chapter 4: Dilemma

Jake and Jack woke up early, as usual, so they wouldn't be late for school. For them, going to school was an every day challenge. Not because of the classes themselves, but simply because they were the only snakes in the entire facility. The fact that they were conjoined brothers too, only made things more difficult. The twins remembered very clear their first day and the big fight their parents had prior.

The two boys were eavesdropping on the door to their parents' bedroom, and heard their father yelling at their mother, constantly repeating how hard it would be for a pair of conjoined twins to study among other children.

- You know how cruel kids can be!- Mason shouted. He didn't even remember the last time he was this worried.- Our sons would be eaten alive there!

- I understand your worry!- Diane responded to her husband's concerns. She was trying desperately to keep her voice low, despite her own worry and anger.- But it's not like we never knew this day would come. They need this opportunity, and you know it's the right thing to do. They need to socialize, so they can learn more about the world and themselves!

- I know.- Mason lowered his voice.- I'm just...scared.

Mason did not even mean to yell at his wife, but his own fear and worry got the best of him. Growing up, he never had anyone on his side. Being a wolf, everybody was too scared to even get close to him, much less to be his friends.

Diane was well aware of her husband's feelings. As a fox herself, she had a pretty clear idea of how hard life can be in a world, dominated by humans. Humans, who feared everyone, different than them. So she took a deep breath and sat on the bed, right next to her wolf spouse. She gently and slowly patted his back, in order to comfort him.

- Look, Mason! I'm scared too, but we'll find a way!- she took his paw.- Okay? For the kids's sake!

Mason did not even need to say anything, for his wife to understand- all he did in response was to smile and nod. He trusted both Diane and her judgment, and just like her, he also wanted the best for their children.

On the first day of school, the twins were both so scared that they wrapped themselves around their father's leg, refusing to let go of him. Their mother needed to put some effort, in order to convince them how important education was. Eventually, they made it, and Jack and Jake experienced their first day.

The day, understandably, was just as hard, as the twins suspected it would be. From the very moment they entered the building, everyone's eyes were pretty much glued to the duo. The children were whispering to each other. The whispers were so quiet, that Jack and Jake could not understand what their classmates were discussing, but they were certain it was about them. In the classroom, the other kids started asking questions, which the twins deemed very inappropriate. Questions, regarding only their state as conjoined twins.

- If one head gets slapped, will the other head feel it too?

- Do both heads need to eat, or only one?

- Have you ever tried separation?

- What it's like to be a two-headed snake?

- Are both heads venomous?

The twins did their best to answer all the questions as politely as possible, but deep down, they were desperately feeling the need to answer questions of the more personal kind. Things like "What is your favorite color, Jack?", or "Who is you favorite band, Jake?", or "What do your parents do for living?". You know! Questions that made them feel more like two individual beings, rather than a "two-headed snake", as everyone liked to call them.

September 4th. 8 days until Jake and Jack's birthday.

They were just getting ready for school (or the Inferno, as Jake liked to say). Jake looked at his brother, who was checking his notebooks, and asked.

- Why didn't you say anything yesterday?

- What?

- Why didn't you support me?- Jake repeated accusingly.

- You mean, you want me to pretend that I don't want to celebrate my own birthday?- Jack replied in a rather sardonic tone.

- Come on, Jack! You know what I mean!

- Unfortunately, yes! You want to make me regret our own birth. That's why you keep finding excuses to not celebrate on the 11th.

- It's Patriot day!- Jake raised his voice a little.- 9/11.

- I know what 9/11 is.- Jack replied calmly.- But it's the day we hatched. We can't do anything about that.

- Really?- the other twin teased.- And how long can you keep this up?

- For as long as I live, if possible!- Jack's tone gave away his frustration.- I am not gonna let that stop me from being a normal kid.

- But we're not normal.

Somebody knocked on the door. Mason went to open it and check, who was there, and once he did, he saw Antonio, waiting there.

- Hey, Antonio!- Mason said happily.- What brings you here?

