Alternate timeline following the events of the first season of Beastars:
The Tiger and the Goat.
Chapter 1
A slow breeze is blowing through the limbs of the nearby small forest. Several rows of Cherry trees form almost a dense atmosphere of paths for the wind to dart and flow through. It is a soothing sound as it moves the leaves of the colorful statues. They seem like they are dancing with the light that is more of an amber color now. The setting sun is being filtered as it reaches for the ground. There is movement and life but very few animals to disturb this beautiful dance. It is early spring and there is much hope for the coming months.
In the clearing of these trees sits a small bench. It seems that it was placed in this beautiful spot a long time ago. It has some weathering from not only time, but also many weary creatures taking refuge on its sturdy bows. It is a monument to nothing for many of its days, but not today. Sitting on this bench is the large Bengal Tiger named Bill. His elbows are dug into his large thighs with his face in his palms. He is not speaking nor moving. He is just existing in this space. His mind has wandered out of its confinements and is lost to the wind. With the sun beginning to fade to darkness, he knows that there won't be anyone coming around to bother him. The approaching darkness is very dangerous for herbivores. It brings fear. As for the carnivores, they are more comfortable in the darkness, but they need more attention from other animals. They tend to seek out the herbivores that seek refuge. It is a strange cycle, but one that gives him comfort that he will be alone. After an unmeasurable amount of time in his head, the silent dance is broken suddenly.
ZZZT ZZZT. His cell phone is on vibrate and it almost startles him out of his trance. ZZZT ZZZT. He fumbles to find the source of this intrusion and finds this device in his shirt pocket. He looks down to read the screen and is broken from his calm as a result. It is his current love interest Sheila the Lioness. She is a powerful girl, in strength and personality. Apparently, Bill has missed a date that was supposed to have started an hour ago and Sheila is trying to figure out what is going on. Bill knows that the texts won't stop unless he answers, but he doesn't feel the need to do so. He puts the phone back in his pocket and looks around to make sure that she isn't watching him. After a moment or two, he tries to get back to the silence that he was experiencing before. Before he can, a small animal approaches.
Els the Angora Goat quietly walks up to a space near the large feline and in a small voice asks, "Are you ok Bill?" The very large tiger almost jumps off of the bench. He thought that he would be alone in this spot, but in the last few minutes his expectations have been crushed. "Oh, Hi Els. What are you doing out here? It is getting late." "I know, but you looked like you needed something." She said in a timid voice. "Thanks, but it's some stuff that you wouldn't understand. I just needed some time to myself." Els looks up into the large carnivore's eyes and responds, "I understand that. I will leave you alone. Sorry for disturbing you." "No, no, no, its ok. I just, well, anyway would you like to sit down?" "If that's ok." The small goat responds softly. A little smile reveals itself on the girl's face. The two sit on the ends of the bench. It is a strange sight to see such a large creature sit close to such a small one. Els legs barely touch the ground while Bill is almost leaning over the entire end of the bench. "Do you want to talk about anything Bill?" The goat asks. She pushes her dress down to make sure the seams are in a proper place. "Why are you being so kind to me? Why have you been so kind to me?" His face is a little puzzled but not malicious. There is a genuine curiosity to his words. "I'm worried about you. After everything that has gone on in the past few months, everyone is on edge. You especially and I just wanted to help if I could." Bill thinks to himself that he doesn't deserve her attention. She is too sweet and things could get messy if he says the wrong thing. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm Bill. I am the Tiger that will become the face of this school. There is nothing that I can't handle." Els just stares at his proud face for a moment. His posture has changed to the alpha carnivore look that so many of the students like to portray. She knows it is just a show. "Ok Bill, I won't pry, but if you ever do need someone to talk to, just let me know. I am good at just listening." She slides down the bench and starts to make her way to the dorms before the light disappears from the sky. Bill just gives a genuine reply beneath his breath. "Thanks." Els fades into the distance walking away from the tiger.
ZZZT ZZZT. ZZZT ZZZT. He has no choice now but to answer. He types into his phone that he isn't feeling well and that he will talk to her tomorrow. In a matter of seconds, the lioness responds with a "fine". Bill thinks to himself that he has just made another female mad at him. This is just another in a long string of disappointing interactions with the opposite sex. The brief thought crosses his mind of "Why do I bother?" The large beast takes his claws and runs them down the length of the bench ruining the gently worn surface. The gouges are deep and rough. He looks at the carnage that he has caused this simple object and then looks at his claws. No real thoughts cross his mind, he just zones out again staring at the bench.
The next morning, Bill walks confidently down the corridor that leads to the Acting Club's space. Building #3 is all a bustle with activity. Animals are moving in all directions getting different tasks done. The festival is over and the animals are returning things to normal. There is a sound of commotion and whispers flowing all around the space. Bill doesn't seem to care and proudly walks up to one of the offices where he will be reading some textbooks for his next class. Before he can open the door, a large hand grabs his shoulder and spins him around.
