Prologue

My name is Zoe Chappelle, I'm 23 years old and I've live a mostly normal life. The only thing that really strange about me is my connection to animals.

My whole life I've been good with animals. Like that one time when I was four and my mom took me out to feed the ducks. She set me down on the ground, to grab the bread, and all the ducks ran right up to me. They completely encircled me and bit anyone who got to close, including my mother. It took three animal control officers to return me to my mom.

Or when I was nine and rode a horse for the first time. The ranchers were telling something about how some horses are dangerous, but I wandered off pretty early into the lesson. I ended up in the stables, and saw a very pretty black and white horse named Lyla. I opened the gate and Lyla helped me onto her back. I rode her around the field for a few minutes before the ranchers found us. They were very suprised, because they thought Lyla was a wild horse that was just brought in earlier that day. They were right. The second they took me off Lyla's back she went berserk, kicking, bucking and trying to get away from the workers. I was the only one who could safely ride Lyla after that.

Another time a boa constrictor escaped from its enclosure, when I went to the Zoo. It was my 13th birthday, and my family decided to take me to the zoo to celebrate. I somehow got separated from them, and found my-self at the picnic area. The place was empty but I figured someone would be around soon, so I sat down at one of the tables. It only took a few moments before I heard a hissing sound to my right. I turned my head and saw a large snake slithering onto the table's bench right next to me. He was a boy. I don't know how I knew that, I just... knew. We looked at each other for a little bit, until he started to coil around me. He kept going until he was fully wrapped around my torso, and his head was resting on my shoulder. And just like that we decided to take a nap together. I woke up to people separating me and the snake, and ending up in the hospital. I tried to tell the paramedics that we were just cuddling, but they didn't believe me and continued to look for injuries.

Many other instances have happened, all involving some type of animal.They just get me, and I get them, in a way no one else understands.

Not to say that I don't have any friends, I do, but animals are just easier for me to connect with. It's what gave me my dream of working at the zoo.

Which leads me to today. It's been a little over two years since I started working at the Capital Ridge Zoo and Aquarium, helping and interacting with all the animals in so many different ways. I never expected something like this to happen to me.

In hindsight, there's no way someone didn't find out about these creatures existence.