New Zoo (Original Series by Wallace111)

New-Zoo-Applicant Day

Several people wandered under the stone archways of the New Zoo. They had all recently applied for a job at the zoo. Recently they'd all got a message back from management that they were being considered for the job. They were required to come to the Zoo and demonstrate experience with animals before they would be given the role.


There were four people in total. From left to right, there were two boys and two girls. They were all friends from the same college so they had some degree of familiarity with each other.


The boy on the far right was a 16-year-old named Bennett, but people nicknamed him 'Snowy' due to his completely white hair which complemented the plain white shirt he wore alongside a pair of black jeans. His eyes were ice blue which complemented his dark blue jacket with light blue lightning-shaped stripes he was wearing over his shirt. He glanced around the Zoo, curious as to what would be expected of him.


"It will definitely be interesting to work with animals," thought Bennett as he continued to look around in amazement at the architectural design. "Although...the wording of the application seemed a little...off" wondered Bennett internally as he looked towards his friends, feeling a sense of concern come over him for a moment before it faded.


He noticed his friend by his side. She was also 16 years old and had brown hair tied up in a ponytail. She was called Marlene and she wore a purple shirt which complimented her chest, in addition, she wore a pair of black pants which she was unconcerned about getting dirty. After all, she came expecting very labour intensive work. She had previously worked at another Zoo that had mysteriously shut down.


"I wonder why the previous Zoo was shut down?" wondered Marlene as she looked around, admitting that the New Zoo at least looked very promising. "At least Samantha has managed to find another line of work. However, I haven't heard from Aaron ever since...I should probably try and message him tonight, make sure he's ok" finished Marlene as she eyed the enclosures around the Main Hallway.


"I imagine that the collection from the Old Zoo will be assimilated with this one" figured Marlene as she looked around. Her bright blue eyes shone as she noticed that the Zoo already had a few enclosures with animals within. "Still, I'm looking forward to what the job entails. I'm sure my previous work experience will give me the edge I need to be hired" thought Marlene excitedly.


Marlene looked down at her wrist as she admired her wristband. It was pristine white with purple stripes, the same shade as her shirt. She had gotten it from her grandmother and despite the work she would be doing, couldn't resist not wearing it.


"I just couldn't," thought Marlene. She resisted the feeling of grief from within as she forcefully pushed it to the back of her mind, intending to focus on impressing management today. "I can grieve on my own time" finished Marlene as she turned, noticing Bennett's expression of concern before facing one of their other friends.


The friend in question was a 17-year-old boy called Lucas, he looked around in his yellow and black jacket and took off his sunglasses. He had dirty blond hair which was obscured by a baseball cap he wore on his head. His trousers were black alongside his trainers which were mostly black and had a yellow stripe going through them.


"The place truly is spacious" thought Lucas. "Certainly bigger than where Marlene used to work" continued Lucas as he turned to face her. "She's still as beautiful as ever" mumbled Lucas to himself as he recalled how they used to date. There were many occasions where he had picked her up from the Old Zoo, currently being the only one of the group who knew how to drive, before taking her for a date. While they had broken up, they were still on amicable terms with each other.


"Wonder how she would feel about trying again," thought Lucas bittersweetly as he looked, noticing her best friend by his side as he remembered how they were all going to go and get something to eat together at the end of the day.


Marlene's best friend at the end was a 17-year-old girl. Her name was Amanda and she had light blue hair which hung down her back. She wore a blue tank top and a pair of scruffy trousers. She also wore a pair of old shoes.


"I don't understand why the boys seemed to have come unprepared" wondered Amanda as she noticed that they appeared to have just come in their regular clothes. She eyed her outfit, content that she hadn't worn her best clothes since she expected today to be messy work.


She looked over to her best friend Marlene as she winked at her. Marlene returned the gesture as the group felt prepared for anything.


The four of them walked deeper into the Main Hallway and began to observe their surroundings. Lucas eyed the panther couple as they wandered up towards him. They watched him intently, deciding on what to do.


"I always was a fan of the big cats," thought Lucas as he admired the panther couple which appeared to be basking in the attention. They eyed him intently which left Lucas a bit uneasy.


Lucas watched the Panther couple continue this for a few seconds before wandering away, bored with the spectator. He heard yowling from the female as she seemed rather eager to mate. The male appeared to shake his head as if he was tired from the ordeal.


"This is definitely strange" wondered Lucas as he continued to eye the creatures curiously. Something seemed incredibly off about them...there seemed to be something Lucas couldn't exactly put his finger on.


Meanwhile, Amanda was looking around and noticed the Zebra family. They were grazing in the enclosure as she walked closer to them, eyeing them with great interest. "They certainly seem happy together" wondered Amanda as she eyed what she guessed to be the female. The wider body caused Amanda to deduce the zebra was pregnant as she smiled. "Very, very happy together" she mumbled, chuckling in amusement as she continued to watch the Zebras.


