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The New Hire

Paul walked up to the gate of the zoo, excited for his first day on the job. Fresh out of high school, he'd excitedly applied for the job just a few weeks earlier, not expecting to get a response so quickly.

The head zookeeper -an older gentleman that went by Mr. Williams- had emailed him back just a few hours after he'd applied. He was to arrive at the zoo bright and early the next Monday, in clothes he didn't mind getting dirty.

The weekend was a blur. Paul spent most of it in a dazed stupor, overjoyed at finally being able to work with animals. He'd always felt an affinity with them, and had loved spending entire summers at the zoo, running between exhibits until his mother pulled him back to the car.

What was he going to do? Tame tigers? Feed the wolves? Spend time with the marine life? It was an entire world of possibilities, but he was just happy for the opportunity.

The sun had barely risen over the horizon as he knocked on the small side door, the one with a sign on the front saying, 'Employees Only'. Paul chuckled as he saw it. He was an employee!

A sharp creak stirred him from his daydream. The door swung open to reveal an aged man, his skin like cracked leather.

"Sorry about that." He said. "Nobody's oiled the hinges in a while." The man said with a laugh.

He stuck out his hand. "I'm Paul. You must be Mr. Williams."

The old man took his hand and shook it. Paul's earlier assessment had been correct. The zookeeper's hand was rough and loose, like he's spent too much time in the sun. He probably had, judging from his tanned face and thinning hair.

"Right you are." He said, still holding on to Paul's hand. "Excited for your first day?"

Paul smiled, trying to extract his hand from Mr. Williams' grip. How could a man that old be that strong? "Sure am."

"Well then, let's get to it." He said, finally letting go. "Follow me, and I'll give you the fifty-cent tour." Mr. Williams said, turning and walking through the doorway.

The zoo looked different now, in the early morning light. Paul had never been inside this early. It was an interesting experience, seeing the place he so loved in a new light, and through new eyes. The eyes of an employee, and a part of the attraction, he thought with a small chuckle.

"First stop is the front office. Need to get you a badge and name tag. You'll mostly be working behind the scenes, but it's important that the patrons know who you are." Mr. Williams said, leading him over to the small office next to the ticket stand.

"Of course." Paul said, nodding.

"Now that's a refreshing attitude. Most people here are old and worn out. It'll be nice to have some fresh blood around."

They entered the office. The cramped room smelled like dried ink, and mothballs. A small wooden desk with two chairs took up most of the room. An old PC sat on top, hooked up to what looked like a printer. Certificates and posters of the animals covered the walls. There wasn't a single blank spot.

Mr. Williams pointed to a chair on one side of the desk, gesturing for him to sit down. Paul took a seat, as Mr. Williams sat down across from him and started up the old computer.

"What did you say your name was? I know it's on the application, but these old eyes don't work so well anymore."

"Paul." He answered.

Mr. Williams typed it into the computer, pressing the keys with his index fingers. The printer next to the device began to beep, and a few minutes later, an already lamented badge with his name and face on it popped out.

He clipped it onto a lanyard and handed it across the table to Paul. Paul took it and slipped it over his head. It felt good, wearing it around his neck. He smiled, still riding the same high he'd been on that entire weekend.

"Well, then, now that we've got that settled, let me show you where you'll be for the next few weeks."

Next few weeks? Paul knew the application hadn't specified what he'd be doing, but it had been an entry level position, and he'd jumped at the opportunity to work at a place that had been such a big part of his childhood.

They left the office, and headed towards the Africa Zone. The zoo was slowly coming to life as animals woke from their slumber. The cry of birds rang through the air as they reached the Hyena's Pen.

Mr. Williams led him back behind the pen, and to a small storage room. He unlocked the door with a key from his massive keychain, and entered.

The inside of the room was cramped, and filled with cleaning supplies. Paul's nose crinkled as he stepped inside. It smelled like a mixture of putrid hyena and lemon-scented spray.

"Hey, catch."

A small dark object flew from Mr. Williams' hands, and at Paul. He stumbled back, barely catching it. It was a gray cap, with the zoo's logo stitched onto the front.

