New Zoo (Original Series by Wallace111)

New-Zoo-Tourist Attraction

It was a rather dreary day as Elizabeth walked under the stone archways entering the New Zoo.


The clouds seemed darker than usual as if reflecting Elizabeth's mood. Elizabeth continued to walk into the Main Hallway, a sour expression on her face.


"I...I can't believe her" mumbled Elizabeth, noticing a nearby Map Stand. As if she was actually a child, she pushed it over in a tantrum. The Map Stand fell to the ground, its contents scattering across the floor as Elizabeth continued to seeth in her anger. It was only a few moments later that Elizabeth realised what she had done and began to regain her composure.


"Damn it," said Elizabeth bitterly, forcing herself to calm down. She bent down, beginning to pick up the maps that had come loose from the stand. She picked the stand back up, a not particularly difficult job despite her small stature.


Within moments, the Map Stand was back in proper order. Elizabeth quickly inspected it, thankful that her tantrum hadn't caused any lasting damage. Still, despite having an outlet for her anger, she found herself in a resentful mood.


"Why didn't she do anything?... I thought we were friends" said Elizabeth, her mind going through recent events like a roller coaster.


It had been a week since Rebecca had added the Antelope to the New Zoo. The Managers had decided to lay low as the controversy, after the initiative from the parents, had eventually died down. The subject then moved on to creating a new plan, one that would allow them to continue expanding their collection while avoiding suspicion.


A plan that Elizabeth, for the moment, had not been privy to.


"So much for us being a team," said Elizabeth, annoyance present in her voice. Despite her friendship with Charlotte, she felt bitter at how distant she was now being. Elizabeth touched her face, feeling across the left side as she winced.


"Are we even friends anymore?" wondered Elizabeth, feeling into the depth of the skin. The texture was rough as if she had been seriously burned. Elizabeth felt as if she had been branded. She turned to look towards one of the enclosures...coincidentally landing her eyes on the Panther enclosure.


Elizabeth focused further on the enclosure, noticing Jasmine within its depths. Her mind drifted off into space as she tried to distract her thoughts. In her trance, Elizabeth failed to notice the green glow that had been indirectly helping her over the last month appear once more. It flashed again, focusing on the Panther enclosure.


Jasmine, currently indifferent to her visitor, suddenly felt her mind clear. Her eyes went blank, turning her head as she took notice of Elizabeth. She moved forward, slowly walking towards Elizabeth as she sat down on her haunches.


"Oh, hello Jasmine," said Elizabeth, snapping out of her trance. She watched the Panther's expression, appearing alarmingly...human. However, in her current state, she couldn't care less.


Right now, all Elizabeth desired was some companionship.


Jasmine eyed Elizabeth, seeming to take interest in her scarring. She tilted her head, curious at the mark. It took Elizabeth a moment to realise what Jasmine was staring at as she blushed awkwardly.


"Ah...you're curious about my new mark?" asked Elizabeth, her tone somewhat disappointed. "Well, might as well get it off my chest," said Elizabeth, her body language appearing somewhat defeated.


"Well...it all started one week ago" began Elizabeth, preparing to tell the uncomfortable story for the first time since the events had occurred.


One Week Ago:


The first thing Elizabeth could remember was shouting.


Elizabeth had been laying on her bed, just staring up at the ceiling. She was wrapped up in her favourite yellow cardigan, reflecting on how snug she was feeling its warm depths. She was also thankful that she might finally be able to put the nightmare over the last few weeks that was her life behind her.


"What's going on?" thought Elizabeth, sitting up as the noise was getting louder and closer.


Before Elizabeth could react, the door to the bedroom swung open. Elizabeth took a glance as she noticed Rebecca, who seemed extremely angry. In contrast, Charlotte appeared very demure, barely in vision as she stood outside the door frame.


Elizabeth, usually not one to know fear, couldn't help but feel uneasy as she noticed the glare Rebecca was giving her. If looks could kill, Elizabeth would almost certainly be already dead.


Which, given what she knew now, might have been a preference.


"What do you have to say for yourself?" demanded Rebecca, still uncharacteristically angry.


