Tess paddled with one hand towards land. But she couldn't stop the thoughts of her unfortunate reality. The venom was weakening so she could move again, but it was not on her mind. The water trickling down her face matched the tears from her eyes. The words Lanse yelled to her before he disappeared behind the large jaws of teeth repeated in her head.
'Die you freak!'
That was how Jeremy felt about her when he knew she was only a Syb-victim. But she wasn't just a Syb-victim but a hybrid; A host capable of mutating into a Metalix. Whatever words were worse than freak, Lanse would surely find them if he knew what else she was. But she was not going to let that happen.
She pushed through the morass until it was thick enough to pull herself onto thicker land. On the wet soggy grass, she sat with her feet stretched out before her. The wide sheet of dark green waters blurred until she looked down to see her missing left hand.
