**The Magical Menagerie: A Zookeeper's Surprise**

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Jack Weston loved his job as the head zookeeper at Crescent Park Zoo. Every morning, he arrived at dawn, just as the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon. Today, however, felt different. There was an unusual stillness in the air as he pushed open the heavy, iron gates and stepped inside the zoo.

Jack’s first task each morning was t...

“Before I start the tour there will be a preliminary contract-“ says Dave in a monotonous voice that hasn’t changed intensity since we met a couple of minutes ago. He hands me a clipboard with at least five pages. I notice the long dark scar along his hand but try to ignore it.

“You need to sign this if you want to continue,” he drones.

I’m not much of a reader, so I briefly scan through the p...

Moony the Moth Cat(she)

- Likes pets

- gives meaningful advice

- loves back-scratches

Buzz the Flower Dog(she)

- Mischief and trouble

- first to a place

- not knowing what to do

- blamed for most things

Shredder the Bird Buck(he)

-authority figure

- would do anything as long as it’s by the rules

Oso the Ice Bear(he)

- Leader

- elder

- mentor

- never questioned

- always right

Vortex the Warrior Sea...

As Jake entered the zoo for his first day at the job, he did not want to mess up on anything. He wanted to prove he was the right employee for this place. He entered and saw all of the animals and marveled that he would be working here. He had dreamed to be a zoologist but there were still some things that mystified him.

He walked into the zoo and went to the clerk. She was a short woman, long bl...

The first thing he thought when he first arrived at his new career was that he must’ve accidentally swallowed magic mushrooms for breakfast or something. Otherwise, he had no idea how he was face-to-face with a dragon right now.

When Quinn Simmons first decided to sell his life to this random zoo in San Francisco, he was expecting a lot of animal crap to clean up and loss of sleep from having to ...

Sometimes life is a breeze

Like the wind

Blowing through the trees

Sometimes it’s a raging storm

Unable to control

Leaving us battered and torn

Sometimes it’s sadness and pain

Wondering if we will

Ever feel whole again

Sometimes we feel all alone

Lost in a world

We cannot call home

Sometimes we are full of fear

Haunting our minds

Unaware of what’s near

Sometimes life might seem unfair

But in r...

Beautiful creature

Wings to fly

Delicate feature

Soaring up high

Soft and gentle

Feathers of silk

Earth of middle

Cream of milk

Beautiful creature

Fangs of nails

Please dont fear her

Protection form hell...

“Don’t be nervous. This is a job that you are qualified for. Act like it.”

The self pep talk doesn’t make her feel better, but she opens the door anyway.

The interior surprises her. There is a huge open space with absolutely no one. The floors are covered in grass (maybe it’s fake?). The walls look like the roughness of tree bark.

“Hello?”

As she walks more into the room, there are tall windo...

Two years two years, I say whispering to myself and regret I’ve been working as gas station cashier for two years five bucks an hour barely can pay rent. It’s time for me to leave. Maybe if I go somewhere I can have better luck. maybe… I packed my bags put the boxes in the truck and slam the door. I run and go get gas and I’m off a picture of spend two nights in my car and then stop somewhere and ...

Blinking its three large onyx eyes, the creature, roughly the size and shape of a Volkswagen, shimmied on its singular fleshy footpad. Its coat of bright blood corkscrew coils glinted cochineal under the over head fluorescents. Newly hired zookeeper Astrid Culpepper gulped. Two of the creature’s three eyes narrowed at the sound.

“What the what, now,” Astrid squeaked instinctively her mind reachin...