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Description
It was early in the morning at the New Zoo as the sun was rising following a horrendous storm that had lasted throughout the night.

The Main Hallway had fared the worst. Fortunately, no animals had been harmed and the architecture was still holding up but there was minor damage to the columns holding up the roof as parts of the intercom system had been loosened by the strong winds and shattered on the floor.

In addition, the security cameras while still intact had been disabled due to damage to the overhead wiring which rendered the entire Main Hallway a blind spot for any would-be trespassers.

Finally, the gate entrance had been warped and forced off its hinges, falling inwards. This had left the entrance wide open for anyone to walk in. Surprisingly, the stone archways which had contained the gate were still completely intact.

This was fortunate for Amanda who walked to the front entrance. The blue-haired girl had covered her head in a lavender hood as she felt a sense of unease come over her. She held a phone in her hand as she mentally prepared herself for what she had to do.

“Well...might as well get it done with, they shouldn’t be here by now but best to stay on my guard” mumbled Amanda as she took a quick glance at her watch, confirming the earliness of the day.

She quietly walked inside, carefully stepping over the debris as she looked around. “Wow, the storm really did a number on this place,” thought Amanda as she progressed deeper into the Hallway.

She looked around, thankful that the animals were still asleep. She didn’t know if Rebecca had actually responded since her earlier bluff but the animals were still there which was rather fortunate for her plan.

Finally, Amanda reached her intended destination as she looked through the bars of one of the enclosures.

It resembled a desert region and looked like an appropriate habitat for a kangaroo. As Amanda looked around, noticing rocks and various plants near the back as well as a multi-branch item for stimulation that was in the enclosure. Amanda finally saw what she was looking for. She stared at the resident within, who, like the rest of the animals was currently asleep.

Amanda sensed a feeling of familiarity as she looked at the kangaroo. She looked closer at the Kangaroo as she noticed something on its arm. It was a white wristband with purple stripes.

Amanda was at a loss for words as her mind froze. The wristband had been muddied a bit but the design was unmistakable. She tried to find her voice but could only mutter to herself “Oh Marlene, what have they done to you?” as she stared at the marsupial, feeling anger in her mind as she observed her best friend. How dare they do this to her!

Amanda quickly realised why she was here as she calmed down as she tapped on the bars, trying to make a sound. Marlene had remained unresponsive as Amanda cautiously increased the volume, tapping the bar with greater intensity. She looked around nervously, worried that she would draw unwanted attention to herself. Fortunately, Marlene began to stir as Amanda ceased the noise, waiting for her friend.

Marlene began to awaken, having been disturbed by a nearby noise. She looked around, her mind felt foggy as she spotted a nearby observer. For some reason which she couldn’t quite understand, she could recognise her as she got even closer to Amanda.

Amanda felt a slight sense of unease as she got a glimpse of Marlene’s eyes. They were completely dark, devoid of anything that could remotely resemble human intelligence. She resisted the urge to shout as she looked to her best friend. She reached for something within her pocket.

She pulled out a mobile phone, taking one last glimpse at it as she tried to pull closer to Marlene. Marlene watched with intrigue as she pulled closer in, curious as to what the person was doing.

Marlene saw the person drop something into her pouch as she looked down, recognising it as the strange device that the person had been holding a moment ago. Marlene watched with confusion as the person began to speak.

“Ok, Marlene… I need your help, I’ll be able to track you and hopefully the others but I need you to keep that phone where it is so I know where you are”

Amanda had tried to sound confident but the tone had come across more as begging as she resisted the urge to weep. She looked to Marlene who, for at least a moment, appeared to understand.

Marlene looked down at Amanda and for a brief moment, felt an odd thought enter her mind. She recognised this girl! It was Amanda, her best friend. Before the newfound clarity could vanish, the kangaroo felt the phone within its pouch. She felt newfound instincts as she clicked at Amanda, trying to indicate to her that she would not disappoint.
Amanda couldn’t resist a smile as, for a brief moment, felt like she had her friend back. However, this was short-lived as she turned away, realising she needed to leave. She turned away but turned back to her friend, a look of regret on her face.

“I have to go now but we’ll meet each other again...I promise,” said Amanda as she turned to leave.

Marlene watched her go, she didn’t quite understand what had just happened but she felt a new need, she looked into her pouch, noticing the device that the girl had given her and felt protective against it as if it was her only hope.

Meanwhile, Amanda could see the exit as she was about to go through it. However, she noticed a green glow from the outside and she couldn’t resist her curiosity as she turned away.

She didn’t move very far as she saw a glimpse of what appeared to be a turquoise entity floating in the air above the loch. “What in god's name?” mumbled Amanda as she turned away, heading back to the entrance and leaving the Zoo, worried that this was more than she could handle.

Fortunately, the Spirit had been so focused on its plan for revenge against Charlotte that it had completely missed Amanda’s presence.

A Few Hours Later:

Charlotte walked under the Stone Archways of the New Zoo. She had been sent by Rebecca to inspect the damage following the storm from the night before. She grumbled under her breath, expecting the worse as she looked around the Main Hallway.

She was not disappointed.

She looked around, surveying the damage as she looked around. She noticed that pieces of the intercom system had smashed onto the ground as she moved the debris out of the way, minimizing the hazard it presented. “We’ll have to come back later to do a proper cleanup,” she thought as she looked around the enclosures.

“At least the animals seem ok” mumbled Charlotte, not noticing any significant damage being inflicted upon the enclosures. “It appears the enchantments Rebeca used are working as intended, the enclosures are still fully intact despite the storm,” said Charlotte as she looked around, noticing the animals were mostly still asleep. Some were beginning to wake up as she progressed further down the Main Hallway, content that no animals had been hurt.

Noticing some of the asleep animals caused Charlotte to think back to last night as she sighed.

“How did they manage to sleep last night?” thought Charlotte as she felt fatigued. She stopped for a moment, trying to right herself. She didn’t notice that one of the animals was staring directly at her, feeling minor concern which was quickly replaced with frustration.

Erica had only just woken up, still struggling to recall how she managed to fall asleep in the first place. The storm last night was truly atrocious! she never thought she would actually get to sleep.

“I don’t understand how that happened, first it was rather terrifying but then it felt...comforting. Like being wrapped in a warm blanket at home. I wish I was at home. I wonder if my family notices I’m gone?” contemplated Erica as she turned, noticing Jason was not far behind awakening.

“On second thoughts, It’s probably for the best if they haven’t noticed. The last thing I would want is for them to come here and join in the ‘attraction’. They never agreed with my passion for journalism...guess they were onto something” thought Erica as she could feel her developing offspring inside of her. She could feel it ‘kicking’ as she felt a maternal attraction to her developing young. It made her feel warm inside as she recalled the positive she found in her situation.

“At least I managed to find a silver lining, I highly doubt they would. After all, they’re very busy...all the time. They never noticed me previously. I doubt they would want to associate with me now” considered Erica as she struggled to hold back sadness.

She then stared, noticing Charlotte who seemed oddly out of it. For once, Erica didn’t care!. She had managed to keep positives with her current predicament but with the realisation that she may never see her parents again had brought her to anger against the person who had done this to her. She bellowed out towards Charlotte who turned around to face her.

Charlotte stared curiously at the giraffe as Erica continued to bellow in frustration at her before settling down, her head drooping as Erica moved further into her enclosure. Charlotte took this time to make her departure, heading towards the Aquarium to survey for further damage.

Erica began to sulk as she noticed Jason who was, once again, craving her attention. She gave a ‘sigh’ as she resigned herself to her position once again. “Why does he have to be so clingy?” thought Erica as she moved towards and settled down with Jason, the pair enjoying each other’s company as Erica calmed down from her outburst.

Meanwhile, Charlotte arrived at the Aquarium. Upon entry, she felt uneasy, recalling her previous episode when some unknown voice in her head called out her flaws. Her focus on this caused her to recall the school trip which now seemed so long ago.

She began to think back to that moment as she once again felt guilt come over her, it felt bad for allowing Elizabeth to take the full blame for that incident. Charlotte quickly buried her guilt as she became focused, hoping to finish this as quickly as possible but she couldn't help one final reflection.

“Really does feel like a lifetime ago,” thought Charlotte as she quickly inspected the animals inside. She looked around, noticing the enclosures and tanks were still intact. Fortunately, the aquarium being based indoors had helped to minimise the damage which occurred.

She stopped upon checking one of the nearby tanks which had an occupant she didn’t recognise. She looked further in as she noticed the Octopus within. It was staring directly at her as she looked down in her list. She ticked off Octopus as she continued to intently stare at the creature.

Sally looked with interest at first before feeling confused at the woman staring at her. She didn’t recognise her and honestly, she didn’t care.

“Guess she’s never seen an octopus before?” thought Sally playfully to herself. She had noticed that while she could still remember her past, she found herself becoming quickly bored. She soon realized that the Octopus instincts were still influencing her to an extent.

She eyed the nearby Manta-Ray enclosure, spotting her friends. She smiled to herself. She had been examining the tank she had been placed in and felt she should be able to get out of it with minimal effort.

“Very unlikely that I would get help by myself. Would probably dry out...or worse. However, I can at least join my friends if no one is around” thought Sally as she stared once again towards her friends.

Meanwhile, Charlotte had moved away from the new addition as she looked around, content that the Aquarium hadn’t taken considerable damage as she left, planning on checking the Aviary.

Sally double-checked, assuring that Charlotte had left the Aquarium before checking the latch once more. She managed to manoeuvre her tentacle as she undid the latch. She managed to pull herself out of the tank. She had certainly become a quick learner with her tentacles as she moved out, deciding to join her friends.

Eventually, Charlotte had arrived at the Aviary. She looked around, noticing the glass walls had stayed intact, keeping the animals inside.

“It would have definitely been a pain to catch any of the birds this morning,” thought Charlotte as she looked over to one of the observation towers which seemed to have held well together. Upon closer inspection, minor damage was revealed but nothing unfixable.

Charlotte climbed up into one of the observation towers as she looked to the roof of the Aviary. She looked in, seeing that the animals seemed relatively calm as she noticed that one of the glass panels had broken.

“Guess I need to go clean that up,” thought Charlotte with a groan as she headed down. Thankfully, none of the birds were particularly good flyers. In addition, the Aviary was still quite empty despite the recent addition as Charlotte headed to a supply closet, getting out a dustpan and brush before entering the Aviary.

