by Adam Pepper
“What did you do with Mario?”
“Ate him.”
She made more joy-noises, slightly more genuine, then shook her head. “I see that. But you ate all of him!”
It nodded. It had truly eaten all of the man, except for one tooth. She’d knocked it clear out of the cage when she’d bashed him with the long metal rod. The tooth landed in a patch of grass just past the stone path.
“Are you hungry again?”
It nodded again.
“I will try and get you more food. It may take some work though. And sooner or later, my father is going to come back here, or send somebody back here and they’ll find you. I think I will have to tell my father you’re here. It’s only a matter of time before he finds out on his own.” She looked at It with warmth in her eyes. “Don’t worry, Symphony. My daddy always lets me keep my animals. He built this entire zoo for me. He loves me. He’ll let you stay. I know he will.”
She stopped talking and walked over to the music box. She brought it to life.
It looked at her, and smiled.
She smiled back. “You love music, don’t you, Symphony.”
It nodded.
“Say thank you to Mackenzie. I love to hear your voice.”
“Thank you, Mackenzie.”
“You are very welcome, Symphony. You are such a special creature. Nobody else has a pet like you. Nobody!”
She started walking away and said, “I’ll be right back, Symphony. I just had a great idea. I want you to love your home and be happy here. I’ll be back in two secs.”
It watched through the rails as she walked quickly up the stone path. It spit out its tongue and stretched it, trying to get at the tooth. The aroma of the droplets of blood around its edges was taunting It. But the tooth was out of reach.
Soon, she was headed back down the path, wheeling something with a white cover over it.
It already knew from the scent what it was when she wheeled the glass tank in front of the cage and pulled off the cover.
“Voila!” she said with joy. “It’s the chameleon. I saw you admiring this guy the other day. And what good taste you have. This is one cool lizard. You two can be friends.”
“Chameleon,” It said. It now could put a name to this special, magical creature.
It moved closer to the rails to admire the chameleon. The lizard was cozyied into a corner of the tank, scales light brown to match the tree limb it was behind, tongue extended slightly as if feeling the air for warmth.
“Nice chameleon. Your friend.” She said.
“Friend.”
* *
The hot ball rose to the sky and set again a few more times. It was content. Despite being confined, It was comfortable. She’d left the music box alive. The same songs played over and over, but the repetition didn’t bother It one bit. It was happy to hear the symphony play on, and on, and on yet again.
Best of all, It had a companion: The chameleon. It would gaze at the lizard for hours on end, mimicking its every move. If the lizard stuck out its tongue, It followed. If the lizard changed colors, It did too.
It finally had the friend that It never knew was missing.
Sometimes the chameleon would bask in the warm light of the hot ball. It would do the same. Other times the lizard would scrunch up in a corner, almost hiding from It. It didn’t take offense. It simply retreated to its own dark corner and huddled in it.
It was starting to feel some slight pangs of hunger, but since It was using so little energy to maintain itself, It wasn’t concerned. It would stay in the cage. At that moment in time, the cage was the safest place It could possibly be.
The smell of humans filled the air, and It popped up and looked out before quickly retreating to the far corner of its cage. There were four approaching, It recognized the scents of three of them, the fourth, It did not.
As they came into view, walking quickly up the stone path, It saw Mackenzie and her two large companions, the large pale man and the fit, brown-skinned man. A man was leading the pack; he wore more clothes than the others, and he was older too. The man walked in a way that It had rarely seen in a human, if ever; he had confidence—not a single sign of fear or uncertainty in his body language.
They came up to the front of the cage, and the confident man spoke first.
“I can’t believe you’re serious,” he said.
“Look for yourself, Daddy,” she replied.
The man approached the rails slowly, yet still not showing one sign of fear or uncertainty.
“Don’t worry, Daddy. Symphony won’t hurt you. He’s more afraid of you than you are of him.”
“How do you know it’s a him?” the brown-skinned man asked.
“I don’t know, Wes. He just seems like a him.”
“This is absolutely the craziest thing you’ve ever done, Mackenzie,” the confident man said, now right up on the rails and looking at it. He turned to the large pale man and said, “Marty, turn that music off. I need to think.”
The pale man walked to the music box and killed its life. It drooped with sadness as the soothing sounds cut off.
“Why, Daddy? Symphony likes the music. It makes him happy.”
“It’s distracting me! I need to think, Mackenzie. Just be quiet.”
“Fine, Daddy.”
The man stared at It, without flinching or even blinking for quite a while. It cowered in the corner, its posture slight and submissive. It hoped he’d leave and she would bring the music box back to life.
“Look at him, Daddy. He’s scared.”
“Well, he should be. I should exterminate the thing.”
“Daddy! No.”
“What’s in there?” he asked.
“What?” she said.
“The clothes. Those are Mario’s, aren’t they?”
She didn’t answer.
“Did something happen to Mario? He’s been missing.”
“I thought he just ran out on his wife,” said the brown-skinned man.
The confident man glared at the brown-skinned man. Even though his shoulders touched his ears, the brown-skinned man remained submissive to the far smaller man.
