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Chapter 5

Author: Empty Space
Thor the Tiger: [Something’s off. A female human just gave me a huge slab of meat. It’s definitely poisoned!]

His message dropped in the chat, and the whole group went wild. Some doubted it, while others thought the zoo was finally showing some mercy.

Predators from nearby enclosures all turned their attention toward his cage. The lion from the next habitat even jumped onto the partition wall, craning his neck to peek over.

Africana the Lion: [A whole slab of meat? Save me some!]

Leopards, hyenas, and other carnivores began growling with excitement, eager for a bite. However, Thor the Tiger didn’t respond. His paws were already pressing down on that juicy steak, his self-control wearing thin.

Just then, a congregation of white egrets flew overhead. Within seconds, new intel appeared in the chat.

The Egrets’ Shared Account: [It’s that human from the elephant enclosure! She brought Thor the Tiger meat!]

When the news got out, Thor the Tiger froze. He lifted his head and, with a hateful look at me, slapped the steak away.

Africana the Lion: [Geez, don’t waste it! You threw it right into the stale water!]

The lion’s furious roar echoed across the fence as he tumbled down in frustration.

Thor the Tiger simply ignored him. His fangs glinted as he growled low, each step heavy as he stalked toward me. He was thin, but his limbs were long, his back straight, and his presence menacing.

Still, I didn’t panic. Instead, I reached into the bag I’d brought and pulled out his favorite bag of chicken drumsticks. When I tossed one inside, Thor the Tiger paused. His throat rumbled as drool began to spill from his jaws.

Above us, the egrets fluttered anxiously, feeding updates to the group chat.

The Egrets’ Shared Account: [Oh my, she really loves the Thor the Tiger! She brought him chicken drumsticks! But Thor the Tiger’s resisting! He looks furious! He might eat her instead!]

The chat erupted. Even the elephants chimed in, clearly nervous.

Ellie the Elephant: [Thor the Tiger, don’t eat her! She’s a good human!]

Benny the Elephant: [Yeah! She gave us tons of sweet fruit! We call her Miss Fruit now!]

Kingsley the Monkey: [Thor the Tiger, do me a favor and hold off. Don’t hurt Miss Fruit yet.]

Thor the Tiger: [Quiet!]

His roar was deafening, shaking the entire zoo. Every animal fell silent instantly. Even the egrets dove into the trees, hiding behind the leaves.

I didn’t waste another second. I dumped the whole bag of chicken drumsticks into his cage and flashed him my most confident smile.

“Hey there,” I said brightly. “You’re the most beautiful tiger I’ve ever seen. Your eyes look like stars in the night sky. These chicken drumsticks are my gift to you. I’ve got a mountain up north. Come with me, and you’ll be king there.”

I laid it on thick—full-on flattery mode—but Thor the Tiger blinked, clearly confused. That was when it struck me that he, an animal, couldn’t understand human language.

Luckily, Pedro the Parrot came to my rescue. It perched right on top of the tiger’s cage, wings puffed up as it typed rapidly into the group chat.

Pedro the Parrot: [Thor the Tiger, she said you’re the most beautiful tiger she’s ever seen. Your eyes look like stars in the night sky.]

The translation touched the animals.

Daisy the Duck: [That’s so romantic! I want to divorce my husband and marry Miss Fruit instead!]

Javier the Crane: [Suddenly, being widowed doesn’t seem that bad. I feel like I believe in love again.]

Kingsley the Monkey: [Why does my butt feel hot again? And red?]

Thor the Tiger said nothing. He only stared at me coldly.
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  • Preparing the Zoo for Christmas   Chapter 16

    I didn’t have enough seniority to become the actual director yet, but honestly, it didn’t matter much. The animals seemed just as excited as I was.[Miss Fruit’s the new warden. Wow!][Does this mean we won’t go hungry anymore? Miss Fruit, you’re our hero!][Will Miss Fruit bathe us? Her hands are so soft.]I smiled to myself and drove the tram on my rounds, checking the whole zoo.“Hey, egrets, do not poop in the swan pond!” I called into the open air. “Polar bear, stop staring at the penguins next door. Don’t even think about it. Kingsley the Monkey, don’t shake your butt at me. It’s not my thing, and no, that thing we talked about? Not happening.” My voice echoed across the grounds while Pedro the Parrot perched on my shoulder, relaying my commands into the group chat.Passing the tiger enclosure, I would sometimes feel a pang when I looked at the empty space. I would wonder how Thor the Tiger was doing out in the wild.The chat pinged, signaling a new member had joined the