She looked down as she noticed the shards of glass that had hit the floor. She bent down as she swept up the shards of glass.

Meanwhile, Megan had woken up as she looked around, remembering she was still resting upon her young. She noticed Chris seemed to still be asleep as she looked around the Aviary. She noticed that the main door was open as she decided to make a run for it.

She attempted to rise but found herself unable to. For reasons she didn’t understand, she found herself rooted to the spot.

“Come on!” thought Megan in frustration as she attempted to stand. However, her peahen instincts were preventing her from abandoning her young as she looked over to the door.

Unknown to Megan, there was also magic in play keeping her stuck in place. Her attempts to force herself to move were feeble against it as she had no choice but to watch as Charlotte left the Aviary, having swept up the glass, closing the door behind her.

“NO!” shouted Megan, her shout coming out as a squawk as Chris woke from his slumber. He looked over to her concerned.

“Are you ok Megan?” asked Chris as his eyes continued to show concern.

Megan looked to him, considering her words carefully. She couldn’t tell him that she was trying to escape, that would lead him to question why she would attempt to abandon him. Regardless of their new partnership, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him. After all, she didn’t want Chris to be against her. Who knows how he would react?

Megan shuddered, her feathers ruffling slightly as she noticed Chris awkwardly staring at her. She quickly thought of an explanation as she stated “I’m fine Chris, just felt like you needed to be up. It’s your turn to look out again.” Chris turned his head, noticing the bird family had likewise, begun to wake up as he nodded, getting into his ‘post’ as Megan laid back, keeping her young warm.

“Good save” thought Megan as she settled down, resigning herself to her fate.

Charlotte made a note on her checklist as she headed back the way she came towards the Outside Section of the Zoo, curious what the extent of the damage would be.

Upon the Loch:

The Spirit had continued to meditate, having not left its position since earlier in the day as it considered its revenge. It could sense Charlotte from within the Zoo and could feel the time was near but now... it seemed hesitant.

“Am I really doing the right thing?” thought the Spirit as it contemplated on what to do. It thought back to what Elizabeth had told it, all the times that the others had made her take the fall, it remembered how miserable she had been. As it continued to remember, its face steeled, its resolve returned as it began to execute its plan.

“After everything that had happened, her behaviour cannot simply be excused” finalised the Spirit as it became committed to seeing this through.

It would need to make a move soon however, it reviewed its options before snapping its fingers, disappearing as it began the first stage of its plan.

Meanwhile, Charlotte had just entered the Outside Section of the Zoo. She smiled as she looked around, noticing the dampness of the floor and the damage to the surrounding vegetation which had been ripped out from the ground by the strong wind. Charlotte looked in shock before moving forward, hoping no debris had fallen into any enclosures.

She progressed around, checking on the animals and noticing that the enclosures had also stayed perfectly intact as by Rebecca’s design. She noticed a few bins that had tipped over which were quickly put upright. Fortunately, since the Zoo hadn't opened to the public, they were mostly empty.

She stopped outside the Seal enclosure, something unknown drawing her there. She stayed there as she looked towards the seals which were snoozing together.

“I can see why Elizabeth enjoys the seals so much,” thought Charlotte amusingly as she felt herself reliving an earlier memory as she recalled the time when she and Elizabeth were in the Zoo just before acquiring their new panda.

She recalled how they had enjoyed each other's company after checking on their newest additions. “I can swear that there was something I missed” thought Charlotte as she recalled the phone ringing and something regarding Elizabeth but for some reason, despite her best efforts...she couldn’t remember.

She quickly left the Seals, eager to get back onto checking the damage that had been caused to the Zoo as she headed towards the Stage. The Spirit looked on intently as it smiled, enjoying its plan coming together.

Charlotte reached the Stage as she looked around, surprised that the area was intact. “I was at least expecting one loose seat of weakened support. Everything is surprisingly intact?. Guess it paid off to listen to Elizabeth for once” thought Charlotte as she looked around, noticing the central platform as she felt another memory returning.

She remembered when they all worked together. It was when they added their lions to the Zoo as she recalled Elizabeth putting on a show to entertain them. It definitely helped to augment the experience as she thought back, smiling at the memory.

“Elizabeth may be a lot of things, but she can control those seals well,” thought Charlotte as she smiled warmly, enjoying the memory as she thought of her and her friends.

“Things were so much simpler then. No one came to chase us regarding missing people and we could just transform with minimal consequence...then we had to transform those children” thought Charlotte, ending her thought flatly as she ticked off the Stage, happy that the area hadn’t been badly damaged.

She moved back through the Outside Section. She took a look at the Reptile House which appeared to have suffered no damage at all.

“We didn’t spare any expense with the building materials so it’s good to see that it held very well together,” said Charlotte as she smiled to herself. She unlocked the door as she entered the Reptile House, wishing to check on the interior.

The Spirit snapped out of its trance as it noticed Charlotte heading inside the Reptile House. It decided to follow her, beginning another step of its plan.

Charlotte entered the Reptile House, quickly noticing its occupants. They seemed nonchalant about the storm last night although Jeannette seemed oddly startled by her presence.
Unknown to Charlotte, Jeanette was startled as she could see the Spirit looking at her. She cowered back, not wanting to start anything.

“Leave me Alone!” thought Jeannette as she let out a hiss which felt like a ‘wail’. “I’m finally happy the way I am and don’t want to lose it” she continued, frightened at the prospect of losing her memories and hence, her sense of self.

The Spirit had noticed Jeannette’s reaction and softened. It held its hand up, a glow coming from it as Jeannette calmed, feeling similar to how she had felt the night before.

“It’s ok, I won’t take your identity,” said the Spirit as it examined her memories, recalling an incident involving someone known as Vannessa. The Spirit scratched its chin, recalling a Vannessa within the Petting Zoo.

“Thank you,” said Jeannette sincerely as she quickly slithered away, still slightly spooked by the experience.

Meanwhile, Charlotte had progressed onward, stopping at Anastasia. Charlotte groaned as she recalled Elizabeth telling her when Anasatia had almost dragged her into the enclosure. This had terrified the other managers and caused them to change their approach to how they were planning the Orientation.

Despite everything that had happened, Charlotte couldn’t help but feel sorry for Elizabeth for that. Charlotte kept her distance, making a note next to Anastasia’s name regarding the future planned Orientation day.

She then moved into the Security Room, planning to check the cameras. Charlotte anticipated that some of the cameras would have gone offline due to the storm and she needed to know how ‘blind’ the Zoo currently was until they could get someone to come in and fix it.

She sat in the comfy chair as she looked at the screens, The Main Hallway had been rendered completely blind as no trace of video or audio could be seen or heard. That would need to be quickly resolved!. The Outside Section had a few blind spots but was otherwise ok. The Aquarium and Reptile House were not surprisingly, fully intact.

Charlotte took a glance over to the Petting Zoo. She breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed the area was still largely intact. To her surprise, even the cameras were completely undamaged.

“How could that happen?. I would have at least expected some damage but it appears as if no damage to the structure has occurred at all. I’m thankful nonetheless but still very confused.” thought Charlotte as she got a glance at one of the residents.

She noticed the donkey that was currently grazing inside the pasture. It seemed scared, probably terrified by the storm. At first, Charlotte felt smug about it, feeling as if the ass was getting what she deserved but as she looked further, she couldn’t help but feel pity for her.

“I know she was an ass but does she truly deserve this?” thought Charlotte as she recalled the mistreatment that she had done to Vannessa out of spite and could now feel herself filling with regret.

Charlotte quickly rose from her seat before heading over to the Petting Zoo, hoping she could at least begin to make some amends.

The Spirit kept in pursuit, already aware of Charlotte’s intention. It would be interesting as to what her reaction would be to Stuart joining the Zoo.

Soon enough, Charlotte had arrived at the Petting Zoo and admiring the sign which had stayed up, quickly examined the other occupants. The Rabbit seemed rather shaken.

Anna stared up at Charlotte. The rabbit was rather terrified following the storm and for a reason, it couldn’t comprehend, it felt as if it shouldn’t trust the woman currently examining her. This thought was quickly dismissed however as the rabbit was desperate for some form of comfort, any comfort!.

Charlotte quietly opened the hutch, placing a carrot inside the food dish. Charlotte smiled momentarily, before picking up the rabbit and stroking her. She could feel the rabbit beginning to calm as she continued.

Anna quickly settled in Charlotte’s arms, enjoying the petting as Charlotte calmed the rabbit down. Eventually, Charlotte placed her back in the hutch before locking it back up. She looked over to the Sheep who were currently grazing, appearing unfazed by the storm the previous night. The Geese were within their coop and currently sleeping.

Charlotte arrived at the Donkey pasture as she looked towards the occupant.

The occupant formerly known as Vannessa looked to the newcomer as she tilted her head. For some reason, it could feel rage beginning to flow through her. She began to feel it bottling up as the occupant prepared to give Charlotte a piece of its mind.

However, before it could do so, The occupant felt a curious scent across her muzzle as she moved towards the newcomer, being attracted by what was revealed to be a carrot.

Charlotte fed Vannessa who slowly chewed on the carrot as she calmed, her anger melting away like ice on a warm day. Charlotte slowly put a rope around her neck. She stroked the donkey across the muzzle, attempting to soothe her.

“Come on girl, time to show you your new home,” said Charlotte as she guided Vannessa out of the pen and towards the barn.

Charlotte eventually opened the barn and brought Vannessa in, settling her within one of the stalls of the right-hand side. Upon doing this and organizing Vannessa’s feeding trough she turned around, noticing a stallion within one of the stalls.

“When did we get a horse?” thought Charlotte curiously, this was the second time this had happened. There was something worse at play but for some reason when she attempted to recall, she felt excruciating pain.

She quickly stopped as the pain settled down. Unknown to her, the Spirit was smugly watching Charlotte struggle. However, before it could act, a beeping sound could be heard.

Charlotte checked her watch before her eyes widened. The Zoo was expecting a pair of interns to come in today and despite the storm, Rebecca had insisted it go ahead which had confused Charlotte to no end. Despite Rebecca’s orders, she was planning to reschedule and send the interns on their way. Fixing up the Zoo was clearly more important!.

Despite this, Charlotte couldn’t help but be fearful at the idea of not adding anyone new. This conflict was messing with her judgement as she realised she had little choice in the matter.

“I’m late,” said Charlotte with a hint of frustration as she quickly took notes regarding the barn, placing a note next to Vannessa’s name for the future planned orientation day.