"About what?" replied Elizabeth, her tone mixed with sarcasm. Oblivious to Elizabeth, Charlotte shook her head, clearly aware that it was the wrong thing to do.


Nevertheless, she did nothing, continuing to stand in the doorway.


Like a coward.


"Don't push me Elizabeth!" continued Rebecca, her voice firm as Elizabeth shifted back slightly. "You know what you did," said Rebecca once more, her tone growing fierce.


Elizabeth did know...and she'd had enough. She stood up, her short height atop her bed frame putting her at eye level with Rebecca. She got very close to Rebecca's face, feeling the heat coming from Rebecca. Elizabeth didn't care. She was singularly focused on giving their so-called 'leader' a piece of her mind.


"It wasn't my fault," said Elizabeth, her voice barely above a whisper. "And deep down, we both know that" finished Elizabeth. She then moved back, doing something none of them expected her to.


She spat on Rebecca's face.


"Damn it Elizabeth," thought Charlotte, fear still rooting her to the spot. She hated the cowardice she was feeling. She could sense the sheer rage that Rebecca was feeling, fearing how she would respond.


Charlotte would quickly get her answer when Rebecca lunged at Elizabeth.


Unfortunately, Elizabeth was too slow to react. Within moments, Rebecca had Elizabeth's throat gripped in her hands. Elizabeth's face betrayed her as she showed fear as she gasped for breath, trying to get herself loose.


Elizabeth's eyes widened as she noticed Rebecca once more. She seemed larger, imposing as Elizabeth's fear grew. Rebecca's smile widened sadistically as she pulled Elizabeth to her, staring directly into her eyes.


"I warned you Elizabeth...several times" started Rebecca, her voice full of fury. "Now you'll need to be punished" finished Rebecca, her hand beginning to glow blood red.


"Wait...what, Rebecca, what are you doing?!" shouted Elizabeth, beginning to feel a sudden burning sensation coming over the left side of her face. She screamed out, the pain only increasing as she caught a glimpse of Charlotte at the door frame.


"Charlotte, help me" mumbled Elizabeth, her voice small, full of fear. Despite her plea, Charlotte remained rooted to the spot, not even able to breathe. She hated herself for feeling this way, hated her fear controlling her.


Hated that she was abandoning her best friend.


As the burning began to die down, Rebecca threw Elizabeth back onto the mattress of her bed. Elizabeth, hoping to retain some form of pride, felt the need to stand up to Rebecca once more.


"Is that the best you cou.." started Elizabeth.


"Lay down," said Rebecca, her hand glowing blood-red once more.


Elizabeth was unable to finish her sentence as she felt a sudden pain coming from the left side of her face. She gripped her head, falling onto her mattress. She looked up, barely able to make out Rebecca smiling sadistically.


The burning sensation intensified as Elizabeth could feel tears forming in her eyes. Eventually, they escaped, beginning to soak her mattress. She felt as if her head was going to explode from the pain as she clutched it, having lost all semblance of composure.


Suddenly, the pain stopped as Rebecca's hand stopped glowing. Elizabeth was still trying to regain her composure as she regained awareness of her surroundings.


"Look at me Elizabeth" ordered Rebecca, annoyance growing as Elizabeth still appeared out of it. "Now!" shouted Rebecca, her tone a lot more firm this time. Elizabeth forced herself up, staring directly at Rebecca.


Rebecca took a moment, revelling in the hopelessness on Elizabeth's face. "Now Elizabeth...that was your first warning. If I discover you committing any further offences, you'll wish for what you just experienced...understood?" said Rebecca, her tone condescendingly sweet...as if she was talking to a dog.


Elizabeth, like a punished child, could only nod in understanding. Rebecca then took one last look at Elizabeth, smiling at how pathetic she looked. She took one glance at Charlotte in the door frame, noticing the fear in her eyes.


"Perfect," thought Rebecca, her smile still wide as she left the bedroom. Confident that she had now broken the pair apart, Rebecca felt her spirits being raised.


Now she'd be able to focus on her greater ambitions.