“Daddy,” she walked up to him and whispered. “It needs to eat.”
The confident man looked at her with glowing eyes. His look of anger turned to something closer to curiosity.
“Look at what he did to Mario,” she said. “There’s nothing left but the clothes.” She paused, then said, “Nothing.”
The man eyeballed the cage while she continued talking. “No bones. No hair. No nothing. Symphony ate everything.”
“Mackenzie, would you stop calling this thing Symphony.”
“Why? That’s his name.”
“It is not a pet. It is a foul creature. It is dangerous.”
“The lions are dangerous. The snakes are dangerous.”
“Yes but I can hire zookeepers to tend to them. What am I supposed to do with this thing?”
“Wes and Marty can help me take care of it.”
“Hell, no!” the brown-skinned man said. “I ain’t going in there.”
“Wesley,” the confident man said. “I’ll handle this.”
“Daddy, listen. Symphony is way more afraid of humans than we are of it. It wouldn’t even attack Mario until he was already almost dead.”
The man’s face ruffled. “What do you mean?”
“I had to feed my pet.”
“You killed Mario?”
“Not exactly. I just softened him up a bit.”
He shook his head, repeatedly. Then he turned to the men. “The first thing we need to do is get in that cage, get Mario’s clothes and burn them.”
The men looked at each other but didn’t speak.
“Don’t worry,” the man said. “I’ll get my shotgun. If that thing makes even the slightest aggressive move towards one of us, I will blow it away.”
“Daddy! You don’t need to do that. I’m telling you, Symphony is not aggressive. He just
needs food. Like any creature.”
“Mackenzie, I will handle this. We’ll get in there, get Mario’s clothes, and remove any trace of him. Then, I will decide what to do with that thing.”
“Fine!” Mackenzie folded her arms and stomped back up the stone path.
“Just wait here,” the confident man said as he followed her.
The large pale man walked up close to the rails, tilting his head as he did. The brown-skinned man stayed back near the wooden post that the music box sat next to.
“Would you look at this thing,” the pale man said.
“No way. That is too creepy.”
“Come on. Take a look. Aren’t you curious?”
“I can see enough from here.”
“This thing ate Mario. Holy shit. That’s crazy.”
“I’ve seen that girl do some crazy shit, but man has she crossed the line this time.”
“The old man will get her off. Just like he always does.”
“Maybe. Meanwhile we gotta go in there.”
“Yeah.”
No more words were spoken between the men as they waited. The pale man walked up and down the front of the cage, his eyes never leaving It. The brown-skinned man brought the music box back to life, but the music wasn’t pleasing at all. It caused unpleasant movement It felt on the hard ground of the cage.
Finally, the confident man returned. He carried a metal rod with two round holes. It shriveled up into a tight little ball and retreated to the far, dark corner of the cage.
The keys jingled, then the door opened. The confident man came in first and walked quickly to the middle of the cage, pointing the holes at It. The man had his back to the door, keeping himself between the door and It.
The other two men walked slowly behind. Once inside, the brown-skinned man moved quickly to the blue shirt and grabbed it. Torn blue jeans, grungy white socks and a green-stained white sneaker were scattered about the back end of the cage. The pale man began to gather them in his arms.
“Where’s the other shoe?” the brown-skinned man asked as he looked over the items.
“I dunno.”
The confident man backpedaled slowly and turned his head slightly, then said, “What do you mean, where’s the shoe?”
“There’s only one shoe here, Mr. Blake.”
“Find the other shoe, goddamn it!”
“I think I see it,” the pale man said with a quivering voice. “It’s right next to the thing.”
The single shoe sat in the shadow of the dark corner of the cage, less than five feet in front of It.
“Okay, Marty, get up here.”
“Do I have to?”
“Just do it!”
The brown-skinned man said, “You were the one who said it was no big deal.”
“Just shut up, Wes.” The confident man said. “Marty, get up here.” He waved wildly with his arm but didn’t look back. He kept the holes aimed at It, and slowly stepped towards It.
The pale man walked slowly towards the dark corner. The confident man got within ten feet of It, and again waved for the pale man to join him.
Slowly, the pale man came towards It.
Mackenzie came running down the stone path. Then she yelled, “Please don’t hurt him, Daddy!”
“Shut up,” the confident man said. “Don’t startle the thing.”
She stopped running and walked slowly up to the rails, on the outside of the cage. Gasping for air she said, “Please don’t hurt him.”
“Shh,” the confident man said, half looking at her, but still keeping his eyes on It. He turned to the pale man and said, “Okay. I have him right in my sights. I will take two steps to the side so I have a perfect angle on him. If he gets anywhere near you, I will blast him.”
“Are you sure, Mr. Blake?”
“Listen to me, Marty. Animals smell fear. The thing will sense weakness. Just straighten up and move towards it. Keep a steady pace. Don’t make it feel cornered. Just walk up, and grab the shoe.”
“I don’t think I can do it, Mr. Blake.”
“Wesley, get up here!”
The brown-skinned man walked over.
“Marty, stand by the door.”
