A child looked up at his father, his face etched with curiosity.
“Is it hurt?” the young boy asked.
“It is, but look. See those doctors? They’re going to make it feel better,” the father answered. The doctors calmly walked along a winding cobblestone path, surrounded by many flowers and trees. The doctors soon reached the injured creature and surrounded it, obscuring the onlookers view.
“Are you sure it’s going to be okay?” The young boy buried his face in his father’s leg, squeezing it tightly.
“They’re just giving it some privacy. The doctors will be done in no time.” The father picked up the young boy and secured him on his shoulder. “We can move on and come back, if you’d like. The exhibit isn’t going anywhere.”
“I want to stay. I want to see the doctors work.” The young boy turned his head back to the doctors, noticing a group of creatures surrounding them. Some were tall, some were short, some were young, and some were old.
“What are they doing?”
“These creatures are very smart. They care about each other deeply. They’re just making sure everything is okay.” The two stared for a long while, watching various medical personnel funnel in and out. After what seemed like hours to the young boy, the doctors began to carry the creature out of the exhibit. The young boy looked onward without wavering. The doctors were at the threshold of the exit when large shutters fell over the exhibit’s windows, completely blocking the young boy’s view.
“I thought you said it would be okay!” The young boy started to cry.
“Trust me, it will be okay.” The father rubbed his child’s back. Up and down. Up and down. “The doctors just need to go to a place with proper equipment. Everything is alright.” The young boy’s crying somewhat subsided.
“I want to stay. I want to make sure they’re okay.” The young boy was now speaking in short bursts, interrupted by bouts of sniffles.
“We can stay for a while longer. We just have to get back in time for dinner.” The father set the young boy against the shuttered window. Visitors to the exhibit began to trickle out, until just the father and his son were left. The young boy stayed diligent, fighting off his increasing tiredness. The father sat next to his child, thinking of the week ahead.
Just as the father was getting ready to leave, the shutters opened up. The young boy shot back up, and watched as the injured creature slowly made its way to the glass. As the creature came closer, the young boy locked eyes with it. It continued to approach the glass in an apprehensive manner, and the young boy could now see that it was one of the younger individuals. As the creature placed its head against the glass, the young boy did the same.
“Dad, why do they keep it here? It looks sad.”
“It’s too dangerous out here for them. These are the last of their species, and if we let them out of here they may not survive.” The young boy, now only a few inches from the creature’s face, did not understand.
Soon many of the creatures began to approach the glass in the same way as the first. Their faces were tense, and their lips formed a slight frown.
“When I’m older, I’m going to set them free.” The father was silent for a while. He watched as the creatures placed their heads on the glass one by one, mesmerized by their silent understanding of each other.
“We should get going. It’s almost time for dinner.” The young boy kept his head steadfast against the glass and closed his eyes.
“You have to promise we’ll come back next week.”
“We will. We’ll come back here as much as you would like.” The young boy then peeled his head off the glass and took one last look at the creatures in the exhibit. Just when he was about to leave, he realized that he had one last question for his father.
“What’s the name of this species? They seem different from the others.” The boy’s father paused for a second, constructing his answer carefully.
“They’re called Humans. Their planet was nearly unlivable when they were found. Now they’re here, living in this exhibit curated to look like their home.” The young boy stared, mulling over his father’s words. He couldn’t stop thinking about them, even when he fell asleep that night. He dreamed of Humans, and the world they once called home.