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The Zookeeper

3rd Draft - 10/25/2012

It was the first sunny day after what seemed like a month of rain. The birds had decided to celebrate this break in the storm with a chorus of unceasing chatter that began moments before the sun peaked over the horizon. All of them cried to the blue sky with passionate joy, shrilling their song into the world for all to hear.

From within one of the city's many rundown apartments which made up the bird's world, an uncoordinated hand slapped the buttons on her clock radio until she knocked it to the floor. A small wolf figurine and a picture of a stocky, read-headed, twelve-year-old hugging a wolf, clattered soon after. The young woman put her pillow over her head and prayed the birds would all spontaneously burst into flames and be silent, but it was not so.

A few drops of eternity later, the young woman resigned herself to her fate, tossed her wolf-print blanket aside, and then lunged out of bed. She sailed toward the bathroom upon an ocean of cursing, and unpleasant things passed through her mind as she went through her morning ritual. The sparks in her mind began to faintly flicker, trying to remind her that there was something special about this day. Crushing her eyes shut, she tried to blow life onto the flames of her memory, but it was pre-coffee in the morning and her brain was having none of it.

With a sigh, she continued along her morning routine, pressing the power button to her computer and then starting her coffee and toast. She ran a brush through the wilds of her long red hair and secured it back into something which resembled a poofy fox-tail. By the time she made her way back to her computer with her breakfast, her scheduling program had auto-started and loaded onto her screen. It took only a moment for her eyes to lock onto the words she had been looking forward to all week: New Wolf.

---

*****

"Leo! Leo!"

"Good morning, Lucy," answered the scruffy haired keeper of every lupine exhibit within limits of the Zoo.

"Is he here?" Lucy bounced excitedly, her fox-tail bobbing back and forth behind the tan baseball cap. Leo grinned at her enthusiasm and motioned towards the round glass enclosure, with its pine trees and sizable boulders. Across one of those gray rocks, a mountain of fur blended in perfectly with the stone which he lay upon. "Whoa," she gasped.

"Indeed," Leo said, putting on his professor's voice as if he were lecturing a class. "The other zoo thought he might have better luck in our habitat ... but the big guy won't eat."

It was strange to see this majestic creature so quiet and so still. Most wolves were restless whenever brought to a new place. Some would pace themselves sick; others would end up whimpering for the home which they left behind. But this big guy just lay there, as if he were a sulking teenager whose best friend had just moved far away.

"What species of wolf is he?" Lucy asked as she studied him.

"Appears to be Canis Lupus Occidentalis," he said as he folded his arms, but Lucy could tell that he was not certain. "The specialists ran tests, but none could find the cause for his enormous size. He's very docile, and sometimes it seems like he can understand what we're saying. There's something unnatural about him."

"Awesome ..." Lucy whispered as her mind drifted into the place where her dreams liked to stir. With her fingers absently stroking the railing, she walked slowly around the enclosure in order to look at the rest of him. The wolf's face was almost human in its expression, and his sorrow tugged at her heart. In his eyes she could see a pain so deep that only the most romanticized souls could feel it. Within that mass of fangs and fur was more than just a wolf. He was a majestic tragedy, and she knew he would wither away to nothing unless something was done. "What's his name?" Lucy asked when she completed her circle.

"Goliath," Leo muttered as he let out a sad sigh. It was apparent that they shared the same analysis of his condition, and this caused Lucy to clench her teeth. A dozen possible scenarios blinked across her eyes, and none of them were pretty. The outcome of his condition was always the same ... he was going to die.

A spark of indignant rage ignited within her at the thought of it, and she could see that same feeling in Leo's dour face. But Lucy was not the type of girl to let anger drive her anywhere, and it occurred to her that this poor wolf was showing classic depression brought about by being lonely. There were no other wolves in his enclosure and she guessed the others were also too afraid to stick close to him. He needed an ally. He needed a friend.

"Lucy! What are you doing?"

"I'm going to say hello," she said to Leo as she opened the door of the enclosure and then quickly stepped out of his reach. "Don't worry, Leo," she said cheerfully, "I know what I'm doing."

It was against protocol to approach an unknown predator ... alone and from the rear ... but Lucy's excitement had overridden her cautious sense. There was something about this creature ... something that she had to know ... and she stood less than a foot from him in seconds.

"Wow, you're huge!" Lucy nearly shouted as she began to giggle in childish delight. The massive head turned in a startled manner and looked seriously into her eyes. It was incredibly dangerous to engage him this way, but Lucy was too enthralled by his presence and she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and give his poor weeping frame a hug.

The amber eyes which sized Lucy up were even more intelligent up close, and they seemed to emit an energy which rippled ripple through her body, and caused her to tingle all over. In the deepest recesses of her being, she felt the presence of his gaze, and she knew he could see all of her. A slight blush colored the edges of her cheeks at this thought, and when she stared back ... she also saw him.

Most of the wolves they kept were bred in captivity and their instincts had dulled over the generations. But not Goliath ... he had run through the wild ... hunted his own prey ... and led a pack. There was no doubt; Lucy was looking into the eyes of an alpha. That was why he was so lonely; he had lost his pack.

It might have been a good idea to lower her gaze and back away slowly. It might even be a good idea to roll onto her back and demonstrate submissive behavior so that he might not harm her; but good sense had left the building and instead she reached her left hand forward and held it, palm up, before his snout.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Please ... let me be your friend." A moment later, she saw his massive nostrils flex as he took in her scent. Then, he licked her hand and began wagging his tail. "That's a good boy," she said to him, suddenly petting his head with her free hand like he was some massive dog. "All you wanted was some good company, huh?" His massive tongue continued lapping at her left hand while she patted him with her right. As his body language became more accepting of her presence. Lucy found it becoming more difficult to contain her excited giggles. "How about I become your keeper? Huh? Is that good, Goliath? Is that good?"

Apparently it was, because the giant wolf stood and nearly knocked her over as he nuzzled his massive head into her chest. Lucy finally threw her arms around his frame and hugged him tightly. It then dawned on her that her new friend was bigger than she was, and she began to tremble as the screaming of her natural instincts began to be heard over the excitement of meeting a new wolf. Goliath's red tongue slurped the side of Lucy's face in one massive pass that knocked off her hat and left her dripping. For several minutes she shook with laughter and then she withdrew and retrieved his food from a wide-eyed Leo. Lucy arranged the food in an area where Goliath could see it and he finally broke his fast.

Leo's chuckle could be heard from the safety of the enclosure's door and he shook his head in amazement. "Looks like you're his new keeper."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked as she bounced with excitement.

"Well, I can't have you going up to any of the other wolves like that," Leo only half-joked at her. "Besides, I think Goliath will look good on your resume."