Petting Zoo

The squeaky third wheel of the cart screeched in the packed grocery store, pulling the cart hard to the right before Emi pulled it back to the left. She eyed a parked cart sitting beside a display stand of mixed vegetables. It looked newer and she was sure she could move the contents to her cart before the old, bent-backed gray haired woman browsing nearby noticed.

"Any fruits?" Janelle asked, tapping a long nail against reddened lips as she turned around the area.

"What pairs well with wine?" Emi replied, sighing regretfully as they moved past the beautiful cart and its probably well-oiled wheels. "And what doesn't taste disgusting coming back up in the middle of the night?"

"Girl, how much wine are you planning to drink?" Janelle asked, cocking a slim eyebrow while looking down at her friend. "You're turning twenty-seven, not forty."

"A bottle for every year," she told her, tugging the cart back in line. "I'm single and nearing thirty. My mom keeps tagging me in posts of her friends and their brand new grandbabies. She's all like 'Oh, Emiiii, isn't this a cute baby?!' and 'Emiiiii didn't you just have your period? Aren't you ovulating? Look, Jack from your 3rd grade class just changed his status to single. I gave him your number!'"

"Come on," Janelle laughed softly.

"She did," Emi groaned, leaning forward to lay her forehead down on the handle of the cart. "Jack called me last night. He's got a kid already and he's shaped like a Matryoshka doll with less hair. The outside one. The big one. And he brays like a donkey when he laughs."

"Jesus," her friend said, shaking her head.

"I mean, yeah, it's been a bit and I could use some attention," Emi conceded. "But, Jack? Jack from 3rd grade? He used to eat mud on dares."

"What about Caleb?"

"Caleb from the club last week or Caleb that works at Starbucks?" Emi asked, turning her head to look up at her friend from the side.

"The club," came the reply.

"Dating someone else," she answered.

"But-"

"No, yeah," she sighed. "I gave him my number and he called me and flirted and set up a date. I shaved, got all ready and then looked him up."

"Why?" her friend asked.

"Why what?" Emi said.

"Why the hell would you do that?" Janelle replied.

"Because he's already dating someone else," Emi said, rolling her eyes.

"No, that's what you

found

," her friend told her. "Why would you look him up?"

"Because he's dating someone else!" she said, throwing her hands up and then grabbing the cart again when it tried to bolt. "They all are! They're all, 'Awww, Emi, you're sooo cute and small. I could just pick you up and carry you!' and then I see the ring or their kids' names as a tattoo or, whatever. I'm old, Janelle. Shriveled up. That reminds me, maybe grab some dried apricots?"

"You just need to get out more," the girl said, shaking her head. "And stop creepin' on everyone. Just relax and enjoy yourself once in a while."

"That sounds like I need even more wine," Emi groaned. "Can you grab a box of the crackers over there? Top shelf on the left? The high fiber ones because I'm

old

and basically dead and far too short to reach it myself."

Rather than answer, her friend reached up to grab a box of Ritz crackers. She placed it next to a block of asiago cheese on the crowded cart.

"Four bottles are more than enough," Janelle said. "Let's go check out. I have a surprise before we go to your apartment. Something to offset all the whining you'll be doing later about your bad taste in men."

"I

said

we'd go dancing tomorrow," Emi pouted, pushing the cart to the front of the store. "Anyways, what surprise?"

"You'll see," the other girl smiled.

---

"No. Way," Emi said, leaning forward in her car seat with a gigantic smile on her face.

The building before the car was unremarkable by itself. It loomed in the middle of a gigantic parking lot and the faded K-Mart logo was still recognizable across the facade. Workers milled about and a few cars tentatively drove into the parking lot to see what was happening to the old, abandoned store.

A homemade wooden signed proclaimed, simply: "Lady Lilith's Exotic Petting Zoo"

"No way!" Emi said again, lightly punching Janelle's arm. "Do they have pigs? Little pigs? The little ones that fit in a cup? Janelle. Janelle. Can I

buy

one of the pigs? Oh my god."

Janelle laughed as she navigated over cracks and chunks of asphalt until she reached the front of the lot.

"They aren't open yet," Janelle told her as she pulled into a space marked by faded paint. "But I called and they said they were allowing some people a special preview. I told them about the state fair we went to last year and how you spent the entire day in the barn area playing with sheep and pigs and, well, here we are."

