Petunia was enjoying herself as much as a pixy, high on honey, and surrounded by swirling tie dye T-shirt colors. She loved her work. Yes she loved it. It was one of the few things she believed she might love enough to die for. It was a Zoo. Really, not an analogy but a Zoo!

Petunia was at home in the large park. Things people called animals were caged and the animals that pretended to be what was in the cages ran rampant through the park, poking at enclosures, and pulling tails of people dressed up in those ridiculous suits to make them look like animals too.

Pix was in the middle of everything, holding a centipede the size and color of a thick coral necklace. It never ceased to amaze her what this creature she held could do with it’s presence. The man next to her held a boa constrictor and he lowered it so that a four year old could feel it’s tail. The snake was practically being bombarded by children, pushing and shoving just to get closer, Pix only had three children brave enough to touch her little friend, and if she were to hold a hissingcockroach, she remembered that there would be none. Yet what she held was only a fraction of the snake’s size. Fasinating.

Iris wandered in and out of the zoo cages, with no apparent direction. She hated seeing animals behind bars, but at the same time realized that this was as close as many people would ever be able to get to certain kinds of wildlife. She just hoped that some of those kids were paying attention to numerous speeches on habitat conservation, and would grow up wanting to do something about it.

She paused near the giant snake, on the edge of the crowd waiting to touch or see it. A small smile played on her features; she loved reptiles. She wasn't a big believer of snakes in the house, mainly because she'd seen so many abandoned when they got too big to handle. But it was still an awesome creature to view.

She turned to move on, but paused. A young woman stood nearby holding.... a really, really, big bug.... Iris had to blink to be sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Her skin immediately began to itch, and she scratched at her arms. She wasn't afraid of bugs, per se. But the though of having one that size around her neck?

She shuddered, but moved in for a closer look.

Petunia bent low, as a brave little three year old came up and stretched his little pudgy hand out to touch the pretty little red body… if you could call that body little. It was several inches long and the width of Pix’s thin wrist. The little boy ran his fingers down the bug’s long spine like body, squealed and turned. Scrambling back to his mother with happy frantic, sticky, waving fingers. “Momma, Momma. Ya’ See!? Ya’ See!?”

Pix smiled at the mother, who had suddenly turned an odd shade of grew when the centipede pix was holding snaked it’s body the other way down her wrist, as her other hand gave the mother a little flirty finger wave.

Another lady came into view. Someone with very itch skin. Pix grinned, making her smooth cheeks crease deep with the show of her even white teeth. She brought the big bug up to her face and kissed the back of the beautiful red creature’s head. What lovely creature she held here. “Look Bethany,” She crooned to the Centipede. “you have another visitor, yes you do, you sweet little thing.” Normal speech slipped into baby talk making the parent with the white face and the insistent little boy turn, and walk as fast as she could away, without running.

Big bugs were rare for Pix. And extra special when she made them pets. Yes she could turn little to give her beloved little buddies kisses but it was few times that she didn’t have to do extra work to show her friends the affection they deserved.

Pix moved the beloved creature forward, that now lifted the front of it’s body sections in a little arch, greeting the new lady with 10 of it’s little legs waving in a motion that resembled raising the roof. “Would you like to pet Bethany?”

Without warning, Bethany’s body shot forward like a spring, aiming to land smack dabe in the middle of the front of Iris’s shirt. "Bethany, No! Bad Bethany!"

Iris smiled at the little boy's enthusiasm, and his mother's equal lack. It reminded her of her Tia's reactions when she was little, and would bring home grasshoppers and garden snakes.

“Look Bethany,” She crooned to the Centipede. “you have another visitor, yes you do, you sweet little thing.”

Well, Iris could understand the baby talk; she was guilty of it on numerous occasion. However, seeing the woman kiss the insect just.... creeped her out a bit. She scratched at her arm again.

“Would you like to pet Bethany?”

Her eyes widened a bit. "Who, me? Oh. Ah.... well.... I, uh...."

The little pinkish creature had begun to arc up. A corner of her mind spoke up. Wasn't rearing up a defensive move? Not a 'I'm happy, pet me' move? Maybe?

Before the thought reached her lips, the little creature jumped forward, and reached her body.

Iris immediately squealed and backed away hastily, but the centipede had already made landing. A stray thought, quickly ignored, thanked whatever mood had prompted her to wear a shirt with a higher neckline that morning. Otherwise, there would be more jumping and much more shouting. As it was, Iris danced around like a monkey. One part of her brain screamed, 'Getitoff! Getitoff! Getitoff!!', while the other part said, 'Don't squish it! Don't squish it!' Little "Gah!"s and "Yeeee!!"s left her throat in various pitches of panic. And, as if that weren't enough, her cries had attracted the attention of the Boa Man's younger audience, and their collective squeals and laughs.

"Bethany, No! Bad Bethany!"

"Yes! Bad Bethany!" Iris finally dance-hopped to the woman's side, and deposited the critter in her hands and quickly as possible. Then she scuttled back a few steps. She was breathing hard, and her squeals had turned to nervous laughter. She scratched at her arms furious, and the front of her shirt.

