New Zoo (Original Series by Wallace111)

New-Zoo-Rabbit

Anna walked under the stone archways of the New Zoo. She looked around, entering the Main Hallway as she looked around. A sense of intrigue came over her as she looked around.


"Looks simple enough," thought Anna, enjoying the quaintness of the Hallway as she waved back the fringe of her white hair. It was warm within the Hallway as Anna recalled the sweltering heat from outside.


She removed her white cardigan, placing it into her backpack as she began to recall what had happened.


"I still wonder what happened to Angelica," thought Anna, concern on her face as she felt worried for her friend. "She's already been through enough, especially after Brian disappeared" continued Anna, hoping to find out what had happened to her best friend.


"I know mom said not to worry but...it's just so hard not to" said Anna, recalling her best friend's concern. How she had comforted her following her brother's disappearance. Anna shook her head, having come up with the idea to infiltrate the Zoo herself.


Little did Anna realise, the perfect cover story had emerged for her to take advantage of. She shook her head, dismissing the unease she felt about how...convenient this all seemed.


"Still...applying for their intern programme was a good shout," said Anna, recalling how she had managed to convince Caitlyn to apply alongside her. Surprisingly, everyone from their class applied, clearly encouraged by the possibility of extra credit.


"I wonder how Caitlyn did. Her interview was yesterday. Hope she did well. We might even be able to work together" thought Anna, considering the possibilities before her mind regained focus on why she had applied.


"Hopefully, we'll be able to find Angelica together," thought Anna. However, Anna couldn't help but feel concerned. She had messaged Caitlyn asking how she did. However, she had yet to hear from her.


"I guess she might have been so excited that she forgot to tell me" reasoned Anna, trying to reassure herself. She shook her head slightly, deciding to ask Caitlyn about it the next time they met.


She really didn't want this to have to turn into an investigation regarding the disappearance of both her best friends.


"Might as well look around, I still have some time before my interview" said Anna as she pushed her doubts to the back of her mind. She desired to enjoy her time here, whether she saw Caitlyn or not.


She walked down the Main Hallway, taking occasional glances at the animals around her. She noticed the herd of Zebras, stopping for a brief moment as she gazed inside.


She noticed the zebra foal within appeared to be feeding from her mother's teat as Anna couldn't help but be reminded of her own mother.


"This place is rather...intriguing" thought Anna, continuing to be intrigued. She noticed the Zebra mare gazing at her, Anna feeling momentarily spooked. "I wonder what mom would think of this place...especially with the girl scouts" continued Anna, a small, bittersweet smile coming to her face.


"She's just never been the same since dad left" said Anna, taking a gaze around as she noticed the other zebras seemed to be approaching. "Still...the difference she's making to those little girls is definitely worthwhile" continued Anna, shaking her head as she began to leave.


"Even if she neglects me somewhat" admitted Anna, failing to notice the Zebras staring at her, almost intrigued as she progressed further down the Main Hallway.


As Anna walked, she dismissed the thoughts of her mother at the forefront of her mind. After all, they still loved one another deeply...even if they lacked a lot in common.


Eventually, she got to the end of the Main Hallway as she turned left. Anna soon found herself at what she could only presume was the Big Cat section. She noticed various big cats around as she moved to one in particular.


"They have a Tiger? Caitlyn would love this" thought Anna as she settled on the tiger enclosure.


Caitlyn looked outward, noticing she had a guest. She had to do a double-take upon recognising who it was.


"An...Anna?" thought Caitlyn, recognising her best friend. She felt conflicted as she wondered if she should try to warn her.


"She's still my best friend...even if she is overbearing," thought Caitlyn, quickly making up her mind as she walked forward slowly.


"What is it doing?" thought Anna, confusion mixed with excitement as she watched the tiger who, unknown to her, was her best friend.


"Anna, you need to get out of here!" roared Caitlyn. To her surprise, Anna barely flinched.


Surprisingly, Anna laughed, clearly enjoying herself as Caitlyn's expression soured. She clearly did not expect this reaction from Anna.


"Fine suit yourself" moaned Catilyn, not caring that her friend didn't understand her as she noticed someone approaching.


"Guess Anna will be joining the Zoo too?" thought Caitlyn, feeling curious about what Anna will become. "I'm sure Rebecca will inform me" finished Caitlyn as she wandered deeper into her enclosure. As she did, she began to feel...lonely.


Anna, noticing the tiger leaving, turned away, noticing someone in a zoo uniform approaching her. She noted the woman's red hair and glasses as she smiled.


"Time to make a good first impression," thought Anna as she saw the woman prepare to speak.


