Chapter 2

Pablo needed that gold way more than I did.

Seeing Pablo's disappointed and lonely back, I bit my lip, struggled for a while, then finally looked at him.

I said, "Honestly, I did bring some grapes, but there is only a handful left. I was planning to eat them myself.

"It's just a few, and I have no idea if the monkeys even like grapes. But if you need them, they're yours."

Pablo's face lit up with a big smile.

"Wait, for real?" he said. "Man, you're so kind. But what about you? Don't you want the money, too?"

I scratched my head. "Honestly, I never really bought into all this. I just came along for the laughs.

"Besides, I'm not the kind of guy who gets lucky with easy money, so I'm not gonna get mixed up in it."

Pablo's face turned red with excitement as he threw his arm around my neck, thanking me over and over.

He said happily, "Shawn, you're my lifesaver. Man, I owe you big time.

"If I really get that gold, you can bet I'll make it up to you."

I didn't pay much attention to what he said. I just pulled the grapes out of my backpack and pressed them into his hand.

"Alright, hurry up and get in line. It's almost your turn," I said.

Pablo was beaming, clutching the grapes as he hurried to the front, trying to cut the line.

But the security guard spotted him right away, shooed him off, and started giving him a lecture.

While Pablo was still getting chewed out by the guard, Katie and I were already strolling into the park.

Up ahead was a glass enclosure, and inside, a regal lion stood tall on a huge boulder, looking every bit the king. Its eyes were narrowed, giving everyone a sly, almost menacing stare.

A voice sounded, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is our zoo's very first stop, the Lion Pavilion."

An enthusiastic staff member came over, smiling as he began his introduction.

He said, "Check out our majestic lion over there! You can get up close and really feel the king's vibe. And that's just the start.

"There are all kinds of exotic creatures waiting for you further in, and the fun never stops! Be sure not to miss the short-tailed monkey circus show by the artificial rock.

"Those little rascals are hilarious and adorable, guaranteed to crack you up. Come on, follow me!"

The crowd was buzzing with excitement, their faces full of anticipation for what kind of animals they'd get to see next.

I wrapped my arm around Katie as we walked, and she leaned in, whispering to me.

"Didn't you say you saw Pablo earlier? How come he hasn't come in yet?" she asked.

My heart started to sink. If Pablo didn't make it in, how was he ever gonna score that gold?

If someone else grabbed it all first, he'd be out of luck.

This zoo was different from the others. If one missed entry time, the gates would close.

By the time the gates finally shut, Pablo still hadn't made it in.

Maybe he was just not the type to hit it big with easy money.

I couldn't help but feel a little bad for him.

Standing next to me were a bunch of tourists who'd come in on a bus from out of town, and a few folks from my neighborhood.

Since the zoo was conveniently located near home, everyone was there to check out the animals and have a good time.

Just as we were all staring at the lion in the glass enclosure, something really weird happened.

It suddenly broke into a creepy grin, its mouth stretching all the way to its ears.

Then, to everyone's shock, it stood up on its hind legs, just like a human, and walked right up to the glass.

With claws as sharp as knives, it carved a perfect circle in the glass, stuck its head out, and let out a deafening roar, flashing a mouthful of razor-sharp black teeth.

Its eyes bulged with rage, and then, to everyone's shock, it started talking like a person.

It growled, "I can't stand grapes. If you bring grapes into my park, you won't even leave in one piece!"

Everyone thought it was just some crazy special effect, and people couldn't stop laughing and started clapping like it was the funniest thing.

Some folks even pulled out grapes from their bags on purpose and tossed them into the glass enclosure, just to mess with the lion and see what it would do.

Katie and I were seriously impressed by how real the zoo's 5D effects looked. Watching that lion had my heart racing. I almost thought it was the real deal.

But in the blink of an eye, the lion smashed through the glass, landed right next to me, and snapped the guy's head in half like it was nothing.

Blood splattered all over Katie's face, and she let out a blood-curdling scream, burying her face in my chest, shaking uncontrollably.

People lost it, screaming, bawling, and bolting in every direction like their lives depended on it.

Suddenly, a squad of uniformed staff marched in, their faces totally expressionless, moving like robots. Without a second thought, they rounded up every single person with a bag of grapes.

The crowd went wild, panic spreading like wildfire.

"Help! The lion is really talking? Somebody save me! I don't wanna die!"

"Where's the zoo director? I want to complain. Someone just got killed!"

"Why can't we bring grapes? It's not like you said we couldn't bring grapes to the zoo."

The lion scanned the crowd, its eyes rolling side to side, and let out a sinister giggle.

It sneered, "I can see your greedy human nature as clear as day.

"You all came here hoping to score some dirty money, but just the sight of grapes makes me wanna puke.

"Did none of you notice the poster outside? It spelled out that grapes are strictly forbidden in the lion exhibit.

"If you all just shut up and don't make a fuss, I'll swallow you whole and make it quick and painless.

"But if you don't, things are gonna get brutal."

Suddenly, the lion dropped down, its massive bloody maw gaping wide.

From deep inside, a bunch of frantically writhing black tentacles slithered out, dripping thick, putrid black slime onto the ground that reeked of something rotten.

The tourists were pissed, cursing nonstop, but the staff just shoved them straight into the glass enclosure anyway.

Blood sprayed everywhere inside the glass house, covering every surface and making it impossible to see anything. The air was thick with screams of pain and terror.

I could hear the gut-wrenching sound of flesh being ripped apart, along with the lion chomping and chewing.

My stomach churned, and I thought I was gonna puke right then and there.

Katie's hands were so sweaty as she held onto me like her life depended on it, refusing to let go.

I'd spent twenty-three years as a total science guy, always believing in logic and reason.

Never in my life had I seen an animal talk like a human, let alone just attack people like it was nothing.

My mind went totally fuzzy, like I was trapped in some kind of nightmare.

Goosebumps shot up my spine and all the way to my head. I was so freaked out by the lion's stare that I couldn't even speak.