Zoo Read Online Free PDF Page B

I’m getting out of
here. I will find
a way,” I told her adamantly.
    She yelled at me then, “Emma! They have
disappearing doors! Their clothes have force fields that will knock
you on your ass! They took us from the past! Time travel for Pete’s
sake! You really think they haven’t thought of every way possible
to keep us here?”
    “ Screw you!” I yelled in
return. Her words frightened me. I turned and stormed off to sulk
in my hut. My outburst was inappropriate, but I didn’t want to hear
what she had to say. I would try again. Whatever it
took.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, TRY, TRY
AGAIN . . . UNTIL YOU GIVE UP . . .
     
    The day after my second
failed escape attempt, I waited until the park closed to take one
of the larger rocks from the sidewall. I bashed it against the
dome’s glass, over and over again. I didn’t even get it to crack. I
figured it must have been bullet proof. Bastards!
    The day after that, I tried digging my way
out with an odd shaped branch I found in the jungle. I dug while
the park was open, assuming no one would actually know what I was
up to. I wanted them to think that I was planting or burying
something. But who knows what they thought? Besides, there was a
benefit to being out in the open where I could see the public—it
gave me something to look at while I worked. The people of the
future fascinated me as much as I probably fascinated them.
    I dug down, into the soil,
about four and a half feet before I hit a steel floor. Assholes!
    The day after that, I
scaled the rock wall and tried to pry loose every rock and boulder
I could get my hands on. They super-glued those suckers in there
good. Not one of them budged. Douchebags!
    And the day after that, I
beat my head on the glass of the dome until I saw stars. Idiot!
    My efforts reminded me of the time when I
was ten years old. I really wanted this hot pink bicycle that all
the popular girls had, but my birthday had already passed. It
wasn’t close to Christmas either, so I had to work for it. Coming
up with that much money for a ten year old was virtually
impossible, and my parents were sure I’d lose interest and
motivation after doing so many chores to earn the cash. But I
didn’t.
    It took me nearly six months of cleaning
dishes, making my bed, helping Dad rake leaves, and whatever else
my Mom came up with. When she finally brought me to the store, and
I handed the cashier my money, it felt beyond amazing to be able to
walk out of that store with my new wheels. It was the biggest thing
I had worked for up to that point, and the reward was worth every
second of work.
    I’d hoped that maybe I would even make it
into the popular crowd and hang out with all the cool girls at
school. That didn’t happen, but I still got the reward I was
looking for, and my parents were so proud of me for my
determination to see my goal through to the end.
    After that, when I wanted something, I made
it happen. It was the same with my grades in school and the
scholarship I was working hard to get. If I hadn’t died and been
brought to the future, I was sure that I would have gotten it. I
also never asked my parents for expensive clothes, jewelry, or
purses. If I wanted it, I worked for it. It really made me
appreciate the things that I had. I missed being in control of
that. It didn’t seem like I was in control of anything in the zoo.
I guess I wasn’t.
    Back in the enclosure, I was pleased that
the Keepers never came to take me away for all my subtle escape
attempts. Thank goodness. I was probably good entertainment for
their precious public.
    Unfortunately for them—and me—I was out of
ideas for the time being.

MAKING UP
     
    Janice and I made up a few days after she
yelled at me. We were stuck together for a lifetime after all. We
spent the evenings, sitting next to our fire pit, telling each
other stories about our past lives before we retired. I enjoyed our
time together.
    Sometimes, though, Janice made me feel sad
for her, like