No longer did the women sport wrinkles or gray hair. No chubby waistlines or ponderous energy levels due to the drain of obesity or chemical-laced food of a progressive population. No diabetes, asthma, allergies or headaches; just buoyant perfect health that they all attributed to the unusual food they ate.
And with perfect health came animal attraction to the other sex. Why not? They were living and working in close quarters. The adults looked younger than they had in ten years. It was only natural and helped pass the time. Many of the new couples had long discarded the secret nature of their budding romances and moved into quarters they could share together, announcing carefully to all that they were a couple.
Netty took in the happy black and white faces of Gloria and Billy, the trucker who no longer toted an inhaler everywhere. Gloria danced her days away, her work a joy, her diabetes gone with the emergence of a strikingly beautiful and youthful figure. And now she had the love of a man who thought she walked on water. What more could she ask for? Even her cache of mice was breeding up a storm, having been relegated to the growing fields to live their lives naturally.
The lean and surly Crystal with her momma pig, Tulip, could be found perpetually nagging at Johno. He, who had fast become a voice of reason in the early days of the frantic adjustments they all were forced to make. Who else could have turned the opinionated and critical Crystal into a quiet and simpering woman in love? Netty acquiesced to the adage that opposites really did attract.
The kids had paired up early. Scotty had Chloe, and Kenya had Kane, although since she had not delivered the baby, Netty could sense Kane’s patience wearing thin. She had not failed to notice the tentative knowing smiles Emma and Kane tossed to each other when they thought no one was in the area. With a sigh, she prayed Kane would continue to support Kenya until she adjusted to her new reality, but knowing of the angry demeanor of Johno’s man, Elias, after having been discarded by Emma, she thought Bonnie’s sister was walking a thin line. It had only been five months since she’d cut him out of her life and he still appeared unwilling to accept the fact. Could be that they had some trouble brewing with the kids.
Ginger Mae had blossomed beyond all anticipation. The scars on her face had completely disappeared. Her bleached hair grew in, disclosing the blonde was really a brunette. When she’d decided to crop the blond ends of her hair, she was adorned with an elegant short pixie that left her closely resembling the old Hollywood movie star, Audrey Hepburn. She had also developed quite a deep bond with the cats and elephants. Netty guessed her favorite must be the matriarch, Tobi. But then the great gray goliath was everyone’s favorite, wasn’t she? Tobi’s sensitive nature and remarkable intuitiveness to all that was animal and human made her a great comfort and distraction.
Netty glanced over to Ginger Mae to see her holding court with her remarkable daughter, Daisy, at her side. Dezi was horsing around with Bonnie, who had slipped over to join the hilarity coming from their table.
What surprising buddies they had turned out to be; bonding tightly with the responsibility of caring for the little piglet, Chance, who would have perished without their loving care. Who knew the irrepressible and cocky smart alec would develop into such a reliable caretaker of a piglet?
Chance was the only one of the litter that was allowed to come into the kitchen. He followed Bonnie around as if she were his mother. And if you tried to separate Chance from Dezi, the piglet made such a squalling that no one could bear it. Caesar was none too fond of the noisy piglet himself. So trying to tether him in the corridor with the big tiger had not been a solution. Besides, Chance clearly preferred the company of Echo, Baby and the dogs at dinner time.
“Yikes, let go of my arm, Dezi.” Bonnie choked on her laughter as Dezi got her in a headlock.
“Are you going to sweep the floors in the men’s dorm like you promised?”
“I don’t remember saying that.” Bonnie reached under his arms to try to tickle her way to a release.
“You don’t remember the deal we made for my spice loaf in exchange for the chore? Babe, I’m gunna have to spank you. Maybe it will help you remember.”
Turning the tables on her, Dezi reached down to tickle her, getting a shriek for his efforts. Daisy reached over to join the melee.
Netty turned her attention back to Wil, who was watching the elephant keepers arm wrestle at their table. Abby scurried around them, her arms stacked with plates as she attempted to finish setting the tables for dinner. Her tail accidentally brushed one of the wrestlers, causing him to lose his concentration and inadvertently bump a dish to the floor with a clatter. The entire room broke out with laughter and claps. Kimir stood on his chair to watch the unlucky victim of Salina’s anger at the broken plate cringe under her admonishing glare.
“Gentlemen, if you insist on behaving like boys, I will have to send you to bed without dinner. One more broken plate and I will . . . I’ll . . . hmmm.” Her unlined face lit up. “I will make you wash the ladies’ laundry for a week.” The men booed and hissed at the offending keeper who had broken the plate.
“Wil,” Netty whispered to get his attention away from the good-natured brawl that was sure to develop between the keepers and Salina. She heard a shriek as one of them picked Salina up off her feet and swung her around, depositing her on the counter near the sink.
Wil turned his attention back to Netty, the smile in his eyes disappearing as he sobered at the fright in her expression.
“Don’t worry so much, Netty. It’s going to be okay.”
“I don’t know how you can say that.” Exasperation spat her hisses out like a gun shot. “We need to have a plan, an explanation that will keep them all calm.”
Wil reached for her hands. Looking straight into her eyes he asked, “Why don’t we just give them the truth?”
She recoiled at the suggestion, jerking her hands from his to worry over her flaxen hair that had tangled in her wing. “You know we can’t do that. How do you tell that to Kenya? The poor girl is frightened and upset enough as it is. Some women might consider killing themselves when they hear news like that. You don’t understand, Wil. We need to do this in small doses.” Her voice became more than a whisper, drawing the attention of Baby by the fireplace. As he joined them, his aura pierced their mind.
“Sister, Brother, change is coming.” From afar, Echo called to Barney, her aura lapping over Baby’s. Barney ran to Echo who wrapped her arms around her furry love.
Scotty looked up at Netty and Wil, as if he had also heard Baby’s pronouncement. From the corner of the room, Peter sat alone, watching and saying nothing as the innocent survivors, oblivious in their pleasure with one another and the good health they enjoyed, happily played on.
You can read more by going to Amazon or Barnes and Noble and clicking on Evil Among Us, Species Intervention #6609 Book 5
Author’s Page
J. K. Accinni was born and raised in Sussex County before moving to Randolph, New Jersey, where she lived with her husband, five dogs and eight rabbits, all rescued, and currently resides in Sarasota, Florida. Mrs. Accinni’s passion for wildlife conservation has led her all over the world, including three trips to Africa, where ten years ago she and her husband fell in love with a baby elephant named Wendi, who had been rescued by a wildlife group. That baby is the inspiration for the character Tobi, the elephant featured in Hive.
The character of Caesar is inspired by a real life iconic tiger from the Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Sarasota. A portion of the proceeds from her third book, Armageddon Cometh, will be donated to the sanctuary in support of the enormous expense required to house and feed the displaced wildlife in their care. Mrs. Accinni invites her readers to visit bigcathabitat.org to view the astounding facility and plan a visit with your family.
Mrs. Accinni also invites you to visit her webpage at www.SpeciesIntervention.com, where information on the Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary can also be viewed. Readers are encour
aged to comment about the book or your own creature experiences.
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