by Russ Watts
Amy burst out laughing. “Gross! John, don’t say things like that.”
John wished he could get Amy laughing on tape. It was the most beautiful sound ever. He had long ago given up on getting her to call him dad. Mackenzie was her father and John was more like an outsider now. There was no way to change the past, and so he took what he could. As he drove, he stole quick glances at her. She was growing up and not the kid anymore that he liked to think of her as. Her blonde hair was long now, flowing over her shoulders, and she was undeniably pretty. In a couple of years, the boys were going to be all over her, if they weren’t already.
“So, you seeing anyone?” he asked.
“Shit, John, why don’t you just ask me straight? Stop being so subtle.”
“And why don’t you stop avoiding answering the question. I’ll take that as a yes, then?”
Amy sighed. “Well…” She wound down the window some more. The traffic was thick, slowing them down, and she wished she had taken an earlier flight in. “Not really.”
“So what’s his name?”
“John, it’s nothing serious. Honestly.”
“Fair enough, I won’t interrogate you anymore.” John knew Amy didn’t want to talk about boys with him. Heck, she probably didn’t want to talk about boys to anyone but her friends. Still, he couldn’t help but be concerned. “Just tell me one thing. Is he a good guy?”
Amy pulled on her safety belt, trying to pull it away from her chest. She was getting hot and sweaty, and the belt was chafing her shoulder. “Yes, John, he’s a good guy. Don’t worry, I’m not about to ruin my life and get pregnant before I turn eighteen.”
“Okay then.”
As the car was suddenly filled with silence, Amy realized she had just said completely the wrong thing. Getting pregnant and ruining her life was just what her mother had done, and John had played his part in that. “Shit, sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“Music?” John flicked on the radio. Immediately, a country song began belting out at full volume, and he turned the volume down. “Oops.”
“Country, huh?” Amy could feel her cheeks blushing, and felt awkward. Time to change the subject.
“I don’t usually have passengers, so I tend to sing along while I’m driving. Sorry, it’s just an old radio. If you want to play anything on your iPhone thingy, you’ll have to wait until we get home.”
“Yeah, you finally get rid of your old record player?”
“Are you kidding? Why would I get rid of it? No, I just meant I really like this song.”
John began humming along, and Amy knew he would never change. It was like he was living in the past. He refused to upgrade his old record collection, refused to get cable, and ate too many takeaways and TV dinners. She knew he still thought of her as a child too. The truth was, she was scared of what was coming. Next year, she would have to decide about where to go to college. That might mean fewer visits to see him, and it wasn’t something she wanted to talk about. This trip she could still be his little girl, instead of the seventeen year old thinking about boys and her future.
“How’s Laurel doing? Mac still looking after her?”
“Yeah, they’re good. The business did really well this last year.”
“That’s great. Maybe that means you’ll get more vacations over here.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Amy could tell what was coming. She had only just arrived, but already John was fishing for when she would next visit. She really had no idea what the future held, and decided to change the subject.
“Can we go to the zoo?”
“Now?” John looked at her with his eyebrows raised. “I thought we’d swing by mine so I can get changed and we can hit the town.”
“Well, you’re still in your uniform anyway, so why not now? We’ve got all week to go out.”
John sighed. “Amy, I’ve only just left work, I didn’t really want to be going back so soon, you know? It’s like I live there these days.”
Amy shrugged. “Fine, I guess we can go another day.”
John detected true disappointment in her voice, and knew he couldn’t say no to her. “No, you’re right. Let’s go now. Like you said, I’m still in my gear, so why not. You know, they’re expanding the enclosure for the lions. You want to see? It’s not open to the public for a few weeks yet, but I’ve still got my magic keys. Can open any door I want.”
Amy smiled, happy to be going to the zoo, and relieved she had taken his mind off when she would be able to visit next. “Step on it, John, you’re driving like an old woman. Those lions haven’t got all day.”
Laughing, John quickly changed direction and took them to the zoo. He was a senior janitor, but it was still an important job, and he enjoyed his work. In the summer months, it was busy, and he reasoned they had enough time during the week for what he had planned. He was going to take Amy shopping, out to restaurants, and spoil her every second he could. He didn’t get enough time with her, though he couldn’t complain about it. That was just the way it was. But now that she was here, he didn’t want to take his eyes off her for one second.
When they arrived at the zoo, it was already nearly full, and John took them in the staff entrance. There were queues formed outside the front entrance, and Amy was pleased they were able to bypass the hordes trying to get in. John organized a visitor’s pass for her, and then they were in. John took her to the staffroom first, so he could grab a cold drink. The room was large, but empty and quiet. Framed photographs of the animals adorned the walls, and there was a hum of noise from beyond, indicating the masses just outside.
“You want a Coke?” John asked as he fed small coins into the vending machine.
“Diet, please.”
After John had paid the ransom and freed the cans of drink from their prison, he handed one to Amy. “Right, you want to start with anything in particular? Pandas? Crocs? I remember when you were about ten, and it was all I could do to get you away from the chimps. That was all you wanted to see.”