- Just came here to see what the mrs. has cooked last night, before I go to work.- the python answered, crawling his way inside the house.

- Do you ever think about anything other than eating?- the wolf asked rhetorically, before he changed the subject.- Actually, speaking of work. How does it go with the interviews?

- Yer not gonna believe that, but I found a neat position in a sweet shop.

- Really?

- Yeah! I sell sweets to the customers, and at the end of the day, whatever of the pastries had not been sold during the shift, it goes to me.

Mason smiled. The position sounded easy enough for Antonio to handle, and he also knew how much his snake friend loved to chew on desserts.

- Sounds like the dream job for you.- the wolf said.

A third voice joined the party.

- Good morning, handsome!- Diane entered the room.

- Hi, Diane!- Antonio greeted her.- And thanks!- he joked.

- Dream on, sucker!- the vixen replied with a smirk.- I was talking to my husband.- she and Mason kissed on the lips.- So, what brings you here so early, Antonio?

- Just checking if you guys have some leftovers I can take.

Diane directed him to the fridge. The snake opened it and saw a glass bread pan with some rice and chicken left in it. He took the pan and swallowed all of its content.

- Thanks to him, we never have to throw food in the garbage.- Diane said to Mason, who chuckled in response.- Anyway, where are the kids? I'll be driving them to school today.

- I haven't seen them all morning.- Mason informed her.- They're probably in their room.

Diane went to the twins' bedroom and told them to get in her car. Though hesitantly, they obeyed their mother. Their father gave them sandwiches in paper bags.

While driving to work, Mason took Antonio with him, as the sweet shop was not far away from the wolf's own place of work. During the ride, Antonio was watching videos on his phone to pass the time. One in particular, caught his attention. The interview between Estrela Skimmer and Forrest Arsensky. After what happened yesterday on the news, this one was going to be quite the spectacle.

Forrest was sitting on a black chair, with dr. Skimmer herself, sitting right against him. Dr. Estrela Skimmer was a human woman in her 50's or her 60's, dressed in a labcoat, with a pale skin and short blonde hair, stylised in a lengthy mohawk. She had a a metallic pegleg, which could not be hidden, as her labcoat was not long enough to cover her legs. However, that was probably intentional.

- So that's dr. Skimmer?- Antonio asked, rather surprised.- She looks like a pirate to me.

- Antonio.- Mason said sternly, reminding his friend to not be so rude.

- Just saying!- the snake quickly defended himself.

The interview had already began, and Estrela did not even try to be friendly with Forrest. After the monkey introduced himself, he asked her what did she think about yesterday's reportages about all those attacks on animals. Her reply, however, was anything but a display of sympathy.

- Well, I say that those were all nothing but safety measures.- she claimed.

Forrest frowned, but he tried to remain professional, anyway. He asked her another question to get a better understanding.

- Could you, please, explain your concerns, dr. Skimmer?

- Don't mind if I do, you banana breath! What we've all witnessed yesterday, was merely just a fraction of humans' survival instinct. Nothing more than creatures, trying to protect themselves from those animals. You see, humans don't have sharp teeth, venom, claws or anything else. All we have is our will to fight. And that was exactly what happened there.

Not even five minutes, and Forrest was already annoyed. That must be a talent! He did not need to know more about that woman, to be certain about the kind of character she was. However, they were on air currently, so he had to do whatever he could to remain calm.

- And- the monkey replied.- you don't believe that those animals weren't just defending themselves too? What about that gharial? What did she do wrong to deserve to be mangled like that?

- Pfft! Come on! It's not like crocodiles like her don't attack humans every day.

- She's a gharial, doctor!- he angrily corrected her.- There's a huge difference! And what about that wolf in Europe?

- Let me tell you this..."doctor"!- from the way Estrela said the word "doctor", it did not sound as if she was sincere and actually believed that the primate, in front of her, was an actual scientist.- There is a reason why the wolf is the villain of every story. For years these beings have been tormenting humanity, not just by spreading diseases, but also by overhunting- trespassing and killing our livestock. The livestock, thanks to which we have meat and dairy in the fridges!