She quickly inspected the barn as she ran out of the door, quickly locking it behind her. The sound awoke Marie who quickly let her displeasure be known with a loud moo.

At the Entrance:

A girl and a boy looked over the stone archways of the New Zoo before heading inside.

They looked around, slightly confused as they noticed the debris lying around. They remembered the storm from the previous night but this only raised more questions than answers.

The girl raised an eyebrow, looking around with scepticism. Her name was Charlee who looked around, trying to get a better view of the debris around the Zoo. Someone had clearly moved it, they probably didn’t have enough time to remove it.

Her mother had left early, saying something had come up at work today. She groaned, wishing her mother wasn’t such a workaholic.

Nevertheless, there were advantages to her absence. It allowed her to practice on the piano again before school. She had been learning from a young age and her music teacher was confident that she had a future professionally playing the instrument.

“I’ll never get what I really want” thought Charlee as she felt tears begin to form. She quickly pushed them back, remembering her father. “He got me into the piano, why did he leave us?”.

Her train of thought continued until it was quickly interrupted by the boy who in her trancelike state, had moved deeper into the Main Hallway before calling back to her.

“Charlee?” asked the boy curiously. His name was Callumn and had a bit of a crush on Charlee, unknown to her. Callumn was busy looking around, noticing the debris as Charlee caught up to him.

“I’m ok, Callumn. Just got caught up in my mind again” stated Charlee, remembering this was not the first time this had occurred. She tended to get lost within her own mind, she called it inspiration, others in her class saw it as absentmindedness.

She didn’t particularly care about the opinions of the other people in her class, they didn’t seem to pay her much attention anyway. They were too busy focusing on Zara. Charlee never joined in on the teasing but knew that Zara’s reactions made her an easy target.

Callumn looked back, nodding to her in understanding as they looked around together. They noticed a considerable amount of damage as they became increasingly confused.

“You’d think with all this damage, they’d reschedule our interviews?” asked Callumn as he stared at Charlee for assurance.

“I agree. It does seem like they should have greater priorities” replied Charlee as she felt increasingly confused. Surely, the Zoo would have cleaned this up for safety before having any interviews. Something wasn’t making sense!

Meanwhile, Charlotte had dashed back towards the Main Hallway as she stopped to catch her breath. She noticed the pair as she walked up to them. She offered her hand to them which they returned the handshake.

“Hello my name is Charlotte and I’m one of the managers at the Zoo,” said Charlotte as she continued “I was going to interview both of you today but due to the damage, I’m afraid we will have to reschedule.”

Charlee groaned inwardly in frustration at this. She could have spent this time working on her music. Instead, she had wasted her time on what was feeling like an increasingly pointless endeavour. She didn’t feel like waking back yet. The storm from last night had made the trip rather uncomfortable.

Callumn, however, was far more understanding. It was obvious the Zoo had greater priorities and he was able to spend some time with his secret crush. He smiled warmly as he looked towards Charlee, noticing her frustration.

Charlotte had seen Charlee’s frustration and quickly came up with an idea. Something which would appease Rebecca. For some reason, Charlotte felt like she was getting on her bad side. After what happened to Elizabeth, she didn’t wish to stay there!.

“Actually, while I may not be able to interview you, I could allow you to have a small tour. Not everywhere is as damaged like this. I could show you the Petting Zoo if you’re interested. That’s where you will be working if the interview is successful” said Charlotte, a bit quick but to the point, she hoped they didn’t notice the slight nervousness in her voice.

The pair thought about this for a moment. They considered their options.

“At least this won’t be a complete waste of time. It’ll allow me to see if this is something I’m interested in. If not, then I can tell them to cancel my interview rather than reschedule” thought Charlee as she looked over to Callumn, he was clearly still thinking about his decision.

Charlotte looked at Charlee with a slight look of confusion, she looked familiar. Charlotte quickly dismissed the thought, certain she was confusing her with another intern. It appeared that brunettes were popular within the class.

“This is perfect. It’ll give me more time to be with Charlee and possibly confess my love to her” thought Callum as he noticed Charlee staring at him before the pair looked over to Charlotte who was awaiting their answer.

“We accept your tour,” said the pair as Charlotte smiled, walking away and guiding them with her hand. The pair followed, each having an interest in the tour.

The pair wandered down the Main Hallway as Charlotte pointed towards the enclosures. Charlee looked around, noticing the animals seemed somewhat off. She couldn’t put her finger on it but she began to feel uneasy.

Callumn however, was eagerly enjoying the tour as he listened intently to what Charlotte was saying. He began to gravitate towards a nearby enclosure as Charlee followed him, Charlotte not too far behind.

Charlotte groaned slightly, not enough that the pair noticed but she was eager to get back to organising a cleanup of the Zoo. However, she calmed herself, realising that this would help give the more genuine appearance of a tour, rather than her planning to add new additions.

Charlee looked up into the enclosure that Callumn had come to. She noticed two tigers inside as she looked intently. She was actually a fan of tigers and as she looked at them for longer, she felt herself loosen up slightly, her sense of unease fading momentarily.

Meanwhile, from within the enclosure, Caitlyn looked outside, realising they had company. She looked back to Travis who had kept himself further back, not wishing to engage with the visitors.

“Guess I’m the entertainment today” mumbled Caitlyn as she looked at the newcomers. She looked down as she noticed the girl amongst them.

“Charlee?... Well, this should be interesting. Wonder what Charlotte has planned for her?. Either way, I guess she’ll hate it. Probably turn out like Anna. Knowing Charlotte, she’ll be wanting to add them to the Petting Zoo” thought Caitlyn as she brought a paw up to Charlee, who was rather uncharacteristically appearing to enjoy it.

However, all good things must come to an end as Charlotte led the pair away from the enclosure and further into the Zoo, planning to continue the tour. Caitlyn watched as Charlee faded from sight before looking back, noticing Travis and nodding her head, prompting him to come further forward.

“They’re gone now...scaredy-cat,” said Caitlyn, playfully teasing her boyfriend as Travis ‘blushed’ as he approached her. The pair nuzzled in affection as Travis prompted back the discussion from a few days ago.

“Caitlyn, I think it’s time we talked...about our families” stated Travis bluntly, trying to indicate he was serious.

Caitlyn stared at him momentarily, considering his words as her features softened. “I agree, the discussion has been put off long enough” replied Caitlyn as the pair settled within their enclosure, preparing themselves for the tough conversation.

At the Petting Zoo:

Charlotte had arrived at the Petting Zoo and had politely dismissed herself, allowing Charlee and Callumn to wander freely. The pair looked up, noticing the overhead sign which to their surprise, seemed completely intact.

They looked around, making sure Charlotte wasn’t nearby before Callumn commented “I’m almost disappointed the sign managed to stay up. I mean...it’s extremely tacky and if it broke it would be a good excuse to replace it with something more...appealing.”

Charlee looked to Callumn and couldn’t help but agree with him. However, she didn’t wish to comment out loud. It was always possible that Charlotte was listening in and they still had an interview shortly.

The pair walked under the sign as they entered the Petting Zoo. They looked around, noticing the animals within. Charlee came towards the rabbit hutch, noticing the resident within.

The white rabbit stared back at Charlee, twitching her nose as it swore it remembered her from somewhere. This thought was quickly overwhelmed as it felt an appetite developing. The rabbit quickly hopped out of sight, smelling the nearby carrot that it was provided this morning.

Meanwhile, Callumn had walked over to the sheep. He looked into the pen as he eyed one in particular. For some strange reason, she seemed familiar. Unknown to him, he was staring at the former human Angelica who had been a friend within his class.

Charlee looked over to Callumn before walking over to him. Charlee looked into the pen as she noticed Callumn was focused on one particular sheep. She also looked at it, wondering why it drew his attention.

The sheep stopped grazing momentarily before it stared at the pair. They seemed familiar, for some reason. Angelica quickly felt her human thoughts returning as she bleated towards the pair, trying to warn them as tears were escaping her eyes. However, the magic quickly reinforced itself as the tears dried up, her worries quickly being replaced by...calm.

Angelica quickly returned to grazing, her human mind quickly replaced once again. The sheep wondered when it would be sheared again, it’s wool was getting pretty big. Charlee and Callumn had witnessed the scene and had inched back, somewhat confused.

“What was up with that sheep?” asked Charlee, turning to Callumn for reassurance.

Callumn, however, was lost for words. He felt like he recognised the sheep if only for a moment. He quickly turned away, struggling to reconcile his thoughts. He knew about the rumours regarding this place but thought of them as rubbish. However, the behaviour of the sheep seemed...off. He was feeling uneasy here as his mind was fit to burst with different possibilities, he needed to leave!.

“I’ve gotta go,” said Callumn as he turned away, his face becoming pale as he prepared to leave as Charlee looked at him, confused.

“Where’re you going?” asked Charlee, concerned for Callumn as she walked up towards him.

“Away from here. And if you’re wise, so should you” stated Callumn worriedly as he began to leave, quickly starting to run as his anxiety increased. Charlee quickly ran after him, confused by his sudden change in behaviour.

However, as the pair ran, the Spirit looked on. It was tempted to let them leave, let Rebecca get angry at Charlotte for failing. However, it felt rather tempted by the prospect of another meal, refuelling its energy from the night before. It raised its hand, a soft green glow escaping it which approached the running pair.

The pair quickly stopped running as they felt a sense of calm come over them. They felt their minds become blank as they headed back towards the sheep pen but when they were close to it, they quickly approached the enclosure next to it. The pair in their trance didn’t notice the sign but it indicated that the enclosure they entered was intended for goats.

The enclosure was very much like the sheep enclosure. It had grass from which the goats could graze and a wooden shelter to protect them from the weather. The fence surrounding the enclosure gave the goats plenty of space to explore and there was a trough in a nearby corner for feeding the goats once they arrived.

The Spirit snapped its fingers as the pair came out of the trance they were in. They looked at each other, noticing the grass beneath their feet. They looked to the side, noticing the sheep within the nearby pen.

“How did we..get here?” wondered Charlee as she turned to Callumn who had a look of horror on his face. “What’s wrong Callumn?, is there something on my…” began Charlee as she felt a sensation passing through her. The vibrations felt momentarily comforting as she felt them concentrate around her head.

It didn’t last!

Charlee quickly felt a sensation in her head. She grunted as she could feel something trying to force its way out. The grunts quickly turned into screams as Charlee felt agonizing pain. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, she felt the pain release as she screamed out. Unknown to Charlee, she now had two visible goat horns protruding out of her head.

