Slippers and Tom Quartz have very little trouble getting out of the tiger’s enclosure. The bars are close enough together that there’s no chance for Ebe or Ada to slip through, but they’re far enough apart for the two house cats to push out.
The zoo is done up nice enough. The enclosures have good exhibits and terrain, and the animals are from a vast variety. Slippers finds herself in awe of the different animals; she’s never seen some of them, like the giraffe’s or the murky water with strange, golden eyes peeking out at them. Slippers walks extra fast around these enclosures, unsure if she wants to know more about the strange animals within or just pretend that they aren’t there.
Tom Quartz leads the way. His steps are sure and strong and quick. They make short work of getting to the large building at the center of the zoo. Unfortunately, once they’re there, their progress comes to a screeching stop.
The doors are closed.
There aren’t any windows.
Slippers asks, “how are we supposed to get in there?”
“Stay here,” says Tom Quartz. “I’m going to check the other side of the building.”
“Be careful,” warns Slippers. Her ears flick. Her tail does, too. “We don’t know what’s going on in there.”
“I’ll be fine,” promises Tom Quartz. “I’ll be quick, too. It won’t take me but a few minutes.”
And then he’s off, scampering along the edge of the building. The backside of the large building isn’t any different than the front. The doors are closed, and there are no windows. There is, however, a large sign on the back next to the door. It says employees only in large red letters.
“This is going to be the way in,” says Tom Quartz, firmly. “If we can just – “
“Doubt it,” chirps a loud, shrill voice. A large, green bird lands on the ground next to Tom Quartz. “Doubt it. Doubt it. Can’t get in that way, that way, that way.”
Tom Quartz reels backwards, surprised by the sudden appearance of the strange looking bird. “What – who – pardon me?”
“Humans are careful, are careful, are careful,” says the bird. It clacks his beak together. “Gotta go through the tree. Through the tree! Through the tree!”
Tom Quartz looks around. There is, in fact, a large, twisting tree next to the building. Several of the branches stretch out, over top of the building. “Is there a way in up there?”
The bird laughs. It’s a shrill sound, a poor mimicry of human laughter. “Maybe! Maybe! Maybe! Just try and look for yourself, for yourself, for yourself!”
“Who are you?”
“A friend,” chirrups the bird. “A friend! A friend!”
And, in a time like this, at a place like this, who is Tom Quartz to turn down the offer of friendship?
Katelynn E Koontz – Author