The media caught wind. Headlines flared: “Tigers Too Dangerous?” “Zoo Miracle Turning Deadly?” Protesters gathered outside the gates, signs waving, chanting about cruelty and danger. Zachary avoided cameras, burying himself in chores, his face drawn. Every roar from the enclosure now seemed amplified, feeding the storm surrounding them.
Night after night, he walked the grounds, pausing at the tiger enclosure. Their eyes gleamed through the bars, following him with unsettling focus. He stood there, breath clouding in the cold air, and felt the weight of inevitability pressing in. Something was coming. He couldn’t decide if it was mercy or doom.