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Chapter 6

Author: Empty Space
I felt awkward under that gaze, so I excused myself. “I’ll go hand out the food. Make sure you chew your food.”

Lots of animals in the carnivore section weren’t getting enough, so I had to hand out extra portions. It was just a little bonus snack.

The animals cheered like it was a holiday. I clapped along with them and went to find the zoo director.

Zane Mural, the director of the zoo, was in his office sipping tea. He wore thin gold-rimmed glasses, was tall and thin, and looked down-to-earth. When he saw me, he waved me over.

“Are you settling in okay, Olive? You’re an expert. Our zoo got lucky hiring you.”

I tried to sound concerned. “Everything stinks, and the animals barely have food. Is the park not getting funding? They’re practically starving.”

Zane’s expression shifted for a moment, barely noticeable, before he forced a smile. “There’s nothing we can do. The county hospital can’t even pay its staff right now. Who’s left to fund us? Just focus on your work. Don’t worry,
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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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