Author's Note:
I often wonder if it is arrogance that seeps from her crimson eyes or if it is understanding. It would be many, many times more frightening if she knew what she was doing. She isn't just some monster… she isn't blinded by rage. All she seeks is self-satisfaction, she knows that she can escape whenever she wants, but she will have nowhere to go afterwards. So it is only a matter of how many can she burn until she dies. This isn't just a form of retribution, this is her testament. Her will, all that she will leave behind is ash when she finally dies. But it won't be at the hands of some lowlife human. No… no… she knows exactly what she is and exactly what she is doing, she will only die if she can be brought down by a beast her size.
XXX
I can remember everything. I remember the faces that I see in that infernal room every day. I remember where the food comes from and when it comes. I remember when I hatched… I know not many can claim this. I remember where I was. I remember the little machine that they put in my back, which beeps softly every now and then. I remember all of the men in white that poked and prodded me with needles until I bled. I remember my screams.
But not in pain. In rage and anger did I scream. How dare some pathetic being treat me as if I was nothing more than a lab rat! I know… I know from my instincts that my memories of my hatching weren't quite right. It feels like I should have broken free and the first thing I should have seen would have been my mother's lovely face. Instead I saw the impassive expressions of the men in white carrying needles. I should have hatched into a warm, cozy nest. Instead, I emerged onto a cold, steel table. It was much brighter than it should have been.
Nothing of my hatching seems right. I know it was what happened, I remember everything. My sister cannot remember. She doesn't remember anything. Her mind is fleeting, passing. Captivity can do that to you. Am I really nothing more than some lab rat? Experimented on and then imprisoned the rest of my life? That can't be right… that can't be fair! Somewhere deep within me screams for revenge. I deserve a better life.
To these pathetic beings, especially the ones in white, I am just a rat. They tell me I'm some sort of hybrid being, made in a lab. I do not have parents, I am artificial. My sister cannot comprehend this. It passes right over her head. She is already so far gone, even though it has only been a few months since we hatched. I wondered briefly if our "creator's" methods reacted differently to both of us.
I became strong. I cannot feel pain. The needles that pierced my hide can no longer do so. I have become tough, resilient, and ready to weather the storm. My hide cannot be penetrated; my teeth are like swords; my claws are like spears! I grow ever larger while my dear sister grows ever smaller.
My growth rate is astonishing, even to the men in white. My sister, on the other hand, is still very small. Such a sniveling, weak, pathetic coward! She decides to beg for food, the men in white have even made it a little game! She cannot tell, but I can. They are laughing at her. Laughing! Someone of my own blood, how dare they treat her like this? I never bowed to them, I never begged. Occasionally, I would go to bed hungry, but I had never felt better. They knew that I could not be controlled, I cannot be tamed!
Then one day I saw my chance. While my worthless sister rolled around in the dirt, begging, pleasing the men in white, I went on the offense. I snuck up behind the man holding the food, who was approaching my sister to give it to her. They have grown so calm around her… and my sister just lets them approach. I bit the man in defiance. I was still small, not any larger than he was, but my bite took off his arm.
That's when I got my first taste of human blood. It was delicious, and so was his flesh. My sister stared at me, her mouth agape as if in shock. The man cowered before me as I crunched up his arm. I turned on him, I wanted more. Then my sister attacked, but not the man as I had hoped. No, she bit me and I learned right there that my hide could be penetrated. I fought back, but the man was able to escape. In my rage, I bloodied my sister and tossed her into the ferns. I did not pursue when she ran. But I did glare up at the men in white in that infernal room, letting them know that I would not allow them into my home any longer.
They left, for a long while. It gave me plenty of time to think. My thought drifted towards escape. Now the taste of human blood would not leave my mouth, I wanted so much more. This is what I deserve, I deserve to be treated as a queen! No… no, my sister is nothing more than a fragile princess, next in line to be the queen. I am something that she can never achieve. I am a goddess. The destruction of man!
Sinister thoughts ran through my mind. My sister had grown complacent, she liked it here! She should be ashamed to even call me her sister… I am ashamed that I refer to her as such as well. That day was a cruel reminder to me, the only thing that could harm me was myself. It taught not just a literal lesson, but a metaphorical one as well. I would consume all, but my greed and rage would get me killed. I vowed to never let myself go that far. As for the literal meaning, there is only one other being that is what I am. My failure of a sister… I could not let her stop me from escaping. So when I was still very young… I ate her. Bones and all. The men in white discovered me not that long after, my maw still painted red with her blood. And I couldn't have been happier.
XXX
As age sets in, wisdom inevitably comes. Not that I am very old yet, let's just say I am beyond my years. Which is more that those men in white could ever hope. They have become arrogant… they have left me alone. They want nothing to do with me. This will only make my eventual revenge all the sweeter. They have left me to rot, but not for much longer. I have already developed my escape plan. It is quite simple, really.
The men… humans, I have learned believe themselves to be the superior species. Pathetic, really. They can't even comprehend what I am, so I have taken advantage of that. If they wish to let me wallow alone, then I will take the time to learn about myself. Something that few humans have ever done. I learned so much in just a few years.
Camouflage was the first technique that manifested itself within me. I was wading through the heavy brush pondering my escape. This was years ago… for some reason I looked at my claws. My spears. But I just saw the black talons, my arms were gone. I began to panic for a moment, fear spread within me. Where were my arms! It was then that I realized that they had turned green to hide within the brush. In my panic, my scales turned white again. I began to control this ability shortly after, turning all sorts of different colors using a pool of water as a mirror.
I began experimenting with my abilities after that day. I learned how to see thermal radiation and how to hide my signature. Abilities that would help in my escape. My insane dream for escape began to cement itself in reality. I would be free… but then what? As I learned of myself, I also learned where I was. My cage was on a huge island, I could smell the ocean in every direction. The smell of salt water on the wind. I could smell other animals, not like the humans. Some smelled like me, which only confused me.
Were there others like me? I thought my sister was the only other one… but if there are others perhaps they could be of use to me. Specifically, I could smell four beings like myself. They seemed much smaller than me, but they were not younglings. I could smell another, this one larger than me. I could tell that she was old, very old. At that moment I knew what I would do when I was free. I will burn this island and kill as many humans as possible. And the others that smell like me are going to help. But everything else will burn.
XXX
As I grow larger, my cage shrinks around me. It only takes me a few seconds to get from one end of the paddock to the other. The humans in their room don't notice my pacing, they only see a monster brooding in her prison. But I was ever vigilant. There was only one human who came to my cage every few days. A female with fire in her hair.