"You are the absolute best friend," Emi sighed. She tapped her fingers on the dashboard while staring at the large store until Janelle pushed her gently with her elbow. The smaller girl opened the door with one hand while undoing her seatbelt.

"I did

not

tell them that you tried to steal a pig."

"It called to me, Janelle," Emi said. "It went right up to me and wouldn't leave me alone. It followed me around with its little curly tail wiggling and went right up to my lap. It even fits in my jacket pocket! Oh my god, so tiny."

"They were actually mad at you, Em," her friend said. "And they yelled at me, too."

"I almost made it out with little Torturo," she said, her lips pressed together and her eyes dark with the loss of her pig.

"They didn't even have names," Janelle groaned.

"Welcome!"

"Gah!" Emi said, grabbing her friend's arm.

A tall woman smiled at them from the midst of the crew working around the entrance. Her black hair was braided in tight, intricate weaves that reached her thighs. She was dressed impeccably in slacks, shiny black shoes, a silver shirt with alternating black lines hidden beneath a silk vest.

"You

must

be Emi," the woman said with a smile. It was impossible to guess her age as she projected a maturity belied by a lack of wrinkles. When she moved in the afternoon light, she appeared to fluctuate between early 20s and late 40s. "I'm Lady Lilith and it's a pleasure to meet you both."

"Hi," Emi answered shyly. She pulled away, blushing in embarrassment. "I'm so excited to be here!"

"Well," the woman said with a sly wink. "Let me be your guide!"

She turned and a worker opened the door for them. Emi's eyes widened as she followed the other two women inside. The entire store was gutted and the tile floor replaced with dirt. Stones created a path that branched off to different sections. Low stone walls separated the animals - all who appeared content within their little areas.

"Holy shit, Janelle, look!" Emi grabbed her friend, tugging her as she pointed.

A worker dangled branches from a raised scissor lift and a graceful giraffe nibbled slowly on the leaves. The small woman watched the creature's dark purple tongue coil around the branch until it closed its mouth to pull the leaves free.

"We haven't finished stocking the zoo," Lilith said. She brought the pair to long tables laid out before the pens. "Please, grab a basket of food and follow me."

Janelle tapped Emi to get her attention away from the giraffe and they both browsed through the baskets before choosing one each.

"How do they stay where they are?" Emi asked, holding the basket close to her stomach.

The older woman shrugged. She stood for a moment, surveying the zoo until, with a backwards glance at Emi, she took the left path.

"I'm exceptionally good with animals," she told them. "I was raised with them and they understand me. I feed them well and care for them as if they were my own children. The back of the building is reserved for a place for them to run when they need exercise but they're otherwise content to rest in their areas."

"Wow," Emi said. Her eyes wandered but settled on an approaching woman. She was slight and pale with loose red hair cascading down her back and a small, happy smile on her face.

"Hey, isn't that your coworker?" Janelle started to ask.

"Yeah! Hey Siobhan!" she said loudly, waving a free arm.

"Emi? Are you off work today?" the redhead asked.

"Yeah, it's my birthday," she answered. "Isn't this place amazing! How'd you hear about it and why didn't you tell me?!"

"I saw a flier," her coworker said. "On. Uhh. On. Where was that? Well, somewhere. Emi, they have lions! Well, one. A lioness. She was beautiful."

"Did they let you pet her?" Emi asked, grabbing her co-worker's arm.

"Yes, god yes and it was amazing," the girl said. "Her eyes were so pretty and at the end, she stood up and nuzzled my stomach. I never even felt scared."

"If you please, Emi?" Lilith asked politely. "I have many things to do but I'd be a poor host if I didn't guide you through our little zoo."

"Oh, sorry," she said abashedly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Siobhan."

"Sure," the other woman said, scratching at her arms. "I have to head back to work anyway. Took a late lunch just to see what this was all about. Worth it."

They continued, nearing the giraffe before stopping two pens away from the huge beast.

"Emi," the woman said. "May I present Charlotte, our resident red kangaroo."

"Oooooh my gosh," Emi crooned quietly as the Kangaroo came to them. "She's so pretty."

It leaned forward, resting its front paws and tail on the ground before raising its long feet. Just at the edge of the wall, it stopped and stood, cocking its head with its thick ears back. It leaned forward, waving its paws before its body.

"Oh, do you want some?" Emi asked, grabbing some long grass from her basket.