Eventually, she looked around the Main Hallway. She noticed her other friends intently looking around enclosures. "Where's management?" wondered Amanda sceptically as she was soon distracted by a sign overhead.


"Wait...they have an Aquarium!?" said Amanda excitingly, momentarily gaining the attention of her friends who soon returned to their own devices, having gotten used to Amanda's outbursts of excitement. "Do I have time?" thought Amanda, looking to a nearby clock as she soon shook her head. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her as she left the Zebra enclosure, heading towards the Aquarium as she was eager to see what was within.


Meanwhile, Marlene was looking into another enclosure at the end of the Main Hallway. It was a pod of seals that included two males and one female. She looked at them with fascination as for some reason she didn't understand...one seemed familiar.


"What is this feeling?" wondered Marlene as she noticed one of the seals within the enclosure eying at her for a moment. It barked at her as she felt an odd feeling come over her. She felt a pushing need to join the seal as her eyes glazed over momentarily.


"Marlene?", you ok?" said Bennett, snapping Marlene out of her trance as she looked to him, noticing he was now by her side as the seal she was eying barked in frustration before diving into the pool within the enclosure.


"Sure...sure Bennett, I'm fine," said Marlene quickly as Bennett noticed her unease.


"Feeling uneasy?" asked Bennett as Marlene nodded her head, still trying to figure out what had just happened. "Me too, I just can't get the choice of wording in the application out of my head. Something just seems incredibly off about this place" finished Bennett as he eyed Marlene, awaiting a response.


As much as Marlene felt odd about what had just happened, she quickly concluded she had just become momentarily dazzled by the sight of the seals. "I'm sure you're just nervous and want to make sure the application goes well," said Marlene, trying to reassure Bennett who still seemed uneasy. "It's possible that they just didn't proofread the application before submitting it" mentioned Marlene, trying to offer an explanation.


Bennett still seemed uneasy but Marlene didn't have much time to comfort him as the pair noticed a trio approaching them. Even Lucas had turned away from the Panther enclosure as he eyed the new arrivals curiously.


They noticed that the group were all in uniform as they quickly concluded that they must be Management.


"Guess this is it," thought Marlene as she looked to the others, they both appeared equally determined although she could still sense Bennett's unease. "I just hope he can keep calm" wondered Marlene, sympathetic to her friend but knowing there was little she could do to help him now.


As the Managers walked towards the applicants, a look of momentary confusion came across their faces.


"Wasn't there supposed to be four, Charlotte?" whispered Rebecca.


"I guess the fourth just decided not to show up" responded Charlotte as she eyed Elizabeth, who seemed indifferent to the situation.


"Never mind, just means less work for us" finished Elizabeth, earning a glare from Rebecca and a facepalm from Charlotte for her efforts. She shrugged her shoulders as they continued to head over to the applicants, eager to get the show on the road.


"Greetings everyone, My name's Rebecca and I'm a manager at this Zoo" started Rebecca, offering her hand as the applicants shook it graciously. "Thank you all for coming, I'm sure this will be the start of a wonderful partnership" she smiled, the applicants unaware of the double meaning of that statement. She noticed Bennett appeared uneasy for a moment as she eyed Charlotte and Elizabeth to introduce themselves.


"My name's Charlotte and I'm in charge of animal welfare and diversity" stated Charlotte as she offered her hand to the applicants who shook it, not wanting to offend their possible future employers.


"My name's Elizabeth and I specialise in the marine animals within the Zoo," said Elizabeth, offering her hand which the applicants shook in return. They eyed the intriguing design of the whistle around her neck, curious as to its origins.


"Now that introductions have been settled" started Rebecca, eying the applicants once more before continuing "We better get started."


"Since there are three of you and three of us, each of us will be grading your performance today before offering you a permanent job at the Zoo" stated Charlotte as the applicants listened intently.


"I'll start" stated Elizabeth as she appeared to think for a moment before pointing to Bennett, as if randomly. She began to walk away, looking back to notice Bennett was standing still.


"Well come on! I don't have all day" shouted Elizabeth as Bennett, despite his unease, quickly began to follow her elsewhere within the Zoo.


Rebecca and Charlotte seemed to gaze at their fellow manager awkwardly before looking at each other and nodding as they returned their attention to the remaining pair of applicants.


"Ok, I'll take Marlene" stated Rebecca as she motioned with her hand for Marlene to follow her. Marlene complied, walking confidently with Rebecca as she hoped to make a good first impression.


"Guess that just leaves us" finished Charlotte, walking up to Lucas as the pair headed in the opposite direction of the Zoo, heading towards what Charlotte hoped would become the area for the big cats.


