Zoo

by Tara Elizabeth

  She finally answered me, very quietly, like she was afraid of being overheard, “No, I don’t want to be stuck in here alone my whole life. I want a chance to start over. Live my life right. Have a family. You know . . . be normal.”

  “Good, then we’ll make some weapons, and when they come next week, we’ll be ready for them. Sound like a plan?”

  “Sure. I’ll make a spear or something. We’ve got some good branches around here for that.” She looked toward the jungle as she made plans for her weapon’s construction.

  I wasn’t going to waste my time. A good rock would do the trick. Now I just had to sit back and wait for our golden opportunity.

  BLAH.

  Why did the week take so long to pass? I mean seriously. I was anxious to escape, and I was bored out of my mind. I spent Monday people watching. There was a school field trip. Dozens of groups of children passed our enclosure all day. They seemed just like the children from my time—snotty nosed, whiney, and loud. A couple of them even threw food on our glass. Some kind of blue gunk dribbled down the slick surface, which caused them all to laugh hysterically like a bunch of hyenas. I wished I could have thrown something back at them. Of course their teachers scolded them, which gave me some satisfaction.

  I actually enjoyed watching the women that came through, who were wearing all different styles of clothing. My favorites were the women that dressed like Jackie O., with their pearls, oversized sunglasses, and designer dresses. I was always under the belief that every girl should know who Jackie O. is. Focusing on fashion was one of the things that helped me get through American History class. Really.

  The strangest ensemble, however, was on a man. He was of average height with a firm build. I believe he was in his early twenties, and he was dressed like a hula dancer. He must have been imitating native Hawaiians or Polynesians or something. It was almost comical to see him walking around with no shirt and a grass skirt. He had tons of black tattoos swirling all over his body and something pierced through his nose. It looked like a tiny bone.

  He stood in front of our enclosure for a while with his arms crossed over his chest, watching us. Well, mostly watching me. He creeped me out enough to make me move back into the shelter of the jungle foliage. I found a spot where I could watch him. I was able to pull back a few large leaves so I could see him without him seeing me. He didn’t move from his spot. He kept a lookout for me while I stayed hidden. There was something about his eyes that was so familiar . . .

  Eventually, the hula man gave up when I never emerged. His grass skirt swayed as he walked away. We must have been pretty interesting for him to hang around for so long. He had waited for about an hour, never sitting, only standing. He didn’t even get a snack or a drink. Weirdo.

  ***

  On Thursday, I crept over to peek into Josephine Derby’s enclosure. She was lounging in her chair and enjoying what looked like a steaming cup of hot tea. Earl Grey, I bet. She’d take a sip and then fan herself. All of her movements were precise and regal, as if she’d spent many hours being trained to behave like a proper lady.

  Once again, her dress was fanciful. It was lilac with silver thread work. There were perfectly crafted silver flowers on the top of the bodice. Her face was done up again with bright pink cheeks and even brighter lipstick. Her silver hair was curled and held away from her face with a silver ribbon. She kept a hand mirror on her side table, which she often looked in when she wasn’t fanning herself. There were also others things lying within a hand’s reach: a hairbrush, playing cards, paper, and an ink pen.

  I drifted off as I watched her. I thought about how envious I was that her enclosure was so luxurious. There were cozy chairs, beautiful paintings, and extra clothes—though her dresses may not have necessarily been more comfortable. She even had a bed at the back. It was blocked off behind a frescoed wall.

  I snapped out of it when she spoke to me. Her lovely English accent put me at ease, even though she was scolding me ever so slightly. “How long are you going to sit up there and gawk, love? You know staring is not very becoming for a young lady. You must announce yourself. It’s only polite.” She sat up straight in her chair and shifted a little to have a better look at me.

