Friday 22 July 2011

It All Started With A Stumble #7

The raptors did nothing for a long time, they just kept circling us, staring. They seemed a little surprised to see us. Of course it was safe to assume that they had never seen any thing on the lunch menu quite like us before. Rose reached out and grabbed my hand, our new friends didn't like this tiny movement and a round of angry chirping issued forth.
"We're in deep shit aren't we?" Rose said under her breath.
"Oh, you better believe it."
In fact I was doubtful we would get to see the end of the minute. Yet still the cold eyes only watched. The one directly in front of me had bright red feathers down its arms and seemed, some how, to be leading the groups movements. Any second now their curiosity would give way to their hunger. I suddenly realised, our window was closing.
"NOW!" I screamed.
I yanked Rose forward and lowered my shoulder running straight at the red feathered leader. The raptor seemed shocked by my sudden movement straight towards it, I gathered this didn't happen to often for the carnivore. My shoulder connected with the side of Red's head and it was knocked off balance. We didn't stop to see how quickly it would recover, for now the group seemed to be caught up in a moment of chaos.
I crashed through the undergrowth dragging a bewildered Rose behind me. Though the trees ahead I could see the glisten of water shinning more brightly now. Behind us however, I could hear several angry raptors cutting through the forest. I was sure they would close in before we could make our way to the lake beyond the trees but we ran on.
With mental images of jaws snapping at our heals we burst out of the dense jungle and into the blinding sunlight. Ahead, only a hundred meters now, was a huge lake. Directly before us, a long spit of rock ran out into the dark blue water. I steered Rose towards it, as we ran I saw her turn her head to look behind and briefly saw all the colour drain from her face.
"Shit, shit, shit!"
"MOVE!"
We were half way along the spit, I heard a snap of teeth and felt the expelled air from the action against my back and some thing pulling on my t-shirt. The bastard had me. We were there at the end of the rocky out crop. I spun to my left turning on the run, with my right hand still holding Rose's I flung her off the rocks out into the water. Carrying my momentum around I turned, grabbing the raptor, still clutching my shirt in its teeth. It's head now against my side I put my left arm around its neck and shoved off backwards into the icy cold water taking it with me.
My body cried out as the cold of the ancient waters closed around me. The combined weight of myself and the small dinosaur drove us down, deeper then I had expected. Then the water around me became frenzied as the animal was thrown into panic mode. Our tiny section of the lake was roiling as the dinosaur fought desperately to find the surface. Should it make its destination I knew my momentary advantage would quickly be lost.
I clung tight and tick downwards, propelling us deeper into the darkness below. The raptor fought harder still, churning the water with its powerful legs. Twice I felt a searing pain, once in my leg and the second time down my side. The little light that made its way down to these depths began to shine red in the water.
As my lungs starting screaming for air, my enemies struggling slowed and eventually stopped. The raptors panic response to the cold water had caused it to burn up its air much to quickly. I held on for as long as I could, wanting to make sure it was dead, then kick hard for the surface. I broke back into the daylight and let out a cry louder then any noise I have ever made as air once again filled my lungs. For a moment I lay there on my back, just floating, the blood pounding in my ears.
As the pounding inside my head died down I heard crying and a soft splashing. I lifted my head to see Rose paddling towards me tears in her eyes.
"You ass hole!" It was not the kind of response one hopes for when he has just saved the life of the girl he fancies.
"What?"
"I thought you were dead, I though they'd takin' you. I didn't see you make it into the water. Not the time for hiding under the god damn water trying to scare me!"
"Sorry, I was a little busy killing a velociratpor? But next time I will check in with you first before hand." Knowing what I now know about women this was maybe not the best thing to say.
"Don't give me that shit buddy! Look at those things. We are screwed, you think you can kill one of those things?"
Thankfully I didn't have to answer because at that moment my recently drowned friend broke the surface right between us, unmoving. Rose simply stared at it. After a few moments of staring at it, she stared at me, her mouth slightly open.
"You?..."
"Well, yeah, that's what I said isn't it?"
"You, killed it? A dinosaur?"
"... It needed doing." I said smiling like a bastard and I thought she was going to get angry at me again but instead she just started laughing.
"You saved my life? by killing a dinosaur? Oh man, you do know how to impress a girl don't you?"
"I try."
Behind us I saw the raptors still standing on the spit, looking at us, unsure on what they should do now. I thought I remembered reading that dinosaurs could swim and was not to keen to sick around and find out. As impressive as I was I did not think I could drown another five raptors. Rose beat me to the saying so however.
"As good as you are, I think we better find some other place to get out, don't you?" I did agree. Although I didn't really fancy the idea of staying in the water all that much longer. Some how we had been thrown back in time, It sounded moronic saying it. We had already seen what was walking around on land trying to kill us. The idea that I was bleeding fairly solidly and chumming the waters, so to speak, was not comforting. If there was any hungry thing living in the lake, it was a sure bet it would be on its way toward us.

To be continued...

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