~Caged~
Bella is a zoo keeper at the largest zoo in Washington State. And when her zoo wins the bid for the new animals the tabloids have labeled The Cullen's, will the bars of his cage keep them apart?
I shuffled my feet, kicking the pebbles across the narrow foot path, my bare arms basking in the green light of dawn. We were expecting a new delivery today, a new exhibit. I look down at the desk; a wind that charged thrown the open window ruffled the black and white pages of the newspaper, the face of seven individuals staring up at me from the front page. Most of their features were obscured by the bars that trapped them, the flash of cameras glaring off the metal. The Cullen's, they were calling them, like it was a new breed, The Vampires. I didn't really need to read anymore than the headline: Interview with a Vampire. How witty.
I had been working at this zoo for only two years, but it felt a decade, sure, I was living the dream of any seven year old, but as an apprentice to a zoo keeper, I was only seventeen, and weary of the big cats, and giraffes; I always smiled, through, doing my work. But today- Oh today! This was a certainly good day!
There had been a large auction the other day for zoo animals, and boy, this was a huge auction; Zoos from across the world came together to bid for the greatest catch, to create to Greatest Show on Earth, the tourist magnet that was The Cullen's. And we had won. The largest zoo in Washington had won the Vampires.
There had been outrage about 'Human Rights',
'But they aren't human! And as they are not humans, they are animals, and under animal rights, this is not false imprisonment.'
And the arguments went on. I could hear it now, accompanied by the heavy rumble of a large van approaching.
Loud steady chanting and picket signs soon dawned on the horizon as they marched in the wake of a large, red, unmarked van. The police beat them back from the van, but the riot continued to pulse around the van.
I quickly dashed forward to open the gate just wide enough for the van, bushing my brown hair out of my eyes and tucking it under the uniform cap. My zoo uniform was bleak, a plain green cotton shirt with the zoo's logo on it, but I could get away with my sweat pants and knock-off Uggs.
The van squeezed through the gate, shaking off any protestors that had managed the claw onto the vehicle through the lines of police.
The driver tumbled out, taking his burgundy hat off his head, mopping his brow before replacing the cap.
"Tough crowd," He grumbled like a lounge singer that had not been welcomed by the figures slouched in corner chairs, beer in hand at local bars.
I remained silent as the zoo keepers carefully unlocked the back of the van. A loud beeping noise sounded as a forklift appeared to collect the large and undoubtedly heavy metal boxes inside the van.
One by one, all seven of the metal crates were unloaded and the driver was soon on his way. I quickly dashed over to the new habitat created for the creatures, eagerly waiting for them to see it for the first time, to explore it all.
No one really knew which habitat they came from, as they were found in the city, but our designers had done their best.
The ground was a dark, grey soil that stretched upward into a very small mountain, rock thing. Dead trees decorated the bleak landscape and a river that ran read had been added for effect. As for where they were sleeping, a castle was atop the hill. It was a shallow front that backed onto a wall, an arch through there lead to their actual sleeping accommodations.
The crates were lined up at the seven gates that lead into the enclosure, and oh so suddenly, the doors were snapped open, and the creatures walked out. They were so graceful in their steps across the soil and the way they tilted their heads to observe the territory. It was beautiful. Oh! But most beautiful creature was the one that was yet to appear, and I avidly waited for his appearance, and sure enough, it came.
He sauntered from the box, hands in the pockets of the black jumpsuit he wore as a kind of uniform. He was the young, adolescent cub of the pack… tribe… whatever. He sniffed he air before turning his gaze on me so fast that I jumped slightly. He opened his mouth a little, his fangs showing past his full lips. A chill ran through me and I turned on my heels and ran. I could run, but I just couldn't hide as my rounds tomorrow included lunch duty in The Vampire den, and that though just chilled me to the bone.
I got the idea while staring at a parrot at a zoo on my own. He looked like Edward. He was golden, and strong, and beautiful, and a vampire parrot. I told all the people that that was my vampire parrot boyfriend, I even let him drink me blood from the cut I made on the cage.
But he couldn't say penis.