The Open Gate
When the humans abandon the game park, its inhabitants face the ultimate question: stay or go?
The pride’s leader circled before making herself comfortable. “So you’re telling me the humans have abandoned the park?” she asked the cheetah.
“Correct, Folami,” Chibuzo replied, eying the chief’s posse with trepidation.
Desta the hyena’s ears pricked up as she processed the news, exclaiming “The gates are open — we are free!”
“Free from what? This is our home,” Folami asked, flicking her tail in annoyance.
Chibuzo paced before the council, head bowed, the frustration clear in his voice, “You only call it home because it’s all you’ve known — you were born here. I was kidnapped. I miss my homeland.”
Feeling the cheetah’s pain, Folami probed, “You’ll return to your family?”
Staring into the distance Chibuzo said, “No, they succumbed to illness before my capture. I have no-one to return to. But I yearn to be free.”
The lion Queen stood to address him, “The plains beyond are wide, but there is no guarantee of food.”
“No humans means no meals,” the cheetah hissed.
“No. But we have the traditional ways. There are plenty of lessers,” the lion stated.
The point wasn’t lost on the representatives from the meerkat, oryx, and zebra clans. Natural prey to the large cats, and already alarmed at the news of the humans disappearing, their collective blood pressure rose as the conversation continued.
Folami turned and looked at the collective, knowing their fate lay in her decision.
“Stay, we must turn on our own,” she observed, “leave, we face the unknown.”
Eyes filled with fear meet hers, as she glanced around the council.
“I can’t force you to leave,” the lion Queen stated, “but you must understand that if you stay, you will become prey for my family.”
“It is the law of the jungle.”
Chibuzo turned back to the gathering and padded his paw in the dust, “Although my heart is elsewhere, I believe I may stay.”
“A turn of heart from the hunter?” laughed Desta, “are you scared you’ll go hungry?”
“I am afraid of nothing!” spat the cheetah, staring down the cowardly hyena, “but something is holding me back.”
“Holding you back, or keeping you home?” asked Folami.
“For better or worse, we are your family now.”
A story written for ILLUMINATION, highlighting the emotional landscape many are facing in the wake of Covid-19’s disruption of society, and the fear of venturing into the unknown.
ILLUMINATION is an innovation center that is producing ideas to contribute to alleviating the pains of society and improve the quality of life. Through new approaches to discussing difficult problems, ILLUMINATION is creating a knowledge building and sharing community to stimulate conversation and idea generation.
About The Author
Stephen Scott. Writer of Words. Yet Another Creative. Many names, some printable in decent company. He’s been plying his trade in copywriting and creative management since, well, before you were born (if you were born in the 90’s). Yes, he’s obviously a Star Wars fan. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
