Chapter 14
Dwayne became cautious when they arrived at his single story, white, ranch style house, when he noticed his front door stood open, remembering he had closed and locked it when he left. Holding up his hand for the others to stop he spoke, “Someone’s been in my house. I closed the door before I left.”
“Every door on the block is open. I noticed that a ways back,” Shaun said, “I thought that maybe it was you checking on your neighbors.”
After looking around, Dwayne commented, “no, it wasn’t me, seeing my family dead, that was enough for me or let alone anyone else’s.”
I doubt seriously if the one who did this is still around,” Elisabeth said, “every door is open in both directions from your house. We might as well go in so I can sing for your family.”
Dwayne looked closely at the doorjamb that had been busted by what looked like a large pry bar. The living room was untouched though the kitchen cupboards had been gone through, Elisabeth mentioned that someone must have been looking for food. They agreed with her but Shaun said he couldn’t understand why all the houses, that would be a lot of food to carry around. Dwayne told them not to worry about it, he has nothing of value any more since he lost his family. Elisabeth asked Dwayne to take her to his wife first and with much fidgeting he led her to a room, “in there” he said pointing towards the closed door.
She opened the door then walked into the room alone seeing his wife lie on the bed completely covered, kneeling she put her hand under the cover and touched her foot. She could feel under the stocking that the foot was dissolving, but she restrained herself from pulling back. She began to sing softly, bringing Dwayne into the room; her voice became raised as she sang, “Swiftly came death; a beauty now gone; though now in peace, one here is still not; for you are greatly missed; still here though he knows not why; he would come to you if he could.”
When she finished she stood, feeling Dwayne put his hand on her shoulder, “that was beautiful,’ he said.
“She said to tell you she loves you and that she would be there for you when it’s your time,” Elisabeth spoke without looking at him.
“I know I heard her,” he said.
“Really,” she looked around at him, “no one has ever heard but me before.”
“I did, can we go to my daughter’s room now,” he said with a smile.
He took her by the hand leading her hastily out of his room, down the hall to a door on the right and after opening it allowed her to enter. Upon entering her room Elisabeth saw the little girl lying on her back covers reaching to her neck with her long, black, curly hair spread out across the pillow. Her face had somewhat deteriorated, her nose and lips mostly gone, but her beauty still intact. Sitting on the corner of her bed she touched her hair as she began to sing, a tear trickled down Elisabeth’s cheek as her voice projected her sadness. “Your time was short; but your life was full; missed by your dad, still here; (a teardrop finding her the little girl’s forehead, but not hers), a kiss from your father; be joyful in your new life; be happy for you will be together in time.” When she finished she realized Dwayne was standing over her looking down on his daughter.
“Did you hear her call me PaPi, that’s what she always calls me,” he said excitingly? “Did you hear her say she loves me?” Again taking her by the hand and hurriedly leading her to his son’s room across the hall, this time following her in. His son lay in the fetal position towards the door, his head partially uncovered with a crop of hair and the tips of his ears showing. When Elisabeth got closer she saw that his ear was just dust mingled in his hair. She put her hand on the top of his head as she sang, her voice was cheerful with a touch of laughter, “Your smile was contagious; your excitement for life was infectious; hindered by youth as you cared for the caged; freedom for them was always your dream.” When she stopped she turned to Dwayne, “did you hear him?”
Dwayne was smiling as he spoke, “that’s my boy, always wanting to visit the zoo. Not to see the animals, but complain about their confinement. What do you think he meant about the urgency of going there today?”
“His voice was sad, yet not for his death and separation from you, but for the caged animals at the zoo. I get the feeling that some of the zoo animals must have survived and he wants us to free them,” Elisabeth said while heading for the door.
“They are waiting for us at the bike shop, there’s no time for going to the zoo today. Treyson wants to be at his house tonight,” Shaun said after hearing their conversation.
