Chapter 2: Goodbye Yellow brick road

I was born with a rare condition that allows me to understand languages of various animals. To some it would be a dream come true, you could talk to animals and as such, however it is a curse I assure you.

Being born with the same genetics as my Grandmother ( she too had the condition) I remember when I was 3 I would stay at her house, my Grandfather died before I was born so I only remember him from old war pictures Grams held up in the attic. However I remember her in her parlor always talking to someone, even though no one was present and myself, I could hear a Spanish sounding girl responding to her, I never told anyone, they'd figure I was crazy.

However when I started growing up I knew I was strange, I'll never forget that one night when my own Golden Retriever, Gill, started talking to me. That night I built a tent with all the blankets I could find around the manison and stayed up all night talking with him. When we were engaging in conversation I saw a light flicker outside in the pantry adjacent to my room, I saw my mother standing outside in such a scared face, her hands clasped around her face and all she could do was whisper,

" No"

After that my life fell to Hell.

My mom homeschooled me due to she was worried people would find out about my curse, though she never called it a curse I could tell she wanted to. My sister Hannah on the other hand was very jealous of me, she'd push me down stairs and lock me in various rooms I would cry until my mother of father would find me. She never payed much attention to the curse until Dad came back from Austrillia and brought her an orphaned baby platypus, it was supposed to be for both of us, however Hannah praised it as her own named it Aussie as well. I never engaged in conversation with Aussie I figured it would matters worse if I tried.

Instead I stayed alone with Gill, he was my favorite companion and he kept my sanity all those years, he died 5 years ago from old age. I still feel guilt as he slowly turned away from me and stayed to himself, when I asked what was wrong he'd growl at me and tell me to go away. A couple weeks passed after Gill's episode and I found him at his dog door, eyes closed, no pulse and fridged cold, I built a grave for him myself in my rose garden, marked his grave with a rock that had his collar ringed around it. Which reminded me I should have snuck a quick good bye to the only friend I had, and probably ever will.

After Gill's death it all an effect one way on everyone on the family. Mom would save leftovers and leave them in his bowl ( I never had the heart to get rid of the old musty, red bowl) then feel flustered when the maid questioned the bowl full of stew meats. Dad would always try to buy me another Gill duplicate however I passed them off, everyone on my street had a golden retriever excluding me of coarse, Gill was a one of kind dog, not just one you could replace. Hannah on the other hand never really cared about Gill like the rest of us, she scuffed her nose whenever she saw him.

A couple of months of griving payed off when my father's 2nd hotel opened up in Playa de Carmen. As a treat we all went down for a month, however I missed Gill too much to even notice the ghostly white beach just out of the looking glance. While our families wealth climbed my emotions declined.

And now we come to now, my mother just died of Tuberclouis, she picked it up on one of her business tours and unfortunely my mother, just like a male never visits the doctors. Instead we took her to the ER when she threw up for 5 days straight nonstop. That is when the diease was advanced.

Everyday after my studies me and Hannah would visit her at the hospital, and everyday she was fading. A smile that was real etched on a wrinkled, unfluided face, even her stern eyes were filled with the phrase that read " I'm scared" I could only bow my head in silence at her cracked, breathless voice. Hannah would literally brag it to her friends that her mother was sent to intensive care, and those tears so fake, it made me want to cry.

Finally we got that call, she passed away however not without a fight. We all went over and watched as they placed her body into the morge, a sweet serene smile on her pale face, that image will haunt me until we reunite again.

At home the fight broke out, Hannah grabbed a vase and threw it at my head, she blamed me for the death of our mother. How quaint it was when she explained to my father she was heading to Hawaii to relax and drink away her tears, what a bitch she can be at times I shook my head as my dad sulked back into the den. Before she left Hannah forced me out of the house and told me never to return.......

I should say that the highest of society can fall pretty easily, I suppose.

" Are you sure they won't mind?" I was being forced by an otter towards the middle of the zoo, sh kept in her cave until about midnight, there was no humans around not even one zookeeper. I kept this time in my mental notes, it would prove useful for peering for parts. Even though she allowed me to stay, Marlene ( What she introduced herself as) told me of another place which would be better, she informed me of that two zookeepers take care of her habitat and clean the place I picked very throughly. I nodded and followed her towards a habitat that was full of water, lodged in the middle was a fake rock exhibit, I stared at her puzzled.

" You expect me to live here?" I asked while scratching my head.

" Yes but this isn't the full picture, trust me" she slipped through the bars and swam towards the rocks, in the rocks I saw her open a valve and reveal a dark tunnel, the water lapped inside as she eyed and motioned for me to follow her. I slipped my foot up on the bar and bellyflopped into the water. I swam through the secluded tunnel towards the lighting at the end, it was tight and my clothes were drenched again as they stuck to the metal making it slipperly yet ropy substance.

At the end I found it was open space, I poked my head out and saw the nice, dry cemente brick walls and cold concrete floors. I stepped my foot down and looked around, a plaque with words, Private's first prize was written on a piece of sticky tape, and pressed against the brass plaque. I peered my had towards the side and found a metal door looming beside me. I took notice of the coffee table with cards and piece of bone, presumbly fish I thought, were scattered on the table. Whatever this animal was it was pretty socphistacted. I walked around looking around for Marlene, instead I heard a door creak behind me, turning I saw a crack of the door that immedaltly snapped when whoever it was say me. I walked towards it and stared through the opaque window attacted to the door. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and walked around and awaited Marlene, instead the door opened again and stayed open, from behind me I heard a conversation that silenced.

" Well boys looks like we've got a guest"

Sky reminds me of my mother and Hannah as my aunt don't ask me why that's just my opinon

1995penguin