Big red letters marked the “Central Zoo” section in the welcome zone. The second “O” was slightly askew, written in a graceful cursive. The gray pavement often blended with the dirt, so that after a few minutes of walking, the soles of the visitors’ shoes were coated in grime as they followed the winding paths toward the animal exhibits.
"Look, that bird daddy!" Gabriel exclaimed, his face lighting up with an enormous smile. He reached out with animated gestures toward the flock of birds nestled among the verdant tree branches, where gaps in the leaves let warm sunrays reach his face. A faint, fresh scent of recently watered plants filled the air.
"Yes son, those are called parrots, they of--," his father began.
"Parrots, parrots!" the birds chirped back in a high, teasing pitch, flapping their colorful wings as though they were laughing.
"They often repeat what you say to them, Gabriel," his father replied in a measured tone, drawing closer amid the soft murmur of the animated crowd.
"Oooooh, they're so cool!" the little boy replied, hopping excitedly in place.
“Indeed,” his father said, fixing his gaze on Gabriel. “Your mom had one when she was just your age. She even taught it to sing a melody--the same one she sings when it’s time for you to go to sleep.”
At that, Gabriel laughed heartily and darted off toward the next exhibit, nimbly dodging people along the way.
The same scene repeated several times. A colorful animal would take Gabriel's attention, his father would offer a brief comment, and then the boy would run off in a flurry of excitement. Suddenly a deep and resonant rumble--“bahruuuuuuuhhhhaaaaa”--echoed from afar. Gabriel paused for a few seconds, glancing in that direction, before quickly redirecting his focus and picking up his pace again.
Their next stop was a massive boulder, partly shadowed by a nearby tree and marked with deep scars on its trunk. resting atop it was a giant lion. As Gabriel sprinted toward the safety rail bordering the pit where the lion lay, one of the beast’s eyes twitched open for a brief moment.
Gabriel's eyes widened in astonishment as his eyes stopped on the magnificent feline. "Wooooow, he is !" he screamed, clutching the rails tightly. His little legs seemed to try jumping towards the creatures domain.
"Enormous, Gabriel," his dad corrected him softly, gently grabbing his shoulder to calm him. "Do you see the other ones sleeping off to the side? He fought with every other lion for that spot." His gaze remained fixed in the pit, his expression steady and thoughtful.
My eyes flutter open, heavy with sleep. When was the last time I dreamed this much? Maybe being a newborn and sleeping twenty hours a day had something to do with it.
How long has it been? Three months? Four? Hard to tell when most of my days vanish into sleep, with only a few brief moments to glimpse the sun.
Mom's voice drifts through my half-awake haze, a constant familiar rhythm since coming here. Something about groceries. Something about TV. I don’t really know. I’m barely awake when I’m outside. But her voice is warm, just like her dark skin.
""
Dad's voice hums the same melody every time he lifts me into the air, his light brown eyes locked into me, his hands snug under in my arms. Same mission as yesterday. Visit every room of the house before coming back. The air rushes gently across my face, and i can't but laugh uncontrollably, overwhelmed by the sudden flood of sensation.
"Now in Hoenn news...The television hums from the latest room on our tour, the same line as every day. I've never paid attention. Too busy fighting sleep, trying to hold and improve my wake-time record.
Sometimes, distant explosions shattered the silence. My body jolted awake, hot and restless. A cry tore from my throat before i even understood why.
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Mom and dad always came quickly, voices soft and hands warm. "It's okay, i know..."
As the weeks came by, my vision cleared. Colors returned, and those once shadowy shapes became defined.
A deep chuckle--rough like stone--cuts through the air. A giant hand pats my head. Grandpa’s here again. Sometimes he picks me up, and I feel his hands brush against his gray-dyed beard—crunchy and spiky. Laughter always follows. "What a great gift my daughter gave me," he says.
The half-open door lets a few rays of light spill in, its edges dimly illuminating my dark room. From my crib, every silhouette looms massive against my small body. Normally, the darkness lulls me back to sleep. But now, the silence is deafening. My heart thumps louder with every passing moment, its beat echoing through the room. The usual sound of water flowing through the pipes is gone—my room feels cut off from the rest of the world.