Callumn looked in shock as he felt a sensation pass through him. The rumours were true as he found himself rooted to the spot in fear. He could feel a sensation come over him as Charlee stared back at him, noticing his reaction and discomfort.

“What’s wrong Callumn?” asked Charlee, her tone demanding that Callumn reply promptly.

“Check...your..head,” said Callumn, struggling to get the words out as he felt his own change coming over him.

Callumn felt a pulling in her ears as they stretched out. They became longer and longer as they stretched out, becoming goat ears. He could feel little hairs beginning to push out as he realised he was developing fur. However, he became distracted by a sensation in his feet as he bent down, his shoes becoming increasingly cramped as he attempted to get them off.

Meanwhile, Charlee quickly ran her hands through her head, trying to find what was out of place. She felt her heart stop as she felt her hands come across a foreign object. She ran her hands across the protrusion as her expression became increasingly fearful. She was too scared of what was happening to her to notice similar changes happening to Callumn.

Callumn was having difficulty removing his shoes as he felt the material tighten. His feet felt uneasy as they shifted, becoming hooves which he couldn’t see. However, the constant shifting led to the material of the shoes weakening and eventually, it ripped apart, revealing his hooves which had replaced his feet. He stumbled back, sitting on the grass as he called out to Charlee, who was still too focused on her own changes to pay him any mind.

Unknown to Charlee, by touching her newfound horns, the sensation passed into her hands as they began to stiffen. She felt her fingers move closer together as it was becoming increasingly difficult to feel the new object. Unknown to her, her fingers were clumping together as they stiffened up, forming solid blocks which eventually developed into a set of front hooves.

Charlee brought her hands back down, feeling something was wrong. She quickly noticed that instead of hands, she had a pair of front hooves. She screamed, getting Callumn’s attention as they stared at each other, noticing their changes.

The pair screamed at each other, wondering what was happening. However, the end of their scream changed pitch and sound, becoming a familiar bleat which caused them to cover their mouths in a panic. They realised what was happening as the reality sunk in. The noise they made was unmistakable. They were changing into goats!.

“Callumn..did we just?” started Charlee, beyond nervous at what was happening.

“Yes Charlee, we just bleated” responded Callumn as he looked nervously at her. He quickly suppressed a thought within his mind. Charlee was beginning to look more and more attractive.

Charlee looked down, noticing Callumn’s changes as she felt similar cramping in her feet. She quickly looked down as her toes forced themselves together, causing Charlee to cry out in pain as she felt her toes merge into stumps which eventually developed into a set of rear hooves to match her front hooves. She stumbled around momentarily but managed to stay standing. She wobbled every now and again but was able to correct her position.

Callumn could feel a similar change coming in his hands as the fingers merged, forming a quick set of hooves as he rolled up, attempting to get back onto his feet but found himself standing comfortably on both sets of hooves. He felt something quickly click in his back, locking him to all fours.

Charlee watched Callumn as he attempted to stand up, finding himself unable to. She tried to move closer to him as she began to feel increasingly warm. She panted as the warmth began to feel unbearable. Unknown to her, she was developing fur which was obscured by her clothes.

Eventually, the fur pushed out enough as she felt an unusual sensation flowing through her body which caused her to shake. Her clothes burst off of her body, ripping apart as they were no longer able to hold together between the fur and the movement. Charlee felt her spine change and straighten alongside her hips as she found herself forced to the ground.
She landed on all fours, staring at Callumn.

Callumn watched Charlee as he began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. His fur began spreading across him as it pushed out of his body. It pressed against his clothes as he felt a different sensation near his genitals. He could feel them morphing into his new species as he began to feel a new sensation.

“No!” shouted Callumn in his mind, shaking the thought away but trying as he might, it always returned until it overwhelmed Callumn. He needed to act on it!. He quickly shook his body, his clothes coming loose as they fell to the ground. He needed to be with his mate as he moved forward.

“I love Charlee, but I can’t do this to her...it’s wrong,” thought Callumn in feeble protest but his instincts were overwhelming him. He could feel a tail pushing its way out of his spine which wagged in anticipation. The goat instincts were taking control and the desire to mate was becoming insatiable.

Charlee stared at Callumn confused. He seemed eager until she felt a change in her own genitals. They shifted alongside her anus as they rested under where a tail was developing as Charlee moaned out, her moan breaking out into a bleat as she could feel an engorging heat coming from her loins. She felt a sudden thought enter her mind as she felt a newfound desire. She desired to mate with the changing goat. Charlee quickly shook her head, attempting to clear her thoughts as she glared at Callumn, trying to instil some authority into her shaky voice.

“No!.... Don’t!” commanded Charlee. However, despite her best efforts, her instincts began to take control as she turned around, presenting herself to Callumn.

Callumn was being too driven by instinct to acknowledge her pleas and mounted her immediately. The pleasure was immediate as he moaned into the sky, the moans slowly being replaced by bleats.

As the pair began their coupling, the changes accelerated. Callumn could feel horns pushing out of his head as they breached the skin, small trails of blood pouring down his face as he could feel the changes coming to his face.

Meanwhile, Charlee was begging Callumn to get off!. Her begs were mixed in with occasional bleat which was slowly becoming more frequent. She felt her breasts move down towards her rear legs. They merged as her tits extended, becoming teats for her developing udder. It would come in useful for the future kids she would be having.

The pair's fur grew bigger in earnest, becoming voluminous and appropriate for their new species. Callumn's was white with the occasional black spot whereas Charlee’s was brown like her hair. Callumn paid no mind as he continued to thrust, his mind lost to animal instinct. Their hair fell from their heads as the fur began to increase, giving them each a voluminous coat.

Meanwhile, Charlee felt her mind begin to shift. Try as she might, she could feel her humanity slipping away from her. Her thoughts of symphonies, her piano and even her parents began to be replaced by thoughts of grazing and raising kids. She shook her head, fighting off these changes to her mind.

“No, it can’t end like this” thought Charlee in a panic as she tried to hold on, trying to remember. She tried to remember her father, her mother. The people who were important to her as she felt a tingling in her face.

She felt her face stretch out as her muzzle began developing. The same was occurring with Callumn who was still lost in the pleasure of mating. Their faces began to get covered in the same fur as the rest of their bodies. Charlee’s ears stretched out, matching her new species as her fur spread over them. Callumn’s muzzle finished developing following a series of pops and crunches which sounded painful. However, Callumn was too far gone to recognise the pain as his muzzle completed itself. His change was complete, he was now a complete goat as his eyes darkened, his human mind lost to animal instinct.

Charlee was not far behind as her muzzle was beginning to finalise. She could feel her memories slipping away as the last human thought she had was her mother.

“Momeeeeee” was her last words which broke out into a bleat at the end as she felt Callumn climax into her. Her eyes darkened as her animal instincts became dominant. The new pair of goats bent down to graze, their humanity feeling like a foreign dream.

The Spirit looked down at the pair, feeding off of the energy their transformation had produced. It looked at the goat formerly known as Charlee as it felt a similar feeling. It felt like the time when Sally was transformed. The Spirit was confused by this as it put its hand to its chin, scratching it in deep thought.

“What was it again...guilt I think Marie said it was?” thought the Spirit as it looked down towards Charlee once again. The nanny goat was grazing within the pasture as the Spirit thought about what to do.

“I could give her memories back...no that won’t work. She might turn out like Megan and I don’t want to have her suffer anymore. Why do I care about this?. When did this start to become difficult?” wondered the Spirit as it noticed Charlotte approaching the Petting Zoo.

The guilt slowly faded away as the Spirit stared at Charlotte as it remembered why it was doing this. It wanted to get revenge on Charlotte for what she did to Elizabeth and with this top-up. It would be able to enact the next phase of its plan. It disappeared, out of sight.

Elsewhere, Charlotte looked at the goats in confusion before smiling. They were a great addition to the Petting Zoo as she got out Erica’s yearbook before crossing out the pair. She stuck around as she observed the pair within the enclosure, wondering if they would get along with the sheep. She had finished the report Rebecca had assigned her to do so she was looking forward to having some ‘me’ time.

Unknown to Charlotte, she didn’t realise the significance of what had occurred as a nearby security camera had clearly caught the pair transforming.

Later:

John was looking over the ‘Diana’ tape as he was in deep thought within his office. He looked over all his investigation notes, beginning to question whether it was worth it?. He was concerned for Amanda in a way he never felt before. He wanted to find her, calm her down before she did something she would regret. They could then bring the Zoo down together.

“Where could she be?” thought John as he wondered how Amanda was doing. She was still rather young, she shouldn’t be risking her entire future for the investigation. He shook his head, struggling to understand where he had gone wrong.

Lauren was outside the room, silently fuming to herself. She was annoyed at the lack of attention that John had been giving her since Amanda went maverick.

“Why did she have to go out on her own?” thought Lauren as she crossed her arms, shifting her blond hair out of her face as she sighed. She was annoyed that Amanda hadn’t considered John’s feelings before running off. She peeked inside the door again, finding her boyfriend in the same state as when she last checked.

“Oh well...guess she’ll eventually come around. After all, we still have the evidence” thought Lauren as she remembered what she had been shown. She liked to think she was on board with John’s investigation but she found herself conflicted.

“I liked that evening we had with each other just before Amanda infiltrated the Zoo. I just wish we could have more dates like that” thought Lauren as she considered her options.

She was finding it incredibly difficult to stay positive for John’s sake. Nevertheless, she stood up, walking into the kitchen to prepare another cup of tea, hoping John would at least finish his reflection at a reasonable hour so they could spend some time together.

Elsewhere:

A door unlocked as a figure wandered inside, tired from the long day she had. It was difficult to explain to her superiors regarding the storm the previous night but she felt she did a good job of it, persuading them that the project was still salvageable despite the poor track record.

She headed deeper into the house, looking around the living room. She noticed the piano and despite not being fond of it, she knew her daughter was. She was why she kept the thing around. If not, she would have thrown it out years ago. It reminded her too much of her ex. Her thoughts returned to her daughter, wondering where she could be.

“Speaking of, where is she?” wondered the figure as she looked around, her mind slowly becoming panicked as she increased her pace. Her daughter was nowhere to be found as she proceeded to dash around the house.

“Daughter, Daughter!... Charlee!” screamed the figure as she wondered where her daughter could have gone. Unknown to her, she would soon find out in the worst possible way.

