Zoe POV:

My alarm clock blared, giving me a great wakeup call at 5:00 AM. Note the extreme sarcasm on the great part.

As much as I did not want to admit it I knew two things. One: today is the first day of school at Briar Wood High School. Two: I have to get up early of I will be late for my job. Most people consider it pretty weird that I wanted to work at sixteen. I mean both of my parents had stable jobs. My mom Maddison Russell directed lots of music videos for many famous singers, like Kira Ford. My dad Nick Russell owned R&Rs auto repair shop. The auto part was sort of a lie, since the best type of work my dad could do was on motorcycles. Any other type of car and he'd be a little clueless, even if he's to stubborn to admit it. The first R stood for Russell and the other R stood for Rocca my moms maiden last name.

Grunting I finally managed to convince myself to get out of my warm cocoon of blankets and start to get ready, all while cursing myself for taking up Mr. Dean on this job. Quickly I pulled on light blue skinny jeans, a red t-shirt and a old, but in good shape leather jacket that my dad had given me. To finish off my first day of school look I quickly pulled on a bracelet that held a small chunk of aquamarine in the middle, framed with gold.

After a quick brushing of both my hair and teeth I deemed that my ADHD was not doing a good job at keeping me hyper. Oh well a sugary breakfast and large cup of caffeine can fix any problem.

As I hurried down the stairs I passed my twin brothers Noah's room, knowing very well he would not be up for a half an hour. Weird. People always say twins are alike but we aren't much like each other. He loves everything technology related, while I love to be in nature and around animals. He eats healthy, I load myself up on sugar and caffeine. I guess there are a couple things besides our parents we share though. Both of us like basketball, and are protective of the ones we trust. But if your looking for more similarities even in our looks you wont find much.

"Morning Zoe," greeted the warm voice of my mom, who was still in her bathrobe nursing a cup of coffee. My mom Maddison or Maddie to our dad, was a gentle person whose smile would light up the room the second she entered. Mom was also the kind of person you didn't want to piss off. I didn't manage it often but when I did it was bad

"Morning mum. Now what's for breakfast, I'm growing and as a parent it's your job to feed me?"

My mom just ruffled my hair playfully, completely used to my antics at this point. "I made French toast for breakfast. Before you eat could you go get your dad and Noah up. I tried but dads attached to his work and Noah's attached to his comforter."

"Yeah mom, I got it," I chirped opening up the door in the kitchen that attached to my dad's garage.

Inside I found my father with the hood of his Red Harley motorcycle attempting to fix something in the engine. I also learned some rather  ahem, colorful vocabulary before he noticed that I was in the garage with him.

"Hey Zo-zo," he greeted his face already smeared with soot from the Harley. "You sleep alright?"

"Hey dad, how's the motorcycle going? And yeah I slept alright ."

He cringed. "Eh, Fiona here is being a pain in my as- butt. She's getting pretty old." My dad added sounding like he announced my grandmother only had a couple of days left.  Then again that motorcycle was his baby, fourth only to me, Mom, and Noah, so it was about the same thing.

"Well come on out breakfast is ready, and don't worry," I added when his sea green eyes widened in worry, "I won't tell mom about all of the vocabulary you teach me. Can't rat out my main supplier."

"You ratted out your Uncle Xander," he replied raising an eyebrow.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Guess I was feeling like a brat. Besides I was five and mom or you hardly swore so I was curious what it meant."

"Alright, alright, you win," he said throwing his hands up in surrender. "I'll be in in a minute."

I grinned in satisfaction as I happily skipped up the stairs to wake up my twin brother in the best way I knew. By jumping directly on top of his head. Ah sibling love.

" ZOEEEEEEE," he screeched with annoyance, his curly black hair going into his chocolate brown eyes as he sat bolt upright. "Why would you do that?!" He yelped with annoyance.

"Because were twins and as the older one I can jump on my baby brother whenever I want." I replied sticking my tongue out at him.

"I am not your baby brother!" Noah growled in annoyance.

"Oh really?" I replied crossing my arms. "Then why was I born eleven minutes before you were hmm? Got an explanation for that tech boy?" 

Scowling Noah lunged at me, we both grunted as we collided and nearly fell down the stairs, neither of us willing to admit defeat. Curse the stubbornness of my family.

"Zoe, Noah, that's enough," I heard my fathers voice boom his eyes glinted firmly.

"She started it," Grumbled Noah as we broke apart and settled down at the table 

"I did not! The only thing I did was wake you up for school." I shot back with annoyance glittered in my sea green eyes.

"Both of you that's enough," my mother scolded. "Now eat your breakfast. Zoe do you want to be late for work? It's your first day and you have to make a good impression."

"Sorry mum," I apologized, before stuffing my face with my French toast, but not until I dumped half a bottle of syrup on it.

"That's disgusting," muttered Noah wrinkling up his nose in disgust, as he cut his piece into bites and began to eat, dipping it in syrup between bites.

