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Everglades Swan
Wicked Scars
Everglades Swan
The gator was only a few feet away from me, his jaws opened to reveal his pearly whites and a loud hissing made me flinch. He was laying on the grass in my backyard and I immediately knew how he got in. I had left my gate open the night before and now I was paying for it. Slowing backing up with my eyes trained on the gator, I entered my house and slid the door shut quietly. My cellphone was on the table so I grabbed it easily and dialed Ashley's number.
“Hey, girl.” I heard her voice say when she answered. “What's up?”
“I have a slight problem.” I told her.
“Huh?”
“I have a gator in my backyard. The thing is about seven or eight feet.”
“Oh, let me tell the guys and I'll send them over.” Ashley stated. “Just make sure he doesn't get out into another yard.”
“No problem, Ash. Thanks!” We both hung up and I sighed in relief. Ashley worked at Everglades Holiday Park and they handled nuisance gators on a daily basis. She and I had been best friends ever since we both volunteered at the same place. We both trained tigers and lions together and she had seen a tiger attack me before. Since my accident, she had volunteered at Holiday Park to work with her boyfriend Chris and also to learn how to wrestle gators. I had been sitting on my back porch, watching the gator with leveled eyes when my doorbell rang. I entered my house slowly and shut the door before walking towards the door. Swinging it open I came face to face with two men, both tall, but their ages differed. “Here for the gator?” I asked.
“Yeah, I'm Jimmy and that's Paul.” The younger of the two said. He had long, brown hair that was pulled back under a hat and soft brown eyes. “Ashley said you knew her.”
“Volunteered with her bout a year ago, with tigers.” I shrugged. “He's in the back, right in the middle of the yard.” The two men followed me through my small home and I opened the sliding door for them. The gator hadn't moved which made me happy. Both the men immediately set to work and managed to secure the gator and moved him. I followed them out front and shook both of their hands with a thanks.
“Wicked scars.” I heard Jimmy comment and I gave a weak smile.
“I was working with a tiger, doing a show, and I touched him wrong.” I explained. “He jumped me, ended up biting my side and getting my leg pretty good.” I motioned to the purple scars and then lifted my shirt slightly to show the puncture wounds. “They killed him. I wish they hadn't but it was the only way to get him off me.”
“You worked with tigers?” Paul asked with a wide eyed look, like he didn't believe me.
“Bears, wolves, lions and such. Any wild animals I could get my hands on... Oh, snakes too!” I proudly stated and took my phone out to show them some pictures. “This was when I took a trip to India for a weekend and handled wild tigers there. Oh, this was my favorite trip. We went to Costa Rica and tracked down rare jaguars and pumas. It was awesome.” I smiled as they looked at all of the pictures I supplied. “I loved animals since I was a kid and started training small wild cats at twelve.”
“That is sweet.” Jimmy gave me a grin. “So you know Ashley through volunteering with the tigers?”
“Yeah, that's how we met. She was with me when I was attacked, I think.” I shrugged. “That day is still somewhat fuzzy.”
“You should try working with alligators like her.” Jimmy suggested and I saw Paul give him a look. “I mean, you'd start off doing small jobs but yeah, we could teach you how to handle them.”
“Maybe.. I'm not sure if my leg can handle much stress yet. I can't risk tearing it again.”
“Well, why don't you give us a call if you want to?” Paul handed me a slip of paper with a number on it. “It'd be nice to have you.” I nodded.
“Thanks for getting the gator and talking.” I waved them goodbye before walking back into my house and flopping onto my couch. I knew I wanted to work with animals soon, maybe not cats, but alligators sounded like a good substitute.
“Cassie, maybe you should take some time off from working with animals.” My sister stated, staring at me from the chair she sat in. I was currently doing my daily physical training, trying to get my leg back in working order. “I mean, you did get attacked and all. You should take a break and find a more... safe job.” I stopped stretching my leg out and gave her an incredulous look.
“Carina, I love working with animals.” I stated with a confused look. “I know I got hurt but it was my fault.”
“No, it was that tiger's fault!” She snapped, her eyes glancing down at my exposed thigh that held the many long, and deep red/purple scars. “You nearly died and yet you still want to work with those stupid animals.” I stopped what I was doing and glared at her.
“I don't think you understand.” I said. “I love working with wild animals. I love training them, doing shows with them. I've worked with bears, lions, wolves, jaguars and tigers for nearly twenty-four years. This was only the second time this has happened.”
“You're lucky, that's all. One day you won't be and then where will you be? Dead.”
“You don't accept me.”
“Cassandra!” I grabbed my purse, ignoring the twinge in my thigh.
“I'll talk to you whenever, I guess.” I slammed her front door, ignoring her husband's short goodbye. As I sat in my car I immediately thought about Paul and Jimmy. The number they gave me seemed like a good thing to call right now, considering I was stewing about what my sister said. I was thirty-two, I could do what I wanted. Dialing the number with a held breath, I was surprised to hear Ashley's voice on the other side. “Ash! It's Cassie.”
“Hey, man! What's up?” She asked, her voice happy.
“Paul and Jimmy gave me this number. Said to call if I wanted a chance at working with gators.”
“Sweet! You gonna do it?”
“That's why I'm calling, Ash.” I laughed, knowing she was probably blushing.
“Oh!” She exclaimed. “If you want, you can come by either later today or tomorrow evening. Paul will be around both times and he can show you everything.”
“I think tonight will be good. Around six?”
“Perfect.”
“Alright, I'll see you later Ash!” I hung up with a grin forming on my face. My sister would be so pissed but this is what I wanted.
