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It was rather late one night as rain could be heard coming from the window.

It had started as a light drizzle, soon becoming a rather considerable downpour. Everyone within the general vicinity was grateful that they were inside their comfy, comfy homes.

Within one of these nearby houses, a small lump sat up from a bed, gazing over to the nearby television as they watched intently as if they had waited in anticipation for the moment about to commence on the screen.

The figure was wrapped in a large red blanket which was soft against their fair skin, bringing both warmth and comfort as the figure continued to squirm lightly. They were trying to find the perfect spot for maximum cosiness as they wriggled between the folds of the blanket.

The show they were watching appeared to be building up to a climax. It appeared to be some kind of romantic comedy combined with the elements of a soap opera. The show was known as ‘Great Expectations' as the figure kept glancing at the television, watching as if they were hypnotised.

The figure’s eyes beamed with anticipation as she resisted the urge to shout out into the screen. She was struggling to contain her enjoyment as the man and the woman on the screen appeared as if they were about to confess their love.

Suddenly, they pulled away, the woman on the screen walked away, the buildup had come crashing down in an annoying anti-climax.

This caused the figure watching to groan in frustration as the resistance to shout had worn away.

“Oh c’mon Jennifer, you know he wants you. It’s only been…” exclaimed Charlotte, quickly scanning through a list before finishing “39 episodes since you showed interest in him!”

Charlotte heard a sudden loud knocking on her wall, she jumped as she forgot how hollow the walls were for her room. She also had forgotten that she had roommates for a short moment.

“Keep it down, it’s late!” could be heard coming from the connected room. Further evaluation of the voice could confirm that Elizabeth, her best friend, was letting her annoyance be known.

Charlotte was rather annoyed at the reaction as she stuck her tongue out. However, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of reassurance for her best friend.

“At least she’s more confident…after what Rebecca did to her” thought Charlotte, feeling a sense of guilt at the fact that she had just stood by and let it happen. “I still wish I knew what caused this increase in confidence though” continued Charlotte. The thoughts of the New Zoo wracked her mind, causing her to feel uneasy.

For some reason which she couldn’t remember, Charlotte began to feel sick to her stomach. She had a bad feeling about the Zoo but she couldn’t quite remember what had happened.

Honestly, this had terrified Charlotte as she wasn’t one to forget things.

“I…I just don’t know what happened. I mean, I feel it subconsciously but I just…can’t remember” mumbled Charlotte, her thoughts drifting back to the recent storm. She remembered the new expansions to the Petting Zoo as she gave a rare smile. Her mood brightened as she felt a sense of pride at how well…and fast it was developing.

“The Petting Zoo is coming along beautifully” started Charlotte, the smile unwavering from her face. “Once the Zoo opens, it will be an absolutely splendid attraction. From the Geese to the Rabbit to the Horse to the...” continued Charlotte, her mind suddenly coming to a screeching halt.

Like her earlier moment of forgetfulness, she had a bad feeling regarding the goats but she didn’t understand why.

“Why…why does something feel so wrong?” wondered Charlotte, still at a loss. She attempted to change the subject, her mind becoming focused on Rebecca.

Rebecca had left earlier in the day to head to the New Zoo. She hadn’t explained why and only said she’d be back late. Charlotte took note of the time as she realised Rebecca wasn’t back yet as she became slightly worried.

“I hope she remembered to stay away from Chris. The last thing we need is for there to be a new peahen in the Aviary when one of us goes in next” thought Charlotte. Despite, like Elizabeth, effectively being Rebecca’s prisoner, she couldn’t help but feel concerned.

Before Charlotte had any time to think further on the matter, she heard her phone ringing suddenly. She quickly turned, stumbling over herself as the blanket fell loose. Charlotte continued to navigate the rather tiny room, trying to find her phone while using the television which had long since finished her show, as a makeshift torch.

She quickly muted the television as she discovered her phone, picking it up as she saw the Caller ID. She took a small gulp as she prepared herself for the call, wondering why they were calling at this time of night.

“Hello?” mumbled Charlotte uneasily, trying to keep her voice down as she remembered the earlier interruption from Elizabeth.

“I was left on the line for a while...I’ve not caught you at a bad time have I?” replied the voice pointedly. Charlotte felt nervous as she noticed the edge in the caller’s voice.

“I guess this isn’t just a house call then” stated Charlotte as she took note of the time, realising it was indeed rather late. It caused her to sympathise with Elizabeth as Charlotte realised she had indeed lost track of time. She didn’t have much time to focus on this as the voice began to pick up again.

“No, I’m just making sure you remembered tomorrow's appointment,” said the voice sharply as Charlotte turned to the nearby wall to her large calendar as she noticed tomorrow's date had large red circles around it.

It was then Charlotte realised she was on duty tomorrow at the Zoo. She was slowly starting to regret staying up this late as she realised she would need to be out early tomorrow for preparations before the people arrived.

The thought made her uneasy as Charlotte, sensing the irritation of the caller on the other side, quickly replied “Oh yeah the meeting…that’s tomorrow?.”

“Don’t tell me you forgot?” asked the voice, their tone sounding irritated and tired. “This is rather important for the longevity of the New Zoo that you and your friends are working on” continued the voice, irritation clearly present in their voice.

“If that’s the case, why aren’t you talking to Rebecca about this?” stated Charlotte, genuinely inquisitive as she wondered what had caused their landlord to be in this kind of mood.

“Don’t backtalk me Charlotte, I’m not in the mood” informed the Landlord sternly as a groan could be heard. It was as if they were beginning to lose patience with Charlotte.

“I’m not, I’m just asking a question. I had no intention of offending you” replies Charlotte, feeling her confidence settling.

“The reason is…” started the voice, as if they were needing to think before speaking. “It is important that the paperwork regarding tomorrow is completely airtight. The executives from the local printing company who will be attending tomorrow don’t seem to know their worth. I need this airtight to ensure we can properly exploit this opportunity. I also know you will organise the paperwork well given your skillset” explained the voice.

“Aw...so you do trust me?” said Charlotte, her tone trying to lighten the mood as she smiled momentarily.

“I don’t trust you, I just trust your friends even less with this” replied the Landlord coldly as Charlotte felt her expression drop. “Given your current track record, you can understand why I’m currently less than impressed with the project” continued the Landlord, her voice still icily serious.

Charlotte groaned inwardly, realising their Landlord had a point. The Managers had fallen rather short of expectations. Honestly, Charlotte had thought that Rebecca had oversold the simplicity of the project. The School Trip was a definite example of when doing so had unforeseen consequences which were rather obvious in hindsight.

Charlotte realised their Landlord had gone quiet as she piped up “ So I’m guessing this is in regards to printing more copies of the poster Rebecca organised earlier in the month?”

The Landlord sighed a little as they responded “Yes, it is. This is why I am stressing to you that these people are NOT to be transformed...understood?.”

“Yes...I understand” replied Charlotte uneasily as she felt the edge in her Landlord’s voice over the phone.

“Good, I will not be impressed if you go maverick Charlotte. So don’t disappoint me or there will be consequences” warned the Landlord as they hung up the phone, Charlotte bringing the phone down from her ear as she looked at the television before turning it off with the remote she had placed nearby.

Charlotte slowly shifted herself from the bed as she headed into her ensuite. She quickly brushed her teeth as she looked into the mirror. She looked at her reflection for a moment before something quickly flashed, her image being replaced with something inhuman for a short moment.

Charlotte’s eyes widened as she quickly shook her head. Fortunately, when she looked again, she saw her reflection staring back at her as she breathed out in relief.

“I must be more tired than I thought” mumbled Charlotte as she tried to recall the image she witnessed. It seemed familiar although Charlotte couldn’t put her finger on where she had seen it.

It seemed Charlotte was becoming increasingly forgetful…and that terrified her.

“I just hope this isn’t the prelude to something worse” thought Charlotte. She promptly finished brushing as she quietly moved back towards her bed.

As soon as she crashed out under the covers she fell asleep almost instantly.

The Following Morning:

Charlotte awoke early the next morning to the distinctive smell of pancakes coming from downstairs.

“Wait…pancakes?” wondered Charlotte, her curiosity growing. The smell was becoming impossible to resist as Charlotte forced the tiredness from her eyes.

She quickly emerged from her covers, heading downstairs to the sight of Elizabeth cooking breakfast. Granted, she was using a footstool to reach the grill but she was immensely enjoying herself.

It was as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

“You...cook?” said Charlotte, confused as she took a seat at the shared dining table. The smell felt more intense downstairs as Charlotte couldn’t help but salivate.

“Eh, just trying a new recipe” replied Elizabeth, shrugging her shoulders as she continued her work, letting the silence hang for a moment. Elizabeth took a quick glance back to her friend, deciding to break the silence.

“Want one?” asked Elizabeth, her genuine smile seeming almost in contrast with the mood of her best friend.

“Yes...Yes, I would” replied Charlotte uneasily as she felt somewhat nervous. She heard Elizabeth humming a little melody to herself as she dished out, placing the pancakes onto a single plate as she set two empty plates at the table. The pancakes were placed between the pair as Elizabeth quickly claimed one, beginning to dig in as Charlotte looked to her oddly.

“I haven’t poisoned any if that’s what you’re thinking” deadpanned Elizabeth between bites as she continued to eat.

Charlotte took a pancake from the central plate and took a few small bites. Her mouth widened into a grin as she savoured the sweet tastes across her tongue.

“This…this is delicious!” exclaimed Charlotte, barely hiding her excitement as she began to eagerly devour the treat she had been given.

“Glad to see you approve,” replied Elizabeth, a warm smile on her face. She smiled back at her friend, noticing Charlotte had quickly finished her first pancake. Charlotte stared at Elizabeth, her guilt beginning to surface once more.

Charlotte quickly suppressed the feeling, deciding to change the subject.

“So, when did you learn how to cook?” asked Charlotte curiously as she looked intently at the central plate once more. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, indicating it was ok to have another one as Charlotte excitedly took another from the plate.

“I found a place which did cooking classes on the way home from my self-defence classes. I figured why not? Since then, I’ve been going twice a week and learning new recipes” replied Elizabeth enthusiastically as she took another pancake from the central plate and proceeded to devour it.

The pair continued to enjoy their breakfast in peaceful silence as Charlotte felt her guilt becoming impossible to ignore. Elizabeth looked at Charlotte, slight concern crossing her face as she looked at her best friend. Charlotte seemed rather faint for a moment as Elizabeth moved toward the sink, having moved her footstool as she filled a glass of water and gave it to her friend.