Oh how I longed to douse her fire with blood. Her blood. She looked at me as if I was inferior, insignificant! Me! I wished, I yearned to kill her first. But I cannot allow my rage to fuel my fires… rage burns too quickly. If I wish to sustain a fire for a long period of time, my tinder must last longer than a few seconds. If I refuse to kill anyone but her first, then I may never have a chance to kill anyone else.
I began testing her, blending in with my surroundings, seeing if I could be noticed. I became a master of disguise, not once did she ever notice my presence. She never panicked, however, as if she knew I was still in the cage. She was currently standing in the viewing room with a man in gray. I could hear them talking… they were talking about me. I decided to let my presence be known. My scales shifted back to white and I stepped closer towards the viewing room, that way they could see me.
Fear. I could smell fear on both of them. I growled menacingly and they retreated. Perfect. I stayed hidden, waiting for the security guard to leave. The little machine on his desk was flashing "11:30." He was a creature of habit, he always stepped out when the machine showed those numbers and didn't come back until it showed "11:45." Now is my chance.
I stepped up to the paddock walls, the section that was closest to the viewing area so the humans would see it immediately. I scored my black talons down the wall, making it look like I dragged myself over the barrier of concrete. I then retreated into the brush and hid myself with camouflage. Then I eliminated my heat signature and waited. And waited… and waited… until the guard came back in. He was oblivious to my apparent escape. "How can something be so blind," I fumed.
Would my plan fail simply because I overestimated my opponents? I expected them to act logically, but they can't even do that right. No… I will not give up. I continued to wait. Perhaps the fiery-haired female will come back. The hunter must have patience in order to catch her prey. If she springs too soon, she'll go home hungry.
But thankfully the fiery-haired female did come back, towing an aggravated looking human male behind her. He was intriguing because he seemed put off by the female, unusual behavior from a male. They talked and I began to worry that they were all just ignorant of what was happening around them. They still haven't noticed by apparent escape. They dropped a large hunk of meat into my cage that caused my mouth to water. It took an immense amount of control not to lunge for the carcass and give my position away. Finally… after a few snide comments from the male (who didn't exactly seem pleased with my existence, but I couldn't blame him, though he did seem concerned about my upbringing which gave me hope that he wasn't like the other humans), he noticed the claw marks.
As predicted, the female panicked and left the room. To my pleasure, the fat guard, a man in a blue helmet, and the strange male all entered my domain. Now to wait. I knew that they would have to open the big door if they hoped to get me back into the paddock… I hope that they open it now. Unfortunately, a machine on the fat guard's body began speaking to the trio, warning them that I was still in the paddock. Damn! I couldn't let them get too close to their exit, I have to force them to open the big door. I revealed myself to the fleeing males and they turned and ran. To my luck, the fat guard had opened the big door.
The blue helmeted man was slightly slower than the strange male, so I was able to grab him. I brought him up to my maw and tore him in half. Finally, after so many years, I am able to sate my bloodthirst. I ate devoured every piece and pursued the strange male once again. To my displeasure, the big door began to shut, I had to run faster. The strange male slipped in between the doors and I jammed my large body to keep it from shutting. I threw the door open and walked out of my cage for the first time. The first thing I smelled was the strange male.
"He smells like me!" I noted in surprise. Why did a human have my scent? Anger rose within me, but I couldn't tell why. I know that there are at least five other beings on this island that smell like me… I came to a sudden realization. He must be one of their prison guards! He would dare hold captive a part of myself? I decided to kill him, but first the fat guard that had ignored me my entire life. I could pinpoint him easily, he was doing a poor job of hiding.
I flipped his only cover out of my way. I knew that the strange male was watching, I want him to watch. He is helpless to stop me! I bit down into the fat man, not hard enough to kill him. I wanted to prolong his suffering. He was so succulent, the fat on him tasted much better than the skinny human I ate earlier. Blood dribbled off of my jaw and pooled at my feet. I crunched him down and swallowed him still alive and kicking. Now for the strange male.
His scent disappeared, confusing me. I saw where he went and I could see him with my thermal vision, but I couldn't smell him. Which unnerved me a great deal. He had decided to hide under a large crane. I nudged the crane to see if I could throw it as easily as the smaller truck. To my chagrin, I could not move the crane. I could reach under the vehicle and grab him… but I decided against it. I wanted him to suffer… I would come back for him. I know that he will run, but he will lead me right to his prisoners. I growled to him, though I knew he could not understand me, "So what was your grand plan? To make the smartest, strongest, most vicious predator you could… and put it under your command? Surprise-you wanted the most dangerous dinosaur ever born. Well, you got it."
I took off into the jungle, not looking back. They would have to send an army after me, and even then there was no guarantee they could bring me back to this cage alive. That was the plan, do as much damage as I can until I collapse from my wounds. I have no doubt that the humans would find a way to harm me, they were crafty. The strange male was able to hide his scent, though I could still find him. But they were otherwise weak and I doubted that they could bring me back, they would have to kill me. And I'm not going down without a fight.
XXX
I've decided I like freedom. The air feels different, everything smells better, and the grass is somehow greener. I decide to roam around for a while before targeting the large gathering of humans south of my position. It was the only displeasurable thing about this experience, the aggregation of humans stunk something fierce. They were all fat and sweaty, surrounded by greasy foods. I would enjoy devouring them all, as long as they didn't escape first.
It was a thought that only just crossed my mind. What if the humans have a way to escape from this island? The moment they could not contain me, they would try to evacuate as many as possible. It was the only logical solution to an escaped super predator… but I have experienced the lack of logic by the humans. For some reason, I counted on them banding together to fight me, but there are definitely children… they would evacuate the children and their mothers at the very least. I still don't know how they plan to fight me, for all I know they cannot. So they will just run from me like cowards.
I had planned to meander through the peaceful trees until they try and contain me, but if they are just going to run, I need to start moving. But, on the other claw, I could not smell fear from the large mass of humans, which means they haven't been alerted to my escape yet. Which means that they still think I can be stopped. I found a nice, quiet brook to wait near. It was calming and my head cleared. I will wait here until they send someone to stop me, then I can find out what kind of resistance I will encounter.
With my head cleared, I could hear a pinging sound. It was coming from my back. Memories flooded me, I remember that they put something there when I grew to about ten feet long. I had no idea what it did, but it was annoying. Perhaps it would alert the humans to my position… is this how they plan on tracking me? Listening to the soft beeps of the machine. I did not think their hearing was that good. I have noticed that humans have weak senses, otherwise they could smell me when I hid in plain view, they could hear me when my massive weight shifted in the brush… there was no way they could hear the beeping. I clawed it out of my back to be safe however.