  • Preparing the Zoo for Christmas   Chapter 15

    However, I couldn’t see anything.My lips trembled and I shouted, “Tell Thor the Tiger not to resist! Humans will only sedate him with a tranquilizer!”The animals looked at me blankly. They didn’t understand a word. I thumped Tucker the Elephant’s ear and tried again. “Can you understand? Tell the tiger not to fight!”Tucker the Elephant didn’t truly understand my words, but he seemed to get the idea as he told the group chat.[I know what Miss Fruit wants. She thinks Thor shouldn’t fight, and maybe there’ll still be a chance.]Other animals chimed in. [Yeah, Thor the Tiger, don’t fight!] [Thor the Tiger, be good. Don’t make trouble!] They all urged Thor the Tiger to stand down.The tiger must have seen it, because everyone was talking to him. Yet, there was no response.Then, from the east ridge, a roar split the air loud enough to make the whole forest tremble. It was Thor the Tiger’s battle cry. He was reclaiming his dignity and preparing to fight for himself. I br

  • Preparing the Zoo for Christmas   Chapter 14

    Tucker the Elephant: [Po, can you take Miss Fruit back to the elephant enclosure?]Po the Panda: [I’m on it!]The panda, Po, stopped chewing bamboo. She lifted her tiny paw and gestured toward Zane, who stood frozen in shock.Before he could react, Po the Panda smacked him hard across the face. He hit the ground, dazed and dizzy, as she grabbed the laptop from his hands and shoved it into my arms. Zane was left sprawled on the floor, unable to even get up.Then, Po the Panda crouched down and arched her back, motioning for me to climb on.I was dumbstruck. Me? Ride a panda? That sounded insane. However, I didn’t have a choice as the pain in my legs was unbearable. Hence, I climbed on.As soon as I was seated, Po the Panda twisted her neck and started running toward the elephant enclosure. However, after a few steps, she suddenly stopped and looked back.I followed her gaze and saw that a dark shadow had appeared in the bamboo grove. It moved slowly down the path, heavy breathing

  • Preparing the Zoo for Christmas   Chapter 13

    As he was watching me, he roared, as if he was speaking.A trembling Pedro the Parrot circled above and translated, “Miss Fruit… Thor the Tiger says you’re annoying. You don’t understand anything, but you want to be a savior. You’re too green.”“I’m not trying to be a savior. I’m trying to save you. Don’t kill anyone. If you do, you’ll be killed too!” I shouted, eyes shut.Pedro the Parrot translated for me, but because my speech was long, he posted the whole thing in the group chat.Thor the Tiger kept roaring, so Pedro the Parrot continued to translate, “Thor the Tiger is laughing. He says he wants to kill. That way, more people will pay attention to the zoo, and the zoo will finally improve.”I froze for a moment and opened my eyes to Thor the Tiger looking at me. So that was the plan—to use blood to attract attention.Of course. If a tiger in a zoo killed a person, how could it not cause a scandal? The whole country would notice. The zoo would be exposed, and every dirty secr

  • Preparing the Zoo for Christmas   Chapter 12

    I was gasping for breath. Just as I took two more steps, a deafening boom erupted behind me. Iron bars went flying, dust billowed through the air, and the crowd broke into terrified screams. A tiger’s roar split the sky, and almost instantly, from every corner of the zoo came an answering chorus of fury.The animals were roaring back. Crocodiles burst out of their pools, snapping at the panicked visitors onshore. Giraffes kicked up clouds of dust, slamming their hooves against the fences. Hippos opened their massive jaws, biting wildly and dragging a zookeeper straight into the water.Even the elephant enclosure erupted. Their trumpets boomed across the park, mixing with the shrill cries of monkeys and the thunderous chest-beating of chimpanzees. The entire zoo shook, as if the earth itself was shaking.“What is happening?”“Run! Run, now!”“My kid– My kid fell into the chimpanzees’ enclosure! Somebody help!”Chaos broke out everywhere. No one cared about the tiger anymore.Th

  • Preparing the Zoo for Christmas   Chapter 11

    Zane was threatening me. I had been too naive, thinking I could save Sunnyside Zoo all by myself. Now the evidence was gone, and my cover was blown. There was no way I could bring him down anymore. What should I do?Just then, the group chat buzzed again. It was Thor the Tiger. He was alive!Thor the Tiger: [The humans found out my enclosure is breaking. They’ll come and fix it tomorrow, so we'll strike tomorrow morning.]That one message sent the entire group into chaos.Kingsley the Monkey: [Are you serious? If we riot, we’ll just get beaten back. You’ll be the first one they shoot once you break out.]Ellie the Elephant: [Miss Fruit hasn’t come back yet. I’m scared… Maybe we shouldn’t do this?]North the Polar Bear: [What if Miss Fruit’s already been killed? We have to avenge her!]Severus the Python: [Hiss… Sounds like the show’s about to start.]The chat was a mess of opinions. Everyone was talking over each other until someone asked what Tucker the Elephant thought. Tha

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