“She’s been this way for quite some time...I hope the Spirit knows what it’s doing” thought Elizabeth. She moved to support Charlotte, dismissing her current thoughts for the meantime.

“You ok?” asked Elizabeth as Charlotte proceeded to drink the water, feeling some clarity returning to her. Charlotte felt the water cool her down slightly as she nodded gratefully towards Elizabeth.

“Yes” replied Charlotte, seemingly out of breath as she began to take a few breaths.

“Maybe I should take over Zoo duty today” offered Elizabeth, continuing to hold Charlotte on the off chance she shifted her weight suddenly and fell onto the floor.

“Sorry...but no. Our Landlord insisted that I need to be there today. Mainly for recordkeeping” stated Charlotte. She felt her senses returning to her as Elizabeth, feeling reassured that Charlotte could hold herself up returned to her seat as she stared at her friend. Elizabeth felt a sense of understanding once Charlotte had mentioned their Landlord.

“I understand, although I do think they can be a pain in the ass sometimes,” said Elizabeth as she took a drink from her coffee mug, enjoying the rich caffeine as she turned back to face Charlotte.

“Can I tell you something?. I don’t wish to tell Rebecca. She already has enough to think about” asked Charlotte, her tone rather small. Elizabeth stared, her concerned expression returning, she knew that Charlotte was only like this when she was particularly scared of something.

And Elizabeth had an idea of what might be the cause.

“I know that she’s worried about the Zoo. Is there more I don’t know?” wondered Elizabeth internally as she stared directly at Charlotte. “Go on” mumbled Elizabeth, taking another sip from her coffee mug.

“I don’t know why but I’ve been having these terrible reactions whenever I think of the Zoo. It feels odd...as if I have gaps in my memory. I’ve been hallucinating this strange creature. I saw it again in the mirror last night.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened a little as she realised Charlotte was referring to the Spirit!. Fortunately, she had quickly returned to a neutral expression. Even more fortunately, Charlotte hadn’t noticed.

Regardless, Elizabeth was at a loss of what to say.

“I don’t expect you to know anything about this...I just needed to get it off my chest. The truth is...I’m scared. For me, the Zoo, for us” said Charlotte as she held out her hand. Elizabeth gripped it for support as she tried to comfort her best friend. Within moments, Charlotte couldn’t stop herself as she had an emotional breakdown. Her eyes released tears onto the table, beginning to splash against the relatively pristine woodwork.

“Ok, this has gone too far. This has to stop!” thought Elizabeth. She decided she would need to have words with the Spirit, consequences be damned. If it was going to get angry, then so be it.

“Ok, calm down Charlotte,” said Elizabeth soothingly, comforting her best friend who continued to bawl.

“But…I’m…we’re so…lost” mumbled Charlotte between tears. Elizabeth rubbed her friend’s back affectionately, trying to calm her friend down.

“And we’ll find our way,” replied Elizabeth confidently, hugging her friend…her best friend. “Like we always have” continued Elizabeth, noticing Charlotte seemed to be calming down. Elizabeth continued to soothe her, noticing Charlotte was now calm. The pair enjoyed their hug as friends…as best friends.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end as Charlotte glanced at the nearby clock.

It was almost time to get ready for work.

“This has been nice but…I need to go get ready” said Charlotte, breaking the hug as she got up from the table. She turned away from Elizabeth as she began to approach the stairs.

“You sure you’re ok?” asked Elizabeth, turning to face her friend. The question made Charlotte stop in her tracks as she turned to face Elizabeth.

“Yes…and Elizabeth?” replied Charlotte, heading up a few stairs.

“Yes?” asked Elizabeth curiously.

“Thank you...for everything” started Charlotte as she thought back to something as she confessed, “Sorry for not sharing blame regarding the School Trip. Maybe if I did, Rebecca would have shown some mercy”. She motioned to the scar on Elizabeth’s eye, Elizabeth feeling it for a moment before shrugging.

“It’s ok, water under the bridge and all that” finished Elizabeth as she motioned Charlotte up the stairs. Charlotte smiled back as she headed to her room, planning to get herself cleaned up for the day.

Despite the odd lack of resistance Elizabeth had given in accepting her apology, Charlotte could feel her guilt slipping away as she felt relieved, planning to have a shower in the meantime.

“Thank you…my best friend” mumbled Charlotte to herself. She approached the shower, glad that soon, she’d be able to wash away her guilt.

Elizabeth looked at the dirty plates as she began to clean up, reflecting on the events of the morning.

“Now…I’m trapped between my best friends” thought Elizabeth, finding herself at a difficult crossroad.

Like it or not, she was faced with a difficult choice.

One Hour Later:

Charlotte had gotten herself cleaned up, showering and brushing her teeth before proceeding to put her uniform on. She took a quick look at herself, smiling as she felt better than she had in a while.

“Maybe today won’t be so bad,” thought Charlotte, admiring herself for a moment. She headed outside into the upstairs hallway, noticing that the door to Rebecca’s room was closed. She could hear snoring coming from within and chose not to pursue further. Rebecca was obviously tired from the night before and would not appreciate the disturbance.

“Besides…I might need to enact our escape plan soon” thought Charlotte as she proceeded to head down the stairs.

Within moments, Charlotte arrived downstairs as she saw that Elizabeth had gotten dressed into something casual. She had dressed up in what appeared to be a snug yellow cardigan and a white polo shirt. She had a small navy blue skirt that looked rather large against Elizabeth's smaller frame. It was a far cry from the usual zoo uniform she wore on most days.

Charlotte turned to her best friend as she let out a smile which slowly changed into a more curious expression.

“Going somewhere?” wondered Charlotte as she looked at her friend.

“Going grocery shopping...someone needs to keep us fed. With Rebecca holed up in her room, I figured the responsibility falls on me. Besides…I’ve got a few recipes I want to try out” replied Elizabeth, her smile extending across her face.

“Fair enough, do you wish me to drive you into town?” asked Charlotte.

“No thanks, I’ll take the walk. It lets me get out for a while. Maybe Rebecca will be up once I return” stated Elizabeth. She watched Charlotte walk out the front door as she approached the nearby window.

She smiled as she saw Charlotte enter the single car they owned as it pulled out of the driveway.

“I hope she’s ok…perhaps we can do something nice tonight,” thought Elizabeth, smiling with momentary reassurance.

With that, Elizabeth did one last check around the house, ensuring everything was locked up before departing herself. As Elizabeth stood outside, she felt a small concern come over her regarding Charlotte. However, it faded from her mind as she checked her shopping list.

“Eggs?” wondered Elizabeth, a curious expression on her face. However, she quickly shrugged her shoulders, paying it no mind as she continued on her way.

Hopefully, she would think of a way to confront her new problem.

Hopefully, Elizabeth would find a way to keep both of her best friends.

At the New Zoo:

Charlotte walked under the familiar stone archways as she looked around. She noticed the debris had been fully cleaned up from the storm as she smiled. She observed that the cameras and intercom hadn’t been put back up but was content to tackle one problem at a time.

“At least Rebecca’s put all the functional aspects of both in the Security Room,” said Charlotte, content that they could be put back up once their remodelling request was approved.

“That is...if she does approve it” thought Charlotte as she continued to look around the Zoo, heading down the Main Hallway as she looked toward the animals within which reacted with indifference towards her as she proceeded to head towards the Office.

“I have to thank Rebecca for doing the inspections of the Petting Zoo and such on my behalf,” thought Charlotte, her thoughts suddenly freezing. Charlotte began to feel an odd chill in the air as she felt familiar sensations coming over her. She could feel an intense headache coming over her as she gritted her teeth, placing her hands on her head as if to prevent it from shaking.

“No…not again” mumbled Charlotte, trying to keep her composure. However, the cataclysm within her head was proving to be overpowering.

Fortunately, the shaking faded as Charlotte felt herself regain some self-control. She looked up, opening the door to the Office.

After all, she needed to prepare for the meeting she had in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, The Spirit emerged silently, watching Charlotte intently like a predator stalking its prey. The familiar turquoise entity now had a black outline projecting what appeared to be black smoke that proceeded to surround it. Despite this, it was well hidden within the depths of the New Zoo as it smirked maliciously, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“Today’s the day...this is when the fun begins,” said the Spirit ominously. It promptly vanished, preparing itself for the grand spectacle ahead.

A Few Hours Later:

It was early afternoon as a large group of people walked under the stone archways of the New Zoo.

There was a sense of unease within the group, it felt undeniably tense as they walked further into the Zoo. They entered the Main Hallway as they began to look around, noticing that some enclosures had already got animals within.

“Fascinating…hopefully, this will be the opportunity we’re waiting for” thought Adam. He continued to look around, placing his hand through his light blond hair as he noticed his daughter.

Sophie, alongside her friend, was currently further back from the group as they were eying the Map Stand. Adam watched as Sophie eagerly took one before opening it, showing it to her friend Ciara. Their expressions were ones of childlike curiosity as Adam smiled for a moment before remembering why he was here.

“I hope this works out. We need to put food on the table after all” continued Adam internally. He turned to face his wife, admiring how beautiful she looked in her dress.

Greta noticed Adam staring as she smiled back somewhat seductively. Her red lipstick helped compliment the image, suiting her dress perfectly. She noticed Adam’s smile which eased her nervousness.

“I hope it’s easing him as well,” thought Greta, smiling momentarily. A moment that was ruined as she noticed her older daughter staring at her phone. She sighed inwardly, ensuring her reddish auburn hair stayed straight.

“Hopefully Britney…can keep an eye on her sister and friend without argument…for once” thought Great frustratingly. She could only feel her frustration growing as Britney continued to stare at her phone. “Britney...can you please watch your sister and Ciara?” asked Greta firmly, although the tone of her voice made it sound more like a command.

Britney looked up from her phone as she scowled towards her mother. Nevertheless, she put her phone away as she looked towards her sister and her friend. She rubbed her hand through her blond hair as she grumbled inwardly.

“Why did it become my job to watch the kids?” thought Britney as she felt frustration growing within her. She suppressed this, realising it would do her no good. It had never done so previously.

“It seems like it's always my job to watch Sophie and Ciara” started Britney internally, annoyed at how this had been going on for years. “When did I become a parent? Mother can’t even seem to be bothered anymore” continued Britney. It was almost like she was Sophie and Ciara’s keeper…a position which left her feeling bittersweet.