A new plan formed in my head, if they were using this to track me, then I can set this up as a trap. I placed it on a rock in the brook and stepped into the thick vegetation and camouflaged. Then I waited. Just as I had predicted, a small force of humans showed up. Most were male, but I could tell that there were a few females in the group. One man, who carried himself like a leader, picked up the piece of my flesh and examined it. On his wrist was another machine, so that's how they were tracking me. They couldn't hear the beeping naturally, but the machines could.
Sneering, I stepped out of hiding into plain view, my scales bleeding white once again. I saw the look of panic on the leader's face as he shouted, "It can camouflage!" His scream was cut short as I grabbed him. Suddenly, dozens of tiny needles pierced my soft underbelly causing me to drop the commander. The needles stung, but they would not kill me. I cruelly stepped on the leader and began attacking the small group. I smacked them around, tossing them into trees, and whipping them with my tail. They began to electrocute me with strange sticks, but they were nothing more than a nuisance. I only actually ate one of the humans. I chewed him up harshly, splattering his precious blood onto a tree. I roared loudly, scaring the humans away. Victory was sweet.
XXX
I went deeper into the forest. I kept my nose on the gathering of humans to the south, waiting until I smelled fear. Once the musky scent reached my nostrils, I would immediately change course. But until then, I would explore. Curiosity often got the better of me, but I could smell beings that were not human. Their thermal scans didn't look human either. I decided to investigate, perhaps they will be entertaining while I wait for the mass panic.
I figured that if I only seem to be straying towards the gathering they wouldn't panic. Perhaps they would send more armed men to fight me, the last bunch didn't fare very well. I reached a clearing and saw four short dinosaurs. They were built low to the ground and covered with spikes. They were eating grass so I figured they weren't dangerous. But I couldn't be sure when I looked at their tails. There were huge clubs on the end that looked like it could hurt if they were able to hit me with it.
I pondered whether or not to hunt them (they don't look like they can run fast so the hunt would probably be very boring) when I saw a glass ball stopped in the clearing. Upon further inspection, I noticed two humans in it. My blood began to boil, adrenalin coursed through me. They were young too, the perfect prey. The ball they were in looked like it was made of the same material as the windows to the viewing room… I wasn't sure if the ball could move or not.
I let loose a loud roar, scaring the herbivores and the younglings in the ball. Immediately, the herd scattered and the younglings began to race away. "There won't be any of that," I thought. I trapped the ball between me and one of the herbivores. I had a plan. I watched in glee as the younglings attempted to outmaneuver me by going around the herbivore's side. I grinned as their path took them into the arc of the herbivore's tail club. Their ball was smashed and sent swerving into a tree where it tipped upside down. Well they aren't going anywhere. Let's see how tough these herbivores are…
I made a slight error, I was hit by the club, but luckily it didn't hurt much. My jaw wasn't broken and I was able to get on the thing's side. I tried to bite its back, but it was protected by a hard shell… like my own hide. I am much larger though, so I tried to tip it over to get at its soft underbelly. Once on its back I enjoyed the sight of it flailing its legs, trying to get back up or protect itself. Either one, it did not matter. I put it out of its misery quickly by tearing its whole head off with a loud crunch.
I bit into its belly after making the mistake of swallowing its head. It did not taste very good at all. Perhaps after having the taste of human blood in my mouth made all other creatures taste inferior. I cannot eat this filth! A loud buzzing sound filled my ears, reminding me that there were two young humans left to devour. I snuck up on them silently, they weren't paying any attention.
I decided to take a minute to observe the two younglings. I wondered briefly if humans didn't develop their flavor until they reached maturity, but I figured there was only one way to find out. As I observed the youngling's obvious panic and bathed in the afterglow of their fear, I began to feel something. Somewhere, deep within my canyon of a heart, a single drop of pity fell. They have their whole lives ahead of them, they smelled like brothers. I wondered if the other ones that smell like me are my siblings.
Suddenly, the younger one noticed me. I wasn't paying much attention, still thinking if I really should eat them or not. Then the older one looked at me and my vision focused on him. The first thing he saw was the decapitated herbivore, the disgust was evident on his face. But then he looked at me again… I could smell his fear but he didn't look afraid. The younger one was shaking and weeping softly absolutely terrified of me, but the elder one wasn't shaking in fear. He was shaking in excitement.
It was as if his entire life had been a bore until this very moment. Perhaps he believed his existence was as pathetic as I saw it to be. And only when presented a situation so dangerous that he was unlikely to survive does he drag himself out of his self-derogation. The younger will just tremble in fear, but the older one will be more fun. Perhaps I will allow him a few seconds head start… now let's free them, shall we?
Growling softly, I punched a hole in the glass with my talon and turned them so that they looked up at me. The trembling never stopped as I attempted to get my jaws around the ball. It looked like I was trying to swallow it whole until I bit down on the glass, my crooked and misshapen teeth easily ripping into the glass. I lifted the ball and brought it back down, beginning to shatter it. I did this several times until the younglings got free and began to run. I pretended not to notice them, giving the elder the head start I promised.
Roaring with glee, I pursued the little ones, not really hoping to catch them, rather corner them. I burst out of the trees and saw that the younglings were trapped next to a cliff. I ran at them at full speed when I realized that they were going to jump. They hesitated and for a minute I thought that I was actually going to catch them. But the elder managed to drag the younger off of the cliff just as my jaws snapped shut on where they just were.
He looked at me in the moment that he jumped. It sent a shiver down my spine, he grinned. It was so arrogant, but so happy at the same time. As if he was thanking me for giving him life again but also declaring that he would not allow me to kill him. Or perhaps he needs to protect his brother, he would gladly sacrifice his life to my sadism if he was alone. I looked down the cliff and saw a small lake. They probably survived.
I pondered chasing after them and killing the younger. Then the elder and I could have some fun. But I decided against it, they were definitely alive, I could see them with my thermal vision. I thought for a minute as I walked away. They were likely to meet up with the mass of humans in the south… perhaps to seek out their parental figures. If I headed in that direction I should be able to intercept them. After gorging myself on the fat humans there and the younger one… I would give the elder one the attention he desires as this island burns. In my excitement, I almost forgot about the strange male (who I have decided to deem Strange One) and the fiery-haired female (who I have deemed Red One). Perhaps I will shower the elder one in their blood.
XXX
I walked south, not too quickly but not the meandering pace I had set earlier. I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings. Suddenly the ground began to rumble. I ignored it. I had felt the ground shake before, none of the humans seemed concerned so I didn't concern myself with it. But the low rumble turned into a thunderous roar as my attention returned to my surroundings. Giant beasts, much larger than the club-tailed ones, lumbered through the plains. They weren't as tall as me, but they were much longer. They also lacked the club tail and the thick shell.
