Hazel (6:47)

Hazel can hardly control herself as she and her father step off the bus and face the park. With her small hand in his large, warm one, Hazel grins at the same sea of green before her. The trees tower above the laneway as people flit back and forth. Some are riding bikes while others walk their dogs. Hazel and her father have been to the park countless times and still haven't covered every part. Today, Hazel's father has promised her something extra special. The very thought of it has her hopping with excitement. Hazel and her father walk into the park and she notices the way the breeze brings a sweet smell along with it. She turns her head this way and that, looking for the sores. She peers between people and along the sides of the lane for a bright burst of flowers, but finds none. Her father has a knowing smile on his face which makes her think he knows what she's looking for and, more importantly, where the lovely smell is coming from. It does not take Hazel long to realize that her father is leading her to a new part in the park where they've never been before. As they walk, the lane shrinks down to a trail and leads away from the main thoroughfare. The sounds of dogs, bites and other children fade slowly into the distance behind them, and the sweet smell in the air grows stronger. Suddenly, the path bursts with color. They've arrived in a grove of the most beautiful trees Hazel has ever seen. The trees have silver trunks that appear to shine in the summer sunlight. Their branches are heavy with purple pink flowers. They line a lane that seems to be the ethereal mirror of the main park entrance. The difference is that this path seems older instead of cement underfoot. There are rough cobblestones with bright green moss growing between them. The trees wave gaily in the breeze and seem to be watching Hazel in a warm, almost grandmotherly way. At the end of the lane is a metal gate that is so beautifully crafted it looks like the roots of the trees have grown up through the earth to create a living portal. As Hazel gets closer, she becomes less certain that the gate is human made after all. Above the gate are the words THE Zoo Fantastic in a curly script. Hazel and her father pass under the sign and follow the path into the zoo. Hazel grins broadly. She loves the zoo. This one seems to be strange indeed. It is devoid of people other than herself and her father. Where there would usually be small fences and barriers to lead guests around the park, there are tangles of willows and flower bushes. Hazel and her father meander around until they find a wooden sign that says Dragon House with a little arrow. Hazel looks questioningly up at her father. Surely they can't mean real dragons after all. He simply smiles and leads on in the direction the arrow points. They end up in front of what looks like a miniature mountain, though it still reaches above the tops of the trees. At various points around the mountain there appear to be cave entrances. As Hazel takes in the structure, she sees a silvery gossamer shape in the air around looks as though shiny silken threads sewn into the air to make a near invisible barrier around the mountain. There is a stone archway at its base and Hazel can feel waves of comforting warmth flowing from the entry. Hazel and her father enter the mountain and allow the warm air to envelop them. The air in the mountain reminds Hazel of being curled up in front of a fire during a cozy winter. The inside of the mountain is bathed in an amber light from sconces along the stone walls. Even the walls feel warm under Hazel's hand. She can hear animal sounds from deeper in the mountain. Whistles, whines, and purring rumbles entice her to go deeper inside. They follow the entry tunnel to a wider cavern. Here a huge room is illuminated by shafts of light filtering in through dozens of openings up and down the walls. The space is mostly taken up by density and their occupants, dragons of all colors and shapes, nap, play, and lounge in family groups. Some roost up on the walls while others lay in piles of jewel like scales on the floor. Hazel holds her father's hand tightly as they approach a heap of magenta colored animals sleeping nearby. They seem to breathe together as one as their bodies rise and fall in harmony. A flock of Tiny, electric, electric green dragons chase one another through the air like dragonflies along the surface of a creek. A large black dragon with eyes like liquid gold lounges on a rocky outcrop above the others, watching Hazel and her father with mild interest. The dragons, for the most part though, take no notice of the humans. Hazel sees a mother dragon the color of the open ocean, keeping an eye on her four playful pups. They climb over her and one another, yipping gleefully. Hazel and her father wind through the animals, keeping a respectful distance until they reach the exit tunnel. Hazel can't help but take another long look at the beautiful beasts. This before she joins her father in the sunlight. Once they are out, Hazel