Lucid Waking

Archive for July 31st, 2007

Trouble at the Zoo

            It was a pleasant afternoon that most people would call “normal.” The sun arched across the sky, there were no clouds in sight, and the temperature was generally hot. It was the perfect day to go down to the pool. That is, if Jennifer liked going to the pool. She didn’t suppose there was anything wrong with being in a bathing suit, if catcalls were desirable things. And no matter how hard Steven begged her to go with him (guys can’t take to the heat as well as girls), she would rather be dead than go. So being a good boyfriend that he was, they went to the zoo.
            Going to the zoo would have been fine, if Steven didn’t know how to talk to animals. In fact, it turned out to be a much better trip for him than for her. Jennifer was completely aware of what had happened last time they went to the zoo (got caught talking to the monkeys and ended up being sent to a mental hospital), but was so happy that they could see the penguins inside an air-conditioned space, that she didn’t care. Steven acted at least a decade younger than his actual age as he pressed his nose against the glass and caused the zookeeper to tell him, a bit amused, to get away from the animals. The feline house was almost worse, but the lions were behind glass, so no one except their meal was seriously hurt.
            “What do you think you’re doing?” Jennifer said as soon as they got outside for the second time.
            Steven shrugged. “You were the one who wanted to go to the zoo.”
            Perhaps he was feeling guilty because he said, “I’ll buy you ice cream; come on.”
            But they didn’t reach the ice cream truck before they were stopped by zoo security. It had happened before, but this time, security didn’t seem as serious as they had been the last time Steven and Jennifer went to the zoo. In fact, it was a little hard to see why they were being picked up, except that Steven had been talking to leopards and penguins. Jennifer was a little disconcerted that no one seemed to think it was odd.
            But she found out as soon as they reached the employee’s station that it was only because they had no idea what had happened because one of Steven’s co-workers, who knew of his gift, had come to the zoo on “business.” He disclosed that he had used a memory charm on the employees here and insisted that they leave.
            “The boss will get a little suspicious that the incoming instances have your name on it,” he said smiling. “Maybe you two should go to the pool, instead.”
            Jennifer shot a look at Steven and he just rolled his eyes at her.
            “So what now?” Steven said as they went back to their car.
            “I don’t know,” she said sourly, “how about the beach?”
            He smiled, but didn’t say anything. Weaving his way through the parked cars, he managed to find his way out and go speeding off down the highway.