Sheila the lioness stands before Bill in a very aggressive way. She is just inches away from his face yelling at the large carnivore about the missed date from the night before. "What is wrong with you? You stand me up twice in one week and have nothing to say for it? You say you are sick and yet here you are just prancing around. You sleep with me and just cast me aside?" The lioness begins to cry in front of all the other animals. The small herbivores are trying to look away but the commotion is quite intriguing and a bit scary. At any moment they might be caught up in something violent. "Look it's not like that. I have had a lot of things on my mind lately. I didn't mean to leave you hanging, I just got caught up." Bill tries to not only be comforting to the girl, but also do it in a voice that shows that he is an alpha male. In his head he thinks more of what everyone else might be thinking than what is happening in front of him. He pans around the room trying not to be obvious that he is embarrassed by this situation and locks eyes with Els the poor girl who was trying to look down in the corner. She tried to get away from the scene but was caught mid motion. As soon as Bill locks eyes with Els, Sheila turns and follows his gaze. "HER!" "Is that where you were last night?" Sheila's voice is now much louder and shriller. "You ditch me for HER?"
Bill instantly locks up. He wants to deflect the situation to save some face, but he hesitates. Els in the meantime looks to Bill to defend himself and her in turn. Els responds with a light "Bill?" No answer from the tiger. Sheila then turns back to Bill to demand a response. "Well?" Bill thinking instinctually reaches down and grabs her tail and pulls her into his grasp and kisses her violently with his hand on the back of her face. She slaps and pushes away from his grip and feels disgusted. "Hey baby, its nothing like that. I needed a break and she is just a goat. I just talked to the little herbivore to make her feel better." Els face drops into a moment of sadness. She can't believe that he would say such things. Bill mutters where everyone can hear it to Sheila, "Meet me later and Ill put a few more scratches on your bed post." Sheila just slaps the beast and storms off making sure she comes uncomfortably close to Els as she passes. Els just cowers with her head down terrified as Sheila makes it out of the room. The small goat was so terrified of the lion that she could feel her knees tremble. The entire room is a vacuum now. All of the animals are stunned and immobilized. All but Els. Els bolts out the side door of the building crying. Bill sees this and begins to go after her but seeing the other animals faces just turns to retreat into the office space.
Outside, Els has ran all the way to the bench that was on the outskirts of school where they shared their conversation. She buries her face in the bench and sobs uncontrollably. When she lifts her head, she can see the large scratches that were not there last night. She drags her fingers along them while trying to clear her eyes. The gouges are so rough that she cuts her finger on the splinters. She recoils her hand and squeezes her hand in pain. She just watches as blood runs down her hand and drips on the bench. It almost soaks into the bare scratches. Her heart is breaking, and she doesn't know where to turn so she just sits down and cries until her face hurts. No one saw where she went, so no one came to console her. What feels like hours pass and there is no resolution.
While Els is dealing with the betrayal in her way, Bill is sitting in the office dealing with the situation in his manner. He tells himself over and over in his mind that he has to be tough. He has to be the alpha at all costs. "I am expected to be with lots of girls. I need to fool around and play the field. I need to be the most popular of the carnivores or I won't get to where I need to be." His mantra in his head does little to slow his ache. He has really hurt someone. Well, several people. "That is the cost. I will look back and it will be worth it." He convinces himself for a moment and tries to go back to his studies. "I have to deal with Sheila at some point, but not right now." He puts his head back down and reads through his textbook.
Chapter 2
Later in the day there is a gathering of the different animal cliques in the cafeteria. It is a bustling place with many animals moving in every direction. Groups are chatting about class, some are cramming food in their faces because they are late, and other are just relaxing in the middle of their busy school lives. Bill, never seeming to be undecided, marches straight for the popular table. Several animals are just chatting around sitting in the most visible spot in the cafeteria. "There he is! The love tiger!" The diminutive but loud mongoose sitting at the table calls out. Several of the other popular animals all give a call out to the approaching beast. With a smile on his face, Bill sits down and begins to almost inhale his food. Tenchi the small horse bellows out to Bill. "So how was she?" He said so loud that all of the other tables in the area could hear. "What?" Bill asks. "How was it with the lion chick? I heard you were hitting that pretty hard." Bill responds with "You're an ass." "Nope, that's my cousin." The horse retorts. The table is alive with gossip and jokes. "No really, she looks very strong. Did she put up a good fight?" Tenchi is really good at pulling out the worst in Bill. "Look man, I'm a tiger. I can handle a chick like that. Give her a few claws to the neck and she calms down a bit. They purr like a kitten when you get them in line." Bill felt his boasting going too far, but the table was eating it up. Every word that came from his conquest fed the hungry ears of the table. "Look man, I've got things to do. I'm going to leave the scraps for you scavengers. I have prey to look after." Bill just leaves his tray on the table and walks away. His ego was fed and he felt a shallow calming of his nerves. It always feels good to be the alpha at the alpha table he thought.
