New Zoo (Original Series by Wallace111)

New-Zoo-Crocodile

It was the early afternoon as currently, Elizabeth was looking around the New Zoo.

She had noticed the new tiger and rabbit that her friends had recently added and she was now responsible for the new intern today. She cringed slightly as she reflected on previous events, feeling a sense of resentment towards Charlotte.

"Why did she abandon me?!" thought Elizabeth, feeling frustration bubbling within. "I thought we were a team...I guess she prefers Rebecca now?" continued Elizabeth, moving too quickly as she stopped, the pain becoming too much for her to bear.

She still felt rather strange after she transformed Steven. Despite her body being fine now, she could still feel pain where her bones had been broken and then fixed.

"Still...it could have been much worse" stated Elizabeth, glad that the only thing she had following the previous incident was some achy joints. Still, she couldn't help but feel concerned about what had happened.

"Maybe my recovery had something to do with my new friend" wondered Elizabeth hopefully as she looked around, noticing the green glow nearby. She felt reassured, knowing something was looking out for her...even if she didn't fully understand what that something was.

Between her 'friends' turning on her following the incident with the schoolchildren, it was nice to have someone support her. She felt her mark with her hand once more, cringing at the discomfort but doing so nonetheless.

"Annoying that Rebecca placed this on me" mumbled Elizabeth as she couldn't help but scratch at it slightly. She had found that the mark could be annoyingly itchy as she cringed further at the slight pain before finishing "I'm not her dog...one day she'll pay for treating me as such."

As Elizabeth thought about all the ways she could make Rebecca suffer, she gave out a small yawn. Since the incident with Steven, she hadn't slept well and it was starting to take its toll on her.

"Can't let Rebecca know about this though, she might get suspicious" mumbled Elizabeth as she hoped the new intern would be on the naive side. She really didn't want the transformation to be drawn out as some of her previous encounters had been.

"Should probably go to the Office, best to get a quick nap before they arrive" thought Elizabeth as she began to head in the direction of the Office, stumbling occasionally as she forced her way through the office doors.

The office chair within looked extremely comfortable as Elizabeth couldn't help but be drawn towards it. She settled within the chair, her small frame fitting rather snugly as she couldn't resist dozing off as she eventually fell asleep.

After what seemed like minutes but was actually hours, Elizabeth awoke, noticing that the intern would arrive soon from the nearby clock.

"Don't feel much better but it'll have to do" thought Elizabeth as she decided the best thing to do would be to show them around the Zoo and hopefully, the tour would go smoothly.

"What animal should I add?" wondered Elizabeth as her thoughts drifted back to Rebecca. Elizabeth fumed as she felt that Rebecca needed to be taken down a notch. She felt her mark once more as her mind continued to think of what to do.

"I need something strong, something fierce...like an apex predator, something to defend myself with" stated Elizabeth as she continued to think as she left the office, still in deep thought about what would be best.

"Would probably be best to make use of the Reptile House, especially since it's empty. Should probably do a sweep of the Zoo with my whistle as well, give me reinforcements" decided Elizabeth, having part of a plan as she felt ready to meet the new intern.

Later That Afternoon:
Anastasia was sceptical as she entered the 'New Zoo'. She had recently alongside people in her class applied for an intern position at the zoo despite her paranoia about the recent disappearances that had taken place. Still, she had come prepared, having made the effort to look nice for her upcoming interview.

Anastasia had tied back her snowy blond hair in a bow and had come in a small white top and shorts. She loved her hair, enjoying using various treatments on it, leaving it shiny and sparkling in the sun. She was also wearing a pair of white trainers which she had cleaned before arriving, hoping to make a good first impression. Her bag hung on her shoulder, the strap going down to her waist.

"Doesn't look immediately off," figured Anastasia as she entered the Main Hallway, looking around as she tried to find someone to speak to. She could feel a pounding in her head as she tried to ignore it, despite already knowing it was a losing battle.

"Then why do you seem so uncomfortable?" murmured a soft voice as Anastasia shook her head slightly, taking care not to wreck the effort she had put into her appearance as she felt irritation at the inner voice.

