Another reason why they're short, besides to build suspense, is so I can upload a bunch at once.

Chapter 2: No way out

Mort stared in a mixture of shock and relief at the strange lemur. It looked like him, yet somehow it didn't. It was the stranger's eyes that gave it away. Even from the distance of the enclosure wall, Mort could see that those eyes were different from his own. Not in color or size, but in the expression. The expression in those eyes reminded him of the eyes of someone else that he knew. But at the moment he couldn't quite remember who.

That wasn't really important to him right now anyway. What was important was the fact that he wasn't alone like he had feared. He jumped down and raced toward the other lemur in joy. But as he reached the stranger, he was suddenly slapped in the face.

Mort's happiness turned to hurt surprise. He hadn't done anything wrong. So why had he been slapped just now? The stranger looked at him sternly and coldly.

"W-why did you hit me? Do you not like the huggies?"

The mouse lemur's eyes narrowed in disdain. But he didn't respond.

"Uh...why do you say nothing? Did I make you that angry? I'm sorry," Mort apologized as his eyes started to fill with tears.

The stranger sighed in exasperation as he shook his head. He gestured with one hand for Mort to follow, before leaving the habitat. The little lemur dried his eyes and hurried after the mysterious figure. As he caught up to him, he started to talk for the first time.

"You saw it, right? The wall of fog around the zoo?"

Mort nodded, not daring to speak. He realized that the stranger not only looked like him, but his voice sounded like his as well. Only their patterns of speech were different. After a pause the stranger continued.

"You tried to get through it, didn't you? And ended up right back here?"

Again Mort nodded yes.

"Thought so. Look, you're going to learn some strange things while you're here."

Mort interrupted.

"Excuse me, but...how long will I be here and when am I going home?"

The other lemur glared at the interruption.

"How long? That's unknown. When are you going home? Open those big eyes man! You already tried to leave. Did you figure it out? There's no way to get through the fog; no way out of this zoo. You're trapped here."

"Trapped! For how long?"

"Unknown. You might never leave."

-

I'd do the "dun dun DUN" thing, but, meh. Review please.