Born For This ✔️

Meeting Eric Kirby

Breathing heavily I leaned against a tree to catch my breath looking around me everything was so quiet and I knew better than to keep shouting for dad. Pulling myself up I looked over the top of tree but still no one was in sight crouching down again I sighed, hearing a twig snapping I pulled myself up again screaming when I came face to face with a raptor.

Walking backwards I screamed when more raptors jumped behind me, spinning around I tried to keep my eyes on all of them "What do you want?" I screamed at them as they screeched at me as they surrounded me.

Suddenly one of the raptors bowed into a crouch ready to attack when a loud bang hit the floor, looking down I saw a gas canister beginning to pour out with smoke. Coughing I put my hands over my eyes trying to keep the raptors in my sight when a hand grabbed mine and pulled.

Running I continued to look back as the hand grabbed mine tighter, hitting branches and jumping over vines I hoped we had lost the raptor pack. Running into a clearing I tried looking around but the tear gas had made my eyes bad and I couldn't make out where I was.

The hand pulled me again bringing me closer to what now looked like an overturned vehicle or bunker, watching as the boy who saved me opened the hatch to the bunker I realized he was Eric Kirby, following him I climbed through the hatch and sat myself down.

Eric turned on a lantern and stood with his head peaking out of hatch obviously listening for the raptors, coughing I looked up him he looked dirty and tired but unharmed "Thanks Eric" I told him coughing again as he looked at me shocked.

"You know who I am?" Nodding I put down my bags trying to keep another cough at bay "Yeah" Your parents are here. They're looking for you" Eric sat down in front of me looking like he was contemplating something "Together?"

"Together" I answered as Eric sighed shaking his head "That's not good. They don't do so well together" smiling I remembered how catty and argumentative they had been with each other "You'd be surprised what people can do when they have to" Eric just nodded and looked up to the fading lantern and replacing it with a new one.

The extra light shined on my face and Eric looked down shocked "You're Haley Grant" I nodded in confirmation as another cough broke from me "What are you doing here?" he asked looking confused "Your parents invited my dad and me along" I told him smiling a little leaving out the bits where we were basically abducted by the Kirby's

Eric smiled and turned behind him pulling out a tin, cutting off the top he handed it to me with a spoon "you must be hungry" looking down at the cold beans I shivered before remembering this might be my last proper meal, looking up at Eric I smiled gratefully "Thanks".

We sat in a comfortable silence with only the sound of metal hitting tin before Eric spoke up again "I read both of your dad's books" nodding I put the spoon in the empty tin before crossing my legs and looking at Eric "Yeah? What did you think?"

Eric smiled at me happily "I liked the first one more. Before you were both on the island. He liked dinosaurs back then" Nodding I had read my dad's books once he had great passion and optimism before we went to Jurassic Park.

"Back then, they hadn't tried to eat us yet" I told him laughing as he grinned at me "You must have been terrified" he whispered to me as he passed me a candy bar "I can't remember a lot of it but I knew we were in great danger, I also remember being saved by the same T-Rex who tried to eat me" I told Eric with a small laugh.

"When lngen cleared out,|they left a lot of stuff behind" Eric said biting into hid candy bar as my eyes wandered around "Any weapons?" Eric shook his head quickly with a mouth full of chocolate "No, and I just used the last of the gas grenades"

Laughing I nodded at Eric "And I appreciate that" I told him with a wide smile making him blush a little, looking around I noticed some weird things. Picking up a jar I looked at the yellow liquid in side "Be careful with that. T-Rex. It scares the smaller ones away but it attracts one really big one with a fin"

My eyes widened in disgust when I realized what I was holding "This is T-Rex pee?" I asked tentatively, Eric nodded nonchalant "How did you get it?" Eric smiled at me mischievously "You don't want to know" we both shared a laugh it was cool to be with someone my own age.

"I'm surprised you've lasted eight weeks on this island, no offense" Eric looked over at me shocked "Is that all it's been?" Nodding I wondered why he seemed so shocked "Feels longer" nodding I knew what he meant.

A silence was over us once again but this one was different Eric seemed sad "Did you read Malcolm's book?" I asked him as he looked up and nodded "Yeah" shaking my head I waited for him to take the bait "So?"

Eric sighed "I don't know. I mean... It was kind of preachy. And too much chaos. Everything is chaos. Seemed like he was high on himself" laughing I nodded eating the last bit of my chocolate bar "My dad will love you for that" Eric smiled widely until we heard chittering noises "Listen" Eric whispered pointing up.

"Compys!" My eyes widened I remember them well a little girl was killed by those at the beach a couple of years ago when her family were on a yacht trip, Eric stood and closed the hatch making the bunker a lot darker even with the lantern.

-

Alan Grant was beside himself he had somehow lost his only child in the jungle on an island full of dinosaurs. "We're so sorry Dr. Grant" Amanda said with her hand on her mouth looking very upset, Alan nodded but didn't listen he didn't care for what they had to say right now he just needed to find his daughter.

"We'll find her she's a smart kid" Billy said putting his hand on his mentors shoulder hoping he hadn't just got Haley in danger when she picked up his bag, Alan nodded at Billy grateful for his concern as Amanda and Paul sat down reminiscing about their lives.

Realizing the darkness was honing in on them Alan knew it was time to stop and get themselves somewhere safe and bunk down for the night "Ok we need to find somewhere to stop before we can't see anything".

Amanda sighed and stood looking very tired but determined "We can't just stop looking. Eric and Haley are out there somewhere" Alan nodded in agreement for the first time in this trip but knew it was no use "We have no lights Mrs Kirby we'll be putting ourselves in danger" taking his bag he couldn't help but see Billy looking very guilty or was it nervous "You ok?"

Billy's head shot up and he nodded fervently "I'm fine just worried about Haley" he lied but his mentor didn't seem to notice as he put a hand on the younger mans shoulder "Me too Billy, Me too"

-

Waking up in the bunker I turned to see Eric's eyes opening too "Comfy?" he joked when I realized I had used his arm as pillow, blushing I sat up quickly and fix my hair and clothes "Come on we should find our parents" Eric nodded pulling himself up.

Filling our bags with things we thought we'd need we climbed back out of the bunker and walked through the jungle watching out for any dinosaurs. Eric pulls something out of his pocket and shows it to me "Know what this is?" he asked holding up a claw.

Taking it from his hand I nodded and smiled "A raptor claw my dad use to have one. It was a fossil" I told him remembering the old claw my dad used to show me all they time until he lost it on Isla Nublar "Mine's new" handing back the claw I realized Eric knew a lot more about dinosaurs that I thought.