King Ezekiel in Every Episode » The Well People want someone to follow. It’s human nature. They want someone to make ‘em feel safe. And people who feel safe are less dangerous, more productive. They see a dude with a tiger, shoot. They start tellin’ stories about finding it in the wild, wrestling it into submission, turning it into his pet. They make the guy larger than life, a hero. And who am I to burst their bubble? Next thing you know, they treat me like royalty. They wanted, they needed someone to follow. So I acted the part. I faked it till I made it. I was a zookeeper. Shiva, she fell into one of the concrete moats in her exhibit. It was empty, the vets were on their way, but her leg was ripped open. She was gonna bleed out. The sound she made. She was in so much pain. I knew the risk. I had to try. And I got my shirt up around her leg saved her life. After that, she never showed so much as a tooth in my direction. Keeping a tiger isn’t practical. I know. She eats as much as 10 people. She could yank the chain out of my hand. Hell, she could yank my arm right off. But she hasn’t. She won’t. I lost a lot, just like everybody else. When it all started to end, I found myself back at the zoo. Shiva was one of the last animals left. She was trapped hungry, alone. Like me. She was the last thing left in this world that I loved. She protected me. She got me here, made me larger than life. And I made this place. I used to act in community theater. Played a few kings in my day. Arthur, Macbeth Martin Luther. My name really is Ezekiel, though. That’s 100% real. Cards on the table. Nothing up my sleeve. I’d appreciate you keep this between us, though, for them. And, yeah, a little bit for me.
