The forest smelt strongly of pine and wild onion as they meandered like hunters through the overgrowth, hacking back the bushes. It was as if they were looking for some missing puzzle piece or a rare and fabled jewel. In truth, they were stalking one of the escaped Velociraptors, another human error that had cost the life of one more park ranger.
“If you find her, please don’t shoot her,” crackled the radio in her ear.
“I think I know more about her than you do!” she stated angrily, “Remember, I have raised her from an egg,” she added in frustration.
He greeted her with his intense dark eyes, boring a hole into her mind. “I know that you have an attachment to these creatures, but you will only ever be prey to them. They won’t pause before they have torn you limb from limb. So, stay sharp. We have a job to do. I intend to return with my body intact.”
“Can we stop with the lectures?” she sharply responded, “Just because I’m a woman, it doesn’t make me stupid.”
A snapped branch made them both freeze on the spot and crouching down, she motioned to him to follow suit. Placing her finger on her lips, signaling to remain quiet, she briefly edged her way forward to try and get a better view of what was ahead.
A tiny reptilian head poked from a broken shell, its brown and beige colored pieces scattered on the ground. Removing the rest of the casing from around the infant, she caused the animal to let out a squeal.
Firmly, he gripped her arm, motioning her back, before whispering, “They don’t leave their young alone for too long. We have to get out of here.”
A sudden realization overcame her, snapping her out of her trance, and she nodded to him in agreement.
Another sound of a breaking twig stopped them acrimoniously in their tracks. “Run,” he spoke assertively, continuing, “Don’t wait and don’t stop.” pointing his hand in the direction away from the sound. The sound of his heart raced anxiously in his ears, “Thud, thud, thud.” His hand trembled as he focused on how best to handle the situation. He was caught off guard; they were supposed to be tracking it, not the other way around.
He took a deep breath to help him regain his composure, realizing it was only one fully grown raptor, not an entire flock. Adrenaline coursed through his body like poison as a deafening roar shattered the relative quiet of the jungle. Mosquitoes pierced his skin, attracted to the day-old sweat emanating from his pores.
Suddenly…
About the Creator
Raven Black
He stepped out into the street, cloaked in his midnight-smoked suit and twisted-brown leather boots, shouting to the world, "Writing is my religion, and this is my church."
Hi, I'm Raven Black, and writing is my passion.
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Original narrative & well developed characters
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Peanuts and Crackerjack
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Comments (2)
I loved it!
This seemed very familiar. Has Isabella posted this before? Nevertheless, I enjoyed it a lot!