The Child Zoo

Chapter 6

My mother left about a week ago and it's killing me with worry for her. I continue to stare aimlessly ahead at the wall as I lay on my bunk. I didn't sleep. Seconds go by tick tick tick tick. Silence. Then bang bang bang! Breakfast. Today it's waffles with sugar free syrup, which is disgusting. Bowls are collected, back into the room it is.

Thirty more minutes pass before the blaring alarm sounds from all around. "The zoo will be opening in exactly one hour. It is time to prepare yourselves." We go through the usual routine and they shove us into those torture devices again. Only this time it's different.

When they take us out of the chambers my arm is suddenly grabbed by a guard. Before I can protest a syringe with a pink strip is stabbed into my arm. I never really liked shots but I wasn't a pris. "Son of a bîtch" I cursed aloud but the guard didn't even blink as I watched the clear liquid be pumped into my body.

"What the hell was that?!" Nobody answers me as the collar is securely clipped back into place around my neck. We're dragged through the pristine chrome white halls back into the pit of hell itself. And no surprise Satan herself is waiting outside the door to the enclosure with a sickly fake smile attached to her face.

Click! A blinding light flashes in my face and then is when I notice the nearly hundred of photographers cluttering outside the glass like vultures. Taking in a deep breath I spin on my heel and start walking in the other direction. Unfortunately my escape is short lived as those dreaded words sound over the intercom. "The zoo is now allowing entry"

Photographers shove and push past each other like rabid barbarians to make it into the zoo. They start claiming kids like prizes to photograph for their own sick needs. A creepy lady with vulture like nails and eyes pops out of nowhere and touches my hair. I snatch my head to the side which causes her to frown.

"Such pretty African hair." She continues to examine me all over. My hair isn't that curly but it's pretty long. My mother is mixed with black and white and I don't know who my father is but I think he had to of been part black because of my features. My mother doesn't recall as he was a one night stand. I'm ok with it though, she loves me enough for two.

The click and flash of the camera takes me out of my daydream. The vulture lady just took a picture of my face. Backing up to get away from her I bump into another camera man, and notice dozens of others crowding around me. "So beautiful." "Young and flawless." "Dark and lustful." These people make me sick.

The clicking doesn't stop as the flashes come from all around blinding me. My chest heaves as the panic and anger rises within me. Without stopping to think I lash out at the cameras around me hitting and lunging at them, they clatter to the ground. Still more flashes come and I don't stop until painful electricity courses through my body.

I fall to the ground in pain and it doesn't stop. Gasping I clutch my neck pulling at the collar to no avail. At last the pain subsides as I lay there on the ground shocked as it's like the pain never existed. It was completely gone after it stopped not leaving any marks. After snapping a few more shots the photographers disperse, well the ones who didn't flee in appall.

Still sitting on the ground brown boots approach my position. Looking up I spot the man from the day these bastards captured me. The supposed highly important reporter guy that the devil grovels at. His icy blue, almost clear eyes seem to be trying to stare into my very soul. I glare back keeping eye contact challenging him.

"I'd like to take photographs of you in poses, professional ones, not sloppy sneak shots" The words that come out of his mouth cause me to snort. "As if I'd ever do anything for you sick bastards." He doesn't even bat an eye at my crude remark as he seems in thought for a moment. "If I don't claim you as my subject for today you will continue to be bombarded with reporters like before."

Trick ass bitch. Letting out a huff I roll my eyes and cross my arms, but I don't go anywhere. This registers in his brain as my compliance and snaps a photo. "Can you put your hand on your hip." Hesitantly I do the motion grudgingly. Snap! This goes on for what felt like an eternity until he starts to pack up his camera. "Thank you for your photographs you are quite remarkable."

I don't utter a word as I watch him walk off and out the zoo entrance. With a sigh I start to walk back toward the direction of the cave. Natalia has acted as a makeshift mother to me during my time here, which is nice, however she's not my mother. On my way I decide that I should find Taylor to see how she's coping. These past few days she's been doing great, really finding herself so out of respect for her capabilities I give her space.

Out of the corner of my eye I notice the girl from my class with the cocoa skin and bleached blonde hair, I believe her name is Tasha. She stands in front of a photographer posing in provocative ways, bending over and smiling sultrily. It disgusts me.  Doesn't she know these sick bastards could do whatever they want with those pictures?

Does she not care about them ending up on zoo information packages and magazines? Or her poor mother having to come across those wretched pictures of her little girl? Shaking my head I continue on my way when I notice taylor sitting up on the rock with this other girl I've never seen before.

Normally I would've been jealous that she didn't ask me to sit and talk with her but I noticed they were a little more than close. So I just smiled and continued on my way. Reaching the cave after approximately ten minutes I travel through the walls before the glow is evident. It isn't real fire, it's computerized heat but it's good enough.

Giving a little knock I poke my head around the corner to be met with the Adams family as normal. Ren and Ken run up to me and hug my legs as I ruffle their shaggy black locks. Natalia engulfs me in a warm hug and Ben gives me his usual formal hand shake. One day I'm gonna get a hug from this dude.

This family is going to make me soft. Taking a seat I notice Natalia has soft worry lines around her eyes and is squeezing Bens hand, a clear sign something is bothering her. Clearing my throat a give her an antagonizing look to indicate I know there's something she's keeping from me. She looks up momentarily before glancing back down.

Sighing I announce "what's the bad news you're acting like you just found out you're dying." Remembering the young boys I mutter a quick sorry. Ben gives Natalia's hand a reassuring squeeze as she takes in a deep breath. "No we're not dying but.... we're leaving in a month." Absorbing and registering what she just said I take in a sharp breath and just look at them, scanning them for any signs of a joke.

Finding none I just sit in silence as it fills the room up giving me no room to breath. "I... we" sound cuts through the hush with a sharp edge as Natalia begins to speak. "We don't want to leave you alone we really don't but... this is the only life our boys have ever known and we really want to introduce them to the world. Also this has been our lives for far too long and the world awaits us."

Snapping out of my momentary daze I straighten my spine and force a smile. "No, you don't have to justify yourself to me. You and your boys deserve to be happy far away from this accursed place. Go and live your lives and don't worry about me. I'll miss you but your freedom is well deserved." With that we sit in welcoming silence, basking in the time together.

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May 9th 2112
5/9/2112