My Best Friend The Lion
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I was in the kitchen, washing dishes. I had to do it every day like this because my mother’s back hurt so much when she tried to wash them herself that we could never get our house clean enough for her liking. It didn’t make me very happy either but there wasn’t really anything else I could think of doing with myself at home all day long while she went out and worked hard.
The sun was shining brightly through the window onto the table where a basket full of eggs sat waiting to be washed. They were white and speckled brown on one side, yellowy-white and smooth on the other. A few chickens scratched around outside under the bushes looking for bugs or seeds they might have missed from their morning feedings.
One of them looked right into the kitchen as if he wanted something to eat too. He seemed friendly enough though; most animals did these days since humans started bringing more of themselves over here from Earth after the war ended.
“What are you looking at?” I asked him without turning away from what I was doing. “Do you want some eggs? You can help yourself.”
He cocked his head to look up at me and then stood still for a moment before walking slowly across the yard toward us. “No thanks,” he said. “You’re not offering any milk or cheese either.” His voice sounded deep and rich like mine used to sound years ago when I first came to live with Mommy and Daddy.
But now I just couldn’t remember how to speak properly anymore. All I ever heard myself saying nowadays were nonsense words like ‘dee dee’ which meant nothing to anyone except me. My parents thought it was cute though. In fact, everyone laughed whenever I talked like that even though sometimes I got upset about being teased.
What made things worse is that I knew I shouldn’t talk like that. That’s why I always stopped myself once I realized what I’d done. Sometimes I would start talking normally again right away but other times I wouldn’t stop until someone told me to shut up. Then I would cry and whine and complain to everyone who cared to listen. I hated myself for making such a fool of myself.
But today, for whatever reason, I decided not to say anything bad about myself. Instead, I smiled at the chicken and held out my hand. “Come on inside and let me show you your new home!”
He walked past me easily, scratching himself against the door frame as he passed. When he reached the top step leading down into the kitchen he turned around to face me. His eyes were bright blue and round like saucers. He blinked twice before smiling widely. “That looks nice! Are those real eggs?”
“Yes,” I replied. “They’ve been sitting here waiting for you all day.”
“Thank you,” he said. “Can I try eating one?”
“Of course,” I answered. I took hold of the egg in both hands and pulled open my mouth wide. With a quick flick of his tongue, he popped the whole thing into his mouth. I watched fascinated as he chewed and swallowed quickly. He licked his lips and rubbed his belly contentedly.
“Wow!” I exclaimed. “How do you taste?”
“Like a big juicy steak,” he replied. “Just like what I ate last night at dinner time.”
“Then you must be hungry again already!” I cried. “Let me go find some food for you.”
The lion nodded his head eagerly and followed behind me as I ran up the stairs to the second floor. We entered my bedroom where I kept a small wooden chest full of clothes and shoes and placed it beside the bed. From within its depths, I extracted two pieces of meat wrapped in cloth. I handed one to the lion and he tore off a large chunk with his teeth and began chewing hungrily.
“This will keep you going until dinner,” I explained. “I’ll put together a proper meal later tonight.”
“Oh thank you!” he said between bites. “I’m starving!”
“Now come downstairs and meet my family!” I called out as I left the room.
We descended the staircase to the main level of the house where I opened the front door. My father was leaning against the porch railing smoking a cigarette. He dropped the butt end of the smoke stick he was holding into an ashtray on the ground next to him and wiped his fingers clean with the sleeve of his work shirt.
“Hello son,” he greeted me. “Have you been keeping busy?”
“Yeah, fine,” I answered. “Just doing chores and stuff. Why?”
“Well, I hope everything is okay,” he said. “Your momma has been gone longer than usual today.”
“She went shopping,” I informed him. “Said she needed to pick up some groceries.”
My mother had taken to calling herself ‘mommy’ ever since we moved here. She’d grown quite fond of the name and refused to revert back to her old ways. I didn’t mind so much because it made her happy. The only problem was that she never used to call me ‘son.’ Nowadays though, all I heard her say was ‘baby’. It wasn’t very flattering and it hurt every single time I heard it.
“Okay,” Dad continued. “So tell me if you need any help with anything while I finish this smoke.”
“Nah, I’m good,” I assured him. “Just finishing up some cleaning here and there. How long have you been outside?”
“About half an hour,” he responded. “Long enough to get my nicotine fix. So how about yourself?”
“Not too bad. Just hanging out with the chickens. They’re great company.”
Dad chuckled and shook his head. “You know, they might actually be smarter than you are.”
“What? No way!” I protested.
“No kidding. Ever think about that?”
“Huh?”
“Think about it. You don’t make sense most of the time. And when you do, no one understands you. Your vocabulary is limited to random noises or nonsensical phrases. Yet somehow these silly little birds understand exactly what you mean. At least, that’s how it seems to me anyway.”
“I guess you’re right,” I admitted reluctantly. “Maybe I should start talking more clearly. Maybe then people would listen to me better.”