Amy smiled at the memory. “You know, I think I’d like to see the lions and this new enclosure. I want to—”
The vending machine began to vibrate, and suddenly the whole room joined it. Amy grabbed onto John’s arm as, for a few seconds, everything shook. The white plastic tables and chairs, the picture frames and the cutlery; Amy felt herself going weak at the knees and looked at John for answers.
“It’s passed,” he said, as the shaking stopped. He put an arm around his daughter. “Don’t worry. We’ve had a few tremors lately. It’s nothing to worry about. See? It’s stopped.”
Amy could tell the room had stopped shaking, but she hadn’t. She clung onto John as they left the room.
“That happen a lot?”
“Not usually, but like I say, these past few weeks we’ve had a few. I’m sure it’s nothing.” John swiped his pass through a lock and opened a gray steel door. They emerged from a clinical white corridor into glorious sunshine. The park was heaving, and Amy saw families and children everywhere. There were tourists too, and nobody seemed bothered by the tremor. Although it had unnerved her, she trusted John. If he wasn’t bothered, and nobody else was, then she was just going to have to forget it and enjoy the day.
“Right then, where are these lions?”
“This way, my lady.” John kept his arm around Amy as they walked through the park. He could see she was still worried, and he left his arm draped over her shoulder more for reassurance than protection. He liked the park when it was busy like this. It was much better than when it was closed. There was a certain vibrancy to the place when it was open. The people here were all happy, fascinated by the animals. He had to admit it. Even though he didn’t earn as much money as he would like, he had no idea what else he would do.
They passed a cart selling hot dogs, and a queue of small children all wearing identical yellow hats. Amy watched as they lined up in pairs, holding hands, and their teachers instructed them to wait patiently. She liked people watching as much as vis
iting the animals. Seeing the wonder on the children’s faces, and hearing their chatter, she soon forgot the tremor.
They approached the lion enclosure. Three lions were sitting idly in the shade of a large tree. They looked content, peaceful; a large fence had been erected at the back of the enclosure, painted green to blend in with the environment, and John told her how they were expanding, making it twice as big so the lions had more room. He took them through a side door with his magic keys, around the back and past where the lions slept, into the enclosure behind the fence. There was a small shed where the workmen kept their tools, and John pointed out the new viewing platform that was being built.
“Are we safe here? They can’t get in, can they?”
“No chance. There is literally no way through. Not yet. When it’s ready, they’ll pull that fence down, but until then it’s strictly off limits.” They walked into the center of the enclosure on freshly laid grass, to where a series of boulders and rocks had been arranged. The uppermost rock had been flattened out, providing a natural place for the lions to be lazy and would be clearly seen.
“It’s good, huh?” asked John as he picked up a discarded hammer. “You know, I’m always on at those guys to pick their shit up.”
Amy walked across to the temporary fencing and placed a hand on it. It was solid, and stretched the length of the enclosure. On the other side, she could hear the crowds of children gawking at the lions, who themselves were quiet. She knew it was too hot in the afternoon for them to be active. Turning back to John, she caught him looking at her. “When’s it going to be open?”
“Couple of months. Grand opening is scheduled for August I think. You should come. They’re going to have a whole day of events planned, the real red carpet treatment. I’m sure I can get you in.”
Amy sipped her drink. “We’ll see. I’m pretty busy at school.”
John smiled, although Amy could see it was a poor attempt to hide his disappointment. She put her hand back on the fence, and it seemed to pulsate beneath her fingers. What started out as a gentle throb suddenly developed into a rocking motion that spread from the fence to the ground she was standing on.
“John, why is…?”
She turned around, and then it was as if the very ground beneath them had turned to mud. She saw John try to run toward her, but he was thrown off balance and sent crashing to the earth. The huge mountain of boulders close to him began to move, and smaller ones from the top started falling down around him.
“John!” Amy screamed. She needed to warn him of the rocks that threatened to collapse on top of him, and yet she was unable to say anything more than call his name. As soon as she tried to walk, her feet were taken away from her. The earth bucked and rolled underneath her, and she fell down painfully. A terrible wrenching sound filled her ears, and she scrambled onto her knees, listening as the solid fence behind her was pulled out from its foundations and ripped away like it was nothing but flimsy paper.
Amy was bounced up and down on the ground, and she wished John would come to her. She couldn’t see him anymore, and it was hard to maintain her balance as the earth churned beneath her. She fell again, and again, only to pick herself up as she tried to crawl over to John. The awful sound of the fence being ripped open stopped and was followed by a deep mournful wailing sound that echoed all around her, as if it came from something under the ground. The rolling motion began to subside, and Amy caught her breath. She hadn’t even realized it, but she had been holding her breath the whole time. Now that whatever was happening seemed to be coming to an end, she drew in deep lungful’s of oxygen, her brain demanding her body get more and more. Her arms and legs were shaking, her lips trembling as she fought back the urge to panic and run. She had to make sure John was okay. The once aesthetic pile of boulders had been reduced to rubble, and the beautiful manicured grass was now churned up into a muddy field that looked more suitable for playing football.
