Categories > Original > Romance > The Zoo
Chapter 1
Enng, Enng! Came the forever annoying sound of my alarm clock. How I hated that fucking thing! You’d think that with all this knowledge and advance technology that they would make an alarm clock less annoying and loud. I was sure I told that thing to shut the fuck up but it came out a large grumble and punching the top of it to stop. Standing up, scratching the back of my head, I tried to adjust to the light that came into my bedroom. It takes about a few minutes to wake up completely, which is why I set my clock early so I am not late for work. I let out a loud yawn as I stumbled into the bathroom to take a piss and shower, enjoying the warm water hit my body as well as the smell of my body wash and shampoo. My mornings are pretty routine: pee, shower, brush my teeth, get dressed, make myself presentable, eat, and go to work. Same, basic stuff I have been doing everyday since I left college and started working in the Supernatural Zoo in New York City.
I graduated in 2019 with a degree of understanding the paranormal and supernatural so working there was the thing to do. At first I was just going to be a vet but since the super discovery my plans changed. I was always fascinated by them, people thought I was weird to even think such but I didn’t care it’s giving me money and I’m enjoying their presence. The world didn’t change all that much after The Great Fear a.k.a 2012. It was just like Y2K, people hiding in shelters, governments getting ready for the worst, same old thing, but when the ball hit nothing happened. Nothing happened the next day either, or the day after. It was pretty safe to say everything we were so wrapped up and worried about was just another over the top scare to which I knew from the beginning. Although there are some advances into technology, I have yet to see a flying car or tele-porting. I figure that’s all going to happen in about 3000, and I’ll be as good as dead then. Getting into my car after giving my hairless cat Fifi some food I drove to work. All the buildings were the same, we even finally built the new World Trade Center, granted it looked like Picasso could do it but it’s the thought that really counts. I parked at my reserved space, only to be bombarded by my co-worker but good friend Marge.
“Where were you?” she said in a panic, “We’re supposed to have a meeting remember?”
Oh shit I almost forgot! We were having a meeting about a new super that was discovered and whether it should be in the NY Zoo or the Jersey Zoo since it was found near the ferry. Marge and I ran as fast as we could, reaching into the meeting room just in time as Mr. Razo went over what needed to be done if we do get it.
“We’ll put it in an indoor preserve, that way when people see it they can just sit back,” he then took a deep breath and sighed as if he were in a spa or something. “And relax, that is if Jersey will stop being bitches and give it to us! They finally caught that devil of there’s why can’t I…we have this!” Mr. Razo has been having an ongoing battle with the New Jersey S.Zoo since I began working, trying to get the best supers. It was like seeing two kids fighting over the latest toy truck. He decided to dismiss us just in time to feed the supers; before I could leave he stopped me.
“Godiva, can I speak with you a moment?” he asked. At first I thought I was in deep shit but I was wrong by his smile. “Iva, you’ve been here for a long time.”
“Since I graduated,” I told him.
“Yes well, I’ve been thinking and…maybe now is a good time to ask if you would want to be next in line to be in charge of this place?” I stood there in shock, was he really asking me what I think he was asking?
“Well…I…um,” I stuttered but he stopped.
“Don’t think about it now, but…do give it some thought ok?” he asked me. I just simply nodded getting a big hug in return. “Wonderful! Now get to going,” he said with a bright smile. I left there being totally torn, on the one hand it was always my big plan to own a supernatural zoo on my own, but on the other hand I sort of liked the job I got. I get to see all of the creatures and spend time seeing different kinds of people. But it was like he said I didn’t really need to think about it right now, I needed to focus on my work.
“So are you going to do it?” Marge asked me as we put the body bags onto the large body plate.
“I have no clue,” I replied. “I mean it would be the ultimate reward, but I like what I got now.”
“Certainly you don’t want to be the super maid do you?” she asked me. Super maid was a small joke we zoo keepers have for ourselves here since we were the ones cleaning, feeding, pretty much doing everything for the supers.
“It gives me a chance to connect with them you know?” I asked, knowing full well that the answer was no. Marge graduated with me with a Biology degree to become a vet but the fear of animals going extinct held her back.
“All I’m saying is it’ll give you the big bucks, you might just liven the place up!” she suggested. I smiled; thanking her while we slid the body bag into certain holes then closed the doors. Marge sighed pulling her latex gloves off and throwing them away. “I really hate feeding these vampires, why can’t it be like what happened on that vampire show. You know, where they have synthetic blood and all.” I couldn’t help but giggle at her; she was fine everywhere else but hated getting even a hint of blood on her.
