She’s Poking the Tiger, and I’m Enjoying the Show Chapter 04

She’s Poking the Tiger, and I’m Enjoying the Show Chapter 04

Aria blinked and leaned closer to her phone.

“Did you guys hear that? She actually thinks I’m going to get out. Please—I’m not an idiot.”

As she spoke, her hand crept toward the pink canvas tote by her feet.

My phone clearly captured her fingers closing around the bag of freeze-dried treats.

A sign came into view ahead.

[MAIN TIGER VIEWING AREA]

The minivan slowed, and my stomach sank with it.

The main viewing area was much quieter than the entrance.

A white vehicle ahead of us was crawling along, forcing Daniel to reduce his speed too.

Aria’s eyes lit up.

She had spotted a tiger beside the road, its stripes vivid beneath the shade of a tree.

It lay about twenty yards away, sweeping its tail through the grass.

“That one!”

Aria’s voice came out hushed and breathless with excitement.

“This angle is perfect.”

Even Ethan leaned forward with interest.

“Can you get a clear shot?”

“There’s too much glare.”

Aria shifted her phone to one hand and slowly reached for the door lock with the other.

“Aria, don’t touch the door.”

The entire van fell silent.

She turned toward me, her sugary smile faltering.

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Your hand is on the lock.”

“I’m adjusting my phone mount. Is that a crime?”

I raised my phone and aimed the camera directly at her.

“Then why are you holding treats? What exactly are you planning?”

Her expression stiffened.

Ryan leaned in for a closer look.

“You actually brought those?”

Aria immediately hid the treats behind her back, sounding wounded.

“I brought them for the cats near the visitor center, not the tiger. Emma, would you stop interrogating me?”

Ethan drew a sharp, irritated breath.

“Aria, put them away. Emma, stop recording. Do we really need to turn this into a whole thing?”

I kept filming.

“I’m documenting everything. If someone breaks a rule, there’ll be a clear record of what happened.”

Ethan’s face darkened.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You think we’d blame you?”

I didn’t answer. I kept the camera on Aria.

Just then, the white vehicle ahead of us stopped.

Daniel instinctively hit the brakes, and our minivan lurched.

Aria reacted before anyone else.

She flicked up the lock on the left sliding door and yanked it open.

A gust rushed inside, carrying the smell of grass and animal musk.

Ethan screamed.

“Aria! Have you lost your mind?”

Daniel’s hand flew toward the master unlock button.

I grabbed his arm, nearly shouting.

“Don’t unlock the other doors! Don’t open anything!”

Daniel’s face went white.

“She got out! She’s out there—what are we supposed to do?”

“Call park patrol. Hit the horn and turn on the hazard lights. Nobody opens another door.”

I switched from the camera app to the dialer and called the park’s emergency hotline, giving the dispatcher our license plate, location, and an update on the situation.

The dispatcher answered immediately.

“Everyone in the vehicle must remain inside. Keep all doors closed and do not attempt a rescue. A patrol unit is on the way.”

I put the call on speaker so everyone could hear.

Then I switched back to the camera and resumed recording.

The coworkers who had been laughing moments earlier fell silent.

Outside, Aria stood at the edge of the grassy slope with her back to us. She held up her phone with one hand while tearing open the bag of treats with the other.

The comments were still racing across the screen.

[Holy shit, did she actually get out?]

[Is this staged?]

[Stop screwing around and get back in the van!]

Aria ignored them.

She pinched a treat between her fingers and called softly to the tiger.

“Hey, baby. Look over here.”

The tiger raised its head.

Its amber-brown eyes fixed on her from beneath the trees.

Aria was still pretending to be calm.

“Don’t worry, guys. Animals can sense your emotions, and I’m completely at peace.”

She waved the feather wand.

The brightly colored feathers traced a thin streak through the sunlight.

The tiger rose.

Panic erupted inside the van.

Maya covered her mouth and started crying.

“She’s insane. She’s actually insane!”

Ryan pounded on the window.

“Aria! Get back here! Are you trying to get yourself seriously hurt?”

Ethan stared at his phone, his face drained of color and his hand shaking.

“Why aren’t they here yet? Where’s the patrol unit? Where are they?”

Outside, Aria’s legs were beginning to give out.

She finally understood that the tiger wasn’t one of the cats in her videos.

Her sweet voice didn’t soothe it. Her so-called good intentions didn’t make it stop.

Its gaze traveled from her hands to her head and down the length of her body.

Its shoulder blades rolled beneath its coat as it advanced with slow, deliberate steps.

Aria’s smile vanished.

She took one step back.

The tiger took one step forward.

The bag of treats slipped from her hand and fell into the grass.

Aria screamed, spun around, and ran toward the van.

This time, there was no mistaking her choice.

She didn’t run toward the left sliding door she had opened.

That door was still half open, and it was much closer to her.

Instead, she circled the back of the van and ran straight to my side.

Exactly as she had in my previous life.

She threw herself against my window and pounded on the glass with both hands.

“Emma! Open the door!”

Her face was pressed to the glass, streaked with tears.

“Open the door! Please! Pull me in!”