Dr. Alex Moreno hunched over his work laptop, the faint glow of the screen illuminating his
face illuminated his eye bags as he heard the walls of the wooden shack around him creak
and groan with the wind. This shack was once used by the night shift guard that sparsely
furnished it with an old desk, a couple of chairs and a small cot… It wasn't much considering
the current circumstances but it would have to do for now.
Alex cringed a bit as he smelled the scent of damp wood “I shouldn't have volunteered for
this…” Alex thought, he knew that the night guard had disappeared a few months ago during
a routine patrol. And with the ongoing police investigation and the budget cuts, he knew well
the zoo needed every bit of help it could get until the situation improved enough.


Alex so far had volunteered to fill in the position as long the boss paid him an extra to juggle
with his research and guard duties. It was far from ideal, but the zoo needed every bit of
help it could get… and in the other hand the extra money would help him pay the remainder
of his college debt, not to mention he could research and care for the animals far better than
during the hectic daytime shift.
Alex's phone suddenly buzzed, jolting him from his drowsiness as he stiffled a yawn tired
from the long night he had ahead. He glanced at the caller ID noticing it was Tom the Janitor,
he hesitated for a moment wondering why Tom would be calling him so late in the night
instead of making his way to the shack; But he answered nonetheless.


-"Hey, Tom. What's up?"- Alex said, trying to sound at his best despite of his fatigue, Tom's
voice crackled through the phone -”Hey doc… Just wanted to check in, how're you holding
up?”- Tom asked to the tired doctor, Alex managed to weakly chuckle as he looked at his
laptop screen once more looking at the medical records before him.
-"Surviving, thanks for asking... What's on your mind?"- There was a brief pause between
the two before Tom spoke again -”Rigged the coffee machine for you, thought you could use
some free coffee to get through the night...”- Alex upon hearing this smiled gratefully
-”Thanks tom… you're a real one”- Alex soon took another sip of his half empty coffee cup.


-”Anyways, listen...”- Tom briefly stuttered as Alex scrolled through the blood samples folder
-”It's about Daniel, the night shift guard that disappeared a few months ago”- Alex's heart
skipped a beat upon hearing the mention of the night guard's disappearance, he felt a chill
run down his spine -”Go on…?”- he urged, his curiosity piqued.


-"Well, remember how they found his guard uniform in the kangaroo's cage at the petting
zoo?”-
-”Don't remind me… heard that Jenna's trainers were boinking her after hours, Daniel for
some reason didn’t report about it. Are you implying that he was also…?”-
-”It's not about that! Those two fuckwads are gone and I'm grateful they're out of here!”
-”Huh? What it is then? Daniel isn't exactly the type to...”-


Tom spoke about how weird it was to find Daniel's guard uniform in the kangaroo's cage, but
then about a week later… an adult male kangaroo just appeared in the same cage. No one
knew where it had come from, the female kangaroo wasn't even pregnant and neither was
there any talk of a new addition to the zoo.
-”What are you getting at?”- Alex furrowed his brow in confusion -”It's strange to say the
least… I do know Jenna can fit a fully grown man on her pouch, but she had nothing in there
during the initial investigation and...”- Tom could be heard nervously stuttering before he
abruptly changed the subject for no apparent reason.


-"Anyways, listen doc... With this storm brewing, I'm worried about the electricity in the
park...”- Tom mentioned the electric doors of the cages at the petting zoo randomly opening.
-”Can you do me a favor and check on them for me? My shift's about to end and I already
made enough overtime”- Alex briefly pondered Tom's request before nodding in agreement.
-”Of course Tom… I'll make sure everything's secure”- Alex sighed, hearing Tom's wryly
chuckle in the other side of the line -"Thanks doc.. And hey, watch your back out there Those
kangaroos may look cute, but they've got a mean kick”- Tom audibly groaned -”They're like
oversized rabbits with serious temper issues, I speak from experience”-


Alex couldn't help but chuckle at the events from last September. Tom had just finished
hauling elephant dung out of the enclosure when he stumbled upon Jenna who escaped
from her cage. Startled by his sudden appearance, the kangaroo lashed out and kicked Tom
square in the stomach.
The force of the blow sent him flying backwards, soon crashing into the metal bars of the
elephant enclosure jolting the animals awake as Jenna bounded away the way she came in.
Leaving Tom to nurse his bruises and setting him up to hate kangaroos with a burning rage.