“Gladly,” the pale man said as he sidestepped to the door.
“Okay, Wes. Trust me on this one. I have the angle on him. If he advances, I will shoot him.”
The brown-skinned man nodded, as Mackenzie said, “Please be careful, Wes.”
He said quietly, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Me and your father will take care of this.” He took a deep breath, then walked towards the shoe. The confident man kept completely still.
It also stayed completely still.
The brown-skinned man walked to within a few feet of the shoe and stretched down to pick it up.
Mackenzie’s hand was in her mouth as she said in a whiney tone, “Careful.”
The brown-skinned man grabbed the shoe with his outstretched arm, then straightened up and backpedaled quickly.
The confident man back-stepped as well. The pale man held the door open, and the brown-skinned man walked through it. The confident man stopped at the doorway.
“Get the clothes, Marty.”
The pale man leaned over and picked up the pile of clothes with a loud exhale. The confident man gestured with his head and neck for the pale man to leave, and he did. The confident man followed.
A thud from the inside of the door, followed by the keys jingling, and the men were soon gone.
Mackenzie smiled and said, “I told you it’d be okay, Symphony. Momma won’t let anything happen to you.”
* *
A talking wind whistled through the cage, and the hot ball in the sky was dimming when It sensed the men approaching. Two walked side by side in front, moving slowly. The other two were staggered a bit behind the first group, keeping their distance but maintaining it at the same time.
“Bill, I really need you to come around on this.” The voice came from the confident man.
The man walking beside him wasn’t in its view yet, but his vibrations were soft and steady—that of an average-sized man.
“Tom. We’ve been over this territory again and again. My mind is made up.”
The confident man made joy-noises; they didn’t flow from the mouth and nose, but instead were forced up through the throat. Then he said, “We can’t lose on this deal. It is impossible. This is the one we’ve waited our entire careers for.”
They walked up the stone path and into view. It hopped up from its corner and over to the edge of the cage, looking sideward through the rails at them as they approached. Both men wore dark jackets and neck strings. Both men wore dark shoes. Both men had short haircuts, without a wayward hair. They walked step by step.
Everything about them was similar, but their body languages were telling two different stories. Both men were very uncomfortable with each other. The confident man’s discomfort reeked of anger and dislike. The other man’s body language was that of a man cornered; It was very familiar with that particular human mannerism.
“Listen, Tom.” The cornered man paused, clearly trying to find the words to end the conversation. “I came out here as a courtesy to you. We’ve known each other for years. I respect your work. I’ve always admired your drive and ambition. But I just don’t think like you. Things are good how they are. Amy’s off to Yale. Jared’s graduating NYU Law.”
“Oh, congratulations. He always was a bright young man.”
“Thank you. Thank you. But really, Tom. I just don’t have the same fire you have. I’m not a gambler.”
“Gamble? There’s no gamble here. This deal is perfect for us. Everyone makes out. And even if it somehow goes south, with your salary and buyout clause, you’ll still make out.”
“Maybe so, but that sounds unethical even to think like that.”
“I’m just saying…I would never question your ethics, Bill. We all know the character you have.”
“There’s too big a downside risk.
I just can’t approve it.”
The confident man shook his head and bit his lip. He licked his lips and looked over at the cage. Then, he whistled.
The cornered man looked at the confident man but didn’t have much time to think. The brown-skinned man and the large, pale man came out of the brush with speed that defied their size. The pale man grabbed the cornered man in a bear hug while the brown-skinned man quickly took a hold of his legs.
“What the…”
The confident man shook his head. “Bill, I’m sorry it’s come to this. I really am. But I can’t let you stop this deal.”
The cornered man twisted his shoulders, trying to free himself; the pale man had his arms wrapped up tight.
“Tom, have you lost your mind? What are you doing?”
“Come on, guys. Check his pockets. Make sure he doesn’t have a cell phone or anything.” The confident man said.
The men hunted through his pockets as he tried to kick loose, dropping coins, a case and a speak-disk to the hard ground. Then, they walked around to the back of the cage, out of its view. It heard the sound of keys jingling. The door popped open. The two men carried the cornered man inside and dropped him, then quickly scurried out. The inside of the door made noise.
It curled back into the far dark corner of the cage.
* *
The cornered man walked back and forth, seemingly unaware of It, as It huddled behind the three-foot stump in the dark corner of the cage.
“This is unreal. He has lost his mind.” He stared at his own hands as he spoke aloud.
He continued to fast-walk, quickly crossing the length of the cage, for most of the dark time. Eventually, with a deep sigh, he sat down.
It wasn’t until the first rays of light brought warmth into the cage that the man seemed to notice he wasn’t alone. He looked at the stump, then took a few steps towards it.
He shook, and walked backwards. He looked unsure.
It stayed still.
The cage still was quite dark, and the cornered man seemed content to stay put. But once the hot ball’s light had fully filled the cage, he again walked slowly towards the corner with the tree stump.
He didn’t say a word, but his eyes said it all. They jumped from his head and he froze—didn’t breathe, didn’t move.