Description
It was early in the morning at the New Zoo as the sun was rising following a horrendous storm that had lasted throughout the night.

The Main Hallway had fared the worst. Fortunately, no animals had been harmed and the architecture was still holding up but there was minor damage to the columns holding up the roof as parts of the intercom system had been loosened by the strong winds and shattered on the floor.

In addition, the security cameras while still intact had been disabled due to damage to the overhead wiring which rendered the entire Main Hallway a blind spot for any would-be trespassers.

Finally, the gate entrance had been warped and forced off its hinges, falling inwards. This had left the entrance wide open for anyone to walk in. Surprisingly, the stone archways which had contained the gate were still completely intact.

This was fortunate for Amanda who walked to the front entrance. The blue-haired girl had covered her head in a lavender hood as she felt a sense of unease come over her. She held a phone in her hand as she mentally prepared herself for what she had to do.

“Well...might as well get it done with, they shouldn’t be here by now but best to stay on my guard” mumbled Amanda as she took a quick glance at her watch, confirming the earliness of the day.

She quietly walked inside, carefully stepping over the debris as she looked around. “Wow, the storm really did a number on this place,” thought Amanda as she progressed deeper into the Hallway.

She looked around, thankful that the animals were still asleep. She didn’t know if Rebecca had actually responded since her earlier bluff but the animals were still there which was rather fortunate for her plan.

Finally, Amanda reached her intended destination as she looked through the bars of one of the enclosures.

It resembled a desert region and looked like an appropriate habitat for a kangaroo. As Amanda looked around, noticing rocks and various plants near the back as well as a multi-branch item for stimulation that was in the enclosure. Amanda finally saw what she was looking for. She stared at the resident within, who, like the rest of the animals was currently asleep.

Amanda sensed a feeling of familiarity as she looked at the kangaroo. She looked closer at the Kangaroo as she noticed something on its arm. It was a white wristband with purple stripes.

Amanda was at a loss for words as her mind froze. The wristband had been muddied a bit but the design was unmistakable. She tried to find her voice but could only mutter to herself “Oh Marlene, what have they done to you?” as she stared at the marsupial, feeling anger in her mind as she observed her best friend. How dare they do this to her!

Amanda quickly realised why she was here as she calmed down as she tapped on the bars, trying to make a sound. Marlene had remained unresponsive as Amanda cautiously increased the volume, tapping the bar with greater intensity. She looked around nervously, worried that she would draw unwanted attention to herself. Fortunately, Marlene began to stir as Amanda ceased the noise, waiting for her friend.

Marlene began to awaken, having been disturbed by a nearby noise. She looked around, her mind felt foggy as she spotted a nearby observer. For some reason which she couldn’t quite understand, she could recognise her as she got even closer to Amanda.

Amanda felt a slight sense of unease as she got a glimpse of Marlene’s eyes. They were completely dark, devoid of anything that could remotely resemble human intelligence. She resisted the urge to shout as she looked to her best friend. She reached for something within her pocket.

She pulled out a mobile phone, taking one last glimpse at it as she tried to pull closer to Marlene. Marlene watched with intrigue as she pulled closer in, curious as to what the person was doing.

Marlene saw the person drop something into her pouch as she looked down, recognising it as the strange device that the person had been holding a moment ago. Marlene watched with confusion as the person began to speak.

“Ok, Marlene… I need your help, I’ll be able to track you and hopefully the others but I need you to keep that phone where it is so I know where you are”

Amanda had tried to sound confident but the tone had come across more as begging as she resisted the urge to weep. She looked to Marlene who, for at least a moment, appeared to understand.

Marlene looked down at Amanda and for a brief moment, felt an odd thought enter her mind. She recognised this girl! It was Amanda, her best friend. Before the newfound clarity could vanish, the kangaroo felt the phone within its pouch. She felt newfound instincts as she clicked at Amanda, trying to indicate to her that she would not disappoint.
Amanda couldn’t resist a smile as, for a brief moment, felt like she had her friend back. However, this was short-lived as she turned away, realising she needed to leave. She turned away but turned back to her friend, a look of regret on her face.

“I have to go now but we’ll meet each other again...I promise,” said Amanda as she turned to leave.

Marlene watched her go, she didn’t quite understand what had just happened but she felt a new need, she looked into her pouch, noticing the device that the girl had given her and felt protective against it as if it was her only hope.

Meanwhile, Amanda could see the exit as she was about to go through it. However, she noticed a green glow from the outside and she couldn’t resist her curiosity as she turned away.

She didn’t move very far as she saw a glimpse of what appeared to be a turquoise entity floating in the air above the loch. “What in god's name?” mumbled Amanda as she turned away, heading back to the entrance and leaving the Zoo, worried that this was more than she could handle.

Fortunately, the Spirit had been so focused on its plan for revenge against Charlotte that it had completely missed Amanda’s presence.

A Few Hours Later:

Charlotte walked under the Stone Archways of the New Zoo. She had been sent by Rebecca to inspect the damage following the storm from the night before. She grumbled under her breath, expecting the worse as she looked around the Main Hallway.

She was not disappointed.

She looked around, surveying the damage as she looked around. She noticed that pieces of the intercom system had smashed onto the ground as she moved the debris out of the way, minimizing the hazard it presented. “We’ll have to come back later to do a proper cleanup,” she thought as she looked around the enclosures.

“At least the animals seem ok” mumbled Charlotte, not noticing any significant damage being inflicted upon the enclosures. “It appears the enchantments Rebeca used are working as intended, the enclosures are still fully intact despite the storm,” said Charlotte as she looked around, noticing the animals were mostly still asleep. Some were beginning to wake up as she progressed further down the Main Hallway, content that no animals had been hurt.

Noticing some of the asleep animals caused Charlotte to think back to last night as she sighed.

“How did they manage to sleep last night?” thought Charlotte as she felt fatigued. She stopped for a moment, trying to right herself. She didn’t notice that one of the animals was staring directly at her, feeling minor concern which was quickly replaced with frustration.

Erica had only just woken up, still struggling to recall how she managed to fall asleep in the first place. The storm last night was truly atrocious! she never thought she would actually get to sleep.

“I don’t understand how that happened, first it was rather terrifying but then it felt...comforting. Like being wrapped in a warm blanket at home. I wish I was at home. I wonder if my family notices I’m gone?” contemplated Erica as she turned, noticing Jason was not far behind awakening.

“On second thoughts, It’s probably for the best if they haven’t noticed. The last thing I would want is for them to come here and join in the ‘attraction’. They never agreed with my passion for journalism...guess they were onto something” thought Erica as she could feel her developing offspring inside of her. She could feel it ‘kicking’ as she felt a maternal attraction to her developing young. It made her feel warm inside as she recalled the positive she found in her situation.

“At least I managed to find a silver lining, I highly doubt they would. After all, they’re very busy...all the time. They never noticed me previously. I doubt they would want to associate with me now” considered Erica as she struggled to hold back sadness.

She then stared, noticing Charlotte who seemed oddly out of it. For once, Erica didn’t care!. She had managed to keep positives with her current predicament but with the realisation that she may never see her parents again had brought her to anger against the person who had done this to her. She bellowed out towards Charlotte who turned around to face her.

Charlotte stared curiously at the giraffe as Erica continued to bellow in frustration at her before settling down, her head drooping as Erica moved further into her enclosure. Charlotte took this time to make her departure, heading towards the Aquarium to survey for further damage.

Erica began to sulk as she noticed Jason who was, once again, craving her attention. She gave a ‘sigh’ as she resigned herself to her position once again. “Why does he have to be so clingy?” thought Erica as she moved towards and settled down with Jason, the pair enjoying each other’s company as Erica calmed down from her outburst.

Meanwhile, Charlotte arrived at the Aquarium. Upon entry, she felt uneasy, recalling her previous episode when some unknown voice in her head called out her flaws. Her focus on this caused her to recall the school trip which now seemed so long ago.

She began to think back to that moment as she once again felt guilt come over her, it felt bad for allowing Elizabeth to take the full blame for that incident. Charlotte quickly buried her guilt as she became focused, hoping to finish this as quickly as possible but she couldn't help one final reflection.

“Really does feel like a lifetime ago,” thought Charlotte as she quickly inspected the animals inside. She looked around, noticing the enclosures and tanks were still intact. Fortunately, the aquarium being based indoors had helped to minimise the damage which occurred.

She stopped upon checking one of the nearby tanks which had an occupant she didn’t recognise. She looked further in as she noticed the Octopus within. It was staring directly at her as she looked down in her list. She ticked off Octopus as she continued to intently stare at the creature.

Sally looked with interest at first before feeling confused at the woman staring at her. She didn’t recognise her and honestly, she didn’t care.

“Guess she’s never seen an octopus before?” thought Sally playfully to herself. She had noticed that while she could still remember her past, she found herself becoming quickly bored. She soon realized that the Octopus instincts were still influencing her to an extent.

She eyed the nearby Manta-Ray enclosure, spotting her friends. She smiled to herself. She had been examining the tank she had been placed in and felt she should be able to get out of it with minimal effort.

“Very unlikely that I would get help by myself. Would probably dry out...or worse. However, I can at least join my friends if no one is around” thought Sally as she stared once again towards her friends.

Meanwhile, Charlotte had moved away from the new addition as she looked around, content that the Aquarium hadn’t taken considerable damage as she left, planning on checking the Aviary.

Sally double-checked, assuring that Charlotte had left the Aquarium before checking the latch once more. She managed to manoeuvre her tentacle as she undid the latch. She managed to pull herself out of the tank. She had certainly become a quick learner with her tentacles as she moved out, deciding to join her friends.

Eventually, Charlotte had arrived at the Aviary. She looked around, noticing the glass walls had stayed intact, keeping the animals inside.

“It would have definitely been a pain to catch any of the birds this morning,” thought Charlotte as she looked over to one of the observation towers which seemed to have held well together. Upon closer inspection, minor damage was revealed but nothing unfixable.

Charlotte climbed up into one of the observation towers as she looked to the roof of the Aviary. She looked in, seeing that the animals seemed relatively calm as she noticed that one of the glass panels had broken.

“Guess I need to go clean that up,” thought Charlotte with a groan as she headed down. Thankfully, none of the birds were particularly good flyers. In addition, the Aviary was still quite empty despite the recent addition as Charlotte headed to a supply closet, getting out a dustpan and brush before entering the Aviary.