As Rebecca left, Elizabeth managed to get a glance at her door frame. She noticed Charlotte there, her eyes still fearful as Elizabeth continued to stare into them. However, Charlotte did the exact opposite of what Elizabeth had expected her to do.


She walked away.


This left Elizabeth all alone, wondering where she went wrong. Tears continued to escape her eyes as her memories began to flow back in...the memories of when she was alone.


After what felt like an eternity, Elizabeth eventually drifted off to sleep. What just happened had taken a lot of energy out of her and she just wanted to escape what she imagined was going to be a very dire future.


Back to the Present Day:


"So that's my story" concluded Elizabeth, still trying to make sense of how it had all gone wrong. She and Charlotte were supposed to be together till the end.


Yet Charlotte had decided to throw it all away.


"I guess she really was lying to me...when she promised we'd face Rebecca together" mumbled Elizabeth, her voice small. She felt incalculable despair come over her.


Jasmine looked concerned at Elizabeth. This concern only grew as she noticed what appeared to be wisps of grey energy seeming to radiate around Elizabeth. They seemed to increase, focusing around Elizabeth's joints. Jasmine's eyes widened as the wisps seemed to be stretching out.


They looked almost like...strings.


Elizabeth's head suddenly cranked up, causing her to stare at Jasmine once more. Jasmine's concern only grew as she stared further at Elizabeth's empty expression.


"Looks like you're expecting soon," said Elizabeth, her tone empty, apathetic as she turned to eye the nearby clock. As she did so, Jasmine's eyes seemed to return to normal. She looked around, confused as to where Derek was. She needed to find him, be with her mate.


After all, she desired more sex!


"Looks like it's almost time," said Elizabeth, her tone still empty. She recalled how she had been told about a planned new addition for the zoo. Something about a new intern from the local high school.


"Might as well get this over with" stated Elizabeth, her tone bitter as she knew exactly what she was going to do.


The green glow eyed Elizabeth, concerned for what was going on. It could see the grey strings as if they were controlling her movements. It pursued Elizabeth at a loss of what to do.


But it knew...that it had to do something.


That Afternoon:


Stephen looked up at the stone archways of the New Zoo, checking his application to make sure that he had the correct location.


"Looks about right," mumbled Steven, wiping the sweat off his brow. His light grey hair waved slightly in the breeze as he entered the Zoo, entering the Main Hallway.


Steven looked around, unzipping his dark blue jacket as the warm air of the Zoo was beginning to feel discomforting. He grabbed his skateboard, placing it in the folds of his backpack as he wandered deeper into the Zoo.


"Hello? Anyone here?" called out Steven, shrugging his shoulders at the lack of response. He figured he'd look around for a while. Surely someone would come and find him when they were ready.


He remembered why he was here, smiling as he was looking forward to the opportunity of working for the Zoo.


It had only been a few days but it seemed as if his entire class was interested in the opportunity. The soon to be opening New Zoo had opened its doors to volunteers. Whether they were genuinely interested or just wanting something to put on their resumes, it wasn't long before his entire class had applied.


Steven smiled as not only was he the first to be interviewed, he was also one of the ones genuinely interested in working at the New Zoo.


"This is great...I can still remember the other's reactions" thought Steven, his smile wide and genuine as he found himself outside one of the animal enclosures.


After noticing a nearby fact board, Steven realized he was outside the Cheetah enclosure.


"Great I hope I can see one," thought Steven, eagerly looking into the enclosure. He had always had an affinity for cheetahs. They were his favourite animal as he continued to eagerly look in, his eyes filled with almost childish glee.


"Oh wow," said Steven, in awe as he noticed the cheetah within. It stared at him, noticing him as it began to walk forward. It was as if it was intrigued as Steven was as he couldn't help but be captivated by it.


The cheetah growled at Steven, trying to communicate. However, Steven merely squeed at the fact that the Cheetah was this interested in him.


"Just wait till the others hear about this," said Steven, excitement present in his voice. The prospect of working here seemed better and better.


Steven continued to be captivated by the cheetah and how much attention it was giving him. It even appeared to be trying to communicate by writing in the mud.