Between the gentle tears that ran from her eyes, she slowly crawled over to the place where she had last seen him. “John, are you there? Are you okay?” The ground was soft, and she had to dig her fingernails in to get purchase. She climbed over a huge boulder now covered with loose dirt, and then she saw him.
“Amy?”
He pulled himself to his feet, brushed himself down, and then John reached out a hand. Amy took it and they held each other saying nothing. There were screams in the background, desperate cries for help coming from within the park and beyond. Sirens were already present in the distance, and there was a muffled booming sound of something exploding.
“Amy, are you all right?” John looked her up and down. His girl was okay.
“I’m fine. Look at your head. What happened?” Amy ran her fingers gently across John’s forehead.
“It’s nothing. One of those flying rocks caught me, but I managed to avoid getting squashed completely.”
“Shit, you were lucky. I just… What was that? Another tremor?”
John frowned, relieved that Amy was okay. “That was more than just a tremor. Must’ve been a big one. I’ve never felt an earthquake like that. Listen, we need to get out of here, out of the park. It must…” John suddenly noticed the fence behind Amy.
“What is it?” asked Amy, seeing the terror spread across John’s face.
“Fuck.”
John pulled Amy around behind him, stepping in front of her as the first lion advanced upon them. “Stay close,” he whispered.
Amy peered over John’s shoulder and saw a lioness moving slowly towards them, staring at them intently. Another slightly smaller lioness was behind it looking on curiously, and the third lion, a male, was watching intently from the side. Amy could see the cracked glass where the children had been so eagerly looking at the magnificent animals. Thankfully, it still held in place.
“John, what do we do?” Amy didn’t know if she should run, or stay still. Wasn’t there something about playing dead? Amy had to admit she knew little about these sorts of animals. Lions were behind cages or on the TV screens, not walking across an open field with their eyes locked on you.
“Just walk backward very slowly,” said John, not taking his eyes off the lioness. “The exit’s about twenty feet behind us.”
A plume of dirt suddenly erupted to the side of the enclosure nearest the broken glass, and the ground began shaking violently. It was like standing atop an exploding volcano as the earth flew up into the air, and John took his eyes off the advancing lioness as he saw something emerge from the ground, something far more terrifying than the lions.
Amy screamed, and John realized the lioness was caught in two minds: attack or run. It’s once glossy coat was now covered in dirt, and it turned to see what John was looking at.
It could only be described as a monster. It was like nothing John had ever seen; certainly like nothing they had at the zoo. It clambered from beneath the ground and stood over them all, easily over fifty feet high. Its huge body dwarfed the oak tree, and John barely had time to take in its glory, its powerful legs and arms, before he reached the thing’s head. It was monstrous, as big as a car, with sharp teeth that seemed to go on forever.
The lioness ran. John knew it was protecting itself, its own territory. He also knew it stood no chance. The lioness managed to grab onto one of the thing’s legs, and it sunk its teeth in as it clawed at the skin. There was a ferocity about it that John hadn’t seen before. The animals had always been placid and were well trained to stay in their enclosure. The lioness was large, and if it had decided to attack John like that, he had no doubt he would’ve been dead in seconds. Yet this towering creature hardly seemed to notice. With a deft flick of its legs, it sent the lioness flying through the air. The poor animal crashed into the solid trunk of the oak tree where it fell to the ground and remained motionless, either dead or unconscious.
Amy pulled on John’s arm. “What the fuck is this? What the fuck is going on?”
John whirled around and pointed to the exit. “Run, Am
y. Run and don’t stop. I’ll be right behind you.”
As Amy ran, more terrified than she had ever been in her life, she heard the growling of the lions, and the ground trembling once more as the giant moved. No other thought ran through her mind other than escape. She had to get out of the zoo, away from whatever this thing was.
John still held the hammer in his hands and knew he couldn’t let the animals be massacred like that. The other two had converged on one point, in between him and the monster. They were poised, ready to strike, and the monster appeared not to care. As the male lion rushed at it, the abomination lifted a foot and then slammed it down on the advancing cat. The lion was killed instantly, its strong frame smashed like precious china. John saw the blood splatter as the monster retracted its foot, and the lion was gone, now just a lifeless husk, shattered bones and blood indicating where it had made its final stand.
“No, leave them alone!” John ran, waving the hammer above his head. He was more scared than he wanted to let on, but with Amy at the exit, he had to try something. If he could at least distract the thing, maybe the third lion would retreat. Surely, it would see it was no match for this thing? John had no intention of putting himself in harms’ way. He figured he was too small for this thing to worry about, but he might be able to at least give the lion a chance.
A giant claw suddenly reached down from the sky and scooped up the lion. It fought back, scratching and biting, struggling and tearing its way through the monster’s claws. Yet the thing took no notice and dropped the lion into its mouth. With one gulp, it was gone.
John stopped running. He had failed. What kind of animal could swallow a lion whole? It had all been over so quickly. The lions, one of the most fearsome predators that walked the Earth, had been dismissed as if they were nothing but common house-flies. What was this thing? He hated to admit it, but it almost resembled a dinosaur. Had he gone insane? Was this all a hallucination? Amy’s scream pierced the air, and he knew this was no dream.