  I blushed with embarrassment. “Sorry, Ms. Derby.” My mother taught me to always say Ms., Mrs., or Mr. when addressing my elders. When I asked my Mom why I never heard kids on TV saying it, she said, “It’s a southern thing, Emma. Those Yankees don’t know any better.” That always got a good eye roll from me. Even though some of her remarks were ridiculous and unfounded stereotypes, I missed them all the same. I hadn’t even been gone for a full week at that point.

  “Call me Auntie Josephine, child.”

  “Okay. Auntie Josephine.” It felt odd calling her that, but she was so sweet, I couldn’t go against her wishes.

  “Now tell me, where do you come from?”

  I told her my name and how old I was. I told her about my accident and how crappy I thought our enclosure was compared to hers. I kept talking and talking, and she listened without interrupting me once. So I kept on talking, and then, I was crying about being stuck in a zoo, about missing out on my life, and about never being able to fall in love. I don’t know why I told her so much, but it felt good.

  When I finished, she told me her story. “I’ve been here for 49 years. Sometimes, I can hardly believe it. I barely remember England. I was so young.” Her face was so full of compassion for me and something else as she reflected on her own life. “I was born into a wealthy family in London in 1831. We lived on a large estate, and I got everything I ever wanted. My favorite thing to do was to go to the opera. I loved the gowns and sitting in our private box . . . ” She drifted off in thought for a moment before continuing. “Right after I turned 16, I got very ill. There was a small cholera outbreak. I caught it when I was helping my mother volunteer as a nursemaid for the church.”

  “That’s terrible,” I whispered.

  “I was brought here. I tried to run away like everyone does, but it was no use. After a year, they brought a companion for me. His name was Edward. We fell in love, and he lived here with me for 26 years before he killed himself. He slit his wrists with one of my hair pins.” Josephine pulled a tissue from her cleavage and lightly dabbed her eyes. “I loved him and he loved me, but it was never enough. He went mad. I’ll never forget that day.” She sniffed and straightened up in her seat. Then she plastered an insincere smirk across her thinning lips and said, “Scared the knickers off the park visitors that day.”

  “Wow, I’m so sorry.” That had to have been one of the saddest stories I’d ever heard. How she had stayed sane was beyond me.

  “Never you mind. That was ages ago and the show must go on. So if you’ll excuse me, I must get ready for my performance. Singing frees the soul, you know?” Auntie Josephine shimmied over to her dressing room and closed the door behind her.

  I took my cue and made my way back down to the grassy floor of our enclosure. I couldn’t help but think angry thoughts as hordes of people were looking into our tiny world. What happened to Auntie Josephine and Edward was because of them. I wanted to break their ugly pointing fingers right off their hands and poke them in their spying eyes.

  Did I mention that I was angry?

  MY SECOND ESCAPE ATTEMPT

  The time had finally come. It was Sunday and the Keepers were coming soon. I had dreamt about the moment all week. There were a million questions I didn’t have answers to: Could this be the day that I gain my freedom? Could I fit in amongst the people out there? Where will I go? What will I do? How will I live on my own?

  After we filled our bellies with apples and fish for breakfast—courtesy of Janice—we grabbed our weapons and looked for the perfect hiding spots. There wasn’t really anywhere next to the rock wall to hide. We each decided to stand to one side of where we thought the magical portal—or whatever it’s called—had appeared previously. Then we planned to jump them when they manifested and make a break for it.<
br />
  Tick. Tock.

  Tick. Tock.

  I leant against the boulders that made up the enclosure’s back wall. I rested there until I saw a foot appear out of thin air. Janice and I readied ourselves to strike. One of the Keepers was completely in our enclosure, and the second, a female, was halfway in.

  “Now!” I cried out to Janice.

  We both rushed forward to attack the two unsuspecting Keepers. Janice had a long thin branch that she painstakingly carved into a spear with a lethal point. She worked for days on it, making it the perfect weapon. I opted for a large rock that I held high over my head as I charged toward the male Keeper. I let a fierce battle cry erupt from my lungs as we surged forward. “Suck it!”