"Guess it's that time again?" deadpanned Anastasia as she opened her bag and after rifling through it, eventually found her medication. She didn't enjoy taking her medication. Every time she took it, it resulted in her hallucinating and becoming disoriented. However, the doctors her father made her visit prescribed it to her and he insisted on her taking it.

But then again, her father always considered her an embarrassment.

Something that Anastasia had long become desensitised to.

She opened the container and eyed one of the brightly coloured pills. "I was rather stupid back then," thought Anastasia, recalling how she actually enjoyed taking these pills in her youth, the bright colours entertaining her previous childish mind.

Deciding to bite the bullet, she popped one of the brightly coloured pills into her mouth. As she did, she began to feel uneasy.

"Now here comes the tricky bit" mumbled Anastasia, as she felt the world start to spin as she began to hallucinate. The colours of her surroundings began to blend together as Anastasia grabbed her head. She stumbled momentarily before falling to the floor. She found it difficult to focus as she looked down, staring into the ground.

As Anastasia continued to stare at the ground, she noticed a strange shape forming. It began to gain increasingly more detail, eventually forming what appeared to be a crocodile's maw as Anastasia fell back, feeling the voices in her head getting louder as she tried to settle down.

"Wait...what's that?" mumbled Anastasia, noticing further hallucinations as she felt powerless to move from her position on the floor. She couldn't help but feel like they were trying to tell her something.

The hallucinations eventually reach a climax, forming the large form of a Nile Crocodile as Anastasia resisted the urge to scream, past childhood trauma entering the forefront of her mind as she finally felt the hallucinations begin to settle down.

"Guess I truly am a coward father" mumbled Anastasia, her tone passive-aggressive as she blinked once more. Thankfully, the hallucinations had disappeared, as Anastasia looked around. Thankfully, there was no one around to notice her making a fool of herself.

Anastasia quickly forced herself up as she looked around, noticing she was near the panther enclosure. She turned around, glad that her shorts didn't appear too dirty as she brushed back her blond hair. She looked into the enclosure and noticed a panther walking towards her as it stared intently. Anastasia felt entranced as she observed it, glad to find something to take her mind off what had just transpired.

Anastasia didn't realise how much time had passed when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She jumped before turning around, looking down as she noticed the person who had alerted her.

She had blond hair which hung down her head in a braid as she looked up and down at Anastasia, almost as if she was examining her. Anastasia felt awkward as noticed the mark on her face, considering whether to ask about it. Ultimately, she decided better of it. It was probably a touchy subject, and Anastasia didn't want to jeopardise her chances.

"Hello, my name is Elizabeth and I'll be your interviewer today," said Elizabeth as she extended her hand, offering it to Anastasia. Anastasia shook back, hoping her awkwardness wasn't obvious. Elizabeth walked away, prompting Anastasia to follow who complied as they departed from the Main Hallway.

"Let's just get this over with," thought Elizabeth as she guided Anastasia towards the Reptile House, barely keeping her tiredness at bay.

Shortly After:
Amanda walked up to the entrance of the Zoo which to her surprise, was open. She looked up, the stone archways seemed imposing, rather intimidating as she tried to find her resolve.

While it appeared that getting into the Zoo was going to be easier than she thought, something was causing Amanda to stop in her tracks.

"It's no big deal, the door's wide open" mumbled Amanda, trying to reassure herself as she found that fear was beginning to hold her in place.

"Can I do this?" thought Amanda as she began to second guess herself, wondering if she really could do it.

She thought back to her friends like Bennett, Lucas and Jessica. She thought about how John was counting on her. So despite her fear, she gathered her courage and entered the Zoo.

She looked around, noticing that no one was around.

"Well that's fortunate," thought Amanda as she remembered her plan. She had to find some hard proof, some physical evidence of what the Managers were doing here.

She glanced around, noticing a nearby security camera...pointing directly at her.

"Damn it" cursed Amanda inwardly as she quickly moved to a hiding spot, taking a moment to catch her breath as she hoped someone else wasn't watching her on the other side.

"Wait..." realised Amanda, a revelation coming over her as she took a glance around, noticing the cameras were everywhere. Some were even pointing to the enclosures as she concluded that the footage must be being gathered somewhere.

