Zoo

by Tara Elizabeth

  I don’t.

  I’m still holding Victoria’s hand and pulling her along behind me. Kale’s walking pretty fast, so we almost have to jog to keep up with him. I worry about Victoria and her pregnant state.

  “Hey, what’s the rush?” I ask.

  “I want to get out of the open and into the tree line as fast as we can. We’re sitting ducks out here. Anyone with a rifle could pick us off,” he answers.

  “But those trees are almost a mile away, Kale. Victoria can’t go that fast. Slow down, please,” I request.

  He slows his pace, but I can tell it’s killing him. He keeps looking back at us to make sure we’re close enough behind him.

  “Kale, what did Kansas mean when she said to ‘remember what I told you, if it happens’?” I ask him.

  “Oh, something about a rebellion. Apparently some of the Keepers may be in on it too.” He slows down so that he’s walking next to us when a flying train passes overhead. It doesn’t stop over us like it did before, but it still causes Kale to lower his voice and be suspicious of the vehicle. “She said that should something big happen, we should look for the Keepers with the silver, star tattoos.”

  “Do you think what I did helped at all?” I ask him. I hope that it did. The horrors of the punishment we took are still fresh. I don’t think those memories will every truly fade.

  “Yeah, maybe,” he answers. “I hope so.”

  ***

  We reach the beginnings of the low mountain range and enter the forest. The trees give us an instant sense of safety. They may block us from the threats of being out in the wide-open, but they aren’t keeping the cannibals from eating us. “Maybe we should try and find a place that’s not too far into the mountains. We don’t want to get anywhere near the caves or the other side,” I offer as we all sort of hesitate on a direction to take.

  “I’m okay with that. What about you, Victoria?” Kale asks as he runs his hands back and forth over the top of his head. Then he lets them slide down to the back of his neck, where he laces his fingers together. He waits for Victoria to answer.

  She won’t disagree with us, and we both know it, but he asked out of respect. “Sure,” she replies.

  “Okay. Let’s go then.” Kale starts to lead the way, but stops abruptly. He pulls the backpack off his back and unzips the larger compartment. After digging around, he pulls out the bow and rudimentary arrow that James carried only yesterday. “Here, you should take this just in case.” He hands me the shabby weapons.

  I put my arm through the bow and hang it on my shoulder. My pockets are too shallow to hold the arrow without the worry of it falling out unnoticed. I’ll have to carry it in my hand for now. I’m glad that he gave me this weapon and not the gun. It still makes me a little nervous.

  We set off again through the forest, following close behind Kale. It’s too quiet here. Every snap of a twig or crunch of pine needles underfoot is amplified. I feel like I might as well get on a loudspeaker and say, Hey! We’re over here! We have a bag of supplies that we know you want!

  We walk for an hour or so without passing any homes or caves. We all realize we’re getting a little too close to the castle, so we start to slow our pace. Victoria is obviously relieved because she was once again falling behind. I had to take hold of her hand to keep her moving forward. But now, the time has come to find a place to call home, or in the very least, a place to call our temporary home.

  “Let’s check things out here,” Kale says. “We can canvas a half-mile radius around this area, and then we’ll pick a spot.”

  “Sounds good. I think Victoria is ready for a break.”

  “Victoria is definitely ready for a break y’all,” she says about herself, and we all chuckle. It’s nice to find humor in something.

  ***

  Checking out the area we decided on is pretty uneventful. No one jumps out and tries to eat us or holds us up to steal our things. The forest looks pretty much the same around here, except for some changes in the elevation. There are some small boulders and overhangs, but absolutely no caves.

  After a quick break to eat, we settle on a spot under one of the rocky overhangs and start gathering wood to build a shelter. We work as a team, finding branches and small trees. Even Victoria helps. We are all pleased to have something to do.

