The Skinwalker Hunter

Chapter 2 - Mia present day

"Welcome to Sydney Zoo, Mia speaking, " my words were autonomous as I held the phone to my ear. Listening to the voice coming through the receiver, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the question he was asking me. "No sir, this isn't Taronga Zoo. You've reached Sydney Zoo."

"Yes, we are a zoo, " I replied to yet another inane question as I started twisting the phone cord around my finger. "Yes, they are real animals. We are open seven days a week".

Breaking into my sales spiel I freed my finger from the cord and stood up to look out the window. A couple were walking past with balloons tied to a pram, while their three-year-old boy ran circles around them, obviously hyped up on sugar. Finishing up the call with the usual pleasantries, I placed the receiver back in its cradle and glanced at my watch. Only an hour left of my shift and if today was anything to go by, it was going to drag on. 

The family outside had now stopped in front of the lion exhibit and were unstrapping an infant from the pram. I shook my head in disapproval, watching the little boy pulling himself up the enclosure wall to get a better look. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to have kids. He pushed himself up, with his hands off the top of the sandstone wall until he was standing upright and then commenced banging his hands against the perspex protection screen.

His parents were completely oblivious to his antics, but Sampson wasn't. Sampson had his eyes trained on the little boy as he edged his way along the wall towards the overhanging branch at the far end of the enclosure.

I glanced over to the parents and they hadn't noticed the scene unfolding before my eyes. "Unbelievable, " I breathed out. No, of course not. They were too busy laying out the contents of the baby bag onto the bench seat, desperately searching for something, to notice that their other child was now scrambling up the perspex and reaching for the tree branch.

I hitched my breath as the little boy swayed dangerously over the lion's side of the wall. Sampson rose to his feet, stretching his legs and started making his way over to the corner of the enclosure. I could feel the panic tightening in my chest. What were these people thinking? Why weren't they watching their son? 

The branch creaked then snapped sending the little boy hurtling to the ground. I let out an ear-piercing scream as he landed on the hard ground of the lion enclosure. 

A million scenarios flickered through my mind, none of them ending well for the boy. I needed to gauge Sampson's reaction. Finally, my scream caught the attention of the boy's parents and now they were staring at me like I was completely nuts. They both deserved a good b***h slap. 

I pointed at the two hundred kilos of male African lion making its way across the enclosure towards their three-year-old. 

The realisation finally dawned on them, and hysteria started to kick in. The woman darted to the far end of the enclosure screaming for her son, her arms flailing in the air. The man clung tightly to the baby and just stood there in stunned silence.

Sampson was getting closer and I had to do something before it was too late. 

But what?

My grandmother's words echoed through my mind as I slumped down in my chair and tried concentrating. Relaxation is the key, Grandma always told me in our quiet controlled practice environment. Not as easy when a small child was about to be mauled less than twenty metres away.

Find something to stare at.

Breathe in deeply then slowly let it out.

Visualise what you want to possess.

Blocking out the hysterical screaming coming from behind me, I concentrated on my breathing. 

Deep breath in, slowly release.

Deep breath in, slowly release.

The smudge, I was staring at on the wall, finally started to quiver as my eyes began to vibrate. Leaning back in my chair I began to visualise what I wanted to possess. I could feel myself becoming lighter as the vibrations intensified until finally, everything became still.

Opening my eyes, I was no longer in my office but surrounded by the lush green foliage inside the lion's enclosure. My vision was more acute and the slightest of movements caught my attention. 

Focus Mia. I told myself as I slowed my pace continuing to head towards the little boy. 

Screams from the growing crowd of onlookers pierced my ears making me wince and a low guttural rumble came from behind me. Oh crap, it was Delilah. The crowd must have woken her and she trotting up behind me.

Great! I had reasonable control of Sampson but stopping a curious, irritable lioness was a completely different ball game. Turning back to check I let out a warning growl only she could hear and maneuvered Samson's massive body across her path.

The distance between the boy's crumpled body and myself was decreasing quickly. I was running out of time to do something. Yet, I still didn't know exactly what that was. 

