CONFLICTS
He absolutely had to improve himself in devising plans, because if he found himself in a real jungle it wouldn't last even a week! Sam ran as fast as he could in the thick vegetation. Near the dwellings the flora was better cared for, whereas where he was, the plants were left to themselves and grew to their liking, forming a kind of barrier through which it was difficult to move, even more to run! He stumbled so many times that he completely lost his sense of direction. He confirmed it when he found himself again in an area of the reserve full of houses. They were all of different sizes and while some were even on trees others were partially built underground. Apparently the animals followed their instincts to the end! Those built on trees had to belong to some kind of rodent or bird, guessing! He decided to circumnavigate the inhabited area and passed through the back of two houses. To his surprise he saw that there were two large vegetable gardens, full of fruit and vegetables. He really would have liked to make a small sortie in their world to see how they lived ... because if you think of an animal that cultivates his garden, then you are a writer, since these things existed only in children's books! A noise made him distract attention from the vegetables and saw three peacocks looking at him frightened. Sam froze! He had to act cautiously, otherwise they would have sounded the alarm and found himself surrounded by predators ... who, most likely, hated those of his race for having imprisoned them and he was completely disarmed! As soon as one of their runs at home Sam did the same, running to another house, though! Tai and his brother Chao left the house just in time to see the intruder enter poor Liang's. They heard the scream of the human one behind it followed by that of the koala. The stranger ran out of a window, shattering the glass as it was closed. He ran into the dense forest, disappearing from view. This was enough. Even though he looked like a frightened rabbit, Tai launched the alarm!
Rose ran at breakneck speed towards the main square, where they would gather everyone to explain the situation. Hong and Yong seemed, as always, unaware of the gravity of the situation, while Kang and Lu-Chu were perhaps more worried than the girl was. They had just arrived in the square that a peacock cry sounded through the woods. "It's from Tai!" Kang said, starting to run again. Unfortunately the two houses were very distant from each other since they had been built in opposite areas. As he ran, Rose saw many others join them. If he hadn't been out of breath he would have explained, along the way, the whole situation but being committed to running faster than the others, he couldn't. He heard a strange noise. It seemed like a wingbeat! Sam just turned his head slightly to see a huge white owl follow him. In spite of the thick branches, that bird was perfectly able to juggle between them and remain glued to it all the time! Heng, the albino owl, had had a stroke of luck choosing the secondary road to reach Tai's home. It was the longest, true ... in fact he was still wondering why he had chosen, but if he had taken the other he would never have come across the intruder! He started bubbling to inform as many friends as possible about his position and the fact that he was chasing the intruder. If Heng believed he had the situation under control he had to change his mind when he saw the stranger enter Shen's house. The owl began to peek through a window and luckily the house seemed to be deserted. The human ran into the kitchen and Heng could only imagine why he was hungry "But how can he think of eating at a time like this!" The owl asked himself mentally. "So this project of yours should give us the opportunity to fight back adequately against human weapons?" Shu asked as he looked at the plans on the peacock's paper. "Exact! Once we have escaped we will hide in this wood! "Shen began to explain pointing to a green dot on a large map of humans. "At the foot of this mountain is full of tunnels and caverns, Rose told me, telling me about a trip he made some years ago. From there we could build a boat and these defense weapons to finally be able to leave these cursed lands! "The peacock ended the explanation by indicating his plans noted on the map.
"The second part of the plan is not bad!" The wolf said enthusiastically "Too bad the first part is missing!" Mei and Syaoran said in chorus. "It's still incomplete because it's the most delicate part!" Shen complained. Nothing, no matter how hard he tried, he would never have been able to bear anyone who criticized his work. A sound of broken shards attracted the attention of all four. They were in the secret laboratory, but the echo that characterized that secret room allowed them to hear, even if little, what was happening on the surface. "If it is Xing again I swear I will demand from you what you just broke!" Shen said as she headed for the stairs. Once I got behind a big wardrobe in the Mei living room I checked from a peephole that there was no one around and they left. Although all the animals knew of the existence of such a laboratory it was better to keep its location secret, especially in Yong and Hong, to avoid accidents with the dangerous materials that were inside it. Syaoran ran into the kitchen to surprise the one who had dared to break some of his friend's services but had just enough time to put his nose over the door of the room that a porcelain plate shattered on his head. The other three remained still, staring at the poor wolf who fell unconscious to the ground. Shu, enraged by such an affront and not by the fact that someone had harmed her friend, decided to go ahead first. He entered running into the kitchen and started a real fight with the stranger. They rolled out of the back door of the kitchen. The stranger "wore" the curtains as a garment to hide his identity. Mei heard a light knock and started looking around when she suddenly realized that she wasn't coming from the door! He ended up seeing Heng behind a window. Shu was wounded in the arm by the large knife that the stranger brandished, but did not give up moving away from him to have a moment of reflection on the next move. The sound of the window opening distracted Shen from the struggle and he was surprised to see Heng entering the window casually.
