He stood outside the entrance to Circe's Zoo for so long that night began to fall.
He saw several people go inside, but very few came back out again.
The sun was beginning to set on the western horizon when a woman approached him.
"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked.
"Sorry. Just been lost in thought," the man replied, without even bothering to look at her.
"About?"
"This place."
"I think the online ad was pretty specific," she replied, wondering if there would be another animal before the zoo closed for the night.
"I know, and I've longed to be some kind of feline, but there's so many choices," he said.
"True," she agreed. "Lion, tiger, cougar, panther, leopard..."
"And others. Yet even if I could decide upon the specific species, there's one variety I really want to be above all else, but I doubt it's possible."
"And that is?" she asked, wondering what it could be.
"Anthropomorphic," he said, hopefully.
She looked at him. He was far from the first to have such a wish and she could tell his feelings and desires were genuine, but sadly, "I'm sorry, but Circe's Zoo isn't set up for such creatures."
The man let out an audible sigh, then said, "If this place, or somewhere like it, is ever capable of such a feat..."
"You and many others will be more than welcomed to enjoy a new life there."
"Thank you," he said with a smile, then turned and walked away.