"This is one...smart cheetah," thought Steven, feeling an odd sense within. The cheetah seemed rather lonely and Steven felt a need...to join her.


In contrast, the cheetah seemed to be getting increasingly irritated by Steven's obliviousness to his predicament. However, upon getting another glance, it seemingly began to panic.


Meanwhile, Elizabeth was not too far behind. Shuffling as if she was a zombie, she approached Steven. Steven noticed her approaching out of the corner of his eye as he turned to face her. A quick inspection caused Steven to recognise she was a member of staff.


"Hello, my name's Steven. I'm here for the volunteer position" said Steven, grabbing his application from his coat pocket. He revealed it to Elizabeth, surprised slightly when she didn't seem to give it much attention.


"Good to see you Steven...my name's Elizabeth" replied Elizabeth, introducing herself. However, her tone was rather flat, as if she'd rather be anywhere else. Steven gave her a slightly confused look.


"Perhaps she's only here for the paycheck?" thought Steven, keeping a straight face despite seeming feeling like he was more excited for the job than Elizabeth.


"Take him to the loch little one," said a voice within Elizabeth's head. Elizabeth felt powerless against the voice, too far into despair to form any meaningful resistance.


"Come with me," said Elizabeth, her tone rather dull. Steven, unsure whether she was testing him, complied with the instruction. He followed Elizabeth further down the Main Hallway, appearing to head towards the Outside Section of the Zoo.


The cheetah chirped in annoyance as it watched Steven leaving. It scratched the ground violently with its claw before heading deeper into its enclosure to sulk.


At the Loch:


It had been a long confusing walk as Steven found himself following Elizabeth towards the centre of the Outside Section of the Zoo.


The pair soon found themselves walking up a rather steep hill. Steven glanced towards Elizabeth who was managing to keep ahead of him. His confusion was only increasing as he wondered where he was being taken.


"Not much of a talker," thought Steven, his enthusiasm the only thing keeping him determined to follow.


Although, the hill looked like it would be a sweet slope if he was skateboarding.


"Here we are" stated Elizabeth, her tone unemotive as Steven looked around. His mouth widened into a smile as he looked around. He tried to suppress his glee at what he was seeing but was unable to hold it back.


"This is awesome!" shouted Steven. From his position, he could see all around the Outside Section of the Zoo. He could see the various enclosures scattered around in a circular pattern, some filled but others not. He eyed a building that had a large sign indicating it was a 'Reptile House.' He also saw what appeared to be a large Stage which he imagined the Seals and Dolphins he could hear might perform during working hours.


"If you think all this is great, you'll love our planned new addition," said Elizabeth, her voice surprisingly enthusiastic which caught Steven's attention.


"Great...what is it?" asked Steven, not taking his attention off of eyeing the enclosures surrounding the area.


"You" replied Elizabeth, her voice somewhat distorted.


Steven felt uneasy at the changing situation. However, before he could react, he felt himself be pushed over the edge. He fell, barely gripping the top of the hill as he looked upwards at Elizabeth.


"Elizabeth...help me!" called out Steven, looking down as fear replaced the excitement he had felt only moments before. Elizabeth, in response, could only look at Steven with disdain.


It was as if she was disgusted by his mere existence.


"I forgot how stubborn humans can be," said Elizabeth, digging her toes against Steven's fingers.

"Elizabeth, what are you doing?!" screamed Steven, feeling his grip loosening against Elizabeth's toes. At this rate, he knew he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.


After a few moments, Steven was proven right as he let go. He fell from the top of the hill, trying to stop himself as he hit the water. The impact hurt like hell but, unfortunately for Steven, the worst was yet to come.


It was now that Elizabeth decided to sit down on the top of the hill. Her legs dangled over the edge as she waited in anticipation for Steven to return to the surface.


As Stephen was submerged in the water, he noticed a faint green glow coming from the depths of where he was. The glow seemed to intensify, covering the entire Loch as Steven could only stare in wonder.


"What the hell is that?" thought Steven, his eyes widening. He felt an odd feeling coming over. He felt an odd feeling as the glow intensified as he desperately swam upwards, panicking in his attempt to get air.