"Stand back!" The intruder's scream again drew general attention to him. The boy had taken off the beautiful curtains in which he apparently got caught, since if he had only partially removed them and the rest were entangled in his clothes. "He doesn't look like a poacher!" Mei remarked. "He's just a scared puppy!" Shu said, wounded in pride for not being able to knock him down yet. "How did he get in?" Heng asked. That moment of stalemate was interrupted by Syaoran who once recovered jumped at the boy hitting him with his back and managing to knock him down. "Let me go!" The boy squirmed like a fury and threw numerous curses at the canid who had managed to stop him. "I think many will appreciate this loot!" The wolf said he was satisfied that he had redeemed himself compared to the initial fool. "Booty?" Shen asked puzzled "You won't expect us to deliver it to humans!" Shu said as he licked his wound "If we hurt humans we would get into trouble!" they had in mind. "They don't know he's here! He could have hurt or even killed someone! Do you want to let him go unpunished? "The furious wolf asked the peacock. Shen stared at the human. He was just a boy. Probably he was lost ... but to think of it the wall that delimited the reserve was well guarded, so it was almost impossible that "by chance" he had managed to enter! They were his goal! For what he didn't know yet, but Shu was right: he had to pay! "Too fast!" A scream preceded the simultaneous crash of Genji, Dishi, Cong and Cheung that after having smashed the door slamming into each other ended up crashing against the table legs. "Shen!" Kang rushed in with his wife and those present were surprised to see that almost everyone had gathered outside the peacock's home. "What is it?" Asked the respondent. "Sam!" Rose threw herself at the intruder and hugged him happily "Fortunately, you're okay!" "Do you know him?" Churches Mei confused "Of course you are! He is my best friend! Sorry, but we split up. I hope it didn't scare you! "She replied. "No, don't worry! He just attacked us! "Syaoran replied, growling to show his disappointment.
The girl remained frozen in place and only after a few minutes turned to her friend. "What did you do?" He asked incredulously. She was so shocked she wasn't even angry. "The guards!" A scream made everyone run in different directions and although they were all in his house, Shen also thought well of a change of scenery. "We received the order to take you back to the palace immediately!" One of the guards said and the boys obeyed without a word. "Did you bring this human in?" Guo asked "He wanted to introduce us, but he got scared and left the house getting lost!" Kang replied "This doesn't justify what he did!" Syaoran protested.
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Rose and Sam had not spoken since they had returned. She felt guilty for scaring him that way and he for having betrayed the trust she had shown him by bringing him inside the reserve. They sat at either end of a big sofa and everything seemed extremely quiet. Noises broke the silence, footsteps that preceded the entrance of Derek and the boy's father. Sam was grabbed by the parent's arm and literally dragged out of the room, leaving father and daughter alone. "What have I ever done to receive a misfortune instead of a child?" Whispered Derek full of hatred. Rose could clearly see that he was shaking with rage and felt himself freeze. He didn't appreciate it, true, but he had never told her such cruel phrases. "I'm sorry!" He whispered as the first tears began to wet her cheeks. "I'm sorry? I'M SORRY?! IS THIS THAT YOU SAY AFTER YOU HAVE MADE ALMOST A KILL OF A BOY PUT IN DANGER THIS FOR WHICH I WORK FROM ALL LIFE !? "the father screamed in anger. "Enlighten me with your wisdom!" Derek continued as his eyes flashed toward his wisely bowed daughter "What punishment should I inflict on you for an unconscious and childlike action like this?" His father asked. Rose didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. The relationship with him had never mattered so much, no ... what he wanted was to be able to be forgiven by his friends! Kang was extremely fond of everyone and knew he had hurt himself by deciding to ignore his conscience and acting so irresponsibly! The rules existed for a reason! It was not allowed to bring strangers into the animal safety reserve, not to make sure everyone paid for the ticket! Too bad that Rose had come to this realization too late! "Tomorrow you will leave!" Her father pulled her out of her thoughts with shocking news. "What?" He asked in horror "You will go to New York. There is an excellent private school where you will learn English perfectly so you can work on it in the future! "Derek said. "Father! And how will you do with ... "" It's none of your business! "The parent shouted interrupting her. "I ... I can understand them!" She tried again. "I did very well without you before I came into the world and besides I don't need a brat at all." The father said angrily . "I'm the go-between! Are so many! If they decided to rebel, the animalists could tear you to pieces! "The girl insisted. Courage was born of despair. He couldn't stay without his real family! Not yet at least! Perhaps once she was old enough she could have gone to visit the world, but now she felt the need to be with her peacock brothers! Derek seemed to think about it. His daughter was a disaster in some ways, but brilliant for others! He had inherited something from him, after all! He sighed in irritation "All right! But it's the last chance I give you! At the next mistake you end up living in the United States! "He said before leaving the room still angry with his daughter. Just to come back through the door to say one last thing "The wolf does not want to be captured, so it will be up to you to make sure the wound does not cause problems!" Rose was stunned. It was the first time that his father had no control over the situation "Why don't you put it down?" He asked curiously "After what happened it is better if, apart from you, no one else enters the reserve. I will leave the guards on the wall, but for now the patrol rounds are suspended for our safety. Also try to calm the other animals that seem to have gone crazy! "Derek said before slamming the door in her face.
