She’s Poking the Tiger, and I’m Enjoying the Show Chapter 02

She’s Poking the Tiger, and I’m Enjoying the Show Chapter 02

The minivan entered the carnivore enclosure without incident.

Two tigers lay on a grassy slope.

One flicked its tail lazily. The other lay with its eyes half-closed and didn’t even lift its head.

If everyone stayed inside and followed the rules, the company outing would end safely.

That was what I’d believed the first time around, too.

Back then, Aria had been buzzing with excitement from the moment we entered.

She showed us some of her older videos.

A stray cat rubbed against her legs. A dog sat on command. A llama ate from her palm. A peacock fanned its tail feathers in front of her.

She had edited the clips into a montage with a caption.

[Animals don’t lie. They read your energy.]

Some of our coworkers called her amazing. Others insisted she had a special connection with animals.

The attention went straight to her head.

“Tigers are cats, too. They’re just bigger,” she said. “As long as you don’t mean them any harm, they can tell.”

“Bigger?” I replied. “It could break your neck with one bite.”

Aria’s expression darkened immediately.

“Emma, why do you always have to jinx things? I’m just trying to make one video, and you’re acting like you want me to get mauled to death.”

Ethan stepped in to smooth things over.

“Enough. We’re supposed to be having fun. Stop making everything so tense.”

Later, when we reached the deeper part of the tiger section, Aria complained that the glass caused too much glare, the tigers were too far away to film clearly, and none of them would look at the camera.

When Daniel slowed down to yield to a park patrol vehicle ahead, she suddenly unlocked the sliding door on her side, yanked it open, and jumped out.

Everyone in the van screamed.

I still remembered her standing in the grass, waving a colorful feather wand as she crooned to a nearby tiger.

“Easy, baby. Come here. I’m not going to hurt you.”

She tore open the bag of freeze-dried treats, but the tiger showed no interest in their artificial meaty smell.

Annoyed, Aria threw the treats toward it.

“I’m trying to feed you, you ungrateful brute!”

The tiger rose with a roar and fixed its gaze on Aria as if she were prey.

Every instinct in my body screamed danger.

The smile froze on her face.

Then the tiger charged.

Aria jerked backward, then spun and ran.

The sliding door she had opened was closer, but she ignored it. She circled the back of the van and ran straight to my side.

She pounded both hands against my window.

“Emma! Open the door! Pull me in!”

I didn’t stop to think.

All I saw was a coworker with a tiger closing in behind her. All I heard was Aria sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.

I unbuckled my seat belt, threw open the door, and leaned as far out as I could to grab her.

God, please let us both make it.

The moment her hand clamped around my wrist, I knew something was wrong.

She wasn’t using me to pull herself in.

She was hauling me out.

Half my body was dragged through the doorway, and my knee slammed into the step. Pain shot through me so sharply that I could barely see straight.

I screamed at her to let go.

She didn’t.

She shoved me straight toward the tiger.

The door slammed behind me as if I were every bit as dangerous as the animal outside.

The last thing I heard was Aria sobbing hysterically.

“I didn’t mean to! She fell out on her own! I didn’t pull her!”

The memory ended there. The woman responsible for my death was still sitting to my left, alive and well, with the tip of a feather wand poking out of her pink canvas tote.

My phone was still recording.

In the park’s emergency chat, the message I’d sent was marked as read.

[Silver minivan, license plate ending in 7K3. One passenger is carrying animal treats and may attempt to exit the vehicle.]

Two seconds later, the park replied.

[A nearby patrol unit has been notified. Please follow all safety rules and do not open any doors.]

I tightened my grip on the phone.

This time, Aria wasn’t getting another chance to lay a hand on me.