Zookeeper

"Come with me, he says. We can be famous, he says," Victoria grumbled as she pushed the brush over the aging concrete.

"2 weeks here and he disappears. Look where I end up, scooping crap," she stops to glance at a cage being rolled by. The zookeepers had closed off this half of the exhibits, letting management move a sick Siberian tiger into the medical center. Victoria leans on her brush, just watching. She catches glimpse of the ill creature, who looks upon her longingly.

She only smirked, shaking her head, "Stupid animal."

She slowly moved over to the aquatic section. Pushing the brush down the slope, beneath the stadium above, where the crowds were whistling, at no doubt, the noon showing of the dolphins. 8-5, six days a week. What a load. She was in a bad mood today, the bills had come. Bills that she could not pay from just cleaning up after tourists and scrubbing animal messes. She approaches one of the terrariums, setting that blasted broom to the side, to have a quick smoke. Her eyes turned though, spotting a dark object at the bottom of the tank.

"Oh no," she didn't light the cigarettes, picking up the radio that was attached to her belt, "Ernie, we have a dead otter in section 5." Static returned, but she knew he got it.

It took only minutes before everyone arrived. The manager, no doubt Ernie, was up front, tapping his foot.

"That was our last female, she was pregnant," he growled. He turns towards the shivering staff, "As soon as they dolphin arena clears out, I wanted it closed. Cancel the 1pm show. Get that otter out of there." Victoria was standing off to the side, just watching. All this hustle over a dead weasel.

"Victoria, Pam wants to see you," Ernie said, jerking her from her reverie. Victoria nods briskly, grabbing the broom and walking up the slope. Ernie watches her go then clapped his hands to get the other staff moving as well. Victoria knocks on the door of her employer.

She clears her throat, "Ma'am, you wanted to see me."

A cheerful voice replied, "Victoria, come in come in!" She did, sliding in and closing the door as quietly as she could. Pam was a tall woman, almost six feet. Never in the khakis, all the rest of them were forced to wear. Always in a black, striped dress that hugged her curvy body.

"Ernie told me about Penelope," she said, eyes almost in tears.

Victoria glances back and forth, "Penelope, ma'am?" Pam nods, rubbing perhaps fake tears from her eyes.

"The female otter, 3 weeks into her pregnancy," she sighs, pulling out some small, maybe advil, pills from inside her desk. Victoria watches, almost dazing again.

"Do me a favour, Vicky, had me that book there. With the red borders," Pam said, sitting down and turning her squeaky chair to pour some water into two triangular cups. When Victoria turned, she neglected to see her employer slipping some of those pills into one cup. They dissolved instantly. Victoria sets the book quietly on the desk and accepts the water. She chugs it back: must be 100 degrees outside. Khaki shorts are not as breezy as people say!

Pam smiles softly, almost sadly, "You were such a good employee," she responds, picking up the book. Were? Victoria thought, almost as if she was about to be fired. It was not her fault that stupid otter died!

Pam smiles and shakes her head, waving her hand as if it was nothing. Victoria relaxes some, taking that as a sign of dismissal. All she wanted her for, was to get the book down?

"Was that all, ma'am?" she said, a bit confused in the doorway.

Pam kept that odd smile, nodding, "Sorry for taking up so much of your time." Victoria blinks but closes the door.

Sudden pressure in her stomach, forces her hand to touch it, "Lunch is not settling good," she said softly.

She moves back to the storage closets, outside the main building, getting out the larger brush for the rhino and elephant cages. Their main part was inside, so she was able to slip on a loose pair of overalls and some rubber boots. Her stomach was gnarled now, gurgling loudly. She opened and closed the Staff door, unlocking the next to get into the rhino section. The rhinos were getting their weekly bath and were in the outside portion of their habitats. She was to clean the inside, during so. The tourists loved to gather and watch, seeing a rhino get its hide polished. Sounds like fun, she thought sarcastically.

Victoria started brushing, pushing the smelly dung across the concrete, into a drain. She pulled out the elastic hose, grumbling all the while. She sprayed back and forth, stopping only when she felt she was being stared at. She turns, spotting an adolescent elephant, reaching its trunk towards the ceiling – separate cage from her. She watches it for a moment, catching sight of its longing eyes. That same passion and almost depression the ill tiger had before. She shakes her head and continued cleaning, but only for a few moments.