She looked down as she noticed the shards of glass that had hit the floor. She bent down as she swept up the shards of glass.

Meanwhile, Megan had woken up as she looked around, remembering she was still resting upon her young. She noticed Chris seemed to still be asleep as she looked around the Aviary. She noticed that the main door was open as she decided to make a run for it.

She attempted to rise but found herself unable to. For reasons she didn’t understand, she found herself rooted to the spot.

“Come on!” thought Megan in frustration as she attempted to stand. However, her peahen instincts were preventing her from abandoning her young as she looked over to the door.

Unknown to Megan, there was also magic in play keeping her stuck in place. Her attempts to force herself to move were feeble against it as she had no choice but to watch as Charlotte left the Aviary, having swept up the glass, closing the door behind her.

“NO!” shouted Megan, her shout coming out as a squawk as Chris woke from his slumber. He looked over to her concerned.

“Are you ok Megan?” asked Chris as his eyes continued to show concern.

Megan looked to him, considering her words carefully. She couldn’t tell him that she was trying to escape, that would lead him to question why she would attempt to abandon him. Regardless of their new partnership, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him. After all, she didn’t want Chris to be against her. Who knows how he would react?

Megan shuddered, her feathers ruffling slightly as she noticed Chris awkwardly staring at her. She quickly thought of an explanation as she stated “I’m fine Chris, just felt like you needed to be up. It’s your turn to look out again.” Chris turned his head, noticing the bird family had likewise, begun to wake up as he nodded, getting into his ‘post’ as Megan laid back, keeping her young warm.

“Good save” thought Megan as she settled down, resigning herself to her fate.

Charlotte made a note on her checklist as she headed back the way she came towards the Outside Section of the Zoo, curious what the extent of the damage would be.

Upon the Loch:

The Spirit had continued to meditate, having not left its position since earlier in the day as it considered its revenge. It could sense Charlotte from within the Zoo and could feel the time was near but now... it seemed hesitant.

“Am I really doing the right thing?” thought the Spirit as it contemplated on what to do. It thought back to what Elizabeth had told it, all the times that the others had made her take the fall, it remembered how miserable she had been. As it continued to remember, its face steeled, its resolve returned as it began to execute its plan.

“After everything that had happened, her behaviour cannot simply be excused” finalised the Spirit as it became committed to seeing this through.

It would need to make a move soon however, it reviewed its options before snapping its fingers, disappearing as it began the first stage of its plan.

Meanwhile, Charlotte had just entered the Outside Section of the Zoo. She smiled as she looked around, noticing the dampness of the floor and the damage to the surrounding vegetation which had been ripped out from the ground by the strong wind. Charlotte looked in shock before moving forward, hoping no debris had fallen into any enclosures.

She progressed around, checking on the animals and noticing that the enclosures had also stayed perfectly intact as by Rebecca’s design. She noticed a few bins that had tipped over which were quickly put upright. Fortunately, since the Zoo hadn't opened to the public, they were mostly empty.

She stopped outside the Seal enclosure, something unknown drawing her there. She stayed there as she looked towards the seals which were snoozing together.

“I can see why Elizabeth enjoys the seals so much,” thought Charlotte amusingly as she felt herself reliving an earlier memory as she recalled the time when she and Elizabeth were in the Zoo just before acquiring their new panda.

She recalled how they had enjoyed each other's company after checking on their newest additions. “I can swear that there was something I missed” thought Charlotte as she recalled the phone ringing and something regarding Elizabeth but for some reason, despite her best efforts...she couldn’t remember.

She quickly left the Seals, eager to get back onto checking the damage that had been caused to the Zoo as she headed towards the Stage. The Spirit looked on intently as it smiled, enjoying its plan coming together.

Charlotte reached the Stage as she looked around, surprised that the area was intact. “I was at least expecting one loose seat of weakened support. Everything is surprisingly intact?. Guess it paid off to listen to Elizabeth for once” thought Charlotte as she looked around, noticing the central platform as she felt another memory returning.

She remembered when they all worked together. It was when they added their lions to the Zoo as she recalled Elizabeth putting on a show to entertain them. It definitely helped to augment the experience as she thought back, smiling at the memory.

“Elizabeth may be a lot of things, but she can control those seals well,” thought Charlotte as she smiled warmly, enjoying the memory as she thought of her and her friends.

“Things were so much simpler then. No one came to chase us regarding missing people and we could just transform with minimal consequence...then we had to transform those children” thought Charlotte, ending her thought flatly as she ticked off the Stage, happy that the area hadn’t been badly damaged.

She moved back through the Outside Section. She took a look at the Reptile House which appeared to have suffered no damage at all.

“We didn’t spare any expense with the building materials so it’s good to see that it held very well together,” said Charlotte as she smiled to herself. She unlocked the door as she entered the Reptile House, wishing to check on the interior.

The Spirit snapped out of its trance as it noticed Charlotte heading inside the Reptile House. It decided to follow her, beginning another step of its plan.

Charlotte entered the Reptile House, quickly noticing its occupants. They seemed nonchalant about the storm last night although Jeannette seemed oddly startled by her presence.
Unknown to Charlotte, Jeanette was startled as she could see the Spirit looking at her. She cowered back, not wanting to start anything.

“Leave me Alone!” thought Jeannette as she let out a hiss which felt like a ‘wail’. “I’m finally happy the way I am and don’t want to lose it” she continued, frightened at the prospect of losing her memories and hence, her sense of self.

The Spirit had noticed Jeannette’s reaction and softened. It held its hand up, a glow coming from it as Jeannette calmed, feeling similar to how she had felt the night before.

“It’s ok, I won’t take your identity,” said the Spirit as it examined her memories, recalling an incident involving someone known as Vannessa. The Spirit scratched its chin, recalling a Vannessa within the Petting Zoo.

“Thank you,” said Jeannette sincerely as she quickly slithered away, still slightly spooked by the experience.

Meanwhile, Charlotte had progressed onward, stopping at Anastasia. Charlotte groaned as she recalled Elizabeth telling her when Anasatia had almost dragged her into the enclosure. This had terrified the other managers and caused them to change their approach to how they were planning the Orientation.

Despite everything that had happened, Charlotte couldn’t help but feel sorry for Elizabeth for that. Charlotte kept her distance, making a note next to Anastasia’s name regarding the future planned Orientation day.

She then moved into the Security Room, planning to check the cameras. Charlotte anticipated that some of the cameras would have gone offline due to the storm and she needed to know how ‘blind’ the Zoo currently was until they could get someone to come in and fix it.

She sat in the comfy chair as she looked at the screens, The Main Hallway had been rendered completely blind as no trace of video or audio could be seen or heard. That would need to be quickly resolved!. The Outside Section had a few blind spots but was otherwise ok. The Aquarium and Reptile House were not surprisingly, fully intact.

Charlotte took a glance over to the Petting Zoo. She breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed the area was still largely intact. To her surprise, even the cameras were completely undamaged.

“How could that happen?. I would have at least expected some damage but it appears as if no damage to the structure has occurred at all. I’m thankful nonetheless but still very confused.” thought Charlotte as she got a glance at one of the residents.

She noticed the donkey that was currently grazing inside the pasture. It seemed scared, probably terrified by the storm. At first, Charlotte felt smug about it, feeling as if the ass was getting what she deserved but as she looked further, she couldn’t help but feel pity for her.

“I know she was an ass but does she truly deserve this?” thought Charlotte as she recalled the mistreatment that she had done to Vannessa out of spite and could now feel herself filling with regret.

Charlotte quickly rose from her seat before heading over to the Petting Zoo, hoping she could at least begin to make some amends.

The Spirit kept in pursuit, already aware of Charlotte’s intention. It would be interesting as to what her reaction would be to Stuart joining the Zoo.

Soon enough, Charlotte had arrived at the Petting Zoo and admiring the sign which had stayed up, quickly examined the other occupants. The Rabbit seemed rather shaken.

Anna stared up at Charlotte. The rabbit was rather terrified following the storm and for a reason, it couldn’t comprehend, it felt as if it shouldn’t trust the woman currently examining her. This thought was quickly dismissed however as the rabbit was desperate for some form of comfort, any comfort!.

Charlotte quietly opened the hutch, placing a carrot inside the food dish. Charlotte smiled momentarily, before picking up the rabbit and stroking her. She could feel the rabbit beginning to calm as she continued.

Anna quickly settled in Charlotte’s arms, enjoying the petting as Charlotte calmed the rabbit down. Eventually, Charlotte placed her back in the hutch before locking it back up. She looked over to the Sheep who were currently grazing, appearing unfazed by the storm the previous night. The Geese were within their coop and currently sleeping.

Charlotte arrived at the Donkey pasture as she looked towards the occupant.

The occupant formerly known as Vannessa looked to the newcomer as she tilted her head. For some reason, it could feel rage beginning to flow through her. She began to feel it bottling up as the occupant prepared to give Charlotte a piece of its mind.

However, before it could do so, The occupant felt a curious scent across her muzzle as she moved towards the newcomer, being attracted by what was revealed to be a carrot.

Charlotte fed Vannessa who slowly chewed on the carrot as she calmed, her anger melting away like ice on a warm day. Charlotte slowly put a rope around her neck. She stroked the donkey across the muzzle, attempting to soothe her.

“Come on girl, time to show you your new home,” said Charlotte as she guided Vannessa out of the pen and towards the barn.

Charlotte eventually opened the barn and brought Vannessa in, settling her within one of the stalls of the right-hand side. Upon doing this and organizing Vannessa’s feeding trough she turned around, noticing a stallion within one of the stalls.

“When did we get a horse?” thought Charlotte curiously, this was the second time this had happened. There was something worse at play but for some reason when she attempted to recall, she felt excruciating pain.

She quickly stopped as the pain settled down. Unknown to her, the Spirit was smugly watching Charlotte struggle. However, before it could act, a beeping sound could be heard.

Charlotte checked her watch before her eyes widened. The Zoo was expecting a pair of interns to come in today and despite the storm, Rebecca had insisted it go ahead which had confused Charlotte to no end. Despite Rebecca’s orders, she was planning to reschedule and send the interns on their way. Fixing up the Zoo was clearly more important!.

Despite this, Charlotte couldn’t help but be fearful at the idea of not adding anyone new. This conflict was messing with her judgement as she realised she had little choice in the matter.

“I’m late,” said Charlotte with a hint of frustration as she quickly took notes regarding the barn, placing a note next to Vannessa’s name for the future planned orientation day.

