curled up in a ball my knees pressed to my chest. After a little while the sun had gone, it was getting cold.

"Come on leesh, it's getting cold" Jake said, I slowly got up and we walked up to my room.

I never ate anything or drank anything, I never moved for more than a week. Anna, Jake, Billy and all the other staff who I had gotten to know over the last few days came to see me at different times, but I never budged I had stopped talking stopped eating. I was so sad I had lost my mum and dad, they were never coming back. Jake came up to see me after school on Friday, he sat on the side of my bed, while I was curled up.

"I went to school again, today we talked about family, and I told my teacher that I had someone new in my family"

I sat up looked at him confused

"has your mummy a baby in her tummy?!" I asked confused. It was the first thing I had said since spoke to Luke, he smiled and gently shook his head.

"nope she hasn't" he said, I scrunched my face again at him he giggled.

"Your silly, you're my new family, I drew this for you" he said, it was the first smile I had made in a week; I took the piece of paper from jake and when I looked at the picture, there was Jake, Anna, Billy and me.

"Just because you didn't come out of my mum's tummy doesn't mean you're not family, we will always be brother and sister and I will always protect you, I'm the man of the house, well after my dad that is?!" Jake said proudly I jump up to give him a cuddle.

"First things first though you stink big time you need a bath" we both laughed at each other, Jake took my hand and pulled me with him. We reached the kitchen everyone was in there talking and laughing, doing daily jobs like cooking, preparing puddings. Anna seen me dressed in my nightie,

"There she is my little princess" she lifted me up as I ran towards her.

"oooo my stinky little princess come on let's get you washed" she placed me on floor took my hand and she took me to her room. Jake stayed in the kitchen helping his dad. Anna put me and Gus, Gus in the bath, she washed and conditioned my long brown hair and I washed Gus, Gus. I got out Anna wrapped me in a warm fluffy towel, she took hold of Gus, Gus, squeezed all the water out of him and dried him with the hairdryer before me. I sat on Anna's bed and watched the flames on the fire that Anna had put on to warm the room up. I finally got dried and dressed and Anna began tackling my hair. Anna separated pieces of hair and brushed them, and as she did she sang a song that sounded so familiar, I listened until she finished.

"Anna, I heard that song before?!" I said

"I am sure you will have little one, did your mummy sing it to you?!" she asked me.

"she did" I said

"Well, we can sing that song anytime you like ok because I have a feeling it will make you feel better?" she said as she finally platted my hair,

"Yeah, it does! Will you teach me all the words" I asked her

"I don't think you will have too much trouble remembering the words, but I will certainly teach you sweetie" she said

"thank you" I said

"Anna Jakey is running up the stairs" I continued

"is he now? I'm glad you told me" Anna smiled as she knew what that meant but she never said anything. The next thing jake came up and practically burst through the door,

"oh Jake you gave me a fright you silly boy" Anna pretended to be scared.

"Well, I was trying to scare you, so I guess it worked" he said

"I guess so (she laughed) Elisha, because you're staying here for a while would you like to go to school with Jake, you won't be in the same class, but you'll be able to see him, and maybe make some new friends" Anna asked me. I smiled and got so excited.

"yes please can we go now Anna" I asked bouncing up and down on my bum. Anna and Jake laughed as they watched me smile and get excited by wanting to go to school.

"you can't go yet sweetie but how about on monday when jake goes to school, we go with him and talk to the headteacher" Anna said. I nodded my head so enthusiastically, but my smile soon faded as I remembered what Scarlet said Anna noticed, how my enthusiasm had disappeared.

"Sweetie what's the matter?" she asked me

"what about scarlet? She said I had to stay here, please don't let her hit me again Anna" I began to panic, my heart began to twist. Anna held on to me

"it's ok sweetheart we will try and make sure she never hurts you again" Anna calmed me

"Thank you, Anna,"

"Oh, sweetheart thank you for being so polite" she said.

"do you think you could teach Jake to be polite" she continued giggling,

I looked at Anna, then at Jake I nodded my head.

"Hey!!!" Jake shouted

Anna carried me to my room, tucked me up into bed and they both left, shortly after I fell into a deep sleep.