  Another flying train filled with people slips through the trees and pauses to watch us. It stays for about five minutes before resuming its course. I hate it. Even after living in the smaller enclosure and being watched all the time—like a caged animal in a zoo—I still don’t feel comfortable having them watch me, point at me, and laugh at my expense. I loathe it even more now because they could give away our location to people we may not want to have it. Unfortunately, there’s not a thing we can do about it.

  After gathering piles and piles of wood, Victoria stops to rest. Kale and I continue on without her. We start hunting for thin, pliable branches. We need them to secure the larger branches that will form the walls.

  Victoria stays seated and helps remove the leaves from the smaller branches, preparing them for building. I am happy that she’s working without complaining or prodding. Maybe we will become friends after all. Looking at her sitting there, knowing she’s pregnant, makes me think of Janice. I wonder if they sent another girl to our enclosure to replace me, and if she likes her better. Probably. I wasn’t much fun, especially toward the end when I stayed away from everyone, trying to avoid Kale. That was so stupid.

  “It’s getting dark. We should probably stop for the night.” Kale drops more branches on top of the large pile we have already gathered. “Maybe I can hunt tomorrow with the bow. I saw a few rabbits and squirrels out there earlier.”

  “Oh, I like squirrel meat. I can make a stew,” Victoria offers.

  My stomach churns at the thought of eating the furry, little rodent. “How much food do we have left in the bag?” I ask Kale.

  “Not much.” He tosses Victoria and me each a pear and a few crackers. “We need to get some more water too. I’ll do that in the morning, while you two start on the hut.”

  I never thought about us having to split up, and now that he’s said it, the idea of Kale leaving us terrifies me. And it’s written all over my face.

  “Don’t worry,” he says. “I’ll leave the gun with you. You’ll be okay. Victoria, do you know how to shoot?”

  “Absolutely. First time I held a gun was when I was six years old. Shot me a opossum.”

  OMG! Who is this girl?

  “Okay, good,” Kale says with a nod. “We’ll hide it so you two can have it close by.” He shifts a little and brushes some of the pine needles and leaves around. “We should probably hide the rest of our food too.”

  “You thinking about putting it in the ground?” I ask him.

  “Yeah. And we could put one of those rocks on top to hide it. I’ll have to bring the backpack with me to get water. It’ll be easier to carry it back. I’ll even be able to run on the way there. Hopefully, it won’t take longer than about four hours.”

  Four hours. That seems like an eternity to be without him. Will he be okay without the gun? Will we be okay with it? What if he doesn’t come back because he finds better company or worse, he gets injured or killed?

  “Maybe you should take the gun. It could be dangerous. You’ll probably run into someone before we do,” I say. The gun-talk is really making me uncomfortable, so I start digging a hole in the ground for our few belongings. I use a stick to dig and my hands to scoop the dirt off to the side.

  Kale is adamant. “No,” he says. “The gun is staying with you two. I’ll take the bow.”

  He helps me dig. Our hands bump occasionally. We both ignore the contact and continue working. Victoria starts up some conversation to pass the time as we work. “So, Kale, what was your old life like?” she asks.

  He loves talking about where he’s from. He always wears a smile when he mentions Hawaii. “I’m from a beautiful island where the water is a shimmering
blue-green, and there are mountains, beaches, and jungles. I worked as a surf instructor for one of the hotels. So, I got paid to surf everyday. It wasn’t a bad life.”

  “What’s surfing?” Victoria asks.

  “Well, you take this board that floats, and you ride the waves on it.”

  “Standing up?”

  “Yeah. It’s the best feeling in the world when you’re out there alone, just you and the waves. Even though that’s what killed me, I’d still go back and do it everyday.”

  “What about your family? What were they like?” I ask Kale, as I push a pile of dirt aside.

  He answers, still smiling, “I had a pretty big family; mom, dad, two older brothers, one little sister, lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles. I had a little baby niece that was a few months old. We would all get together and bar-b-que every Sunday on the beach. We’d play football and surf together. Man, I miss them.”

