Mystery Micro-fiction

This was for another "Mystery Micro-fiction Swap"- the task was to write 250-300 words based on three words randomly assigned to me my mystery words were: Monkey, Groom, Office.


Beatrice carried her coffee back to her office, set it down on her desk and picked up the phone.

“Simon. That wedding party are in the memorial garden having their photos now. Can you take Sarabi down there as soon as you have a chance? Thanks”

Beatrice’s friends were always shocked to hear how many wedding parties came into the zoo to have their photos taken, especially when they paid extra to have Sarabi, the two-and-a-half metre long jungle python in their photos. It didn’t surprise Beatrice, though; she loved her job in administration, but some days longed to be out handling animals all day (or cleaning up manure all day, as most keepers would have her believe).

The phone rang.

“Admin. This is Bea.”

“Bea, I need you to get security down to the kiosk, they aren’t answering my calls.”

“Sure, what’s up?” Beatrice asked as she grabbed her mobile phone in the other hand. If security weren’t answering on the zoo phone, she’d have to call Jim on his mobile.

“Ratu is out. She’s terrorising… oh no, she’s heading for the memorial garden.”
Beatrice hit the ‘call’ button on her mobile as she ran out of the admin building. As she swung the door open and ran into the sunshine, a frightened couple ran up to her.

“Excuse me, but a monkey has escaped, and…”

“Ratu is NOT a monkey,” She interrupted fiercely; “she is an orang-utan.” Then she quickly put on her ‘public relations face’, added “don’t worry, she isn’t dangerous,” and ran in the direction of the memorial garden, “usually.”

On her way, she bumped into Simon, carrying the enormous python.

“Don’t go to the garden!” She warned him.

“Too late,” Simon grimaced “I think Ratu has a crush on the groom.”