The weekend was so long, too long infact especially when I wanted to go to school. I was so excited to go, I had gotten up picked my clothes out that I wanted to wear which did not match but I thought they went well together. I had just finished when Jake burst into my room Shouting

"MORNING!!" I giggled

"JAKEY" I shouted and I ran over to him and gave him a cuddle. Anna followed him in to my room a few moment after she smiled when she seen us together.

"Are you ready to go pumpkin?!" she asked me.

"Yep, I am" I said excited.

"We will meet mum in the kitchen so scarlet doesn't see you" Jake said we set off we went through the passage and snuck into the kitchen. Leaving out the back door and got into Anna's car. We pulled up the school, I noticed the windows had been painted on with disney charcters on them. We pulled up and headed in. I spent the morning looking around talking to the teachers and the headmaster. I got to play with the other children from the class I would be in if I got to go. Everyone was really nice, I met a little girl called Millie she showed me her coloring pens and showed me her drawing book. We got home and Anna told me to go to the passage and she would meet me upstairs. I reached my bedroom to discover, Scarlet waiting for me, my smile faded.

"Where have you been?!" Scarlet said

"Downstairs for breakfast" I answered

"YOU THINK I'M GOING TO FEED YOU TO, I TOLD YOU NEVER TO LEAVE THIS ROOM AND YOU DISOBEYED ME" she shouted at me. Scarlet came towards me and began to hit me with something she had in her hand I couldn't see what it was. But I curled into a ball on the floor and every hit I cried out.

When Scarlet stopped hitting me she continued shouting at me. "YOU WILL NEVER DISOBEY ME AGAIN, YOU LITTLE BASTARD YOU WILL NEVER EAT UNTIL I TELL YOU, YOU CAN. THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL GET IF YOU DARE DEFY ME AGAIN"

I was still curled in a ball when she left. My body was in so much pain, I couldn't move, Anna finally made her way into my room carrying a plate with some food on it. Anna didn't kn0w what had been going on nor what had happened.

Anna dropped the tray when her eyes trailed over me, she ran to me, tears filled her eyes.

"Elisha sweetheart what happened!!" shocked she seen the state I was in,

"Scarlet... was... here... she... hit... me Anna" I said through breaths.

"Oh, my darling" she tried to move me, but the pain was too much to move. I screamed, I was bleeding from where she made contact.

"Sweetie I will be back ok I need to go get some things to make the pain go away" Anna said, she was so upset I was hurt again.

Anna left and shortly after she came back, she had warm salty water to clean my wounds, and a first aid kit to wrap them up. Billy and Jake had come with her.

"Hey little one, do you think you could move to your bed for me so we can get you cleaned up, changed and you can rest my darling" Anna asked me.

I stayed silent for a moment then began to move each movement caused pain to sear through my body, I whimpered at every move I made,

"leesh sweetheart can I move you?" Billy asked me I nodded to him he picked me up in a bundle and laid me down. It did hurt but not as much as it did when I moved myself. Anna asked Billy and Jake so she could help me get changed. Anna helped remove my clothes so she could get a better look at the damage Scarlet had caused. Anna was crying as she bathed my wounds, dressed them and left me to sleep. We never spoke a word to each other. I fell to sleep and never woke until the next day.

Jake came to see me but I never moved or spoke. For weeks after I spent my time in my room I never moved unless to use the bathroom, I did not eat anything either just like Scarlet said, The thought of another beating again for eating frightened me. I had lost so much weight in such a short time. Anna, Billy and Jake were worried about me but no matter what they did I would never eat again until Scarlet gave me permission to. I had begun to learn cleaning and helping Anna with chores. I wanted to make sure I never got hurt the way Scarlet hurt me ever again. My wounds had healed thanks to Anna and her special cream. Anna told me that Scarlet was going away for a few days she promised me Scarlet would never find out if I ate something. But I still didnt want to eat just encase. Anna did manage to persuade me so I slowly ate my breakfast and helped Billy in the kitchen with baking biscuits while Jake was at school. For the next few days, while Scarlet was away, I felt safe and happy. I knew it wouldn’t last, but I could enjoy it while I had the chance to.