"Now...if only I knew where to look" wondered Amanda internally. She moved deeper into the Zoo, taking care to avoid the sight of the cameras as she moved towards the Outside Section of the Zoo, hoping she would find the evidence to expose the Managers once and for all!

Elsewhere:
Meanwhile, Anastasia was currently within the Outside Section of the zoo. Anastasia looked down and in one of the enclosures noticed a polar bear but she was led away by Elizabeth before she could properly focus on it.

Meanwhile, Amanda was not too far behind. She looked down, recognising her old friend.

"Don't worry Bennett, help is on the way" assured Amanda, her determination growing as she continued to pursue the pair.

The pair in question were walking along the path leading to the Reptile House. Anastasia looked around, noticing something in the corner of her eye.

"What was that?" wondered Anastasia, looking towards where she saw but she couldn't see anything.

"What're you looking at?" asked Elizabeth, her expression curious but a small scowl was visible upon further inspection.

Amanda was panicking, having quickly moved out of sight of the pair as she held her breath. She hoped they hadn't spotted her and her body was forced to stay completely still in fear. She stayed in that position, unable to check for fear of being spotted.

"According to John's information...that manager is Elizabeth," thought Amanda, her mind calming as another thought crossed her mind. "She's the one who transformed Bennett. She needs to pay...but just not now" finished Amanda, calming her thoughts as she remembered why she was here. Her thoughts drifted to the other person with Elizabeth, clearly due to become a new addition to the Zoo if nobody intervened.

"But do I help that other person?, do I risk myself getting caught to try and save her?" wondered Amanda. "As much as it pains me to think this, gathering evidence is more important" realised Amanda. "Besides if I get the evidence, I'll be able to save everyone here" concluded Amanda, reassuring herself as she pressed on, staying close but out of sight of the pair.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Anastasia had stopped outside the Reptile House. They looked up, Anastasia marvelling at the well-designed building as Elizabeth smiled.

"Glad you approve" stated Elizabeth as she opened the door, motioning Anastasia to follow her as they went inside. Amanda noticed them enter but decided to bide her time as she waited in her current position.

As Elizabeth and Anastasia wandered through the Reptile House, Anastasia looked around, noticing that all the enclosures appeared empty. Elizabeth noticed her sceptical expression, deciding she should probably explain.

"We haven't got any reptiles moved in just yet" explained Elizabeth as Anastasia nodded in response. "However, we will be having some new additions later today" stated Elizabeth, content in her half-truth as Anastasia seemed to be at ease.

Currently, Amanda decided that she had waited long enough as she approached the Reptile House, she entered through the doors, quietly closing them so she would not attract attention.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was leading Anastasia towards one of the enclosures within the Reptile House.

Soon, the pair arrived towards a door labelled 'Crocodile' as Anastasia felt uneasy, her past trauma forcing its way to the surface.

"This is the enclosure I need you to check on. We're due a new crocodile later today and the enclosure needs to be fully prepared" stated Elizabeth, motioning towards the door as Anastasia only stood still.

"She's trying to trick you," said the voices slowly, increasing in volume and intensity as Anastasia gripped her head, the voices overwhelming her as Elizabeth looked at her in concern despite her tiredness.

"Are you ok?" said Elizabeth, her tone sincere as Anastasia nodded. Her nod was uneasy, however, causing Elizabeth to furrow her brow momentarily at the girl's stubbornness.

"Can I have a moment?" asked Anastasia as Elizabeth nodded. Anastasia took the moment to fumble around in her bag, popping another pill into her mouth as she felt an unease in her eyes, indicating that the hallucinations were about to come back.

Fortunately, she was able to keep them under control this time as she turned back to Elizabeth. She smiled, trying to reassure Elizabeth she was ok.

"Time to begin I guess," said Anastasia, handing her bag to her so it wouldn't get damaged while she did the inspection.

"I suppose," said Elizabeth as she opened the door, motioning for Anastasia to walk through. As she did so, Elizabeth quietly closed the door, locking it behind her. Anastasia didn't notice as she wandered deeper into the enclosure, her discomfort causing her to want to get this over as soon as possible.

