Amnesiac
June 13th, 2019, 11:03 PM
It was a stupid school field trip to the zoo. Zach and I hung around at the back, shoving and jostling, screwing around, scoffing at the exhibits, and mocking Mrs. Morgan, every time she told us to settle down and stay together with everyone.
As soon as everyone else was busy watching the monkeys, Zach gave me a nudge and we ducked behind another exhibit where he pulled out a couple of Marlboros. We smoked, hiding the cigarettes in cupped hands and I coughed a little, disguising it with laughter. We dropped the butts, ground them underfoot, and looked around for everyone. They were still watching the monkeys. Probably family members or something, I thought, and laughed to myself.
I glanced to the right and saw an enormous cage with rocks and a pool of water, and wondered what exhibit it was. We walked around to the front of the cage, but didn’t see anything. I rolled my eyes, and said, “This is stupid. There’s noth…” when we heard a low, menacing growl. A massive lion emerged from an artificial cave created by the rocks, his mane thick and deep, and his muscles rippled beneath his tawny coat as he sauntered toward us. He sat back on his haunches and stretched, much the way a house cat does, but when he extended his claws, each single claw looked as hard and sharp as the knife I carried in my pocket.
I glanced at Zach, but he was riveted on the lion who had settled, lying Sphinx-like, panting lightly, revealing sharp, yellowish teeth and a thick pink tongue. I began to say something sarcastic, but fell mute when the lion turned his golden eyes on me, fixing me with a predatory gaze. In those eyes, I saw the massive African sun beating down on the tall, yellow grass of the Savannah. In that flat stare, I saw the power of the hunt, the bunching and stretching of muscles as he bolted after his prey and the triumph of the take-down. For a brief moment, it was like I had merged with the lion’s thought-forms and become one with him… With a shudder, I jolted back to reality.
Zach, having grown bored, called, "Here, kitty, kitty!"
I shook my head. "Knock it off, man."
He turned toward me, "What’s the matter with you, you big wuss?"
I merely shrugged and glared, expressionless.
Neither of us noticed that the lion had risen and moved closer to the bars where we stood. Zach turned and recoiled in surprise, nearly tripped over his own feet, when the lion emitted a deafening roar; one that I felt certain was aimed directly at Zach.
Uneasy, we hurried a little beyond the monkey cage and caught up with everyone in front of the reptile cages. Zach kept trying to get me to fall back into the usual scoffing and clowning around, but it just seemed juvenile. I moved closer to the reptile cage and peered in at the various species, fascinated by their smooth, jewel-like colors.
As soon as everyone else was busy watching the monkeys, Zach gave me a nudge and we ducked behind another exhibit where he pulled out a couple of Marlboros. We smoked, hiding the cigarettes in cupped hands and I coughed a little, disguising it with laughter. We dropped the butts, ground them underfoot, and looked around for everyone. They were still watching the monkeys. Probably family members or something, I thought, and laughed to myself.
I glanced to the right and saw an enormous cage with rocks and a pool of water, and wondered what exhibit it was. We walked around to the front of the cage, but didn’t see anything. I rolled my eyes, and said, “This is stupid. There’s noth…” when we heard a low, menacing growl. A massive lion emerged from an artificial cave created by the rocks, his mane thick and deep, and his muscles rippled beneath his tawny coat as he sauntered toward us. He sat back on his haunches and stretched, much the way a house cat does, but when he extended his claws, each single claw looked as hard and sharp as the knife I carried in my pocket.
I glanced at Zach, but he was riveted on the lion who had settled, lying Sphinx-like, panting lightly, revealing sharp, yellowish teeth and a thick pink tongue. I began to say something sarcastic, but fell mute when the lion turned his golden eyes on me, fixing me with a predatory gaze. In those eyes, I saw the massive African sun beating down on the tall, yellow grass of the Savannah. In that flat stare, I saw the power of the hunt, the bunching and stretching of muscles as he bolted after his prey and the triumph of the take-down. For a brief moment, it was like I had merged with the lion’s thought-forms and become one with him… With a shudder, I jolted back to reality.
Zach, having grown bored, called, "Here, kitty, kitty!"
I shook my head. "Knock it off, man."
He turned toward me, "What’s the matter with you, you big wuss?"
I merely shrugged and glared, expressionless.
Neither of us noticed that the lion had risen and moved closer to the bars where we stood. Zach turned and recoiled in surprise, nearly tripped over his own feet, when the lion emitted a deafening roar; one that I felt certain was aimed directly at Zach.
Uneasy, we hurried a little beyond the monkey cage and caught up with everyone in front of the reptile cages. Zach kept trying to get me to fall back into the usual scoffing and clowning around, but it just seemed juvenile. I moved closer to the reptile cage and peered in at the various species, fascinated by their smooth, jewel-like colors.