Her stomach started ache, burn even. She rubbed it through the overalls, which now seemed a bit tighter her around her hips and waist. Not to mention, her boobs were hurting like crazy. Her period must be starting soon, she thought. In fact, her eyes bulged open, as she shifting her thighs. There was a moist feeling between her legs.

"Crap," she said. She finished scooping out the one rhino pin, and then got out. She took off the boots and almost struggled to pull down the overalls. Her stomach was bloated, pushing into the khaki top. She opened up her locker and pulled out a bag, before she slammed it shut.

Moving into the Employee bathroom, she diverted to the handicap stall. She widens her legs and looks down, to see the blood thickening through her khakis.

"Ugh! What could make this day any worse!" She opens up her bag and pulls out a fresh set of shorts, underwear, and a tampon. She strips down to her nudity, discovering when she tried to put the tampon in – there was such discomfort that she could not. She tosses it away and pulls up the backup pad. She situates such in her new panties, pulls them up, then the shorts.

To her dismay, her shorts struggled to button over her stomach. There was this gentle slope in her stomach. Swelling, even. She sucks her gut in, buttoning the pants and tightening her belt. She felt constrained, but held it anyway. She stuffs her dirty clothes into her bag and returns the bag to her locker. She picks up her brush and walks back towards the aquatic terrariums. She saw the big closed sign across the entrance to the otters. Ernie was standing there and she moved over,

"Closed? There are still 3 other otters in there," she says, "All you have to do is get the dead one ou..."

He interrupted her, "No more females. Zoo can't afford to get one. So we are tearing down their exhibit and separating the seals further, to place them. The two leopard seals will be in these cages. The river beds will be removed for enough room." He nods, glancing to Victoria. She had lost interest, nodding as well but starting to move off. When she turned, Ernie moved his hand in a gesture. The Closed sign was flipped over to reveal 'Coming Soon'.

Victoria strolled back towards the dolphin arena, starting to brush up the endless supply of trash. Everyday, the same thing. Her stomach gurgled and she sat down on one of the benches. She groans a bit, loosening her belt for relief. None. She unbuttons the top of her pants, to her surprise, her stomach moving out some. It was hanging over the top, in a pregnant sort of fashion. Oddly enough, she did not seem too alarmed,

"Great. Severe bloating, now I have to go the doctor," she tries to push it back in. No luck. Her stomach was not fat, but actually did feel pregnant. Hard and rounded fully, not rolls.

She glances around, spotting the Staff entrance to back stage. Again, she disappears behind scenes, pulling into one of the open locker rooms. She finds three set of khaki shorts. All disgusting and filthy but large. She sighs and removes her pants, putting on the others.

"Much better, Jim won't mind." She assumed they were his, or one other of the aquatic performers. She picks up her brush, only to feel the sudden urge of ravenous hunger.

Victoria shakes her head. She needed to lose weight. No, it would not submerge. She went to the hamburger stand but decided against it. The Sushi restaurant in the aquatic section caught her eye. Usually she hated fish, but for some reason, she yearned for it now. She bought a whole platter of such, inhaling it like she hadn't eaten in weeks. Her boob starts to sting again. She decides its best to clock out early. She puts away her broom and heads back to Pam's office.

"Ma'am," she said, knocking lightly.

Pam stands, as happily as usual, "Yes, Victoria?"

Victoria watches her, "Heh, well I was wondering if I could leave early today.. You see, my uh period hit me fast.. and I just need the afternoon. I'll work late cleaning up Saturday."

Pam nods, understanding glancing her rounded figure over, "Of course. 8am sharp tomorrow, alright?"

Victoria nods, "Thank you, ma'am." She exits and removes her time slip to the 'out' position. She then walks to her car in the Staff lot.

A short drive, before she arrived. She sighs and throws her keys to the side table. She picks up the mail, that had been pushed through the apartment slip door.

"Bill. Bill. Bill. Jury duty. Tax eviction. Bill," she grumbles, tossing it all to the side. Shower first. No, a bath would be better. She walks to her bathroom and turns on the bath. Slowly, she unbuttons her khaki shirt, revealing her bra struggling to hold her breasts.

"Damn, retaining water," she thought. Why did she keep coming up with excuses?