They both looked at him for a moment then turned away ignoring him as they discussed the location of zoo. Dwayne told her that the zoo is just a few miles away, but in the opposite direction than the bike shop. “I have to go,” Dwayne said, “for my boy, so he can have peace. Maybe this was why I was allowed to live.”
“You can’t go alone, it could be dangerous,” Shaun said. “We will go with you.”
Elisabeth clapped her hands, “good, we go as a team. I think Treyson would understand if we don’t make it to his house tonight. It is for a good cause.”
Dwayne wore a huge grin, “It’s settled we go to the zoo and I will lead the way. My boy Jeffery will be happy.”
This time he led them down the main road and on to the once busy highway, taking the quickest way he knew how to the small West Borough Zoo. The long walk brought on questions from Elisabeth and Shaun about Dwayne’s son and his love for animals. He explained to them that Jeffery hated the zoo and its confinement of the animals. They laughed when he told them of the time Jeffery took a petition around the community hoping to shut down the zoo, but couldn’t get one signature. He threw his hands up in the air when he told them of the time the zoo personnel revoked their season pass stating that Jeffery wasn’t coming to enjoy the zoo, but to cause a disturbance amongst the patronage. They walked silently for a while when Dwayne mentioned that at first he tried to discourage his son, but after a couple months of arguing with him he realized his son had a passion and he was entitled to it. “I figured one day he would grow up and become an animal conservationist. He had a deep love for animals,” he said as they walked into the empty parking area for the zoo.
“I guess when faced with a worldwide plague, the zoo is the last place you would want to visit,” Shaun said.
“Poor animals,” Elisabeth said as they walked down the cave like hallway to brown, metal double doors which were locked. Shaun pushed against them but they were solid with no give.
“I guess we will have to find another way in,” Dwayne said, “Maybe the zoo workers have their own entrance?”
“I saw a way in, but you won’t like it,” Shaun said as they followed him out and he pointed to a high fence.
“How about you climb over, then go around and open the main doors,” Elisabeth said to Shaun, “it was your idea.” She smiled.
“Ok’” he said, “but you both owe me.” He grasped his hands into the chain link fence pulling him up and using his shoes for leverage he climbed to the top. Swinging his legs over he started to climb back down the other side and just as he dropped the last six or so feet he heard the roar. They hadn’t noticed the lion that was crouched just beyond a large decorative rock and it was sprinting towards him when his feet touched the ground. No time to run, Shaun put his hands back onto the fence intending to pull himself back up, but the lion was to quick. Elisabeth and Dwayne stepped back as the large lion leapt into the air thrusting Shaun against the fence knocking the wind from him, bouncing off and landing face first like a rag doll into the thick grass. It then stood on top of him with its front paws letting out another roar, one of victory and of hunger.
Shaun stunned for a moment felt the lion’s weight upon him keeping him from catching his breath with the taste of blood and dirt in his mouth, he knew he only had a few seconds and it would be over. He could hear Dwayne and Elisabeth screaming, at him or the lion he wasn’t sure. For some reason maybe reflex, maybe the gift coming forth he reached with his hand touching
the back leg of his hungry attacker and saying, ”friend.”
Elisabeth was shaking as she watched the lion hold Shaun to the ground, its claws digging into his back and with its open mouth coming down upon Shaun’s head, she heard him mumble something and instead of biting him it licked him across the neck. She watched the lion step off and sit beside him.
Shaun laid there waiting for death, but it didn’t come instead he came to the conclusion that Treyson was right, he must have magic. The lion had responded like the others he touched at his pub forgetting for a moment its hunger, but he wasn’t for sure how long. He could hear Elisabeth sobbing and Dwayne shouting something but he couldn’t focus his mind. He lay there for a moment longer and with his breath returning to normal, his mind starting to clear, but pain was still throbbing throughout his body. “Get up” Dwayne’s words finally broke through as Shaun rolled over onto his back. He looked up at the large lion sitting beside him just as it opened its mouth wide and yawned. Spooked, Shaun sat up, grabbed the fence once again and pulled himself up, though painful, to his feet. He started to hobble towards the entrance feeling trickles of blood oozing down his back and feeling the tightness of the swollen upper lip and possible broken nose. The lion watched as Shaun walked past, then stood and followed him to the double doors. Elisabeth cringed when she saw him, “I’m sorry,” she managed to say amidst her sobs as she put her arms out to hug him.