“That could definitely be true,” agreed my dad. “And speaking of listening…did you hear something upstairs just now?”
“Hear what?” I asked.
“It sounded like someone was running around up there. What did you see?”
“Nothing really,” I lied. “Probably nothing. I thought I saw a shadow moving across the ceiling but I couldn’t be sure.”
“Alright then,” he said. “If you say so. But let me know if you hear anything else.”
He turned away from me and resumed puffing on his cigarette. As he walked down the steps toward the driveway, I stood watching him leave. Then I noticed the lion sitting quietly by the front door. I hadn’t realized he was still there.
“Hey,” I whispered. “Do you want to go for a walk?”
With a nod of his head, the lion rose to his feet and followed after me. We stepped out onto the street and headed north along the sidewalk. There were no cars passing us yet and the streets remained empty. This part of town was always quiet during the day. That was why we liked living here. Our neighbors lived far enough apart that their houses weren’t even visible from our property line.
We passed under the overpass and crossed the riverbank. A few yards ahead lay the park where I often played ball with my friends. Beyond the playground area, the road curved sharply to the west before ending at a bridge leading to the other side of town.
The lion looked up at the sky and sniffed the air. His nose twitched as he took in the scent of fresh grass and wildflowers. Both of which grew abundantly throughout the fields surrounding the village.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” I remarked.
As we approached the edge of the park, the lion stopped walking and sat down abruptly on the curb. I paused briefly beside him to take in the view. From this vantage point, I could see the entire length of the river flowing through the center of town.
On either bank stretched acres upon acres of fertile farmland. Some of it belonged to farmers who owned the land outright; others to large corporations whose owners leased plots from them. In turn, those companies sold produce to local markets and restaurants. The money earned from such sales helped keep many families fed and clothed.
In the distance, I spotted an orange glow emanating from one of the factories located on the outskirts of town. The light cast shadows across the landscape and illuminated distant buildings. To my left, the factory appeared to sit atop a small hill surrounded by tall trees. Overhead, the night sky glowed brightly with countless stars scattered across its expanse.
Looking upward, I noticed several bright lights shining directly overhead. One shone above each of the four corners of the city. They flickered sporadically and emitted a dull red hue. With a quick glance downward, I observed several smaller lights floating near the ground. Each one was connected to a wire that extended into the ground below. Curious as to what they might be, I leaned forward to examine them closer.
When I did, I heard a faint clicking sound coming from somewhere behind me. Turning back toward the lion, I discovered him standing upright again. He had risen to his feet without making a single noise!
“Whoa…” I gasped. “How’d you do that?”
“Didn’t you see me stand up?” he replied.
“Yeah, but…”
“Then why didn’t you say something?”
“Well, I wasn’t expecting you to do that. It caught me off guard.”
“Catch you off ga—”
Suddenly everything went dark. The lion froze in place and the world around us disappeared completely. My eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness. When they finally did, I found myself looking at a pair of glowing yellow orbs hovering near my face. Their shape reminded me of two oversized eyeballs staring straight at me.
Something touched my forehead and sent a tingle coursing through my body. Instantly, I felt weak in the knees and lost all strength in my legs. I collapsed backward onto the ground. For some reason, I couldn’t move or speak. Everything seemed frozen in time. Not even the slightest breeze stirred the air. All I could hear was the constant buzzing of flies trapped inside the tiny bubble of space around me.
At first, I feared the lions were responsible for whatever had happened to me. However, when I tried to look up toward them, I quickly realized they were nowhere to be seen. And neither was anyone else for that matter.
All of a sudden, the sensation vanished and I regained control over my senses once again. Standing up, I surveyed the area. No one else was nearby. I could only assume everyone was still asleep inside their homes.
I glanced up at the sky and watched as the orb-like objects drifted slowly downward. Soon, they landed softly on the pavement between my boots. The feeling returned to my limbs and I began moving again. Just like before, I couldn’t make any sounds. Even worse, I also felt unable to breathe properly. Fortunately, the lion was right next to me. Without warning, he grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me away from the spot.
“What are these things?” I asked.
“They’re called drones,” he replied. “And they belong to the military.”
Once again, I saw the flash of blue light engulfing the pair of orbs. Then, just as quickly, they disappeared altogether.
“That’s not good!” I exclaimed. “Why can’t I talk? Why am I so tired?”
The lion didn’t respond. Instead, he walked past me and headed deeper into the park. As soon as I followed suit, I heard another click come from somewhere ahead. This time, however, the sound came from the opposite direction.
Looking in that general vicinity, I spotted a large tree situated along the far side of the road leading out of the village. A few yards beyond its base, I spied a short wooden fence. Atop the pole that held the gate closed, a small camera rested. I recognized it immediately because I’d seen similar ones before on television news programs.
“There must be cameras everywhere,” I said. “But how does this help them find people who’ve gone missing?”
“It doesn’t,” answered the lion. “My guess is that there’s something special about you.”
