//------------------------------//
// Tour 
// Story: Vacant Niches 
// by Jongoji245 
//------------------------------//

Your question leads you to the zoo, stepping out of Cosgrove's car and walk to the entrance.

“Paying for two.” Says Cosgrove, slapping a twenty dollar bill on the counter.

“Whoa, whoa.” You reach for your wallet and open it, finding only a five. You see a three-fingered hand lower yours.

“No need to pay for me.” He says before grabbing a couple wristbands.

You wrap your wristband and follow your boss. You look around, watching the animals in their enclosures. Some, like the polar bears, otters, and meerkats make you giggle. Others such as the elephants and lions give you willies. But one enclosure containing the zebras gives your mind something to talk about in light of Cosgrove paying for you.

“So, how much does your job pay?” You see Cosgrove turn his head.

“Ask that in a job interview and you won't get a job.” 

You draw your head back a little, ashamed that you asked. But you see his face turn into a pitiful one

“But, it does pay if you're a capable horse rider.” His eyes turn to his left, turning his head forward. “We're here.”

Ahead of you is a large enclosure, no windows aside from the air ducts and covered in child-friendly illustrations. The only means of entry for the two of you is a small door with the label, “Employees only beyond this point.” But despite the chubby fingers, you can see that Cosgrove has the key to the building, entering the passcode and holds the door for you.

You feel a strong contrast with the interior. To your left and your right are glass windows into darkness. You stop and look into one such window, trying to find out what’s inside. Then you jump back at the open, toothy maw launching at you. The fact that it’s the snake woman made you think how long you were knocked out. She slithers away from you while keeping her glare.

“This is where we have them reside.” You turn to Cosgrove looking at another kennel and decide to join him. The one across from the serpent was a creature that reminded you of the Loch Ness Monster, but with more horns than you imagine.

“Why don’t you just release them back to…” - You try to find the name for the location while looking to the right and seeing a winged creature that reminded you of Dracula’s monster form in Van Helsing - “Equestria, was it?”

“We can, but the process is a bit risky.”

While your ears pick up your boss’ little talk, you walk away from the winged demon, giving it a grimace before looking forward.

“Sometimes, we have to keep them here for a long while.”

The next exhibit got your eyes wide open while hugging the glass. A living, breathing, sleeping, dinosaur, and a T. rex no less, right before you. Gray in color with a cream colored belly and a long scar running from its left eye to the tip of its claw. Your mouth remains agape while you hear a humorous chuckle.

“Red Claw wouldn’t survive in the wild for another few years, it’s best to let the old soldier spend the rest of his days in peace.”

You see Cosgrove walk further down the hall before looking at the dinosaur again. Assuming this glass to be the one-sided glass you see in crime movies, you make a couple taps. Tapping louder and you see his bloodied eye open felt the floor shake when the beast roars. Startled, you run to Cosgrove. You keep looking, finding more captured creatures; most appear to be mammals, but there are a few that you can see as bird-like or reptilian.

“No!” 

You see Cosgrove running, and so run as well. Your rush gets you to a sunlit area, at the center of which is a large bird cage. Only, there are no birds, in fact, there isn’t anything you can see.

“So, are there any creatures that can become invisible?” From the concerned look of your boss, this wasn’t an enclosure for invisible beasts. You then see him turn and run to another door, running with him to a room with several televisions displaying the freaks of nature in their enclosure and one unconscious person.

“Is he…?” You see Cosgrove inspect the body, shaking his head.


“No, but that doesn’t stop the fact that someone broke into the place.” 

You see him squint at the television displaying the empty cage, only now having darkened beasts with shiny wings. Looking closely, you find the screen flicker; said intruder must have set the footage on repeat.

“We’re gonna have to get them back, do we?”

“That, or we kill them.” You see him take out a small, black box. “What, you didn’t think that we put them in here without having them microchipped?”





Your next destination takes you much further from home, thirty-two miles southeast to be exact. You lean forward in awe at the large mansion with a construction that would make the White House jealous. The fact that the gate is open raises your eyebrow by the time Cosgrove parks his vehicle.

“That was easy to get in.” The thought gets you on edge. If the media is something, getting in places too easily means bad things follow. And you are correct when the gates close themselves. “It's a trap!”

Hearing hissing and chirping, you turn around. Before you and the boss is a large pack of black creatures. From the texture of their skin and wings, you think they might be insects, but their ape like snouts, bipedal stance, and skeletal limbs might have you think otherwise. They begin to surround you, baring their sharp teeth. Then, from your left, you are given a large weapon: a sword as big as your arm. You look to said direction just in time to see Cosgrove starting to glow and gain some beastly features; not the same beast mode you saw in the Fall Formal, but they’re present.

“Anon,” - He says in a more gruff voice - “meet the Changelings.”

On cue, one of them jumps at you and lets out a horrid scream. You stand up, doing your best to lift the long object of steel. It’s already been nearly a day and you’re all ready going to get your feet deep in mud. Time for the big test.