She quickly inspected the barn as she ran out of the door, quickly locking it behind her. The sound awoke Marie who quickly let her displeasure be known with a loud moo.

At the Entrance:

A girl and a boy looked over the stone archways of the New Zoo before heading inside.

They looked around, slightly confused as they noticed the debris lying around. They remembered the storm from the previous night but this only raised more questions than answers.

The girl raised an eyebrow, looking around with scepticism. Her name was Charlee who looked around, trying to get a better view of the debris around the Zoo. Someone had clearly moved it, they probably didn’t have enough time to remove it.

Her mother had left early, saying something had come up at work today. She groaned, wishing her mother wasn’t such a workaholic.

Nevertheless, there were advantages to her absence. It allowed her to practice on the piano again before school. She had been learning from a young age and her music teacher was confident that she had a future professionally playing the instrument.

“I’ll never get what I really want” thought Charlee as she felt tears begin to form. She quickly pushed them back, remembering her father. “He got me into the piano, why did he leave us?”.

Her train of thought continued until it was quickly interrupted by the boy who in her trancelike state, had moved deeper into the Main Hallway before calling back to her.

“Charlee?” asked the boy curiously. His name was Callumn and had a bit of a crush on Charlee, unknown to her. Callumn was busy looking around, noticing the debris as Charlee caught up to him.

“I’m ok, Callumn. Just got caught up in my mind again” stated Charlee, remembering this was not the first time this had occurred. She tended to get lost within her own mind, she called it inspiration, others in her class saw it as absentmindedness.

She didn’t particularly care about the opinions of the other people in her class, they didn’t seem to pay her much attention anyway. They were too busy focusing on Zara. Charlee never joined in on the teasing but knew that Zara’s reactions made her an easy target.

Callumn looked back, nodding to her in understanding as they looked around together. They noticed a considerable amount of damage as they became increasingly confused.

“You’d think with all this damage, they’d reschedule our interviews?” asked Callumn as he stared at Charlee for assurance.

“I agree. It does seem like they should have greater priorities” replied Charlee as she felt increasingly confused. Surely, the Zoo would have cleaned this up for safety before having any interviews. Something wasn’t making sense!

Meanwhile, Charlotte had dashed back towards the Main Hallway as she stopped to catch her breath. She noticed the pair as she walked up to them. She offered her hand to them which they returned the handshake.

“Hello my name is Charlotte and I’m one of the managers at the Zoo,” said Charlotte as she continued “I was going to interview both of you today but due to the damage, I’m afraid we will have to reschedule.”

Charlee groaned inwardly in frustration at this. She could have spent this time working on her music. Instead, she had wasted her time on what was feeling like an increasingly pointless endeavour. She didn’t feel like waking back yet. The storm from last night had made the trip rather uncomfortable.

Callumn, however, was far more understanding. It was obvious the Zoo had greater priorities and he was able to spend some time with his secret crush. He smiled warmly as he looked towards Charlee, noticing her frustration.

Charlotte had seen Charlee’s frustration and quickly came up with an idea. Something which would appease Rebecca. For some reason, Charlotte felt like she was getting on her bad side. After what happened to Elizabeth, she didn’t wish to stay there!.

“Actually, while I may not be able to interview you, I could allow you to have a small tour. Not everywhere is as damaged like this. I could show you the Petting Zoo if you’re interested. That’s where you will be working if the interview is successful” said Charlotte, a bit quick but to the point, she hoped they didn’t notice the slight nervousness in her voice.

The pair thought about this for a moment. They considered their options.

“At least this won’t be a complete waste of time. It’ll allow me to see if this is something I’m interested in. If not, then I can tell them to cancel my interview rather than reschedule” thought Charlee as she looked over to Callumn, he was clearly still thinking about his decision.

Charlotte looked at Charlee with a slight look of confusion, she looked familiar. Charlotte quickly dismissed the thought, certain she was confusing her with another intern. It appeared that brunettes were popular within the class.

“This is perfect. It’ll give me more time to be with Charlee and possibly confess my love to her” thought Callum as he noticed Charlee staring at him before the pair looked over to Charlotte who was awaiting their answer.

“We accept your tour,” said the pair as Charlotte smiled, walking away and guiding them with her hand. The pair followed, each having an interest in the tour.

The pair wandered down the Main Hallway as Charlotte pointed towards the enclosures. Charlee looked around, noticing the animals seemed somewhat off. She couldn’t put her finger on it but she began to feel uneasy.

Callumn however, was eagerly enjoying the tour as he listened intently to what Charlotte was saying. He began to gravitate towards a nearby enclosure as Charlee followed him, Charlotte not too far behind.

Charlotte groaned slightly, not enough that the pair noticed but she was eager to get back to organising a cleanup of the Zoo. However, she calmed herself, realising that this would help give the more genuine appearance of a tour, rather than her planning to add new additions.

Charlee looked up into the enclosure that Callumn had come to. She noticed two tigers inside as she looked intently. She was actually a fan of tigers and as she looked at them for longer, she felt herself loosen up slightly, her sense of unease fading momentarily.

Meanwhile, from within the enclosure, Caitlyn looked outside, realising they had company. She looked back to Travis who had kept himself further back, not wishing to engage with the visitors.

“Guess I’m the entertainment today” mumbled Caitlyn as she looked at the newcomers. She looked down as she noticed the girl amongst them.

“Charlee?... Well, this should be interesting. Wonder what Charlotte has planned for her?. Either way, I guess she’ll hate it. Probably turn out like Anna. Knowing Charlotte, she’ll be wanting to add them to the Petting Zoo” thought Caitlyn as she brought a paw up to Charlee, who was rather uncharacteristically appearing to enjoy it.

However, all good things must come to an end as Charlotte led the pair away from the enclosure and further into the Zoo, planning to continue the tour. Caitlyn watched as Charlee faded from sight before looking back, noticing Travis and nodding her head, prompting him to come further forward.

“They’re gone now...scaredy-cat,” said Caitlyn, playfully teasing her boyfriend as Travis ‘blushed’ as he approached her. The pair nuzzled in affection as Travis prompted back the discussion from a few days ago.

“Caitlyn, I think it’s time we talked...about our families” stated Travis bluntly, trying to indicate he was serious.

Caitlyn stared at him momentarily, considering his words as her features softened. “I agree, the discussion has been put off long enough” replied Caitlyn as the pair settled within their enclosure, preparing themselves for the tough conversation.

At the Petting Zoo:

Charlotte had arrived at the Petting Zoo and had politely dismissed herself, allowing Charlee and Callumn to wander freely. The pair looked up, noticing the overhead sign which to their surprise, seemed completely intact.

They looked around, making sure Charlotte wasn’t nearby before Callumn commented “I’m almost disappointed the sign managed to stay up. I mean...it’s extremely tacky and if it broke it would be a good excuse to replace it with something more...appealing.”

Charlee looked to Callumn and couldn’t help but agree with him. However, she didn’t wish to comment out loud. It was always possible that Charlotte was listening in and they still had an interview shortly.

The pair walked under the sign as they entered the Petting Zoo. They looked around, noticing the animals within. Charlee came towards the rabbit hutch, noticing the resident within.

The white rabbit stared back at Charlee, twitching her nose as it swore it remembered her from somewhere. This thought was quickly overwhelmed as it felt an appetite developing. The rabbit quickly hopped out of sight, smelling the nearby carrot that it was provided this morning.

Meanwhile, Callumn had walked over to the sheep. He looked into the pen as he eyed one in particular. For some strange reason, she seemed familiar. Unknown to him, he was staring at the former human Angelica who had been a friend within his class.

Charlee looked over to Callumn before walking over to him. Charlee looked into the pen as she noticed Callumn was focused on one particular sheep. She also looked at it, wondering why it drew his attention.

The sheep stopped grazing momentarily before it stared at the pair. They seemed familiar, for some reason. Angelica quickly felt her human thoughts returning as she bleated towards the pair, trying to warn them as tears were escaping her eyes. However, the magic quickly reinforced itself as the tears dried up, her worries quickly being replaced by...calm.

Angelica quickly returned to grazing, her human mind quickly replaced once again. The sheep wondered when it would be sheared again, it’s wool was getting pretty big. Charlee and Callumn had witnessed the scene and had inched back, somewhat confused.

“What was up with that sheep?” asked Charlee, turning to Callumn for reassurance.

Callumn, however, was lost for words. He felt like he recognised the sheep if only for a moment. He quickly turned away, struggling to reconcile his thoughts. He knew about the rumours regarding this place but thought of them as rubbish. However, the behaviour of the sheep seemed...off. He was feeling uneasy here as his mind was fit to burst with different possibilities, he needed to leave!.

“I’ve gotta go,” said Callumn as he turned away, his face becoming pale as he prepared to leave as Charlee looked at him, confused.

“Where’re you going?” asked Charlee, concerned for Callumn as she walked up towards him.

“Away from here. And if you’re wise, so should you” stated Callumn worriedly as he began to leave, quickly starting to run as his anxiety increased. Charlee quickly ran after him, confused by his sudden change in behaviour.

However, as the pair ran, the Spirit looked on. It was tempted to let them leave, let Rebecca get angry at Charlotte for failing. However, it felt rather tempted by the prospect of another meal, refuelling its energy from the night before. It raised its hand, a soft green glow escaping it which approached the running pair.

The pair quickly stopped running as they felt a sense of calm come over them. They felt their minds become blank as they headed back towards the sheep pen but when they were close to it, they quickly approached the enclosure next to it. The pair in their trance didn’t notice the sign but it indicated that the enclosure they entered was intended for goats.

The enclosure was very much like the sheep enclosure. It had grass from which the goats could graze and a wooden shelter to protect them from the weather. The fence surrounding the enclosure gave the goats plenty of space to explore and there was a trough in a nearby corner for feeding the goats once they arrived.

The Spirit snapped its fingers as the pair came out of the trance they were in. They looked at each other, noticing the grass beneath their feet. They looked to the side, noticing the sheep within the nearby pen.

“How did we..get here?” wondered Charlee as she turned to Callumn who had a look of horror on his face. “What’s wrong Callumn?, is there something on my…” began Charlee as she felt a sensation passing through her. The vibrations felt momentarily comforting as she felt them concentrate around her head.

It didn’t last!

Charlee quickly felt a sensation in her head. She grunted as she could feel something trying to force its way out. The grunts quickly turned into screams as Charlee felt agonizing pain. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, she felt the pain release as she screamed out. Unknown to Charlee, she now had two visible goat horns protruding out of her head.