turns her bright face up to her father, unable to truly express her joy. He laughs and picks her up, turning down the path to see what else this incredible place could have in store for them. Before long, they find another sign, this one for the griffin perch. Hazel's father puts her on his shoulders as they walk under the boughs of the largest pine trees either one of them has ever seen. The branches create a roof and the ground under the trees is carpeted with fallen needles. They both look around expectantly, but find nothing until Hazel peers up. The large, strong branches of the trees house huge nests, each one nearly as large as a car. In the nests are griffins of every color. Some are black, from the tips of their beaks to their lions tails. Others are a tawny gold or a rich brown. Hazel marvels at the way their glossy feathers fade seamlessly into thick fur. Several of the nests even have young. Their cheeping cries for food and attention sound like a mix between a chick and a kitten. Adult griffins soar in and out of the COVID of the trees, while others sit primly in their nests, clearly keeping their eggs warm. When one stands briefly to adjust its position, Hazel catches sight of a large egg shining like a golden sun. Hazel's father puts her down as they leave the griffins. She is so consumed by her amazement and seeing the majestic creatures that she doesn't even notice they have reached the unicorn paddock until her father taps her lightly on the shoulder. Hazel's eyes go as round as dinner plates as she watches a meadow of unicorns graze. A couple of little falls chase one another through the tall wildflowers. Hazel is so overwhelmed with joy that her father has to pick her up again before she bolts straight for the magical horned horses. He struggles to control his laughter as he tries to impress calm upon his daughter. Finally, Hazel winds down into a silent smile, her eyes eating up the scene. Hazel stands on the edge of the meadow for so long that her father offers to stay there all day if she wishes. She doesn't answer for a long moment, but eventually shakes her head and drags her eyes away from the unicorns. There is so much left to explore, but she won't forget the snowy white creatures. In a hurry, Hazel and her father walk leisurely through the park, hand in hand. Hazel looks up at him and giggles when he winks back at her. She knew that she and her father were going to do something special today, but she had no idea it would be anything this wonderful. The vegetation gives way to a small lake. On its surface, the perfect blue of the sky is reflected. Hazel's father leads her to a wooden bench at its edge and pulls out two apples. Hazel accepts hers happily, wasting no time in sinking her teeth into it. The juice is sweet and tart on her tongue. She munches happily as she watches the water lap lightly at the shore. Her apple is halfway back to her mouth when she freezes. As she watches, a long tentacle gracefully erupts from the surface of the lake. It is electric pink and as elegant as the movement of a ballerina. More tentacles break the surface and arrange themselves in an unearthly dance. It is as if the huge octopus like creature is moving them purely for the joy of it. Hazel turns to ask her father what this incredible creature could be when he points to a wooden sign near the water's edge that reads Kraken's Grotto. Hazel finishes her apple while watching the kraken as she and her father stand up to continue their walk. So the sea beast allows its arms to slide smoothly back into the water. Just then, Hazel notices a blur rush past her and into the bushes at her side. Before she can ask her father if he saw it too, something else races through the underbrush nearly too fast to see. Her father puts his fingers to his lips and becomes very still. Hazel follows his example and freezes. Except for her eyes. They wait for what seems like ages before a tentative little creature pops out from the BlackBerry briar. At first Hazel thinks it is just an ordinary rabbit. But then she notices something strange. The grey and brown creature has longer limbs than a rabbit and is clearly made for speed. And on its head are a pair of tiny antlers. It watches Hazel and her father with large brown eyes the same color as newly turned earth. Hazel, trying to not even breathe, focuses all her energy on mentally relaying to the animal that she is safe. Slowly and hesitantly, the jackalope crawls over to her and sniffs at the apple core, still in her hand. Gently, Hazel releases the apple and lets the jackalope take its feast back to the briars. In the blink of an eye, Hazel and her father follow the sound of rushing water to a wooden bridge over a river. The bridge bears a sign that reads, the river of Nixies, Kelpies and Water Horses. Hazel shoots a curious look at her father. Who ever heard of horses swimming? He smiles knowingly and picks her up so she can get a better look over the railing of the bridge and into the water. Down below is one of the strangest but