A Breath Of Freedom

• Jennifer Bullers, Grade 12
• Short Story
• 2011

The screams of excitement and anticipation broke through my deep slumber, dragging me forcefully back to reality. High keens and begs rang through the air, I could almost see the annoying little kids tugging on their bored parents arms, quizzing them on where I was. I grunted and rolled over on the hard, dirt floor, eyes prickling and spilling over as they fell upon the pathetic pile of rotten, old, flimsy, bitter bamboo shoots. Gingerly I padded my way out from the shade of the only form of privacy in this entire cage, a dead, skeletal tree. The answering cry of excitement tore at my ears, causing more tears to cascade my face as, after all, it was just another day of messy, fat kids peering through the bars of the tiny enclosure, squealing at sounds so supersonic even the Bats would have cringed in agony. My stomach growled before I had a chance to, although I knew that soon I would snap. With extreme reluctance I picked through the meagre selection of breakfast, pulling out a branch that felt much harder and juicier than any others. Now to go sit in full view of the stupid humans, ugh, I hated this life. Why did Mankind find the necessity to cram us into cages when it was obvious none of us were happy? It was almost as if they got some degree of sick enjoyment out of watching us suffering. Seriously, the Lions lay with their heads rested on their large paws and their eyes weeping just like mine, the Giraffe had given up eating and just wished for death of take him and the Meerkats were digging a hole in order to reach freedom. As for me, I was known as the æDepressed Panda.Æ My life consisted of looking gloomy, eating feral food and feigning sleep when my irritation at humanity got too great. Maybe, just maybe, I should have taken a leaf from the MeerkatÆs book and tunnel from freedom, but pandas donÆt dig, and it would be a difficult hole to hide. Instead I went for something similar to the GiraffeÆs behaviour, I guess that subconsciously I wished for them to steal my life from me, in addition to my freedom and hope. I dropped my tasteless bamboo and pushed up to my feet, allowing all my anger to flow through my body. The yowl rose from deep within me, shaking my surroundings. This was the snap I had been waiting for. I charged at the fence, hoping to break through, or at least scare everyone from ever coming to ogle at me again. To my surprise the fence gave and broke under my attack, leaving me free to the world. Happiness took over from anger and I ran off in a direction I hoped would get me out of there. I barely heard the gunshot before the icy cold, tranquilliser stole my consciousness and I stumbled into darkness.