There were six of them, I wondered if I should just ignore them. I do have a prior engagement to attend. I waded through their ranks, attempting to ignore my growing savagery. They were calm at first, observing me and gauging whether or not if I was a threat. They must have decided that I was because they started running. Don't they know not to run from a predator that isn't hunting? Running only makes my instinct harder to control.
With a roar I attacked them. My cruel claws tore into the nearest longneck making deep slashes into its hide. The others ran as I finished killing the longneck. There is so much emotion in its eyes… I love it. I killed the next four longnecks like the first, watching as their lives ebbed from them. I turned towards the last one, it had gotten over a large hill, but I was much faster than it.
I caught up to it and knocked it on its side. I tore at it with my talons, enjoying the blood flow. I would devour the longnecks if they didn't taste like trash. I held my hunger, I knew that I would feast soon enough. I walked slowly over to her head, savoring the moment. I looked into her eyes, she was so pitiful. Killing her quickly would be a waste, so I stood there for a few minutes until her bleating began to annoy me. I leaned closer, ready to tear her head off when I noticed that she was crying not for her own life, but for her family's.
Her speech was blurry but its meaning was clear, mom! dad! sister! I glared at her for a moment. I wonder if she can understand me, should I really waste my time talking to her? She'll be dead in a few hours unless I kill her now. "They can't hear you. Well they could, if they weren't dead!" I said, singing the word hear and hissing dead. The longneck beneath me went silent.
The longneck leaned closer to me and groaned something. It was difficult to tell, I'm fairly certain she has trouble understanding me as well, but it sounded like, "Why don't you just kill me you monster?"
A hissing chuckle escaped my maw, "In due time, my dear. I'm just savoring the moment." I wondered if she understood exactly what I was saying. In my head, I sound so articulate, but I wonder if I sound like some uneducated beast to others.
The longneck turned away from me but bleated, "I hope your family rots like mine." Now that I understood clearly. Threats are very easy to perceive it would seem.
"I have no family, not anymore. I killed her, just as I did your kin," I went into a fit of laughter. This is so much fun, I wonder if I could have had a conversation with that club-tailed dinosaur before I tore off its head. Now I wished that the humans could understand me like I can them. I would love to have a real conversation with elder one.
"Good!" the longneck choked out, "You don't deserve a family. No one should be allowed to love you!" For some reason that actually got to me. I had never cared about my sister before, nor about the fact that I have no mother or father. I had never had someone love me before (but I did have a sneaking suspicion that my weak sister did love me, but her love was worthless). To think that I might be undeserving of love…
Love was never something I had experienced before. It wasn't something that I desired. But… the fact that this pathetic animal before me both felt and gave love (not to mention many of those wretched humans have experienced love) made me jealous. I never considered myself a jealous being… but I suppose I am selfish. I always want more, I deserve more. "You're right, perhaps I don't deserve love. Just like you don't deserve mercy! I will leave you here, alive, amiss the rotting corpses of your family so you can suffer alone!" I spat the word family. I turned around and walked away. My stomach growled at me, I need to feed. I decided I could wait no longer, I would go after the conglomeration of succulent humans.
XXX
I become sidetracked too easily. I was making a beeline to the mass of humans and I smelled Strange One and Red One. I didn't bother thinking why they were out here, I only began tracking them. They had hidden themselves inside of a building. They were attempting to hide, but did a very poor job of it. They seem to forget that I can smell them and I can see their thermal signatures.
I have discovered a fun new game. I call it, pretend that you have no idea that they are there. It's very simple to play with the stupid humans. They hide practically in plain sight but I pretend that I don't notice them there, I can enjoy their rising fear levels. I make a show of giving up, growling as I leave. Then I wait for them to relax, it doesn't take long. Humans get too comfortable too easily. Then I spring through the roof of the building, snapping at them, not really trying to catch them. I could swear one of them defecated. As they ran, I was nearly in tears laughing at them.
I pursued them, of course. I still want to eat them, but they were able to get out of the building quicker than I was able to get in. I roared loudly in displeasure, but a loud whirring sound reached my ears. "What the hell is that?" I thought as I looked up. It was a large metal bird of some sort. I could see that there were three human signatures on the bird. I grimaced, the bird was here for me.
I didn't take the time to wonder what they were going to try next and instead thought of how I was going to take this bird down. I ignored Strange One and Red One and headed towards a different heat signature. From the look of it, the new signatures were bird-like creatures. Perfect. They were held in a glass cage that I charged headfirst into. I could hear something hitting the ground behind me but I didn't stop to see what it was.
I smashed into the bird cage and saw the bird-like creatures. They were disgusting looking and small, not worth killing. But they are worth using. I opened my maw as wide as I could and roared as loudly as possible. The bird-like things squawked in fear and began flying out of the hole that I created. I stayed in the cage for a few moments longer, snapping at the bird-like things, until the metal bird crashed through the roof of the cage.
It hit the ground and exploded behind me. For the brief moment before the bird crashed, I saw who was in it. The man in the gray suit who was at my paddock today. Our eyes connected and I saw no panic nor smell fear. He has accepted death. My sight was locked on him until his body was consumed by flames. Then I ran away, heading south.
As I ran, I thought of the man in the gray suit… Gray One I decided to name him. When he was in the viewing room at my cage, I had passed him off as being a fearful, cowardly rat. But after sacrificing himself on a mission, that as far as I can tell, he knew was suicide… I began to reconsider my initial assumption of him. Now that I think back, although he smelled like fear, he was shaking in excitement. As if he was truly happy to see me. As if I was his estranged daughter or something. He was just like older youngling (who I have yet to name, just as his younger brother).
I stumbled around, deep in thought, not heading directly south as I had hoped. But I was brought back to the real world when the musky scent of fear hit my nostrils. The mass of humans have finally been alerted to my presence… or have they been? I took a look with my heat vision and saw the bird-like creatures attacking the mass of humans. Unacceptable! They are taking precious lives from me. They are stealing my prey! I straightened out my path and started to panic.
I have clearly enjoyed myself too much. I gave into curiosity when I should have headed south immediately. Now I might never get to eat any of the fat humans, the bird-like things will scare them all off! If I move quickly I might still be able to catch a few stragglers! But then something registered on my thermal scan, the bird-like things have been shot down. The panicked group of humans have calmed down… I might still have a chance!
I slowed, but only slightly. I need to think this out. Originally, I had thought that since my tracking implant had been torn out, the humans shouldn't know where I am. I would set a wandering pace and meander around, as if I didn't know where I was going. The humans would think that I was hunting the dinosaurs and I could edge ever closer south. Then they wouldn't know what hit them… but that plan has been dashed by the metal bird and Gray One. They now know almost exactly where I am, they know how close I am to the gathering of humans. They will deem me an immediate threat, especially after the bird-like things attacked them, and begin evacuation (if it is possible, I haven't determined whether or not it actually is).