- It's only because humans are the ones overhunting!- Forrest slightly raised his voice.- Speaking of wolves, actually- today's episode is going to be about wolves, because they are among the most misunderstood creatures on this planet.

Forrest took out a remote control and pushed the button. The big screen behind them got turned on and a photograph of a regular grey wolf appeared.

- Dear viewers, let me tell you what prejudice can do to a person!- the monkey zoologist began. He pushed the button and the slide shifted to the next one.- Dr. Skimmer, do you happen to know what a trophic cascade is?

- What?- Estrela was very confused, much to Forrest's amusement.

- Back in the 1920's- Forrest explained.- in the Yellowstone national park, the entire population of gray wolves was exterminated by the predator control programmes.- "Heartless dullards!", Forrest thought.- The reason for this was exactly what we discussed just now- to protect the livestock from predators. I suppose this sounds like a dream come true for you, dr. Skimmer.

- Your point?

- My point is that I am about to rain on your parade! This act alone was the cause for the decrease of the park's populations of bears, beavers and other animals. The reason for this was, that due to the lack of wolves to control the population of elk, the deer ended up over-consuming most of the park's vegetation. - the slide shifted to the next, which was showing some terrifying data.- It was not until 70 years later, when wolves were reintroduced to the park, turning everything back to how it was before that display of complete idiocy.

- Dr. Arsensky!- Estrela was unimpressed, despite all the data, shown to her.- I still do not understand what is the mission of this whole presentation.

- The mission, dr. Skimmer, is only to show an example of why speciesism is so harmful to not just one's perception, but also the environment. And that's just the beginning!

- Nonsense!- Estrela yelled.- And you know why? Because it doesn't matter what we do, in the end, animals always become our enemies. This is exactly why I am here to talk about- the Epidemic.

- Epidemic of what?- Forrest asked confused.

- Epidemic of animal criminality. Remember serial robbers like the Bad guys five? Or even the Crimson paw, who was revealed to be professor Rupert Marmalade. The guinea pig, whom made us all believe he means us no harm.

- Rupert Marmalade was arrested 15 years ago, and so were the Bad guys. While the Bad guys have been released from prison a year later, due to their sentence being shortened, Marmalade remains incarcerated to this day.

This statement intrigued Antonio. It made him feel somewhat satisfied that this two-faced rodent was still paying the price for everything he had done.

- Besides- Forrest continued.- didn't you see what the chief of the police, Misty Luggins, had said during your interview with her?

- No need to comment on that.- Estrela was holding the piece of paper, close to her, keeping it away from the monkey's grasp.

Forrest, however, was very insistent on getting his hands on the proof. After a little struggle, he managed to grab Estrela's documents and, in front of the entire audience, read aloud what was written.

- During the interview with dr. Skimmer, chief Luggins said, I quote: "The Bad guys. The Crimson paw. Max and Moritz. All criminals are the same to me. Species doesn't matter. The only thing I care is that they are all guilty, guilty, guilty! Okay, old woman?" End of quote!- the last one made Forrest chuckle.

- This doesn't prove, nor change anything!- Estrela angrily stood up.- Don't forget the thousands more cases of animal attacks- pickpocket monkeys, man-eating crocodiles and lions, feral dogs, crazy bulls, and so on.

- Fine by me!- Forrest replied in a rather calm and professional manner, slouching in his chair, with his fingertips pressed together. He knew that irritating woman was no match for him.- Game on!

The episode ended with the zoologist and the anthropologist staring menacingly at each other.

Antonio was left speechless by this performance.

- What?!- the snake still could not believe what he just heard.- "Epidemic of animal criminality"?! Somebody call the custodian, because that was a whole bunch of bullshit!

- Tony!- Mason tried to calm his friend down.

The arguement scene is inspired by a similar scene in the novel (and by extension, the live-action film, based on it) Wonder.