Currently:


Bennett looked over Elizabeth as they walked. She was shorter than him and had blond hair in contrast to his white. She also had light freckles on her face. They appeared to be walking towards the seals which made Bennett believe that he would be working with marine animals.


"Makes sense," thought Bennett, recalling that Elizabeth had stated that as her speciality when she introduced herself. However, he still couldn't shake the feeling of unease from within as he followed Elizabeth, intrigued as to where they would be going as they progressed beyond the seals.


To Bennett's amazement, he was shown a much bigger section of the zoo.


"This is the Outside Section of the Zoo" explained Elizabeth, pointing towards the structure as Bennett noticed it appeared to be several large circles, empty enclosures scattered around them as Bennett couldn't help but be intrigued despite his unease.


"The Zoo will be absolutely magnificent once all the enclosures are full," said Bennett, still amazed at the design as Elizabeth smiled, admiring the design as well.


"It certainly will" responded Elizabeth, smiling as she recalled that her best friend Charlotte was the one to come up with the design idea for the Outside Section. While it seemed impractical on paper, it looked amazing in practice.


Eventually, the pair continued to walk around before settling on an empty enclosure. Bennett looked over the handlebars as he looked down, noticing that he was on a platform for viewing the animal which would house the enclosure.


The enclosure was surrounded by water and had a small island in the middle. The island was decorated with an igloo which looked artificial as well as being covered in what appeared to be artificial snow. He could feel the cold blast of air within the enclosure as it was obvious that the enclosure was trying to emulate a polar environment.


"Elizabeth?" wondered Bennett, beginning to turn back as he continued "Why have we stopped...". He didn't have time to finish his sentence as he felt something push him into the enclosure.


Bennett didn't have time to notice what had pushed him as he fell. He hit the water within the enclosure as he began to sink into it. He quickly attempted to surface as he forced his head above the water as Bennett swam over to the island.


He felt his clothes sticking to his skin as his body temperature dropped rapidly. He moved onto the island, still freezing as the air conditioning continued to blast cold air into the enclosure.


"Elizabeth? Can you help me?" shuddered Bennett, shivering as the cold air combined with his exposure to the cold water caused him to feel off. Unknown to him, the changes were beginning and the enclosure would, within moments, be his new home.


"Now...why would I do something like that?" responded Elizabeth, eying Bennett as she watched him from the viewing platform. Her expression made Bennett's unease increase in magnitude as he sensed the sadism within her eyes. "After all...animals aren't supposed to be outside their enclosures" she stated, eliciting confusion from Bennett.


"Wha...what are you talking about?" wondered Bennett as he could feel something within, causing him to feel warm as he stared at Elizabeth, watching her smile widen as he noticed excitement come over her.


"I mean...you and your friends haven't applied to work as staff for the Zoo. You applied to be animals in the Zoo" remarked Elizabeth, giggling as she could tell from Bennett's changing expression that the changes were about to begin.


"Wait..what?" started Bennett as he felt a tingling begin to vibrate across his body. The coldness of the enclosure seemed to be becoming more manageable as he began to feel very, very strange.


Bennett felt his clothes beginning to tighten against his body as he breathed out, trying to cool himself down from the sudden heat that had overwhelmed his being. He noticed his body seemed to be becoming more bulkier as it piled with more and more muscle. His already wet clothes pressed against him, beginning to stretch as his body began to change.


"Uhn...clothes are feeling a little weird, tight even," said Bennett, noticing that Elizabeth appeared apathetic to his current predicament.


"But of course" started Elizabeth, taking a moment to relish the discomfort on Bennett's face. "Animals...especially Polar Bears, don't wear clothes!" finished Elizabeth, smiling as she noted that Bennett was now growing thin white hairs across his skin. She knew they would soon form a magnificent coat of white fur but Bennett hadn't seemed to have noticed yet.


"Wait...this isn't what I signed up for!" shouted Bennett, his eyes pleading for mercy from Elizabeth as she scoffed, ignoring his mercy as she continued to smile.


"Guess you should have read the application a little more carefully" mused Elizabeth, clearly enjoying the look of betrayal that Bennett was giving her as he found himself dazed by the sensations that were continuing to change his form.


Bennett could feel something pushing against his jeans as he felt incredibly warm as the fur only began to broaden. Bennett's skin darkened as the fur spread over it, pressing his clothes to their near limit as he glared back up at Elizabeth.


"You need to help me!" shouted Bennett, trying to stay defiant as he stood up, feeling the seams of his clothes tighten but struggling to care as he tried to intimidate Elizabeth.


This only resulted in Elizabeth breaking out into hysterics instead. "You're kidding me right?" she asked, still in fits of giggles as she looked at Bennett. "I don't need to do anything...well except remove the scraps of your clothing when you're done and get you fed of course" finished Elizabeth as she continued to giggle at Bennett's attempt at defiance.