  It’s nice to know that Kale was close to his family and loved his job (James once said the same things, but I know for certain that Kale is being honest). It’s true that I thought he was spreading it on a little thick so he could “mate” with me, but I’ve never questioned whether he is a good person. I’ve always known that he is.

  I decide to ask him about the tattoos, since I’m staring at them right now. “Is there a meaning behind all of your tattoos? They’re tribal right?”

  “Yeah, all the men in our family get them. It’s a tradition we’ve kept from the original tribes.”

  “They’re really beautiful,” I admit to him. “What’s your last name, if you don’t mind me asking?” It’s weird that I don’t know the answer to that, since we’ve practically been living together.

  “Kekoa.” Then he asks me, “What about you, Emma David, what was your life and family like?” He pronounces my last name correctly. It makes me smile. Janice must have shared that with him. I wonder what else they said about me without me knowing.

  “Well, I was a senior in high school, and I was getting ready for college, but you already know that . . .”

  “I didn’t know that. Not that I really know what all that means. I didn’t go to school much,” Victoria interrupts.

  “Oh sorry, you’re right Victoria . . . Well, I had a big extended family, but I was an only child. My mom liked to spoil me, but I was more interested in earning everything myself. I had a part-time job filing at a lawyer’s office. It was so boring. I hated it, but it paid for my gas and helped me build up my savings, which was important since I knew I wanted to go away to college. I spent most of my free time—when I wasn’t studying—with my best friend Avery. She was so much fun. She was always so persistent about me not spending all my time stuck in a book. She was great.” I look over to the girl sitting near me. “And what about you, Victoria?” I was actually interested to know what life was like for her.

  “Spent mosta my time cookin’, cleanin’, and weavin’ baskets. We sold our baskets in town. Lived on a bit of land in a little house with my Ma, Pa, and sister.” Victoria shrugs her shoulders. “Everyday was the same until the consumption got us. I was the last to die.” She shrugs her shoulders. “Not much else to tell.”

  “What state did you live in?” Kale asks her.

  “Texas. Right smack in the middle of it. Hot as hell there,” Victoria answers.

  I totally knew it. I’m very familiar with that accent.

  I smile. “I know whatcha mean. Louisiana’s not much better.” I definitely did not miss the summer heat that lasted from March to November. Longest summers ever! And the humidity. Blah. It did horrible things to my hair.

  By the time we finish with our stories, the hole is big enough and it’s much darker in the forest. The sun has set and the moon’s soft light trickles in through the trees. Even in the dim light, I can see that my fingernails are grimy and caked with dirt. I would clean them, but I can’t waste our drinking water on my vanities. It makes me feel disgustingly filthy. Try as I might, I can’t rub all of it away.

  Kale finds a rock, a little larger than the size of my head, to cover the two-foot deep hole we dug. It fits perfectly, concealing our remaining stores.

  Victoria surprises me by saying, “I’ll take first watch. I know you didn’t sleep well last night Emma. So hand over the gun.” She holds her delicate hand out, waiting for the deadly weapon.

  That was really nice of her. My heart is starting to soften toward her. “Wow, thanks Victoria. I guess I’ll take the last shift so, Kale, you can get some more rest before you leave,” I say to them.

  Kale hands Victoria the sleek, black handgun. She screws up her face as she studies it. “Well this certainly isn’t a revolver or a rifle, but I can manage. Now get on to sleep before I change my mind.”

  She stays seated where she is, while Kale and I move closer under the overhang. I lie down on my side, facing away from him.

  He lies down next to me. Even though he doesn’t touch me, I can still feel him. The pull toward him is still there. So, I ask myself, since this isn’t a new sensation, does this mean that I like him or that I’ve liked him from the start? Did I not see him, like he mentioned to Kansas? No. I thought he was faking being overly nice to me in the first enclosure—but that would make me a really poor judge of character. Was it because of the silly crush I had on James? I am absolutely a poor judge of character. Maybe I am just totally insane, and this is a completely normal reaction to a male friend who’s comforting.