Across the cafeteria in section dominated by small herbivores sits Els. She is a popular girl due to her kindness for others, but at the moment she is sitting alone. Conversations in this area of the cafeteria are much more subdued. Voices are quiet and polite, and the topics are much more socially acceptable. Els pushes around some of her food, but she is not very hungry. She is still recovering from her embarrassment from earlier. In her head she thinks about what she could have done to make things different. But more importantly, she thinks of what Bill should have done to stop the impending punishment. Under her voice she thinks, "He is just under a lot of pressure. He is trying to keep a reputation of an alpha and that must be difficult." She continues to just stare at her food. "He really is a good guy underneath." "I don't think so." A small alpaca named Rose spoke up. She is a very pleasant looking creature. Slender, light and very refreshing from all of the muscular carnivores around Acting Club all day. Els is surprised by this and realizes that she said all of that stuff out loud. "Um, hi Rose. How is your day going?" "Don't worry about me, what did that jerk do to you? I heard it from some of my friends in the acting crew that Bill threw you under the bus." "It wasn't like that." Els calmly says even though she knows she is lying. "He is an asshole. A LARGE asshole. And you know what that means." Rose snickers a little. "What?" Els buys into the statement. "Full of shit." The alpaca has a way of cheering up Els. They both share a laugh for a few moments before Els falls back into the realization of the situation. "Hey, let's go somewhere this weekend. Let's take a train and just go." Rose suggests. "I don't know. I need to work somethings out this week. I'll see if I have the money." "Nope. This one is on me. I want to spend some time with my favorite lady goat." Rose is always kind to Els. "I will think about it ok?" Els is still a bit weary from everything lately. "Your call." Rose stands up and heads towards a few other friends. "I'm going to go eavesdrop on a few other people now." Els smiles a little and goes back to poking at her food.
Now the time quickly approaches that Bill is dreading. All of his classes are done and he will most definitely run into Sheila at some point. I have to play it cool, he thinks to himself. She is one of the hottest girls at this schools and if I can just keep her around for a little while it will look like I am in control of the situation. Bill has become a professional at talking himself into dumb scenarios. Bill decides to walk down to the park area near the school and text Sheila. "Hey beautiful, you ready for me to make things up to you?" He sends in a broken text to the lioness. He waits for minutes with no answer. "Let's go down to the city. My buddies can cover for me at the dorm." No answer. "Don't be like that. Let me fix things." His texts are sent in rapid succession with no responses. Bill is getting quite frustrated at this point and he lets his fake alpha mind take over. "I bet that slender Jaguar Yuna would like to go." Bill instantly thinks I shouldn't have said that. Too late. ZZZZT ZZZT. "Go fuck yourself." Crap. Bill now realizes that a little bit more finesse should be displayed in such matters. Maybe I just need to take a break from this stuff for a while. He half-heartedly thinks to himself. I just need to get out of the school for a while. I need to clear my head. I bet I could convince one of the carnivores to go with me to the Black Market. I could use a pick me up.
Time passes as it always does for a student. Classes take up chunks of the day and at night little social gatherings and events keep the mind occupied. Tests, studying, clubs, and chores all do their parts. It has a way of numbing awkward situations.
Els has pushed past all of the drama during the week and has managed to avoid Bill at club meetings. She has worked extra hard on her studies and she feels like she could use a little break. "I even got a little money from my parents for doing so well in my classes." She explains to Rose after one of her classes. "I would like to go with you to town tomorrow." "Now you're talkin." Rose exclaims. "We will meet in front of the dorm tomorrow morning and head to the train station." Els agrees and starts to think about all of the fun that she might have on her trip. This could really be good for her mood.
Chapter 3
The next day arrives with a renewed spirt of adventure. Els and Rose set off on their train ride. "Where are we going?" Els questions her friend. "Somewhere I used to hang out when I was a kid." Rose gives a cryptic answer but an exciting one. I will just let things happen. Els tells herself that while she runs with her friend through the turnstiles to get to the train. They run down the long stairs to the subway and dive on the train as the doors are closing just missing Rose's tail as it shuts. They share a giggle as their hearts race from the run. "Trust me." Rose whispers to her friend. Els has no problem putting her trust in Rose.
That same morning outside the male carnivore dorm Bill is trying to convince a few of the carnivores to go with him to the Black Market. "Come on guys, let's just go get a bite. It has been a long week and I need a break." Bill tries to coerce his buddies. "I'm busy with track, sorry man." Jackson the Cheetah who is a star on the track team is definitely not going to the Black Market. "You know I can get kicked off the team for that." "Who cares, let's live a little." Bill grabs him around the shoulder and tries to change his mind. "Too important." Jackson lifts Bills large hand off of his shoulder and turns towards the dorm. "What about you Yoshi?" Bill asks his friend the Lynx. "I know you love the Market." "Can't today man, I have a date with…a girl." "A girl? You aren't too proud to say her name, you must be embarrassed. Is it a herbie?" (A negative slang for a herbivore girl) Bill asks. "Im busy Bill. Go have fun, I have other things to do." Yoshi pulls out his phone and pretends to be reading text messages. "Sorry got to go, duty calls." The lynx quickly runs back into the dorms. "Fine, solo it is." Bill is too stubborn to get the idea out of his head. Bill retreats to his dorm room and collects all of the money that he can find. He puts on a nice shirt and jeans and heads out on his own adventure.