Bennett's resistance broke as he felt his body begin to bulk up once more. His clothes finally reached their limit as they snapped, spreading across the floor of the island as he was left completely naked. Well...almost as he was now covered in very thick white fur, fit for the polar bear he was transforming into.


He felt something wagging behind him as Bennett turned enough to see. He noticed he now had a short stubby tail sticking out of his spine. This caused the realisation of what was happening to him to truly sink in as he began to panic.


"This is impossible, people don't just turn into animals!" panicked Bennett as Elizabeth continued to watch in amusement.


"Hate to break it to you but you should really stop resisting this" stated Elizabeth, still watching intently. "It'll only make it more difficult for you," said Elizabeth, Bennett surprised by her tone which seemed to hold some form of concern for him.


Bennett tried to stand up once more, his bulkier frame making it rather difficult on his still human feet. Unknown to him, his spine was also adjusting to better benefit his changing form, causing pressure to be pressed against his back while he stood.


"Ah, that hurts" thought Bennett as he noticed Elizabeth was still smirking at him. "But...I refuse to let her have the last laugh" finished Bennett as he attempted to stay upright. However, he knew this was a losing battle and from Elizabeth's expression, he knew that she was also aware of this fact.


Despite his best efforts to stay balanced, he slipped. He fell off the platform as he quickly gasped, falling into the water as he began to sink.


"He'll come back up," thought Elizabeth, confident that she would have a new addition soon.


As Bennett flailed about, trying to reach the surface, he felt a tingling in his hands and feet. He managed a glance at his hand as it began to cramp up, his fingernails snapping off, revealing sharp new claws as his fingers began to lose dexterity. They plumped up as they pushed closer together, replacing his hand with a paw. He quickly glanced at his other hand, noticing the same changes that had occurred, leaving him with a pair of paws.


The white fur which had spread across his body quickly covered his new paws as Bennett felt similar changes happening in his feet. His feet began to crunch together as his toenails snapped off, revealing new claws underneath. His toes blimped up, moving closer to each other as Bennett now had a pair of rear paws to match his front.


"I only hope my friends have managed to escape this" thought Bennett as he realised one advantage of his changed state. It was becoming easier to surface as he reluctantly swam upwards, expecting Elizabeth to further mock him.


Meanwhile:


"Well that was disappointing," thought Amanda as she exited the Aquarium. She had looked across the entire expansion and had not even found a single fish. She looked around, trying to find her friends. Panic began to set in as she noticed they were nowhere to be found.


"I wasn't gone that long" reasoned Amanda, trying to stay somewhat rational as she noticed a nearby clock. "Wait...I was in there for 20 minutes?!" panicked Amanda as she headed off in one direction.


"I hope I haven't missed my chance to join the Zoo," thought Amanda as she found a sign to the Outside Section of the Zoo. Not knowing where else to go, she headed that way, hoping to bump into somebody.


At the Polar Bear Enclosure:


Bennett had surfaced from the water and reluctantly climbed back to the island as he looked up to Elizabeth who was still watching him from the platform, clearly entertained by his ordeal.


"Take a picture...it'll last longer" snarled Bennett, unaware that new instincts were beginning to seep into his mind.


Elizabeth tilted her head in mock confusion, still smiling as she responded "You must have me confused with someone else. Rebecca's the one with the photography obsession."


Before Bennett could respond, he felt the tingling and sensations come over his face as he realised his final changes were beginning. He went cross-eyed as he noticed his nose darkening, turning black as he felt his sense of smell improving as he could smell a nearby fish. His developing instincts told him that this was a good thing but Bennett should his head, removing the fog within his mind temporarily as he felt a tingling coming from below.


He noticed a change coming from his genitals as they changed into the equivalent of the polar bear he was becoming. He felt his new equipment settle as new instincts entered his mind.


"I...need to mate" thought Bennett as he shook his head, removing the haze from his mind. However, he could feel it becoming stronger, more difficult to resist as the tingling continued over his face. Bennett looked up to Elizabeth, resigning himself to his face as he saw her smiling eagerly, looking forward to her new addition.


Currently, Amanda was wandering around the Outside Section. She saw a short woman with blond hair with a sadistic grin on her face on a viewing platform into one of the enclosures. She noticed the woman was wearing a uniform, indicating she was one of the managers at the Zoo. However, her smile put Amanda off, making her feel uneasy as she wondered how she should approach her.


"What is she looking at?" thought Amanda as she carefully snuck around, feeling that something wasn't quite right as she looked into the enclosure. What she saw caused her eyes to widen with surprise and fear. The creature within appeared to be a polar bear but she could notice elements of her friend Bennett as she got out her phone.