"Silly girl" mumbled Elizabeth as she smiled triumphantly, basking in the moment as she looked forward to her new apex predator. "There's nothing she can do now...I'm sure of it" finished Elizabeth as she turned away, feeling drained and planning to get some time with her seals before returning to her new acquisition.

Amanda was currently hidden away in a corner as she saw Elizabeth leave the Reptile House.

"So, should I help her?" wondered Amanda, finding herself conflicted once more. Her mind was telling her to get the evidence, to get out of here but it still pained her nonetheless as she hung her head, disappointed at being unable to help the girl but decided to focus on her mission.

The enclosure was gorgeous as Anastasia admired the big rivers and felt the grass below. The trees hung high overhead and the atmosphere of the enclosure definitely helped create the appearance of a swamp. The temperature was perfect for the new arrival as she continued to examine the enclosure.

"As much as being here makes me uncomfortable...the enclosure actually seems rather pleasant" muttered Anastasia as she looked around before adding "For a crocodile anyway."

She felt uneasy as she wandered towards one of the big rivers and stuck her left hand into it. She intended to inspect the temperature. Make sure it was correct.

The water was warm, ideal for the crocodile to swim in. She kept her hand in the water, getting lost in the moment as she felt a tingle occur throughout her body, not knowing that the magic of the enclosure was about to seal her fate.

"This feels...oddly comforting" mumbled Anastasia, lost in the sensation as her transformation was soon to begin.

Meanwhile, Amanda was looking around the corner she was hiding. She managed to see a door at the end of the Reptile House.

It had a sign indicating 'No Unauthorised Access'.

"That seems like a good sign," thought Amanda, guessing that the camera footage might be stored in there. She took another look, noticing no one was around to catch her as she dashed for the door.

"Wait...who are you?" asked Anastasia, having heard the noise as Amanda froze. Despite every reflex telling Amanda to move, she felt rooted to the spot as she was unable to turn away.

Amanda's thoughts stopped in their tracks as she noticed the look of discomfort coming from Anastasia. Unknown to Anastasia, the murkiness of the water meant she couldn't see her left hand as it began to change. Dark green scales began to grow on the hand as her nails changed, breaking off her hand and falling into the water, fingers sharpening into claws. As it continued to change, Anastasia felt increasingly uncomfortable and finally pulled her hand out of the water.

"Wait...my hand, what's happened to my hand?" said Anastasia, staring at it in confusion as she tried to make sense of what was going on. This was definitely different to her previous hallucinations as she continued to stare in intrigue as the scales continued to spread, slowly but surely moving up her arm. This felt different, somehow.

"It's only a hallucination, it's just in my mind" mumbled Anastasia, trying to ease her panic by breathing in and out, trying to convince herself that this was only in her mind.

However, this was becoming increasingly harder to believe, especially since the girl's expression of dread indicated that she could see it too.

"You can see it too, can you? It's not just me" asked Anastasia, Amanda barely nodded as Anastasia began to feel a sensation near her rear, distracting her from her hand.

She began to feel something pushing out as her coccyx began to unfuse, pushing out. Further and further, increasing in intensity as Anastasia grit her teeth. The tail began to gain mass, pushing further and further against her shorts until it split the back of them, freeing her newfound tail which swished in satisfaction of being free from the restrictive material. It quickly grew scales that thoroughly covered the limb. The scales looked identical to the ones on her hand.

Anastasia looked back, her expression fearful as she reached back and touched the tail.

"No...no...no this can't be happening" mumbled Anastasia, her panic rising as she was on the brink of hysterics. The tail continued to swish slightly as she could no longer deny that the tail belonged to her.

"Stop it" called out Anastasia as she noticed the changes which had occurred in her left hand were now beginning to occur in her right hand. She watched as the nails popped off, the fingers becoming claws as the scales began to emerge, quickly spreading across her body and up her other arm. Soon enough, her right hand mirrored her left as the scales continued to spread up her arm. They soon spread up across her arms, seemingly planning to move inwards.

"Help me...Please!" shouted Anastasia, feeling her anger grow as Amanda stood still. Her anger soon gave way to panic as she felt the scales begin to move inwards, towards her body, threatening to envelop it as they had done for her arms.