The kangaroo gently grabbed Emi's arm to hold her steady. The girl turned to her friend with watery eyes and a tremulous smile.

"It's touching me oh my gosh its hands are so soft and it's touching me, Janelle," she rambled. "Please tell me it has a baby hiding in its pouch."

"No," Lilith said. "I'm afraid not. Not at the moment. However, eventually I will pair all of them off with mates. I'm simply very selective and the search takes time."

"Can I pet her head?" Emi asked.

"Oh, yes," the other woman said, waving her hand. "They're all very docile."

"Hey," Emi said, reaching out her other arm. The kangaroo's ears lowered but it stayed in place, leaning into the basket to forage for more food. "Hey there. Oh god, she's so soft."

The small woman stroked the kangaroo's head slowly from brow to her ears.

"Its nails tickle," the girl said. "This is so amazing. Janelle, do you want to-"

"Well," Lilith said. "I thought we might visit our giraffes before I hand you off to an associate to finish the tour."

"Okay," Emi said. "Bye, little one."

"She's taller than you, Em," Janelle noted.

"Everything's taller than me," the girl sighed.

"And this," Lilith said, gesturing with a sleeved arm. "Is Adaeze."

The tall giraffe ducked her head as the scissor lift began its descent. She stomped and her tail slapped against her side before she turned to spy the three women standing by her pen.

"What an-" Janelle started to say.

The giraffe ducked her head lower and its tongue lashed out to wrap around Janelle's neck. The woman shrieked but Adaeze bent lower to rub itself against the woman's face and shoulders.

"Ah, ah god, it's so sticky," Janelle groaned. "And now I'm going to smell like a gross wet animal the rest of the day. Man."

"Well," Lililth said, her thin eyebrows raising. "She's taken a liking to you, I'd say."

"Or the apples in my basket." She disentangled herself from the creature, rubbing at her neck before grabbing an apple to offer to the creature. It licked her hand and then carefully grabbed the apple with its protruding front teeth. The giraffe stepped back, dipping its head while bending its front legs. "Did she just curtsy to me?"

"I did say I'm quite good with animals," Lililth said with a smile and a nod toward the creature. "Ah, here's Rosaria to guide you the rest of the way. I'm afraid I must be off but I'm quite pleased you both stopped by. Don't forget to sign the guestbook. If you leave your phone number, we'll contact you when the zoo is officially open."

A thin, quiet brunette stood waiting nearby. She grinned at the two women as Lilith swept away.

"If you'll follow me?" the woman said, gesturing towards a pen with a monstrous looking dog.

---

"Janelle," Emi said once they were back in the car. "That was literally the best birthday gift I've ever had. And that's including the one time my dad got me fireworks and a BB gun to go with the dolls my mom got me."

As the car backed up, Janelle reached up to scratch at her neck. She rolled her head on her shoulders and winced at the cracking sounds beneath. The fetid, dried drool flaked away at her touch and she gagged briefly.

"I need a fucking shower," the woman grumped.

"I thought it was sweet," Emi said. She scratched at the faint red marks surrounding her left wrist.

"Well," Janelle retorted. "You weren't the one getting a tongue bath by something that probably rolls around in its own poop and drinks standing water."

"Can it roll around?" Emi mused while staring out of her window. "Does it just like, flop on its side and lay there? Or does it sleep sitting up? Does it anchor itself with its head against the ground?"

Janelle rubbed her neck in the hopes it would lessen the smell. More clear flakes fell away to reveal a small ashen gray spot in the middle of her neck amidst the surrounding brown skin.

"It

is

pretty strong smelling," Emi admitted, pressing her fingers against her nose.

"Yeah," the other girl grunted. She wiped her hand on her pants and then rubbed her nose, breathing deeply for a brief moment before gagging once more.

"What now?" the smaller girl asked as she drummed her fingers on her legs. She bounced her toes in the flooring of the car as the scenery raced past.

"Now," Janelle said, signaling for a turn. "Now we eat and get drunk."

---

Siobhan stretched next to her small car, raising up to her tiptoes and smiling at the sun with her eyes closed. She groaned happily as the warmth surrounded her and the groan deepened to a short rumble as cartilage formed against her hyoid bone. It lengthened to attach to her skull and she dropped down to her feet just as a coughing fit overtook her. She covered her mouth with the crook of her bent arm, as the harsh cough tore through her.