"This is impossible," thought Amanda, feeling her world crashing down on her as she took a photograph of Bennett who was nearly complete with his changes. "We were supposed to help the animals of the Zoo, not become them" she continued, barely resisting the urge to panic as she noticed Elizabeth, concluding that she was somehow responsible. She slowly snuck away from the enclosure, Elizabeth fortunately too focused on Bennett to notice her leaving as she heard for the front gates they had entered that morning. She took one last look back before leaving the Zoo, upset for the others but decided to save herself.


Meanwhile, Bennett felt his final changes wash over him as his face began to stretch out as it became a muzzle. He felt his teeth sharpen as they adjusted to a diet for fish. He saw his muzzle and touched it with his paws, intrigued as he felt something tingling in his vocal.


"I...waaarrrraargh!" he tried to speak, but his voice shifted, transitioning into a roar as he realised his capability for human speech was now gone. Elizabeth continued to smile, looking forward to her new addition as she brought his whistle to her lips. She waited a moment as Bennett's transformation completed itself, looking forward to his futile resistance.


Bennett looked around, he was now physically a complete polar bear. He felt his mind becoming simpler, he attempted to resist the thoughts as he shook his head, his eyes darkening indicating it was a losing battle. He soon heard a whistle tooting within his changed ears as he felt his eyes darken over completely, cementing his change.


The new polar bear roared, signalling that he was now a complete polar bear. He could hear calls from the other animals, seemingly welcoming him to the zoo.


Elizabeth walked back down and observed her new animal. He looked up to her, seemingly dopey as she smiled. "Perfect," thought Elizabeth, happy that Bennett was now under her complete control. Elizabeth threw Bennett a fish which he wolfed down as she smiled, she looked forward to the fun she would have with her new playmate.


Elsewhere:


Charlotte was walking with Lucas within the Main Hallway. Lucas noticed Charlotte holding up a checklist of some kind but he couldn't see what it was for.


"What's the checklist for?" asked Lucas, trying to engage in conversation as Charlotte turned back to face him. He noticed her glasses that covered her face and her red hair which was fairly short.


"The checklist is to keep track of every animal within the Zoo" explained Charlotte bluntly, continuing to glance at it as Lucas felt rather awkward.


"Ok, I feel we should add a few more big cats to the Zoo," thought Charlotte as she continued to guide Lucas past the panthers as they turned a corner. There were many empty enclosures as Lucas looked around, curious as to why they had come here.


As Lucas looked around, he noticed that one of the nearby enclosures had a cheetah occupying it. His attention was momentarily sidetracked by the cheetah as he walked up to the enclosure. He noticed the cheetah seemed to have a concerned expression on its face.


"What is it with the big cats being weird today?" wondered Lucas as he felt his suspicion growing. Before he could think further on this matter, however, he felt something nudge his side.


He turned, noticing Charlotte was looking at him. "Going, to be honest...you're not making the best first impression," said Charlotte bluntly as Lucas felt a little uneasy.


"Sorry...what do you want me to do?" asked Lucas, his expression apologetic as Charlotte nodded, accepting his apology as they quickly turned away from the cheetah. Lucas refocused his attention on Charlotte as the cheetah appeared disappointed.


"While I would like to make him a cheetah...Rebecca said the cheetah was off-limits" thought Charlotte, glancing around the other enclosures as she considered an alternative. She eventually settled on the leopard enclosure as she smiled. She motioned for Lucas to follow her as they arrived at the leopard enclosure.


Lucas glanced into the enclosure, noticing that it appeared empty as he turned back to Charlotte, confused.


"It's empty" mumbled Lucas as Charlotte resisted the urge to sigh in frustration.


"Of course it's empty. I need you to go inside the enclosure to make sure it's ready for the leopard's arrival" responded Charlotte as she guided Lucas to the back door to enter the enclosure.


"Yeah sure...I can do that" replied Lucas as he arrived at the back door of the enclosure.


"I would hope so" deadpanned Charlotte as she opened the door to the enclosure before continuing "It is only what we're considering hiring you for" as Lucas walked through the door. Charlotte closed it behind him as unknown to Lucas, the door locked itself behind him.


Lucas wandered throughout the enclosure. It was like a jungle, similar to the one he saw earlier with the Panthers. He noticed the nearby trees, the rocks for relaxing and the large body of water for the leopard to drink or bathe from. He walked around, marvelling at its beauty. He continued to admire the enclosure until he felt something cramp up in his feet.


"Ah, my feet are feeling suddenly cramped" mumbled Lucas as he stopped and looked down at his shoes. "This doesn't make any sense, I only bought these shoes a few weeks ago" reasoned Lucas as he felt the cramping worsen as he attempted to try and remove his shoes.




Before he could, he saw the material begin to rip and to Luca's shock, he saw a pair of paws with claws. Lucas stood in shock and baulked. He felt the paws and confirmed that they were indeed his.