  Unlucky for us, their suits were protected with some kind of invisible force field.

  Janice was jolted to the ground first after her spear bounced off the female Keeper’s stomach and sent a shock up through her arms. Then I was rocketed into the air a few feet, before landing flat on my back. I remained there stunned and breathless. The rock was still clutched tight in my tense hand for several minutes, as I watched the two Keepers continue on as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. They must be used to this sort of thing. It was infuriating and embarrassing. I felt like a moron.

  My whole body finally relaxed, and when I was able to finally sit up, I threw my rock at one of the Keeper’s backs for good measure. It just bounced off of him and hit the ground with a thud. Ugh!

  GIRL FIGHT

  Well, yes, my second escape attempt was unsuccessful, but we tried. I should have taken the time with Janice to plan something better than jump them when I say “Now!”

  And a rock? Really? What did I actually think I was going to accomplish with a measly rock? Lesson learned.

  The good news was that we didn’t get punished. Apparently, the Keepers and Dick only cared about us disturbing the public. So, I took that to mean I could try to escape as many times as I wanted so long as the park was closed. And I would keep trying, hoping the next time I could avoid being zapped.

  Janice didn’t speak to me for the remainder of the day. I was mortified and wanted to crawl under a rock. I went for a shower in the waterfall instead, because I had gotten all muddy and full of leaves when I bit it. The cool water was refreshing and reenergizing, fuel for my next attempt. I washed up and filled my animal skin pouch with some drinking water. I finally gave in since it wasn’t like they provided us with glasses or anything. However, I couldn’t help but cringe every time I took a sip from it. I tried singing in my head to keep from thinking about what part of what animal it came from.

  I put my sack dress back on and went off to find Janice so I could apologize. She was sitting next to Betsy humming some upbeat tune I’d never heard. It was probably some lame disco song, but it sounded nice coming from her. Janice’s head was swaying and she had her eyes closed. She was lost in the dance club in her head.

  I stood in front of her and said, “I’m sorry, Janice. I didn’t know their suits would have a force field around them.”

  She didn’t startle when I spoke to her, so she must have sensed I was there. “I know you didn’t,” she said calmly.

  “Are you mad at me?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “Well, why won’t you look at me then?” I was frustrated with her attitude. Her eyes weren’t shut anymore, but she wouldn’t lift up her face.

  “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself for getting my hopes up. I should have known better than to think we could get out of here. I mean, look at their technology. We don’t stand a chance.”

  “Well, I’m getting out of here. I will find a way,” I told her adamantly.

  She yelled at me then, “Emma! They have disappearing doors! Their clothes have force fields that will knock you on your ass! They took us from the past! Time travel for Pete’s sake! You really think they haven’t thought of every way possible to keep us here?”

  “Screw you!” I yelled in return. Her words frightened me. I turned and stormed off to sulk in my hut. My outburst was inappropriate, but I didn’t want to hear what she had to say. I would try again. Whatever it took.

  IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, TRY, TRY AGAIN . . . UNTIL YOU GIVE UP . . .

  The day after my second failed escape attempt, I waited until the park closed to take one of the larger rocks from the sidewall. I bashed it against the dome’s glass, over and over again. I didn’t even get it to crack. I figured it must have been bullet proof. Bastards!

  The day after that, I tried digging my way out with an odd shaped branch I found in the jungle. I dug while the park was open, assuming no one would actually know what I was up to. I wanted them to think that I was planting or burying something. But who knows what they thought? Besides, there was a benefit to being out in the open where I could see the public—it gave me something to look at while I worked. The people of the future fascinated me as much as I probably fascinated them.

  I dug down, into the soil, about four and a half feet before I hit a steel floor. Assholes!

  The day after that, I scaled the rock wall and tried to pry loose every rock and boulder I could get my hands on. They super-glued those suckers in there good. Not one of them budged. Douchebags!