The train with Rose and Els makes several stops on the way and ends up far out in the country. This region is undeveloped very sparse. There are lots of grassy plains and just a few trees. It is very beautiful to the two herbivores. It is definitely a pleasant change of pace to the school in the city. Els is a quiet animal that has spent her whole life in rural areas like this, but this is a new world for her. "This is where I grew up." Rose begins telling Els all about her family and the area she is from. "We are a proud alpaca family. Ten generations of my family have lived out here. See, look over that hill. That is my grandmother's house." Rose is very excited to tell Els about her history and she is the perfect guide for this trip. "Come with me, I want to show you something special." Els lets the gentle breeze flow through her fur and starts to let herself forget the troubles that permeated her life back at school. Rose leads her down to a small pond at the bottom of a hill. The walk is not far and quite pleasant. "I would come down here with my family and the other alpaca family that lived in the area." She continued her story book history of the locale. "I remember coming out here in the summer and going skinny dipping with the young alpaca boy from the other family." Els and Rose both blushed a little. "It was exhilarating." Rose told Els how her heart was all a flutter in those days. "I was so young and carefree. We did everything together in the summers after school." Rose lead her down to the water. "Let's jump in." "What?" Els didn't plan on a water trip. "I have no swimsuit." "Yeah, me neither." Rose pushed Els into the pond with all of her clothing on. "Bombs away." Rose followed quickly behind. Exhilarating is an understatement in Els mind. The water is cold and dark and a little scary, but at the same time, Els reminded herself to just let go. Trading a series of splashes at each other, the two adventurers committed themselves to a little excitement.
Meanwhile, Bill on his journey of the alpha carnivore has led him to the train station outside of the Black Market. He is a little angry that none of his friends have made the trek with him, but he is determined to enjoy himself. "I'll just treat myself. I deserve it. I have worked hard this week and I deserve it." Bill repeats these thoughts to himself as he walks around the shady area. The market is open, but in the daytime it is a bit different. It feels like going to a bar in the middle of the day. They still serve the things that you want, but it feels less normal to be there. "I won't be deterred. I'm going to have fun." Bill takes a casual stroll through the market in a "just looking" mode. Vendors push their wares in his face trying to entice him to buy. "Look here sir, beautiful pork loin." "Fresh fish, fresh Venison." "Warm moose blood, the purest breeds." All of the cackling sort of blends together as he walks. He is a large carnivore and he demands attention in this place. This attention feeds his ego again and he continues to walk a little bit prouder at this. "Sir, sir, I know what you want." A voice rings out from a vendor that is sitting in a covered booth. He is so much in shade that it is difficult to see his species. "What's that?" Bill is a little intrigued and walks closer. When he steps up to the rack that contains the products, he sees lots of small rodents and mammals. "No, no, not that stuff. That is for the scavengers and the first timers. You are not a first timer." Bill says, "Of course I'm not. What do you have that is fitting for a tiger?" "Ah, now you're talking." The vendor plays off of Bill's confidence. "Come with me and be discrete." Bill is intrigued now. The vendor leads Bill down an ally that is directly behind the tent. The smell of flesh is extremely strong, but Bill isn't experienced enough to know all of the scents. The vendor, which Bill can now make out as a coyote, has led him to a large door. Bill follows closely. The old coyote bangs on the door and a tiny slit opens up. A pair of eyes stares at the vendor and Bill. The eye slit closes and a loud clicking sound comes from inside of the door. The solid metal door opens slowly but the interior is very difficult to make out. "What is going on?" Bill is a little bit uneasy at this point. The vendor turns and explains. "Look, we keep only the freshest meat here. It is very cold and very secure. We can't let just any carnivores back here. This is the quality merchandise that is fitting for a tiger such as you." Bill gives a nod and steps forward. "Excellent. You won't be sorry Mr. Tiger." The two animals disappear behind the large door and the lock can be heard sliding shut again.
It's getting a little later in the day now at the pond. Els and Rose have had a great time swimming and reminiscing. Rose has told more stories of her childhood and of her favorite places. Els and listened and enjoyed the company. Her troubles are far behind her. "I think I'm getting tired Rose." "Yeah, me too. Let's get a move on. I have some more fun stuff planned." Els slowly climbs out of the pond and suddenly remembers that she had her cell phone in her pocket. "Oh crap. My phone is ruined." "Nah, it's ok. I know how to fix it." Rose has not only been the perfect host, but also the smartest. "Give it to me and I will put it in some dry rice back at the farm. That will fix it." "That's a relief." Els explains that most of her friends and family are out on vacation and that without that phone, she would be lost. "You will never be lost with me here. This is MY territory. I know everything out here." Rose leads the weary goat back to a silo near her grandmother's house. Els grew up in the country, but not really near farms. The silo was retro fitted with a large balcony and several rooms at the top of the structure. "This is my old hideout." Rose is very fascinating to Els now. She has been completely kind to her and she feels like she is taking advantage of her kindness. "Rose, I wanted to ask you something." "Yeah, what's up?" "Why are you being so nice to me?" "What? Should I not be?" Rose retorts quickly, but not in an aggressive manner. "No, it's not that, it's that you are taking great care of me and sharing your whole history with me just to make me feel better about a boy?" Rose cringes just a little. "I never mentioned that tiger. I wanted to have a good time with you myself. Can't I have that?" "I'm sorry Rose. I didn't mean to call your intentions into question, I just wanted to understand why I deserve your kindness." "Now that, I can answer. Since I met you early in high school, I have been intrigued with you. You are so kind and gentle and you treat people with undeserved kindness. Like that tiger." Rose who has been sitting a few feet away from Els on a nice soft cot in the silo now slides a little closer so she can speak softer. "We are friends right?" "Of course." Els responds while slightly embarrassed. She feels a little bit warmer now. "Do you trust me?" Rose speaks a little softer now. Els is a little more than embarrassed at this point but responds with a light, "Yes." "Good." Rose puts her hand on Els leg and whispers "Check this shit out." Rose reaches behind the cot and pulls out a carnivore sized bottle of alcohol. Els is relieved since Rose was getting a little bit too close for comfort. "I don't know about that. I'm not good with alcohol." Els is a little scared of that possibility. "Don't worry, we are safe here and I promise it will be fun." In her mind, Els reminds herself that she is on a fun trip with a friend and should try to forget the troubles of school. "I can do this." She whispers under her breath.