"I have paws, why have my feet changed into paws?!" panicked Lucas as he looked around in a blind panic.


"Shouldn't it be obvious?" replied Charlotte as Lucas looked to the outside of the enclosure, noticing that she was watching him. His vision felt slightly disoriented as his irises had become bigger to cover nearly his entire eye. They had also changed to a golden colour as he continued to stare at Charlotte.


"This is the job you signed up for" explained Charlotte, indifferent to Luca's glare at her. "You're joining the Zoo like the rest of your friends. I'm sure that your new position as a leopard will be beneficial to your future here" continued Charlotte.


"Not if I get out of here!" shouted Lucas in defiance, noticing the door he had walked through as he intended to escape.


"I'd like to see you try" challenged Charlotte as she watched curiously, already knowing Lucas would fail.


Lucas tried to walk, finding it difficult on his new paws as he fell to the ground. His back and spine adjusted, locking him onto all fours as he tried to stand back up. In his confusion, he kicked off his trousers, revealing his bottom half.


Fortunately, Lucas felt a slight tingle as he noticed that lush yellow fur was beginning to spread across his lower body, preserving his modesty as he glared at Charlotte, who appeared to be watching his changes with great interest.


He didn't have much time to say anything as he felt very warm in his upper body. He looked down, noticing the fur had spread upwards, causing his shirt and jacket to feel increasingly uncomfortable as eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. He reluctantly sat upon his haunches, using his still human hands to remove his jacket and shirt, leaving them discarded on the floor of the enclosure.


"Are you happy now?" asked Lucas, his anger clearly visible as he glared at Charlotte.


"Of course, I always look forward to a new addition to the Zoo, especially one as beautiful as yourself" replied Charlotte.


"Don't patronise me!" shouted Lucas as Charlotte only smiled once more.


"So much rage, maybe I should look to getting you a mate?" wondered Charlotte, making a note on her checklist as she glanced back towards Lucas, noticing the expression of discomfort on his face as he seemed focused on his rear.


He felt something stretch from his spine. He felt his new tail as it grew longer and longer and longer until it reached its full length. He felt his tail tingle and it tickled slightly as new fur grew from it, matching the rest of his body as Lucas couldn't help but chuckle.


"See? you're enjoying it," said Charlotte sarcastically as she ignored Luca's glare. "Your fur coat is gorgeous, however" she continued, the sarcasm changing to complete sincerity as Lucas finally took notice of the lush fur coat he had been growing.


It truly was magnificent. The yellow fur was comfortable and the black spots scattered around his coat complimented the yellow perfectly. Lucas looked at himself and began to feel confident. Unknown to him, new instincts were beginning to enter his mind as Lucas felt his self-confidence strengthening.


"She does have a point," thought Lucas, admiring his fur coat as he felt the tingling move to his hands. He felt them begin to cramp up as he felt his new claws emerge as his hands lost dexterity, becoming paws just like his feet. He felt something change in his head as he placed them curiously on the ground. The position felt more natural for some reason as Lucas found it relatively easy to walk on all fours for the first time.


As he continued to walk on all fours, he felt his genitals change as they became covered in fur, heading into a sheath before moving back and settling under his tail.


"You're coming along magnificently" exclaimed Charlotte as Lucas stared at her, a sense of pride filling him for some reason. "I'll have to organise getting you a mate at some point" she stated, continuing to watch the changes curiously.


"Yeah...that would be nice" mumbled Lucas, realising what his thoughts had just drifted to as he realised that new instincts were beginning to enter his brain. He tried to shake his head of the intrusive thoughts but this only caused them to increase.


"Wait, I'm changing mentally?" thought Lucas, panic beginning to form which dissipated very soon. He could feel his thoughts slowing as he looked down at himself.


From the neck down, Lucas was a complete leopard. He could feel a tingling forming around his face as, with what little human intellect he still had, knew that would be changing soon.


"Well, it could be worse I suppose" was Lucas's final thought as he felt the changes beginning to affect his head. His eyes shifted slightly as his human intellect faded from his mind.


He felt his neck lengthen out, becoming the proper curvature for a leopard as his fur spread over his neck and face. He felt his ears change as they became a circular shape and migrated to the top of his head. His teeth sharpened, becoming more suited to his new species as he felt them with his tongue that was quickly changing to match, becoming fit for cleaning himself if required. He finally felt his face press out into a muzzle as any reluctance burned from Lucas mind, being replaced with feral enthusiasm.


Lucas was now a complete leopard and looked around his territory. He noticed Charlotte heading up towards him. She got out her checklist and ticked off the leopard.


Lucas quickly grew bored of Charlotte as he continued to look around. He dug his claws into a nearby tree, marking the territory as his own. As Lucas wandered around, he began to feel a need. He desired a mate and began to look forward to when the Zoo would provide him with one.