“Marge, you know that they would not go for it. Besides if you hate doing this so much you can just leave it to me.” I told her but I got a hell no in response.
“I’m not leaving you here, you never know when they will go rouge or something,” she said, making me giggle at her again. Marge and her imagination I will never understand. We looked at the clock seeing it was close to lunch time, Marge asked if I wanted to go with her to Starbucks but I declined. I packed my own lunch and told her I’ll meet her to tend the fairy garden. When she left I took my small bag and walked to the front of the vampire exhibit. I do that every so often, not like it would matter. I never see any vampires come out to the front; it was single handily the least favorite of the zoo. It was a rather dark room with a few benches that faced a glass front. It use to be metal bars but there was a slight problem when someone decided to be a tough ass and taunt one of them, needless to say the vampire got a good hand in the process.
I was about to take a bite of my ham and cheese sandwich when I noticed one of the vampires stepping out of the darkness. I almost dropped my sandwich at the sudden moment of contact, wonder why he decided to walk to the glass front. I stood up from the bench to step closer, getting a better view of him. He was wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt, we would give the vampires catalogs for them to choose clothing, whatever they circle we get them. He stood at least six feet tall, pale skin, and was sort of muscular; he had pitch black hair that barely brushed his shoulders with claw-like nails that looked like it could cut through anything. But the thing that struck me more than anything was his eyes; they were the sharpest blue eyes I have ever seen. We just stood there, with a glass wall between us, just staring at each other. I honestly didn’t know what to do; I could say something but what?
“Hello,” came out my mouth. Silence.
“Um, enjoyed the body today?” I asked. I figured that would spark up something, nothing. He just stared at me, like he was examining me.
“Ok, um do you mind me eating for a little while? It’s my lunch break,” I said walking back to the bench and sat down, only to see him sitting down the same time I did facing me. I slowly ate my sandwich, feeling his eyes on me. Why was he staring at me so? I finished standing up, catching him standing up the same time I did. I didn’t know why he was copying me but I decided to brush it over.
“Well um, I’m going to go and tend to the fairy garden…it was nice to finally see you,” I told him, like it meant anything. He just continued staring at me; it was fixing to creep me out. I walked out of there as quickly as I could, not bothering to look behind me.
Enng, Enng! Came the forever annoying sound of my alarm clock. How I hated that fucking thing! You’d think that with all this knowledge and advance technology that they would make an alarm clock less annoying and loud. I was sure I told that thing to shut the fuck up but it came out a large grumble and punching the top of it to stop. Standing up, scratching the back of my head, I tried to adjust to the light that came into my bedroom. It takes about a few minutes to wake up completely, which is why I set my clock early so I am not late for work. I let out a loud yawn as I stumbled into the bathroom to take a piss and shower, enjoying the warm water hit my body as well as the smell of my body wash and shampoo. My mornings are pretty routine: pee, shower, brush my teeth, get dressed, make myself presentable, eat, and go to work. Same, basic stuff I have been doing everyday since I left college and started working in the Supernatural Zoo in New York City.
I graduated in 2019 with a degree of understanding the paranormal and supernatural so working there was the thing to do. At first I was just going to be a vet but since the super discovery my plans changed. I was always fascinated by them, people thought I was weird to even think such but I didn’t care it’s giving me money and I’m enjoying their presence. The world didn’t change all that much after The Great Fear a.k.a 2012. It was just like Y2K, people hiding in shelters, governments getting ready for the worst, same old thing, but when the ball hit nothing happened. Nothing happened the next day either, or the day after. It was pretty safe to say everything we were so wrapped up and worried about was just another over the top scare to which I knew from the beginning. Although there are some advances into technology, I have yet to see a flying car or tele-porting. I figure that’s all going to happen in about 3000, and I’ll be as good as dead then. Getting into my car after giving my hairless cat Fifi some food I drove to work. All the buildings were the same, we even finally built the new World Trade Center, granted it looked like Picasso could do it but it’s the thought that really counts. I parked at my reserved space, only to be bombarded by my co-worker but good friend Marge.
“Where were you?” she said in a panic, “We’re supposed to have a meeting remember?”
Oh shit I almost forgot! We were having a meeting about a new super that was discovered and whether it should be in the NY Zoo or the Jersey Zoo since it was found near the ferry. Marge and I ran as fast as we could, reaching into the meeting room just in time as Mr. Razo went over what needed to be done if we do get it.