"I guess I'll have to get myself out," thought Anastasia as she turned away, noticing the door. She stood up and tried to head for the door. Her large tail made balancing difficult but she eventually managed to get upright. She waddled towards the door, using her large tail to balance herself as the way she was used to walking was becoming increasingly difficult.

She accidentally kicked her shoes off her feet as she reached the door.

She attempted to open it, which proved to be difficult with her less dexterous claws. This proved fruitless when she found that it was locked anyway.

"Bloody hell!" shouted Anastasia as she kept trying to force open the door. Her efforts ceased momentarily as she felt a tingling in her feet. She looked down as she saw her toes become claws as scales began to likewise spread from them. She could feel a webbing form between her new claws as they began to grow longer, becoming the proper proportions for her new species.

"I can't watch this anymore," thought Amanda, the transformation becoming too much as she finally forced herself to move. Intending to reach the door she saw previously, her haste attracted Anastasia's attention as she turned to look at Amanda.

"Please help me" pleaded Anastasia, her eyes pleading with Amanda to help her.

Amanda looked around, remembering that Elizabeth could return at any moment and despite being conflicted with herself, moved towards the door, leaving Anastasia to her fate.

"Is she seriously leaving me?" thought Anastasia, her mind in a daze as she watched Amanda leave. "You...you can't leave me" begged Anastasia, losing her grip on the door as she tried to move after Amanda. She barely made a few steps before she tripped over her new feet, falling to her knees as she looked outside the enclosure once more, Amanda now being out of sight as her focus was diverted to further changes occurring across her body.

She felt her scales continue to move further inwards, thickening as they covered her body as they continued to spread. She could feel her ribs shifting, moving inwards as her torso thickened. She could feel her breasts be absorbed into her developing crocodile body as she felt a strange sensation at her rear. She could feel her cloaca internally forming for any future eggs she may have.

"Wait..eggs?" thought Anastasia, realising the full extent of what was happening to her as she felt anger come over her once more. "That girl is going to pay for abandoning me!" continued Anastasia as she felt hatred dominating her mind as her thoughts became increasingly focused on the girl who had abandoned her here.

Her hatred only rose as she could feel her hair beginning to thin out and fall to the floor of the enclosure. "All those treatments going to waste...that bitch is going to pay!" thought Anastasia as her mind became further dominated by frustration.

Meanwhile, Amanda had entered the room and had, in fact, confirmed it was the Security Room. She looked around, in a hurry due to not wanting to be caught after getting so close.

"Now if I was a videotape, where would I be?" thought Amanda as she eyed a nearby organised pile, smiling as she began to look through the pile.

She played various videos, making sure they were put back properly to not give away someone being in here.

The videos clearly showed people transforming into animals but had no hard evidence that The Managers were responsible.

"C'mon, surely there has to be one video with one of them in frame" groaned Amanda, barely suppressing her frustration as she attempted again and again, to no success.

She was about to give up until she found a tape and played it back. She smiled as she found exactly what she was looking for as it showed Rebecca of the Managers in plain sight transforming someone.

"Bingo," thought Amanda, smiling as she pocketed the tape before looking back at the cameras. To her misfortune, she could see that Elizabeth was returning.

"Not now, not when I'm so close," thought Amanda as she considered what she should do, looking around before she decided on a plan.

Amanda left the Security Room as she opted to hide, knowing Elizabeth was showing up soon.

Anastasia heard the sound of a door opening as she began to stand, using her tail for balance. With great difficulty, she was able to stand and began to slowly move towards the front of the enclosure.

"I know you're out there," said Anastasia knowingly, her voice filled with fury as she began to feel the next changes coming over her.

She could feel her joints shifting and moving to the outside of her body as it thickened, becoming truly crocodilian. She felt her bones moan as they finished shifting in posture, causing her back to crack and forcing her to the floor, she caught herself on all fours as she noticed Amanda, glaring at her as she felt nothing but hatred for the girl. She could feel the scales moving up her neck, changing it to match the rest of her reptilian form as she kept her focus on Amanda.