Meanwhile, Elizabeth's smile widened as she noticed the glow across the Loch spreading all over.


"So you are awake?" mumbled Elizabeth, her smile widening to sadistic proportions. "I suppose this puppet has outlived its usefulness" continued Elizabeth, staring down at herself.


Stephen surfaced from the water as he breathed heavily, attempting to swallow large amounts of air and noticed Elizabeth just sitting there. She appeared to notice Steven had surfaced from the water as he got a glance at her sadistic smile.


"Then again...I could have some fun before I leave," said Elizabeth, lifting her hands high into the air. Her hands began to glow grey as her eyes began to darken. The Sclera began to darken, becoming pitch black as her pupils dilated, becoming devoid of colour.


The green glow that had been observing Elizabeth began to glow, as if in a panic. It began to flash wildly, trying to help her.


Trying to save its friend.


Unfortunately, Steven would find himself caught in the crossfire. He began to feel a tingling in his neck, scratching it fiercely to try and ease himself. Steven was confused, trying to work out what was happening.


"Wha..whaaaaaaa" mumbled out Steven as he felt his neck beginning to stretch. It grew out, lengthening as it shot upwards. Steven felt an immediate sense of vertigo and distortion as he looked around. He attempted to regain his bearings as he managed to get a glimpse at Elizabeth.


"What...what's happening to her?" thought Steven, eyeing Elizabeth and, despite what was happening to him, couldn't help but be concerned for her.


Elizabeth was currently glowing varying shades of grey...at least on half of her body. The other half seem vibrant and colourful, despite it being varying shades of green. She appeared to be gritting her teeth...as if she was in agonising pain. Elizabeth seemed to be indifferent, as if unaware of her situation.


It was as if she was in a trance.


However, Steven couldn't focus on her much longer. He began to feel a tingling in his arms as he tried to look down at them. However, due to his much longer neck, such a task was proving to be extremely difficult. He could only feel his arms beginning to change, fingers merging as his arms seemed to be widening. They pushed against the sleeves of his jacket, the material struggling to hold together until it eventually gave way. Steven's newfound fins splashed around aimlessly as he wondered what was going on.


"How am I staying afloat?" wondered Steven, noticing Elizabeth once more. However, this time the grey seemed to be further along as if pushing the vibrant greens out of her. It was then he noticed the green glow from the Loch seemed to be increasing. However, it also seemed to be fading in and out repeatedly. It was as if someone was turning a light on and off repeatedly.


"No! You will not have this girl. She's all mine!" shouted Elizabeth, her tone still distorted.


"She's not yours to have," said Elizabeth, the tone now sounding rather majestic as the vibrant colours appeared to push back against the shades of grey.


Steven, however, was far more focused on his legs. They seemed to be tingling as he felt them starting to change. His toes began to merge, much like his fingers into his legs. His legs, comparatively, were beginning to grow much more stumpy. They stretched out, pushing against his trousers until they eventually tore at the seams. The material sank to the bottom of the Loch as Steven's new back fins made their presence known.


"I wish someone could make sense of this for me," thought Steven, still confused as to what was going on. He felt a tingling in his throat as he found himself coughing. Elizabeth barely acknowledged his coughing as he continued, each one deeper than the last.


Once Steven was able to control himself, he faced Elizabeth. She still seemed oblivious to anything going on around as Steven tried to call out to her.


Instead, all Steven made was a roar.


"Wait...I can't speak?!" thought Steven, panic beginning to come over him as he felt a tingling around his lower back. He felt something trying to push out, forcing its way out of his rear.


Stephen cringed as the pain around his rear continued to intensify. It stretched out, longer and longer as Stephen managed to crane his neck enough to see. He soon realised he now had a long tail that swished back and forth. It splashed against the water, creating a small torrent of water that drenched Stephen's body.


"Why...why is this happening to me?" wondered Stephen, his body tingling further as he imagined more changes were coming. "Wait...the others!" thought Stephen, his mind quickly remembering how the others had also applied for the Zoo.


And how they could all be walking into a trap.


