Her cousin's smile was a delight to see today, peeking out from behind those dark clouds that circled her eyes. Feeling her own face light up at its appearance, Millie felt more relief than sheer happiness. She caught up to Zin, lacing her arm inside her cousin's to walk together, and catch the rotund woman if she should fall. That wouldn't be very good for the baby at all.
By the time they reached the pens, it seemed like Zinnia was back to her old self again. Millie found herself glad at last, willing to tear herself away to stare at the various creatures in the pen. She had to think for several moments, piecing together the shape of creatures from their skeletons, before she started to recognize their different forms. Most of the animals, after all, were just illustrations on book pages to her until now.
"Don't be silly, Zin," Millie said, but she couldn't help a soft giggle from escaping her lips. She had to crane her head far up to see the giraffe's, it was certainly taller than anything she had ever seen before. Perhaps not as tall as a giant, or a Hebridean dragon at its full height, but luckily none of those would be present at the exhibit today. Even the elephant, its bulky form just as evidenced by its skeleton, seemed like a dwarf by comparison. "Where would I sit? On its back or its he—"
Zinnia's scream drowned out her question, and all thoughts of animals flew out of Millie's head. She turned quickly to her cousin, her mouth gaping wide in mirrored shock. Hazel eyes darted to the swollen belly beneath Zin's dress, then back up to those blue eyes looking dreadfully wild. Movement in her eyes made Millie spin around to see the skeleton of a lion where she hadn't seen it before, its skull turned their way as it stalked across the pen.
The young witch let out a breath, the first since she'd heard the scream, and it came out as a whimpering laugh. Once started, she couldn't stop, clasping one hand around Zinnia's arm with the other around her necklace, leaning to catch some air as her panicked laughter gripped her lungs fast. After a minute which felt like an hour, Millie stood in that pose, wheezing for breathe and glancing between the lion and her cousin with a face contorted with the effort. "Don't scare me like that, Zin-Zin. Please. I thought it might be, well, your time."
By the time they reached the pens, it seemed like Zinnia was back to her old self again. Millie found herself glad at last, willing to tear herself away to stare at the various creatures in the pen. She had to think for several moments, piecing together the shape of creatures from their skeletons, before she started to recognize their different forms. Most of the animals, after all, were just illustrations on book pages to her until now.
"Don't be silly, Zin," Millie said, but she couldn't help a soft giggle from escaping her lips. She had to crane her head far up to see the giraffe's, it was certainly taller than anything she had ever seen before. Perhaps not as tall as a giant, or a Hebridean dragon at its full height, but luckily none of those would be present at the exhibit today. Even the elephant, its bulky form just as evidenced by its skeleton, seemed like a dwarf by comparison. "Where would I sit? On its back or its he—"
Zinnia's scream drowned out her question, and all thoughts of animals flew out of Millie's head. She turned quickly to her cousin, her mouth gaping wide in mirrored shock. Hazel eyes darted to the swollen belly beneath Zin's dress, then back up to those blue eyes looking dreadfully wild. Movement in her eyes made Millie spin around to see the skeleton of a lion where she hadn't seen it before, its skull turned their way as it stalked across the pen.
The young witch let out a breath, the first since she'd heard the scream, and it came out as a whimpering laugh. Once started, she couldn't stop, clasping one hand around Zinnia's arm with the other around her necklace, leaning to catch some air as her panicked laughter gripped her lungs fast. After a minute which felt like an hour, Millie stood in that pose, wheezing for breathe and glancing between the lion and her cousin with a face contorted with the effort. "Don't scare me like that, Zin-Zin. Please. I thought it might be, well, your time."
![[Image: uHwnE8q.png]](https://i.imgur.com/uHwnE8q.png)