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But the performance didn’t end. Minute after minute, the baby hippo repeated the flips and motions. Its squeals grew louder, sharper, echoing oddly. Some guests chuckled nervously, their enthusiasm fading as the act dragged on.
“Fifteen minutes,” Julia whispered, checking her watch. “That’s too long.” One by one, visitors drifted away, phones lowered, parents tugged children onward, and clapping dwindled.
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