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Rose went into her room and saw Shen glaring at her. "Oh cristo saint!" He screamed after making a jump "How the hell did you get in?" He asked furiously that it seemed like he was having a good time. "It was Fa who got me through," Shen explained, pointing to something behind him. "What happened?" In addition to making her lose many years of life in a second Fa, she made her scream. "You made me take a shot! That's what happened! "The girl protested putting her hand on her chest and catching her breath. "Really?" The barn owl asked with an amused look. "I'll explain it to you tomorrow!" Rose replied as she returned the attention to the peacock. "It was my fault!" Said the distraught girl "At least on this we agree!" Said the peacock "If you want I will explain what happened!" She asked turned to the barn owl who lived between the outside and the castle and for this reason, perhaps, he was still unaware of the latest events. "No need, I already know everything!" The owl confessed. She looked at him in surprise. "Genji, Dishi, Cong and Cheung came into the living room through the ventilation ducts informing me that they were looking for Shen. I asked the reason and they immediately told me what had happened! "The barn owl explained. "Why did you come here?" Rose asked the peacock, "I would like to make a deal with you," he explained. "Why with me?" She asked. "Because you're the one who manages to understand us and above all ... so you can tell it to your father ! "Shen said. "He is not good and understanding! I doubt he will listen to you! "The girl said, expressing her thoughts" There is a lot of discontent! Kang says it will pass but I know it's not like that! "Shen said" Never before has one of the reserve humans attacked and this scared many! We no longer want the guards inside the walls! They already keep us locked up, we don't need to intimidate them further ". "Quiet, my father has suspended the patrols to prevent any of us being hurt. And then, if we really have to be honest, the guards very often hurt the animals in the reserve ... as soon as they have the chance at least. They are monsters, but since they do it when my father and I are not here, we have never been able to prevent it ... even though I don't think my father cares so much ... "Rose said reflecting on it. "Hurting and attacking are two different things!" Shen said. "Oh yes?" The confused girl asked "Yes, the guards know very well that they shouldn't kill us, while he, even as your friend, risked hurting Shu and Syaoran to death. There would also be poachers, but those are your enemies too, so don't count! From what they told me, there were no assaults on your part in the reserve. It was the only place deemed "safe" and now thanks to your friend no one is so convinced "he finished explaining the peacock. "All right! I'll talk to my father and I'll let you know, "said the distraught girl from what had happened, aware that it was her fault. Shen glared at her and started to leave "Wait!" He stopped her "Am I your prisoner, maybe?" Shen asked angrily. "Not at all! But I want to repay you! Whatever you wish, ask for it and I'll give it to you! "She said. "For the moment nothing comes to mind, but I'll let you know!" The peacock replied without showing much enthusiasm. "Do take her back ..." "I know the way!" Shen said before cautiously opening the door of Rose's room and leaving as soon as he saw that it was deserted outside. The girl sighed. Things had fallen hopelessly ... maybe Kang and the other peacocks would have forgiven her, but the others ... "Could you do me a favor?" Rose asked taking paper and pen "Do I do the postman?" Asked Fa understanding the fly. "Yes!" The girl confirmed as she began to write a letter probably addressed to Kang. But the owl noticed the sad look of her friend and decided not to ignore it. "Everything okay?" He asked in a warm tone "Yes!" She lied. "I don't believe you!" He didn't let go of Fa. "I have to make you forgive me for what happened!" "But ... wasn't your boyfriend hurling himself and attacking Shu, Shen, Mei, Syaoran and Heng?" The barn owl asked in confusion. "First: Sam is not my boyfriend! Second: he wouldn't have found himself in that situation if it hadn't been for me! I forced him to enter the reserve, if you hadn't done it now you wouldn't have created this mess! "Rose explained through clenched teeth. "It's true! But he was the one who reacted so violently! Although in self-defense, I'm sure he could have taken a stick and not a dangerous weapon like a knife! "Sa said Fa before taking the letter and flying out the window.