"I take it you are here regarding the intern position?" asked the woman as she offered a handshake as Anna returned it with vigour.


"Yes I am," said Anna with enthusiasm as she continued to shake the woman's hand. Despite her misgivings due to Angelica's disappearance, Anna wanted to work for the Zoo.


"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Charlotte," said the woman. "Do you mind if we walk while we interview?" asked Charlotte, eyeing Anna intently which Anna didn't see behind Charlotte's wide glasses.


"No" replied Anna as she allowed Charlotte to lead the way. They began to walk away from Caitlyn who sat down on her haunches, sulking to herself.


Unknown to Caitlyn, she was currently being watched. A cheetah from the opposite enclosure stared down from her tree as she stared intently at Caitlyn.


"Could she be...like me?" wondered the Cheetah as it continued to stare at Caitlyn.


Meanwhile:


Charlotte and Anna had walked into the Outside Section of the Zoo. Anna got a good look around as she noticed several enclosures were filled. The opportunity to work at the Zoo was getting more and more tempting.


"Have you seen Caitlyn anywhere?" asked Anna, curious about her friend as Charlotte turned to face her.


"Yes, she had her interview with Rebecca yesterday and got the position" replied Charlotte as she noticed Anna smiling.


"It's good to see her become more confident," thought Anna, continuing to walk with Charlotte as, unknown to her, she would be joining the Zoo in a much different capacity than expected.


At the Petting Zoo:


The pair arrived at the Petting Zoo expansion as Anna looked around, noticing the setup as she heard distant bleating.


"So, they've already begun to fill their collection?" thought Anna as she noticed Charlotte staring at her. Charlotte was glaring slightly at Anna as she returned her attention to Charlotte.


"Sorry, I was a bit distracted," admitted Anna as Charlotte's glare softened, her expression appearing to return to excitement.


"That's ok," replied Charlotte. "I just wanted to show you our new sign for the Petting Zoo. We only recently completed development for this expansion" continued Charlotte, sounding rather enthusiastic as Anna looked up, seeing the new sign.


The sign was rather flamboyant as it stood well above the expansion. From what Anna could see, it was the tallest thing within the Petting Zoo. It had a red outline with a white background with the words 'Petting Zoo' in large yellow letters.


"What do you think?" asked Charlotte, her voice still full of enthusiasm as she awaited Anna's response.


"Honestly, I feel the sign is a little tacky" admitted Anna, not realising what she had said until she noticed Charlotte's expression.


"Oh, crap," thought Anna, her mind catching up to her words as she realised what she had just said. Charlotte now was giving her an odd look as if she was offended by Anna's comment regarding the sign.


"Guess I've just jeopardised my interview," thought Anna, trying to avoid the gaze that Charlotte was now giving her.


To her surprise, Charlotte's expression changed as she smiled slightly. "Ok, if you get the job, you'll most likely be working with me here" started Charlotte as Anna looked surprised at her.


"So...I've not messed up yet?" thought Anna as she suppressed her excitement while listening to the rest of what Charlotte had to say.


"I want you to familiarise yourself with the area while I check on the other areas" finished Charlotte as she faced Anna. Anna nodded in understanding as Charlotte began to walk away.


Anna was left alone as she looked around, wondering where she should start. She heard a distant bleating once more as she looked towards its origin.


"The sheep certainly seem interested," thought Anna as she moved towards the sheep pen, noticing one of them coming towards her.


Anna held her hand out as she noticed a small lamb approaching. Clara watched the girl intently, slowly moving forward as she allowed herself to be stroked. She bleated softly at the affection, clearly enjoying it.


"Oh, she's so cute," said Anna, enjoying the moment as she heard another sheep bleating. Clara looked back at her older 'sister' feeling defiant but her new instincts forced her to comply when her 'mother' called her back.


Angelica stared at Anna, familiarity stirring up in her brain. However, she could not understand why as she bleated out at Anna.


"I guess I should look at something else," said Anna nervously as she watched. The sheep began to graze at the grass beneath them as Anna walked away, trying to put the awkward experience out of her mind.


Anna eventually found herself at another section of the Petting Zoo. She calmed herself as she looked around, noticing the nearby coop which appeared rather bare. However, one specific enclosure caught her attention.


"Is that a rabbit hutch?" mumbled Anna, smiling as she had always been fond of rabbits. She even had a pet rabbit of her own, she had named him Terry. She blushed as she recalled Terry from school, having constantly procrastinated asking him out.


She shook her head, ridding herself of her intimate thoughts as she inspected the hutch further, clearly impressed as she examined the finer details.


It was painted brown with a green roof and from sight, the paint was fresh. The wood seemed sturdy and, upon further inspection appeared to be fireproof.