Callumn looked in shock as he felt a sensation pass through him. The rumours were true as he found himself rooted to the spot in fear. He could feel a sensation come over him as Charlee stared back at him, noticing his reaction and discomfort.

“What’s wrong Callumn?” asked Charlee, her tone demanding that Callumn reply promptly.

“Check...your..head,” said Callumn, struggling to get the words out as he felt his own change coming over him.

Callumn felt a pulling in her ears as they stretched out. They became longer and longer as they stretched out, becoming goat ears. He could feel little hairs beginning to push out as he realised he was developing fur. However, he became distracted by a sensation in his feet as he bent down, his shoes becoming increasingly cramped as he attempted to get them off.

Meanwhile, Charlee quickly ran her hands through her head, trying to find what was out of place. She felt her heart stop as she felt her hands come across a foreign object. She ran her hands across the protrusion as her expression became increasingly fearful. She was too scared of what was happening to her to notice similar changes happening to Callumn.

Callumn was having difficulty removing his shoes as he felt the material tighten. His feet felt uneasy as they shifted, becoming hooves which he couldn’t see. However, the constant shifting led to the material of the shoes weakening and eventually, it ripped apart, revealing his hooves which had replaced his feet. He stumbled back, sitting on the grass as he called out to Charlee, who was still too focused on her own changes to pay him any mind.

Unknown to Charlee, by touching her newfound horns, the sensation passed into her hands as they began to stiffen. She felt her fingers move closer together as it was becoming increasingly difficult to feel the new object. Unknown to her, her fingers were clumping together as they stiffened up, forming solid blocks which eventually developed into a set of front hooves.

Charlee brought her hands back down, feeling something was wrong. She quickly noticed that instead of hands, she had a pair of front hooves. She screamed, getting Callumn’s attention as they stared at each other, noticing their changes.

The pair screamed at each other, wondering what was happening. However, the end of their scream changed pitch and sound, becoming a familiar bleat which caused them to cover their mouths in a panic. They realised what was happening as the reality sunk in. The noise they made was unmistakable. They were changing into goats!.

“Callumn..did we just?” started Charlee, beyond nervous at what was happening.

“Yes Charlee, we just bleated” responded Callumn as he looked nervously at her. He quickly suppressed a thought within his mind. Charlee was beginning to look more and more attractive.

Charlee looked down, noticing Callumn’s changes as she felt similar cramping in her feet. She quickly looked down as her toes forced themselves together, causing Charlee to cry out in pain as she felt her toes merge into stumps which eventually developed into a set of rear hooves to match her front hooves. She stumbled around momentarily but managed to stay standing. She wobbled every now and again but was able to correct her position.

Callumn could feel a similar change coming in his hands as the fingers merged, forming a quick set of hooves as he rolled up, attempting to get back onto his feet but found himself standing comfortably on both sets of hooves. He felt something quickly click in his back, locking him to all fours.

Charlee watched Callumn as he attempted to stand up, finding himself unable to. She tried to move closer to him as she began to feel increasingly warm. She panted as the warmth began to feel unbearable. Unknown to her, she was developing fur which was obscured by her clothes.

Eventually, the fur pushed out enough as she felt an unusual sensation flowing through her body which caused her to shake. Her clothes burst off of her body, ripping apart as they were no longer able to hold together between the fur and the movement. Charlee felt her spine change and straighten alongside her hips as she found herself forced to the ground.
She landed on all fours, staring at Callumn.

Callumn watched Charlee as he began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. His fur began spreading across him as it pushed out of his body. It pressed against his clothes as he felt a different sensation near his genitals. He could feel them morphing into his new species as he began to feel a new sensation.

“No!” shouted Callumn in his mind, shaking the thought away but trying as he might, it always returned until it overwhelmed Callumn. He needed to act on it!. He quickly shook his body, his clothes coming loose as they fell to the ground. He needed to be with his mate as he moved forward.

“I love Charlee, but I can’t do this to her...it’s wrong,” thought Callumn in feeble protest but his instincts were overwhelming him. He could feel a tail pushing its way out of his spine which wagged in anticipation. The goat instincts were taking control and the desire to mate was becoming insatiable.

Charlee stared at Callumn confused. He seemed eager until she felt a change in her own genitals. They shifted alongside her anus as they rested under where a tail was developing as Charlee moaned out, her moan breaking out into a bleat as she could feel an engorging heat coming from her loins. She felt a sudden thought enter her mind as she felt a newfound desire. She desired to mate with the changing goat. Charlee quickly shook her head, attempting to clear her thoughts as she glared at Callumn, trying to instil some authority into her shaky voice.

“No!.... Don’t!” commanded Charlee. However, despite her best efforts, her instincts began to take control as she turned around, presenting herself to Callumn.

Callumn was being too driven by instinct to acknowledge her pleas and mounted her immediately. The pleasure was immediate as he moaned into the sky, the moans slowly being replaced by bleats.

As the pair began their coupling, the changes accelerated. Callumn could feel horns pushing out of his head as they breached the skin, small trails of blood pouring down his face as he could feel the changes coming to his face.

Meanwhile, Charlee was begging Callumn to get off!. Her begs were mixed in with occasional bleat which was slowly becoming more frequent. She felt her breasts move down towards her rear legs. They merged as her tits extended, becoming teats for her developing udder. It would come in useful for the future kids she would be having.

The pair's fur grew bigger in earnest, becoming voluminous and appropriate for their new species. Callumn's was white with the occasional black spot whereas Charlee’s was brown like her hair. Callumn paid no mind as he continued to thrust, his mind lost to animal instinct. Their hair fell from their heads as the fur began to increase, giving them each a voluminous coat.

Meanwhile, Charlee felt her mind begin to shift. Try as she might, she could feel her humanity slipping away from her. Her thoughts of symphonies, her piano and even her parents began to be replaced by thoughts of grazing and raising kids. She shook her head, fighting off these changes to her mind.

“No, it can’t end like this” thought Charlee in a panic as she tried to hold on, trying to remember. She tried to remember her father, her mother. The people who were important to her as she felt a tingling in her face.

She felt her face stretch out as her muzzle began developing. The same was occurring with Callumn who was still lost in the pleasure of mating. Their faces began to get covered in the same fur as the rest of their bodies. Charlee’s ears stretched out, matching her new species as her fur spread over them. Callumn’s muzzle finished developing following a series of pops and crunches which sounded painful. However, Callumn was too far gone to recognise the pain as his muzzle completed itself. His change was complete, he was now a complete goat as his eyes darkened, his human mind lost to animal instinct.

Charlee was not far behind as her muzzle was beginning to finalise. She could feel her memories slipping away as the last human thought she had was her mother.

“Momeeeeee” was her last words which broke out into a bleat at the end as she felt Callumn climax into her. Her eyes darkened as her animal instincts became dominant. The new pair of goats bent down to graze, their humanity feeling like a foreign dream.

The Spirit looked down at the pair, feeding off of the energy their transformation had produced. It looked at the goat formerly known as Charlee as it felt a similar feeling. It felt like the time when Sally was transformed. The Spirit was confused by this as it put its hand to its chin, scratching it in deep thought.

“What was it again...guilt I think Marie said it was?” thought the Spirit as it looked down towards Charlee once again. The nanny goat was grazing within the pasture as the Spirit thought about what to do.

“I could give her memories back...no that won’t work. She might turn out like Megan and I don’t want to have her suffer anymore. Why do I care about this?. When did this start to become difficult?” wondered the Spirit as it noticed Charlotte approaching the Petting Zoo.

The guilt slowly faded away as the Spirit stared at Charlotte as it remembered why it was doing this. It wanted to get revenge on Charlotte for what she did to Elizabeth and with this top-up. It would be able to enact the next phase of its plan. It disappeared, out of sight.

Elsewhere, Charlotte looked at the goats in confusion before smiling. They were a great addition to the Petting Zoo as she got out Erica’s yearbook before crossing out the pair. She stuck around as she observed the pair within the enclosure, wondering if they would get along with the sheep. She had finished the report Rebecca had assigned her to do so she was looking forward to having some ‘me’ time.

Unknown to Charlotte, she didn’t realise the significance of what had occurred as a nearby security camera had clearly caught the pair transforming.

Later:

John was looking over the ‘Diana’ tape as he was in deep thought within his office. He looked over all his investigation notes, beginning to question whether it was worth it?. He was concerned for Amanda in a way he never felt before. He wanted to find her, calm her down before she did something she would regret. They could then bring the Zoo down together.

“Where could she be?” thought John as he wondered how Amanda was doing. She was still rather young, she shouldn’t be risking her entire future for the investigation. He shook his head, struggling to understand where he had gone wrong.

Lauren was outside the room, silently fuming to herself. She was annoyed at the lack of attention that John had been giving her since Amanda went maverick.

“Why did she have to go out on her own?” thought Lauren as she crossed her arms, shifting her blond hair out of her face as she sighed. She was annoyed that Amanda hadn’t considered John’s feelings before running off. She peeked inside the door again, finding her boyfriend in the same state as when she last checked.

“Oh well...guess she’ll eventually come around. After all, we still have the evidence” thought Lauren as she remembered what she had been shown. She liked to think she was on board with John’s investigation but she found herself conflicted.

“I liked that evening we had with each other just before Amanda infiltrated the Zoo. I just wish we could have more dates like that” thought Lauren as she considered her options.

She was finding it incredibly difficult to stay positive for John’s sake. Nevertheless, she stood up, walking into the kitchen to prepare another cup of tea, hoping John would at least finish his reflection at a reasonable hour so they could spend some time together.

Elsewhere:

A door unlocked as a figure wandered inside, tired from the long day she had. It was difficult to explain to her superiors regarding the storm the previous night but she felt she did a good job of it, persuading them that the project was still salvageable despite the poor track record.

She headed deeper into the house, looking around the living room. She noticed the piano and despite not being fond of it, she knew her daughter was. She was why she kept the thing around. If not, she would have thrown it out years ago. It reminded her too much of her ex. Her thoughts returned to her daughter, wondering where she could be.

“Speaking of, where is she?” wondered the figure as she looked around, her mind slowly becoming panicked as she increased her pace. Her daughter was nowhere to be found as she proceeded to dash around the house.

“Daughter, Daughter!... Charlee!” screamed the figure as she wondered where her daughter could have gone. Unknown to her, she would soon find out in the worst possible way.