Hoo

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was light. Lots of light. Flooding in from the transparent balcony door, the shafts of gold making streaks on my bed covers. It felt good to finally feel well again. My bones weren’t aching, my throat wasn’t scratchy and my runny nose was gone. I was in fine fettle.

I slid out of bed reluctantly, sad to leave the warm cocoon of my sheets. Slipping on my grey furry dressing gown, I made my way across my bedroom and downstairs. The cold wooden floor felt horrible on my feet as I walked downstairs.

I gripped the railing for dear life when I was going down these stairs. We had the type of stairs that have gaps between the steps. You feel that if you take a wrong step, you whole leg will go through one of the holes. So, slowly, but surely, I made my way down there.

Turning into the kitchen, I could smell my mum cooking pancakes. I could smell the fresh batter and it filled my lungs, giving me intense happiness.

Sitting down eagerly at the large wooden table, I stared expectedly at my mum. She either hadn’t heard me come down or was ignoring me. She had her back turned to the sink and all I could see were the thin white strings holding her checkered apron around her waist.

After around two minutes of being ignored with my aggressive, growling stomach, I ground the chair against the floor. It made a horrific screech, but thankfully made my mum turn around. Well...either that did or Norman. Norman was vocal when he wanted to eat. I would never tell anyone out loud but my stomach is Norman. It has a mind of its own like me so why not give it a name.

Only I would know my stomach was named Norman. Unless...And a really scary possibility struck me. What if there were loads of different people from another world, called like Earth...or something, seeing all my thoughts on their computer or phone screens!? It was impossible, but if there was a minuscule chance that it was true, my unusual secret would be revealed!

“Isla, I’m so glad your better honey,” my mother’s soft voice jolted me out of my crazy, random and paranoid thoughts. If there are people out there seeing all my thoughts, then they’re gonna have to get used to random ones.

She slid a fluffy tower of pancakes in front of me, bathed in melted butter and maple syrup. Just the way I liked them. As I shovelled the soft fortress into my mouth, my mum placed a cool hand on my forehead.

“Your fever’s gone,” she exclaimed, clapping her hands. I nodded with a smile and carried on with my heaven on a plate.

“Do you want to know what I have planned for the day,” she giggled, before sitting opposite me. My mum was too cheerful for her own good. She was a plump woman, the complete opposite to me. She had rosy red cheeks, thin blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and the most awful lavender lipstick. Perfectly applied lavender. Too perfect.

Sometimes I though she was colour-blind when she looked in the mirror. It looked horrible. I had only ever seen her wear it. When I looked into it, it reminded me of poison. As if a thick purple poison coated her lips. It just seemed such a bold and cold colour for my happy mum.

“Sure,” I managed to choke out as I swallowed my last mouthful. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and pushed the plate forward.

“Isla, learn some manners. Your better than that,” mum clucked.

“Mum! Tell me where we’re going,” I asked impatiently.

“To a zoo,” she finalised, looking at me with shining eyes and waiting for it to sink in.

A zoo!? I had to blink a few times and pinch myself to make sure I was still in reality. Zoos were beautiful, magical places. Enclosures filled with gorgeous majestic animals and rainbow colours everywhere. It would make me so happy if I was a 6 YEAR OLD KID!

How dare she even think of me as that immature. Why would I want to go to a zoo? I was 17. I hated the ideas of zoos. If I was an animal, I wouldn’t want strange kids putting their sticky little fingers on my glass enclosure and stare at me with lame saucer-like eyes. Jeez! I didn’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that.

“I don’t want to go to a zoo,” I whined.

“Why not?” she frowned.

“They’re for babies mum. Do you even know how old I am?” I admitted sorrowfully.

“Please do this for me baby,” mum pleaded. I found it strange that she wanted to go so badly. Surely she would have much rather had gone on a shopping spree in town or get her nails done.

“Mum, there’s no zoos in Tazara,” I exclaimed, suddenly finding the best excuse I could give.

“There is one now,” mum smiled knowingly. “This business got in contact with me and all I did was give them a loan. We’ll get money back and it was an amazing concept.

“What do you mean?” I asked skeptically. How could a zoo have an amazing concept. It was a zoo. A ZOO!!!

“Well, when you go in its amazing. Before they let you in, they put these computer goggles on you so you can see the animals,” mum explained.

“Can’t you look at them normally?” I questioned suspiciously. Why would you need to wear goggles to see animals?

“It shows them in so much more detail. If you twist the handles at the side you can see animals in so much details that you can see a thin orange hair of a tiger bristling in the wind.”

“Have I got a choice in this?” I inquired.

“No. We’re going. I have to see the opening,” mum finalised, starting to get irritated by my questions, before taking my plate and washing it in the sink.

I guess I was going to have to go to this science zoo thing. I had to admit, I was super suspicious.

Peering over the table, I noticed that mum had left her handbag on one of the seats. I looked around for her, but she had left the room quickly and I could hear her footsteps upstairs.

Moving towards the bag, I dug through the leather compartments until I came across her wallet. A crocodile skin purse, which grossed me out. If she had possession of this, would they even let her in the zoo! They’re all about conservation of animals.

Opening it, I searched through her business cards until I saw the top of one. It was white and I could make out a small elephant in the corner.

Presuming it was the zoo card, I pulled it out and read the writing.

‘The First High-Tech Zoo...Presented to you by Rel Lik productions.’

Rel Lik productions...What a strange name? What did zoos have to do with relics...Crap!. My hands started to sweat and my throat tightened.

Throwing the card back into the bag, I moved away, my heart pounding. I didn’t think it meant Relics! I think it meant...