  I don’t know. I don’t know if anything here is real or can be real. And it’s probably best not to start anything with anyone, when one of us could be dead tomorrow. That possibility is strong, here in this new zoo. I’ll keep my eyes closed to him for now.

  TWO GIRLS ALONE IN A FOREST

  “Wake up.” I shake Kale’s arm. “Kale.”

  He groans and then jolts awake, nearly knocking me over as he suddenly sits up. “Oh man, I thought something was wrong,” he says, while grabbing his chest. “Are you okay?” He reaches out to take my hand, steadying me.

  “Sorry. I was just waking you up. You said you wanted to get an early start. The sun’s coming up.”

  He rubs his hands back and forth over the top of his head—a habit that I’ve gotten used to seeing him do when he’s thinking or frustrated. He stretches and rises off the hard ground to his feet. “Hey, did you do that?” he asks me.

  Embarrassed by the question, I just nod yes.

  “That looks great, Emma.” He bends down to get a closer look at the wall that I’ve already constructed from the branches and binding twigs. “You did that while we were sleeping?”

  “Um. Yeah. Had a few hours to spare. My eyes are killing me though. The moonlight wasn’t really sufficient,” I say with a small laugh.

  His eyes light up when he smiles at me. I can see his feelings for me displayed clearly across his face. He makes no effort to hide them from me now. There’s no longer a cowboy standing in his way.

  I quickly turn my head, avoiding him and his affections. I pluck the backpack off the large rock that’s covering our goods. “Here,” I say as I hand it to him. “The bottles are already in there, and so is the bow.”

  His smile falters, but doesn’t fade. He takes the bag from me and puts his arms through the straps, securing it to his back. “I guess I’ll be going then. Be back soon. Look after her.” He nods toward Victoria’s sleeping form. “And if you hear anything, run and hide. Don’t worry about me finding you. Just stay safe.”

  “We will, and it seems like Victoria might be the one taking care of me.” I offer him a small smile as he turns to leave. Then I decide to offer my friend something else. “Kale,” I call after him.

  He turns and pauses, waiting for more than I can offer him now.

  “Be careful and hurry back.” I mean what I say, but I know that he wants me to say something different or add something extra. I don’t.

  He finally says, “I will, Princess,” after I stay silent for too long.

  Then he leaves us
alone in the forest.

  ***

  I let Victoria sleep as I continue working. I try to keep my mind off of Kale and even James. It’s hard though. The wounds James caused are so fresh. I’m so angry with him. And even angrier that he’s delayed the possibility of something wonderful happening with a man that treats me like a princess—as he calls me. Can I move on this fast? I can’t. I won’t.

  Victoria interrupts my self-concerned thoughts. “Good morning!” she sings. She rolls over and eventually gets up, wandering off into the woods to take care of her business. Her feet crunch over the dead things the trees and plants have expelled onto the ground. She kicks a thick branch before ducking behind a mess of bushes.

  When she returns, she sits next to me. After lining up the larger branches, she then begins binding them with the more pliable twigs. She looks like she’s done this a thousand times. She works efficiently and quickly, her tiny hands making tighter holdings than mine.

  “You’re good at this,” I compliment her.

  “Well, I did used to weave baskets with my sister. This is pretty much the same thing,” she says.

  “Do you miss her?”

  “Yes and no. She was my whole life before we came here, but like most sisters, one always tries to outdo the other. That was how she was. It didn’t take her two minutes to sleep with the man that was meant for me.” She doesn’t look at me when she speaks, and I fear that she may be angry with me as well. I did try to take her man from her too, after all.

  I try to apologize for that. “I guess you’re upset with me about that as well. I’m sorry. I had no idea that you two had anything going.”

  “Oh. I know. I’m not mad at you. But my sister, she knew.”

  What a crappy sister. I’m suddenly grateful that I don’t have any siblings to disappoint and hurt me like that.

  “I’m sorry,” I say again, because I can’t think of anything else to say to her.