-"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks again, Tom. I'll let you know if I find anything."-
-”Stay safe out there Doc… I still owe you that beer”-


With that said, both said their goodbyes -”Jesus Tom… She didn't even kick you THAT hard
to begin with”- Alex shook his head as he set down his phone hanging up, feeling a mixture
of confusion as he looked at a text from Tom telling him about where to find the bundle of
keys for the cages and the flashlight if he came to need it.
As Alex got up from his chair, he took a moment to gather his essentials inside the wooden
shack. First; he reached for the bright yellow raincoat on the hanger and slipped it over his
shoulders, next up… he ran his hand along the damp wood wall of the shack until he felt the
familiar shape of a key bundle, they briefly jangled as he stuffed them inside of the raincoat's
right pocket.


Turning his attention to the cot in the corner, Alex reached towards the gray pillow and set it
aside as he picked up the bright red flashlight. But alex wasn't finished yet… he took a look
at the crowbar leaning against a nearby wall, he knew that it was rare for a zoo to be intruded
upon… But he didn't feel like taking a chance after what happened to the night guard.
With his essentials gathered and his resolve steeled, Alex swung the door open feeling the
cold night air hitting him as rain kept falling mercilessly. He felt a blast of cold night air
greeting him, accompanied by the relentless patter of rain -”Alright let's do this...”- Alex
thought to himself as he stepped out into the storm.


The chill seeped into his bones despite the protection of his raincoat, he ignored it as he
closed the door behind him and turned the key on the lock. Alex soon slipped the rusted key
into his front pouch as he turned to walk towards the dark paths weaving the many animal
enclosures of Beuwen's wildlife park.
Trudging along the winding paths, Alex's footsteps barely echoed in the vast expanse of the
park mingling with the patter of the falling raindrops. The solitude weighed heavy on him, He
couldn't help but wonder how Daniel the missing night guard had managed to endure the
isolation night after night. The thought sent a shiver down his spine as a sobering reminder
of the eerie emptiness that surrounded him.


Eventually, Alex reached the access stairs leading down to the cages of the petting zoo. He
gripped the rusted railing for support, descending carefully each step as the metal creaked
and squeaked “Goddamnit…” Alex thought as he prayed for the railing not to give in and let
him slip and fall all the way down to the access door to the cages.
Alex soon found himself at the base of the stairs before the rusted blue metal door. He briefly
fished for the right key on the bundle and inserted the key, silently praying for all of the cage
doors to remain open. He didn't feel like chasing after an escaped cow or a moody llama in
the middle of the night, he knew well he'd rather get a scolding from the boss than risk injury
trying to bring them back to their cage.


The access door soon groaned open, revealing a narrow concrete passageway dimly lit by
red emergency lights. Alex's breath got caught in his throat as he looked at the cages that
flanked both sides of the passageway, his stomach churned of fear before the stench of
feces and animals reached his nose… there was no turning back now.
Stepping cautiously into the hallway, Alex closed the rusted metal door behind him with a
soft thud, the sound echoed in the hallway as he took a deep breath to reassure himself
“Okay Alex… calm down, it'll be over soon” He thought gripping the crowbar on his hand as
a way to reassure himself that nothing would go wrong this night.
As Alex slowly walked through t, he passageway, he looked at either side of him feeling
unease as every shadow seemed to shift and twist in the dim light playing tricks on his mind.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched by something else than the security
cameras that were on either end of the passageway.
As Alex made his way down the narrow passage, he passed by the rows of animal cages
briefly looking at their slumbering inhabitants undisturbed by his presence. He soon reached
the end of the hallway and prepared himself to begin inspecting the cage doors hoping no
cage was left open.


