Alex

The Freighter, Indian Ocean

09:11AM } July 22, 2014

Hello again! Welcome back to what Elle would describe as the entertaining side of the story. I... I would say that it's been a while, but honestly? I still don't know how long it's been since we left off at Grand Central. Anyway, I imagine you must be wondering what happened next?

Well... for starters, if you had asked me what I thought the ideal resolution for everyone was, this would have been my answer: The people would let us go back home and forget that Marty's adventure ever happened. And we'd try to do the same thing, whilst continuing putting on our shows. Maybe Melman, Gloria and I would have demanded answers? I don't know. But other than that, everything would be back to normal! Hmph, it all sounds simple, doesn't it?

Or it would do, if things actually turned out that way!

This is where my memory gets a bit fuzzy, unfortunately. After I got shot with... what looked like a dart of some kind? I...! I'll admit that I vaguely remember waking up outside the zoo for some reason and there were small crowds of people holding up large signs whilst standing behind metal barriers. There was also a woman dressed up in a rather smart manner, who was accompanied by one of those humans we saw at the station. That didn't help calm my nerves in the slightest and the next thing I know? Boom! The people started screaming and I found myself shot again! Argh...! Why they had turned against us all of the sudden? I didn't know. But—! But I'm not gonna lie, it was tricky not to feel upset.

I mean, did this happen to other Kings or Queens out there? Or is it just me?

"Ugh..." I groaned weakly, becoming faintly aware of my temple throbbing. "Oh, my head," Okay, Alex. Up and at 'em. Find out what's happened. Cue me to lift my head up ... only for a sudden blow of pain to catch me off-guard. Huh?! "Oh! Ah! What the...? Wait. Where...? What...?" Oh no. I spread my arms out to my sides and above my head, desperately hoping to sense the familiar fresh air in my pen. And did I achieve that? Nope! The wood only made circumstance more oppressive. No! Please don't tell me I'm—! "I'm in a box! Oh, no. No, no! Not the box! Oh no, they can't transfer me! Not me!" Guys, where are you?!

"Oh, I can't breathe...! I can't breathe...!" I whimpered, finding myself backing into a corner and wrapping my arms around my body in a frantic state. "Darkness creeping in...! I can't breathe! I can't breathe! Walls closing in around me...! So alone! So alone...!"

"Alex!" A familiar voice greeted my ears, much to my shock. What?! "Alex, are you there?!"

"Marty?!"

"Yeah!" Marty responded in an excited manner. "Talk to me, buddy!"

"Oh, Marty! You're here!" I sighed with relief.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" The zebra asked worriedly.

"This doesn't look good, Marty," I tried to explain to him, mere moments before another familiar voice caught our attention. "Alex? Marty, is that you?"

"Gloria!"

"You're here too!"

"I am loving the sound of your voice!" My best friend said happily.

"What is going on?" The hippopotamus demanded, which prompted me to respond with a stressed: "We're all in crates!"

"Oh, no! Wha...?!"

"Oh..." One final familiar voice greeted our ears. "Sleeping just knocks me out," What?! Melman?! We're all here!

"Melman!" Gloria and I both exclaimed.

"Is that Melman?" Marty asked in a hopeful manner.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. No, I'm fine," The giraffe yawned tiredly. "I often doze off while I'm getting an MRI,"

"Melman, you're not getting an MRI," I tried to reason with him.

"CAT scan?" We're all in danger here, buddy! Why aren't you getting that?!

"No! No CAT scan!" I found myself growling with annoyance. "It's a transfer! It's a zoo transfer!"

"Zoo transfer?!" The poor guy exclaimed fearfully. Happy now, Alex? "Oh no. No, no, I can't be transferred. I have an appointment with Dr. Goldberg at 5:00—!"

"Melman. Melman!" Gloria attempted to reassure him. "Calm down, Melman. Relax,"

"There are prescriptions that have to be filled! No other zoo could afford my medicine care! And I am not going HMO!"

"Take it easy, Melman. It's gonna be okay," Marty's attempts to calm the giraffe down only made my indifference worse. "We are going to be okizay," Okay, that's it!

"No Marty, we're not gonna be okizay," I shot back. "Now because of you, we're ruined!"

"Because of me?" The zebra questioned in a manner which clearly told us that he didn't feel guilty. Arggghh! "I fail to see how this is my fault,"

"You're kidding, right Marty?"

"You! You ticked off the people!" I continued scolding him. "You bit the hand Marty, you bit the hand!" Cue me to mimic his previous words with a flamboyant: "I don't know who I am! I don't know who I am! I got to go find myself in the wild and meet up with my two friends—!"

"Heyhey!" My best friend suddenly shouted. Ooooh, I got him! "Don't bring them into this!"

"Yeah?" I scowled. "Well, how do you think they would feel if they found out what we went through?! Huh?!"

Hearing this, Gloria gave a tired sigh. "Alex's right. If by some chance they do know what happened, they're gonna be worried sick about us," Exactly! Thank you, Gloria! "Marty, what's that girl's name?"

"What girl?"

"The one with the ponytail who talks to you," She explained. "Is she Tessa or El?"

"Oh!" Marty's spirits briefly perked up. "That's uh, that's Ellie," So, you call her El for short? My heart gave a painful lurch when I found myself remembering her. Well... At least we know what her full name is now. "And besides, I don't think she and Tess will know,"

I gave an amused scoff, whilst Melman responded with a firm: "What makes you say that?"

"Well, they're having the time of their lives in Australia," The zebra protested. "There's no way they'll find out where we are," Are you sure? Cue a small burst of anger. "And whilst I'm thinking about it, I did not ask you to come after me! Did I?"

"He does have a point," The giraffe surprisingly agreed.

"What?!" Why are you agreeing with him?! He ruined us!

"I did say we should stay at the zoo, but you guys—!" Oh for—!

"Melman, just shut it!" I interrupted him with a fierce scowl. "You're the one who suggested this whole idea to him in the first place!"

"Alex," Gloria attempted to chime in. "Leave Melman out of this, please,"

"Thank you, Gloria. Besides, Alex, it's not my fault that we were transferred!"

"Melman, shut it. Does anybody feel nauseous?"

"I feel nauseous,"

"Melman, you always feel nauseous," I slumped down with a defeated sigh, just as distant horn rang out. Marty, why...?! Why would you bring this bad luck on all of us?! And what did we ever do to you?! Before I knew it, my heart gave another painful lurch when my anger at my best friend morphed into concern for Ellie.

Ellie? I... I know we're practically strangers, but I really hope you're having better luck than we are. I mean, if by some chance you can tell us that you're doing okay, please do! And just—! Just be safe...! Please...!