Bouros

Anita is jobless, hopeless, and desperate for change. So when she sees an advertisement for a well-paying scientific experiment, she signs up, regardless of the consequences. But even the researchers at the Bouros Institute could not foresee the side effects of zoolingualism (the ability to hear animals' thoughts!)

So, with the chaos of mind-chatter wreaking havoc on Anita's already unstable life, she must navigate this new paranormal ability and figure out how to stop it-or embrace it. And since the scientists who did it to her take no responsibility, her best bet is to talk with every animal she can in hopes of discovering how it happened and, if she's lucky . . . a few other incredible insights along the way.

Set in the near future of San Francisco, this novella takes the reader on a humorous and unexpected journey. On the surface, the story is an investigation into the implications of animal telepathy, but underneath, there is another deeper reflection on the global epidemic of human loneliness that makes one wonder: why are we losing empathy as a species?