Looking at either side of him, Alex tugged on the door of the cage to his right using the
crowbar. He shook the door causing it to rattle a bit but still remaining safely locked
-”Alright… good enough”- he commented to himself, looking at the sheep and cow that woke
up startled from their peaceful slumber -”sorry...”- he whispered to the animals before moving
onto the next cage on the hallway.
He turned to check on the next cage with his thoughts somewhere else, when suddenly a
loud THUD echoed through the air behind him. Alex startled by the unexpected loud noise
stumbled on his feet, he tripped and fell backwards against the bars of the cow cage hitting
his back against it violently as the kangaroo kicked the bars of his cage making them rattle
violently.


The crowbar loudly clanged against the ground causing some of the other animals to wake
up annoyed, Alex looked at the large male kangaroo within the neighboring cage huffing
seemingly irritated at his presence. -”What the fuck is wrong with you?!”- Alex growled angry
before grabbing a loose metal nut from the ground and threw it against the male kangaroo
in front of him, prompting the animal to retreat next to his mate to protect her.
As Alex rose from the ground, he felt a bit guilty at the thought of having disturbed the
animal's peaceful slumber. With a heavy sigh, he retrieved the crowbar from where it had
fallen and resumed his task of testing the cage doors with a bit more caution sparing one
last glance at the angry male kangaroo behind him.


Thankfully, each door he inspected remained securely locked easing the knot of fear in his
stomach. Every time the electric latch refused to open and loudly clicked, he felt his relief
growing as he advanced through the concrete passageway. Everything seemed to be going
well until he noticed the last cage at the left side of the passageway.
Alex felt a chill of fear gripping him as he approached, he clung with fear to the crowbar as
he noticed the door was halfway open. He hesitantly approached the door and attempted to
force it backwards on it's railing, it didn't matter how much he tugged or pulled… the cage
door was definitively stuck. He felt panic welling up inside him not remembering what animal
was housed on this cage.
Taking a deep breath, Alex tried once more to close the cage door… but it only kept
squealing in protest, refusing to budge in any direction. As he struggled with the stubborn
cage door, Alex heard a shuffling noise from within the cage that caught his attention… what
was it? He was sure that the cage was empty, or wasn't it?
Peering into the darkness, Alex felt his eyes widen in fear as he spotted a hulking figure
huddled in the shadows of the cage. Panic set in as his mind raced with thoughts of bears,
rhinos or Bengal tigers that would tear him to shreds...He expected the beast to jump out of
the shadows and maul him in an instant as he closed his eyes and prepared himself for the
worst.


But as the figure stepped into the dim red light, relief washed over Alex as he made out the
shape of the large animal in the cage. It was Sahara, the bactrian camel they used for giving
rides to the kids around the zoo or promotional events in nearby schools and fairs. Towering
at 7 feet of height, her presence was both imposing and reassuring.
He gazed at Sahara's large and round humps that stood prominently, each covered in a
thick fluffy coat of long and sandy-brown colored fur. Her neck was equally fluffy and soft
looking, Alex knew that the camel at the moment had her winter coat and would remain with
it for a few more months until spring finally made it's presence known.


Sahara apparently snorted indignantly at having been disturbed during her sleep, her dark
eyes locked onto Alex with a mixture of curiosity and mild annoyance. Despite her seemingly
aloof demeanor, Alex knew her well enough to recognize she was simply grumpy… she
might huff, groan and act indignant but she was also affectionate in her own way, allowing
him to pet and hug her when she felt like it.
-”Sorry big girl...”- Alex muttered to the large animal as he continued to fumble with the door,
Sahara bellowed indignant and looking judgmental as if critiquing his efforts to get the door
unstuck. Despite Alex's frustration he felt a part of him comforted by her presence, his
unexpected encounter could have gone a lot worse.


As Alex went back to fumble with the jammed door, frustration gnawed at him. It was clear
the wheels in the railings were clogged with dirt, preventing the door from budging an inch
in either direction. With a growl of annoyance, Alex cursed under his breath, wondering who
had neglected the maintenance of the cage.
Even though the door was half open, Alex knew it was still risky to leave it like this… he
knew well the animal didn't fit through the gap between the wall and the cage door, but the
still lingered in his mind. He needed to find a solution—and fast.


With no caretakers or janitor around to help him with the door, Alex jogged back to the
entrance and opened a rusted steamer trunk. He fished through the contents and found a
sturdy rope next to a toolkit, Alex soon jogged his way back to the camel's cage and looped
it through the gap to secure the door in place and block any escape attempts from the large
animal.


