Waking up one morning, a poor man stalked out of his bed, and got ready for work with a calm and level head. He brushed back his bangs and checked through all his gear, then looked over at the calendar with a yawn, eyes widening up in fear.
Oh my word…No...It can\'t be that time again! Four years had passed, and he was stuck with a shift that he couldn’t win!
Not here, not now! Let Lord have mercy on his soul. Yet, in order to get paid to keep living, the man grumbled to himself, before mumbling quietly, going out on patrol.
"I hate Leap Year Day!"
The man thought this sentence as he drove down the road, watching the trees through the glass of his car as they shimmied away on high. Turning on the radio an energetic song burst out of the stereo, "Let's Bounce!", making the poor man let out a sigh.
When he finally arrived at the zoo, chaos was everywhere as all the animals around had gone absolutely nuts with joy, leaping wild, bouncing up and down, and chuckling as they played sly jokes on the employed.
Wolves howled out their songs, while the birds chirped, and the elephants stamped down their feet, keeping in rhythm and tune, grooving to the Leap Year beat.
Kangaroos leaped up and down, their little joeys following their every step. If it only were these animals who were acting up, the poor man would have found this day easier to accept.
Tigers and lions pounced around with powerful dashes, ripping at their meaty breakfast fearsomely with their claws. Their growls echoed out, slashing through the air, earning Ooo’s from visitors and several dropped jaws.
The antelopes showed off their own prowess, springing high in the air with many jumps and thrills, performing great tricks as they perfected their art, showing pride in refining their skills.
In the reptile house they were also having a blast, flying lizards, frogs, and snakes gathered together, hissing and croaking with glee. Many ran into the walls, drunk with joy, a disturbing, yet funny sight to see.
With a yelp, the poor man ducked, barely avoiding an incoming object in a flash. If you looked up in the trees you would learn to be on guard as well, since monkeys were always careless when they threw a banana bash.
Not limited to the land, the water was jumping too, with sharks, dolphins, and fish coming up to greet you.
Hours passed as twilight came, and the zoo calmed down leaving the poor man shaking in distress. Locking up, he walked back to his car to head back home, desperate to get a good night's rest.
At home, the poor man collapsed on his couch, barely noticing as his cat, Delilah, strode in, and jumped wordlessly into his lap, curling up in a ball, spouting purrs as she settled in for her own comfortable nap.
The poor man smiled, petting Delilah’s fur, as his mind slowly drifted off towards sleep. The last animal to enter his mind that day were those of jumping sheep.
This Leap Year Day is over, but the man knew that the next one would soon be here. Hopefully he would be assigned on a different shift since the next one is coming in just four years!
The End