![]() ![]() He pulled the door open and promptly slammed it again. He’d awoken from a vivid dream of devouring a roast beef sandwich. Luigi stood and crossed the room to the refrigerator. Until the day she stood in this very room and screamed at him, “I am a prisoner here, just like these pathetic animals! Let me go, Luigi! Let us go!” Married for thirty years, he always liked to say she was his better self. He must have done the task while thinking about other things. But when he lifted a foot he saw with amazement that his socks and shoes were already on. Normally, it took his aged body several minutes to perform this task. Sitting down just now to put on his socks, Luigi marveled once again at his prowess this morning. And in this way, a young Siberian tiger, an ancient bear, a pair of chimps, a zebra, and two antelopes all inhabit roughly the same space without devouring each other. You simply had to get used to the constant smell of animal waste.Įach day, Luigi would open a different cage and let its occupant roam the courtyard while he cleaned and replenished the animal’s food and water. It worked quite well, heated by a solar-powered radiator, and with a stove, and refrigerator supplied by his employer. Instead, he’d converted one of the cave-like cages into a modest apartment for himself and Maria. There was an actual tower keep at the center of the structure, but Luigi had quickly decided it was not suitable for human or animal living. ![]() When he’d first arrived, the locals in the nearby town had called it The Keep, their mouths twitching with amused disdain. Instead of what he was used to-a vast open landscape surrounded by secure fencing, where visitors could view the animals atop open-air buses-this menagerie was in a medieval-style fortress featuring a courtyard encircling a cluster of stone-walled rooms converted into cages. ![]() As he stumbled around in the dark putting on clothing, he strained to hear the tiger’s growl or the apes’ chatter.Ĭoming to work at this zoo had been a rude awakening for Luigi. The beasts were strangely silent this morning. They had become his whole purpose for living since he’d lost his beloved Maria. His brain hummed, his skin sang, and he felt a renewed kindness for the animals in his care. It was as if a youthful tide of energy had washed over him, restoring the last twenty years of his life. Luigi Molinari felt spryer than usual when he got out of bed that morning, despite the falling snow outside. You can find all the writing contest stories here. Jackson and was part of our 2022 Fall Writing Contest. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |