Big Teeth (An aftermath of Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom fanfiction)

Chapter 9

     A week passed before the food ran out. As we finished off the last leg of cooked chicken, I wondered of Ripper would have to make the perilous journey back to the food-house again. The rain still hadn't come, but the air was humid, promising signs of a storm. I hoped the rain would come soon, because I dearly missed the taste of fresh water. The water from the humans tasted funny and stale, nothing like the fresh bite of the stream, or the coolness of the lake. Still, it was better than nothing. Licking my lips, I looked over at Ripper, who was stretched out on the stones. His foot wasn't infected, but it hadn't fully healed either. He still limped on it, but not as bad. The rain must come soon. Ripper wouldn't be able to make the journey to the food-house anytime soon, and prey was still scarce. As if he had read my thoughts, Ripper spoke up.
"I think a trip to the food-house is due," he said, stretching.
"Oh, I don't think so. The rain will come soon, I can feel the tension in the air," I said, quickly. I didn't really want to go there so soon.
"Not soon enough. Perhaps we should go tonight, and get it over with." He replied.
"Tonight!? But you're foot is still not fully healed. You won't be able to bring back much. It's much better to wait," I advised.
"That's why is said 'we'. Me and you can go. Together. We would get loads!" He responded. I stared at him.
"Ridiculous. You were lucky the first time. If we went together, we both die." I snarled.
"Well it's either you alone or both of us,"
"Neither,"
"Do you want to starve?"
"I want to live,"
"Well, then, the path to the food-house is looking extra easy tonight." Ripper finished. He rattled his quills at me, and turned to go to sleep. I sighed. I may as well catch some sleep before tonight. Ripper was right, in the sense that we did need food. But going to the food-house wasn't a good idea. It sent weird shivers dancing through my scales. As I curled up, I tried not to think of my impending doom. Instead, I focused on my sisters, and the times we used to have together. Sleep was a long time coming.

* * * * * * *

The path was steady and even, and the smooth stones granted us easy access. The air crackled with the tension of the oncoming storm and the humid breeze swept past us as we continued our journey. The stars were smothered by dark, rumbling clouds, and not even the moon could peek through to guide us on our way. We relied completely on our senses, occasionally sniffing the air to grasp a meaningful hint of our destination's distance. My anxiety had hardened into a ball in the pit of my stomach, shifting every now and then, to remind me of it's presence. Ripper's uneven footsteps ahead assured me that I was not alone, but even he walked in silence. His stubborn refusal to wait could be our downfall. I think he knew that.
     My sickle-claw twitched nervously, making a dull thud each time. The ground was black. The humans called it 'Road' or sometimes 'Pathway'. It reeked of their cars, but it was the quickest route to the food-house, or so Ripper said. A great shadow of a building loomed ahead, and with a great feeling of dread, I realised we had reached our journey's end. Or maybe, it was the beginning. Creeping round the side of the building, Ripper pointed to the place where he had broken on last time. But there was bad news. It was cornered off, with some kind of barricade made from sticky stuff. Tape if I remembered correctly.
I learnt a lot of the human language from Owen. My close bond allowed me to associate certain words with feelings, and I soon began to get a grip on their words. Of course, my own vocal cords prohibit me from actually speaking, and I have never tried, but Owen has tried once or twice to do a raptor caw. His attempts would humour me and my sisters, and even when no one else was around, he still got embarrassed. The closest he ever got was after he repeated one of our most spoken words, Food. We used to chant it during our training sessions, and eventually Owen began to realise what we were asking for. After watching us call it a few times, he tried it himself. It was horrendous, but better than the other attempts. One of his friends caught him doing it once, and they exchanged loud words. Owen's were embarrassed and sounded of denial, and his friend's was filled with laughter and pointing. His friend must have said something to the other humans, and for the rest of that day, they would point and make funny noises at him. Owen, well, I have never seen a human look more like a tomato in my entire life. Still, it was sweet that he wanted to try. Sweet, but incredibly pathetic.
Ripper tapped his sickle-claw angrily, bringing me back from my swirling pool of memories. He huffed irritably, and moved around the tape.
"They've patched the hole," he muttered furiously.
"Of course they have. You made a massive hole in the wall," I hissed back, as quiet as I could. Ripper muttered something unrepeatable under his breath, and sniffed the tape cautiously.
"I think we might be able to rip ourselves through," he murmured. I swallowed nervously. The breeze picked up, and something shiny floated in my peripheral vision. I turned round, and realised it was an empty packet. I watched in horror as it floated on the wind, until it finally came to rest behind Ripper's foot.
"Ripper," I whispered. No reply.
"Ripper!" I whispered, louder this time. He whipped round, and stepped back. The crinkle was loud enough to deafen. We froze. My heart was pounding. Ripper's eyes were glowing with terror. A cloud rumbled.
Bark
We jolted into action, craning our necks to see where the dog was. We saw two giant dogs, bounding towards us, letting out a flurry of barks and howls. We fled, stampeding our way back to the forest and safety. And that's when the storm broke. Lighting flashed and boomed, and the rain began pouring in torrents. Fleeing through the streets with the dogs hot on our tails, we skidded and slipped through the streets. Angry shouts of humans arose behind us, and the unmistakable shots of guns echoed through the town. Bullets whizzed past us, thudding into brick and pavement. The humans had been expecting us!
"You said you weren't seen!" I cried at Ripper, as we dodged our way down the road.
"I wasn't!" He snarled back.
"They were expecting us! That's why the dog's were there!"
"I'm telling you, no one saw me! And we can easy take care of the dogs!"
"I'm not fighting those brutes! The humans have guns! We'll be picked off!"
"Alright! So run, and stop shouting at me!" He roared. I shut my mouth and followed in his loping footsteps, the limp and pain of his foot forgotten. The dogs were falling farther behind, but the humans were still firing at us. How could they have known it was us? Why didn't they suspect humans of the thievery? Then it hit me. Cameras! But there was no time to tell Ripper now. We soon reached the dense trees, and the familiar forest made me have a spark of hope. Adrenaline coursed through me, and the dog howls grew quieter. We were safe. Keeping my eyes ahead, I failed to notice the shining gleam of metal beneath me. Suddenly, bright white pain slammed through my leg and dragged me down. The crunch of bones and metal bounced off the trees and into my ears. I screeched in pain, and tumbled to the floor. The rip of my flesh and the sickly smell of blood clogged my senses. The pain washed over me in waves, and my vision darkened. A loud cry erupted from my mouth. I sank into the mud as the rain pelted on my scales. The dogs yelped in excitement, the smelling of blood feeling them on. Feet pounded in my direction, and suddenly Ripper was there, filling my vision. He roared something at me, and suddenly disappeared. Then, the yanking began at my leg. I cried out in pain, but he didn't stop. As he tried to tear me free from the trap, the smell of dog-breath and the ear-piercing caterwauls of hounds filled my senses. Then the yanking stopped, and the dogs screamed and yelped in terror. The sharp snap of bones and the wet tearing of flesh told me all I needed to know. The humans were still coming, shooting blindly into the woods. Ripper resumed tugging at the trap, until eventually, it sprang open. The pain smashed into me, and I blacked out.