She removes the shirt, looking over her bra, seeing the dark splotches at the front. She takes off the bra, feeling softly over the sensitive large nipples. They were taut, reddened and swollen. A pale liquid drips into her hand, just from the light touch. She, bewildered, tilts her head, glancing down to her stomach and then the mirror. She did look pregnant. About 6 months, pregnant. Her stomach was rounded well, pushing into baggy pants. There were these little nubs along her stomach. Two rows. They looked like moles, or some other growth. She sighs.

"This is retarded." she hadn't had a sexual relation for.. a long time. For some reason, though she should be petrified, she was not.

Victoria slides down her pants, then her underwear. The pad for her period was not touched, still brand new, besides from the crinkling of her legs. She removes her underwear then steps into the bath. She gently, instinctively, holds her stomach, rubbing it even as she settled into the water. She touches over her breasts, feeling across the sensitive flesh. She felt tingly, cuddly even. She wanted to play and yet she felt so lethargic. Odd emotions mixing.

She stayed in the bath for over an hour, feeling over herself. She did not shave her legs, which in fact needed it, looking almost as fur across her thighs and calves. When she finally got up, she almost struggled, standing and balancing her top-heavy self. She glances down to where the nubs once were. They were not just nubs anymore. Now they were pointed and forming, nipples going down beneath her swollen breasts. She wanted to scream, in sudden panic, but euphoria set in. She stumbled out of the bath, not even emptying the water and moved to her bed. Still nude, she fell asleep.

At 7AM, that alarm was screeching. Her hand slammed on top of it and she sat up, stretching her arms. Victoria rubs her knuckles over her eyes then stands, feeling the brisk of being nude. Oh, she still looked odd. She had that now, heavily swollen stomach with the large breasts and animal-like nipples moving down her stomach. Her breasts hid those though. She pulls up her panties then glances around for some pants. To her surprise, she finds some khaki shorts thrown over a chair: maternity size. She pulls them up, rubbing her stomach gently, tenderly, not even stopping to the touch of the nipples.

She found a large bra on that same chair where the khakis were and a zoo employee shirt, with her name on it. Hm, maybe she did not gain weight. Maybe she has been this way and just was not paying attention. Yesterday was so foggy. She put her hair up in a bun but put on no jewelry or makeup. She grabs her keys and carefully goes down the stairs, to her car. That short drive and at the zoo. Pam was in the hallway when she came in.

Victoria waved, "8!" she smiled, but yawned, covering her mouth. Pam tilts her head,

"You are looking radiant today, Victoria, how are you feeling?"

Victoria shakes her head to knock off the yawn, "Exhausted, but here, ma'am." She clocks her card in and starts towards the monkey house.

Pam stops her, "Oh no, we need you to clean out the otter exhibit." Victoria nods and heads that way. A large crowd of people pass. Not just tourist but several managers and zookeepers. She was bumped into. In fact, she felt a prick across her arm. When she turned to look, some blood drew from a swollen bump. She assumed one of their watches or jewelry or something had snagged her. Ernie who was in the crowd, moves over to Pam.

He sets an empty syringe in her hand and she nods, "Good."

Victoria, as usual, stopped at a locker to get a broom. She moved towards the otter cages, taking the backway for Staff. She spots the otters in little glass cages off to the side, rolling over each other. She had the sudden urge to move over to him. She did not suppress it. She did. She walked over to the cage and sat down. Her fingers moving over the top, feeling across the lock. Victoria blinks when she finds the lock not shut all the way. She removes it and opens the top. Two of the otters, one an adolescent and one a pup, huddle in the corner. The older male hops out though. He was rubbing into her, not even bothering to sniff. This was so against regulation, she thought, but could not help, touching her fingers over his head. Her nails were long, pointed even. She noticed this, they needed cutting.

Her eyes turned to the cowering pup, frowning as he hyperventilated. She picks him up slowly and he shakes in her hands momentarily. Carefully she unbuttoned the top of her shirt, oddly, and lowered her bra to expose a nipple. The otter turns its head away. Like a baby though, she pushes his head gently towards the nipple, coaxing the tip to leak into his mouth. Instantly he was satisfied, suckling greedily onto the ripe teat. She moans softly at the pressure being released, the baby drinking obsessively. The adolescent perked his head up, glancing around. The older male was rubbing his body over her legs, tongue moving out once to touch to her hairy legs.