Think, Mia, think!

I could hear Grandma's voice in my head, chastising me for acting before planning things out first. There was no time for planning this time I tried to convince myself knowing all too well it was grandma I'd have to convince.

The crowd had now tripled in size and were throwing whatever they could find at both Delilah and me to distract us from the boy. Leaping at him, I twisted my body to face Delilah, landing on my haunches ready to attack. Delilah stopped a metre from my face, glaring at me, baring her teeth and snarling so loud it earned loud gasps from the onlookers, but that wasn't going to stop her. Nothing but a miracle was going to distract her from investigating what was on the ground up ahead. 

My heart was pounding and short, quick pants came from my snout. She tried to sidestep around me to get to the boy so I mirrored her movements. She had way more animal instincts and determination then I could try and act out. Feigning a left and leaping to the right, she was too fast and bounded straight past me, closing the gap and reaching the boy within seconds. My heart was threatening to break through my ribcage now and panic was taking over. Delilah was now crouched over the boy, sniffing and nudging him with her muzzle. Each nudge produced a moan or a whimper and at any moment the boy would wake up. 

Spinning around, I spotted one of the keepers from a high vantage point, out of the corner of my eye. He had a tranquillizer gun aimed at Delilah but she was too close to the boy. It would be too dangerous to take a shot. What were they thinking? That's when I knew what I had to do. 

Positioning myself close enough and at the right angle, I crouched down with my rump in the air and summoned as much strength as I could. In one bound I covered the distance between myself and Delilah landing headfirst into her side, knocking her several metres from the boy, causing her to roll multiple times. Finally, she came to a rest on her back, hissing at me the whole time.

Taking advantage of her vulnerable position, I pinned her down with my massive paws using my weight advantage to hold her down. That's when the dart whistled past my ears, embedding itself in Delilah's shoulder. That was my cue to leave.

Returning to your own body is a lot easier than possessing another. Relaxing my weight and closing my eyes, the ground felt like it was shaking beneath me for the briefest of moments before the scent of my perfume tickled my nose. Opening my eyes, I sighed with relief. I've never been so happy to see my office slowly came into focus. No time to waste, I had to get out of here. 

Cover your tracks, Mia, grandma's voice reminded me and she was right. My arse would be fired if anyone realised I had sat in my chair doing nothing while a small child's life was being threatened.

Crouching down below the level of the window, I shuffled to the door. Lucky for me, the crowd was large enough for me to slip outside unnoticed.

"Excuse me, pardon me, " I pushed my way through the crowd, fake puffing and panting. Spotting some zookeeper uniforms I forced my way to the other side of the crowd. "What's going on?" 

"Kid fell in the lion enclosure, " Terry replied.

"You missed it, Mia, " Abby chimed in. "Delilah looked ready to eat him then Sampson attacked her. He must have wanted the kid for himself."

"Shut your mouths now, " Paul hissed. "Where have you been, Mia?"

I could hear the accusatory tone of his voice and gulped down the lump forming in my throat. Paul Roberts was the head keeper of the carnivores and the senior keeper in my department. He also had the power to fire me on the spot if my answer wasn't a legitimate reason. "I had to go to the administration office to pick up next week's roster. The board needs to be updated before I finish today, " I lied through my teeth.

"Well, make sure you get it done, " he turned back to the enclosure and the sleeping lions. Thankfully he was preoccupied and easily accepted my excuse without another thought.

The crowd erupted with cheers and applause. Turning back to the enclosure, the keepers had escorted two paramedics past the sleeping lions and over to the boy. He was now sitting up with a brace around his neck and a smile plastered across his face. They encouraged him to lay down on the spinal board strapping him down before heading to the exit at the rear of the enclosure.

I made my way back through the crowd to the office. I quickly wrote the following weeks roster on the board, grabbed my lunch box and headed for my locker at the administration office.

Today I saved a little boy's life and no one would ever know. I was overly excited, adrenaline still coursing through me yet strangely empty. There was only one person I could trust enough to tell and she would understand everything I was feeling.