The gator was only a few feet away from me, his jaws opened to reveal his pearly whites and a loud hissing made me flinch. He was laying on the grass in my backyard and I immediately knew how he got in. I had left my gate open the night before and now I was paying for it. Slowing backing up with my eyes trained on the gator, I entered my house and slid the door shut quietly. My cellphone was on the table so I grabbed it easily and dialed Ashley's number.
“Hey, girl.” I heard her voice say when she answered. “What's up?”
“I have a slight problem.” I told her.
“Huh?”
“I have a gator in my backyard. The thing is about seven or eight feet.”
“Oh, let me tell the guys and I'll send them over.” Ashley stated. “Just make sure he doesn't get out into another yard.”
“No problem, Ash. Thanks!” We both hung up and I sighed in relief. Ashley worked at Everglades Holiday Park and they handled nuisance gators on a daily basis. She and I had been best friends ever since we both volunteered at the same place. We both trained tigers and lions together and she had seen a tiger attack me before. Since my accident, she had volunteered at Holiday Park to work with her boyfriend Chris and also to learn how to wrestle gators. I had been sitting on my back porch, watching the gator with leveled eyes when my doorbell rang. I entered my house slowly and shut the door before walking towards the door. Swinging it open I came face to face with two men, both tall, but their ages differed. “Here for the gator?” I asked.
“Yeah, I'm Jimmy and that's Paul.” The younger of the two said. He had long, brown hair that was pulled back under a hat and soft brown eyes. “Ashley said you knew her.”
“Volunteered with her bout a year ago, with tigers.” I shrugged. “He's in the back, right in the middle of the yard.” The two men followed me through my small home and I opened the sliding door for them. The gator hadn't moved which made me happy. Both the men immediately set to work and managed to secure the gator and moved him. I followed them out front and shook both of their hands with a thanks.
“Wicked scars.” I heard Jimmy comment and I gave a weak smile.
“I was working with a tiger, doing a show, and I touched him wrong.” I explained. “He jumped me, ended up biting my side and getting my leg pretty good.” I motioned to the purple scars and then lifted my shirt slightly to show the puncture wounds. “They killed him. I wish they hadn't but it was the only way to get him off me.”
“You worked with tigers?” Paul asked with a wide eyed look, like he didn't believe me.
“Bears, wolves, lions and such. Any wild animals I could get my hands on... Oh, snakes too!” I proudly stated and took my phone out to show them some pictures. “This was when I took a trip to India for a weekend and handled wild tigers there. Oh, this was my favorite trip. We went to Costa Rica and tracked down rare jaguars and pumas. It was awesome.” I smiled as they looked at all of the pictures I supplied. “I loved animals since I was a kid and started training small wild cats at twelve.”
“That is sweet.” Jimmy gave me a grin. “So you know Ashley through volunteering with the tigers?”
“Yeah, that's how we met. She was with me when I was attacked, I think.” I shrugged. “That day is still somewhat fuzzy.”
“You should try working with alligators like her.” Jimmy suggested and I saw Paul give him a look. “I mean, you'd start off doing small jobs but yeah, we could teach you how to handle them.”
“Maybe.. I'm not sure if my leg can handle much stress yet. I can't risk tearing it again.”
“Well, why don't you give us a call if you want to?” Paul handed me a slip of paper with a number on it. “It'd be nice to have you.” I nodded.
“Thanks for getting the gator and talking.” I waved them goodbye before walking back into my house and flopping onto my couch. I knew I wanted to work with animals soon, maybe not cats, but alligators sounded like a good substitute.
“Cassie, maybe you should take some time off from working with animals.” My sister stated, staring at me from the chair she sat in. I was currently doing my daily physical training, trying to get my leg back in working order. “I mean, you did get attacked and all. You should take a break and find a more... safe job.” I stopped stretching my leg out and gave her an incredulous look.
“Carina, I love working with animals.” I stated with a confused look. “I know I got hurt but it was my fault.”
“No, it was that tiger's fault!” She snapped, her eyes glancing down at my exposed thigh that held the many long, and deep red/purple scars. “You nearly died and yet you still want to work with those stupid animals.” I stopped what I was doing and glared at her.
“I don't think you understand.” I said. “I love working with wild animals. I love training them, doing shows with them. I've worked with bears, lions, wolves, jaguars and tigers for nearly twenty-four years. This was only the second time this has happened.”
“You're lucky, that's all. One day you won't be and then where will you be? Dead.”
“You don't accept me.”
“Cassandra!” I grabbed my purse, ignoring the twinge in my thigh.
“I'll talk to you whenever, I guess.” I slammed her front door, ignoring her husband's short goodbye. As I sat in my car I immediately thought about Paul and Jimmy. The number they gave me seemed like a good thing to call right now, considering I was stewing about what my sister said. I was thirty-two, I could do what I wanted. Dialing the number with a held breath, I was surprised to hear Ashley's voice on the other side. “Ash! It's Cassie.”
“Hey, man! What's up?” She asked, her voice happy.
“Paul and Jimmy gave me this number. Said to call if I wanted a chance at working with gators.”
“Sweet! You gonna do it?”
“That's why I'm calling, Ash.” I laughed, knowing she was probably blushing.
“Oh!” She exclaimed. “If you want, you can come by either later today or tomorrow evening. Paul will be around both times and he can show you everything.”
“I think tonight will be good. Around six?”
“Perfect.”
“Alright, I'll see you later Ash!” I hung up with a grin forming on my face. My sister would be so pissed but this is what I wanted.