"I know that look," said Charlotte as she saw the new leopard relax on a nearby rock. "Don't worry Lucas, I'll get you a mate soon" finished Charlotte as she began to walk away, wondering how her friends were doing.


Once she had left, the new leopard looked across the enclosures and noticed the cheetah in an enclosure on the other side.


She looked quizzically at him, wondering if she could understand him. The new leopard dismissed the cheetah to her disappointment, heading deeper into his enclosure and out of view of the cheetah.


Finally:


Rebecca was leading Marlene around another set of enclosures within the Main Hallway. Marlene looked around as she observed that most of the nearby enclosures were empty.


"Why are the enclosures empty?" enquired Marlene, looking at Rebecca as she elaborated "I thought that..."


"I'll answer your questions later" replied Rebecca as she stopped outside an enclosure, Marlene looking up as she looked at Rebecca. "For now...let's focus on the task at hand" stated Rebecca as Marlene nodded, happy with the answer she had received.


"Now...we're receiving a kangaroo later today and I want you to demonstrate your skills with handling the kangaroo later on" explained Rebecca as Marlene nodded, confident due to her previous experience with marsupials from the Old Zoo. "But for now, I want you to go and prepare the enclosure for its arrival, make sure everything is in place" finished Rebecca as Marlene nodded once more in acceptance.


"Follow me," said Rebecca as Marlene complied, following Rebecca to the door to enter the enclosure. Rebecca opened the door as Marlene walked through. The door was then closed, an audible 'lock' was heard as Marlene decided to investigate the enclosure, reasoning that Rebecca would be back soon.


Marlene looked around the enclosure. It resembled a desert region and looked like an appropriate habitat for the kangaroo. As Marlene looked around, noticing rocks and various plants near the back as well as a multi-branch item for stimulation that was in the enclosure.


"Looks ok" mumbled Marlen to herself as she eyed the enclosure. "Lots to keep the kangaroo stimulated and entertained" she continued as she felt an uneasy sensation come over her. She felt an uncomfortable itch which started at her arm.


Marlene scratched the itch, trying to relieve it. However, this only seemed to cause the itch to spread across her body, making her feel more uncomfortable.


"What's going on?" wondered Marlene as she felt pressure at the base of her pants. It quickly intensified as it felt like her pants were about to burst.


She felt something push out of her as her pants finally gave way. She felt her legs being forced into a squat as her anus relocated. She barely had time to comprehend before she felt a large tail escape from her rear. The size of it almost made her lose balance but she was able to stay on her feet. She looked at the tail in shock as she realised what was happening.


"Wait...I'm becoming the kangaroo!" screamed Marlene, panic settling in her mind as she recalled what Bennett had been mentioning to her.


"Of course" responded Rebecca as Marlene noticed she had a camera out, snapping pictures as Marlene was slightly disorientated by the flash. "I figured your friend would be an issue but it appears that Elizabeth has dealt with him" she explained as Marlene could only gasp in shock.


"What have you done to Bennett?!" demanded Marlene, feeling her new tail moving slightly. She remembered from a documentary that kangaroos used their tail to help keep balance and were under the impression that her tail was doing that instinctively. This didn't stop it from being off-putting, however.


"I have 'directly' done anything," responded Rebecca, smiling at Marlene's expense as she looked forward to the next wave of changes to come over the girl. "My companions have dealt with your friends and now it's my job to finish you off" finished Rebecca as she adjusted her camcorder slightly, wanting to fully capture Marlene's changes.


Marlene felt her feet beginning to stretch as the next set of changes came over her. Her shoes were destroyed as she looked down to her feet, noticing that they now resembled kangaroo paws. It felt difficult to balance as she sensed a growth occurring on her stomach.


She looked down as she felt her breasts withering away. She could feel smaller growths occurring within what she now recognised as her pouch. She eyed it with intrigue as she opened it curiously, noticing her new teats within her pouch for any future joeys she might have.


"You're coming along nicely," said Rebecca as she was watching Marlene with great interest.


"Why are you doing this?!" screamed Marlene, tears in her eyes as she began to bawl, realising that she was becoming a kangaroo and would likely remain one for the foreseeable future. She wanted to have kids one day, but not like this!.


"Oh c'mon, have some dignity" groaned Rebecca irritably as she continued to watch the changing kangaroo.


"You can't do this!" shouted Marlene in defiance, "How many lives have you destroyed to achieve this?"


This actually gave Rebecca pause for a moment as Marlene felt uneasy. After what felt like an eternity, Rebecca finally responded "I almost ignored my dream once...I won't do so again."


Marlene knew there was no convincing Rebecca at this point as she felt a tingling in her head. She looked around as she saw her hair fall out and hit the floor. As her hair left her head, she began to feel brown fur beginning to emerge from where her hair was.