  And the day after that, I beat my head on the glass of the dome until I saw stars. Idiot!

  My efforts reminded me of the time when I was ten years old. I really wanted this hot pink bicycle that all the popular girls had, but my birthday had already passed. It wasn’t close to Christmas either, so I had to work for it. Coming up with that much money for a ten year old was virtually impossible, and my parents were sure I’d lose interest and motivation after doing so many chores to earn the cash. But I didn’t.

  It took me nearly six months of cleaning dishes, making my bed, helping Dad rake leaves, and whatever else my Mom came up with. When she finally brought me to the store, and I handed the cashier my money, it felt beyond amazing to be able to walk out of that store with my new wheels. It was the biggest thing I had worked for up to that point, and the reward was worth every second of work.

  I’d hoped that maybe I would even make it into the popular crowd and hang out with all the cool girls at school. That didn’t happen, but I still got the reward I was looking for, and my parents were so proud of me for my determination to see my goal through to the end.

  After that, when I wanted something, I made it happen. It was the same with my grades in school and the scholarship I was working hard to get. If I hadn’t died and been brought to the future, I was sure that I would have gotten it. I also never asked my parents for expensive clothes, jewelry, or purses. If I wanted it, I worked for it. It really made me appreciate the things that I had. I missed being in control of that. It didn’t seem like I was in control of anything in the zoo. I guess I wasn’t.

  Back in the enclosure, I was pleased that the Keepers never came to take me away for all my subtle escape attempts. Thank goodness. I was probably good entertainment for their precious public.

  Unfortunately for them—and me—I was out of ideas for the time being.

  MAKING UP

  Janice and I made up a few days after she yelled at me. We were stuck together for a lifetime after all. We spent the evenings, sitting next to our fire pit, telling each other stories about our past lives before we retired. I enjoyed our time together.

  Sometimes, though, Janice made me feel sad for her, like when she told me about how her drug habit started. She seemed genuinely ashamed as she told me all about it. “My parents were always gone. Dad was overseas on business, and Mom was off to California for weeks at a time. They left me with a Nanny, but she was probably 150 and went to sleep at 6:30 every night. At first, I’d sneak out and go dancing with some of my friends—just dancing. But it didn’t take long for us to start getting approached by older guys, offering up a hit of this or that. We’d do it to get a buzz.”

  She continued on while absently messing with her cutic
les. “It only took a couple of weeks to get hooked. I started stealing jewelry out of my mom’s lingerie drawer and selling it for cocaine. I stole money from my Dad’s safe. I even slept with a guy once for drugs. I was a total mess.” A lone tear rolled down her cheek and stopped at the corner of her mouth. She violently brushed it away with the back of her hand like she was brushing away the bad memories of her short life. My heart broke for her.

  “I can’t even believe that was me. In a way, I’m grateful to be here. I didn’t even have to go through withdrawal. It’s like they took care of all that. They fixed me or something.” Janice gave me a half smile.

  She made me glad that I never got into drugs. I enjoyed my average social status and would have done a lot of things to be more popular, but there were some lines I would never cross. It pained me that she had to live that life.

  “Do you miss your parents or your old life at all?” I asked.

  “No,” she admitted. I wasn’t shocked by her answer. “There’s nothing to miss. I didn’t know my parents, and like I said, I was a total mess. What about you?”

  “Yeah, I miss everything about my life. I miss my parents, my friends, my car, my room, and even my school. And I miss small things like a hot shower, a real toilet, a hairbrush, soda, and chips. Oh and chocolate! Man, I miss chocolate!” My eyes started to water at that point, not over the chocolate, but over all of it. I wanted it back and it would never happen. Even if I broke out of the enclosure, I couldn’t go back. I didn’t own a time machine.

  “You know, I had nice things, but at the end of the day that’s not what matters,” she said, and I knew she was right. “You’re lucky you have things to miss. You’re lucky you had great parents and good friends.”