After all, Sophie and her friend Ciara were good kids. If only her parents could be bothered to notice.

“Which brings us to today,” thought Britney, feeling confused as to why they had decided to bring the children given they were about to have a business meeting. When Britney questioned this, this had only resulted in her mother shouting her down and ignoring her.

“Honestly, I’m looking forward to starting college soon. It seems as if I graduated at the right time, especially with all the students who have recently gone missing” thought Britney. She took a quick look at her outfit of a green tank top and white shorts, admiring herself momentarily. She stopped when she noticed her mother giving her another dirty look.

“Ok…your majesty,” thought Britney sarcastically, moving further back towards her sister and Ciara.

From here, Britney could see her parents as well as Ciara’s parents Gabriel and Freya. They had all come in formal attire as today was an important day for them. Freya appeared particularly nervous, the others considering her a bit of a doormat and wishing she was more assertive.

“She’s always been rather withdrawn,” thought Britney. However, deep down, she respected Freya for actually parenting her daughter.

The Families had founded a printing company a few years ago and had been moderately successful in the early years. However, recently they had fallen upon hard times as Adam, her father, who was the managing director for the company, had attempted to expand the company.

They had enjoyed some initial success which, unfortunately, had quickly dried out.

“From what I heard, the demand just wasn’t present” continued Britney, shaking her head. After all, it wasn’t her headache to deal with.

Therefore, the Families were hoping their contract with the Zoo would help keep the company afloat and be some good publicity for supporting the local community. Although a couple of their workforce had disappeared a few months ago after coming here, the directors desperately needed this contract to ensure they stayed in business.

“Annoying that Harold and Petra just decided to disappear…they didn’t even return my calls,” thought Greta frustratingly. Nevertheless, she looked towards her husband, trying to get her mind off her irritation.

Adam and Gabriel had come in charcoal business suits which they had buttoned up. Their ties could be seen which were in orange and yellow respectively. It helped compliment the dark colours of the rest of the suit as they looked at each other, trying to reassure themselves.

Meanwhile, Greta and Freya did the same thing, reassuring each other as they noticed each other's formal dresses. Greta’s was red and went down to her knees whereas Freya’s was black. They had gotten their dresses from the same seamstress and they had definitely earned their keep over the years. Greta was also wearing her favourite red trench coat which went to her ankles, complimenting her dress perfectly.

“Time to ensure we get this contract” was their collective thought as they began to calm down.

Fortunately, they had already discussed this with the Landlord of the Zoo who informed them that they would be meeting one of their representatives in a few short moments. However, they still felt on edge, as they felt a sense of unease that seemed unable to leave.

The parents looked back, noticing Britney was now keeping an eye on their children. They were both currently watching as Britney motioned the pair forward, trying to make sure they didn't get lost.

Britney saw her and Ciara’s parents turn away, her mother, in particular, ignoring her as she sighed inwardly again. “Why am I always used for free babysitting? I do have a life of my own” thought Britney as she felt the familiar feeling of resentment return to her.

However, one look at Sophie and Ciara caused all of the resentment to melt away as Britney felt her features soften. “Despite everything, I know they are not responsible for this,” thought Britney.

She smiled, noticing the excitement that the children were showing for being here.

“Why did they even bring them here anyway? If this meeting is so important, you’d think I could’ve stayed home with them” thought Britney as she continued to stare at the pair of girls in front of her. “I can only guess they thought that the girls would enjoy seeing the Zoo” finished Britney.

As she escorted the children, Britney's thoughts drifted to her boyfriend...well ex-boyfriend.

“I just wish I knew why Cole broke up with me. I know we had sex together but it was protected. I didn’t think that would alienate him. I guess the universe doesn’t want me to be happy” moaned Britney inwardly as she reflected on a few decisions. They might have been poor ones but at least she made them rather than having her mother make them for her.

A habit Britney had adopted was impulsive decision making. She knew the dangers this posed as she regretted some of them, but Cole was one she would never regret. She felt like she was trapped being the babysitter for her sister and Ciara and she felt long overdue to be able to live her own life.

“But hopefully, I’ll be able to make my escape soon,” thought Britney, hoping that college would give her the change she so desired. Now if only she received approval from her accommodation request by her college, then she was all set.

Britney and the parents continued to walk down as they noticed the Gorilla Enclosure, walking up to it as they tried to get their minds off their troubles. Britney guided the children to the enclosure as they looked up from the map.

The children looked with intrigue as they observed the gorillas. Their eyes shone majestically as they watched them interacting with one another. Sophie noticed the baby gorilla from within the enclosure walk up to her, staring directly into her eyes.

Evan observed the little girl staring at him as he noticed tufts of short reddish-brown hair which was tied up into a ponytail via a red bobble. This was mostly covered up by a white baseball cap which protected Sophie’s fair skin from the nearby sun.

He looked further as he saw the green shirt she was wearing and her white shorts. For some reason, this caused him to remember something from what felt to be a long time ago. He remembered wearing clothes, having friends his age as he glanced at the other girl to the side of her and, as he focused on her cap, remembered having one similar.

Before he could fully consider this, however, he heard hooting from within the enclosure. Recognising the call coming from his mother, he turned away from Sophie, heading further into the enclosure.

“Woah...that was cool” stated Ciara as Sophie turned to face her friend.

Sophie smiled as she saw the more formal pink dress her friend was wearing. She had stated that her parents had insisted, needing her to look presentable. Ciara’s brown hair had blue dyed at the end as she smiled towards her friend, waving to get her attention.

“Sophie?... I think you spaced out again” said Ciara jokingly, her smile further reinforcing that her comment was in jest as she began to chuckle.

“Uh...shut up” replied Sophie, resisting a smirk which just caused Ciara’s smile to broaden as the pair gave each other a small hug.

The parents looked down at their children and smiled, feeling the tension reduce slightly as they continued to watch the Gorillas who seemed to not have a care in the world.

Debbie was currently tending to Evan as Coconut watched overhead, making sure no one interfered with his mate as the nearby Jordan and Jessica appeared to be with each other. Jordan was currently on the tire swing within the enclosure as Jessica stared lovingly back at him. The parents noticed the two female’s bellies were bulging slightly. This caused the parents to realise that they were pregnant and would eventually, be giving birth to more offspring.

As the families continued to admire the carefree nature of the Gorillas, Charlotte noticed them. She proceeded to head toward them despite her unease with this whole situation. She felt fearful as tension in the air felt omnipresent.

However, she feared invoking the wrath of their Landlord more, compelling herself to press on.

She noticed that the families had brought their children. She groaned inwardly as she realised this added a whole new variable to her predicament.

“Of course, they had to bring their children, why can’t this ever be simple?” thought Charlotte. She suppressed her thoughts of frustration to the back of her mind as she put on a smile, intending on introducing herself cordially.

“Hello,” said Charlotte as the families turned to face her. Charlotte could notice the tension and unease between them. It seemed as if they were just as nervous as she was. Therefore, she felt her courage from only a few weeks ago returning to her as she decided to lead the conversation.

“My name is Charlotte, I have been informed by my Landlord that you are interested in doing business with us” started Charlotte, introducing herself as she saw the tension begin to dissipate slightly.

Adam stepped in, offering a handshake which Charlotte accepted. “Hello, my name is Adam. I am the managing director at the nearby printing company and was hoping we could better discuss the business arrangements between us” informed Andrew, introducing himself warmly.

Charlotte smiled slightly as she felt her nerves easing as she breathed out. “Yes, we can discuss this in the Office but first...why don’t you introduce me to the rest of your group?” asked Charlotte, already aware of the answer but figured it would help ease the tension.

Adam turned around introducing his wife. Greta offered a handshake which Charlotte accepted as she was informed that Greta was the marketing director of the printing company. Gabriel and Freya quickly introduced themselves as the finance director and executive manager respectively. Freya seemed visibly nervous during the affair but Charlotte paid her anxiety no mind.

“After all, I feel we’re all nervous today,” thought Charlotte, turning to face the children…and Britney.

Britney and the children quickly introduced themselves as Charlotte noticed Britney’s bored expression. She hid her feelings on this, however, not wanting to get off on the wrong foot and complicate things with her parents.

“Would you like a look at the Zoo before we talk business?” asked Charlotte curiously as she looked at the parents.

“Not right now, maybe we can have a look around after we finish negotiations” replied Adam.

“Fair enough, then feel free to follow me,” said Charlotte, walking away from the group as they followed.

Britney continued to move the children in the right direction as they were busy looking at the map and the various attractions the Zoo had to offer.

“Honestly, I think the Petting Zoo would be fun,” said Sophie as she turned to Ciara before continuing “What do you think?.”

“I agree, It certainly seems fun, especially with the variety of animals they plan to have. I hope we get a chance today after our parents are finished. It would be great to see what they have so far” replied Ciara as they continued to talk about all the fun they were looking forward to spending in the Zoo.

Britney looked down at the pair and smiled. Despite everything, she truly did love these little girls. She felt slightly blue as she remembered that she was starting college soon.

“I’ll have to keep in touch with these two...they’re the only thing I’ll miss” thought Britney as she smiled, hiding the bittersweet feeling within her once more.

Eventually, the group arrived at the Office as Charlotte opened the door, motioning the parents inside as they turned back to Britney.

“Britney, can you keep the children company while we discuss arrangements?” asked Greta as Britney reluctantly nodded. Britney turned to Charlotte for a moment. “Can I take them to have a look around the Zoo while we wait?” asked Britney.

Charlotte considered the request for a moment, wondering if it was a good idea. However, she quickly dismissed the feeling. She figured that Britney should be able to watch the children and keep them out of trouble.

“By all means...feel free but bear in mind not all the enclosures are full or finished yet so make sure you keep your eye on the children,” informed Charlotte firmly as Britney nodded. She watched Charlotte close the door as she turned to the children.

“So...is there anywhere you want to go see?” asked Britney, a smile forming on her face as she noticed her sister and Ciara returning them.

“We wanna see the Petting Zoo!” said the pair enthusiastically as Britney took a glance at the map before looking around.

She noticed a nearby sign which pointed towards the Outside Section of the Zoo which would get them closer to the Petting Zoo as she escorted her sister and her friend outside.

Shortly After:

The group arrived at the Petting Zoo as they noticed the overhead sign. The children took a short glance before dashing inside whereas Britney took a longer glance, wondering what to think of it.