Rose pops open the bottle of strong smelling booze and finds a couple of glasses that were under a cabinet. A little dusty, but useable. Rose pours each of them a full cup and raises her glass for the shy goat. "To leaving troubles behind." Rose toasts. "And to trusting in people again." Els smiles and clinks the cups together. The day starts to wind down with Els smiling and speaking very little while Rose tells stories of the alpaca boy that she spent her childhood with and how she used to drag him up to this silo and kiss like innocent little kids. It took Els mind off of the drama of school if only for a little while.
Back at the market, Bill has gone for what feels like minutes walking down this corridor. It is getting colder and colder and darker. He can only make out one person at the door and maybe one other person standing on the side of the hall that might be a large bear. The vendor continues to lead him around a corner. "Mr. Tiger, this is what you are here for." When Bill turns the corner, he sees a jail cell. It is dark and only lit by a candle in the corner. The vendor pushes him forward and points him to the corner. In the cell balled up in some straw is a creature. It is not dead. "What is this?" Bill is taken back at the offer of a live creature. "What is going on here!?" "Pitiful carnivores walk into this market and buy scraps of dead animals. Their senses are dulled and they just get a taste of old flesh. They hide their instincts. They know that the best part of the meal is the hunt. It makes the flesh taste ten times better." Bill is standing in disbelief. He doesn't know what to do. He has bitten the tip of a finger before, but this is a whole animal. A live creature. "Look Mr. Tiger, this isn't cheap. We sell creatures like this often. I have exclusive clients that frequent my shop. They demand quality and I give them that. If you are ready to actually taste the real thing, then pony up the money." Above the cell a sign reads 500,000 Yen. "What do I get for that much money?" "Good question. You give the money and I give you the key. We will walk back to the door and you are free to create your hunt as you see fit." Bill is trying to still seem tough, but this is disgusting him. He thinks to himself that he has to find a way out of this without causing a ruckus with the vendor or the thugs. "Let me see what type of creature it is." "Yes of course. You need to know what type of hunt it will be. Trust me… She is fast. The vendor walks up to the cage and lifts a lantern that he was carrying. Bill moves in closer and can make out faint shapes. The creature is a small female goat. His heart jumps a beat in the sheer terror that she looks like Els. Bill almost wretches in his throat but he catches himself before the vendor notices. Thinking on his feet, Bill comes up with an excuse. "She looks too thin. Too stringy. Not what I was looking for." Bill being Bill, he oversells it too much. The vendor's face changes from the smile of a possible sale to the frustration of his time being wasted. "Look Mr. Tiger, I assure you, she is quality. Goat meat is one of my favorites. It is a very lean meat. Do we have a deal or not?" Bill doubles down and tells the vendor, "It's not what I wanted." At this point a small door opens up behind Bill in the corner of the room that is pitch dark. "Mr. Tiger, there are rules here. You have wasted my time. You have seen my operation. You are not the customer that I am looking for. We have to come to an understanding." Out of the hidden door steps a very large Polar Bear. He towers over Bill. The bear has scars that can even be seen in the near darkness. He steps up behind the tiger and puts his hands on Bill's shoulder. Bill freezes and tries to size up the situation. He is in real trouble. The bear looks over to the vendor and asks How much? "One is fine. He is still young." The bear nods and drags a struggling Bill into the hidden room.
At this point, Els is very tipsy. She is happy and carefree. She shares so many tales with Rose that she is starting to get confused as to where she is. "Oooh, I need to stop. I am dizzy." "Yeah, I can see that." Rose responds and puts the almost half empty bottle down. "This is so much fun." Rose is enjoying herself. "I have one more surprise for our trip." "Oh yeah, I'm down. Down. Doowwn." The poor goat is far beyond drunk. "Let's go." Rose scoops up Els and ushers her down the loft. It is approaching dusk at this point but it is still ok for two small herbivores to be roaming around. Maybe a bad idea to be this drunk though. "I have one other special place to take you." Rose gently guides Els on a walk back to the train station. On the way, Rose begins to tell an elaborate story about her family that Els can only pick up bits and pieces of. "The two alpaca families from the hills were destined to be together. I am the oldest of the daughters and He was the only son from the other family." Els is being polite and listening but is very close to vomiting. Her attention shifts back and forth from containment to attentiveness. While on the train, the story continues. "Both of the families made a deal that the two farms would join to survive. They were both struggling against the larger conglomerates that had bought most of the land around them, but a union could stabilize the families and bring back prosperity to them both." Rose told the story as if it was a book in front of her. She emphasized important parts and was very clear in her diction. "Wow this is a great story Rose. I think you tell better stories when you are drunk." Rose just chuckles at the comment. "Well let me get to the fun part." Rose smiles back at the drunken goat. "You see, everything was set. We were both set to start high school and by the time we would graduate, we would be married." "So cute." Els slurs the comment a little but