Fighting For Them ☑️

New Kid

They had me doing everything. For weeks I was constantly running around from tent to tent as someone called for me. They had me fixing costumes, equipment, and cleaning out empty cages. I even went and got food or coffee for them like some intern. The only time I was ever near the animals was when they had me feeding them.

I took those moment when I could get them. It was the only time I could speak with them and try to come up with a plan of getting them free.

Multiple times I would talk with Ryuu or the lion brothers on what to do. They seemed to get the most respect from the others. We came up with different scenarios but none so far that I liked. They were risky and I couldn't have someone thinking that these animals needed to be put down afterwards. All I knew was that I had to  try to get evidence about the maltreatment of the animals. Then animal control could take of it but sneaking in a camera was difficult.

The other animals had heard what I was trying to do and helped me when they could. Most of the time they told me when the others were around so I didn't get caught snapping pictures or sneaking towards the animal tent. Other times they kept my spirits up and made my harder days better. I always made sure they all got extra food or grooming when I could manage it.

The cubs were the ones that helped me the most. With out their mother they depended on me for a lot more. Many times I cut me sessions short with Ryuu, Amra, and Kamau so I could comfort the cubs. Even though I never wanted to replace their mother, they were still babies and needed me. I had to break up fights, groom them, feed them, teach them what was wrong and right and most of all give them love. They kept me busy and always put a smile on my face no matter how hard my day was.

Still I barely got much time to see them. The show people kept running me to the ground. I worked from six in the morning to three in the afternoon unless there was a performance, then I'd stay longer.

Though not all the people were bad. Most were kind to me when I showed up the next day I was hired. They were happy for the extra hands and loved when I brought them food, some of which I had my mom help me make for them so it wasn't always take out.

There were those who didn't like me there. I was the new kid on the block and I had come in out of nowhere taking their jobs. Antonio was one such person. He glared at me all the time after my little stunt. He thought I was going to take his job. I hardly saw the animals so I didn't know how I'd do that. I didn't know why he was so grouchy.

Of course he was right in a sense to worry, just not the way he was thinking. I was definitely planning to get him and all the others who had been abusing the animals out without a job, I just wasn't planning taking their spot light. They could keep it while they had it.

After a few weeks in, when I was settled and had the hang of my daily chores, they finally needed me.

I had left early in the afternoon to go to the doctors. They had finally told me I could take off the bandages on my neck. I didn't have much of a problem with the scarring, I had got them in the line of duty, but I was worried about what the show people would think. They knew me as the girl who got hurt and ruined their show. They knew the injury I had sustained and while I managed to hide it the weather was getting warmer and the long heavy clothes were getting to be too much.

Still I quickly thought of a story to tell of the burn I got when I was younger. They had healed really well making them look like old wounds. If any one was to ask it was from a fire when I was younger.

The appointment hadn't taken too long so I was back before two. Since there was a performance later in the evening I still had plenty of time to get some work done. I thought I would be doing all the normal things when I got back. Not a single thought crossed my mind on what could be waiting for me after a half day of not working.

I was naive to think all would be fine.

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"All great changes are preceded by Chaos"

------------------- Deepak Chopra