“The sign seems rather tacky but somewhat rustic. I suppose that’s the best that can be said about it” thought Britney as she quickly rushed inside, not wanting to lose her sister or Ciara.

Fortunately, they hadn’t headed too far.

The children were currently looking over the rabbit hutch as they noticed its sole inhabitant. Anna stared at them nonchalantly as she twitched her nose. However, this didn’t last as the girls reacted with subsequent glee which frightened Anna, causing her to move towards the other side of the hutch, away from prying eyes.

“Aw…I think we scared it,” said Ciara, her expression glum for a few seconds

“Sorry rabbit,” said Sophie, suggesting that they should move on.

Sophie and Ciara moved on to another enclosure, settling on the sheep pen as they looked inside. They saw the sheep within as Klaire looked over to face them, intrigued by the nearby visitors. Clara noticed the new visitors and cavorted towards them, although she did not stray too far from her ‘mother.’

Britney looked and noticed the children currently near the sheep pen as she smiled, hearing their excitement from where she was standing. She got her phone as she looked into it, reading Cole’s last message to her as she was confident that the children would be fine.

Ciara looked into the pen as she noticed a sheep away from the others. The sheep was within a wooden shelter and seemed nervous being all on its own. Ciara cooed as she noticed the cute sheep nearby as she motioned to Sophie, bringing her attention to it as they stared with intrigue at the single sheep. Clara continued to try and get their attention, hoping to be able to get some new playmates. She ‘grumbled’ slightly as it seemed they were more interested in her older ‘sister’.

“Do you think it’s ok?” asked Sophie somewhat nervously as she continued to stare at the sheep which seemed uneasy. Small bleats could be heard in the distance which indicated to Sophie that it appeared to be in distress.

“I’m sure the sheep is fine...probably just bashful” replied Ciara, snickering a bit before devolving into a fit of giggles as Sophie turned to her, confused.

“What’s so funny?” wondered Sophie as this caused Ciara to laugh even more. Eventually, Ciara was able to calm herself enough as she stared at Sophie.

“Bashful, as in baaaashful” stated Ciara, explaining the joke as Sophie finally got it, giggling along with her friend.

Unknown to the pair, the sheep was in distress. Angelica managed to stare at the pair for a moment, recalling that they appeared familiar. It was as if she had been one of those strange creatures before. She recalled having friends although she couldn’t quite recall any names as she felt some familiarity come over her which was quickly snuffed out by her instinct for the flock.

Speaking of which, she hoped the Zoo would expand the flock soon. This pen seemed quite spacious for only four sheep and Angelica desired companions her own age.

Currently, The Spirit was observing the girls observing the sheep, happiness present on their faces as it noticed Britney nearby, taking occasional glances but mostly checking her phone.

“Now…what to do?” thought the Spirit, rubbing its hand against its chin. It was considering creating some new additions for the Sheep Pen. After all, it could read Clara and Angelica’s thoughts and sensed their shared desire for companions.

“Ok, now let's…” thought the Spirit, about to begin.

However, before it could do so, the Spirit heard a nearby honk which seemed to draw the attention of the children. They turned towards the source of the noise, curiosity on their faces. Britney was overly focused on her phone to notice the children had moved on from the Sheep Pen.

“Perhaps…I should leave this to the Zoo” mumbled the Spirit, feeling slightly strange inside. “To conserve energy of course” continued the Spirit, curious as to how this would play out.

Sophie and Ciara located the sound of the noise as they saw a baby goose nearby. They awed as they walked slowly up to it, taking care not to startle the goose as they bent down. Sophie gave it a small stroke which the goose seemed to react positively to.

“Aw, it’s so cute” mumbled Ciara quietly as she watched her friend stroking the goose. She eventually took a small break as Ciara saw it as an opening to do the same. The two girls beamed as they enjoyed the short, tender moment.

This was shortly broken as the goose honked and began to waddle back towards the coop.

“Wait…where is it going?” wondered the pair as they followed it curiously.

Within moments, they had arrived at their destination. The girls looked up, noticing they had arrived at a rather large coop. It had appeared to have had a new coat of paint recently applied as pieces of white could be seen under what was now a coating of red paint.

The door was wide enough for the pair to be able to head inside although they did need to crawl.

The sight of the door caused Ciara to feel uneasy. She had never been fond of tight spaces, always getting nervous upon encountering them. Her breathing began to get a little uneven, making the girl suddenly and rapidly terrified.

This ceased as she felt the hand of her friend…her best friend within her own.

“It'll be ok Ciara…I’ll be here to keep you safe,” said Sophie reassuringly. Sophie smiled as she noticed Ciara calming. Ciara smiled back, feeling reassured by her friend.

“Ok…let’s do this,” said Ciara, confidence echoing in her voice as Sophie nodded. They began to approach the coop, eager to see what wonders beheld them inside.

They got onto their hands and knees as they entered the coop, taking a small look around as they noticed a nearby nest. The picture above the nest appeared to contain a small fact sheet regarding the birds which would belong within the nest. The image above indicated that this nest would belong to chickens once the Zoo had acquired some.

“Cool,” said Ciara, a smile crossing her face briefly as she crawled towards the nest. Sophie wasn’t far behind as they soon got into a good position around the nest. They took a peek over, trying to see if there were any chickens within. To their disappointment, they couldn’t even see a single egg as they felt a strange sensation coming over them.

They felt uncomfortable as they could feel something beginning to itch below their clothes. They scratched as they gritted their teeth in discomfort as the sensation shifted from being unpleasant to becoming unbearable.

The pair stared at each other, trying to work out what was happening as they felt something beginning to bulge from their rear. Sophie felt the bulge pushing against her shorts as she cringed at the feeling. Eventually, the shorts couldn’t cope with the pressure and broke through, revealing a small pointed nub that appeared to be a small tail.

“Wait…what’s happening to Sophie?” thought Ciara, watching in bewilderment.

Sophie was currently rubbing her hand against her new tail nub in a panic. There was a small itch as Sophie scratched curiously, feeling something pushing out. Ciara saw yellow tail feathers pushing out from the nub as her mouth gaped wide. Ciara felt her dress push up as she looked back, noticing a similar tail nub had formed, brown feathers covering it.

“No…it’s happening to me as well?!” thought Ciara, feeling panic overtake the rest of her senses. She noticed Sophie staring at it as well as the pair couldn’t hold back a scream.

The Spirit used a small amount of energy to soundproof the coop, ensuring that Britney wouldn’t hear her wards prematurely. It was being mildly entertained by the display and didn’t wish for any unwanted disruptions.

“What’s going on?” exclaimed Sophie in a panic as she felt tingling within her feet as Ciara felt the same. The pair both looked down, feeling discomfort in their shoes as they began to feel increasingly cramped.

Unknown to the pair, their feet were changing, shifting against their will as toes merged, forming talons that scratched against the material of the shoes, threatening to rip it apart as the feet began to develop a strange texture, becoming pebbly and scaly as they discoloured, becoming a shade of yellow as the girls continued to panic at their predicament.

Eventually, the shoes tore under the pressure as the girls could get a clear look at their feet. They quickly recognised them as they realised what was happening.

“Wait…we’re becoming chickens?!” said the pair, feeling the tingling spreading to their legs.

They could only watch as the pebbly texture shifted up their legs as they discoloured, changing yellowish. Their thighs thickened up, causing Sophie’s shorts to snap from the tightness as she stared at Ciara who, fortunately, still had her dress intact.

Due to the loss of her shorts, Ciara could see yellow feathers continue to spread across Sophie’s thighs as she could feel feathers forming across her. She started to cry as she considered her future and how it was in shambles. She didn’t want this but it seemed as if life had other plans for her.

“C’mon, don’t cry” reassured Sophie, moving up to her friend and hugging her. This made Ciara feel better as she could feel a sensation forming in her fingers. Sophie could feel hers merging together as they became one fleshy stump. Despite this, Sophie refused to stop hugging Ciara as the girl began to calm down. She felt cosy as she realised that Sophie’s new wings were becoming covered in yellow feathers like the rest of her body.

Ciara watched as her arms shifted like Sophies, becoming stumps as brown feathers began to form on them. She flapped them experimentally, feeling her sadness returning as she got closer to the point of no return.

The pair felt a greater discomfort as the itching around their chest intensified. The feathers began emerging with gusto as they began to push against Sophie’s shirt and Ciara’s dress. Eventually, the feather overwhelmed the material and snapped the pair which fell to the ground.

Sophie could feel the feathers moving up towards her neck as she observed the same in her friend. The only thing which remained unchanged was their human heads as Sophie felt a sense of vertigo come over her. One look indicated that Ciara was feeling the same thing as she realised what was about to happen, quickly used her wing to knock her hat off her head, batting it to one side.

Fortunately, this was just in time as the pair began to shrink in earnest. They shrunk smaller and smaller as their surroundings got bigger and bigger as the coop, which was too small for them moments before now felt like the size of a mansion.

The pair stared at each other, wondering if it was over. Unfortunately, they could feel something else coming over them. Surprisingly, it was not in their faces but they instead felt drawn to each other. They moved closer and closer as Ciara started to weep once again, noticing her nearby dress was now ruined as she mourned her lost humanity.

Sophie once again took Ciara into a hug as she wrapped her wings around her. Ciara felt calm as the occasional ‘cheep’ escaped her mouth, her vocals becoming increasingly animal-like as Sophie gave her words of assurance.

“It’s ‘cheep’ going to ‘cheep’ ok,” said Sophie, feeling Ciara calming against her as the pair began to settle. Sophie could feel herself worry but she put on a brave face...for Ciara’s sake.

Ciara noticed something else beginning to come over them. The pair felt constrained and cramped as they felt themselves unable to shift from their position. They watched as they saw what appeared to be a wall forming around them as it curved towards the top.

“Wait…is that a” started Ciara, feeling a sense of panic come over her. Her claustrophobia began to intensify, making it difficult for the poor girl to cope.

“Don’t worry about it” replied Sophie, keeping her friend close and hugging her tight. Warmth began to radiate between the pair as the egg finished forming around the pair.

Soon, their makeshift prison had completely coated over the pair.

Now, where the girls once stood was a small egg that rattled on the straw within the coop. Despite their girls' transformation being only moments before, the rattling was intense, indicating the egg would hatch soon.

To be Continued...