Alex finally allowed himself a moment to relax, in the end this really wasn't kind of a big deal
as he initially expected. He soon spotted a half eaten apple lying on the ground nearby and
picked it up, offering it to Sahara which grunted seemingly happy as she delicately plucked
the sweet treat out of his hand and ate it.
The usually aloof camel seemed to grow more affectionate, nudging him gently with her
muzzle and leaning into his touch. Before he could react, Sahara pressed closer, her warm
breath tickling his skin as she nuzzled against him insistently. Sensing her neediness, Alex
hesitated for a moment before tentatively wrapping his arms around her neck, returning the
embrace. He began to stroke her fluffy fur, marveling at its luxurious softness beneath his
fingertips.


Lost in the moment, Alex was caught off guard when Sahara suddenly took another step
forward. Her massive form pressed against him as he stumbled backwards with a startled
cry, only to be knocked off balance as the camel bodily slammed into him. The impact send
Alex into the ground as Sahara loomed over him, laying on his back he was defenseless as
the animal took a few more steps over him.
Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, Sahara lowered herself atop him,
her massive fluffy body pinned him down with surprising strength -”ungh! Whag the?!”- Alex
coughed struggling to catch his breath as his limbs remained trapped beneath the weight of
the camel as he lay helpless beneath her.


As Alex lay beneath Sahara's hefty frame, he couldn't help but marvel at her surprising
gentleness considering her weight. He wasn't being crushed into a pancake but instead,
enveloped in a warm hefty cocoon of fluffy fur and affection. The sensation felt oddly
comforting despite his predicament.
Struggling slightly beneath her, Alex attempted to coax the affectionate camel in getting off
him. But his efforts were met with playful resistance from the animal as she wriggled in place,
better securing her hold on him as her face looked straight at his, Alex felt his eyes widen
as he noticed what Sahara was about to do.


Ignoring his commands, the camel instead shifted her attention as she licked her lips idly
chewing. Alex wriggled a bit more strongly beneath the camel as her warm, wet tongue
lapped affectionately at his face. At first, Alex cringed at the sensation, the stench of her
breath and the texture of her tongue made him squirm uncontrollably. But as the camel
continued her affectionate assault, he couldn't help but chuckle at her playful antics.
Trapped beneath the camel's weight, Alex resigned himself to his fate feeling content to bask
on her warmth and affection. He still couldn't ignore the stench that emanated from her
breath, a pungent mixture of grass, hay and the remnants of whatever food or oats she had
consumed earlier. The sour odor of her saliva lingered in the air, adding to the discomfort of
the situation.


Alex squirmed beneath the weight of the large Bactrian camel, her affectionate licks
smothered his face. Despite his discomfort, he couldn't deny that he was subtly enjoying the
affectionate antics from Sahara. Alex's cheeks flushed crimson as her rough tongue grazed
his skin and for a moment, he felt a prodding intrusion within his mouth.


-”Hugnph!”- Alex groaned and gagged feeling the dark-bluish tonge snake it's way into his
mouth as the animal's lips pressed against him. He gagged as the large camel retreated
from her deep kiss and apparently snickered at his reaction, Alex then started to feel
something strange happening around his body as her head rested against his.
Slowly but steadily, a tingling sensation danced along his arms. He wasn't sure if it was the
camel's fur that he felt but he soon caught a small glance of his arm, noticing a gradual but
unmistakable growth of fur that soon set Alex into panic. His skin prickled as patches of


With each successive lick, Alex's unease grew. A strange stirring churned within him, a
sensation foreign and alarming. He recoiled as his lips brushed against hers, a fleeting
moment of contact that sent shivers down his spine.


Then, it began—a subtle, insidious transformation that seized hold of his body. A tingling
sensation danced along his arms, followed by a gradual but unmistakable growth of fur.
Panic surged through him as he watched in horror, his skin prickling as patches of coarse
hair sprouted from his flesh.
Dread coiled in the pit of his stomach, Alex's mind reeled with disbelief as he realized the
unthinkable… was he turning into a camel?! He began to struggle beneath Sahara's frame
as she shifted to hold him still in place, with his arms pinned beneath her hefty body there
wasn't much he could do to try and inchworm his way out from beneath her.


