Graveyard shift at the Zoo
I only paused to wipe the sweat off my brow with my forearm.
“You know, I just don’t sweat, never have, I can jog, do a heavy workout, even if it’s hot out like this I never worry about it, I can…”
I tuned him out as he went off again, I guess he didn’t have to breathe either, the way he talked non-stop. I complain, but he was good company for some crap work.
It was my first day here, unloading feed trucks at the zoo. I got the job from Ray, and it was just him and me at the loading docks, a few hours before dawn. Just the two of us, and dozens of animals holed up in their pens. Their sounds would alternate between being distant and startling. Along with the darkness and the humidity, it felt like we were deep in a jungle.
I stopped. Ray had stopped talking and it was now dead silent. I followed his gaze down the hallway and swore I saw some shadows moving. I could even make out the glow of red eyes slowly making their way towards us.
“Not again!”
I looked over at Ray. A bead of sweat ran down his temple.