Here Lies

Prologue

"Mason, we need to stop soon, the others can't keep this pace much longer." Elise said as she pulled me to the side.

I looked around us, keeping an eye out, Utahraptors have been stalking us for the past few days and lately I haven't heard or seen them, a thing that worried me. "Do you not remember how the raptors dragged Kirsten off three days ago? She was only 3 years old Elise, I don't know about them but I'll be damned if I let another kid get eaten alive." I told her in a harsh whisper.

"Mason I know that but what if we're all too tired to run should the time come? The map indicates a small town nearby, we can get there before dark and fortify one of the buildings as well as gather supplies by nighttime. The kids need sleep, we need sleep and so does everyone else not to mention everyone's still shooken up." Elise argued. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, I could practically feel her holding her breath.

"Fine but only for tonight, we leave at dawn tomorrow." I said as I let my breath out in a sigh, upon opening my eyes Elise had already set off to tell the group.

I opened the map to see there had also been a zoo here, my heart raced, zombies could also be animals, if those animals had gotten loose or turned either way was bad... "Elise!" I called, she jogged back to me.

"Yeah? If I didn't know better I'd think you'd just seen Jackson naked." Elise said as she smiled, referencing our friend Jackson who for a time Elise had been...lets just say intimate with.

"Elise, the town we're going to, it's by a zoo." I told her, she knew why I brought up the zoo.

"We can't tell the others or they'll get scared and scared people do stupid things. Alright I'll let Jackson know so we can plan ahead and we know what to be looking out for other than raptors." Elise said.

"Alright, tell Jackson me and him are scouting ahead." I told her as I lit a cigarette and took a long draw off of it before slowly blowing the smoke out the corner of my mouth. I closed my eyes and leaned against the tree, the stress slowly leaving me as my muscles relaxed.

"Dude just marry that cigarette already." Jackson said.

"Shut the fuck up Jackson, this is my first one in over a week." I told him as I opened my eyes to see my brother grinning like an idiot.

"Oh, you mean the first one since you walked in on me and Elise?" Jackson asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Don't even go there Jackson or I'll feed you to the raptors." I snapped at him.

"Look, I know it was wrong but I swear it won't happen again, she's even thrown herself on her knees begging for your forgiveness Mason. I'm sorry." Jackson said as he looked away. I ignored him and pushed on down the road towards the town.

Jackson ran to catch up, something I do when I'm angry is go silent, when I'm silent everyone knows not to bug me. "Look I know you're mad but that doesn't mean you just stop communicating with me." Jackson said.

"Sorry doesn't cut it." I told him finally before shoving him away and entering a small building, the town was within sight. Jackson waited outside, he knew now I needed time to cool off, something I wouldn't need had he not made something serious into a joking matter.

After a few hours the entire group was here in the town, everything had checked out fine save the fact that it was too quiet. "Mason, I made this for you." Emily, a little 9 year old said as she handed me a bracelet woven out of long grass.

"Thanks Emily, go get some sleep now, okay kiddo?" I asked her as I hugged her and carefully put the bracelet on.

"Okay." She said before getting up and running inside the small house. I almost dozed off until a squeal sounded, then I saw yellow, slitted eyes. Utahraptors.