Zoe was breathing hard, feeling both scared and angry. Every ounce of trust she’d placed in the notion of Rex being a well-trained, harmless pet was shattered. Her screams and Rex’s sudden aggression turned their safe, private room into a scary place. “We need to call Corey,” Zoe demanded, her voice shaking, hysteria painting each word with vivid strokes of panic. “He needs to come back and take Rex, now!”.
George’s hands shook, and he couldn’t get the image of Rex’s sudden aggressive behavior out of his mind. He felt a mix of fear and disbelief. He could still hear Zoe’s panicked scream as he tried to call Corey, but then reality hit him. A sinking feeling gripped his stomach as he recalled Corey’s words – he would be out of cell service for a few days. They were on their own with Rex, a pet who had morphed into a stranger within the blink of an eye.