Leo

Just as the sun brings out the day, the moon brought out the night. Every fresh start arises from a dead end, and this is why the detective lies in wait. An ambush to put things to rest so he may wake in peace, he looks forward to something he has not in a long time. For too long his smile lay hidden in the dark, as though wary the truth might become known to all…but suddenly, thunder interrupts his silence. As the echo dies, he grants himself time to recover from his stupor, contemplating whether anybody else might betray their self with the same mercy when subject to the same doubt…but by then, all is lost. He just realizes this in the fallout of the strike, as his long-awaited moment is stolen and the thief makes a getaway. Who lied in wait to ambush who? Dreading over where his assailant may be, the detective resigns to lie in wait, fearful of limping into a fatal struggle. Left to the mercy of his assailant, he beseeches for another chance--for a fresh start to arise from this dead end. His words linger and abandon him, he wonders whether he is fated to remain this way forever.  Struck dead to his assailant, yet left aching to tell the tale…

Time and time again his nightmare would leave him this way, wide awake with the sheets clinging to his body as though a burial shroud. He was the type of man who believed direct confrontations made him honest and honorable, however all they did was betray him as headstrong. A retired actor, the detective took on this role to become someone other than himself, but by now, at his age of twenty-six, he should realize that the best role an actor can play is their self. In this new vocation he must learn to take things as they come if he hopes to survive. If this is ever to become genuine and not just an act, things must come naturally to him.  He must be able to do it in his sleep…and so in the dead of night he falls further asleep only to begin his nightmare anew once more.  

Another take on the night before. He starts his day at his computer and reviews the case through an email. Finished, he bcc's his correspondence with the local department. Once at the scene, he meets with the rest of his squad to get assigned duty. It was found that cannabis was cultivated in exhibits around the zoo and was being kept among the veterinarian's supplies. Nothing had been suspected until yesterday when the cultivator had leaked residue into the animal feed after an attempt at processing it into a palliative. During the initial stage of the break-down, the lion had broken out of its enclosure and the veterinarian was reported missing. It was left undetermined whether the incident was connected. That was why the department had called the detective in. Before they go on their way, the officer warns,  Keep an eye out for that veterinarian.  

Fortunately, there were no casualties in the fallout. A blood test collected from the lion following tranquilization by the zoo keeper revealed it to be under the influence of cannabis. The lion had emancipated itself through the fence wiring which had been bent away at the corner. Traces of blood and fur residual on the fence matched those taken from fresh scratches found on the lion's shoulder. Now the corner's jagged edges have been inconspicuously crimped, and the lion returned to prowl its territory once more.  Upon closer inspection, just on the other side, the detective discovers a disposed injector. But all of a sudden something catches his attention farther into the exhibit. Picking up his receiver he relays his findings: Found the veterinarian. Come to the lion exhibit. As the detective provides more details, the veterinarian notices him and flees the scene of the crime.  

The detective wastes no time in reaching the officer, who is performing forensic analysis on the veterinarian's supplies. Having finished with the lion earlier, the zoo keeper is with him at this time. Upon seeing the detective's expression, the officer assures him everything will stay just fine just as long as they all remain together. In the meantime, he divulges that the forensics has revealed that the veterinarian had an accomplice.  Another thing, although nothing else was found amiss, two of the EpiPens are currently missing.  Noticing the others' inquisitive expressions, the officer then withdraws one from the shelf and provides a false demonstration of the sedative injector. Just as the detective is about to mention the disposed injector he had discovered, the officer's receiver goes off. The lion has escaped again. Please notify the zoo keeper immediately. At this time there is no further information regarding the whereabouts of the veterinarian, who was reported found around the lion's exhibit earlier but remains on the loose.   

Two predators on the loose. Upon escorting them to the zoo entrance, the officer instructs the detective to return home for the day.  It is too unsafe. We are unsure of the whereabouts of the lion and our culprit so for now we must ask everyone else to leave until further notice.  Then he gestures for the zoo keeper to accompany him over to the lion's exhibit. In response, the zoo keeper suggests to the officer how it might be more convenient if they split up according to their roles, him to capture the lion and the officer to apprehend the culprit.  As they had taken this approach the day before, the officer agrees to take this approach once again.

To help the detective overcome his nightmare and help solve the case, I remained at the scene of the crime to do reconnaissance. As it turns out, both hunters underestimated their targets, and as a result, fell prey to the other's predator. Although the lion had always lived in captivity, its ability to navigate the grounds more adroitly than even the zoo keeper took the officer by surprise. And while the remains of the officer were left to be discovered, the veterinarian came out of hiding and took initiative on the zoo keeper. Anticipating the detective would need me to shed light on the situation lest he was to succumb to a fatal ambush, I scourage among the veterinarian's supplies to retrieve his flare gun.  

The rest of the day the detective relays the possible scenarios over and over in his head. The newest conundrum, he wonders how the lion could have torn away the steel crimping.  Later that evening, the news reports that police department is still waiting to hear back from the officer and the zoo keeper. At this, the detective is put on edge, knowing that if the department were to hold over the investigation to the next day, the veterinarian could escape and leave his victims to their fates. So against everything he has been instructed to do, he resolves to return to the scene of the crime. 

Upon his return, he wastes no time and rushes over to the lion's enclosure. As he naively optimizes the setting on his flashlight, he discovers that the crimps remain undisturbed but the opening of the enclosure has been left ajar.  The veterinarian had released the lion, after all.  Brazen, he casts his light into the zoo keeper's entrance of the lion's exhibit. To his horror he disturbs the shadow lurking inside. With alacrity he powers off his flashlight, shrouding the lion's enclosure once more into darkness. But it is too late.    

What was to follow was only nature: Predator vs Prey. Disturbed while moving the veterinarian's body into the lion's enclosure, the predator was forced to change plans. Having finally dealt with his partner in crime, the zoo keeper had believed he was out of the woods. He had even found and disposed of the first EpiPen he had used on the veterinarian, before he had released the lion during the start of the initial investigation. Besides this first success, he had even succeeded in using the second EpiPen to fend the veterinarian off successfully once again. If only the veterinarian had agreed to run away with him, then he never would have had to release the lion…but he should have known better if he could not have been honest from the start.  The cannabis had been to sell all this time…not for the production of palliatives for the zoo animals!  Now he couldn't believe what he had to do now…Wasn't it enough, already? 

Having by then discerned the shadow to be the zoo keeper, the detective lies in wait. By this time it has set in that the zoo keeper was guilty all this time to have not reported back to the police department. Upon coming to this conclusion, the detective knows better than to expect assistance from the officer and so the matter falls to him. Feeling his back pocket for his handcuffs, he prepares to make a brave stand and apprehend the culprit. As the moments pass his anticipation builds. As thunder erupts, he can't help but feel the scene is being set for his debut. But just as the storm sets in and its roar dies away, the zoo keeper is upon him. Just before the fatal strike can land, a brilliant flash erupts. As the illumination begins to fade, the detective takes advantage of the insight it has provided him and knocks out the shocked zoo keeper. Then, he abandons his former plan and makes an escape, realizing that if he had chosen to stay and fight, there would only have been the lion left in wait.  

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Able to swallow his pride at last, the detective would live to fight another day. Before his dream fully fades away, I move quickly and transfer the lion into the Menagerie. To this day it is quite a storm to be reckoned with--just as lightning is always accompanied by thunder, a storm is best seen from afar than heard nearby. Classification: Leo