Zoo Sickness

• Olive Suessenbach, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2019

Audrey slowly walked to the lion pen, also know known as Lion’s Rock, in the Zoo. When she got there, she felt strange, like something was suspicious. Well, it was Friday, so maybe I’m just tired she thought.
Audrey ran to the food that was laid out for the lions. The lions were sleeping like most days. Food will wake them up she thought to herself. When she put the food in for the lions, they still didn’t move. Hmmm she thought….that’s weird.
Later that day, she came to the lion pen again, after all of her other animal duties. She couldn’t believe what she found. It was a small oval with purple all over it and an orange ‘L’ on it. It was a bullet. Audrey also saw a dead lion. Her knees buckled beneath her and she fell to the ground.
The next minute, Audrey was sprinting to the head Zoo Keepers Office to ask him what they should do. “I’ll ring the police,” he said.
That night, Audrey couldn’t sleep. It was all so confusing. Why would anyone shoot a lion she wondered?
The next morning, Audrey was chatting to a man in a purple jacket. When they finished chatting, the man turned around and saw an orange ‘L’ on his jacket. “It was him!” She yelled at the top of her lungs.
The police came running and the man was captured and taken to Perth Police Station. Well that was a lot in two days thought Audrey to herself. To this day, Audrey still doesn’t understand why anyone would want to hurt and innocent animal.

The End.