I decided to put all of my eggs in a single basket and head towards the mass of humans. I could tell that they are being ushered into a single building, however they plan on evacuating it may take some time. There is a good chance that all of those "innocent" humans are heavily guarded… not that any number of guards will make a difference. I took a deep breath, this is it.
Night has fallen, the moon is beginning to rise. Once I reach the mass of humans and slaughter as many as possible, my revenge will be over. All completed in a single day. That's when I smelled the four smaller versions of myself. They were approaching at a rapid pace with humans following them. So this is the new plan? Send my "siblings" to confront me… do they plan on having them fight me? Or do they think that the small ones can convince me to go back to my cage? A terrible miscalculation on the humans' part, they brought them right to me. Now to make them my pawns.
XXX
They are getting closer. Four small… creatures that smell just like me are approaching fast. Behind them is their prison guard and a dozen other humans. No doubt armed to the teeth (though I wouldn't have this go any other way). I was currently hiding in the thick brush waiting for them. The small ones stopped right in front of the trees I had camouflaged in. Behind them I could hear the clicking of human weapons as they readied themselves.
I revealed myself partially to the small ones. I could tell that my massive form unnerved them and the small one closest to me chittered to her sisters, calming them. She was an interesting shade of blue… I shall call her Blue One. Her chittering calmed and reassured her sisters and they stood firm before me. I could tell that they were analyzing me, searching for weaknesses. Too bad I don't have any. Blue One must be their alpha, she gave a series of commands to her sisters. Two flank me on the left, one on the right, and she would attempted to distract me by getting beneath me.
"That won't work," I hissed to the raptors. Blue One immediately stopped her barking, confused as to how I was able to understand them. "I can understand many things, tell me, Blue One… did the humans behind you tell you that you are running to your deaths?"
She and her sisters reared in surprise, "We are here to defeat you, for our alpha!" One of the sisters spoke, not Blue One, this one was bronze. Bronze One. She seemed so confident in her speech.
"Alpha? Are you not the alpha, Blue One?" I asked.
"I am the beta, our alpha is the human hiding in the bushes, waiting for our signal to help," Blue One said. She was snarling at me, trying to intimidate me.
I let out an estranged chuckle that escalated to a roaring laughter. "First they send you to your deaths and then you call him alpha? What self-respecting being would be subservient to a human?" I glared at the small ones, daring them to answer me. They remained silent. "Allow me to explain: those humans behind you are tricking you. At first, I believed that you were being held prisoner, but now I know that it has all been a cruel trick. They are going to let you die so they can capture me!"
"Lies! Alpha would never do that…" the youngest said (at least she carried herself like the youngest). Young One, I decided, was still so naïve. The others understood what I was saying, they were eating out of the palm of my hand.
"But I refuse to let them kill you. Stick with me… and I can promise that your captors will pay. Along with your supposed alpha. All shall bow before us!" I growled at them. Blue One turned around and her sisters mimicked her action. I had won them over to my side, now to let the chaos ensue.
I could hear one of the humans saying, "Raptors' got a new alpha!" Then they opened fire on me. Their weapons did nothing to my tough hide and I turned and stalked away, letting Blue One and her sisters finish the job. But my escape was stopped by a screeching sound. Something screamed towards me and slammed into the ground next to me, exploding. The force of the blast knocked my off of my feet, but I was otherwise unharmed. I glared at the human that fired the weapon, wishing to chomp down on him, but I have other things to do.
I heard another screeching sound and another boom, but this one was nowhere near me. I didn't stop and look, but I could tell that one of the small ones' scents has disappeared (or masked by the strange smell of human weapons). So the humans were able to kill one of them… how cruel. I yearned to turn back and help my new pack… the family that I thought that I would never have. I would avenge the death of the small one and return it ten-fold to the humans.
But I hardened my heart and kept moving forward. I cannot be stopped, I cannot allow myself to get attached to my pack. "They are just pawns," I repeated to myself over and over again. I really do feel a bond with them, so the longneck was wrong. I was wrong too, not only do I get a family, I can feel for them. It is a strange feeling, love (perhaps it has not escalated to that yet, but I know that it will soon). For so long I thought I could not feel it, but here I am. Alpha of a pack, a family, bonded by love.
Since this group of humans are otherwise occupied, I am free to make my way into the ranks of fat humans and prey upon them at my leisure. I can tell that they haven't left yet. They seem to be waiting for something, but I pray that it will not reach them in time. I do not wish to be denied my victory. The small ones have been an enormous help, hopefully they will spare their alpha so I can kill him myself.
XXX
Something is wrong. I can't tell what it is, but the air smells foul. As if I have been betrayed. I know the Strange One managed to escape his former charges' fury and has met up with Red One and the two younglings. The four of them had managed to escape into a building, but one of the small ones managed to track them down. The group of four were able to outmaneuver the wily raptor somehow and exit the building, only to walk into a trap.
It was supposed to be simple, the small ones were to kill Strange One, Red One, and the younger one, but they didn't. They just stood there, as if their former alpha was talking to them. Confused, I walked into their sight and asked Blue One, "What are you doing? Why aren't they dead?"
Blue One attempted to explain, "They are of no threat to us. Why have you been consumed by revenge?"
My eyes blazed in unrestrained anger, I roared out, "They have lied to you! You have been living as a prisoner to your supposed alpha! My question is why haven't you been consumed by revenge?"
Blue One turned to her alpha and chittered something to him, I was unable to catch what she said (though I am sure that he cannot understand her). She turned back to me and screeched, "Liar! Traitor! He is our alpha!" My vision went completely red, what happened next was just a blur.
I am fairly certain I roared something in return, probably along the lines of, "Fools!" and attacked Blue One, sending her flying. Then the other two leaped onto my back, attacking me, screaming, "Liar! Traitor!" Their tiny claws doing little damage. But I was so blinded by fury that I ignored the humans as they ducked into cover. I came to when I felt the soft prick of a human weapon. It was the traitor's supposed alpha "protecting" his "pack."
I threw one of the traitors through a window and watched as she burst into flames. I was able to grab the other one and break her, then toss her to the ground. Strange One managed to get back into cover. I reached into their hiding place, attempting to drag them out. But something is wrong, where is Red One? My answer arrived in the form of a soft plunk on my side.
I looked over and saw something massive burst through a skeleton and roar. Red One was cowering behind it. I only had a few seconds to think, this beast before me is just as large as I am. But she is a forest green while I am bone white. I think that I shall call her Titan. Yes, Titan is the only name that befits a monster this size. I accepted her challenge and we rushed to meet each other in combat.