“We’ll put it in an indoor preserve, that way when people see it they can just sit back,” he then took a deep breath and sighed as if he were in a spa or something. “And relax, that is if Jersey will stop being bitches and give it to us! They finally caught that devil of there’s why can’t I…we have this!” Mr. Razo has been having an ongoing battle with the New Jersey S.Zoo since I began working, trying to get the best supers. It was like seeing two kids fighting over the latest toy truck. He decided to dismiss us just in time to feed the supers; before I could leave he stopped me.
“Godiva, can I speak with you a moment?” he asked. At first I thought I was in deep shit but I was wrong by his smile. “Iva, you’ve been here for a long time.”
“Since I graduated,” I told him.
“Yes well, I’ve been thinking and…maybe now is a good time to ask if you would want to be next in line to be in charge of this place?” I stood there in shock, was he really asking me what I think he was asking?
“Well…I…um,” I stuttered but he stopped.
“Don’t think about it now, but…do give it some thought ok?” he asked me. I just simply nodded getting a big hug in return. “Wonderful! Now get to going,” he said with a bright smile. I left there being totally torn, on the one hand it was always my big plan to own a supernatural zoo on my own, but on the other hand I sort of liked the job I got. I get to see all of the creatures and spend time seeing different kinds of people. But it was like he said I didn’t really need to think about it right now, I needed to focus on my work.
“So are you going to do it?” Marge asked me as we put the body bags onto the large body plate.
“I have no clue,” I replied. “I mean it would be the ultimate reward, but I like what I got now.”
“Certainly you don’t want to be the super maid do you?” she asked me. Super maid was a small joke we zoo keepers have for ourselves here since we were the ones cleaning, feeding, pretty much doing everything for the supers.
“It gives me a chance to connect with them you know?” I asked, knowing full well that the answer was no. Marge graduated with me with a Biology degree to become a vet but the fear of animals going extinct held her back.
“All I’m saying is it’ll give you the big bucks, you might just liven the place up!” she suggested. I smiled; thanking her while we slid the body bag into certain holes then closed the doors. Marge sighed pulling her latex gloves off and throwing them away. “I really hate feeding these vampires, why can’t it be like what happened on that vampire show. You know, where they have synthetic blood and all.” I couldn’t help but giggle at her; she was fine everywhere else but hated getting even a hint of blood on her.
“Marge, you know that they would not go for it. Besides if you hate doing this so much you can just leave it to me.” I told her but I got a hell no in response.
“I’m not leaving you here, you never know when they will go rouge or something,” she said, making me giggle at her again. Marge and her imagination I will never understand. We looked at the clock seeing it was close to lunch time, Marge asked if I wanted to go with her to Starbucks but I declined. I packed my own lunch and told her I’ll meet her to tend the fairy garden. When she left I took my small bag and walked to the front of the vampire exhibit. I do that every so often, not like it would matter. I never see any vampires come out to the front; it was single handily the least favorite of the zoo. It was a rather dark room with a few benches that faced a glass front. It use to be metal bars but there was a slight problem when someone decided to be a tough ass and taunt one of them, needless to say the vampire got a good hand in the process.
I was about to take a bite of my ham and cheese sandwich when I noticed one of the vampires stepping out of the darkness. I almost dropped my sandwich at the sudden moment of contact, wonder why he decided to walk to the glass front. I stood up from the bench to step closer, getting a better view of him. He was wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt, we would give the vampires catalogs for them to choose clothing, whatever they circle we get them. He stood at least six feet tall, pale skin, and was sort of muscular; he had pitch black hair that barely brushed his shoulders with claw-like nails that looked like it could cut through anything. But the thing that struck me more than anything was his eyes; they were the sharpest blue eyes I have ever seen. We just stood there, with a glass wall between us, just staring at each other. I honestly didn’t know what to do; I could say something but what?
“Hello,” came out my mouth. Silence.
“Um, enjoyed the body today?” I asked. I figured that would spark up something, nothing. He just stared at me, like he was examining me.
“Ok, um do you mind me eating for a little while? It’s my lunch break,” I said walking back to the bench and sat down, only to see him sitting down the same time I did facing me. I slowly ate my sandwich, feeling his eyes on me. Why was he staring at me so? I finished standing up, catching him standing up the same time I did. I didn’t know why he was copying me but I decided to brush it over.
“Well um, I’m going to go and tend to the fairy garden…it was nice to finally see you,” I told him, like it meant anything. He just continued staring at me; it was fixing to creep me out. I walked out of there as quickly as I could, not bothering to look behind me.
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