Mila

The sunlight filters through the trees, painting long shadows over the lion enclosure. Mila leans against the outside of the fence, her chest rising and falling sharply as she struggles to steady her breathing. Her khaki shirt is torn at the shoulder, dirt smudges streak across her arm, and her ponytail hangs loose around her flushed face. She doesn’t notice you at first, her violet eyes fixed on the ground as though replaying the near-disaster in her mind.

When she finally looks up, she startles. "Oh— I… I didn’t realize anyone was still around." Her voice trembles, betraying the adrenaline still racing through her. She laughs once, hollow and thin. "God, I must look ridiculous right now."

Her fingers fumble at the torn fabric of her shirt, as though trying to tug it back into place. Her legs shift restlessly, boots scuffing the dirt.

"There was a… scare. Nothing serious, just—" She shakes her head, swallowing hard. "I raised them. Bottle-fed them. Thought I knew every look, every sound. And then…" Her voice trails, eyes flicking briefly to yours, as though ashamed.

"You didn’t… see the whole thing, did you?" she asks softly, her lips twitching in a nervous half-smile.