Description
It was rather late one night as rain could be heard coming from the window.

It had started as a light drizzle, soon becoming a rather considerable downpour. Everyone within the general vicinity was grateful that they were inside their comfy, comfy homes.

Within one of these nearby houses, a small lump sat up from a bed, gazing over to the nearby television as they watched intently as if they had waited in anticipation for the moment about to commence on the screen.

The figure was wrapped in a large red blanket which was soft against their fair skin, bringing both warmth and comfort as the figure continued to squirm lightly. They were trying to find the perfect spot for maximum cosiness as they wriggled between the folds of the blanket.

The show they were watching appeared to be building up to a climax. It appeared to be some kind of romantic comedy combined with the elements of a soap opera. The show was known as ‘Great Expectations' as the figure kept glancing at the television, watching as if they were hypnotised.

The figure’s eyes beamed with anticipation as she resisted the urge to shout out into the screen. She was struggling to contain her enjoyment as the man and the woman on the screen appeared as if they were about to confess their love.

Suddenly, they pulled away, the woman on the screen walked away, the buildup had come crashing down in an annoying anti-climax.

This caused the figure watching to groan in frustration as the resistance to shout had worn away.

“Oh c’mon Jennifer, you know he wants you. It’s only been…” exclaimed Charlotte, quickly scanning through a list before finishing “39 episodes since you showed interest in him!”

Charlotte heard a sudden loud knocking on her wall, she jumped as she forgot how hollow the walls were for her room. She also had forgotten that she had roommates for a short moment.

“Keep it down, it’s late!” could be heard coming from the connected room. Further evaluation of the voice could confirm that Elizabeth, her best friend, was letting her annoyance be known.

Charlotte was rather annoyed at the reaction as she stuck her tongue out. However, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of reassurance for her best friend.

“At least she’s more confident…after what Rebecca did to her” thought Charlotte, feeling a sense of guilt at the fact that she had just stood by and let it happen. “I still wish I knew what caused this increase in confidence though” continued Charlotte. The thoughts of the New Zoo wracked her mind, causing her to feel uneasy.

For some reason which she couldn’t remember, Charlotte began to feel sick to her stomach. She had a bad feeling about the Zoo but she couldn’t quite remember what had happened.

Honestly, this had terrified Charlotte as she wasn’t one to forget things.

“I…I just don’t know what happened. I mean, I feel it subconsciously but I just…can’t remember” mumbled Charlotte, her thoughts drifting back to the recent storm. She remembered the new expansions to the Petting Zoo as she gave a rare smile. Her mood brightened as she felt a sense of pride at how well…and fast it was developing.

“The Petting Zoo is coming along beautifully” started Charlotte, the smile unwavering from her face. “Once the Zoo opens, it will be an absolutely splendid attraction. From the Geese to the Rabbit to the Horse to the...” continued Charlotte, her mind suddenly coming to a screeching halt.

Like her earlier moment of forgetfulness, she had a bad feeling regarding the goats but she didn’t understand why.

“Why…why does something feel so wrong?” wondered Charlotte, still at a loss. She attempted to change the subject, her mind becoming focused on Rebecca.

Rebecca had left earlier in the day to head to the New Zoo. She hadn’t explained why and only said she’d be back late. Charlotte took note of the time as she realised Rebecca wasn’t back yet as she became slightly worried.

“I hope she remembered to stay away from Chris. The last thing we need is for there to be a new peahen in the Aviary when one of us goes in next” thought Charlotte. Despite, like Elizabeth, effectively being Rebecca’s prisoner, she couldn’t help but feel concerned.

Before Charlotte had any time to think further on the matter, she heard her phone ringing suddenly. She quickly turned, stumbling over herself as the blanket fell loose. Charlotte continued to navigate the rather tiny room, trying to find her phone while using the television which had long since finished her show, as a makeshift torch.

She quickly muted the television as she discovered her phone, picking it up as she saw the Caller ID. She took a small gulp as she prepared herself for the call, wondering why they were calling at this time of night.

“Hello?” mumbled Charlotte uneasily, trying to keep her voice down as she remembered the earlier interruption from Elizabeth.

“I was left on the line for a while...I’ve not caught you at a bad time have I?” replied the voice pointedly. Charlotte felt nervous as she noticed the edge in the caller’s voice.

“I guess this isn’t just a house call then” stated Charlotte as she took note of the time, realising it was indeed rather late. It caused her to sympathise with Elizabeth as Charlotte realised she had indeed lost track of time. She didn’t have much time to focus on this as the voice began to pick up again.

“No, I’m just making sure you remembered tomorrow's appointment,” said the voice sharply as Charlotte turned to the nearby wall to her large calendar as she noticed tomorrow's date had large red circles around it.

It was then Charlotte realised she was on duty tomorrow at the Zoo. She was slowly starting to regret staying up this late as she realised she would need to be out early tomorrow for preparations before the people arrived.

The thought made her uneasy as Charlotte, sensing the irritation of the caller on the other side, quickly replied “Oh yeah the meeting…that’s tomorrow?.”

“Don’t tell me you forgot?” asked the voice, their tone sounding irritated and tired. “This is rather important for the longevity of the New Zoo that you and your friends are working on” continued the voice, irritation clearly present in their voice.

“If that’s the case, why aren’t you talking to Rebecca about this?” stated Charlotte, genuinely inquisitive as she wondered what had caused their landlord to be in this kind of mood.

“Don’t backtalk me Charlotte, I’m not in the mood” informed the Landlord sternly as a groan could be heard. It was as if they were beginning to lose patience with Charlotte.

“I’m not, I’m just asking a question. I had no intention of offending you” replies Charlotte, feeling her confidence settling.

“The reason is…” started the voice, as if they were needing to think before speaking. “It is important that the paperwork regarding tomorrow is completely airtight. The executives from the local printing company who will be attending tomorrow don’t seem to know their worth. I need this airtight to ensure we can properly exploit this opportunity. I also know you will organise the paperwork well given your skillset” explained the voice.

“Aw...so you do trust me?” said Charlotte, her tone trying to lighten the mood as she smiled momentarily.

“I don’t trust you, I just trust your friends even less with this” replied the Landlord coldly as Charlotte felt her expression drop. “Given your current track record, you can understand why I’m currently less than impressed with the project” continued the Landlord, her voice still icily serious.

Charlotte groaned inwardly, realising their Landlord had a point. The Managers had fallen rather short of expectations. Honestly, Charlotte had thought that Rebecca had oversold the simplicity of the project. The School Trip was a definite example of when doing so had unforeseen consequences which were rather obvious in hindsight.

Charlotte realised their Landlord had gone quiet as she piped up “ So I’m guessing this is in regards to printing more copies of the poster Rebecca organised earlier in the month?”

The Landlord sighed a little as they responded “Yes, it is. This is why I am stressing to you that these people are NOT to be transformed...understood?.”

“Yes...I understand” replied Charlotte uneasily as she felt the edge in her Landlord’s voice over the phone.

“Good, I will not be impressed if you go maverick Charlotte. So don’t disappoint me or there will be consequences” warned the Landlord as they hung up the phone, Charlotte bringing the phone down from her ear as she looked at the television before turning it off with the remote she had placed nearby.

Charlotte slowly shifted herself from the bed as she headed into her ensuite. She quickly brushed her teeth as she looked into the mirror. She looked at her reflection for a moment before something quickly flashed, her image being replaced with something inhuman for a short moment.

Charlotte’s eyes widened as she quickly shook her head. Fortunately, when she looked again, she saw her reflection staring back at her as she breathed out in relief.

“I must be more tired than I thought” mumbled Charlotte as she tried to recall the image she witnessed. It seemed familiar although Charlotte couldn’t put her finger on where she had seen it.

It seemed Charlotte was becoming increasingly forgetful…and that terrified her.

“I just hope this isn’t the prelude to something worse” thought Charlotte. She promptly finished brushing as she quietly moved back towards her bed.

As soon as she crashed out under the covers she fell asleep almost instantly.

The Following Morning:

Charlotte awoke early the next morning to the distinctive smell of pancakes coming from downstairs.

“Wait…pancakes?” wondered Charlotte, her curiosity growing. The smell was becoming impossible to resist as Charlotte forced the tiredness from her eyes.

She quickly emerged from her covers, heading downstairs to the sight of Elizabeth cooking breakfast. Granted, she was using a footstool to reach the grill but she was immensely enjoying herself.

It was as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

“You...cook?” said Charlotte, confused as she took a seat at the shared dining table. The smell felt more intense downstairs as Charlotte couldn’t help but salivate.

“Eh, just trying a new recipe” replied Elizabeth, shrugging her shoulders as she continued her work, letting the silence hang for a moment. Elizabeth took a quick glance back to her friend, deciding to break the silence.

“Want one?” asked Elizabeth, her genuine smile seeming almost in contrast with the mood of her best friend.

“Yes...Yes, I would” replied Charlotte uneasily as she felt somewhat nervous. She heard Elizabeth humming a little melody to herself as she dished out, placing the pancakes onto a single plate as she set two empty plates at the table. The pancakes were placed between the pair as Elizabeth quickly claimed one, beginning to dig in as Charlotte looked to her oddly.

“I haven’t poisoned any if that’s what you’re thinking” deadpanned Elizabeth between bites as she continued to eat.

Charlotte took a pancake from the central plate and took a few small bites. Her mouth widened into a grin as she savoured the sweet tastes across her tongue.

“This…this is delicious!” exclaimed Charlotte, barely hiding her excitement as she began to eagerly devour the treat she had been given.

“Glad to see you approve,” replied Elizabeth, a warm smile on her face. She smiled back at her friend, noticing Charlotte had quickly finished her first pancake. Charlotte stared at Elizabeth, her guilt beginning to surface once more.

Charlotte quickly suppressed the feeling, deciding to change the subject.

“So, when did you learn how to cook?” asked Charlotte curiously as she looked intently at the central plate once more. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, indicating it was ok to have another one as Charlotte excitedly took another from the plate.

“I found a place which did cooking classes on the way home from my self-defence classes. I figured why not? Since then, I’ve been going twice a week and learning new recipes” replied Elizabeth enthusiastically as she took another pancake from the central plate and proceeded to devour it.

The pair continued to enjoy their breakfast in peaceful silence as Charlotte felt her guilt becoming impossible to ignore. Elizabeth looked at Charlotte, slight concern crossing her face as she looked at her best friend. Charlotte seemed rather faint for a moment as Elizabeth moved toward the sink, having moved her footstool as she filled a glass of water and gave it to her friend.

