The Island

(Chapter 15) First Contact (Revised)

The air appears to have taken on a humid feel, my lungs find it troublesome to breathe and my joints challenging to move.

My body remains motionless as the towering Velicoraptor lays its claws next to my face. It growls and hisses at me.

Then again, just like earlier, I understand it. It's hisses and gnarls forming sentences, "Listen and listen good! You are just a weak little thing, I'd kill you right here and right now if my friend didn't want you alive. For some reason, he likes to think you understand us, that there is hope. . . But I see different, all I see is the vulnerability in it, the absurdity of it all. Your coming with me, he requests your presence." He swings around and marches away, "NOW!"

I raise myself off the ground and glance over at Henry, his head shakes from side to side and whispers, "What are you doing?"

I mutter back, "He wants me to go with him."

Henry lifts himself as well, "Should I go too?"

A hiss from the raptor sends Henry back to the floor, "Just you, invader." and looks at me with detestable eyes.

I then nod at Henry, "It's going to be okay, I'll be back." Under my breath, I say, "Hopefully."

I follow the raptor through a cave entrance a few miles away from our tree house. Its dark, but at the end of the tunnel, I see the light. As we pass through, I see something scamper toward me. The raptor hisses at it, and it whines like a dog, running off towards what I think to be another raptor.

The raptor in front of me turns to look at me, "So, they call me Buddy. I don't want to hear any form of grievance against you. If you try anything, I will personally make sure your death is slow and excruciating."

I nod, even though I know full well that he doesn't understand, "I'll be good."

Buddy then walks away from me, giving my eyes a chance to look around. It's beautiful, trees tower overhead, and a stream of water runs through. The earth feels wet, like mud, but its masked in layers of moss. The cave sits alone, almost like its coming out from the ground up. Before I could look anymore a raptor walks toward me, it towers all the others.

It calls at me, "Come here."

I walk forward and exchange eye contact with Buddy.

Our lovely bonding session is hindered by the raptor that towers before me, "Hello... they call me Father. I am the leader, do you understand me?"

I nod, "I understand."

Silence fills the air as if I had said something terrible, every raptor around me looks in my direction.

Father seems to have been taken aback, "What did you say?"

I repeat, "I understand?"

Father looks over at Buddy, "Did you hear that? It spoke."

Buddy then replies, "How, all I've heard are grunts and wails. They seem to have a form of communication, but I have never understood any of it."

In confusion, I ask, "Can you understand me?"

Father lowers his head down to my level, "Yes, as if you were speaking like us."

I nod, "That's the same for me, somehow we understand each other. Like we are speaking the same language, but different altogether."

Some things can be described, but with my encounter with the Raptors. . . I have to say, something unprecedented, remarkable.

The world around me has exploded, giving me a new found curiosity. Questions begin to fill my head, "How did you guys become. . ."

Buddy stops me in my enthusiasm, "... .What?! Become. . . WHAT?" He walks over to me and opens his mouth, his teeth dripping with blood, "Come on, finish your sentence, 'how did you guys become... .'"

Shivers run down my spine, I try to choose my words carefully, "Intelligent."

Buddy roars, spattering blood across my face, "For a pity little thing you sure have courage, especially when I could break that little face of yours."

Father walks in between Buddy and me, "Are you trying to ruin our chances of making peace with the creatures!"

Buddy steps down and tilts his head toward the ground, "My apologies, but you know how I feel about them. They took my love if you haven't forgotten."

Father snarls at him, "Don't try to remind me of something I have never forgotten, learn your place. . . and for fuck sake, clean that dirty mouth of yours, it smells of decay."

Buddy then walks away toward the water.

Father turns to me and asks, "Back to negotiations, what does your superior want in return for our safety? What would it take for you to leave us alone?"

I look at him with worry for my own security, "Sir, as much as it would delight me to say I have power in this matter, I don't. Humans do whatever they want sometimes, I have no control over what they do."

Fathers eyes grow worrisome, "But you must know how to end this war that continues between us."

I shake my head, "I have no idea, there are many types of humans, with different leaders, I'd be unlikely for all of them to agree."

His face turns toward the babies, "Then, I will fight for them."

I then drop to the ground, "I'm sorry, but as far as humans know, you don't exist. From the looks of it, only a certain few know and they will not stop. Unless you and I come to an agreement."

Redirecting back to me he asks, "What agreement?"

I answer, "We fight together against those humans. The ones that seek to kill you."

He glares at me, "You would turn against your own?"

I shrug, "As I said, there are various types of humans, bad ones and good ones. I don't mind turning on the bad."

Father gazes at me for a substantial amount of time, then comes to a resolution, "Alright, as allies, we will fight against the humans that seek to destroy my home. Thank you, you will be risking your life, and for that, I am truly appreciative."

My brain shrieks inside, 'What have I gotten myself into?'