My tiny fingers coil around the crib's railings, using every bit of control i have. I push myself up anxiously. A giant dresser, a wooden nightstand crowded with scattered toys and the massive gray wall to my right.
Something dropped. A sharp chime rang out, slicing through the heavy silence, echoing through the room. A toy from the nightstand. My stomach clenches. Too loud. Too alone.
Maybe the window was open. Maybe a slight gust of wind was all it took to fell. Maybe it was unbalanced, and a slight tremor helped. Maybe. Had the wind pushed it? The window must have been open. Right?
My skin prickles, goosebumps rising long every pore. Cold, it starts from my fingertips, spreading fast, crawling up my arms like creeping ice. It never stops.
My hands shake, my knees, overwhelmed, suddenly couldn't even resist the little weight of my body. I collapse into the crib. My chest falls still. My body won't respond--just like the day i came to life again, except now, not even a involuntary twitch escapes.
A breath--right next to my ear. Too close. My muscles tighten, and my heart hammers against my chest. That voice--wrong. Not real. Not supposed to be here. Not from this world. Help.
Why can't i cry like before? My pleas for help never even began. No sound escapes. No way to reach for Mom.
My body trembles; my fingers finally twitch. My arms shoot toward my throat, gripping my neck. Tiny, cracked whispers escape—'Wa-' my voice falters, 'WAA-' my vocal cords seize, and finally, 'WAAAH, WAAH!. Something its wrong. Mom, please--please come. "WAAAA," My legs kicking the soft mattress of the crib. My voice wasn't a well-practiced instrument anymore, it was a symphony for help. The only sound in the silence-a melody of primal fear.
, the door quickly slams open crashing in the wall. A yellowish creature resembling a platypus walked in slowly. Its gaze flickers from my face to the wall beside me. The intensity could burn a hole through it. An eerie, purple sphere suddenly hovered where the duck was staring. Its eyes predatory with a malicious glint in my direction. A toothy smirk. It was all a game. The smile of a joke. A cackle--low, knowing, like the punchline of a perfectly executed set up. The ball phases through the wall quickly like it wasn't there. "Ly" it said with a final laughter.
What happened? What was that? My throat burns from the screams, but i can't stop. My ears ring from the pressure. Warm moist fill my eyes, my gaze redirect to the blurry image of the duck. A bipedal duck? Why it looks so much to Psyduck...? The creature nods in my direction. Then slowly, it steps away from the door
Thundering footsteps rush down the hall. A sharp feminine voice, urgent and unintelligible cuts through the air. She crossed the doorway, her posture low, shoulders tense and her gaze flickers quickly from me towards where the duck was looking. , a spherical looking object expand from the hand of my Mom. Red illuminated the room briefly. The shape of a person?--the origin of the light. The creature towered over Mom, its chest at her eye level. Its red body with yellow ends on its legs made of fur, torso and head made of beige feathers. Deep blue eyes towards the wall. I began sweating, my chest tighten again while looking at the beast. The space where it was standing suddenly was a like a mirage. Blurry. Hot.
"Iken!" it says.
Loren rushes to my side, arms locking around me, squeezing tight. Eyes wide and brows sharp, she moves quickly behind the chicken-like creature. Her embrace trembles, yet holds me steady. She presses a kiss to my forehead before she moves me gently out of the room. My chest clenched, quick beats. Fast panicked breaths. My hands tightly close on her shirt and a few strands of her black hair.
"" she murmurs, her lips brushing my hair, while cradling me in her arms. At the door from the room we just left, the Psyduck stares intently at the fallen toy. It lifts, weightless, floating back to where it fell
"Nothing--nothing--will ever hurt you," she whispers into my hair, as if saying it aloud could make it true. Her pulse and shaky breaths calm down while patting my head.
She really believes it.
Her arms stay wrapped around me, warmth pressing against my cheek. A hummed melody came from her mouth while she dances slowly towards the room where she sleeps with my father.
"I love you," her soft voice said. Her gaze analyzing my well-being. Loren put me into the bed and lay beside me while touching my head. Everything was foggy. My eyes closed. I'm safe.
The last thing before i fell asleep--love.
Do you like Psyduck?