Sahara in the other hand didn't seem to pay much attention to him as Alex begged her to let
him go, she kept affectionately licking his face as he struggled beneath the hefty weight of
her body. The fur sprouting from his arms was only a reminder of the changes that were
quickly taking place within his body.
His attempts to wriggle free from beneath the weight of the camel were met with stubborn
resistance, Sahara's massive form served as an anchor that kept him captive against his
changes… The tingling sensation soon began to spread like wildfire through his body without
mercy, Alex soon began to yell for help before the camel silenced his cry of help with what
seemed another deep kiss from a passionate lover.


Flesh began to shift and contort beneath his stretching skin, fur would begin to cover the
skin as Alex felt his muscles and Sinews twisting and reforming without delay. He felt how
the camel's long tongue snaked and intertwined with his as she refused to pull out from the
deep kiss, Alex gagged and coughed mumbled by Sahara's kiss as he yelled muffled by her
thick lips; She soon broke the kiss before allowing Alex to check on her handywork.
Alex occasionally caught glances of the changes happening across his body, his limbs would
elongate and reshape themselves as his bones creaked in protest. He didn't feel a single
tinge of pain as they bent and stretched like rubber; his fingers soon elongated into stout
and sturdy appendages before they merged together into thick and padded hooves.


As Alex's squirmed beneath Sahara, his clothing strained and tore against the onslaught of
his expanding form. He groaned and gagged as the fabric of his shirt groaned in protest,
seams would begin bursting as his torso swelled and contorted followed by his muscles
rippling beneath as they adjust to the demands of his new body.
He soon heard the tearing fabric echoing through the cage as he grew larger in size, not
even his pants were spared from the ongoing metamorphosis as his hips became more
ample and muscular. He even felt how his back grew two large humps as he was forced to
lay on his side, even then Sahara didn't get off from him as her face loomed over his.


Alex gagged and coughed feeling the animal's saliva drenching his mouth and throat, he felt
a sense of dread as Sahara's head moved in inching closer to his own in a grotesque parody
of deep intimacy. His muffled cries for help were muffled as her rough lips pressed against
his own, sealing his fate with a chilling inevitability laced with tenderness.
With each passing moment, Alex felt how the long dark-bluish tongue of the camel
intertwined with his own as she kept her lips pressed against his. His features contorted and
shifted, his nose elongating into a broad tapered muzzle, his lips thickened and curled into
a leathery grimace followed by his eyes shifting into the dark shape of a soulless gaze.


As Sahara's kiss dragged on, Alex's transformation accelerated sending the rest of the
changes through his ears. They soon elongated into slender, tufted appendages that
twitched and swiveled at the sounds around him, his senses soon would shift into those of
a creature that lived on the desert.
Alex felt his sense of smell sharpening, his vision blurring as it's eyes readapted to the sights
before him. He tried to yell and call for help, but his voice soon revealed itself to be a guttural
and animalistic groan… He soon heard the loud POP that Sahara's lips made as she parted
her lips with his and slowly got off from him.
With wobbly legs Alex rose his large body unsteadily, he felt himself trembling as he took a
few unsteady steps forward and gazed into a small puddle of water in the hallway. His
surface mirrored the harsh reality he had found himself dragged into, staring back at him
was not the face of a man but of a camel.
A wave of horror soon washed over him as the truth about Daniel dawned on him, the night
guard hadn't dimply vanished into the night or fled… he had fallen victim to the same cruel
fate that had befallen upon Alex. It wasn't a male kangaroo that had been brought to the zoo
off the records, Daniel had been turned into a kangaroo by the female kangaroo on her cage.


Bellowing in mournful agony, Alex realized the grim reality of his situation… no one would
ever know what had happened to him, he would be considered missing just like the night
guard and soon enough replaced by a new candidate. Alex once more loudly bellowed into
the concrete halls as rain outside kept pattering without mercy, his new reality soon settling
in as the first hour of the dawn would shine upon Beuwen's zoo.