revival - zach mitchell *2/3 of eradication trilogy*

Chapter 13: Bullet Holes

"Jessie, it's getting late." Zach sighed, looking at the watch on his wrist. "We should be getting back, their probably worried sick about us." He continued, trying to bring me back to the camp.

"You go ahead!" I encouraged him, letting him run back to safety. "I'm just trying to find something, okay? It might take a while." I saw him become stubborn, following me and refusing to turn back. "Listen, I don't need a hero to 'save' me."

"Jess, I know you don't." He chuckled, running his hand through his hair, pushing his hair back up. "You saved me so many times." He continued to follow me, "I refuse to let you go anywhere here alone. Strength in numbers, and in case anything happens, I can try and help you." I smiled sadly back at him... I know he was only thinking about the best for me, and I know he cares, but I still feel very confused with how I should feel about this. Maybe I should actually try to be friends with them.

I heard something strange in the area, stopping Zach. "Did you hear that?" it was like a trap snatching, "I don't think we're alone here." His eyes widened. "Look where you're going. I heard a trap of some kind get at something."

He looked scared, and generally paranoid at this point. Steps were taken with care, each attempting not to make a noise. The fear was making both our hair raise.

With one final tree that passed, a yellow tarp was held over a few poles with tables underneath and a tent nearby.

It looked like the hunters camp in Tarzan magically appeared next to the old dinosaur feeding area; with stuff all over the tables, however it was mainly knives, guns and this weird technology I've never seen before. This must've been how the dinosaur we saw the other day died.

"Jess...look at this." I followed the sound of Zach's voice into one of the tents, and together we saw dinosaur skins and meat all over the place.

This couldn't be right. Who would do this? What kind of person does something like this? Where is the morality? The human decency?

My breath got caught in my throat.

My heart stopped beating for a second.

I saw a label for raptor meat. There was skin that looked exactly like Blue'

I fell onto my knees in anguish.

Blue can't be dead, right? This is just...fake. Maybe it's from the remains of the other raptors?

It would mean I wasn't with Blue when Blue died. I wasn't there to help or finish the torture he's been through. I wasn't able to save him from this awful fate.

There were millions of skins and meat in this room. There were about three different tents outside; all huge...are they all full of it too?

Who the fuck did this?

I opened each door, finding ¾ tents were full of skins where the other one is full of tools and a bed.

"Someone's hunting dinosaurs?" Zach was shocked like I. Who would hunt these innocent creatures? They weren't doing any harm. We should have never made that god-forsaken parks. They just held these animals as hostage, treating them as if they don't deserve lives. They needed happiness. Like my Uncle always said, they have natural instincts; they eat, they drink, they hunt, they have sex, they mate – they also need some sort of satisfaction.

And now their dignified as some mistakes!? As new material for leather!? As food!? This is absolute bullshit.

Grief always comes in multiple steps...from doubting, to devastation to the point I hit anger. I started knocking over the tools and materials. I fell back onto my knees, my palms cut by the glass pieces I had knocked over.

Two arms wrapped around me tightly, warmth spreading around me and consoling me. "Shh, Jessie, shh." He soothed, his head resting on the top of my head. "It's okay...we can tell Owen. We'll find a way to stop it." He sighed, rubbing my arm up and down. "We'll find a way to get justice."

"Blue." I murmured into his shoulder. His head jolted up, before spotting another raptor pack. He held me tighter than he did before and kissed my forehead, "Come on, let's go talk to Owen."