Not just hairy legs, but furry legs. Brown fur had coated over her legs and now her arms, stretching across her body. She felt a pressure in her pants, grunting. She forces the baby off, pulling her bra up and setting him down. She unbuttons her pants and lowers them to find her tail bone extending. She leans forward, screaming at the sudden pain. Only moments though, she turns to see a long brown tail, rudder-like. She gasps and looks to her arms, then her legs, covered in fur.

In panic, she tore off her shirt, leaning to her butt. Her bra held up her breasts, showing her, her rounded stomach covered in those taut nipples, now swelling into more small mounds. She watches the hair curl over them, hiding them beneath a sleek oily hide. The baby tries to latch to one of the nipples and he does. She feels the same sensation of the liquid going into his mouth. Victoria pushes him off and she tries to get up but her knees buckle and her pants slide down. Her hips were gone, not able to keep up her pants,

"Help!" she shrieked.

She pulled off her bra, but in fact, it fell off. Her top breasts were shrinking. She tried to grasp them but they disappeared into that brown skin. Now she just had the two lines of slightly swollen mounds across her stomach. Her tail moved violently and she was struggling to take off her shoes when she felt her toenails stretching. She saw the webbing push between each, following along her fingers as they formed to paws. She was now hyperventilating herself, feeling the fur move up her neck and over her face.

Victoria's nose pulled into a muzzle. Her hair falling the ground around her and whiskers flooding over the cheeks. The pink ears lifted and shrunk, curled in a cute fashion. She tried to stand again but her back had started to curl, creaking even. A painful scream now came out more as a yelp. The bones began to contract, pulling her smaller and smaller. Only moments before she sat beside the older male otter, whom was watching her oddly. She tried to speak but failed. She lifted her claws to her face, feeling the mirror image of what she saw before her. She looks down, touching over her still rounded stomach, until she hears footsteps.

Ernie stood there, swinging a familiar key, her house key, around his finger,

"Hello there, Victoria." he smiled, deviously. He leans over to pick her up. She was lethargic from her weight, exhausted from the transformation.

"You see, we could not afford to get a new otter." He rubs her stomach gently, "But you were the perfect fit to give us a whole new family." She makes a barking sort of noise, trying to talk. Pam walks up behind Ernie, placing the other otters back into the habitat, one by one. She takes Victoria from him, smiling.

"You will make such a good mother... Penelope." Victoria's ears lowered but she could only dangle as she was lifted and put into the aquarium – which had glass shield up to an average person's waist. She floundered against the glass for a moment.

The baby comes to her side, rubbing against her, pushing himself under her to suckle greedily once more. The older male had picked up his favorite stone, hitting it on a clam to open such with the adolescent observing for the record. Victoria leans her claws on the glass, glancing towards the seal pen across the way. She spotted the seals' longing looks. She turns her head towards the distant elephant pasture, spotting the young male's same expression before turning away. Now that passion of yearning held in her own eyes. She glances up to the two humans, barking as their words became jumbled in a foreign language.

Pam leans to give one last syringe into her back. Victoria hisses and tries to snap at her hand. Pam pulls back beforehand.

"Yes, some of the others still remember, but I'll get rid of those painful memories for you." She watches. Victoria's eyes haze for a moment, she shakes her head. She had followed her fiancé here. They were going to get married in a white church. Until she walked in on him. He was cheating, the lying dog. She nods her head back and forth and then glances down. Wait, what was she thinking? Humans? No. Fish sounds good. She looks to the baby otter, her tongue grooming across his head as he suckled. Yes, he has not eaten in several hours. He needs more fish. She nodded firmly.

Ernie lights a cigarette, starting to walk the other way. Pam picks up all the clothes and remnants on the floor. When they exit, he removes the sign to allow tourists in.

"Yes, she's still pregnant, I believe she is nursing the one remaining older pup now," he nodded happily. Victoria's eyes were flooded with the camera flashes but she was used to them. In fact, she flicked her tail and puffed her chest, like otters do. Playful and showing off. Victoria, now Penelope, soon to be, mother of the Zoo's newest litter. Pam and Ernie quietly left back to their offices, leaving the tourists as well as Penelope in such bliss.