Meanwhile, Elizabeth was having problems of her own. She groaned as the shades of grey and green continued to battle within her. Something didn't feel right as her arms began to shake. Her shaking intensified as if her body was containing an earthquake. Suddenly, Elizabeth screamed as she felt something popping out of her skin.


"Wait...what's that?" questioned Elizabeth, confused why she was screaming. She managed to get a glance, noticing her bones were spiking out of her arms. Her expression widened into a smile, as if giddy at what was happening to her.


"You're...you're killing her" replied Elizabeth, the green glow surrounding Elizabeth's body dimmed for a moment. The bones protruding from her arms began to sink bank into her skin. She gritted her teeth as her arms healed from the damage she had indirectly caused.


"Your care for this girl will be your downfall" stated Elizabeth, the grey beginning to push forward, dominating the green. The green seemed to be on the backfoot, barely holding on against it.


Meanwhile, Stephen was powerless as his body began to feel very, very strange. It felt bloated, pushing against his t-shirt and the remnants of his jacket. It pushed further and further out, becoming pudgier as it swelled considerably. Eventually, his clothes could hold on anymore as they shredded off him. They quickly and swiftly sank, joining the rest at the bottom of the Loch.


It was then Stephen noticed the green glowing within the Loch intensified once more. He could feel his skin tingling as it did so, the green energy flowing through him as it seemed to be approaching Elizabeth.


"What in god's name?" thought Stephen, still confused as to what was going on.


"I control the god's boy...not the other way around," said Elizabeth, her tone distorted. She wasn't looking at him but Steven could tell that it was directed at him.


However, he was unable to focus further as the texture of his skin began to change. It was becoming thick, growing rougher as it took on a dark shade of blue similar to his jacket. It became thicker still, matching animal hide.


Stephen tried to make sense of anything that was happening. Try as he might, he was struggling to comprehend the changes to his form. The green glowing hadn't ceased, continuing to glow with increased intensity as Stephen could feel tingling reach his face.


"I guess my face is next," thought Stephen, his tone deadpan as he knew he was right.


His hair began to shed from his head. One by one, each individual purple hair continued to fall as it hit the Loch, floating aimlessly across the water. His teeth began to shift, sharpening as they pushed upwards. Stephen began to have difficulty keeping them in his mouth as thankfully, his face began to push itself out.


It stretched longer and longer, forcing itself out much longer than any natural creature. Thankfully, Stephen was no longer having difficulty keeping his teeth inside his mouth as he felt the tingling cease. It was then Stephen felt his physical changes were complete.


He looked back at Elizabeth, noticing the shades of green had begun pushing back fiercely against the shades of grey. He let out a loud roar, trying to get her attention.


The noise of the roar emanated across the entire Zoo, silencing everything and putting the attention solely on the man turned monster.


"Well, what do you know? Looks like we make such great chemistry together" said Elizabeth, smiling sadistically.


It was then the shades of grey seemed to slither out of Elizabeth. It was creepy, unnatural as they continued to separate, combusting into small pieces of smoke. One then proceeded to spin, taking the rest within its depths as the wisps combined back into one singular entity.


It was then the shades of green also faded from Elizabeth. In contrast, they seemed to condense, dripping off Elizabeth's form as they combined back into a singular entity. The green glow reformed as it seemed to eye the grey wisp, flashing as if to emphasize its anger.


"Oh c'mon...I was just having a little fun" said the Wisp, glowing menacingly.


The green glow flashed once more.


"What? Lost your tongue?" said the Wisp. It turned to Stephen, Stephen immediately felt nervous as he noticed the Wisp glowing once more.


It was then Stephen felt his mind was under attack. He blinked, trying to hold onto his human memories, trying to remember who he was. His mind flashed over everything important to him, his friends, his family, his hobbies, even that girl who played board games in the back of their classroom.


Unfortunately, it was all futile as Stephen's eyes went blank, cementing his change physically and mentally. He eyed the pair, his new instincts guiding him as he decided to swim away.


He sank into the Loch, making the depths his home.


"I suppose I should get going" started the Wisp. "But I suppose I should leave a little parting gift" finished the Wisp as it glowed once more.