Ten minutes passed, full of silver wear clattering and content chewing before I checked my phone. 6:15. "Got to go. I'll see you after school." I said grabbing my backpack up off the floor before slipping my phone into my pocket and heading out the front door.

Quickly I grabbed my bike and headed down the uncrowded streets of Briar Wood, then again not many people were up this early. School didn't start for another hour and a fifteen minutes. Then as I passed the hardware store I noticed something strange. A dark and tall figure with a large horn on the top of his head was visible through the window. I looked around wondering if I was hallucinating then remembered I was the only one awake. I looked back only to notice that the creature was gone. I gave the surrounding area a quick once over, then realizing it was gone, I quickly biked through town until I came across the sign I was looking for.

Peter Dean's Animal Reserve And Rescue; Now Open To The Public! Read the large tan sign in giant green bubble letters, with big cartoonish animals surrounding it. I had met Mr. Dean about a week ago, he said he was an old friend of our parents and was looking for someone to help him out with the animals in the evening and in the afternoon. I agreed immediately since I already loved and animals, and as a sixteen year old almost always needed cash. Noah wanted to help out at first but after figuring out he'd have to work with reptiles he'd backed out in an instant. That's another thing we have in common. We both hate reptiles with a burning fear. I mean I can tolerate them for a few minutes and so can he, but then we will completely loose it. Still my fear of reptiles would not stop me. Hopefully. Jumping of my bike I found myself directly outside of an office that read Management, once again in the same green bubble letters. A rusty screen door creaked loudly as I went inside. At the desk I was greeted by a Asian man who looked to be in his late sixties at least with his head that was slowly balding and wrinkle lines around, his still sparkling brown eyes. 

"Good morning Zoe," he greeted in a raspy tone as though he had just rolled out of bed.

"Morning Mr. Dean. How's it going?"

"Good, very good," he rasped back in response. "Now come right on back out this door and you can start meeting the animals. Any in particular you'd like to meet more than others?"

I blinked thinking about all of my animals. Most apart from reptiles were fine but I told him that I preferred big cats over anything else.  

Mr. Dean looked back at me, curiousness twinkling in his brown eyes. "Okay then why don't you follow me Zoe. I have someone I think you would like to meet."

"Okay," I agreed as we walked across the stone path that connected all of the exhibits. One exhibit held a couple of spotted Hyenas who walked around cackling. Another exhibit held a mother red wolf who was bathing a couple of squirming pups, who yipped and wiggled at every stroke of her tongue. The dad wagged his tail, and glanced up at us nervously as we walked by. To my surprise we didn't head to an enclosure instead we went directly into a building with a large red cross on the center. The universal sign for a hospital. The area inside was clean and white, with a main lobby the was connected a horizontal. A  African American woman was settled at a desk busily typing up a report on something I couldn't see . Mr. Dean rocked back and forth on his heels for a solid minute before she finally noticed us. Her dark eyes took me in, then darted over to Mr. Dean with a silent question, what do you want and why have you interrupted my work. 

"Zoe I'd like you to meet Abigail Swan. Chief veterinarian here. She helps us with just about all of our rescues and has been here almost as long as I hav which is why she pretty much runs the show even if I'm supposed to be the one in charge." He added on chuckling lightly as Abigail looked at him unamused.

"Yes, yes, I'm in charge this isn't new information. Now tell me what you want. I have got work to do you know." She stared at me almost like she was willing me to leave the building. I'll admit the glare she fixed on me was intimidating as all hell but I was far to stubborn to look and away and kept my eyes focused on hers. Mr. Dean cleared his throat interrupting our little showdown.

"Amira," he requested. "I would like to give Zoe a taste of our life."

Abigail looked at me in surprise. "You must really like her," she muttered under her breath, before typing a couple keys into her computer. "Zoe come with me, Peter has other matters he needs to attend to." She said, aiming a pointed glare at Mr. Dean who held up his hands sheepishly.

"I'll see to it Abby," he replied with a raspy chuckle, surprisingly not minding being bossed  around.

Abby rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah now come on Zoe," she commanded leaning me down a hallway at a brisk pace.

"Just be mindful of her wounds. Amira just came in and still in bad shape so don't stress her out." She added on giving both of us a pointed look, even though we had not done anything

"Ok," both of us agreed.

Following Mr. Dean I was led into a large room that had a glass window and plenty of soft blankets mixed with hay for bedding. Inside was one of the most beautiful animals I had ever seen. A young tigress with striking amber eyes was pacing about. She easily came up to my waist and had thick orange fur, with black stripes, and creamy white underbelly. Her eyes pierced mine and an eerie chill went through my entire body. I couldn't not have a foolish urge to reach out and stroke her fluffy looking pelt. I would of course loose my arm in the process, but hey maybe it would be worth it. I felt a sense of horror overcome my body, as I looked at her flank. It was covered in bandages, and now I realized that the awful scent in this room was the scent of infection from that wound. Just barley peeking out you could make out the edges of a steaming and red wound, that had likely been layered up with antibiotics. The wound itself looked like a combination of claws and bite marks. I shuddered feeling a wave of sympathy for Amira. All of that pain that she must have endured.