"Now that was wild...."

"Yes! Bad Bethany!"

The lady was hopping and circling around and Petunia was pacing back and forth on the balls of her feet. “Hey! You cant yell at her! Don’t you see she likes you? Bethany take it easy, she doesn’t mean it. Shame on you Miss! Don’t you know Bethany is sensitive, Hey watch those Squeals! Her ears are hurting her because of you!” ok so centipedes don’t exactly have ears but this was fun and on the inside while Petunia danced around, Pix was laughing like mad. Oh was beautiful noise this one made from the higher part of her voice box. Why her and the crunching boots of the one named Gore could start a Rock and/or Roll band!

Dancing around Iris, on the balls of her feet, Pix managed to not bump anyone too hard with the wings that were tucked under her uniform. Though they might of twitched against her back, in her excitement. By some miraculous occurrence, Bethany landed back in her out stretched hand.

"Now that was wild...."

“oh miss.” Pix crooned. “you, you, you, you hurt Bethany’s feelings.” Pix was on her tip toes so that her arms would better reach up to Iris’s face with little Bethany twined between her fingers. The centipede’s head dipped into the curves of it’s lets with the antenna’s twitching. “Just give Bethany a little pick on the forehead, she’ll perk right up. Honest. Here see?” Petunia braught the bug back down to her face and ran her tongue over Bethany’s spine like body, making Bethany arch like a cat, then looked up at iris, with those big buggy eyes as Pix shoved Bethany back up in Iris’s face.

“oh miss, you, you, you, you hurt Bethany’s feelings. Just give Bethany a little pick on the forehead, she’ll perk right up. Honest. Here see?”

Iris couldn't keep the grimace off of her face as the girl actually licked the red insect. No way that could be healthy....

"Gh-uh.... I-I'd rather not...." Okay how to say this without offending her? "I.... don't want.... tooooo hurt her! Again! Yes! I don't want to hurt her again. I mean, you know, with my squealing. And such. Since she's so sensitive. Yeah."

She attempted a weak smile. Truth be told? Iris had a major case of the creepy crawlies right then. Maybe it was because the centipede had so many legs. Most bugs she'd come across had six, or eight legs. Tarantulas were actually kind of cute. But centipedes? And millipedes? Yeah. Definitely too many legs.... And no wings. Wings were good.

Oh this one could talk fast….. with few pauses…. When given the challenge…. Of having a bug shoved in her face…. What nice…. Conversation….

“Oh how kind you are.” Pix said. She glanced at her wrist, where she could see her watch. It was about lunch time and the animals were only allowed to spend a certain amount of time outside in the hot sun. “Tell you what.” Petunia said as she let Bethany slide between her fingers to her left and her right reached to loop around the girls elbow.

“Bethany can go play with what’s left of her little boy friend in the back room, and if you want you could help me with the rest of my shift. Zoo goers always like helping me with my shift.”

Pix couldn’t help but laugh in her head at this girl. She really seemed like fun.

“Oh how kind you are. Tell you what.”

Iris reflexively pulled back a bit as the girl took hold of her arm, but she stopped herself from pulling too hard. She really didn't want to offend. At least the little critter was in her other hand now.

“Bethany can go play with what’s left of her little boy friend in the back room...."

<"She's really short,"> Iris thought to herself. <"I wonder how old she is?">

".....and if you want you could help me with the rest of my shift. Zoo goers always like helping me with my shift.”

"Help? Me? Uh, well...." Iris laughed nervously. She shrugged and glanced back over her shoulder, in a double attempt to not scratch the itch at her neck and find someone to save her.

Abruptly she blinked and looked down at the girl. " 'What's left of him?' " she parroted.

(I hope I’m keeping my bug facts right here. There is actually a lot to actually remember. On threads that are more important to bug abilities, I do take the time to look things up.)

Petunia was throwing her small weight into Iris’s arm now that she had a hold of it. Pix wasn’t very big, herself, so she was practically leaning at a 45 degree angle as she haled on Iris’s arm to get the hesitant girl to walk a smidgen faster.

“Oh her boy friend did his thing, and now he’s lunch. You know. Bug mating and all.” Petunia spun around with an elated grin across her face. “Isn’t it fasinating!” Then she spun back around throwing her weight into iris’s arm again as she began dragging her off. “All that’s left are about half of his legs and his head. Funny she likes saving his head for last.”

“Oh her boy friend did his thing, and now he’s lunch. You know. Bug mating and all.”

"Oh. I see...." Iris visibly cringed. Unconsciously she leaned sideways just a bit further, to put some distance between herself and the pinkish centipede.

“Isn’t it fasinating! All that’s left are about half of his legs and his head. Funny she likes saving his head for last.”

"Yeah. Fascinating." She gulped. What had she gotten herself into this time?

"What's you're name again?"

She asked the question with intentions of changing the subject, and distracting her brain from the fix her desire not to offend had gotten herself into. Honestly, what was wrong with saying 'No'? Just once!

Petunia couldn’t help but giggle at this girl’s expression. If only it were possible to put a camera inside her eye so that she could capture these sights and expressions every where she went.

