The Child Zoo

Chapter 4

Deciding I didn't want to be around these people anymore I made my way over to the only door with a handle I've seen all day, the ones she said lead to our sleeping courters. I entered the code, slowly peeking my head through the opening. I can feel Taylor peering over my shoulder too. When I see what's on the inside I swing the door open all the way.

It's just a hallway with two door in it. One says "BOYS" in big block letters the other says "GIRLS." I reach for the handle that says girls relieved to find it unlocked. What I saw surprised me but didn't at the same time. It was a decent sized room with six bunk beds all spaced good enough apart. The beds were a drab brown the pillows plain white, because why give us anything to feel less hopeless?

Deciding to pick my bed before the other girls get in here I start to climb up to the top bunk of the bed closest to the wall and door. Taylor takes the one on the bottom. Not knowing what to do next I flop down and stare at the ceiling before falling into an uneasy sleep.
***
I awoke to the sound of banging as the door hit the wall and guards came in. "Get out, dinner time." I groggily hopped off the bunk making my ways out the door with Taylor. Food was brought out in dog bowls again. There was sautéed asparagus, tofu, and eggs.

This time they were oh so kind enough to give us forks. Feel the love? I pick up the fork and start delicately putting food in my mouth. Despite being extremely hungry I take my time as I will not give them the satisfaction of thinking they've won something. Once I've finished I place the fork down in the bowl and look to my right.

Taylors sadly chewing her food while tears stream down her face. She's always been the sensitive type and this is a lot for her. I dont go to comfort her however, because she seems to be coping in her own way. I don't want to ruin her progress with sympathy.

Once everyone has finished the bowls are collected and they leave us yet again to our own demise without another word. Seeing as they've woken me up from my sleep I decide to go back into my room to slip into another deep sleep.
***
A loud blaring alarm which seemed to be ringing from all around, jolted me from my sleep. Groaning I placed the pillow over my head hoping to relieve my ears of the noise. To my dismay, it didn't stop and instead another horrendous noise was added. The clacking of high heels.

Not even bothering to knock the devil barges in on all of us. "The zoo will be opening in exactly one hour. It is time to prepare yourselves." Kill me. Slowly I lift my head from the pillow and give her the most deadly glare I can muster. She returns my oh so warm affection with a smirk. Oh how I want to smack it off her wrinkled face.

We all stagger out of the room and I know I look like death itself. I have never been a morning person. Rubbing my eyes I open them to be met with a line of guards. There appears to be one for every person. As told we all line up, with a guard in front of all of us. We're handed a nutritional bar that's supposed to keep you full and energized.

After eating before I can even blink leashes have been attached to our shock colors and we're being pulled away. Exiting the activity center we're led down the crimson white hallways to a door. "Via open." With that command from Satan the door slides open to reveal a blindingly white room. What is up with these people and white?

There are what appear to be stalls made of cloudy glass. It doesn't give me a good feeling. Hard yanks from the collar drags me along until I am in front of a stall. The girls take up one half the boys the other. Four people down I can see taylor and her frightened expression. I want to comfort her but I can't.

To my surprise the leash is unclipped, but before I can move the guards hand it around my neck. The shock collar is removed and so are my clothes. I am shoved into one of the glass chambers by my neck. The door starts to close as panic rises in me. The glass doors on every side of me reach to the ceiling and I can't see anything.

Before I can even blink water pours from the ceiling down onto my head. Screams can be heard from all around me. It'd be quite funny if I wasn't startled myself. Then a pink powder rains and on instinct I close my eyes. However the powder doesn't irritate your eyes. More water rains from the ceiling and the powder turns into soapy bubbles. It's like a car wash, I observe, but for humans.

Expecting more things to fall from the sky I am not so pleasantly surprised when soapy water shoots out from under me like a reverse water fall. Hoping this is over now I am very wrong as water shoots out from the sides like being shot with a bunch of water guns and it's cold. The endless assault doesn't stop until they all shut off at once. Then what sounds like a blow dryer starts and warms air swirls around me.

It stops and the door opens and I try my best to cover up my parts. Practically identical clothes from the ones we wore before are thrown at me and I quickly put them on. No underwear, again. What looks like a spiky head band is clipped around my head, it's adjustable and doesn't hurt. It's pulled down my head quickly and me having thick hair, it hurts as it goes down.

"Ow!" My hand goes to my head and I pull it through my hair noticing all the tangles are, in fact, out. Then we are given what looks like some type of candy. It's a small, white, circular pod that resembles a mint. I'm reluctant to put it in my mouth but the guard assures me if I don't he will.

As I chew it a foam fills my mouth, making it tingle. Despite my want to spit it all over the guard in front of me, I swallow it. My mouth and teeth feel extremely clean and my breath smells of mint. It must be a replacement for brushing our teeth, because of corse we can't be treated like normal people.

Clack clack clack clack. "The zoo will be opening in exactly two minutes." That's all she says before we are pulled out the door down the hallway.

***
April 29th 2112 - April 30th 2112
4/29/2112 - 4/30/2112