is still paying attention. "What happens next?" Rose looks down at her feet for a moment and raises her head again. "You happened." "Huh?" Els is ready to vomit, but noticed that Rose said "you" so she looked up to the eyes of the lovely alpaca. "Tem fell in love with you." Rose at this moment didn't look drunk at all. "We have just one more special place to go for me to complete the story." "Did you say Tem?" Els staggers over a bit. Her mood changes from purely happy go lucky to a state of confusion. "We are here." The train stops at a station and Rose takes Els by the hand and leads her towards the surface. The steps are difficult, but the gracious friend helps her make it to the pavement at the street level. "Almost there."While walking around a few buildings the story continues. Rose explains. "He fell in love with you almost instantly. Isn't that funny? I spent my whole life growing up with him and built a real connection with him. He was to be not only my husband, but also the savior for my family. I loved him. I LOVED HIM." Her voice is now almost yelling. "We grew up together. Not you. We were MEANT TO BE, NOT YOU!" "HE WAS MINE! NOT YOURS!" Els stumbles down to her knees on the muddy asphalt. "What's happening?" Els is scared now. "What did I do?" "WHAT DID YOU DO?" Rose is now screaming directly at Els face."He joined the acting club because of YOU! He was befriending carnivores because of YOU! He got KILLED BECAUSE OF YOU!" Rose reaches back and slaps the confused goat with all of her might. Els tumbles over and starts to cry. "I don't understand." "You don't have to understand." Rose reaches down and grabs Els by her dress and begins to drag her towards an alley. "Please stop! Please, what is happening? Where are we?" Els pleads with her captor. "I told you, one more special place." Rose pulls Els's phone from her pocket and breaks it in one swift motion. She throws the pieces in a puddle. The two small animals come to a large set of stairs leading down into darkness. You can faintly hear the sound of vendors yelling prices and parts. The smell to an herbivore is death. While still very drunk, the kind Angora goat's senses turn to pure terror. Rose pulls her close one more time and whispers into her ear. "You deserve this." In one motion, Els is pulled up and thrown down the stairs. She tumbles into the darkness hitting many of the steps on the way down. The tiny body disappears from sight but can still be heard as the sounds of flesh slamming into unforgiving stone.
The door slides shut behind Bill and the room is barely lit. The large polar bear bends over to Bill's ear and tells him, "Look kid, it's nothing personal, it's just business. I'm sure you understand." Bill is terrified. He is restrained by the large bear and mainly by his fear. His witty retorts fail him and he just bleats out a whimper. "Choose one." "What?" Bill gets the courage to respond to the intimidating monster. "A finger, a toe, a hand, a foot, an ear. I don't care. It's your call. You got off lucky but you still have to choose." Bill's normal alpha posture is collapsed. He has sunken down like a frightened little kitten. "Is this happening?" "It's happening, and I'll give you a minute to think. It is a very important decision. Once you choose, we are square. That's the rule." It's hard to appreciate the simple nature of give and take in this place. Especially at this moment. Bill closes his eyes and thinks of all the choices that have led him here. His lack of humility towards the people in his life. His ego in the face of everything. The arrogant alpha male attitude that not only started all of this, but also caused him to listen to the vendor. It is all his fault. The bear is right. There is a cost and he must pay it. "Will it hurt?" Bill takes a deep breath and questions the bear. "Yes." Not much more is needed in his response. Bill thinks back to one of the first instances of pure arrogance that he can remember and is confronted by the old homeless man that he first met at the Black Market. Bill paid 70,000 yen to eat his finger. It was the biggest rush that he has ever had as a carnivore. It was also the turning point of his arrogance. It was fitting. Bill turns his gaze to the polar bear and lifts his left hand. "The same one I took." He wiggles his index finger in the air. "So be it. In this gesture, we are whole." The large polar bear states as if he is talking to the universe and grabs Bill's left hand. In one fell swoop, he leans over and bites Bill's fingerclean off. Bill falls to the ground screaming and clutching his wound with his other hand. The polar bear proceeds to eat the finger and picks Bill up off of the ground. "Come with me." Bill is led to another room where the once monstrous animal now wraps his wound with bandages. He takes great care to treat the missing digit with ointments and proper dressings. "Thank you for the food." The bear, as is customary, gives thanks to the provider of the meal. Bill is taken back at the whole situation. The pain is enormous and crawls into every inch of his being, but at the same time, he thinks back to the homeless herbivore in the street. He had only a few fingers left. He had given several willingly just for some money. Bill's eyes filled with tears. Not for just the pain that he received, but also the pain that he has caused. Bill's very being seems to have cracked a little. The giant bear carefully leads the young tiger out of the room and out of the corridors. He reaches the metal door and leans over to Bill to give him one more parting message. He puts his hand on his shoulder. "Learn from this." Bill notices that the bear is missing a finger on his right hand. He is quickly pushed out of the door and the lock again slams shut. Bill is a bit woozy and starts to head towards the main parts of the market. He is shaken, but he is alive.