"Why would it need to be fireproof?" wondered Anna, shrugging her shoulders as she dismissed the thought. "Better safe than sorry I guess?" concluded Anna as she bent down to get a better look inside the hutch.


She noticed fresh straw across the bottom as she noticed an open area attachment.


"It's a good design, gives the rabbit a lot of freedom" mumbled Anna as she stood up. She smiled, liking that the rabbits would be able to exercise outside and enjoy the fresh air.


"I hope the Zoo will stay open, especially after everything that has occurred," thought Anna as she felt mixed emotions brewing within her. Despite wanting to find out why people had disappeared, she was still looking forward to the possibility of working there.


As Anna was about to turn away from the hutch, a small green glow flashed towards the bottom of the hutch as she immediately turned back. A twinkle had shined in her eye as she felt her curiosity increase.


"Wait...what's that?" thought Anna as she leant down to see the hutch again. She placed her hand on the hutch for support as a sudden burning sensation passed through her being. She quickly moved her hand away but it was already too late.


The Zoo's magic had already claimed her.


Anna began to feel a little lightheaded as she got to her feet. She stumbled as sensations could be felt across her face.


"I feel...weird" thought Anna, not knowing how to describe her situation as the sensations focused on her ears.


Anna felt a tugging sensation in her ears. Her ears began to stretch out, becoming visible and parting her hair. In addition, white fur began to grow from them slowly. It started at the tip as it spread downwards, covering her new ears entirely as Anna felt her hearing shift slightly.


Anna reached up to feel her ears, trying to work out why they felt strange. She moved her hands up as she realised that they seemed much longer.


"My...my ears?" thought Anna, shock coming over her as she looked around. She felt more sensations coming over her face as it seemed to shift further, changing into something which seemed...oddly familiar.


She could feel her nose beginning to shrink into her face as her teeth shifted within her mouth. Unknown to Anna, they were becoming more suitable for her future herbivore diet as she could feel a shaking in her legs.


"Wait...is that?" mumbled Anna, truly at a loss for words as she felt her nose twitch. She stumbled once more, barely keeping her balance as sensations continued to spread across her body.


"I see you are getting into your new role" announced Charlotte as Anna turned to face Charlotte. The sensations she was feeling were keeping her from moving much as she began to feel rather itchy.


"What's happening to me?" begged Anna, resisting the urge to scratch as she felt something spreading across her body.


"You got the job" replied Charlotte, smirking as she noticed the fear in Anna's eyes. "Like your friend Caitlyn who now works as a Tiger, I decided you would be a good fit for a Rabbit," said Charlotte.


Anna could only stare oddly at Charlotte. Despite the itching increasing, she was finding it hard to believe that Charlotte's not crazy.


"She...she can't be right, can she?" thought Anna as she could no longer resist the urge to scratch. She scratched the itch as she looked down, noticing white fur had spread across her body.


"Wait...fur?!" said Anna, feeling a tingling in her hands. She forced herself to look at them, seeing them begin to shift.


Anna felt her hands change as they lengthened. Her fingers lost dexterity as claws grew out, replacing her nails. The fingers cramped together as she eyed her newfound paws, trying to make sense of what was happening.


"I'm truly am turning into a rabbit?" thought Anna, unsure of how to react to the situation as she began to feel a sensation in her feet. Fur spread across her face as Anna focused on her feet.


She could feel her toes change as they began to lengthen out. The toes cramped up, claws forming like her new front paws as white fur was spreading over them, covering her entire body in white fuzz.


Charlotte watched as Anna continued to change, smiling as she was looking forward to the new addition. She began to notice that Anna was starting to shrink as she approached.


"Hey, what are you doing?!" shouted Anna, glaring at Charlotte as she took her bag from her back.


"Animals...especially rabbits, don't need bags" stated Charlotte as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Besides, I might be able to find a use for it" added Charlotte as she saw the look of disdain on Anna's face.


Anna saw that Charlotte appeared to be getting bigger. However, upon further observation, she realised she was getting smaller. As Anna continued to shrink, she felt her organs change and rearrange. This caused Anna to shriek in pain as she felt her body change, Charlotte looking on with intrigue.


As she shrunk, Anna began to feel something grow from her rear and as she looked around, getting a small glimpse of a cottontail as Anna was more focused on how much bigger her clothes were.


Anna barely had time to react as her body finished compressing in on itself as her proportions changed to that of a rabbit. Following this, the only thing remaining was a pile of clothes. Upon closer inspection, the clothes had a small lump inside of them.


Anna struggled out of her clothes as she looked up at Charlotte, she tried to escape, not used to her new proportions as Charlotte grabbed her easily.


