But then, a collective gasp rippled through the room, breaking the quiet like a dropped plate shattering on tile. Julie’s head snapped up, her coffee forgotten on the desk. Her heart skipped as she saw every set of eyes in the lobby fixed on the entrance, where a massive figure now stood.
Standing just inside the doorway, steam rising faintly from its fur, was a bull moose. Its antlers stretched wide, nearly scraping the top of the doorframe, and were tangled with debris—strips of plastic, torn bags, and what looked like pieces of fishing net.