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Greg groaned as the doors slammed shut in front of him, seconds before he could slip through. That was it, then. It was midnight. The zookeepers were gone.
The boy bent to put his hands on his knees, breathing hard. Having managed to get himself lost hours ago, Greg had finally spotted the doors from across the lobby at the last possible second. He’d run as fast as he could, the loud ringing of the clock bells making it clear just how little time he’d had, and yet he’d still been too late.
The only person left with him now was the night guard, and he couldn’t go to her for help. If she caught him here after hours, there was no telling what she would do with him. No, he needed to find his own way out.
The best thing he could do now, he figured, was find a place to hide until morning. Maybe he could even get some sleep. It had been a while since he’d had somewhere so warm and dry to spend the night…
The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall to his left, and he straightened abruptly, a circle of light flashing around the corner. The night guard was coming.
Instincts taking over, Greg scampered down the opposite hall without another thought. Out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed the sign at the entrance - the gift shop. With a quick glance behind him, he hurried inside.
The room was filled with shelves stuffed with animal-themed merchandise, from postcards to magnets to giant stuffed animals. He found a large display of stuffed bears and quickly climbed between them to hide, burying himself in the fuzzy fabric.
He listened as the footsteps faded, disappearing into the distance. The woman must’ve gone a different way. Cautiously, Greg emerged from the plushies, taking a moment to run his hand over the soft brown fur that covered each as he passed.
Satisfied that he was safe for the moment, the boy made his way through the shelves, studying the toys and books all around him. His gaze caught on a tiny sign, and he paused, turning to look.
Flashlights, $19.87 read the label, and above it sat a small basket of the colorful tools. Now that would be useful — the zoo was less than inviting with the lights off. He grabbed one excitedly, admiring the swirled teal and orange print, and flicked it on.
He knew it was wrong to steal, but he didn’t have any money, and would anyone really notice? He was sure he needed it more than anybody else who would’ve bought it…
He nodded, convinced. With one last glance around the shop, Greg made his way to the door.
Distracted by thoughts of his next move, the boy failed to anticipate the loud alarm that sounded as soon as he stepped out with the stolen flashlight. Adrenaline flooding his system, he took off at a run once again, heading this time for the animal enclosures.
The boy had hardly gotten to see the animals at all before now. He’d come in just looking for the cafeteria, and by the time he’d realized he was lost, he’d been too scared to focus on any of the displays around him. But he was pretty sure that they were a lot less creepy with the lights on. All he could see were shadowy shapes, each shifting in his peripheral vision as he ran.
After a few minutes, when the footsteps hadn’t returned, Greg began to slow down. It seemed the guard had been too far away to hear the alarm, and somehow hadn’t been notified of it. Maybe his luck was returning.
He stopped beside a large glass wall, the kind that showed an outside enclosure. Using his flashlight, he searched the walls for any sort of information on what could be inside, his curiosity getting the best of him. Finally, the beam landed on a large cardboard cutout, a cartoon wolf smiling down at him.
Excitement rose in his chest, memories of a happier time flashing through the boy’s head. Picture books he’d read when he was very small, games on playgrounds…it was more than enough for him to be sure: wolves were cool.
He shined his light through the glass, the faint glow illuminating only a few feet ahead. He didn’t really expect to see anything, but then his eyes landed on a large shape off to the side, and he jumped back.
The silhouette moved slightly, but it wasn’t looking at him. It stood before a small pool in the ground, what Greg assumed was some sort of water hole for the wolves. Did wolves even like water? The boy wasn’t sure, so he just watched, wondering what the creature would do.
After a while, he shifted, beginning to tire of just standing and looking. The light from his flashlight lit the water, and he realized he could now see the wolf’s reflection on the surface. And so, it seemed, could the animal.
His brow furrowed with confusion. It seemed to be…admiring itself? It tilted its head from side to side, reminding him of teenage girls he’d seen posing in mirrors. It even reached up a paw to smooth its fur, watching itself all the while.
He shook his head, and glanced back up to the wall, his eyes catching on a small sign clutched in the claws of the cut-out wolf.
“You’re kinda weird, uh…Roxy.” Greg muttered. He watched for a little longer, hoping the animal would do something more interesting, but eventually he gave up and continued on his way.
The halls were lined with enclosures, but most of the animals seemed to have decided to keep their distance from him and his flashlight. He kept an eye out for a safe place to spend the night, but the few storage closets he could find were locked, and everything else was just a little too open. So he kept moving.
After about ten minutes, he came to a stop in front of yet another cardboard cut-out. What grabbed his attention with this one, though, was that it didn’t depict an animal he thought of as a typical addition to a zoo. Rather than a zebra or a tiger or something cool like that, this was, well…a chicken.
