Tears spilled from my eyes. I felt the dart. The poison seeping through my fur, corrupting my soul... I held Marty's hoof. The ends coming, I realise now. Fame... Fame, finally, kills it's owner... Except, fame isn't... What I've always wanted - has been here all this time. Marty... Melman... Gloria. Friends. Most people don't have the opportunity to say goodbye. Yet... I do, as Gloria strokes my greasy mane. Vitally was right, maybe my bloody mane... Handsome looks... Aren't all worth living for. My friends are, though. Sighing, my vision becomes hazy... My stomach cramp increases. Pain deepening.
I cough, sensing blood rippling down my chin.
"Just -" Marty - my best friend - begins, till I rudely interrupt. I have the opportunity. The once in a life time opportunity to say goodbye... Goodbye... Goodbye.
"Goodbye..." I whisper, my jaw dropping to a restful position, my limp form... Dead.
I stand upon my rock, Dubois chuckling to herself. I'm curious... What's she doing? She grabs the money, offering a cold smile towards the residents of New York. She's a sly puss, that one. Her cold smile makes me cringe... Yet, I-I cannot resist the temptation of a chuckle, myself, as my mind flashes towards the good times - mostly the time of when we first exited the zoo - seeing the wide open spaces - just as Marty had implied. I glance to the others - whom faces are still with a lasting fear. I smile, a warm, reassuring smile... Mainly my stage smile. Yet, their hearts are heavy with worry. Raw emotion. Frozen worry.
"It was never about la money." The witch - Dubois begins. Now... I know. I know I've caused this... This immediate lock up. I'm the only reason we've been hunted down. She'd not wanted Marty - my black and white striped friend. Neither Melman - my long necked friend. Nor, Gloria - Glo - my gentle, loving friend - mainly a hippopotamus. Opening a case, I gasp and almost stumble - head first - towards the rocky floor beneath my not-so-big rock. Yet - I stable myself upon my rock.
"Alex?" Marty begs, attempting to look over my shoulder. Once I see the threatening dart... I turn, tears threatening to fall.
"I'm... Sorry." I mouth. They stare... Confused. I close my eyes, yet, my ears detect the sounds surrounding me. I smile lovingly. But, I'm terrified. Terrified of the poison that'll, soon enough, rush through my veins... The slow, immense pain... Death. Death... My old enemy - the longing lust I'd felt when I was just a cub... A lone cub, floating in the vast seas... Lone cub.
Or the time... The time... I'd grown crazy and somewhat deranged.
'Excuse me! Your bitting my butt!' Marty'd say, once I'd became the wild one. Bitting peoples ass'. He'd soon forgave me. Yet, I was alone. Lost. Afraid. They weren't there for me... Whom can blame them? They were literally terrified.
'No I'm not." I'd gobbled, half his bum cheek shoved in my full mouth - literally. His scream still racked my brain... Yet, it's fading... Soon along with me - myself.
Finally... The last lusting, beautiful, perfect memory. Gia... Me... Afro circus... Vitally... Stefano... The little pugs - whom Marty had irritated - proving cuteness wasn't always the case - they'd been misjudged, as had I... Freedom. Me and the others could be whom we wanted. We'd found a passion. Yet, we'd lied... To escape the fuzz... It didn't mean I didn't love Afro circus... Giggling I remember so clearly - Marty's warm, excitable singing voice. We were circus animals!
'Circus stick together.' Gia's Italian accent raced back. I looked up... Hopeful to see a floating, colourfully lit circus balloon - throwing balloons to the children below... Unfortunately, there wasn't a balloon in sight. No indication of rescue.
I, now - myself - hang my head prepared for the sharp increasing pain, that'll soon pursue my body. She giggles wickedly, placing the dart into an 'Alex!' foam finger. It's funny... I'd never thought that an item that held me life, my love of others, in the palm of people... Would terrify me, so. I'm almost sick of the fright. Better focus. Better prepare. Oh! What the heck it'll hurt anyway! Taking a lasting, desired, longing breath - I exhale - knowing I cannot prepare for the immense pain... I count. Count down in memories that'll rush through my head in, mostly, any second now. 3 - ha! Bitting my BFF on the butt - yum... 2 - magical, precious... Meeting my parents. My mother - Florrie - whom strode before the rest - whom recognised me, even though I was lost in he wilderness since the ages of cub years. My father - Zuba - all I'm gonna say is he's one tough cookie, so... No messing.
1... BANG! The dart hits my chest. The poison takes my breath away, as I stumble to and thro... Making myself sickly... I cough and tumble towards the stone cold ground - head first... A groan escaping my saliva corrupted mouth - creating a froth of bubbled blood. Oh no! I rasp at the air, then stillness surrounds my cold body. Voices fade in my mind... Marty's. Melman's. Gloria's. I try to lift myself from this paralysis. I cannot. I can only lie and listen to the moaning and grunts of concerns... Then. Blackout. Complete darkness surrounds myself in pitch. I'm too scared to lift a finger. I'll die here... In this very zoo. I'll haunt my desired friends. That's something I've never... Never wished for.
"Al? I'm gonna need to borrow these for a sec pal." Someone calls far off. Yet, Al sounds... Sounds. Almost. It's Marty, now - I realise. He grabs a desired paw - causing me to groan, loudly. Digging through my fur, he rips out a single claw... Then, I feel the ripples of wiring as my hand plummets to the stone, cold floor yet again. Then - the clop of another's hooves are heard - then another - and a final thump... Warmth. Warmth, surrounds my shoulders, as I cough up more blood. The poison is around my system... There's not anyway to flush it out. I'm ruined. Tears fall as Marty rushes to me.
"Alex! Your gonna be ok pal!" He orders, automatically. I shake my shaggy head - clutching his hoof, smiling weakly.
"No..." I reject, towards my worried friends. "I-I don't... Want... To. To. Die Marty... Pal... But. Life. Doesn't. Last... Forever." Glo grabs my mane - stroking it reassuringly.
"Pal?" Marty begs. I've got a cramp that burns like hell. A heart that's beginning to die. A life that'll go by. Yet. I have the chance to say goodbye... But, I wanna remember the good times... Times that came... Never came. Snorting softly, I glance over at Melman. Back to Marty. Then to Glo - Gloria.
"Tell... Gia I love her." I plead, smiling weakly.
"Hey that sounds like a goodbye. Stop it!" Marty yells aloud. I smile - weakly - my pierced chest ricing at every longing breath - which is ragged and unstable.
"Were home... Al. We did it." Melman indicates, smiling wildly - his natural smile - loving and warm.
Dubois giggles, as she's dragged off the stage, dragging a boney finger across her neck. Yes... She's accomplished her goal... Killing her first lion. Me!
"She - she... Wants my head..." I choke - then continue. "Make... S-sure she doesn't... Get it... I don't wanna look... Hideous in that grave." I chuckle. The others join... Now it's time. Time to say goodbye. Thank you and goodbye.
"Marty, thank you... Pal for helping... Me - me find my parents... Yet again. Glo... I thank you for everything... Being there. Melman I-I -" I say closing my heavy eyes.
"Goodbye..." I whisper, my jaw dropping to a restful position, my limp form... Dead. Goodbye.