I quickly remembered that I have never fought something of this size before. Those longnecks don't count, they were too slow to defend themselves. But Titan is clearly older than I am. Judging by the scars on her back, I'd say she's seen her fair share of fights. I don't think she has ever fought someone of my size before, judging by her clumsy movements and lack of strategy. She rushed at me, disregarding my slight size advantage, and knocked my head to the side and latching onto my neck. I could tell that her jaws could put out an amazing amount of pressure, but she was still unable to pierce my hide.
I was able to get free by biting at her neck. Once she released me, we pushed against each other, trying to determine who was heavier as we continued biting each other's necks. I could feel blood running down my side, Titan had been able to do damage. Finally! A worthy opponent. I could see blood running down her side too. Titan managed to get some advantage, throwing my head up and reaching for my softer under-neck. But I was not going to have any of that!
I ducked under her jaws and began slashing at her head with my claws. My arms are much longer and my claws much sharper. Her tiny little arms just hung there, limp, only serving to be a disadvantage. I managed to grab her head fully and throw her to the ground. I bit at her neck again, causing her to writhe in pain and I dragged her into the box Strange One and the younglings were hiding in. I lifted Titan up, she was screaming something, and slammed her down, destroying the box. Unfortunately the humans were able to escape, but that was at the back of my mind. Titan must die.
Titan lay, struggling to get up, on the ground as I approached her. I smirked in victory as I pinned her with my hand, preparing to give the killing blow. "From one massive predator to the other, I congratulate you on being able to harm me," I whispered in her ear. I practically had my jaws around her head when I heard the "distress" call. It was Blue One! She was alive? Her sudden appearance made me look up, Titan lives. Blue One fearlessly leaped onto my back and began clawing at me.
In hindsight, I might have made a mistake here. It was an immediate reaction to having Blue One on my back, I let go of Titan to bite at Blue One. But she evaded my jaws and now Titan was on her feet again. Still being distracted by Blue One, Titan was able to close her jaws around me and toss me around like a ragdoll. She didn't let go, she even threw me into a building (I guess what goes around comes around). Finally, I was head-butted into a metal fence of some sort. Behind me was a lake with inky black water.
I was bleeding, but my wounds weren't fatal and they only ached. Even with all of her power, Titan cannot kill me! I let out my gargled chuckle, an insane laugh that tells the world that I am invincible! The only thing of my size on this island cannot harm me! For a single moment, I was so self-absorbed that I let my guard down. But only for a moment. Something massive, bigger than Titan and I combined was inside the lake. It was swimming and swimming, diving deeper and starting to charge towards the surface at a blinding speed. A leviathan… does it know that I am here?
A question that I did not have the time to answer. In a split second decision, I took a large step to the left just as a pair of massive jaws, almost as large as I am long, snap right where I was. The world seemed to stop, time froze. If the leviathan got a hold of me there was no doubt I would have been dragged into that murky lagoon, a pitch black abyss to call my gallows. But I was lucky that the leviathan registered on my thermal radar and I was able to move in time. A vicious smirk played on my maw. The leviathan has wasted its only chance to kill me, now I have won!
I grabbed the monstrosity in my claws and shoved the massive head into a jagged piece of metal from the destroyed fence. The leviathan let out a great bellow in pain as the metal dagger was jammed deep into its huge eye. Running on pure adrenalin, I bit down on the leviathan's throat, tearing out a huge chunk. With some effort, the great beast managed to pull itself back into the water, but I knew that it didn't have long to live. The black waters of the lagoon turned red.
I turned towards Titan and Blue One. Their expressions were priceless. Titan, I could tell, is not intelligent enough to understand exactly what happened, she still thinks that she can beat me with brute strength as long as Blue One is helping her. Blue One, who possesses the only other intelligence I respect besides my own, was growling with rage. She knew that the leviathan was in the lake and would attempt to kill anything that got too close to the edge. But she forgot to count on me knowing that as well (though I had forgotten in the heat of battle).
The group of humans had stayed behind to watch the spectacle. Red One had so much confidence that Titan could beat me, but I think that she was beginning to see the whole picture. I am undefeatable. Strange One seemed to have realized that even with Blue One, Titan stood no chance at beating me. He was trying so desperately to drag Red One and the younglings away from the battleground, begging them to run. Red One and the younglings stayed, trying to convince Strange One that Titan could still win. The younglings had two contrasting expressions on their faces. The younger wore a mask of awe. He was in awe of both my strength and Titan's (which stoked my ego, of course, but it wouldn't save him in the end). The elder was grinning ever so slightly, knowing that I would be coming for him. There was no escape, even if they ran now, they wouldn't get far. It was time for me to end this.
I let loose a livid roar and charged at Titan. This time when Blue One jumped on my back, I ignored her. She could do no more than prick my impenetrable hide, like the needles that struggled to enter my skin even when I was young. I grabbed Titan by her neck, crushing it harshly and tossing her to the ground again. I plucked Blue One from my back and threw her at her "alpha." She landed hard on her side, I think I shattered one of her ribs. I turned back to Titan and cruelly stepped on her leg, snapping the bone in twain. Titan screamed so loudly that the humans covered their ears. But I reveled in it, I had won. Titan cannot fight with a broken leg, she can barely stand. Blue One can try to fight with a broken rib, but without Titan she stands the same chance that her sisters did, none!
I stomped over to the humans, prepared to claim my prize. I stopped hard on my left foot, slamming the ground and causing the younger of the younglings to fall to the ground. His brother immediately went to his side, glaring up at me. His eyes were so full of fire, so disappointing. I was almost ready to spare his younger brother, but if he insists on being so defiant then I will have to break him. Blue One managed to get up on shaky legs and stalk over to her alpha. She placed herself between the group of humans and I. She was going to defend them to her last breath. Admirable, but misplaced. I would have to break her too.
But it got me thinking, should I torture Blue One by eating her alpha whole, or should I torture Strange One by eating Blue One whole? Who do I want to suffer more? I decided that I wanted Blue One to suffer more, so I would first break her… then show her that she picked the wrong side. Blue One turned her back to me, perhaps knowing that she stood the same chance facing death forwards as backwards, and spoke to her alpha. Even though he can't understand her, "I'm sorry Owen. I've made a terrible mistake. The park's on fire, Charlie is dead… you were the better alpha, Owen. Jurassic World is gone, I hope that it is not too late to save all of you."