"Welcome to the team, kid. Take this." He said, shoving a bucket and broom into Paul's hands. "The hyenas are off getting a checkup today, so you'll need to sweep the pen, clean up some of the bones, and make sure there isn't anything they could use to jump the moat between the pen and the retaining wall."

Paul's heart dropped. This wasn't what he had been expecting to do. His disappointment must have been visible, because Mr. Williams spoke up a few moments later.

"Chin up kid. Everyone starts out as the low man on the totem pole. You'll work your way up." He said, passing him a pair of gloves. "I started out the same way as you, and look at me now. I'm running the place." He said with a chuckle.

Paul managed a weak smile, but didn't feel much better. Sure, he'd dreamed of this day, but it wasn't what he had expected.

He took a deep breath, and stood up straight. It may not be what he had wanted, but he was going to make the most of it. Mr. Williams was right. Everyone had to start out somewhere.

The older zookeeper smiled, and pointed to the door. "I'd get started if I were you. The visitors arrive in a few hours, and some of the kids like to toss junk at the handlers in the pens."

Mr. Williams started to leave, but paused at the doorway. He turned around, and met Paul's eyes.

The same friendly, jovial smile had been replaced with one of deadly seriousness. The man's face seemed a thousand years older as he spoke in a low, measured tone.

"There's a door at the back of the enclosure, just behind the boulders on the east facing retaining wall. Do not enter it, ok? No matter how warm it is, no matter what's happening, do not go inside. Understand?"

Paul nodded. The sudden shift from friendly and amicable to serious and, to be quite frank, disturbing had thrown him off. What was inside the door, and why wasn't he allowed to enter?

The same friendly face that had greeted him at the gate came back, and Mr. Williams said goodbye.

Paul squared his shoulders, and pushed open the door to the hyena's enclosure.

...

The sun beat down from above. It was painfully warm, and Paul had been out here for hours. It was taking much longer to clean the place than he had expected.

Hyenas were filthy creatures. The enclosure was filled with grime, and broken bones. The remnants of the creature's last meal. He'd been working his hardest, but it seemed like he'd barely made a dent.

As he worked, Mr. Williams' words lingered in the back of his head. What was behind the door, and why had he been so insistent on Paul staying away from it? He looked over his shoulder.

The door was there, partially hidden behind the boulders like the zookeeper had said. It was a plain, just blue painted metal and a gray steel handle. It didn't look dangerous. In fact, there was something alluring about it. Almost like it was calling to-

Paul shook his head, snapping out of it. What was wrong with him? It must be the heat, he thought. Yeah, that was it. He just needed a drink, and to cool off for a bit.

Maybe there was water behind the door? Maybe it was a rest room for the hyena trainers, and Mr. Williams didn't want him to find out since he was new.

He stared at the door, wondering what was on the other side. Surely it couldn't hurt just to take a peek, right?

No. He needed to focus. There was water back in the storage room. He'd seen a cooler in the corner, with a bag of paper cones. He'd just get a drink, and get back to work. Can't be slacking off on his first day.

Paul walked back to the room, and took a few drinks, refilling it a few times. The cool water quenched his parched throat, and he quickly got back to work.

The door sat there the entire time. Calling to him. Inviting him in. It was like it wanted him to open the door. It wanted him to see what was inside.

He was in front of the door before he even realized it. When had he walked over here? His hand grasped the handle, and squeezed down on the top on its own.

Paul pushed open the door, shedding light on the interior. The room was small and circular, only about 5 feet in radius. It was remarkably clean. Not a spot of dust or grime on the metal floor. The walls were made of a strange material, almost like an adobe, or mud.

In the center of the room was a pedestal, made of carved stone. Strange swirling patterns and symbols were etched into the sides, and staring at them made Paul dizzy.

On top of the pedestal was what looked like a hunk of carved wood, painted and stained with dyes. Paul took a few more steps into the room, and stopped at the pedestal. He leaned down to investigate.

