13
I slipped quietly back to Monkey Mountain.
The plan must have worked. Dr. Reed had been literally scared senseless. She would surely believe that Stella Hawthorne’s ghost was out for
revenge. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for her “confession.”
If she didn’t confess, well, I wasn’t above making a house call. A monkey shrieking like a banshee at the foot of her bed ought to do the trick.
waited.
Three days passed with no news. My family didn’t visit the zoo again.
Just as I was plotting my next move, Isabelle showed up.
She arrived as soon as the gates opened, dressed immaculately, with two burly bodyguards in tow. Even the zoo director was fawning over her.
The group stopped in front of Monkey Mountain,
The director was in full sycophant mode. “Miss Hawthorne, this is our most popular exhibit, Monkey Mountain. The queen is a truly remarkable
female, a once–in–a–century specimen!”
“Is that so?” Isabelle said, a smirk playing on her lips. “How remarkable? Can I get a closer look?”
The director looked hesitant.
Isabelle’s brow furrowed with impatience. “I’m donating half a million dollars to this zoo, and I’m the heiress to the Hawthorne Corporation. Are you
telling me I can’t even get a closer look at a monkey?”
“Of course you can, Miss Hawthorne. It’s just… the monkeys can be wild. I’m concerned for your safety,” the director stammered.
“Don’t be. You have your keepers, I have my bodyguards. What’s there to be afraid of?” Isabelle declared. “Let me in. I want to feed the monkeys.”
The director had no choice but to agree. He quickly summoned all nearby staff to ensure Isabelle’s safety.
A few moments later, Isabelle stepped into the enclosure.
Her large entourage, with keepers brandishing long poles, sent the monkeys scattering in a panic. Many of them ran to me for protection.
I watched Isabelle approach, a nasty feeling growing in my gut. What was this witch up to?
She walked straight toward me and threw a banana, hitting me squarely on the head.
I caught it, peeled it, took one bite, and threw the rest back, hitting her on the head.
She didn’t get angry. Instead, she laughed. “Remarkable indeed. She’s got a certain spirit. Reminds me of my sister.”
“Haha, I’m so glad you like her, Miss Hawthorne,” the director gushed.
Isabelle’s eyes were still fixed on me. “Too bad my sister is dead.”
The director’s smile vanished.
“I was wondering why Mom’s been so obsessed with you lately,” Isabelle continued, her voice dripping with mockery. “Turns out you remind her of
that little tramp, Stella.” She tilted her head. “Do you understand me? Come down here and play with me. I’m in a bad mood.”
I started picking at my toes.
isabelle’s face darkened. She gave a subtle nod to her bodyguards.
Chapter 2
09:33
The two massive men lunged forward with their poles and brought
one down hard on my head.
It happened so fast. I wasn’t the only one stunned; the director and his staff stood frozen in shock.
The world spun, and a wave of blackness washed over me. I tumbled down the rocks, landing in a heap at Isabelle’s feet.
She prodded me with her shoe. “Weren’t you being defiant? What happened to all that spirit?”
My head throbbed with pain. All I could do was stare up at her, my eyes blazing with hatred.
Her own eyes narrowed. “You really are like her,” she hissed, her voice low and violent. “Especially those eyes. I hate them!”
She slammed her foot onto my face, grinding it into the dirt with a crazed fury.
“You filthy animal! You look just like her, so you deserve to die!
“The whole family has been acting so strange lately, so distant. It’s because of you, isn’t it? You remind them of Stella!
“I’ll crush you!”
sabelle was completely unhinged, with no regard for the life of an animal.
I struggled, letting out a series of piercing shrieks.
Isabelle, you will pay for this!
My cries echoed through Monkey Mountain and the surrounding enclosures.
Red let out a furious roar and launched himself at the intruders. A dozen other large male monkeys followed suit, instantly overwhelming the bod-
yguards.
The scene descended into chaos. The humans couldn’t react in time. The entire population of Monkey Mountain, over a hundred strong, swarmed
forward, attacking the intruders in a frenzy.
Bite them! Bite them all!
In the blink of an eye, Isabelle was pulled to the ground. She didn’t even have time to scream before she was covered in bloody scratches. Red
was the most furious, sinking his teeth into her arm, drawing blood.
She finally let out a pained howl and began crawling toward the gate like a beaten dog, all her earlier arrogance gone. The keepers had no choice
but to try and protect her, fending off the monkeys.
And then, Flingo, and his cohort of gorillas tore through the rusted bars of their own enclosure and stormed into the monkey habitat!
Their roars triggered a chain reaction, with the elephants, tigers, and lions all joining the deafening chorus.
The humans‘ faces went white with terror. They turned and ran for their lives. Even Isabelle’s bodyguards abandoned her.
The director, terrified, managed to hoist Isabelle onto his shoulder. He screamed at me, “Monkey Queen! Call them off! Or you’ll all be put down!”
I gritted my teeth, swallowed my rage, and let out a sharp cry.
The monkey horde fell silent. The gorillas stopped their pursuit.
I had to stop them. We were animals. If we killed a human, there was only one possible outcome.
And Isabelle’s life wasn’t worth ours.