In an unknown alley, the small goat comes back to consciousness. She is dazed and badly hurt. Her left arm is not functional. It appears that it is broken in several places. There is blood dripping from an unseen cut on her head and there is blood all over her body. Her fur is soaked in it. She slowly gains the ability to almost stand. Leaning on a wall she gets to her feet. Trying to stabilize herself she grips the bricks with her tiny fingers to try to push herself in a direction. She has no idea where she is or what direction she is going in. Maybe going towards the sounds she could find someone to help her. She drags herself into an alley that has some light. Instincts tell the goat to not call out. Drawing attention to a wounded small animal might be more dangerous than just bleeding out. She sticks to the darkest parts of the alley and tries to move towards what might be a more populated area. Maybe a cop is around, or maybe just a compassionate person. She has to take that chance. Her injury needs real attention. In her head she is partially sobered up and the pain is strong, but worse are the words echoing in her mind. "I deserved this." Her mind races to try to figure out what she has done wrong. Someone who she trusted thought so little of her as to betray her and dump her here. "Where am I?", she says to herself. This must be the Black Market. The smells, the sounds, they have all been described by the overzealous carnivores back in the acting club. "I will be killed here."She looks around her surroundings and scans for a weapon of some sort. She finds a broken piece of glass and puts it in her pocket. It is small but it might come in handy. She manages to push herself along out of sight for the most part in the outskirts of the market. The scent of her blood and body are masked by all of the other scents in the booths. It won't last long though. A live herbivore is a very potent scent and someone will notice. She reaches an intersection of alleys and spots a safer direction to travel. Mostly dark and could lead to the subway. "I have to head north." Her bearings are coming to her as she calms down in the darkness. "The "B" station should be around here somewhere." Her arm is throbbing now as the numbness of the alcohol is wearing thin. "Well, well, well." A voice rings out behind Els. She instinctually bolts in the direction of the alley, never looking back. She is quite fast for a small goat that is in such bad shape. The rush of adrenaline is powerful. She makes it maybe thirty feet before she is knocked down from behind. Pinned down to the muddy asphalt, the terrified goat begins kicking wildly. A last ditch effort to fend off her attacker. She might have hit him a few times, but he kept on coming. "Goat meat is a very lean mean. It is one of my favorites." She can feel his breath on her neck. Without thinking the small herbivore violently wretches her neck back to hit the assailant with her horns. It must have been successful because he falls off to the side screaming. She quickly pushes up with her one good arm and tries to bolt again. She makes it maybe another 50 feet down the path before she hears a voice ring out. "MY PREY!"It's almost a voice sounds familiar, but she can't stop to find out. Besides, she is still woozy and injured so she can't trust her senses. She can hear the creatures fighting violently behind her, but she never slows down. She reaches the steps that lead up to the main street. They are large animal steps and it is very difficult for a one armed injured creature to traverse. After about the third step she hears the footsteps of the victor. He has vanquished the other beast and is now making a beeline for her. Another step. Another step. Another step. It's too late. He is upon her now. She closes her eyes as she feels the teeth wrap around the back of her neck. She goes limp. He hasn't ended it yet, but he lifts her off the ground and swings around to face the other carnivore in victory. He has his prey and the helpless goat just dangles in the air. The beast carries Els up the steps and towards the lights of the main streets. Is he going to eat her in view of everything? In her mind Els pictures all of the things that have happened in the last few months. Her time in the actor's club, the alpaca Tem, her kindness, and of course Rose. They all flash in her mind in a storm of confusion and acceptance. "My kindness and trust have brought me here. I must protect myself." She says the words under her breath and reaches down into her pocket. With her one good hand she grabs the glass and jams it in the throat of her attacker. They both fall to the floor and she slips out of his bite. He is trying to scream but nothing but gurgles of blood come out. She wastes no time and runs directly for the nearest streetlight and possibly salvation. She is only stopped when she hears in the most terrible voice, "EEELLLLSLLLLSS!" She turns around to see the body of a very large tiger writhing violently on the ground holding his throat. She realizes that she has cut the throat of Bill the Tiger. The thoughts come rushing back again. "I trusted him. He tried to EAT ME!" RUN. RUN. RUN. Her instincts are overpowering her. She turns to run but stops. She is just standing there while Bill is bleeding out quickly. Her only thought is "It's Bill." She turns and runs back to the injured feline. She quickly rips what is left of her skirt and fashions a makeshift bandage to stop the bleeding. She presses with all of her might on the wound. Her hand was also cut from the glass that she used to tear into his flesh. The pressure slows down the bleeding on both of the animals. "Get up. We have to move. More will come now." Knowing that the alpha predator is injured, the other carnivores will come in to finish things. The hobbled couple rises to their feet and starts to make their way to the train station. Bill picks up Els and holds her tight to his chest. Els in turn holds the bandage tight to his throat. Els knows that close to the "B" Station is a hospital. The hobble down the dark street in the direction of salvation at Els commands. "Turn here, there is a hospital down this street." Bill listens and runs towards the green cross sign on the side of the building. He makes it to the front doors and falls to the ground. Els takes a tumble and is separated from the tiger. His wound pours open again and he loses consciousness. All Els can do is scream for help from the doctors inside. She sits down on the street and closes her eyes. She too passes out and falls over. The screams echo through the alleyways and into the night.
His eyes slowly open. Everything is hazy, white, and painful. Things start to come into focus and his pupils move about the room. He is in a hospital and is starring at the ceiling light that burns into his eyes. His first instinct is to call out but he can't. His throat burns and he is unable to make a sound. Just swallowing is agonizing. He tries to roll over to escape but he is tied down to the bed. He then starts to flail violently. Buzzers and bells start going off all around him. In moments a few large carnivores appear to restrain him. He is subdued and given a tranquilizer. He feels the fuzziness of unconsciousness coming back to him. Before he closes his eyes again, he can make out a small silhouette leaning over his face touching his head. Then, darkness.