* * * * * * * * *

When I blinked my eyes open, I was still in tremendous pain. I was laid somewhere quiet, with the raucous of humans gone. We were somewhere safe. Ripper was licking my leg, trying to fix the mangled limb. Upon seeing my open eyes, he leant over me.
"What do I do??" He demanded fretfully. I groaned, before trying to answer him.
"Owen," I whispered, barely even hearing myself.
"What?" He cried, the hysteria raising his voice.
"Owen," I managed to mumble more loudly. He heard me, and tilted his head in confusion, until his eyes lit up with understanding. He pieced it together. Owen fixed me before, he can do it again. Ripper wouldn't be able to fix the wound on his own, it was too deep. Owen could fix me up, and send me back.
"I'll take you to him," he vowed.
"Lives... at.." I began.
"I know where he lives." Ripper confessed. I huffed.
"I- I lied to you, when we first met. I didn't run straight to the plains when I escaped," he confided. I grunted in surprise. "I found Owen, and watched him, with the little girl and his mate. I know where he is." He finished. I closed my eyes. The black tide of unconsciousness and pain came rushing towards me, threatening to submerge me. Before I lost consciousness, I felt Ripper hoist me up, and half drag, half carry me away.
I woke up in fretful snatches during the journey. The pain from my leg was excruciating, and I never stayed awake for long. Ripper moved at a fast steady pace, trying not to limp. When I blacked out, I would sometimes catch glimpses of my sisters, sometimes dead, and sometimes staring at me with love and sympathy. Other times, it was I-Rex, snarling at me and roaring at me to get up and move. And occasionally, it was Ripper. But before, it had been nightmares and bad memories that came with him. Now, it was souvenirs of our most exciting and fun times. Journeying to the sea, huddling in the meteor shower, and crinkling through the autumn leaves. Memories that brought joy and happiness, instead of fear and spine-tingles.
We reached Owen's at midday. I woke up to roars and human shouts, before feeling the familiar warms and smooth skin of Owen's hand. It rested on my face.
"Hey, girl," he rasped gently. His voice had grown softer than I remembered. Maybe that little girl Ripper mention had stopped his rough ways. I felt myself being lifted, and I was strapped onto a trailer. Something was wrapped around my leg, and a car engine rumbled to life.
"Be careful with her! And bring her back!" Ripper snapped. The little girl whimpered, and Owen's mate hushed her and calmed her down. The car door slammed, and Owen said something to his mate. Then he addressed Ripper.
"I'll save her," he promised. Now, Owen of course didn't understand dino, and Ripper didn't understand human, but a mutual acknowledgment seemed to pass between them, and Ripper retreated a little. By now, a crowd had gathered on the street, and humans were staring and pointing. I didn't care. As the familiar black tide rushed towards me again, the car pulled away, with me in tow on the trailer.
"I'll wait for you! Forever!" Ripper roared as I was spirited away. I tried to lift my head and call, but I fell back down and my mouth made no sound. He would understand though. Ripper always did.
The car's engine purred, and Rippers eyes met mine, before I succumbed to the darkness. His eyes were full of fearful hope, and promises of waiting. The dust swallowed him, like the blackness swallowed me. My saviour.