most beautiful sights she has ever seen. Creatures that resemble the front half of horses with the tails of fish swim in the current below. They range from emerald green to deep blue, each one covered in iridescent scales like no fish Hazel has ever seen before. They whinny at one another, appearing and disappearing beneath the water. Sometimes they seem to be more fish than horse as they shimmy around. A moment later, however, they canter out of the water on hooves, seeming very much like ordinary horses. Hazel watches them as her father explains that seahorses like these have been found all over the world and are called by many names, such as hippocampus, nixies, and kelpies, just to name a few. Hazel and her father cross the bridge and leave the animals to their watery business. The sun warms them as they walk. It plays a slow game of hide and seek behind the clouds. The wind has picked up slightly, but Hazel can still smell the sweet scent of the purple trees in the air. The smell fills her with a joy she can't explain. It's like she's breathing in the certainty that there is nowhere else she would rather be than here with her father on this perfect summer day. She squeezes his hand a little tighter as she looks up at him. He smiles down at her. She doesn't know it yet, but for the rest of her life she will wonder if this day was just a delightful dream. Regardless, she will hold the memory of it dear to her and recall it always as one of her happiest moments with her father. Hazel's attention is taken away from her father when she hears a lovely sound floating through the air. She has always loved the sounds of birds singing in the early morning, but this is something even more wonderful. She giggles and races towards the sound, her father not far behind. The song is so melodious it could have been composed. Even as she listens it almost sounds like one voice is singing in harmony with itself. It's a song that is completely alien but somehow familiar at the same time. Hazel and her father stop running when they appear in a grove where the enchanting song seems to come from the very air. A nest of dark brown sticks sits under the COVID of an oak tree. Hazel is struck by the smell of spice in the air, and her father whispers to her that the nest is made from cinnamon sticks. At its center are two golden chicks looking up into the sky. Hazel and her father follow their gaze to see a glorious bird the color of sunlight itself, gliding and singing. The beauty of the phoenix brings tears of joy to Hazel's father's eyes. The bird starts to spiral down towards its nest. The chicks, recognizing the return of their parent, begin to add their voices to the symphony. The adult phoenix soars down on wings, more lovely than the summer sun and more colorful than the perfect sunset. As the birds join their voices together, their light seems to become all the more bright. Hazel feels a wave of warmth wash over her as the song comes to a climax. Hazel closes her eyes against the bright golden light. Suddenly, the light and song end with one ringing note. Hazel opens her eyes to see the nest empty. She looks at her father for answers, who takes her by the hand to stand in front of the little sign she hasn't seen before. It reads, the phoenix nest. Please note that the firebirds come and go at their own will, and zoo management cannot guarantee their presence here at all times. Thank you. Hazel suddenly understands that she and her father have witnessed something truly wonderful. They linger near the nest for a few minutes before following the cobbled path once again. Hazel thinks about the beauty of the animals she has seen today. They are each unique and yet unbelievable. Had her father simply told her where they were going at the beginning of the day, she would not have believed him. And she might even have thought that all the fantastical things she seen were tricks or illusions of some kind. Yet she knows that everything has been real in the same way that she knows she will never be able to find this sue again, no matter how many hours, days or years she spends searching for it. With these thoughts in her mind, Hazel tries to soak in every detail. She commits to memory the way the stones under her feet seem to sparkle in the sun, the smell of the mysterious trees and the sounds of strange animals floating through the air. Before she knows it, she and her father are back at the main gate of the zoo. Fantastic. They pause for a moment, taking one last look at the place. Hazel tries not to. To blink, not wanting to lose even a fraction of a second in the presence of the magical place. Reluctantly, she takes her father's hand and turns away. She is so deep in thought on their walk back to the normal parts of the park that her father says nothing, knowing the value of letting his little girl have her moments of meditation. By the time they get back on the bus to go home, Hazel has decided that the fact that they only had this, this one day at the zoo is what makes it all the more special.