Dare Me to Live

Chapter 8

Danny and I parked several streets away from the zoo and went by foot the rest of the way. It was a little after midnight and the full-moon hung lofty in the sky. We kept to the edges of the parking lot as we made for the entrance.

A padlocked, chain-link fence blocked our path, though it wasn't particularly high. Danny wasn't one to let fences stop him anyway. Without so much as a pause to gauge his route, he grabbed the fence and began pulling himself up. I hauled myself up none too gracefully after him while he spotted me from below on the other side.

The cold metal bit into my unprotected hands and my toes burned in protest as I shoved them though the too-small footholds. I paused briefly at the top, wobbling dangerously as I swung one leg over. I sucked in a hard breath when the jagged edges jabbed my leg, but managed to keep my hold to begin the easier descent.

Danny steadied me as I made my way down, his fingers grazing my hips where my sweatshirt had ridden up. We hadn't even gotten to the tiger's den and my heart was already crashing against my ribs.

"Ready?" he asked as soon as my feet touched the ground. His eyes were lit with a feverish excitement. "Let's go."

It was a clear night, cold even for late October, and I zipped up my black hoodie a little more. Our shoes crunched on the gravel pathway as we followed the signs to the tiger's cage. Danny had his phone out, the light of the screen illuminating the ground just in front of our feet so we wouldn't trip on the loose rocks.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" I whispered. The zoo was eerily quiet. Surely something had to be awake? Zoos had plenty of nocturnal animals.

"What's life without a little danger?" replied Danny.

"What about guards?" I tried.

"Ben said the night guard always plays video games in his trailer after midnight," said Danny. We reached another fork in the path and he tilted his phone up slightly to illuminate the next sign. The tiger's paws pointed to the right. He set off again at a brisk walk.

I quickened my pace to keep up with his long strides. I didn't want to get separated in this place.

"Should I waste my breath and tell you again what an incredibly idiotic idea this is?" I asked.

"You just did," he chuckled.

The trees rustled in the breeze, shaking a few more leaves loose. I picked one out that had tangled in my hair and threw it aside, feeling goosebumps rise on my arms.

"Can't you prove your stupidity a different way? It's just a stupid dare. You don't have to say "challenge accepted" every time someone provokes you. What's so great about this frat anyway?" I grumbled, drawing level with Danny. He had stopped outside of a chain-linked enclosure; only this fence was much higher. It soared above our heads, black against the starry sky.

"Dash, relax," said Danny, turning to smile at me. Now that we were out of the trees, I could see him better. He too sported a black hoodie and jeans similar to mine. His brown hair, cast silver in the moonlight, was mussed from the wind, dripping into his eyes. I reached up to brush it out of the way; his eyes were still bright and eager.

"Does anything faze you?" I asked. My heartbeat, which had calmed during our walk, had picked up once again.

"I know you don't get it, but Ben said if I did this I wouldn't have to go through rush or hazing or anything next fall. It's not a real frat anyway. The guys in this group are people like me; some of them have done even crazier shit than I have. And they have connections I could only dream about before; I'll be able to do whatever I want after graduation," he said.