Studying the little sign it held, he learned that this was apparently an endangered sort of chicken, known for the odd pink feathers beside its beak. With nothing much better to do, he shone his flashlight inside.
It was a small enclosure, filled with little boxes that he could see the hens roosting in. They looked so warm and sleepy that the boy felt himself sway slightly on his feet, exhausted.
He perked up a little, though, when he spotted a chicken on the ground between him and the boxes, staring straight at him. It tilted its head slightly when he met its eyes, and then turned pointedly to the small container before it, ignoring him now. Clearly, whatever was in the box had been deemed more interesting than Greg.
The boy directed his flashlight into the container, expecting to find seeds or even bugs of some sort. Instead, he was very confused to see that the tiny bird was feasting on a large slice of cheese pizza.
“What?” he whispered to no one in particular.
Within seconds, the chicken had managed to devour the entire piece. Greg glanced at the other birds, almost hoping they would be as clearly baffled as he was, but they hadn’t even stirred from their nests.
The chicken gave him a look that he could only describe as smug, then clambered into its own box, settling in among its friends. Only moments later, the scene looked normal, as if he’d imagined the whole thing.
This place just kept getting weirder.
Shrugging it off, Greg did his best to focus. It was only getting later, and he really needed to find a place to hide and rest.
Deciding he’d had enough of looking at the animals for one night, the boy walked faster, thinking only of finding a safe place to stay. He was so absorbed in his search that he hardly noticed the glass walls around him darkening, the grass and small hills replaced by dark, murky water.
Finally, he spotted a small lounge area up ahead, the soft chairs and pillows seeming to call out his name. He was small enough that he felt sure he could be safe here until morning, hidden in more comfort than he’d had access to in a very long time. His head began to feel floaty as he imagined it, and his pace quickened even more, until he was practically sprinting for the room.
A dark, flickering shape looming in the corner of his eye was the only warning Greg got before something slammed into the glass beside him with a loud boom, sending him sprawling across the floor as the walls rattled. He turned to find a huge silhouette floating in the water in the enclosure before him, long, sharp teeth the only things he could clearly make out.
Though he knew logically that there was no way for the gator to get to him, it didn’t matter at all in that moment. He jumped up from the ground and began to back away, shaking uncontrollably.
He froze as the footsteps from earlier returned, coming from the direction of the lounge. The boy felt as if he might cry at the thought of losing this little safe haven, but he ran through a different hallway, a branch he hadn’t yet been to. To his relief, the water began to disappear from the tanks, morphing back into dirt and leaves.
What didn’t seem to be disappearing, however, were the footsteps. They continued to echo behind him, spurring him onward as he ran, searching desperately for a hiding place.
When he saw the little door beside a particularly large enclosure, he didn’t stop to think where it might go. Trying the handle, he found it to have been left unlocked, and he rushed through, hoping for the best.
It was suddenly much colder, and it took Greg a moment to realize that he was outside. Had he escaped, then? Was he free?
But no. He realized with a sinking feeling that that wasn’t it at all. Around him on three sides were tall fences, and on the fourth…a wall of glass.
He was in one of the enclosures.
The boy scrambled to get his bearings, spinning to survey the area.. It looked just like most of the other cages, filled mostly with plants and dirt and a small hill in the back. Built into the hill was a cave, clearly a den of some sort, but it was empty – meaning whatever animal he was now sharing this enclosure with could be anywhere.
As it turned out, he didn’t have to look very far. He whipped around at a faint sound behind him, and found himself only feet away from a large grizzly bear, who did not look very happy to meet its new roommate.
Greg didn’t dare move, though his eyes darted frantically around the area, searching for an escape. The only way out seemed to be the door he’d come through, and he couldn’t go back that way, for fear that the security guard would be on the other side, lying in wait.
Breathing a shuddering sigh of defeat, the boy turned back to the bear. Their eyes locked.
Unexpectedly, Greg felt a strange sensation come over him, an almost…familiarity as he gazed at the enormous creature. He was overwhelmed with a sense of safety. Of peace, even. He knew, instinctively, that the bear wouldn’t hurt him. He would be alright.
As if in a trance, he followed the animal when it turned, heading back to its cave carved into the hill. It sank to the ground, curling into a lump of brown fur, and beckoned with its giant head for Greg to come closer.
Against his better judgement, he obeyed, collapsing against the bear. He found himself enveloped in warm, soft fur, so comfortable that he immediately felt his eyes begin to get heavy.
“Thanks, Freddy,” he murmured, just moments before drifting off to sleep.