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Fundy leaned on the railing, taking in the pure white and pale blue that was the arctic exhibit.
He wasn’t quite sure why he had come to the zoo. By all rights he should be in the library, studying for finals with the help of one too many energy drinks. But he had just felt so tired. The last couple nights – more like the last month, if he was being honest – had been terrible. He kept having these dreams, the details of which evaded him. Which, that he could deal with. The part that really sucked was that said dreams didn’t seem to provide any rest at all.
So. Zoo.
There was some logical connection there. Fundy didn’t know what it was, but it was there. Probably.
His eyes landed on an arctic fox. It was lying curled up in the snow, fluffy fur just visible against the backdrop. Then it opened its black eyes – like little buttons – and yawned. Standing up, it looked at Fundy and started wagging its tail.
Fundy instinctively started wagging his tail back, only to remember he didn’t have a tail. Because he was human.
Fundy, stuff like this is why people think you’re a furry.
He turned from the exhibit. Maybe that was enough of the zoo for one day. As he caught one final glimpse of the fox, an image entered his head.
Why was he feeling a longing for yogurt? He wasn’t even hungry.
“Okay, that’ll be $12.”
Fundy looked from his soon to be purchased yogurt to the cashier serving him. He was tall, taller than Fundy, and lanky. Like a stick insect. His eyes were two different colours; one light brown, one murky green.
Fundy looked at his name tag. What kind of name was Ranboo?
“I have a coupon,” said Fundy, sliding it to ‘Ranboo’ alongside $10.
“Sure thing, Fundy,” he replied, taking it.
Fundy paused. The cogs in his brain turned.
“What did you just call me?” he asked.
“… Fundy? Your name?” replied Ranboo, sounding like he thought Fundy was acting a little weird.
“Yeah, but how did you know my name?” pointed out Fundy.
Ranboo froze. Fundy suspected the gears in his brain were turning.
“I… don’t know?” he said. He sounded concerned. “We… must have met before. That’s it.”
“I don’t know, man,” Fundy replied. “I don’t think I’ve ever met you before.”
“Maybe you just have a bad memory,” said Ranboo, handing over the yogurt.
“Maybe,” said Fundy
Fundy stared at the black-and-white cat. The cat stared back.
Why couldn’t he stop thinking about that cashier? More pressingly, why was this cat reminding him of that cashier? ‘Ranboo’. What a dumb name. Clearly way worse than ‘Fundy’.
Totally.
“Do you need any help?” asked someone.
Fundy looked away from the cat and saw an employee of the pet shop. He had a scruffy beard, one that just escaped being stubble instead. Black hair, tied back with a white bandana. A little flame pin on his lanyard, alongside a mushroom and a pair of dice. His nametag read ‘Sapnap’.
“They let you work at a pet shop?” asked Fundy, incredulous.
Sapnap looked offended. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded.
Fundy flushed, horrified. Where had that question come from?
“I,” he floundered, “uh, your vibes?”
“My vibes?” Sapnap repeated back.
“Yeah. Your vibes. They just seem… very anti-animal,” said Fundy. Which, now that he had said it, did feel true.
“Okay, rude. I love fish. You know what? You can help yourself. Since I’m so ‘anti-animal'.”
Fundy left the pet store pretty quickly after that.
On his walk home, he heard music.
It was a guitar, accompanied by a voice. He recognised the cords of ‘Hallelujah’.
He wasn’t sure why, but that song always pulled a few tears from him. It didn’t have any special significance. Wasn’t linked to any life events or relationships or realisations. It had just always been that when someone picked up a guitar and played it, it felt like they were strumming Fundy’s heartstrings instead.
He looked across the street and saw the person singing. His back was to him. Still, Fundy could see his brown hair and yellow sweater.
Fundy’s heart was stuck in his throat.
He knew. He knew that person.
Fundy lifted his arm towards him, only to drop it.
Maybe, in the future, when he walked home, he would hear that song again, and see that man. Maybe, in the future, he would pause and stare. Maybe, in the future, he wouldn’t be a coward and would go to him.
Maybe.
But it wasn’t the future, so he kept walking home.