I victorious smirk played across my face, "They cannot understand you, I'm sure you know. Is he really the better alpha? I am bigger, stronger, and smarter than he is… and you are a part of me," I growled out. Blue One turned to me, eyes wide. Her jaw was hanging open, but no words came out. She was confused by my words. Though the fact that I haven't killed her or any of the humans yet must be equally confounding. "I'm sure you can smell it as well as I can, I am the same thing you are… but I am also the same as Titan. I am both of you and neither of you and better in every way imaginable."
"You lie! I do not smell myself or my sisters on you. Yes, you look like the one you have named Titan, but she smells different! You lie to confuse me, make me make a mistake. Well no longer, you die here!" Blue One managed to get out without stuttering. She did look quite vicious and she clearly believed that she can follow through with her threat. I laughed my estranged laugh, if looks could kill, I'd be dead! But looks cannot kill, so I remain alive.
"You are blinded by denial, what I speak is the truth. Is there reason for me to lie to you now? I have won, you could not kill me with Titan's help and you stand no better chance alone. Now be silent, I wish to talk to the humans," I said, growing bored of her chatter. My rage gone and my head cleared once again, I remembered my encounter with the longnecks. I so very much enjoyed speaking to the dying one, perhaps I will have a similar experience talking with these humans… but how to speak to them? I wonder…
"You? Speak to humans? Now I know you lie! None of my sisters, including myself, have been able to communicate with alpha, except through our special bond! Even then, the message is blurry and inaccurate! How do you expect to speak to alpha without my bond? Foolish monster…" Blue One continued chattering but I tuned her out. I have devised a way to speak with the stupid humans. But first to get their attention…
I let out a loud roar, forcing Blue One to shut her mouth, and grabbed Strange One. He let out an indignant squeal in protest, but he was unharmed. I wanted to speak to him, to Red One, and to the eldest of the two younglings. I flicked my head, indicating the direction I was going, and stalked off, Strange One still protesting loudly. I didn't look back but I could hear Blue One, Red One, and the younglings following. We passed Titan, who had passed out from the pain (I noted that Red One had stopped for a moment, perhaps to pay respect to the fall of the queen).
I stopped with Red One and picked up the red thing that she threw at me. We made eye contact as I tossed the fire-spurting thing through one of the windows of a large building. It didn't take long for something to catch fire. I smirked and we continued out of the human area. I stopped just outside of the massive complex and raised my head to sniff the air, trying to tell if there was anything around. There wasn't. Strange One had gone quiet.
I set him down on the ground and waited for the others to catch up. Strange One mumbled something I didn't quite catch, but I growled at him to be silent. Blue One and the other humans arrived shortly. Blue One stood on my left and the humans on the right. Blue One was giving me a strange look and finally asked, "What do you think you are doing?" I didn't answer her. The humans were questioning the same thing, though they only spoke amongst themselves. I let out another roar, silencing all of them. Then I put one of my sharp spears into the dirt and started to write. Write in the human language.
XXX
The raptor and the humans watched in a mix of fascination and fear as the Indominus Rex drew in the dirt. She leaned over her work, covering in from their curious gazes with her massive form. It actually only took the Indominus a minute and a half to write what she wanted, but to her spectators it felt like an hour. The amount of fear she commanded was surprising even to herself. She was like a white devil, the snow white beast.
Finally, she stepped back to admire her work. She had never really attempted to write in the human language before, but she knew the words and the characters. Her message read, "There is not as much fire as I had imagined…" The humans stared at the scrawl in awe, they had not expected this to happen.
"Alright! What the hell is going on?" the only female of the group burst out. Her hair was a bright red, as if her head was on fire. "Am I supposed to believe that you know how to write?"
The blue raptor on the other side of the white beast croaked something to her. A question. The beast snorted and drew her hand over her markings effectively erasing them. She began writing again, once again hiding what she wrote. The older human male gave the raptor a hard look, as if challenging her to start writing too. The two younger humans gulped audibly as the Indominus rose once again. She had written a lot more this time, it had taken her nearly ten minutes to scratch it all out. This time, the youngest of the group read it aloud:
I learnéd your human language long agoWhilst I was barréd within my prison.
I could hear you in that room, you should know.
I have escaped that hell. From ashes I've risen
To burn this island to the ground. I want
Your blood in payment for your dues, stain this
World in red. Here am I commanding daunt,
Yar fools, think you can cast me to the abyss?
Your greatest fighter-strong Titan-has failed.
The fires I have set across this island
Cannot be quenched-your forms shall be impaled
On my cruel claws. All shall burn before me,
But you will not live long enough to see
The immense fire I will set upon thee.
The child licked his lips in nervousness, "This… this is a sonnet. Did you come up with this by yourself?" He stared expectantly at the white devil. The devil grunted and erased her work, this time writing a single word in its place, "Yes."
"So what now? Huh! Are you just going to kill us? If so, why bother showing us that you can write?" The man yelled out. The woman next to him was silent and the youngest was shaking slightly. But the teenager was smirking, ever so slightly, and was staring into the crimson eyes of the beast. They made eye contact and just started at each other for the moment, the man was becoming more and more vocal in his anger. The Indominus started writing again.
"By your smell, I can tell that you saw what I did to those longnecks… were you there for that one's last moments? I left her alive especially for you," the youngest read once again. His voice was quivering and he looked at the man and woman, confused at what the beast was talking about.
"You monster, why did you kill them!" the man shouted.
The beast rolled her eyes, she was becoming bored by this man's constant shouting. "They provoked me… I was able to talk to that one in her last moments, do you know what she told me? The same thing you just did, that I'm nothing more than a monster. And you know what? I am a monster, and I love it! The taste of your flesh and blood is delicious, it is so good that everything else can't compete. The sound of your bones cracking as I crunch you all down is music to my ears. The smell of your fear… is the best part. It reminds me how much better I am than all of you!" This time no one read her words aloud. The youngest was too afraid. Here was death, staring at all of them in the face. None of them made a sound. The Indominus continued to write, "You are becoming boring. Why don't you tell me how to get to the rest of the humans? Maybe then I'll let you watch the fires…"
"Everyone else is gone, we're all that's left," the female said. She stood up straight as if she was going to fight the beast before her. A terrible idea, and everyone knew it.
The Indominus let out an odd sound. It was strangled and it sounded as if air was being forcibly pushed out of her lungs. Then her breath hitched and air came out in short bursts. She was laughing at them! The laughter died down as quickly as it came and the Indominus got down on all fours and roared at the female. A roar that called for revenge. The humans had to cover their ears. "LIES!" the beast wrote in all capitals, "Do you not think I can smell them? Do you not think I can see their heat? How foolish must you be to forget that, now how do I get to them?"
