The designated sacrifice

Josh's mother looked at him with an unimpressed expression on her face, "Don't you think it's a bit early to buy ice creams, dear? We've only just entered the zoo, and lunch time is a couple hours away."

"What do you mean? Ice creams are to be eaten at any and all times!" He said with a smile as he started handing the ice creams out.

Josh's mother closed her eyes as she lifted her hand up to her face and gently took hold of her forehead and she shook her head as she let out a deep sigh in response to her husband's words and behaviour.

"Dad, dad, did you get me vanilla with a flake?" Josh asked as he shook his father's shirt sleeve vigorously with a serious look on his face.

"I did!" Josh's father said as he saluted Josh with a wide smile on his face. He then handed Josh the vanilla ice cream cone with a flake in it.

"Thank you~" Kosh replied as he dug into the ice cream happily.

Tom looked at Josh enjoying the ice cream with a pleasant look on his face before he turned his gaze to instead stare up at Josh's father needily.

Josh's father noticed the stare and smiled at the small boy, "Don't worry, little man. I got you one too!" He called out warmly as he handed Tom another cannula ice cream also with a flake, "Sorry, I didn't know what you'd like so I got you the same one as Josh. Do you perhaps not like it?" He asked sheepishly as he scratched btw back of his head.

Tom shook his head hastily, "N-No, I like it…!" He called out quietly with a bashful look on his face.

"That's good." Josh's father said.

"Tom, what do you say?" Asked Tom's mother as she patted Tom's head gently.

"Th-Thank you…" He said as he looked up at Josh's father gratefully.

"It's no problem." He replied with a smile.

"Anyway, let's get going. We have a lot to get though today." Said Josh's mother as she got out the map to take a quick look as to make sure the correct direction in which to go on their way to the lion exhibit before putting it back into her pocket and leading the way for them.

Everyone quickly followed her and soon enough they appeared before the lion exhibit.

Once the exhibit was in sight the two boys quickly rushed up to the fence to get a closer look at the majestic beasts.

They both grasped onto the railing tightly as both of the boy's bodies were almost pressed up against the fencing, which divided the animals territory and the humans, with shining eyes and looks of excitement on their faces.

Around the two boys stood a bunch of adults who were busy taking countless pictures of their small children posing enthusiastically in front of the fence which housed the lions, and their older teenage siblings who were standing around unhappily with looks on their faces which showed how little they wanted to be here and showed how pointless they thought the family outings to be.

The emo phase teenagers were looking at their siblings and parents as if they were embarrassing and troublesome as they stood around and walked around aimlessly with bored and uninterested looks on their faces.

"Woah, look! There are three of the lions over there, they're so big!" Josh exclaimed as he pointed at the lions as he turned his head to look at Tom.

"Woah!" Tom said in response as he looked over at the majestic creatures, his eyes shone and his mouth hung open slightly as he watched them.

The largest lion opened its mouth up giving a full view of it's sharp and numerous teeth and fangs.

"Oh, they're so sharp…" Tom mumbled as he took a few steps back and moved to be behind Josh as if he could use Josh s a meatshield on the off chance the lion broke through or jumped over the fence to attack or eat them.

Tom grabbed at a small handful of Josh's shirt and looked at the lions over his shoulder.

"Yeah, but… it's still so cool, I wish my teeth were as sharp as that… they'd be able to cut them right anything!" Josh said sincerely as he tried to play it cool, but as he was still a young child after all he gave in to the slight worry and backed up a few steps to hide behind his father's leg, with Tom following behind him quickly with small steps.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" Josh's father asked as he looked down at the two boys standing behind him with a confused and concerned look on his face.

"Nothing's wrong." Josh replied as he glanced at the lions from behind his father's leg.

"Then why're you standing over here, behind me?" He asked with a questioning look on his face with a confused tone.

"Because you're going to be the sacrifice." Josh said matter of factly with a serious expression on his face.

His father began to nod as he replied "Oh, that's reasonab- Hey, wait, what?" Josh's father exclaimed as an extremely confused expression appeared on his face.

"What?" Asked Josh as he looked up at his father innocently.

"What do you mean what? What do you mean sacrifice?" Asked his father with a conflicted expression on his face.

"What do you nea what do I mean?" Josh asked innocently, a smile appearing on his face.

"No… You definitely-? I-?" Josh's father started with a confused look on his face.

"Hm?" Josh responded as he looked up at his father.

Josh's father then began rubbing his chin with his hand, "Am I deaf or something? Hallucinating maybe…?" He asked himself whilst wondering is he imagined that Josh had said that.

"You okay, dad?" Josh asked with a concerned expression on his face caused by the strange look on his father's face.

"Hm," Josh's father replied as he snapped back to attention and looked back down at his son's face, "Yeah, I'm all good, don't worry!" He exclaimed hastily so as to not worry his son.

"Let's take a picture!" Josh's mother said promptly as she swiftly pulled her phone from out of her pocket, she then held it mom-style while she typed in her password, forgetting that a function like touch or face ID existed, her inputted password failed so she let out a sigh and typed the exact same thing in again, except this time it worked and her phone unlocked as she opened the camera app.

"Okay! Darling, stand next to Josh, Both of you go pose next to the fence with the lions!" She called out excitedly as she positioned her camera.

Josh's father grabbed Josh's hand and they walked back over to the fence as they began to pull the perfect pose.

"Hey, Tom?" Josh whispered into Tom's ears after taking a quick look around as Josh's mother got in place to prepare to take photos of them.

"Mhm, what is it?" Tom replied quietly, still facing forward so that he would be facing the camera when Josh's mother began taking photos.