When the fit subsided, she growled quietly and rumbled her throat to clear the itchiness within.

Normally the young woman slept in her car during her lunch break and she'd dreaded returning to work, assuming she'd struggle throughout the rest of the day. However, as she stood in the warm evening air, she felt full of energy. She patted down her skirt, adjusted her blouse and stepped quickly on her light blue pumps, eyeing the path before her while breathing deeply of the trees surrounding her office.

Light brown cracks appeared at the inside of her chartreuse irises. They caught the sun and brightened to honey as they took root, winding slowly through the rest of her eyes until she pushed open the double glass doors to survey the office building with brilliant, alert eyes the color of marigold.

"Tom," she acknowledged with a brisk nod of her head as she entered the building.

"Hey Siobhan," he said, grabbing papers from the office copy machine. He followed beside her and his cologne rose to her nose. "How was the zoo?"

Faint tan hairs, too small to notice, emerged along the bridge of her wrinkled nose and the tip of her tongue slid between her teeth. Her mouth hung open briefly as she scented him and her throat rumbled once more.

Easy on the body wash,

she told him in her imagination.

"Amazing," she said out loud. "Honestly, I have no idea how they're able to handle and show that many exotic animals. They even had a Komodo dragon!"

"Are you serious?" he asked, stopping at his cubicle. "Where was this? I want to go see."

"Oh, it was over by-" she paused, tilting her head as the location lay on the tip of her tongue. "The, uhh. It was- Huh. I think I have the flier somewhere so I'll dig it up and email you the address when I find it."

"Sounds great," he said. His smile faltered as he stared into her eyes. An ancient, primal instinct screamed at him from the depths of his unconscious but he couldn't hear it. Instead, he shuddered and rubbed his arms. "Just let me know, yeah?"

Siobhan nodded and continued on her way, her head snapping to catch movements until she sat in her rolling chair. She pushed back into it, sitting up straight as bones within her hips grated uncomfortably against each other. The redhead wiggled in her seat and then toyed with the lever for the lumbar support, shoving her ass back with a huff until her tailbone cracked and the pain vanished.

"Good," she said, pulling herself forward.

More sand-colored hairs rose along her arm. They were thin and sparse and hidden against the pale white of her skin and scattered freckles. She moved her mouse and the screen woke as her fingers found the home row on the keyboard.

Her finger reached forward for the first letter of her password. A milky white line appeared in the middle of her long nail when it suddenly bent down the middle, folding her nail in half. Skin bulged around the base of her nail bed as the nail pulled back until it barely covered the tip of her finger. Keratin flowed from the base of the nail, doubling the thickness as it widened while continuing to bend. Her other nails followed suit in random order, clacking loudly against the plastic keys as she typed out her password.

She scanned the spreadsheet on the monitor as her tongue roamed against her canines. Her jaw throbbed at the edge of pain as the teeth lengthened, pressing against their neighbors while forcing her lips outward.

A single white hair sprouted from the nub of her tragus in front of her left ear. Two more followed. A fourth joined the three already in place as a lone hair slowly pushed through the inner fold of her right ear.

Siobhan's sheaths clicked against her mouse as she pushed it around. She sat up in her seat, purposefully rubbing the rough fabric against her lower back as she looked through the large windows at the side of the office. A bird landed on a branch outside and she watched it, envious of its freedom before it zipped away.

With a sigh, she sat down, scratching at her back before focusing on her work.

---

Two empty wine bottles lay on the coffee table with a third opened next to them. An old cutting board held the remains of cheese, crackers and various sliced meats.

Emi giggled as she swirled the white wine in her glass. She had her toes on the edge of the rectangular table and her legs bounced restlessly. The bones within her feet ached even though she'd taken her shoes off hours before.

The small girl pushed a thumb hard against her lower back, stealing a glance at Janelle before blushing and rubbing the strangely sensitive spot. She'd discovered earlier that it felt incredibly good to massage herself there.

Too

good, in fact. Orgasmically good. Her hand kept finding its way back to the spot for her to knuckle into or scratch against.

"You're drunk already," Janelle sighed. She looked at the slim gold watch on her wrist but she knew it was getting late without even checking. Dusk had settled long before they'd opened the third bottle. She'd hoped one would be enough but it was Emi's birthday and the girl kept insisting.