"Why have you abandoned me to this fate? This makes you no better than them" accused Anastasia as she felt a tingling in her face. Realising it was the last thing to change, she glared as her eyes began to shift. They lost the familiar human shape as the pupils became slits, her eyelids vanishing as she continued to eye the girl, beginning to see her as prey. She was no longer capable of tears but as she stared at Amanda, she could feel nothing but burning hatred.

Amanda, intimidated by the changing girl, moved to a new hiding spot as Anastasia continued to glare at her, not taking her eyes off Amanda, even as the last changes began to occur.

"I hate you" finished Anastasia bitterly, knowing she would soon be unable to speak any longer.

Anastasia could feel her teeth change, sharpening while becoming long and pointed. She began to feel thoughts of snapping her prey. She wished Amanda was in the enclosure with her as she felt her face stretch. It began to form a muzzle which pushed out, blocking more and more of Anastasia's central vision as her mouth stretched, becoming a crocodile's maw as the scales continued to march up, insistent on covering her face.

Her muzzle began to stretch with gusto as it pushed out, longer and longer, matching the new predator she was becoming. Her domed head began to press inwards as she felt her nostrils relocate to the end of her muzzle, enabling her to breathe while mostly submerged. Her changes were complete, Anastasia was now a Nile Crocodile.

The new crocodile had finished her changes as it looked around aimlessly. It saw someone in the corner of its eye. It felt like it recognised her and stared intently at it, remembering for some reason, only burning hatred.

Elizabeth entered the Reptile House to admire her handiwork. She looked at her new Crocodile, noticing its aggression as it moved quickly to the edge of the enclosure, bellowing loudly at her. She moved back, slightly fearful. Unknown to Elizabeth, Anastasia was trying to inform her that Amanda was hiding within.

"Well...looks like I got my apex predator" mumbled Elizabeth, still feeling rather intimidated by the new crocodile as she blew her whistle.

Anastasia calmed down somewhat as she turned to look at Elizabeth, animal instincts beginning to dominate her mind as it looked around, noticing the river that lay ahead in the enclosure. It moved towards the river before heading in, content with its warmth.

The crocodile continued to look around as it floated. She hoped they wouldn't get her a mate soon, this enclosure was her territory and she planned to keep it that way!

Elizabeth observed the crocodile, still feeling a sense of unease as she looked around. Seeing nothing, she walked away, content that her new animal should be under her control.

She still needed to catch up on sleep and decided that she would rather be alone than return to Rebecca. She decided to return to the Office for the time being. She headed to the entrance of the Reptile House, opening the door and closing it with a small 'thud.'

"That was too close," thought Amanda as she came out of her hiding place, confident that Elizabeth was gone. She looked at the crocodile once more as she felt a sense of guilt. She quickly suppressed this as she realised she needed to cover her tracks.

She returned to the Security Room, noticing that Elizabeth was not returning via one of the cameras and then opted to erase the last hour of footage. She then proceeded to disable the cameras for fifteen minutes as she made her escape.

"Time to get out of here," thought Amanda, a small smile adorned her face as she felt satisfied that she was successful. She quietly but quickly left, exiting the Zoo with her evidence in hand.

Later That Evening:
Amanda was just outside of a now-familiar door as she knocked rapidly, trying to attract the attention of the people within.

"It's good to see you again Amanda," said Lauren, opening the door as she stared at the girl for a moment. "John's just in his office...again" added Lauren, Amanda running past her as Lauren grumbled softly, annoyed that Amanda hadn't even bothered to say hello.

John looked up from his papers as Amanda returned.

"Good to see that she did it," thought John, inwardly glad that she was ok as she showed the tape to him.

"Evidence I presume?" stated John, Amanda nodding enthusiastically as they proceeded to playback the tape that Amanda had gotten.

The video was clear enough and showed a person being transformed by Rebecca. Neither of them recognised the person as she didn't look like any of the people who had been reported missing since the zoo opened.

"Who is that?" asked Amanda, confusion on her features as she turned to John for an answer.

"I don't know, let's keep watching" stated John as the pair continued to watch the video.

They continued to watch, the pair were confused as they saw the person who they had managed to identify as a girl into a cheetah.

"I don't recall there being a cheetah amongst the people I'm aware of," said John as he ejected the tape, turning it so the pair could both see the label which was stuck on it.

The label contained only the name 'Diana'.