Trapped

By AwkwardPenguin

A/N: A story I wrote a while back, decided to post it here.

 

            An eruption of murmurs surrounded the transparent glass, eyes staring awed as they situate on a certain creature. Intelligent, observant beady black eyes stare back towards the crowd. As if wearing a tuxedo with black webbed feet, the creature waddles goofily on the icy terrain.

            Splash! The creature sinks into the ice cold water, earning hearty laughs from the beasts behind the glass barrier. As the creature emerges, a sense of sorrow reaches its eyes. An animal that was labelled unintelligent and idiotic; a label pasted on a creature without a single protest.

            As the crowd leaves, uninterested when the creature refuses to move, the sorrowful creature dives back down into the water. Swimming, moving its plump body, it reaches the barrier.

            Placing an ebony wing on the transparent glass, its eyes stared almost maliciously towards the laughing beasts; hatred b within its beady eyes. Then with a backward , it shoots back up to the surface, black beak popping up first. But none the less, the only penguin trapped in this exhibit.

            Penguin had been different than most of the penguins that had once existed in the same habitat. Instead of the usual squabbles and play fights, Penguin would swim mindlessly in her little own world. Oddly enough, she was the surviving penguin between her small clan; this habitat would not keep her alive for long though.

            Climbing back onto the small, icy platform, she waddles towards the corner with her webbed feet slapping against the surface. Then she slouches, as if she’s squatting, and shakes out the remaining water from her small, plump body. Ducking her ebony head, she ignores the shouts from above and watches a fish land right in front of her.

            She nudges the fish with her webbed foot, staring at it hungrily. But then the sorrow washes away her appetite. With her beak, the fish sails into the icy water and disappears. Instead, her eyes shut for a moment, conserving the remaining energy within her weary body.

            That burning desire for freedom lingers within her heart but as she opens her eyes and stares at the barrier between her and the outside world; all hope deflates. She’s trapped, trapped to be a tourist attraction; she was treated like one as well.

            She had no one in this habitat; all had passed away after a virus spread. Unfortunately for her, she managed to stay alive. Left to live a lonely life, she spent her day scrawling words on the icy terrain or slept away her weariness. At times, she wishes someone would free her from this torturous captivity.

            Once more she shuts her eyes, delving herself into a deep slumber, ignoring the shouts behind the glass barrier.

 

            A loud thud awoke the slumbering Penguin. Beady, black eyes blinked, focusing on the individuals pressed against the glass. Shaking her head, she stretched a bit before waddling towards the edge of the platform with passive eyes. She noticed the hands slapping against the transparent barrier, creating an earthshaking effect.

            She hated the sound, despised it with her little heart. Remembering the mocking faces and chortling laughs; she was just a comedy show to these “humans”. Instead of a show, she’d sit there like a bump on a log and ignored the angry shouts.

            “Children.” She grumbled, waddling back to her corner, earning another series of harsh banging. Doing her best to ignore it, she slumped in her spot and stared at the humans with a little more depth.

            Perhaps the intelligence shown in her eyes were label as a look of a savage; Penguin had no clue. She had spent a big chunk of her life encased in this torture, slowly losing the life within her body. She refused to eat or do anything that was remotely ridiculous. Unlike most creatures, Penguin did not abide to the rules her captors set up.

            Bang! Bang! “Wake up, you stupid bird!” A rowdy teenager shouted, slamming his grimy hand on the wall, creating almost invisible hand prints. The penguin in question huffed, slightly insulted by his comment. Instead of complying, she sat there and remained as still as a statue.

            The earth-rumbling banging makes her head throb but the pain in her heart overrides the piercing sound. The loneliness and emptiness shines within her beady, black eyes as she gazes sorrowfully towards the icy water before her. But it’s not the same.

            It’s not as a cold as her real home and it’s not as fun without her family. Having been stolen from her parents and friends, she was forced to stay with a colony of strangers. Perhaps, it was best that they died but then again, it left her lonely. It’s then a fish flops by her feet, flopping slightly with gills moving slightly.

            She stares at it wistfully, eyes darkened with hunger. But then her appetite dissipates when she remembers her reality. Using her beak, she nudged the fish and watched it slide off the edge, landing with a plop in the water. The lack of nutrients had begun to take its toll on her and she knew eventually, she would cease to exist in this hellish world.

            It was a painful way to die but it was seemed like it was the only way to die. She shook her head and ignored the burning hunger within the pit of her stomach. Just taking a whiff of the fish from earlier made her famished, but like always, she ignored the feeling.

            No one noticed. Even the impatient young men and women who fed her every day never saw the fish that sunk into the cool water. The strange feeling gnawed at her stomach, dizzying her mind as she stared down at the transparent ice water. She waddled closer towards the edge, dipping an ebony flipper into the water.

            The icy water feels a degree or two warmer, earning a sigh of disappointment from the sad penguin. Pulling back slightly, Penguin squatted, bunching her body into a circular shape. Her black beady eyes stare longingly towards the transparent glass, carefully eyeing the crowd of humans. Did they always come here just to watch them suffer?

