I stare at the group of people currently sat at my kitchen table. They all have serious expressions and don't seem too comfortable with each other.
"Anybody want a beer?" I ask, making my way to the fridge.
"El, it's not even lunchtime." Mitch grumbles.
I sigh. "Well, it's a good job we're out then." I turn to face everyone. "So, why the long faces?"
The blonde woman, Chloe, stands up and passes me a file. I raise an eyebrow at Mitch but he motions for me to read what's inside.
"Ms Morgan, over the past few weeks animals all over the world have been attacking people. Lion killings in Botswana and LA. Dog attacks in Slovenia. Bats swarming planes in Japan. There are many more." She pauses, waiting for my reaction.
"So, some wild animals with the instinct to kill have been, well, killing?" I scoff. "What has this got to do with me? Attacks happen all over the world all the time, what makes these so special?"
"You called me about your lions attacking the fence." Mitch interrupts. "We think that it may be linked to the other attacks."
"The five of us have been called together to investigate these attacks and to find out what is happening in the Animal Kingdom. Mr Morgan recommended that you should be on our team. I sincerely hope that we haven't travelled all this way to be made fun of."
I remain silent for a good few minutes before sighing dramatically.
"I am way to sober for this." I run my hands through my hair, deep in thought. "Alright, what do I need to do?"
Chloe and Mitch breathe a sigh of relief.
"Pack a bag we need to leave as soon as possible. Our flight leaves in an hour for Beijing." Chloe states, as her phone starts ringing.
We all watch in silence as she answers the call and exits the house. The rest of us awkwardly remain in the kitchen. But, like most of the time, I break the silence.
"So, I guess I'll go pack." I mutter, shuffling to my bedroom door. "Take a look round the zoo. Maybe check out the lions." I shout as I go into my bedroom.
You never realise how many clothes you have until you have to pack a bag. I rife through my closet and draws, trying to find practical clothes for all weathers. As I am stuffing my bag with a few more clothes, I faintly hear the door open and close.
"I can't believe you're really going." Trevor sighs, leaning on my dresser.
"It's for my brother. I owe him." I state.
I zip up my bag and face Trevor. His face is drawn is a serious expression and his arms are folded across his chest.
"What about this place? Huh, you thought about that?" He scoffs. "How am I going to cope on my own? We're already struggling as it is."
I run a hand through my hair and heavily sigh.
"Get a work experience or something. Tell them it will be a rewarding, unpaid, experience that will look great on their CV."
"You can't just pack your bags and leave with a group of strangers!" Trevor yells, his face flushing with red anger. "We need you here at the sanctuary!"
"If what they are saying is true, then there won't be a sanctuary!" I start to raise my voice. "If the animals are changing and killing humans, what will stop the lions or the tigers or the wolves from breaking out and killing us! If my brothers needs me, then I'm there for him."
"That's a lot of ifs." He mumbles.
"Neither one of us is drunk enough for this conversation." I chuckle lightly, attempting to make light of the situation.
He doesn't understand how important it is for me to help Mitch. Over the years, I've not been the best sister. I wasn't there with him through his divorce or when Clementine got ill. I could at least be there for him when the Animal Apocolypse starts. I take a few steps towards Trevor and hug him tightly.
"We agreed that there would never be any chick flick moments." He grumbles, reluctantly returning my hug.
"Shut up!" I smile up at him. "I'm sorry. I promise to check in as often as I can. I'm sure I'll only be gone for a few weeks."
"I'm gonna miss you."
"No chick flick moments."
After I said my goodbyes to Trevor, I grabbed my bags and left the house. I'm going to miss it here. I have spent the best ten years of my life working to help these animals. I'm still reluctant to leave them, but then I remember all that Mitch has done for me. Taking a deep breath, I head to my favourite area and stand outside the fence, watching the Sloths. My eyes shift to the side and become glazed with a glassy layer of tears. As I blink, they drip from my eyelids and slide down my cheeks. I bite my lip tightly in an attempt to hide any sound that wants to escape from my mouth.
"Hey." A male voice announces from behind me.
I sniffle as I wipe away any evidence of my crying session.
"Hi." I turn around, plastering a fake smile on my face. "Jacob, right?"
He laughs. "Jackson." He holds out his hand and I shake it. "What you do here is amazing, Eleonora. It takes me back to when I worked in Africa."
"Safari guide?"
His mouth forms an o shape in surprise.
"I read it in your file." I laugh, nudging him with my shoulder. "So, you think all this animal killing people is genuine?"
He shrugs. "My father was a scientist and he had these insane theories about something called the 'defiant pupil'. That the animals may adapt to survive, eliminating the human race in the process. I didn't think it was true, but Chloe and I were attacked by some Lions in Botswana and I saw the pupil. The exact same thing my father described." He pauses. "Maybe he really was on to something."
"Your father is Robert Oz. I've heard about him. He was a huge deal in the science world until his work drove him insane. That must have been tough."
Jackson is about to answer when Chloe runs up to us looking slightly frantic.
"Guys, are you ready? We need to go?"
I take one last look at the Sloth enclosure before nodding.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
ESTÁ A LER
Falling for Oz
FanficFor centuries, mankind had been the dominant species. We've domesticated animals, locked them up, killed them for sport. But a series of recent events seem to suggest all across the globe animals have decided no more. And, so, we were hired. A team...