“Special?”
He nodded. “You have a unique ability. Something no one has ever experienced before. You should know better than anyone that we don’t often encounter such phenomena. In fact, most humans never experience anything supernatural in their entire lives. That means you’re different from other human beings—special. But not necessarily in a positive sense. If the military wants to capture your abilities, then it’ll use every tool available to it.”
“So, you think they want to study me?”
“Of course. There’s nothing unusual about it. The government uses many methods to gather information. Yours would fit nicely into their arsenal of weapons.”
“Weapons against the supernatural?”
“Yes. But you won’t be able to stop them, regardless of whether you cooperate with them or try to fight back. They’re powerful enough to take care of themselves. So, what will you choose: submit to their demands or run away?”
As if reading my mind, he added, “If you decide to stay here, the odds of being captured aren’t very high. But they might send someone after you anyway. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but sooner or later, they’ll catch up to you.”
Feeling the weight of his words settle heavily upon me, I decided to ask the obvious question. “How long do I have until they get here?”
“Not much longer,” he replied. “We need to keep moving. We can’t afford to waste too much time.”
Without waiting for an answer, he set off down the street. I hurried to follow him but was forced to slow my pace when I nearly tripped over a chunk of concrete lying across the sidewalk. Catching my balance, I looked ahead and noticed several more pieces scattered throughout the area.
Like the one that had almost knocked me flat, each piece appeared to be roughly four feet wide by three inches thick. It wasn’t hard to imagine where they came from; all I had to do was glance up at the sky.
A moment later, the lion stopped abruptly, causing me to bump into his back. He turned around and gazed at the ground beneath our feet. After studying the debris for a minute, he bent down and picked up a smooth stone. I assumed it had been part of the sidewalk, although I couldn’t tell exactly which section of the road it belonged to. With a quick twist, the lion tossed it aside and continued walking.
“Where are we going now?” I asked.
“To the edge of town,” he responded. “From there, we’ll head south toward the forest.”
“Forest?”
“Yes, the same place you were born.”
***
The sun was already beginning to rise above the horizon as we made our way through the streets. The air was cool and crisp, despite the heat outside, while the sky remained dark gray. Only a handful of people—mostly men dressed in black uniforms—were awake and milling about.
Most of them ignored us completely, but several stopped to stare as the lion led me past them. When he glanced over his shoulder, I could see the irritation on his face.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “Didn’t mean to draw any attention to myself.”
“No problem,” he replied. “Just remember to keep quiet whenever possible. People tend to notice things like that.”
“Like what?”
“Well, let’s say they spot you speaking to yourself. Or maybe they hear you muttering to yourself under your breath. Either way, they’ll assume you’re crazy.”
“Oh. Right.”
Although I tried to ignore them, the stares only grew worse as we moved farther out of town. By the time we reached the outskirts of the city, everyone within earshot seemed to be staring directly at us. Some even began shouting questions, prompting the lion to turn around and growl menacingly.
Although he spoke softly so I wouldn’t understand his words, it still sent shivers down my spine. One man shouted back, but the lion silenced him with a single glare. Several others called out to the lion, demanding answers to various questions. But none of them got a response. Instead, the lion simply kept walking forward without saying another word.
Eventually, we left the city behind and entered a densely wooded area. A few minutes later, the lion slowed his pace and pulled his hood down low over his eyes. The action caused the shadows cast by the trees to hide his features, making it impossible for me to identify him.
As I watched him move deeper into the woods, I wondered how far we were from the village. Judging by the number of houses visible before we entered the forest, I estimated we must have passed half of the town already.
Several hours later, the lion finally stopped walking. From this point on, we’d be traveling solely by night.
“You should rest for a bit,” he said. “It shouldn’t take too long to reach the village.”
“Will I be safe there?”
He hesitated for a second before responding. “Should be fine. You’ll be staying at my house, so no one will bother you. Besides, most people don’t travel through these parts during the day. That makes it easier for us to avoid being seen.”
In a matter-of-fact tone, he added, “But never forget who you are. If anyone asks why you’re carrying weapons, just tell them I gave them to you.”
“What would happen then? Would I be arrested?”
“That depends. Sometimes, if someone complains to the authorities, they might arrest you right away. Other times, they may try to convince you to leave quietly. And sometimes, they won’t care either way.”
“Why not?”
“Because they know nothing will change. No one cares enough about the villagers to risk their lives trying to protect them. Not anymore.”
As the lion walked further into the forest, I followed him silently. At first glance, everything appeared normal: lots of tall trees, bushes, and shrubs growing everywhere. However, as I studied the surroundings more closely, I noticed something strange.
There were no animals or birds anywhere near us. In fact, I hadn’t heard anything other than the sound of our footsteps since entering the woods.
We continued moving until we reached an old wooden building hidden deep inside the forest. It looked almost abandoned, yet somehow familiar. Perhaps that was because I recognized its shape; after all, I’d seen similar structures many times throughout my life.
The End