            Brushing the question away, Penguin shifted her gaze towards the water and eyed her reflection, angrily. Seeing the empty look within her own eyes, she slapped the image painted on the surface, watching the water splash in the air as her flipper slapped the cool water. It didn’t seem to affect her, even though the water splashed right onto her tuxedo-like body.

            “WAH!” She flinched upon hearing a soft yet mighty squeak. Darting her head back and forth, she searched for the source of the sound. Instead, she was greeted with the murmur of the crowd outside and banging against the transparent glass. Frowning, she returned her attention back towards the water.

            “Whoops!” It was then she felt something light land on her head. She could feel tiny legs, nearly eliciting a squawk of terror from the startled Penguin. She found herself waddling back and forth; hoping to shake off whatever was perched upon her head. Instead, she felt those tiny legs grasp her head tighter.

            “Get it off, get it off.” She mumbled to herself, ready to reach up a flipper to whack off the intruder. But a wise voice instantly prevented her from doing so.

            “Calm down, I’m not a threat.” A calm voice spoke to her in the tiniest of whispers. She blinked, bewildered, before complying. She forced herself to relax, adjusting to the legs clutching her head. Instead, she attempted to look up, curious as to what was on her head.

            But all she could see was a small amount of greenish brown, much to her dismay. It was certainly a light creature and had more than 2 legs, which left her a bit puzzled. She nearly shuddered, recalling the strange legs gripped her head, tightly. If this creature was afraid that she about to shake him or her off again, Penguin had more manners than that.

            “The name is Penguin.” She politely greeted the intruder. The urge to smack the unknown critter off tempted her but the lack of energy within her body prevented her from doing so. Penguin was tired, mentally and physically. Perhaps, this creature was here to end her misery and-

            “Hold out your flipper for a moment.” The intruder requested in a serene manner, cutting her off mid thought. She hesitated before carefully holding out an ebony flipper, feeling the anxiety engulf her plump body. It was then the weight left her head and a small creature pounced onto her flipper.

            “Sorry for landing on you.” The creature apologized, using a thin leg to rub at its antenna. She watched the antenna perched on the creature’s head move slightly, causing her to tilt her head. Not once in her life had she ever seen a creature like it, let alone spoken to one. But for some strange reason, she felt calm and at ease.

            “I’m Grasshopper. It’s nice to meet you, Penguin.” The little green creature greeted her kindly. Though she could barely see Grasshopper’s eyes, she was able to catch the warmth twinkling within them. Watching it wave a leg at her, she blinked, wondering how Grasshopper had ended up in her habitat.

            As Penguin stared at Grasshopper for a moment, she realized just how tiny Grasshopper was. If she were to walk, she would end up stepping on Grasshopper and that would have been the end of the poor creature.

            “You… should go back to your own friends.” Penguin mumbled, darting her eyes towards the glass. She stared at the chattering humans and watched the little children bang on the transparent glass of the Polar Bear’s habitat. Just watching the bear’s eyes shut, she knew she wasn’t the only one tired of being trapped in captivity.

            Always being used as a source of entertainment and hearing the thunderous banging on the glass; Penguin was tired. This life wasn’t her, this life wasn’t worth it, and this life was only hurting her. Returning her gaze back towards Grasshopper, she could only let out a heavy sigh.

            “I can’t go back. I mean… I did fall into your home.” Grasshopper sheepishly replied, antennas twitching. Penguin blinked, wondering how it was possible for Grasshopper to fall. Then again, she had no knowledge of the world, considering she had been trapped for quite a while.

            “Well, I’m going to sleep.” She gestured for the little Grasshopper to jump off her flipper. When the latter did, she waddled over to her favourite corner and lay down on her belly, tucking her body tightly together. Her eyes were beginning to shut when Grasshopper suddenly appeared right in front of her.

            “Did I do anything to offend you?” Grasshopper questioned, antenna twitching rapidly. Penguin could tell the small creature felt uneasy, especially since she sported an indifferent expression on her face.

            “No, I just hate company.” Penguin replied, flatly, ignoring the hurt on the poor Grasshopper’s face. Instead, she closed her eyes, ignoring the slight guilt prying at her heart. The tension between them irked her, just like it did with the other penguins, but strangely; it wasn’t the same kind of feeling.

            Instead of the “go away and leave me alone” feeling, she felt that she was perhaps trying not to let the little Grasshopper become any more than a stranger to her. After all, the happiness in life always seemed to leave her in the end, despite the countless of promises. Even her one and only best friend passed away in this very place…

            What pained her weary heart was the way the humans dealt with each death. She could recall the way they heartlessly disposed of the body, dumping it like it was a used object. It made her wish she could have died with them too, instead of living a broken life.

            Pushing away the memories, she slowly began to doze off. But right before she delved into a deep slumber, she heard Grasshopper’s soft voice.

            “Sleep well, Penguin.”

 

            Over the course of a few weeks, Penguin learned just how persistent and kind Grasshopper was. Grasshopper was selfish too, but it wasn’t outrageously irritating to Penguin. It fascinated her that Grasshopper had seen more of the world than she did. It didn’t even take long for her to converse with the insect.

