The elephant moved slowly, her trunk extending toward him. Paul tensed, expecting aggression. But instead, its trunk rested lightly on his shoulder. The gentle weight stunned him. Her deep-set eyes met his, a strange emotion shimmering within them—a mixture of desperation and trust that Paul couldn’t ignore.
The gentle pressure of her trunk on his shoulder caused Paul’s attention to shift abruptly from the monkeys to the elephant. A chilling sensation crept down his spine, accompanied by the unanticipated burden on his shoulder. He held his breath, his body tense, as he cautiously pivoted to face the unexpected interloper.
The elephant’s eyes met Paul’s, and within the animal’s gaze, he detected a desperate plea for help. Paul tried to gauge what could be wrong with the elephant. If the rest of the herd was nearby, the thought of being charged at by a bull elephant made shivers go down his back. Paul racked his brain for a way to get out of this predicament.
As he examined the elephant more closely, Paul couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. This was no ordinary elephant. In fact, he had never seen anything like it before. Its belly was round and bulging. Paul’s eyes widened as he observed the unnaturally large size of the mammal, her immense frame defying all logic.