The look of a broken soul

If Skipper spotted him it was over. He knew that. His only chance was to steal away without attracting any attention. This couldn't be so hard. Unless, Skipper's senses had improved as much as his strength and aggression had increased. He just hoped that he wouldn't run over his path…

Kowalski pressed himself tighter to the brick दीवार of the elephant's habitat, which was empty as every one in the zoo was. He didn't knew where everyone had gone. He just hoped that they all escaped Skipper's deathly flippers.

Kowalski looked another time over the zoo ground to reckon the distance to the zoo gates. Then he went on his way. He took cover behind every obstacle that he could find and hid in the ruins of the बंदर, लेमूर habitat, where the first explosion had been.

When he had nearly reached the gates, he saw a movement in the corner of his eye. Hastily, he ducked into the shadows and looked around the corner. His दिल sank as he saw what he had apprehended. Slightly panicked, Kowalski pressed himself deeper into the dark corner of the wall. Skipper walked past right before him. If he looked his direction, he would spot him and then… Kowalski held his breath. There was no chance to escape. Skipper looked around as if he was searching for something या thinking. Kowalski closed his eyes. His lung started to hurt. Skipper was mumbling away to himself. Then he seemed to make a decision and walked back towards the पेंगुइन exhibit.

Kowalski opened his eyes and looked after him. That was close. Much too close…

It needed some time until he could loose himself from his rigidity. His दिल was pounding painfully in his chest. Kowalski let it calm down before he continued his way to the gates. When he had passed them a sharp gust hit him in the face. Out here in the park, the wind was much stronger than inside the zoo.

He heard the trees moaning and creaking. The wind was howling. But there was also another noise. A voice. या more, a silent whimper being shred द्वारा the wind and reappearing again. Kowalski looked right and discovered a small black heap near the trees. Kowalski felt his दिल drop.

He walked towards it. The closer he came the और he could see and he went quicker and quicker. Finally he ran towards the little पेंगुइन who was chained to a rock.

"Private, Private!" he called and knelt down beside him.

Private's face was turned to the ground and his body shook in sobs. Kowalski's flippers wandered for a moment desperately over Private's bloody body. He saw the chains and the rod that was pushed through the boy's flippers. Kowalski's stomach turned. He took a deep breath to get rid of the queasy feeling that came up in him. He reached with his flippers to Private's head and lifted his face up gently.

Private opened his eyes, which were swollen from weeping.

"Private?" Kowalski asked quite worried.

Private looked up to him. Kowalski's दिल sank further when he looked into Private's eyes…

"Ko-kowalski?" Private muttered.

"Yes it's me. It's alright now."

Kowalski felt Private was shivering from pain. He looked at the chains. Private whimpered. Kowalski could see how afraid he was.

"It's alright now" he repeated and stroked Private gently.

Private felt it and it remembered him of Skipper's stroking. But this one here was different. This one was good. And it reassured him.

"What happened?" Kowalski asked.

"S-s-s-Skipper" Private stammered and Kowalski understood.

"Kowalski…" Private whimpered "he did this to me. Why?"

"Well," Kowalski कहा helplessly, "I guess to keep आप from running away."

But suddenly he got a strange feeling that Private wasn't talking about his flippers.

"No…" Private uttered quietly. He nearly whispered as if he was afraid somebody else then Kowalski could hear it. "What he did … down in the lair… it made him fun to hurt me… but why? That's not our Skipper any more…"

"Private, what did he do?" Kowalski asked.

But Private shook his head and whimpered again as the movement caused new pain. Kowalski looked at him in shock. That Private refused to speak about it gave him a very bad misgiving.

He reached his flipper for the rod, but Private made a withdrawing हटाइए and Kowalski looked at him.

"Don't … touch it" Private whispered. His eyes were wide opened.

"Okay. I won't touch it. I will just look at it. Okay?"

Kowalski bend down and inspected Private's cruel fetter. He would only be able to free him from it, when he broke open the chains – at least on one side so he could pull the rod out. But therefore he needed a proper tool. Also Private's leg irons wouldn't be able to open with his bare flippers. There was only one choice…

"Private, listen" Kowalski कहा in a tense voice, "I will leave आप know, but-"

"No!" Private cried out "Don't leave me alone here!"

"I will soon be back. I promise. I have to get back to the zoo and find some tools to open your shackles. Maybe find Rico - If he's still in the zoo… But I will soon come back. Okay?"

"But what if Skipper returns?" asked Private panicked.

"He won't."

"How do आप know that?"

"Because-" Kowalski hesitated "Because I promise you."

"How can आप do that?" Private doubted.

"Private, when I promise आप that Skipper won't come before I'll be back, then he won't! Okay?"

Kowalski felt his eyes getting wet when he looked deep into Private's blue eyes. It was like he looked right into his soul. And he could see that something had been crushed, deep down there. Whatever Skipper had done to him, had damaged Private's heart. He hoped, that it wasn't too serious.

"Okay" mumbled Private.

"I'll be right back, I promise" Kowalski कहा again and jumped up.

He hated to leave him now. He hated himself for turning his back to the little पेंगुइन and leaving him alone with his pain in the harsh wind. His दिल told him to stay with him. Private needed now someone to reassure him. But his brain told him that it was to dangerous here. He had to bring Private somewhere safe. Beyond Skipper's reach…