Petunia lead the way into a building, past a group of kids huddled against a wall that had been converted into a 6 foot tall ant farm, when the ants suddenly started line dancing. Across the hall on the other side was a large turtle that just sort of stared at the end of a 6 foot long iguana’s tail… clearly the less exciting of the two exhibits all of a sudden.

Then into the back room that said employees only. Not that Iris really had a choice. Petunia had taken others back here. There hadn’t been too big of a problem yet….

"What's you're name again?"

“Petunia gardener.” Petunia said as the door to the back room was shut, and her right hand with Bethany wrapped around her wrist like a red coral bracelet, to shake Iris’s. “What’s and yours is?”

With Petunia’s hand forward, Bethany raised her head, with her antennas twitching forward over Petunia’s fingers.

As the girl led her past several exhibits, Iris stopped and did a double-take at the ant farm display. Surely they weren't.....

No. No way. Either her eyes were playing tricks on her, or there was some elaborate illusion going on. Like animitronics, or a hologram wall.

Shaking her head she continued on.

“Petunia gardener.”

Aaaaaaand there was that critter again. Waving its-her-whatever's antennae....

"Um, hi Petunia. And Bethany...." She hesitantly reached out and just barely shook one of Petunia's fingers, in an effort to avoid 'Bethany's' advances. "I'm Iris."

It probably wasn't a good idea, but she started to look around.

The back room was wall to wall with various little cages. Several were lizards that had simply been dumped on zoo property by pet owners who decided that when the critters grew up, they were too much to handle. So now they were here, where zoologists had a chance to either shut them in the little closet, or to tote the critters around the zoo to use them to try and teach little kids about the critters as animal ambassadors. This included the live lizard food, that scurried around large aquariums that lined the walls at their feet, and a few twenty gallon tanks that housed mounds of crickets.

What was left of Bethany’s boy fried greeted them from behind the plastic of Bethany’s container. Right between a container that housed a bird spider and another, smaller tank, that was set up like a miniature marsh land with a beetle that was brined greed, it’s shell the size of Pix’s thumb. There were other things in there as well. Tiny millipedes circled the edge of a large rock, then above, at eye level there were a row of individual plastic containers that housed scorpions. At their feet, on the bug wall, was a long aquarium, housing hissingcockroaches.

Petunia let her hand dangle in Bethany’s aquarium and she slid off of her hand. Wrapping her many leg around Mr. X’s severed head. “Wanny help me with the feeding?” petunia asked as she snapped the lid shut and turned to address the white mice and the large bird eating spider… “Oh and I didn’t catch your name.”

Iris's expression conveyed an interesting mix of fascination and horror as she took in her surroundings. Having grown up as an only child on a mountain ranch, with a minimum of feminism to learn from, she was a bit of a tomboy. She had always brought home the snakes, lizards, frogs, grasshoppers, etcetera, and asked to keep them as pets. She had leapt at the chance to touch and hold the tarantula at the Butterfly Zoo, and the Rhino beetle. On a normal basis, she wasn't exactly squeamish with insects.

But 'a normal basis' meant a handful of bugs, not an entire roomful. This was not normal. Not by a long shot.

She pointedly avoided looking at the little pink centipede's meal choice, but the next choice wasn't much better. First was the scorpions. She backed away from those, attempting at nonchalance. But a small gasp left her throat when something hissed behind her. She was expecting a snake, not a cockroach half the size of her fist!

“Wanna help me with the feeding? Oh and I didn’t catch your name.”

"Iris...." Her voice wavered a bit, and she couldn't contain a shudder. She looked at Petunia. "Feeding? Feeding what?"

Her eyes fell on the container Petunia stood next to. Her mind registered the feeder mice, and the tarantula next to them.

Tarantula. That wasn't a tarantula. It looked a tarantula, hairy legs and eyes you could practically see. But no tarantula in the world was that huge.

Iris's jaw dropped. That spider had to be close to half a foot long! Or longer! She looked at the tiny girl with a look of complete and total disbelief.

“Iris.” Petunia mulled the name information around in her head. “Oh that’s funny. I’m Petunia Gardener and you’re Iris. I don’t suppose you’ve met anyone by the names of Daisy Flats, or Rose Wilburn.” The names really weren’t that important, but Petunia just had to ask.

"Feeding? Feeding what?"

“You mean who, silly.” Petunia said as she lifted the lid to the bird spider’s container, purposely not demonstrating the normal precautions that zookeepers normally take to make sure the animals don’t get away. “This is Tobby-Twitter-Fluff. Tobby for short.”

The roaches at Iris’s feet started making sound and Pix couldn’t help but smile wider. “You know some people believe that they make that sound when mating. Maybe they like you.”

Petunia set the lid to Tobby’s container to the side, and Tobby slowly moved to the edge of the top, each of his eight legs taking it’s own turn, inch by inch. If he hadn’t been holding his legs at different directions to get over the glass, and had been on a flat surface, his large, six inch long body could stretch it’s legs long enough to cover a large dinner plate.