“She’s been this way for quite some time...I hope the Spirit knows what it’s doing” thought Elizabeth. She moved to support Charlotte, dismissing her current thoughts for the meantime.

“You ok?” asked Elizabeth as Charlotte proceeded to drink the water, feeling some clarity returning to her. Charlotte felt the water cool her down slightly as she nodded gratefully towards Elizabeth.

“Yes” replied Charlotte, seemingly out of breath as she began to take a few breaths.

“Maybe I should take over Zoo duty today” offered Elizabeth, continuing to hold Charlotte on the off chance she shifted her weight suddenly and fell onto the floor.

“Sorry...but no. Our Landlord insisted that I need to be there today. Mainly for recordkeeping” stated Charlotte. She felt her senses returning to her as Elizabeth, feeling reassured that Charlotte could hold herself up returned to her seat as she stared at her friend. Elizabeth felt a sense of understanding once Charlotte had mentioned their Landlord.

“I understand, although I do think they can be a pain in the ass sometimes,” said Elizabeth as she took a drink from her coffee mug, enjoying the rich caffeine as she turned back to face Charlotte.

“Can I tell you something?. I don’t wish to tell Rebecca. She already has enough to think about” asked Charlotte, her tone rather small. Elizabeth stared, her concerned expression returning, she knew that Charlotte was only like this when she was particularly scared of something.

And Elizabeth had an idea of what might be the cause.

“I know that she’s worried about the Zoo. Is there more I don’t know?” wondered Elizabeth internally as she stared directly at Charlotte. “Go on” mumbled Elizabeth, taking another sip from her coffee mug.

“I don’t know why but I’ve been having these terrible reactions whenever I think of the Zoo. It feels odd...as if I have gaps in my memory. I’ve been hallucinating this strange creature. I saw it again in the mirror last night.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened a little as she realised Charlotte was referring to the Spirit!. Fortunately, she had quickly returned to a neutral expression. Even more fortunately, Charlotte hadn’t noticed.

Regardless, Elizabeth was at a loss of what to say.

“I don’t expect you to know anything about this...I just needed to get it off my chest. The truth is...I’m scared. For me, the Zoo, for us” said Charlotte as she held out her hand. Elizabeth gripped it for support as she tried to comfort her best friend. Within moments, Charlotte couldn’t stop herself as she had an emotional breakdown. Her eyes released tears onto the table, beginning to splash against the relatively pristine woodwork.

“Ok, this has gone too far. This has to stop!” thought Elizabeth. She decided she would need to have words with the Spirit, consequences be damned. If it was going to get angry, then so be it.

“Ok, calm down Charlotte,” said Elizabeth soothingly, comforting her best friend who continued to bawl.

“But…I’m…we’re so…lost” mumbled Charlotte between tears. Elizabeth rubbed her friend’s back affectionately, trying to calm her friend down.

“And we’ll find our way,” replied Elizabeth confidently, hugging her friend…her best friend. “Like we always have” continued Elizabeth, noticing Charlotte seemed to be calming down. Elizabeth continued to soothe her, noticing Charlotte was now calm. The pair enjoyed their hug as friends…as best friends.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end as Charlotte glanced at the nearby clock.

It was almost time to get ready for work.

“This has been nice but…I need to go get ready” said Charlotte, breaking the hug as she got up from the table. She turned away from Elizabeth as she began to approach the stairs.

“You sure you’re ok?” asked Elizabeth, turning to face her friend. The question made Charlotte stop in her tracks as she turned to face Elizabeth.

“Yes…and Elizabeth?” replied Charlotte, heading up a few stairs.

“Yes?” asked Elizabeth curiously.

“Thank you...for everything” started Charlotte as she thought back to something as she confessed, “Sorry for not sharing blame regarding the School Trip. Maybe if I did, Rebecca would have shown some mercy”. She motioned to the scar on Elizabeth’s eye, Elizabeth feeling it for a moment before shrugging.

“It’s ok, water under the bridge and all that” finished Elizabeth as she motioned Charlotte up the stairs. Charlotte smiled back as she headed to her room, planning to get herself cleaned up for the day.

Despite the odd lack of resistance Elizabeth had given in accepting her apology, Charlotte could feel her guilt slipping away as she felt relieved, planning to have a shower in the meantime.

“Thank you…my best friend” mumbled Charlotte to herself. She approached the shower, glad that soon, she’d be able to wash away her guilt.

Elizabeth looked at the dirty plates as she began to clean up, reflecting on the events of the morning.

“Now…I’m trapped between my best friends” thought Elizabeth, finding herself at a difficult crossroad.

Like it or not, she was faced with a difficult choice.

One Hour Later:

Charlotte had gotten herself cleaned up, showering and brushing her teeth before proceeding to put her uniform on. She took a quick look at herself, smiling as she felt better than she had in a while.

“Maybe today won’t be so bad,” thought Charlotte, admiring herself for a moment. She headed outside into the upstairs hallway, noticing that the door to Rebecca’s room was closed. She could hear snoring coming from within and chose not to pursue further. Rebecca was obviously tired from the night before and would not appreciate the disturbance.

“Besides…I might need to enact our escape plan soon” thought Charlotte as she proceeded to head down the stairs.

Within moments, Charlotte arrived downstairs as she saw that Elizabeth had gotten dressed into something casual. She had dressed up in what appeared to be a snug yellow cardigan and a white polo shirt. She had a small navy blue skirt that looked rather large against Elizabeth's smaller frame. It was a far cry from the usual zoo uniform she wore on most days.

Charlotte turned to her best friend as she let out a smile which slowly changed into a more curious expression.

“Going somewhere?” wondered Charlotte as she looked at her friend.

“Going grocery shopping...someone needs to keep us fed. With Rebecca holed up in her room, I figured the responsibility falls on me. Besides…I’ve got a few recipes I want to try out” replied Elizabeth, her smile extending across her face.

“Fair enough, do you wish me to drive you into town?” asked Charlotte.

“No thanks, I’ll take the walk. It lets me get out for a while. Maybe Rebecca will be up once I return” stated Elizabeth. She watched Charlotte walk out the front door as she approached the nearby window.

She smiled as she saw Charlotte enter the single car they owned as it pulled out of the driveway.

“I hope she’s ok…perhaps we can do something nice tonight,” thought Elizabeth, smiling with momentary reassurance.

With that, Elizabeth did one last check around the house, ensuring everything was locked up before departing herself. As Elizabeth stood outside, she felt a small concern come over her regarding Charlotte. However, it faded from her mind as she checked her shopping list.

“Eggs?” wondered Elizabeth, a curious expression on her face. However, she quickly shrugged her shoulders, paying it no mind as she continued on her way.

Hopefully, she would think of a way to confront her new problem.

Hopefully, Elizabeth would find a way to keep both of her best friends.

At the New Zoo:

Charlotte walked under the familiar stone archways as she looked around. She noticed the debris had been fully cleaned up from the storm as she smiled. She observed that the cameras and intercom hadn’t been put back up but was content to tackle one problem at a time.

“At least Rebecca’s put all the functional aspects of both in the Security Room,” said Charlotte, content that they could be put back up once their remodelling request was approved.

“That is...if she does approve it” thought Charlotte as she continued to look around the Zoo, heading down the Main Hallway as she looked toward the animals within which reacted with indifference towards her as she proceeded to head towards the Office.

“I have to thank Rebecca for doing the inspections of the Petting Zoo and such on my behalf,” thought Charlotte, her thoughts suddenly freezing. Charlotte began to feel an odd chill in the air as she felt familiar sensations coming over her. She could feel an intense headache coming over her as she gritted her teeth, placing her hands on her head as if to prevent it from shaking.

“No…not again” mumbled Charlotte, trying to keep her composure. However, the cataclysm within her head was proving to be overpowering.

Fortunately, the shaking faded as Charlotte felt herself regain some self-control. She looked up, opening the door to the Office.

After all, she needed to prepare for the meeting she had in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, The Spirit emerged silently, watching Charlotte intently like a predator stalking its prey. The familiar turquoise entity now had a black outline projecting what appeared to be black smoke that proceeded to surround it. Despite this, it was well hidden within the depths of the New Zoo as it smirked maliciously, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“Today’s the day...this is when the fun begins,” said the Spirit ominously. It promptly vanished, preparing itself for the grand spectacle ahead.

A Few Hours Later:

It was early afternoon as a large group of people walked under the stone archways of the New Zoo.

There was a sense of unease within the group, it felt undeniably tense as they walked further into the Zoo. They entered the Main Hallway as they began to look around, noticing that some enclosures had already got animals within.

“Fascinating…hopefully, this will be the opportunity we’re waiting for” thought Adam. He continued to look around, placing his hand through his light blond hair as he noticed his daughter.

Sophie, alongside her friend, was currently further back from the group as they were eying the Map Stand. Adam watched as Sophie eagerly took one before opening it, showing it to her friend Ciara. Their expressions were ones of childlike curiosity as Adam smiled for a moment before remembering why he was here.

“I hope this works out. We need to put food on the table after all” continued Adam internally. He turned to face his wife, admiring how beautiful she looked in her dress.

Greta noticed Adam staring as she smiled back somewhat seductively. Her red lipstick helped compliment the image, suiting her dress perfectly. She noticed Adam’s smile which eased her nervousness.

“I hope it’s easing him as well,” thought Greta, smiling momentarily. A moment that was ruined as she noticed her older daughter staring at her phone. She sighed inwardly, ensuring her reddish auburn hair stayed straight.

“Hopefully Britney…can keep an eye on her sister and friend without argument…for once” thought Great frustratingly. She could only feel her frustration growing as Britney continued to stare at her phone. “Britney...can you please watch your sister and Ciara?” asked Greta firmly, although the tone of her voice made it sound more like a command.

Britney looked up from her phone as she scowled towards her mother. Nevertheless, she put her phone away as she looked towards her sister and her friend. She rubbed her hand through her blond hair as she grumbled inwardly.

“Why did it become my job to watch the kids?” thought Britney as she felt frustration growing within her. She suppressed this, realising it would do her no good. It had never done so previously.

“It seems like it's always my job to watch Sophie and Ciara” started Britney internally, annoyed at how this had been going on for years. “When did I become a parent? Mother can’t even seem to be bothered anymore” continued Britney. It was almost like she was Sophie and Ciara’s keeper…a position which left her feeling bittersweet.

