Chapter Text
Wind rattled the wired chain link fences, a tiger roared and across the path a black panther hobbled on three legs as it paced back and forth. The growling of a timber wolf turned into a melancholy howl as the wind picked up. Dark hair pulled from a tight braid and brown eyes looked to the skies and trees, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as the sky darkened for a few moments, then it was calm again. The tiger stopped snarling, the panther stopped its pacing and the wolf ceased it howls.
Tessa glanced around, finding nothing amiss, the feeling of foreboding was gone and the scruff on her dogs neck was no longer standing on end. Jack the cattle dog simply stared out to the wood line surrounding the fences and cabin for long moments until he broke from his frozen state and looked up at the human woman by his side.
The dark haired woman looked around and put it all as a sign of the oncoming rain storm that was due the next few days. Chalked it up to the weather always being a little strange here in Georgia during the rainy spring. Her hands slipped the chunks of meat through the fences, feeding the animals that reside in her small sanctuary. The tiger that was recently rescued from a torturous life living with the circus, the panther recovering from a broken leg and the timber wolf nearly finished recuperating from an illegal poisoning from some campers by form of antifreeze covered meat.
With everyone fed, she and Jack walked once more through the paths and checked every cage door, lock and chain before returning back to the small cabin. The sun set and the wind picked back up, through the torrents of pounding drops and the cry of the wind, Tessa paused as a lone howl cried through the noise of the storm. The hair on her arm stood up, Jack growled low in his throat and the electric flickered as the storm raged. Tessa, locked the door once more and made sure the flashlight was close at hand in case the power was cut off.
"Just the storm, Jack, it'll pass by morning." Though that chill never left her spine no matter how many blankets she piled on top of her bed during the cold night as rain pelted down. Jack snuggled to her side, his black ears alert and eyes always one blink from being wide open.