zoo, unlike me, who lived here all my life. According to Harry, where he lived, there was blazing
sun during the day and chilly wind during the night. There were mounds of sand that stretched
in all directions, and he didn’t have to be locked in a tank. Apparently, there was much less of
humans (the way Harry calls the creatures), and it was a place where he could roam around freely,
as he was destined to be.
As I listened to Harry, I explored around the mounds of sand, looked up at the beautiful, endless
sky and rested in peace, among the nature. The imagination gave me hope and a reason to live.
I was destined to go to the desert.
“He seems much healthier recently,” said Kai as he observed the two snakes happily roaming
around the tank. Kris smiled.
“Definitely a good choice to go to the doctor huh?”
I dreamed of living in the Gobi desert since I met Harry. When I closed my eyes, I saw the
beautiful sea of stars on the breezy night sky, and when I daydreamed I saw dunes after dunes of
sand before my eyes.
I was certain that one day, if I was determined enough; I would be able to go back to the
place where I truly belong. To start with, Harry went against me. According to Harry, I was more
likely to be killed by the humans in the process. But I couldn’t give up my hope. As he saw how
determined I was, he gave in and decided to come along with me.
However, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. The tanks were rarely open; it was only
open when the humans decided to ‘feed’ us, and that really wasn’t very often. The creatures
seemed determined to keep us in the tank and let other creatures watch us.
All I could do was pretending that I was happy and innocent. And I have to say that I would
not have survived without Harry through the next
It was like any other day, when I found a small hole in the back corner of the tank. I doubted
my eyes. Could it really be? Was I actually seeing a …? I quickly called Harry over.
“I am not going to fit down that hole,” said Harry. He shot me a look. Then he shot a look back
at the hole.
“But you might,” he said. His eyes reflected determination that I never felt from Harry. It
reminded me the eyes of the snake on the invisible barrier; my eyes, that used to burn with
questions and resentment.
It suddenly hit me. I understood what Harry wanted me to do.
“No” I hissed. I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave him here. My eyes welled up with tears.
Harry looked out the invisible barrier to check if any humans were around.
There was no one.
“Hurry up, this is your chance,” said Harry, scurrying me up the hole.
“But I thought this was our dream, I can’t just let you live in this small tank for the rest of
your life. It’s just not fair,” I sobbed. Harry was the person who gave me reason to live, I simply
couldn’t stand betraying him like this.
It just wasn’t fair.
“Tao, do me a favor. You can live the life that I dreamed to get back. You can go to the desert,
and forget about the past. The zoo, the humans...me,” finished Harry.
Sadness swept over me, and I could almost feel the tears that I saw before on the small
creatures. Harry dragged me to the hall and made me face it.
“Just Go! We don’t have time,” hissed Harry.
