Fractured Luck // Owen Grady

•14

Before

For the first time in my life, I was exposed to utter chaos.

Pteranodons and Dimorphodon were soaring over Main Street, terrorizing the visitors. Some people were plucked from the strip by claws, or impaled by the beak of a Dimorphodon.

A number of dinosaurs crashed into windows and were flying throughout the buildings.

Set to destroy, the ACU stood in a formation, firing only when they gained clear shots, in order to save visitors from being hit.

Although I held my gun at the ready, I didn't bother attempting to hit any dinosaurs, as they hadn't came my way.

Well, that, and then the fact that Claire was clutching on to my elbow, withholding me from shooting.

"Claire, go hide in a building, or something, go away," I muttered, trying to wiggle my arm away from her.

"No, Zara said my nephews were on Main Street, I have to look," Claire pleaded.

Huffing, I ripped my arm from Claire and pointed in the distance, at a statue half a block away from our location.

"Run to that. Stand on top of it, yell their names," I ordered.

"What about you?" she asked.

"I'll cover you, just go," I said, giving her a shove.

Claire followed my directions and ran. Clinging to the statue, she shouted the names of her nephews.

Taking slow steps toward her, I purposely left distance between us to have a wider view of incoming dinosaurs.

With one eye open and peering through the scope on my gun, I fired when they started to make a beeline for Claire.

"Oh!" Claire squeaked.

Cutting off my inquiry, a splash occurred.

"Was that Mo?" I shouted, slightly raising my eye, "Is she okay?"

Frozen, Claire stuttered, "S-She just ate my assistant."

"Wow," I said, my own eyes widening, "Jeez, that's gonna mess her bowel system up."

On accident, Claire and Owen yelled, "Lauren!" Except Claire's was in shame, and Owen's was in a panic.

In the process of being mauled by a Pteranodon, Owen tripped over his feet, calling another nervous, "Lauren!" as he fell.

Equally panicked, also, out of bullets and options, I threw my gun at the pteranodon.

Pausing her attack to screech at me, the animal spread her wings at full length, knocking me to my bottom.

My palms scraped the gravel to stop the fall, which failed, but did alert me to a discarded gun near me.

I swept it from the ground, leaned back to catch my eye in the scope, then fired into its stomach when I had a clear shot.

The Pteranodon let a last squawk out before falling limp on top of Owen's body.

"Zach! Gray!" Claire screeched.

Whilst getting to my feet, I watched Claire leap from the chair and start sprinting through the street, presumably to her nephews.

Helping Owen stand, I joked, "I really wish I had something more memorable to say to you than just a sassy, 'We're even.'"

Moving his eyes to meet my surprised ones, Owen waited no longer to lift my chin and connect our lips.

"How does, 'I love you,' sound?" Owen asked, once he pulled away.

"Well," I said cheerfully, "I suppose that'll do."