When his eyes open again, the pain is less than before but still strong. Without struggling he looks down at his hands to see if he is still restrained. He finds that he is, so he doesn't move. He quietly pans around the room to see if anyone is around. The room is empty and quiet. His eyes hurt, his hand hurts, and above all his throat is torn. He musters all the strength he as to try to speak. The only word he wants to say now is the last one that he said before this. "ELS." The voice is rough and harsh. Not his voice, but it comes out of his mouth anyway. The silhouette comes into focus and jumps on his bed. Els has stayed by his side for the entire time Bill has been in his bed, with the exception of the times that she was getting her arm repaired or the stitches in her head. She also had a broken horn that the doctors repaired with a prosthetic. Her arm is in a thick cast attached to her torso and she looks a little rough, but to Bill, she is sunshine on his skin. He tries to talk to her but she stops him. "The doctors said that you will heal, but you mustn't talk for a while." The tiger nods gently and calms a bit. "Bill I am so sorry. I did this to you. I will never forgive myself." Els lays her head on his chest and begins to cry. Bill can only respond with a shaking of his head. He attempts to point to himself with his hand but realizes that gesture won't work anymore. Bill lays his head back and tries to calm himself.
Every day for the next two weeks, Els comes to the hospital to see Bill. The doctors are a little taken back at the situation since someone told them that they saw the tiger carrying the goat in his mouth. They thought for sure that it was a failed predation event. That was the main reason that they restrained the beast at first. After a few days of the goat girl explaining what happened, the doctors agreed to let him go ahead with rehab and have visitation with the girl. The weeks pass by in a flash. Els helps Bill drink his fluids and holds his hand while he sleeps. After a few more days, the tiger can say a few words. They are very painful, so he makes them count. The first day was "Not your fault." It was very rough and painful for both to hear and feel. On the second day, "I am sorry." This leads to tears from both of them. The third day Els tells Bill the entire story of how Rose betrayed her. She explained the reason she was in the Black Market in the first place to the attentive tiger. Bill's response was "That bitch!" which at the time was poignant, but took up all the strength he had to say something meaningful that day. She did get a chuckle out of it. The days kept passing and the two animals shared more and more words. Els told him that she understood why he took her in his mouth. She understood that an alpha predator takes the prey first. He put himself on the line to get her out of there. The other carnivores had the right to fight him for the prey. She understood that he had to make it look like he was going to kill her. She got very emotional at the conversation and explained that she thought that trusting people got her in trouble in the first place but now she understands that trust is the only thing that saved them both. She could have run when she cut him, but she would have been captured by some other predator and Bill would have died there. "It was trust that saved us both. I know that now. I trust you Bill." She whispered into his ears as gently as she could. The weeks passed and Bill was given the ok to leave the hospital. The day that Bill was released, his parents came to take him back home. He will still need several more weeks of rest before going back to school. On that day, Els was there at the door to the hospital. The very spot where he collapsed in a pool of blood is where she stood waiting. He slowly made his way out of the lobby and walked up to Els. He bent over as low as he could to look her in the eyes. She leaned into his large face and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "When you get better, come find me. You know where." Bill smiled and was helped into a large car and drove away.
Els the goat must get back to her life. Her injuries have almost completely healed at this point and she is able to get back to normal activities. The rumors of what happened are thick like vines growing throughout the school, growing in every direction. The poor goat faces them on a daily basis. She is very guarded with her answers and only says what she needs to say. "Bill saved me. I was going to be eaten by a carnivore and he saved me, and I hurt him." Many of the other students don't really understand the complexity of the situation, but they trust Els. After some time, the vines slowly wither and die out. She has been shaken by her ordeal but her trusting nature remains intact. Her "friend" Rose wasn't seen again. No one knows if she moved back to the country or if she just transferred schools. In the normal day to day business of a boarding school, people come into your life and people leave. Els never told anyone else about the situation with Rose and she kept the feeling of betrayal close. It was a little lock box in her chest that would make her a bit stronger. The days pass as days do in such a place. Young animals enjoy time with their friends, have conflicts, get into relationships, and continue on living at a rapid pace. It feels like a lifetime is spent in just a few weeks. After several lifetimes, the rumors start growing again about Bill coming back to school soon. Everyone is sure that he will be restricted on campus and won't really be seen that much. She is still elated at the thought that he may be near her again. She has stayed in loose contact with Bill over the last few months, but she believed the he really needed time to heal both body and mind. Besides, talking or texting on the phone can only really convey a little bit of what she wants to say. She needs to be close to him to express herself properly.
It is late spring now and the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom. The light dances through the leaves of the trees as it reaches the ground. The faint breeze plays a light melody through the branches and the space is very peaceful. In the middle of the little forest sits a small goat girl on a bench. She is running her hands up and down the groves of several scratches dug into the wood. She has rubbed the scratches smooth with her constant touch. Now the once rough splinters and grooves have eroded into gentle waves in the hard wood. She closes her eyes as she hears someone approaching. The voice is almost familiar but at the same time much different. "I think I would like that conversation now." She smiles as she hears the words. She has been looking forward to this moment for a long time. The goat slides to one side of the bench and pats the bench next to her. "I saved you a space."