After all, Sophie and her friend Ciara were good kids. If only her parents could be bothered to notice.

“Which brings us to today,” thought Britney, feeling confused as to why they had decided to bring the children given they were about to have a business meeting. When Britney questioned this, this had only resulted in her mother shouting her down and ignoring her.

“Honestly, I’m looking forward to starting college soon. It seems as if I graduated at the right time, especially with all the students who have recently gone missing” thought Britney. She took a quick look at her outfit of a green tank top and white shorts, admiring herself momentarily. She stopped when she noticed her mother giving her another dirty look.

“Ok…your majesty,” thought Britney sarcastically, moving further back towards her sister and Ciara.

From here, Britney could see her parents as well as Ciara’s parents Gabriel and Freya. They had all come in formal attire as today was an important day for them. Freya appeared particularly nervous, the others considering her a bit of a doormat and wishing she was more assertive.

“She’s always been rather withdrawn,” thought Britney. However, deep down, she respected Freya for actually parenting her daughter.

The Families had founded a printing company a few years ago and had been moderately successful in the early years. However, recently they had fallen upon hard times as Adam, her father, who was the managing director for the company, had attempted to expand the company.

They had enjoyed some initial success which, unfortunately, had quickly dried out.

“From what I heard, the demand just wasn’t present” continued Britney, shaking her head. After all, it wasn’t her headache to deal with.

Therefore, the Families were hoping their contract with the Zoo would help keep the company afloat and be some good publicity for supporting the local community. Although a couple of their workforce had disappeared a few months ago after coming here, the directors desperately needed this contract to ensure they stayed in business.

“Annoying that Harold and Petra just decided to disappear…they didn’t even return my calls,” thought Greta frustratingly. Nevertheless, she looked towards her husband, trying to get her mind off her irritation.

Adam and Gabriel had come in charcoal business suits which they had buttoned up. Their ties could be seen which were in orange and yellow respectively. It helped compliment the dark colours of the rest of the suit as they looked at each other, trying to reassure themselves.

Meanwhile, Greta and Freya did the same thing, reassuring each other as they noticed each other's formal dresses. Greta’s was red and went down to her knees whereas Freya’s was black. They had gotten their dresses from the same seamstress and they had definitely earned their keep over the years. Greta was also wearing her favourite red trench coat which went to her ankles, complimenting her dress perfectly.

“Time to ensure we get this contract” was their collective thought as they began to calm down.

Fortunately, they had already discussed this with the Landlord of the Zoo who informed them that they would be meeting one of their representatives in a few short moments. However, they still felt on edge, as they felt a sense of unease that seemed unable to leave.

The parents looked back, noticing Britney was now keeping an eye on their children. They were both currently watching as Britney motioned the pair forward, trying to make sure they didn't get lost.

Britney saw her and Ciara’s parents turn away, her mother, in particular, ignoring her as she sighed inwardly again. “Why am I always used for free babysitting? I do have a life of my own” thought Britney as she felt the familiar feeling of resentment return to her.

However, one look at Sophie and Ciara caused all of the resentment to melt away as Britney felt her features soften. “Despite everything, I know they are not responsible for this,” thought Britney.

She smiled, noticing the excitement that the children were showing for being here.

“Why did they even bring them here anyway? If this meeting is so important, you’d think I could’ve stayed home with them” thought Britney as she continued to stare at the pair of girls in front of her. “I can only guess they thought that the girls would enjoy seeing the Zoo” finished Britney.

As she escorted the children, Britney's thoughts drifted to her boyfriend...well ex-boyfriend.

“I just wish I knew why Cole broke up with me. I know we had sex together but it was protected. I didn’t think that would alienate him. I guess the universe doesn’t want me to be happy” moaned Britney inwardly as she reflected on a few decisions. They might have been poor ones but at least she made them rather than having her mother make them for her.

A habit Britney had adopted was impulsive decision making. She knew the dangers this posed as she regretted some of them, but Cole was one she would never regret. She felt like she was trapped being the babysitter for her sister and Ciara and she felt long overdue to be able to live her own life.

“But hopefully, I’ll be able to make my escape soon,” thought Britney, hoping that college would give her the change she so desired. Now if only she received approval from her accommodation request by her college, then she was all set.

Britney and the parents continued to walk down as they noticed the Gorilla Enclosure, walking up to it as they tried to get their minds off their troubles. Britney guided the children to the enclosure as they looked up from the map.

The children looked with intrigue as they observed the gorillas. Their eyes shone majestically as they watched them interacting with one another. Sophie noticed the baby gorilla from within the enclosure walk up to her, staring directly into her eyes.

Evan observed the little girl staring at him as he noticed tufts of short reddish-brown hair which was tied up into a ponytail via a red bobble. This was mostly covered up by a white baseball cap which protected Sophie’s fair skin from the nearby sun.

He looked further as he saw the green shirt she was wearing and her white shorts. For some reason, this caused him to remember something from what felt to be a long time ago. He remembered wearing clothes, having friends his age as he glanced at the other girl to the side of her and, as he focused on her cap, remembered having one similar.

Before he could fully consider this, however, he heard hooting from within the enclosure. Recognising the call coming from his mother, he turned away from Sophie, heading further into the enclosure.

“Woah...that was cool” stated Ciara as Sophie turned to face her friend.

Sophie smiled as she saw the more formal pink dress her friend was wearing. She had stated that her parents had insisted, needing her to look presentable. Ciara’s brown hair had blue dyed at the end as she smiled towards her friend, waving to get her attention.

“Sophie?... I think you spaced out again” said Ciara jokingly, her smile further reinforcing that her comment was in jest as she began to chuckle.

“Uh...shut up” replied Sophie, resisting a smirk which just caused Ciara’s smile to broaden as the pair gave each other a small hug.

The parents looked down at their children and smiled, feeling the tension reduce slightly as they continued to watch the Gorillas who seemed to not have a care in the world.

Debbie was currently tending to Evan as Coconut watched overhead, making sure no one interfered with his mate as the nearby Jordan and Jessica appeared to be with each other. Jordan was currently on the tire swing within the enclosure as Jessica stared lovingly back at him. The parents noticed the two female’s bellies were bulging slightly. This caused the parents to realise that they were pregnant and would eventually, be giving birth to more offspring.

As the families continued to admire the carefree nature of the Gorillas, Charlotte noticed them. She proceeded to head toward them despite her unease with this whole situation. She felt fearful as tension in the air felt omnipresent.

However, she feared invoking the wrath of their Landlord more, compelling herself to press on.

She noticed that the families had brought their children. She groaned inwardly as she realised this added a whole new variable to her predicament.

“Of course, they had to bring their children, why can’t this ever be simple?” thought Charlotte. She suppressed her thoughts of frustration to the back of her mind as she put on a smile, intending on introducing herself cordially.

“Hello,” said Charlotte as the families turned to face her. Charlotte could notice the tension and unease between them. It seemed as if they were just as nervous as she was. Therefore, she felt her courage from only a few weeks ago returning to her as she decided to lead the conversation.

“My name is Charlotte, I have been informed by my Landlord that you are interested in doing business with us” started Charlotte, introducing herself as she saw the tension begin to dissipate slightly.

Adam stepped in, offering a handshake which Charlotte accepted. “Hello, my name is Adam. I am the managing director at the nearby printing company and was hoping we could better discuss the business arrangements between us” informed Andrew, introducing himself warmly.

Charlotte smiled slightly as she felt her nerves easing as she breathed out. “Yes, we can discuss this in the Office but first...why don’t you introduce me to the rest of your group?” asked Charlotte, already aware of the answer but figured it would help ease the tension.

Adam turned around introducing his wife. Greta offered a handshake which Charlotte accepted as she was informed that Greta was the marketing director of the printing company. Gabriel and Freya quickly introduced themselves as the finance director and executive manager respectively. Freya seemed visibly nervous during the affair but Charlotte paid her anxiety no mind.

“After all, I feel we’re all nervous today,” thought Charlotte, turning to face the children…and Britney.

Britney and the children quickly introduced themselves as Charlotte noticed Britney’s bored expression. She hid her feelings on this, however, not wanting to get off on the wrong foot and complicate things with her parents.

“Would you like a look at the Zoo before we talk business?” asked Charlotte curiously as she looked at the parents.

“Not right now, maybe we can have a look around after we finish negotiations” replied Adam.

“Fair enough, then feel free to follow me,” said Charlotte, walking away from the group as they followed.

Britney continued to move the children in the right direction as they were busy looking at the map and the various attractions the Zoo had to offer.

“Honestly, I think the Petting Zoo would be fun,” said Sophie as she turned to Ciara before continuing “What do you think?.”

“I agree, It certainly seems fun, especially with the variety of animals they plan to have. I hope we get a chance today after our parents are finished. It would be great to see what they have so far” replied Ciara as they continued to talk about all the fun they were looking forward to spending in the Zoo.

Britney looked down at the pair and smiled. Despite everything, she truly did love these little girls. She felt slightly blue as she remembered that she was starting college soon.

“I’ll have to keep in touch with these two...they’re the only thing I’ll miss” thought Britney as she smiled, hiding the bittersweet feeling within her once more.

Eventually, the group arrived at the Office as Charlotte opened the door, motioning the parents inside as they turned back to Britney.

“Britney, can you keep the children company while we discuss arrangements?” asked Greta as Britney reluctantly nodded. Britney turned to Charlotte for a moment. “Can I take them to have a look around the Zoo while we wait?” asked Britney.

Charlotte considered the request for a moment, wondering if it was a good idea. However, she quickly dismissed the feeling. She figured that Britney should be able to watch the children and keep them out of trouble.

“By all means...feel free but bear in mind not all the enclosures are full or finished yet so make sure you keep your eye on the children,” informed Charlotte firmly as Britney nodded. She watched Charlotte close the door as she turned to the children.

“So...is there anywhere you want to go see?” asked Britney, a smile forming on her face as she noticed her sister and Ciara returning them.

“We wanna see the Petting Zoo!” said the pair enthusiastically as Britney took a glance at the map before looking around.

She noticed a nearby sign which pointed towards the Outside Section of the Zoo which would get them closer to the Petting Zoo as she escorted her sister and her friend outside.