The situation had reversed. If before she was one step away from being finally accepted, now Rose found herself in an abyss! The cats had seemed extremely close to each other, indeed, all the animals in the reserve were! For this he admired them, despite the differences of the species to which they belonged were very close together, often ignoring that some had feathers and other fur!
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The situation had completely gotten out of hand! Kang and Tai looked worried! All the animals were furious! Even those who had begun to tolerate or even trust Rose now saw it as a threat! Even their children seemed to agree, unable to see beyond the fog of hatred that had imprisoned everyone! "Do we have to wait for the girl to let a poacher enter the front door before doing something?" Xu yelled furiously. "If we rebel, humans could respond with violence!" Lang Min tried to calm him, but he could not hide his fear. Not for their own or the safety of others, but for Shen who had not yet returned. It was hours that he had entered the building and no news had been leaked from Fa about where he was or what he was doing. He had shown himself to be a dear friend and the idea of losing him was very painful! He was sympathetic, although with a hard and often patient-lacking nature there had always been for her and Xing. He wanted to tell him how much he cared for him and thank him for all this because he was a fool not to do it sooner! Stop! Did she care about him? His concern was so great that a spontaneous question arose: did he love her? When had the feeling of friendship with him changed? He did it without her noticing! Yet, after a first moment of loss after such a self-disclosure, Lang Min couldn't help but smile. She loved Shen! Now he had to hope that his feelings were reciprocated because in the reserve he was full of peacocks among which the peacock could have chosen! Meanwhile the animals kept screaming at each other. Who was angry with the humans, who claimed that it was an accident (which were very few) and who tried to quell the quarrels between the two groups. A flap of wings preceded the arrival of Fa and the silence fell as soon as it was seen by all present. "I have a letter for ..." the poor owl could not finish the sentence that Lang Min asked him "How is Shen?". "Is fine! He should be here soon! "He said Fa feeling euphoric infected by the cries of joy that rose from many. "You were saying that you have a letter!" Hua said, speaking so loudly that he overwhelmed the confusion of the moment.
"Yes!" The owl confirmed, handing the Kang paper. The peacock read those few lines and smiled sadly. "It's from Rose. He humbly apologizes for what happened! He claims it is his fault that she brought his friend into the reserve! "The peacock said to everyone present. "Then it's not stupid!" Guo said to Kuen. "This changes nothing! What's done is done! "Xu protested. "I forgave her, but if her friend gets to see her around again, they'll hurry up!" Syaoran said, still wounded in pride for having been knocked out so easily. "Maybe we should give her a second chance!" Genji said. "I would say yes!" "Already! After all, it's just a girl! Everyone can make mistakes! "Ning said. "I do not know! Shen and the others risked big! "Qi complained the albino crocodile. "The next time someone makes a mistake, he could lose his life!" Xu protested. "I got an idea!" Tai said to all those present "We will set up a court to vote on what to do with the girl: forgive her or not?" He said surprising many. "But if he wins who he thinks he is guilty, we could not punish the human for what he did!" Jie pointed out the melanistic jaguar. "Be assured they will pay for it!" Shen said, emerging from a large bush "Shen!" Mei and Lang Min said contentedly that he was fine. For his part, it was a bit of a gamble to enter the castle! "When we leave we will not leave them unpunished!" The peacock firmly stated. "We could never punish them all! Whatever the final verdict! "Xu protested. "It's true! But we will put an end to the conflicts that have arisen because of this affair! There will be a vote, everyone will present their ideas and the majority that wins will decide the fate of our relationship with Rose: friend or foe! "Kang concluded. This was the best solution. In this way the animals would have remained united instead of dividing on opposite fronts! And everyone could have expressed their thoughts by tasting, at least, freedom of speech!
Here is the new chapter! I thought, for a relationship based on trust, something really significant had to happen! It takes time to trust and road accidents are a classic even if, on the other hand, such a reaction by a boy might be unexpected.
It was a last minute idea and I hope it is appreciated.
Any comments or criticisms will be welcomed as I would like to be able to write this story to the best of my ability.
See you soon,
X-98