The wooden idol was carved to represent what looked like a hyena, standing on its hind legs. It was simplistic, but somehow full of personality. Whoever had carved it had put great care and skill into it. It was clearly a labor of love.

The fur, the muzzle, the limbs. It was an expert piece. The eyes, as simple as they were, were full of personality.

The eyes blinked, and looked at him.

Paul stumbled back, falling to the floor as he heard the door slam shut behind him. The small room was plunged into darkness, and he could see the statue begin to glow faintly.

A hum arose from the room, coming from all sides. Drums began to beat as he tried to climb to his feet. Where were they coming from? This had to be some kind of prank.

The glow from the statue grew brighter, bathing the room in a pale blue light. Some invisible forces was holding him down, pinning him to the floor. This was getting serious.

He felt, off. His skin crawled as he lay there, on the floor. The drums grew louder, and rhythmic chanting began.

Paul could feel himself changing. He stared down at his hands, watching as the fingers grew shorter, and his thumb retracted. The nails hardened, and grew longer. His arms began to shrink and contort, pulling back into his sleeves. Paul felt his torso shrink as his shirt fell off him, now too big for his chest.

His legs began to twist and shrink as well, his heels growing longer. His toes lengthened and grew thick, sharp claws. Fur began to sprout over his entire body, stinging as it pushed its way up and out of his skin.

The room swirled and twisted, his vision blurring. Paul tried to cry out, but found that he couldn't form words. All that came out was a harsh growl, from deep in his chest.

His face began to throb. It felt like he'd dislocated his jaw. He could feel the bones and flesh growing and reshaping into the muzzle of a dog.

No! He realized with a start. Not a dog, a hyena!

Paul's ears burnt as they moved up towards his head. They grew longer, and more sensitive. Did the drums grow louder, or was it just easier to hear?

He stumbled forward, climbing out of his now too large clothing. As he did, a burning began at the bottom of his spine.

A small nub of flesh -covered in the same thick fur as the rest of his body- began pressing out of his spine, growing longer. The thin tail sprouted a plum of thick hair at the end, making it look like he had a brush attached to his back.

The drumming and chanting faded, and as the glow from the statue petered off, Paul fainted.

...

Paul opened his eyes, blinking in the bright afternoon light. He pushed himself up, and looked around. Why was he on the floor, and why was everything so much larger than before?

He reached up and tried to rub his eyes. Instead of his hands, the short, hair covered paw of a hyena grabbed at his face.

What the- He thought, before remembering what had happened.

Paul let out a scream, startled at the sounds coming out of his throat. He ran over to the small pool of water in the enclosure, amazed at how fast he was able to move.

The water was still and clear. He looked down, investigating his reflection.

Instead of his normal face looking back at him, the furred face of a hyena gazed back. He stared at it, studying the curve of his ears, the slant of his muzzle. His new eyes, black and wide.

A figure appeared behind him, looking over his shoulder.

"I warned you not to go in there, Paul." Mr. Williams said, shaking his head. "We figured we could trust you, that you'd be able to resist it."

Paul tried to speak, to complain, to ask what was happening. But all that came out were the same feral noises as before.

"I know you're scared, and confused. I would be too, if I was in your situation. But there's nothing we can do." He said, crouching down to pat Paul on the head. "There are worse situations to be in. You'll be cared for; three meals a day, the best healthcare you could wish for. You're young, you'll adapt. In time, you may even come to prefer it."

Mr. Williams stood up and walked to the exit. "The others will be back in a few hours." He called over his shoulder. "Be ready to get acquainted. It'll be hard, but at least you won't be alone."

The door shut, and Paul was left sitting next to the pond, reeling at what had just happened.

Maybe it won't be too bad. He thought, trying to remain optimistic. Like Mr. Williams had said, there were worse places to be.

Besides, he was kind of enjoying it. His body may have been smaller, but it was strong, and powerful. He stood up, and sprinted to the other side of the enclosure.

The wind rushed over Paul's new ears as he ran, jumping up onto the rocks, enjoying the speed and agility that came with his new form.

He could get used to this, he thought with a laugh. Maybe he would.