"Sorry Anna," said Charlotte, holding gently onto Anna as Anna stared pleadingly at her. "Rabbits can't be free-range here. You're too fragile" explained Charlotte.


"Please let me go" begged Anna, finding herself unable to escape Charlotte's grip as she noticed Charlotte touch the top of her head.


"Time to sleep little rabbit," said Charlotte as Anna noticed a glowing come from Charlotte's hand as it seeped into her head, causing her final changes to begin.


"Whaaa '' started Anna, feeling a tingle in her throat as her vocals began to shift. Anna's capability and understanding of speech diminished as her voice seemed to increase pitch as it began to fade away. This didn't stop Anna from crying out, although it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to remember why she was crying out.


"Shhhhh," said Charlotte, beginning to stroke Anna. Anna began to calm down and unknowingly allowed more magic to spread into her, making her more docile as Charlotte continued stroking her.


Each stroke felt like a wave attacking Anna's human mind. Her dark blue eyes began to change colour, becoming red as the pupil filled more of her eye.


"M...Mom!" shouted out Anna's mind, making one final plea before human thought was snuffed out entirely.


Anna's eyes finished shifting, the red colour covering them as her eye's darkened. Her transformation was complete as Charlotte looked down at the new rabbit. She smiled as she had to admit that Anna was adorable in her new form.


Charlotte tapped Anna on her nose before saying one thing "Sorry, it's just business." Charlotte thought for a moment before adding "Also, you insulted my sign." Upon finishing, Charlotte smiled, eager to have a new addition to the Petting Zoo.


Charlotte took Anna back to the hutch and opened it, not having to concern herself with the magic it was enchanted with as she placed Anna inside. She left Anna to get acquainted with her new surroundings and ticked another animal off her checklist as she walked away, wondering what the next addition would be.


Anna looked around, beginning to chew into some cabbage that Charlotte had left her as her new rabbit mind became dominant, sealing the human thoughts away for good.


Later That Night:


John was currently looking over his notes as Lauren came in, curious about what he was doing. She peered over, noticing John looking over his notes as she decided that John needed a break from his investigation.


"Want to see a movie tonight?" asked Lauren.


John recalled what Amanda had told him the other night. How he should spend more time with Lauren. "Yes" responded John, "Just let me message Amanda luck regarding tomorrow" added John as he went to pick up his phone.


Lauren found herself pleasantly surprised. She went upright as she left to prepare herself, having not expected John to accept her offer.


"It's good to see that Amanda is having a positive influence on him," thought Lauren as she looked around, noticing her thick coat hung up. She grabbed it, feeling she would need it tonight.


"Especially if the forecast proves to be correct," said Lauren as she put on her coat. She walked towards the door, smiling as she was looking forward to spending some time with John.


"Maybe we'll have a conversation not related to his investigation," said Lauren as a sense of frustration came over her. She suppressed it, however, not wanting to ruin the opportunity she had.


Meanwhile, John waited for his phone to dial as he hoped that Amanda was ok.


It was a big day tomorrow as he was feeling nervous for her. He was beginning to see Amanda like a daughter, and would never forgive himself if something happened.


"Hello John," said Amanda, causing John to release the breath he was holding as he sat back, slightly more at ease.


"Hello Amanda, how are you feeling?" asked John.


"I'm feeling...nervous. This plan is extreme. However, if we succeed..." replied Amanda


"We'll be much closer to saving your friends and the others," said John.


Amanda was silent for a moment, unsure as to how to respond.


"Can we pick this conversation up tomorrow?" said Amanda, feeling her anxiety coming. However, she didn't want to burden John with it, he already had enough to be thinking about.


"Ok...best of luck tomorrow," said John, sensing Amanda's unease and electing not to add to it as he hung up. He pushed his concern to the back of his mind as he knew he had to get ready.


John packed up for the evening and got his coat as he headed downstairs. He noticed Lauren was already dressed up in her coat and woolly hat as the pair approached the door.


"What took you?" asked Lauren, opening the door as the pair walked out.


"Just needed to reassure Amanda" replied John simply, taking in the cold air, immediately thankful that he was wearing his coat.


The pair walked hand in hand as Lauren suddenly went in for a kiss. John was caught off guard but didn't budge from his position as he returned the gesture.


Elsewhere, Amanda sighed as she looked over her plan once more. Her anxiety was causing her immense discomfort.


"No, I need to do this...for those people," thought Amanda, pushing her doubts out of her mind. She steeled her expression as she knew there was only one way to save them.


"The Managers won't know what hit them," said Amanda confidently as she continued to prepare herself for tomorrow.


A day which could decide everything!