Shaun put his hands up, “don’t I’m in too much pain. I think we need to find a first aid room for me and some food for this lion, he won’t be able forget his hunger much longer.”
Dwayne put his arm around Shaun and half carried him towards a small complex that looked to be the zoo’s main office. When they got near enough Elisabeth pointed to a sign in a window stating it was a first-aid station; it was situated between the zoo staff and security office. The door opened automatically when they got close and the lights came on as they entered the room. Dwayne helped him up on an examination table while Elisabeth opened the supply cabinet; pulling out bandages, cotton balls and peroxide. Shaun cringed with pain as Dwayne helped him remove his blood stained shirt and Elisabeth gasped as the wounds were exposed. The lion’s claws had punctured deep wounds into his lower back that was still oozing blood. Dwayne left the room mumbling something about hating the sight of blood.
“You could probably use some stitches, but bandages will have to do,” Elisabeth said as she applied peroxide soaked cotton to the injuries.
“Ouch,” Shaun said, as he flinched at her touch.
“You’re such a big baby,” Elisabeth said with a smile. She cleaned and bandaged each puncture while Shaun tried to hold back his complaints, not wanting to be called a baby again. Dwayne came back into the room with a “Whoop” carrying an arm load of packaged snacks, dropping them into a pile on a table. He walked back out and quickly returned dragging a large bin full of opened food.
He spoke with a big grin, “I found a small break area with some vending machines and the keys were hanging in one. The sandwich machine was even cold, though I wouldn’t eat the stuff, seeing it’s been in there awhile, but I was thinking the lion might, so I emptied a bunch of them in this plastic bin, thinking you might want to give them to him.“
“You did well,” Shaun said to Dwayne after sliding off the cot. He put his bloodied shirt back on and grabbed a candy bar off the pile. “Let’s take it out and see if he will eat it,” Shaun added.
Dwayne grabbed one side while Shaun the other, picking it up while heading for the door when Elisabeth spoke up. “Why is there power here? I mean there are lights and Dwayne said the vending machines were working,” she said while thinking. “How can they still have electricity?” she said, while flipping the light switch on.
“Maybe an alternate power source like solar or wind,” Shaun answered as they walked the bin through the door. Setting it on the sidewalk when they realized the lion was nowhere in sight and deciding to leave it just in case he returns. Noticing the zoos gift shop across the road Shaun smiled and made the comment he needed to find another shirt. Dwayne turned saying he was going back in to get Elisabeth but she was already standing behind them. As they all walked to the gift shop, finding the power on there also, Shaun made the comment that if Treyson was here he could charge his cellphone making Elisabeth chuckle. She explained to Dwayne that the whole trip to America Treyson had complained about not being able to see the pictures of his wife on his phone because it was dead. Shaun exchanged his bloodied shirt for a white tank top and a red zoo branded sweatshirt. Elisabeth took a large blue pouch saying she wanted to take the vending snacks that Dwayne had found because Treyson and Esther would be hungry.
“We better be heading back before Treyson starts worrying, it will already be dark before we get there,” Elisabeth said. Dwayne nodded in agreement as Shaun said, “First let’s walk through the park to see if any other animals are alive.”
The monkey cage was already open as well as the tiger cage and the only other animal they found alive was a goat at the petting zoo which they set free. After finding no other animals and fearful that there might be a tiger loose they headed through the zoo’s exit still with no sign of the lion.