Fractured Luck // Owen Grady

•6

Before

At five, Owen stood in the doorway of my exit door in the stands while he waited for me to finish the last show of the day.

Everything went smoothly for the first half of the show. According to Gideon, I needed to dial up my enthusiasm, which I ignored.

Staring over the stands, it broke my heart to think of the chance that some of those people, those children could be slaughtered within a few hours, because a stubborn woman wouldn't evacuate the park.

"Lauren, are you okay? You seem really weird right now," Gideon said cautiously.

"Does anyone think they can tell me their own fact about the Mosasaur?" I asked the crowd.

I held my thumb in the air when the hooks were in my harness. I touched down onto Mo, continuing the show.

As I stayed quiet while another worker found a child to guess at a fact about the Mosasaur, another thought dawned on me.

If that Indominus reached the park, my last chance with Mo would be that day. Our final show, our final walk, our final everything. There was a great chance I'd never see her again.

For that reason, I took an amazing chance and sat on her, my hand running slightly across her scales in a soothing motion.

I felt her flippers stop rowing, obviously feeling my hand, although it was nothing more than a tickling sensation on her back.

My hand over my microphone, I whispered, "It's okay, Mo. It's just me.. Just me.."

It was impossible for her to hear me, but after I said it, she continued to propel through the water, ignoring my stroking.

After correcting a child's fact, I had to stop petting my girl. I stood, giving a heavy sigh.

The wiggle of her body, the splashing of her flippers, the smell of the saltwater: there was nothing like it. There would be nothing like it ever again.

"You've been a fantastic girl, Mo," I whispered, "If the Indominus comes after you, be safe, my girl."

The hooks were dangling ten feet away.

I made a small noise of panic when Mo unexpectedly dove underneath the water, earlier than she was trained to. Water was rippling over her back quickly.

"Lauren, are you okay?" Gideon asked, "I can shock her, and freeze her so you can get to the--"

"You shock her and I'll kick your ass, Gideon," I snapped.

I ran from the end of her tail, towards the water, gaining a, "What the hell are you doing?!" from Gideon.

At the last piece of her back above the water, I leaped, grasping on to the hooks with my bare hands.

Seconds after, Mo completely submerged, her tail barely missing my dangling figure as it followed the rest of her body under.

My damp palms were starting to slip immediately. It didn't help that I had no upper body strength.

Gasps came from the crowd, reminding me that they were still there, and watching what could have possibly been my death.

Although I was her imprint, there was no telling if Mo would eat anything dangling above the water.

"Completely planned, folks, completely planned!" I said, holding back the strain of my voice.

Gideon wired the machine to raise the wires.

I watched the water, thankfully not finding a giant blur anywhere near me.

The wire stopped at its highest point, a couple feet under the bridge.

With my shaking arms, I had no chance in reaching any further to grab the railing.

For the first time in my life, I actually believed my job would kill me. Death by Mosasaur She Raised, the headlines would read.

"Lauren!" My savior called, sticking his hand through the last bar, "Come on, Lo!"

Owen was reaching as far as he could, level with where my hand was already gripping the wire.

With a fast count to three, I locked our fingers quickly, causing myself a gentle sway from side to side.

Owen started to lean back onto the bridge, successfully allowing me to bring my free hand to the floor of the bridge. I let go of his hand, gripping the bars fully.

"I've got you, Lauren," Owen promised, "I won't let you fall."

I brought my knee to my chest, wedging my foot between the floor and the first bar on the railing.

Owen unexpectedly reached around me, grabbed the loop of my harness and twisted me quickly. My bottom hit the top bar, Owen pulled until my feet smacked against the floor.

My back against his chest, his arms around my shoulders, I leaned into him, breathing heavily.

"Nice show," Owen sarcastically complimented, "As always, you're out of your mind walking across her like that."

"I like to think we have a bond," I said, mocking him, "It's based on mutual respect. And also the fact that she can't see me."

"She clearly felt you when you sat down," Owen pointed out, "You've never done that. Why now?"

Having already descended the stands to the Observatory, Gideon also turned off my microphone. I tossed the harness and the headset onto the floor.

"Might be my last chance to see my girl," I admitted, "I'm not supposed to touch her with my hands, not since we stopped swimming together."

"You think she remembered your touch?" Owen asked.

I leaned on the railing, watching her figure wiggle under the water.

No matter how much I wanted to prove that such a massive creature could remember her imprint by the feeling of skin, I doubted it.

In the pool where we used to swim, when she was smaller than I, there was rarely moments when she strayed more than five feet from me.

Mo was always touching my skin in some way. It made her feel comfortable in a new environment. Safe.

Safe was something I couldn't promise her anymore.