Then, as if still under the Wisp's control, Elizabeth shifted forward. She began to plummet towards the depth of the Loch as the Wisp vanished from sight, laughing maniacally.


The green glow quickly focused on its friend, glowing as it held out its magic. Hopefully, this would work, it was growing to like Elizabeth.


Thankfully, the magic held up Elizabeth, keeping her above the water as she hovered back up towards the hill. The green glow eyed Elizabeth's form. She seemed so tiny and fragile in this state as the green glow flashed once more, attempting to rejuvenate her.


It eyed Elizabeth, thankful it could sense a heartbeat. Despite everything that Elizabeth had been through, she was still alive.


And under the glow's watch, nothing like this would ever happen again.


The green glow flashed, sensing energy scattered around the Zoo. It took it in, drinking eagerly as it began to rejuvenate itself after its long battle. It continued to feed, needing to grow strong.


Once it fed, the green glow flashed once more. Green energy seemed to emanate out from it, surrounding the New Zoo. It pulsated out, further and further until it coated the Zoo in a barrier of protective energy.


Once the flashing died down, the green glow eyed its friend once more. This wasn't enough anymore, it needed to be able to assist Elizabeth more directly. To accomplish that, it would need more energy...more additions to feed on.


If that wisp returned, the green glow would need all the energy it could get.


For now, however, it decided to comfort its friend. It flashed again, noticing a small smile forming on Elizabeth's face. It glowed happily as it realized it was successful in giving Elizabeth pleasant dreams.


After everything she had gone through, she definitely deserved them.


Later That Night:


John was sitting at the coffee table facing Amanda who was sitting opposite. Lauren was on the nearby sofa, having served herself and John a fresh cup of tea. In Amanda's case, she had a fresh cup of cocoa which she sipped eagerly on. She afforded a rare smile as she looked at Lauren.


"Nice Cocoa Lauren" complimented Amanda. She noticed Lauren smiling for a moment before she returned her attention to John.


"We can't go on like this" mumbled John, scratching his chin as the other eyed him.
"What do you mean?" asked Lauren, her expression confused.


"Up till now...we've merely reacted to what the New Zoo has done. We need to take further action...we need to act" replied John.


"How do you suppose we accomplish that?" asked Amanda, her expression sceptical.


"We...we need to infiltrate the Zoo. There should be some form of evidence we can use such as a videotape or photographs" said John. "The Zoo might be empty around this point...or at least looking into less obvious targets since the controversy with the school children died down" continued John, recalling how that bus driver had used the opportunity for fifteen minutes of fame.


"It means more than that" thought John, his expression indicating his lack of amusement.


"You ok John?" asked Lauren.


"Yes, just thinking about that man...Harold, I think his name was?" replied John.


"Of course...right I'm going to bed," said Lauren, stretching her arms as she prepared to vacate the living room. The sounds of her steps could be heard going up as Amanda turned to face John.


"I'll infiltrate the Zoo later this week" offered Amanda, getting up herself.


"Wait, shouldn't we consider it a little more?" said John, his unemotive front wavering for a brief moment. After everything they had currently gone through, John couldn't help but see Amanda as a daughter of sorts.


"You said it yourself...we need to take action" replied Amanda. "Besides, I'm probably the most aware of the Zoo's layout and honestly...you should pay more attention to Lauren" finished Amanda, smiling cheekily as she proceeded to flee towards the door.


"Wait? What's that supposed to mean?" said John, quickly getting up as he moved into the kitchen.


However, Amanda had already left.


John chuckled lightly before looking around. He felt a little tired himself as he decided he should get some sleep as well.


Meanwhile, Amanda was walking away from John's house as she proceeded to head towards her hideout of sorts. The giddiness she had just felt at John's had quickly faded, leaving Amanda with the uncertainty of what to do next.


"Ok, I suppose the main thing to think of now is...how do I get into the New Zoo?" thought Amanda. She shook her head, dismissing those thoughts as she realized how tired she felt. She'd think about it tomorrow.


After all, this plan needed to be perfect to save everyone who had fallen victim to the New Zoo.


But more importantly, it needed to be more than perfect to save her friends.