Elizabeth's story

Every once in a while, when the sun comes out, I see Elizabeth, the Lizard girl. There are a few like her in the campus, but most are shy and reclusive. Elizabeth too is not very keen on being identified as one with the Lizard gene, but the sun is a rare pleasure as winter draws ever closer. She has a favorite spot, just next to the emu enclosure and just behind the small stand of trees that separate the grass field from the lake and the rest of the campus. Somedays, when the weather is just too good to ignore, all the lizard people come out in force, and settle down on the grassy veld silently or in pairs. They're well equipped with their blankets and whatnot, somehow they seem to know what the weather is going to be like. I pass them on the way to the coffee shop, trying hard not to stare, or even let them know that I'm passing by, but that's an easy thing to do, most of them are already in their own worlds, changing their skin colour slowly with time. Elizabeth, especially, becomes a glowing red, an almost fluorescent red that can be seen for a long distance. I've never actually seen the skin change, just before and after scenes. And then, when enough colour has seeped onto the skin, and with the body recharged, Elizabeth will pull herself upright, and walk gently, slowly across the grass. There's a sense of peace about her now.