Shortly After:

The group arrived at the Petting Zoo as they noticed the overhead sign. The children took a short glance before dashing inside whereas Britney took a longer glance, wondering what to think of it.

“The sign seems rather tacky but somewhat rustic. I suppose that’s the best that can be said about it” thought Britney as she quickly rushed inside, not wanting to lose her sister or Ciara.

Fortunately, they hadn’t headed too far.

The children were currently looking over the rabbit hutch as they noticed its sole inhabitant. Anna stared at them nonchalantly as she twitched her nose. However, this didn’t last as the girls reacted with subsequent glee which frightened Anna, causing her to move towards the other side of the hutch, away from prying eyes.

“Aw…I think we scared it,” said Ciara, her expression glum for a few seconds

“Sorry rabbit,” said Sophie, suggesting that they should move on.

Sophie and Ciara moved on to another enclosure, settling on the sheep pen as they looked inside. They saw the sheep within as Klaire looked over to face them, intrigued by the nearby visitors. Clara noticed the new visitors and cavorted towards them, although she did not stray too far from her ‘mother.’

Britney looked and noticed the children currently near the sheep pen as she smiled, hearing their excitement from where she was standing. She got her phone as she looked into it, reading Cole’s last message to her as she was confident that the children would be fine.

Ciara looked into the pen as she noticed a sheep away from the others. The sheep was within a wooden shelter and seemed nervous being all on its own. Ciara cooed as she noticed the cute sheep nearby as she motioned to Sophie, bringing her attention to it as they stared with intrigue at the single sheep. Clara continued to try and get their attention, hoping to be able to get some new playmates. She ‘grumbled’ slightly as it seemed they were more interested in her older ‘sister’.

“Do you think it’s ok?” asked Sophie somewhat nervously as she continued to stare at the sheep which seemed uneasy. Small bleats could be heard in the distance which indicated to Sophie that it appeared to be in distress.

“I’m sure the sheep is fine...probably just bashful” replied Ciara, snickering a bit before devolving into a fit of giggles as Sophie turned to her, confused.

“What’s so funny?” wondered Sophie as this caused Ciara to laugh even more. Eventually, Ciara was able to calm herself enough as she stared at Sophie.

“Bashful, as in baaaashful” stated Ciara, explaining the joke as Sophie finally got it, giggling along with her friend.

Unknown to the pair, the sheep was in distress. Angelica managed to stare at the pair for a moment, recalling that they appeared familiar. It was as if she had been one of those strange creatures before. She recalled having friends although she couldn’t quite recall any names as she felt some familiarity come over her which was quickly snuffed out by her instinct for the flock.

Speaking of which, she hoped the Zoo would expand the flock soon. This pen seemed quite spacious for only four sheep and Angelica desired companions her own age.

Currently, The Spirit was observing the girls observing the sheep, happiness present on their faces as it noticed Britney nearby, taking occasional glances but mostly checking her phone.

“Now…what to do?” thought the Spirit, rubbing its hand against its chin. It was considering creating some new additions for the Sheep Pen. After all, it could read Clara and Angelica’s thoughts and sensed their shared desire for companions.

“Ok, now let's…” thought the Spirit, about to begin.

However, before it could do so, the Spirit heard a nearby honk which seemed to draw the attention of the children. They turned towards the source of the noise, curiosity on their faces. Britney was overly focused on her phone to notice the children had moved on from the Sheep Pen.

“Perhaps…I should leave this to the Zoo” mumbled the Spirit, feeling slightly strange inside. “To conserve energy of course” continued the Spirit, curious as to how this would play out.

Sophie and Ciara located the sound of the noise as they saw a baby goose nearby. They awed as they walked slowly up to it, taking care not to startle the goose as they bent down. Sophie gave it a small stroke which the goose seemed to react positively to.

“Aw, it’s so cute” mumbled Ciara quietly as she watched her friend stroking the goose. She eventually took a small break as Ciara saw it as an opening to do the same. The two girls beamed as they enjoyed the short, tender moment.

This was shortly broken as the goose honked and began to waddle back towards the coop.

“Wait…where is it going?” wondered the pair as they followed it curiously.

Within moments, they had arrived at their destination. The girls looked up, noticing they had arrived at a rather large coop. It had appeared to have had a new coat of paint recently applied as pieces of white could be seen under what was now a coating of red paint.

The door was wide enough for the pair to be able to head inside although they did need to crawl.

The sight of the door caused Ciara to feel uneasy. She had never been fond of tight spaces, always getting nervous upon encountering them. Her breathing began to get a little uneven, making the girl suddenly and rapidly terrified.

This ceased as she felt the hand of her friend…her best friend within her own.

“It'll be ok Ciara…I’ll be here to keep you safe,” said Sophie reassuringly. Sophie smiled as she noticed Ciara calming. Ciara smiled back, feeling reassured by her friend.

“Ok…let’s do this,” said Ciara, confidence echoing in her voice as Sophie nodded. They began to approach the coop, eager to see what wonders beheld them inside.

They got onto their hands and knees as they entered the coop, taking a small look around as they noticed a nearby nest. The picture above the nest appeared to contain a small fact sheet regarding the birds which would belong within the nest. The image above indicated that this nest would belong to chickens once the Zoo had acquired some.

“Cool,” said Ciara, a smile crossing her face briefly as she crawled towards the nest. Sophie wasn’t far behind as they soon got into a good position around the nest. They took a peek over, trying to see if there were any chickens within. To their disappointment, they couldn’t even see a single egg as they felt a strange sensation coming over them.

They felt uncomfortable as they could feel something beginning to itch below their clothes. They scratched as they gritted their teeth in discomfort as the sensation shifted from being unpleasant to becoming unbearable.

The pair stared at each other, trying to work out what was happening as they felt something beginning to bulge from their rear. Sophie felt the bulge pushing against her shorts as she cringed at the feeling. Eventually, the shorts couldn’t cope with the pressure and broke through, revealing a small pointed nub that appeared to be a small tail.

“Wait…what’s happening to Sophie?” thought Ciara, watching in bewilderment.

Sophie was currently rubbing her hand against her new tail nub in a panic. There was a small itch as Sophie scratched curiously, feeling something pushing out. Ciara saw yellow tail feathers pushing out from the nub as her mouth gaped wide. Ciara felt her dress push up as she looked back, noticing a similar tail nub had formed, brown feathers covering it.

“No…it’s happening to me as well?!” thought Ciara, feeling panic overtake the rest of her senses. She noticed Sophie staring at it as well as the pair couldn’t hold back a scream.

The Spirit used a small amount of energy to soundproof the coop, ensuring that Britney wouldn’t hear her wards prematurely. It was being mildly entertained by the display and didn’t wish for any unwanted disruptions.

“What’s going on?” exclaimed Sophie in a panic as she felt tingling within her feet as Ciara felt the same. The pair both looked down, feeling discomfort in their shoes as they began to feel increasingly cramped.

Unknown to the pair, their feet were changing, shifting against their will as toes merged, forming talons that scratched against the material of the shoes, threatening to rip it apart as the feet began to develop a strange texture, becoming pebbly and scaly as they discoloured, becoming a shade of yellow as the girls continued to panic at their predicament.

Eventually, the shoes tore under the pressure as the girls could get a clear look at their feet. They quickly recognised them as they realised what was happening.

“Wait…we’re becoming chickens?!” said the pair, feeling the tingling spreading to their legs.

They could only watch as the pebbly texture shifted up their legs as they discoloured, changing yellowish. Their thighs thickened up, causing Sophie’s shorts to snap from the tightness as she stared at Ciara who, fortunately, still had her dress intact.

Due to the loss of her shorts, Ciara could see yellow feathers continue to spread across Sophie’s thighs as she could feel feathers forming across her. She started to cry as she considered her future and how it was in shambles. She didn’t want this but it seemed as if life had other plans for her.

“C’mon, don’t cry” reassured Sophie, moving up to her friend and hugging her. This made Ciara feel better as she could feel a sensation forming in her fingers. Sophie could feel hers merging together as they became one fleshy stump. Despite this, Sophie refused to stop hugging Ciara as the girl began to calm down. She felt cosy as she realised that Sophie’s new wings were becoming covered in yellow feathers like the rest of her body.

Ciara watched as her arms shifted like Sophies, becoming stumps as brown feathers began to form on them. She flapped them experimentally, feeling her sadness returning as she got closer to the point of no return.

The pair felt a greater discomfort as the itching around their chest intensified. The feathers began emerging with gusto as they began to push against Sophie’s shirt and Ciara’s dress. Eventually, the feather overwhelmed the material and snapped the pair which fell to the ground.

Sophie could feel the feathers moving up towards her neck as she observed the same in her friend. The only thing which remained unchanged was their human heads as Sophie felt a sense of vertigo come over her. One look indicated that Ciara was feeling the same thing as she realised what was about to happen, quickly used her wing to knock her hat off her head, batting it to one side.

Fortunately, this was just in time as the pair began to shrink in earnest. They shrunk smaller and smaller as their surroundings got bigger and bigger as the coop, which was too small for them moments before now felt like the size of a mansion.

The pair stared at each other, wondering if it was over. Unfortunately, they could feel something else coming over them. Surprisingly, it was not in their faces but they instead felt drawn to each other. They moved closer and closer as Ciara started to weep once again, noticing her nearby dress was now ruined as she mourned her lost humanity.

Sophie once again took Ciara into a hug as she wrapped her wings around her. Ciara felt calm as the occasional ‘cheep’ escaped her mouth, her vocals becoming increasingly animal-like as Sophie gave her words of assurance.

“It’s ‘cheep’ going to ‘cheep’ ok,” said Sophie, feeling Ciara calming against her as the pair began to settle. Sophie could feel herself worry but she put on a brave face...for Ciara’s sake.

Ciara noticed something else beginning to come over them. The pair felt constrained and cramped as they felt themselves unable to shift from their position. They watched as they saw what appeared to be a wall forming around them as it curved towards the top.

“Wait…is that a” started Ciara, feeling a sense of panic come over her. Her claustrophobia began to intensify, making it difficult for the poor girl to cope.

“Don’t worry about it” replied Sophie, keeping her friend close and hugging her tight. Warmth began to radiate between the pair as the egg finished forming around the pair.

Soon, their makeshift prison had completely coated over the pair.

Now, where the girls once stood was a small egg that rattled on the straw within the coop. Despite their girls' transformation being only moments before, the rattling was intense, indicating the egg would hatch soon.

To be Continued...