            They would spend the day talking and watching the crowd of people walk by. Penguin didn’t think she could ever feel this happy and it was all because of Grasshopper. She was surprised that the small creature could enter her heart so easily, especially with the horror show she had witnessed throughout her life.

            “Do Grasshoppers eat fish?” She recalled the time she innocently asked Grasshopper such a silly question. It was a day where Grasshopper had managed to encourage Penguin to eat the fish given to her.

            “No, Penguin.” Grasshopper says in her calm, collected voice. “Grasshoppers don’t eat fish.” Then that was the end of the discussion. She didn’t ask too much about Grasshopper and Grasshopper didn’t ask her anything personal either. All she knew was that during their time together, she had found a friend within Grasshopper.

            At times, they would rest together in the corner and talk endlessly about things. It was within those times did Penguin let her guard down and allow Grasshopper into her heart, just like she had done with her best friend in the past. Grasshopper didn’t judge her for wanting to die, for wanting to give up. Grasshopper just listened.

            When Penguin was tired, she would fall asleep with Grasshopper perched upon her head. When she didn’t want to eat, Grasshopper would persuade her in a kind fashion and she would only eat a mouthful of fish before kicking the remainder away, despite Grasshopper’s disapproval.

            “You need to eat!” Grasshopper’s scolding voice reprimanded her. She remembered the way she had ducked her head in shame before replying in the same manner.

            “I’m not the only who needs to eat!” Penguin had snapped back and that changed the topic right away. Even if she was worried about Grasshopper’s health, there was nothing she could do about it.

            She was used to Grasshopper’s sarcastic remarks and intellectual mind. Sometimes, they would stare at the ice water and no words would need to form. They didn’t need to talk to feel their bond, all they had to do was stay together and enjoy the moments.

            But like all happy stories, things hit rock bottom. Once again, Penguin was thrown off balance.

 

            The sound of her name awoke from her slumber. But instead of getting up or bothering to open an eye, she attempted to fall asleep again.

            “Penguin!” The latter groaned, ignoring the voice. She felt a tiny weight jumping up and down on her head. Opening her eyes, Penguin groggily looked around the area, wondering what made Grasshopper so frantic. She barely lifted her head when Grasshopper appeared before her.

            “What is it, Grasshopper?” Penguin asked, impatiently. The excited Grasshopper hopped happily around her in glee. It was hard for Penguin to understand her friend, especially when Grasshopper was strangely rowdy today. Even her antennas were twitching quite happily.

            “I have something to tell you.” Grasshopper finally calmed down after a moment. Penguin tilted her head to the side, confused. She just put her head back down and looked over at her friend, curiously.

            “You know when I said I fell? I didn’t actually fall. I saw how empty you were and wanted to help you.” Grasshopper admitted softly with a sense of pride as she spoke. Penguin blinked. What on earth was she talking about?

            “W-What?” Penguin stammered, unable to from a proper sentence. Grasshopper couldn’t help but chirp out a laugh.

            “I always wanted to help you. So I jumped in, carelessly. I know it was stupid but I-” Grasshopper’s voice suddenly cut off. Penguin blinked, wondering why Grasshopper suddenly stopped talking. It was then she noticed the horror plastered across Grasshopper’s face. Before she could ask what was wrong, she saw Grasshopper attempt move to the side.

            Thud! A relatively heavy fish landed right on the poor Grasshopper’s original spot; Grasshopper yelped when she got caught in the midst of it. Penguin’s eyes were wide in horror as the force sent Grasshopper flying towards the edge of the ice. Penguin attempted to get up, rushing towards her friend.

            “Ah!” Grasshopper didn’t have time to move as another sailed from above and landed on the ground, skidding towards her. In a flash, Grasshopper flew into the water with the fish following after her.

            “Grasshopper!” Penguin waddled as fast as she could. She dove right in the water, searching for her friend. Fear and anxiety pounded away within her racing heart.

            She dove back up to the surface, spotting Grasshopper floating nearby. She carefully dove under Grasshopper, putting her on top of her head and swam became to the ice. She carefully climbed onto the icy platform and carefully placed Grasshopper on the ice.

            “Grasshopper! Wake up!” She frantically shouted, horrified when she noticed Grasshopper wasn’t even moving at all. The said Grasshopper lay on the ice, immobile and limp. Penguin heavily afraid could only wait and wait, hoping her dear friend would wake up and talk to her. But she waited and waited patiently with no change in her friend’s state.

            “You went through all this for me… why?” Penguin cried, squawking out her sorrow. It didn’t matter if people saw, it didn’t matter if she got in trouble; Penguin just wanted her friend back.

            Refusing to believe that her friend was gone, she waited. From day till night, she lay by Grasshopper’s limp form and waited. Penguin believed that Grasshopper would wake up, that they would resume their normal conversations together. But the days passed and as Penguin’s weary body began to succumb to the result of death, she smiled.

            She saw Grasshopper waiting in the distance while waving at her with her antennas twitching excitedly. With that last image, Penguin’s life dissipated and her eyes shut for eternity.