She felt the fur begin to spread across her body, making her uncomfortable. She watched as the small hairs pricked everywhere and anywhere, covering her entire body. She began to feel warmer as the fur finished spreading, causing the soon to be kangaroo discomfort.


"We should have listened to you Bennett," thought Marlene internally, feeling her thoughts beginning to simplify as she felt new animal instincts begin to make themselves known to her.


"No...I can't have it end like this" continued Marlene as she tried to pull at the fur but found that it was stuck tight to her skin. As she continued to pull, she felt her arms shorten and all her muscles shift until she had the body musculature of a kangaroo. She was finding it was easier to keep her balance as her new oversized feet were definitely better adapted for her changing body.


"Wait...why am I resisting?" thought Marlene as she looked around, her enclosure feeling very welcoming. She realised what was happening as she shook her head, trying to hold onto her human clarity as she tried to resist the changes.


She continued to pull in defiance as her ears stretched and moved to the size of her head, seemingly encouraged by her attempts to resist. She finally felt her face stretch out into a muzzle and her nose turned black. She felt the instincts become increasingly dominant as her tugging of her fur ceased.


"Wait...Amanda wasn't with us" realised Marlene as her eyes began to darken, animal instincts taking over as she thought "I only hope she managed to get away, she might be able to save us."


Marlene's mind submitted fully to her new animal instincts as her eyes darkened completely. Rebecca smiled as she admired her new acquisition, having recorded the entire transformation for her future entertainment.


Where Marlene stood was now a female kangaroo. She clicked with her new vocals and hopped over to the rock in the enclosure and laid on it, taking in some sunlight. She looked down, noticing the wristband that her former human self was wearing was still attached to her arm. For some reason, the band felt comforting as she left it alone.


Rebecca noticed Elizabeth and Charlotte moving towards her. She smiled as she noticed the looks on their faces indicated that they had been successful with their applicants.


"I suppose congratulations are in order," said Rebecca as she faced Elizabeth and Charlotte. "The pair of you genuinely impressed me today. You might even have a future working here" finished Rebecca as the pair looked at her confused for a moment.


"Don't we..." started Elizabeth.


"Don't ask" finished Charlotte, motioning to her friend that now was probably not the best time to have this discussion.


"Still...I'm confused that the fourth applicant didn't show up" wondered Elizabeth as the others also showed visible confusion. "Did we simply miss them?" asked Elizabeth as the managers became momentarily worried.


"No...of course not" reasoned Rebecca uneasily as the group dismissed the thought. None of them could recall seeing another applicant so they figured they had simply not shown up.


Later that Night:


Amanda was currently wandering over to John's house. She had been reading his articles in the paper about the missing people and the Zoo, she had initially dismissed his conclusions as a hoax. That changed with what she had witnessed today.


"Well this is going to be embarrassing," thought Amanda as she approached the front door of where she knew John lived.


She knocked on the door and waited as a woman answered it.


"Hello?" asked the woman, looking down at Amanda, noticing her expression of confusion.


"Sorry, I must have the wrong house. I was looking for someone called John" said Amanda sheepishly as she turned to leave.


"Wait, sorry John does live here. I'm his girlfriend Lauren" replied Lauren as she opened the door further, inviting Amanda into the living room as she left for a moment.


"John, there's someone to see you!" called out Lauren as Amanda heard rummaging come from upstairs. Soon, John appeared within the living room. He looked at Amanda curiously as she felt awkward under his gaze.


"What brings you here?" asked John patiently, awaiting a response from Amanda as he tried to put her at ease.


Amanda considered how to put what she had witnessed into words. She couldn't resist laughing slightly at the absurdity before finally managing to choke out "You were right, the New Zoo opening...they're turning people into animals."


John's eyes widened as he got up, closing the door and shutting the blinds as Lauren had a small expression of frustration which she quickly dismissed.


"I need your help...I'm scared they're going to come after me. But I want to help my friends" worried Amanda as John considered what she had said. Recalling the disappearance of his friends Patricia and Tyler cemented his decision as he faced Amanda once more.


"I'll help you but...we need to be steady. There's clearly much more going on" explained John as Amanda nodded. The pair soon left the living room as Amanda was taken upstairs.


John showed Amanda his notes as she took pictures of them on her phone. She would need the notes to help her own investigation as she looked over the notes.


"Could I stay here tonight?" asked Amanda, still feeling uneasy from the ordeal she had experienced today as John considered her request.


"Of course" stated Lauren, interrupting John's train of thought as she explained, "I'll make a spare bed." Lauren headed upstairs to do exactly that as Amanda and John continued to converse about their investigation into the Zoo.


She would bring the Zoo down if it was the last thing she'd do!.