Project Sorna

Forty-One

              Day 3 for Robin started with the sun up & still early. Shadows cast from the figures of trees made the wading downstream more sacred than ever. The one & only Robin Prestley resorted as leader for a bit further, shotgun prepped.

             A restless Lara had her huntress tactic, three arrows in her bow. Heading downstream was the most general direction to the base exterior, the landmark nearer & nearer every block.

           Prestley started scarcely. "Darn, Lara."

           "Hmm?"

          "The noise. It's too quiet around here."

         Lara Croft caught her eyes on a lonely airline to the ever-blue sky. "Except for you, including that plane up above."

          "I don't hear any plane." her complaint led on. Curiosity made her wonder out loud, though. "Do you think that plane's for me?"

          "How long did you intend staying here?"

        Silent ambience shifted to one assumption from the pretty face; "A week?"

        Lara Croft had the gadgets turning round-a-bout in her thoughts. For a well-intellectual memory, she had a moment to herself to think up the calendar span from previous day-to-day. It concluded only last night the two took after the other in a frantic run.

         "Look there!" Robin was fascinated to see horses drinking at the bank. "Those fellas could give us a boost!"

         They waded close enough to the mammals to get a good look. Even their build didn't make the past archeologist remarked. As if the Englishwoman couldn't suppress a millionth surprise. Sure enough, the horses did with a nasty sip and batting their eyes towards the visitors.

         "Who in this world-" Robin was stopped from pondering.

         "-Either way," Croft's  British was heavy. "We'll hitch a ride if something's off back from the exterior."

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          I was first to see a hint of what the exterior grounds had to offer, opening up for a treasure hunt. Not the particular treasure hunt we came for, nonetheless. The tower stood up like some  jungle-gym version of the Eiffel Tower. Enough reason to think of myself as Alice In Wonderland, Robin casting as the Mad Hatter in our quest to survive in a twisted quest.

         Dad....dad always read me versions of that story. I can still remember...

        

        "AHH-NOW YOUR JUST BITCH'N 'BOUT  IT!"

      

     Instincts always on my side, I ducked in an effort to hide down the incline from sight. My arm reached for my friend's presence in bringing her down with me, but no sooner did she darted for higher ground level did the voice echo from far off. My mind strayed for a heartbeat longer until I found the choice to run after her in hot pursuit.

     Once beside a vivacious Robin, my senses caught up to see tails behind a wall where velociraptors snapped their teeth. So few walls, yet so few places where mother nature spared for potential wanderers. Except for the fact that velociraptors were no wanders-only beasts  of prey.

     With a curt nod and daggers in her eyes, Robin said to me, "That had to be from the tower."

     I nearly held back from fear. "DOWN!"

    Already, they caught us from around the structure and studied us closely. More walked away with even more blood at the mouth, tongues lapping up. From their tongues to their bodies, my own vision was evoked at seeing rib bones on each & every one of them.

     All they did was look as a pack in uninterested moods. Soon enough did they cluster back into the shadows where more of a delicacy was. Young velociraptors chirped in my direction, nothing threatening.

      I further snapped my head all the way around to see Prestley being grabbed by a sly trashing in the tall grass. "Lara-put a damn arrow in this lug-head over here!"

     My cue came to aggressively part the grass and see the 'lug-head' before kicking my foot up and cracking a minor connection in his wrist that made him react in genuine pain. Figuring he had the time to recover, I aimed the gun point blank and looked on stone cold.

     "Alright." I uttered, rather aware of my actions. "Just what do you think your hurry is? Just who on the face of this Earth do you think your business is, putting your hands on a woman?"

     Still genuine, he turned on his back like a pathetic log. Strength in my hand wanted no more than to "slip" the trigger and make the most satisfying kill in a long time. I remember pounding the gun against the man's head in the late hours of night. A pulped bruise drew all the conclusions about that.

     Heat flooded my face in confusion. But I stabled the emotions in my own strange manner and managed to talk strictly.

     "I don't care about your sob story in anyway, shape, or form-why did you come all the way here?"

    "Give me a break, princess! You've kicked my ass enough!" his whining came out sore, too. "Got nothing on me, either!"

    "Give me one reason to care. If this is a trap, I swear--"

    An eased buzz emitted from beside the elevator system, cutting away at my threat & turning the tables on our attention. The  pathetic mother-trucker  I had begging at my feet had a clear mind of his own; loud & distracting.