Chapter 12: The Chat
Melman found the right tree and ate the leaves from it. Luckily, it was one of the closest ones to them.Marty and Gloria fed on the dead grass around them. Julien couldn't find any fruit, so settled for the grass as well. Having no alternative, Alex reached down and teared out some grass from the dry earth. Alex looked down on the handful of grass he had grabbed and gulped. "Well, I guess it's good fiber..." he tried to be optimistic. He took a bite of the dry foliage. He coughed and sputtered but kept it in his mouth. After a long period of disdainful chewing, he finally swallowed his first portion.
"Thanks for doing this, Alex," Marty thanked his friend.
"Anything for you guys," he answered as he took a second nauseating bite. Finally he had filled his stomach with the horrible content. "This'll fill my stomach, but soon, my body's going to know I'm being malnourished."
"We'll have to figure something out, then," Marty smiled at his friend. After an afternoon of foraging the sun vanished over the horizon of the massive savanna. Without a fire, it was extremely dark. Alex and Julien could see fine, but the others were having difficulties, despite the starlight.They looked at the stars which shone extremely bright.
Alex stared up into the sky. He noticed something, "Hey. The stars get dimmer over there. I bet that's where the city is."
"It wouldn't do us any good to go there. The people put us here because they think this is where we belong," Melman analyzed.
"We're going to have to get home ourselves, then," Gloria understood the depth of the situation.
Julien cocked his head to the side, "And how are we going to do, that?"
Marty tried to keep spirits up, "That's what the penguins are finding out. They'll come back and have a huge plan to get us back home."
Alex yawned loudly, "We better get to sleep. We need to keep our guards up. We don't know what's out here. And we need to be rested in order for us to be alert."
"Your right, Al" Marty agreed, "We should all get to bed."
Julien scoffed, "...bed"
"Where should we sleep," Melman asked innocently.
"We need to stay close. If we're separated, then we can't warn each other if there's danger," Alex explained.
"Should we stay close to the cages?" Gloria questioned.
"Frankly, I don't want to give the humans any indication of where we are. I think we should stay in the area, but as far as possible from the cages," Alex clearly lost all trust for the local people.
"I guess we'll just sleep here," Marty ended the conversation. And so, after an hour or so, the group went to sleep. Marty rested his head on Alex's chest next to Julien. Alex was propped on Melman's back who rested his neck and head on Gloria. And so they slept together underneath the abundance of starlight.
Finally, the sun rose over the savanna. Everyone awoke the next morning, relatively at the same time. Marty yawned, and lifted his head from Alex's chest. He blinked, adjusting to the brightlight. He pattedJulienand stood up to stretch his legs. Julienawoke next.He didn't feel like doing much of anything, so he stayed on Alex'sfurry chest, rising and falling with his breathing. Julien and Marty looked at each other. They had a silent conversation within their gaze. They were both bored. Soon the others aokeas well.
They gathered in a circle underneath the African sun.Not having much to do, they talked about memories of the Central Park Zoo. All of them were phrased as if they would never return. The memories seemed so distant, like early childhood. Julien could only listen, having no knowledge of the zoo. After getting bored with their current discussion they decided to have a change of plans.
"I think I'm gonna get a look at this place," Marty announced, "Anyone want to join me."
"I will," Gloria said immediately.
"I'll go with you," Melman stood next to Marty.
Julien hopped from Alex's shoulder to Marty's back, "I'm bored as hell! I'm going with you."
"What about you, Al?" Marty looked at his friend.
Alex frowned, "I'm feeling a little weak. I don't think that grass is agreeing with me. I'll just rest by the Acacia tree," he informed them, "Just stay in sight, ok?"
"Will do, Alex," Marty promised as he trotted off with Julien on his back. Melman and Gloria followed.
Alex watched Marty walk off. Suddenly, the thought of steak entered his head. He shook his head violently. Suddenly, a voice came into his thoughts. It was his, 'Come on, Alex. You know you're hungry. It's right there. Just reach out and get it!'
Alex answered himself, 'Go away! Marty's my best friend, not food. And I'm stronger than you, so you can just kiss my ass!'
The voice lost none of it's charm, 'Such negative thoughts towards yourself. You have a self-esteem issue."
'Shut up!' Alex shouted back in his head. He backed against the Acacia tree and looked at Marty and the others. They were playing what looked like a game of tag in the distance.
'Get real, Alex,' the voice returned, 'You can't live off grass forever. You're already feeling weak.'
'Look, pal, I don't know who you think you are-'
'Oh, but you know who I am. I am your instincts. I'm what has been inside you your entire life. Marty just woke me up that one day. I'm going to be with you the rest of your life, and it's going to get easier and easier to control you.'
"NO!" Alex yelled out loud.
Marty heard him and looked at him from a distance, "You ok, Al!" he shouted.
"Fine!" Alex yelled back. Marty nodded and continued his game with the others.
The voice crept back in his head, 'You may think I'm an illusion, but I'm very real. Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't their. But one day some one will see me... yes... Marty will see me. He'll see me right before I make you kill him.'
'You will NEVER hurt my friends! You hear me?'
'Oh, but I already have. It may be just a bite on the rear, now, but it'll get worse, and worse. One day, your friends will abandon you, and once they try to leave they will die.'
'I'm stronger than you! With Marty's help I always will be!'
'Marty helping you? He helps me much more. He taunts you to use me by just existing. Lions eat zebras, and that's all there is to it.'
Alex stood his ground, 'No. There's much more to it. How else could a zebra and a lion become best friends? That's because your not as great as you think you are.'
'Oh, I am great. I exist in every living creature in some form or another. From the smallest amoeba to the smartest human. There's millions of me, and one of you. And when you meet another animal with me awoken inside them, I'll simply grow stronger in you. Don't you see, there's no hope.'
'Why are you doing this to me?' Alex whimpered in his head.
'Because that's my job. To keep you alive. And I can't do that when you have these silly emotions running through your head'
'I'll stay alive without you,'
The voice fought back, 'Sure that's what you say now. But one day, when all hope is lost, I will be the only part of you that still works. And you'll thank me for it.'
Alex grew angrier, 'I'll never thank you. I don't need you. I just need Marty, Melman, and Gloria.'
The voice grew angry as well, 'They can't help you much when their nothing but rotting corpses!'
Alex's eyes grew fierce, 'Go away, or I'll-'
'You'll what? You can't fight me with anger. I AM your anger.'
Alex had an idea, 'Then I have just the thing,' he started thinking of all the fun memories he and Marty shared.
'What are you doing?' the voice hissed.
Alex thought hard against the voice. He remembered the first time he and Marty had met.
'Do you think this is going to work. You stupid...'
But it was working. Slowly the voice started fading. Alex thought with all his might. Finally, the voice diminished. It was gone. But, how long would it stay away? Alex grew worried.
Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted, "ALEX!" Marty yelled, "HELP US!"