"This is Amira. We rescued her from a road side zoo a few days ago. They were using her in a fighting ring. Put her up against lions for some sick form of entertainment." He spat out the last part in disgust and a wave of white hot anger rushed through my body.

"Who the hell is sick enough to classify that as entertainment?"

Mr. Dean frowned in disgust. "More people than you might think Zoe. That same zoo had all sorts of taxes over due, hungry animals, and putting them through severe abuse to make them "perform" better."

"Those people shouldn't be alive," I snapped hearing the growl in my voice.

"I agree. But now a more serious manner. One of the reasons why I needed new employees was because Amira need a round the clock care. Unfortunately, Abagail is busy with the other animals. So I was wondering if You'd be willing to take up the job?"

"Yes," I agreed immediately. "I would love to. Just tell me what I need to do."

"In that case the first manner of business would be for the two of you to meet each other."

I stared at him wondering if he was still sane. "Umm Mr. Dean, no offense but are you insane? That's a full grown tiger that could take me out without breaking a sweat. Er well if a tiger could sweat but you get my point."

"You'll be fine," he said in a tone that I guess he thought was reassuring. The only thing it reassured me of is that I had a unstable boss. "I trust these animals with my life, I expect you to do the same." His dark brown eyes locked onto mine and I couldn't help but feel as if this was some sort of test. If it was chances are I'll end up failing. But some part of me deep within refused to let me unlock my eyes determined to meet the fate that was meeting Amira.

I swallowed my throat being a bit dry with nervousness. "Ok." I said finally. "I will meet Amira."

Mr. Dean broke out into a wide and enthusiastic smile. "I knew there was something different about you Zoe, right from the moment we were introduced. Time will tell if that is good or bad." As he said the last part his voice dropped into so low of a whisper I was certain he had not said anything and I had imagined it. I decided that it was best to ignore his words for now and try to focus on the task at hand. The task might get me killed but at least it would be a decently cool way to die.

I followed Mr. Dean around to the side of the room where a large steel door was opened. I looked at him. He was watching me expectantly clearly waiting for me to do something. So I swallowed my nervousness and pushed open the door, which gave a loud creak of protest. Instantly the predators eyes were locked on me. She had not gotten up yet, but her muscles were bunched up with nervousness. For a moment both of us stared at each other neither of us moving.

"Um hey." I greeted awkwardly. "I'm supposed to be taking care of you. So if you could you know not kill me that would be ideal."

Now over my years of middle and high school I've had my fair share of awkward moments. But having a staring contest with a tiger and talking to her definitely made the top of that list. Then the tiger made a chuffing noise in the back of her throat and allowed her tensed up muscles to uncoil themselves, resting her large head against her massive paws. I took a hesitant step forward. Receiving no growl or aggressive movement I continued forward until as was about a foot away from her. Amira still hadn't lifted her head up but her eyes still watched me with dangerous observance.

Deciding that since I had been a fool since the very start of coming in her enclosure I decided to finish it off, and squat down directly next to the tiger. Amira was laying in a large bed that was a combination of straw and soft fleecy blankets. Now that I was up closer I could smell the infection even worse and realized that almost all of her ribs were showing. Very, very cautiously I tentatively reached out and stroked my hand through the soft, but matted fur. To my surprise Amira let out another chuff and allowed me to continue stroking her, her head bumping my hand if I stopped.

"Thanks," I muttered as I continued my strokes at a steady pace. "Glad you decided not to kill me and to like me instead. As I was stroking her fur I noticed something glittering in the straw. Looking closer I saw a shiny red stone. "Huh," I murmured in surprise. "What's that doing in here." Reaching down I carefully picked it up and hissed in pain. My entire body had a quick shuddering burn that passed through it. Amira stared at me wondering what was happening. I clenched my fist shut with the stone still inside. After a few seconds the burning pain stopped and the stone glowed for a brief moment. Quickly I glanced at the window wondering if I was the only one who saw this. Nobody looked back at me, Mr. Dean or any of his workers were no where in sight. Glancing down at the bright red stone, I sighed before slipping it into my pocket. Then I looked at the clock on my phone, and almost swore aloud. I know had fifteen minutes to get to school and that on my bike it would take me at least twenty.

I stood up fast, dusting the stray straw off of my jeans. "Sorry Amira," I apologized. "I have to go to hell- I mean school." She just looked at me clearly convinced that I had lost my marbles. I opened up the heavy door then closed it, being sure to lock it before I headed out to the reception room, still thinking about the weird stone that was resting in my pocket. I must have had a weird expression on my face as I walked into the reception room where Abagail was because she asked me about it.

"Zoe you okay. You look like someone just told you we eat water instead of drink it?"

"Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine but I've got to get to school," I added aiming the comment at Mr. Dean who was lounging in one of the chairs reading a magazine.

He glanced at me. "Yes you can leave. I will see you this afternoon correct?" He questioned.

"Yeah," I muttered. "This afternoon," I repeated as my thoughts wavered on my new stone.