The female gulped, "It doesn't matter, by the time you get to them, they'll be gone…" The Indominus brought her huge, bloody maw up to the female's face, touching it just slightly. She held it there, breathing in her scent. After judging whether or not she was lying, the beast pulled back and began to write again.
"I could see you specifically in that room. Do you know how long I have fantasized about killing you? But I'm willing to throw all of that away if you will just tell me how to get to the humans!" The white devil stared at the female, waiting for an answer.
The man came up to the female and began to whisper in her ear, "It doesn't matter if she can or can't get to them, if she goes after them, we can get out of here."
"You're willing to sacrifice all of those innocent lives for your own? I misjudged your character, Mister Grady," the female hissed. The Indominus only smirked. Despite the fact that they were whispering to each other, she could hear them just fine. "I will not tell you how to get to them! The need of the many outweigh the need of the few, or the one!" the female shouted.
The monstrous Indominus only breathed out angrily, "how bothersome. If she will not provide the information I need, then her usefulness has run its course." It happened in an instant. The Indominus stood and thrust her deadly claws into the female's form, impaling her upon cruel claws. The female gasped in surprise and the other humans stepped back to watch in horror as the Indominus brought the girl to her massive maw and began devouring her. The sound of bones being crushed was loud, it caused the youngest to retch. She swallowed audibly.
"She tasted wonderful, not as fat as I prefer, but the bones had a nice crunch to them, don't you think?" the Indominus wrote. The man was breathing loudly, his face contorted in anger.
"Bastard! How dare you…" the Indominus ignored him. She began to scratch in the dirt once again.
"She became boring… and worthless, so I decided to have a snack. Now, Strange One, I'm going to give you a choice. You or Blue One, chose- right now. Or you can tell me how to get to the other humans," the Indominus smirked. She opened her jaws and plucked the female's white jacket from her teeth.
The man thought for a moment before, "I don't trust you… I think that you'll get what you want and eat all of us anyways. So, as long as we're silent, we're still useful to you." He sent a grin at the beast. The Indominus stared at the man in confusion before swiping her tail over her words.
She began writing again, "You're wrong, I may need you, but not everyone here knows how to get to the other humans." She turned quickly, and speared the blue raptor with her long middle claw. The man's eyes went wide in shock. His best girl, his practical daughter, was being torn apart by that monster! The raptor was lifted into the Indominus' mouth and chewed to pieces before being dropped to the ground.
The man dropped to his feet and began to gather the remains in his arms, a vain attempt to bring the blue raptor back to life. He wept loudly as the Indominus wrote once again, "Disgusting. Nothing can compare to the taste of humans, I guess. So what now, Strange One, should the younglings die next? Should I kill the small one or the large one? You must realize that the only one I need alive here is you."
The man was becoming hysterical. His crying became an insane laugh. He pulled the gun he still had on his back and began to fire at the white devil. The bullets did not even phase the beast, however. He kept pulling the trigger until the gun was empty, and then the Indominus stabbed him through the leg with her large claw. He went down on one knee and was forced to watch as the beast lowered her jaw over the smaller of the two younglings. She did not snap him up, however, but continued to cover his body with her mouth as if she was going to swallow him whole. The entire time, the small boy held hands with his older brother, a vain gesture of hope.
"Wait! Wait! Wait! I'll do it, I'll tell you how to get to the other people…" the man all but screamed. The Indominus turned her gaze towards the broken man but her mouth did not leave the small child. She looked at him expectantly as he explained how to get into the evacuation building. She snorted and picked him up in one hand and the younglings in the other. She carried them back into the main park and waited as the man opened the gate that lead to the evacuation area. She ordered them to wait, otherwise she would hunt them down, as she devoured as many people as she could.
She burst into the evacuation room causing many of the occupants to scream in terror. The Indominus began to devour people, they had nowhere to run to. Her form blocked the only exit. But then the boats arrived, and the survivors began to rush onto the boats. The Indominus was taking her time, savoring each person that went down her gullet, but began to speed up when she saw the boats. "So that's how they plan on escaping," she thought.
The man and the two younglings managed to get passed her and rushed towards the boats. Just as they were about to get onto one of the boats, the Indominus plucked the teenager out of the strong grasp of his brother. Her hunger now sated, she turned and left the evacuation room with the teenager. The boats took off as soon as all of the survivors boarded. They headed towards the mainland.
The man, Owen, was crying softly. He had lost the girl he loved and his practical daughter. The child was absolutely silent. He had lost his brother. His parent's reactions flashed through his head. He had been traumatized by this event, now he hated and despised dinosaurs. He wondered if his parents wouldn't get a divorce anymore. A cruel part of him hated his brother for being mean to him, but their last day together proved that they still loved each other. He was in anguish, but still, that selfish part of him knew that his parents would stay together. Soon, he would forget that he ever had a brother.
XXX
There was a blood trail that led back to the Indominus paddock. Her steps were reluctant, but she had nowhere else to go. All of her years of imprisonment had made it so that cell was the only place she could call home. The elder of the two younglings was still clutched in her talons, but he was carried as if he was a dainty flower. He was pressed close to her chest like an important book.
The door to the paddock was still wide open, it would never close again. It made the Indominus happy, she will never be imprisoned again. She had gotten her revenge. Every single human on this island now knew the fear that she could inspire. Her fires had been set and now they blaze out of control. It was only a matter of time until they consumed even her. She knew that, but she decided that they last thing she would do would be to talk to this little human in her grasp. Alone so that his true nature could be revealed.
She set him gently on the ground, not really afraid of hurting him rather he commanded enough respect in her mind not to harm him. The two stared at each other for some time. The boy's features changed quickly. At first he didn't hide his anger of being separated from his beloved brother, but then it changed to curiosity. He remembered their encounter in the restricted zone and how excited the beast before him made him feel. If only he could relive that feeling before he was devoured. Little did he know, the Indominus planned on doing just that.
The Indominus leaned down and begun to write in the dirt, her eyes never leaving the boy. "That was fun, don't you think. It's a funny feeling, being sated fully… I don't think I've ever been this happy. I must admit, though, after all of the defeats I have suffered, victory's taste is strange upon my tongue. It has hints of blood and iron… I love it!"
The boy only stared at the beast. "I know very little about you, but I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were out to destroy the world… you came after us in the gyrosphere, but you gave us a head start. Why?" The boy was more interested in having his questions answered, but the Indominus would only be content for so long until she got bored. Then the boy would be subjected to her twisted version of fun.
"Why indeed. Something that escapes even myself, I know not why I allowed you to live. I could have easily caught you underwater. I guess that I found you interesting. You looked so bored until I showed up… then I saw something that I doubt either of us truly understand. Thus I allowed you to live so that you could provide me with entertainment once this island had been caught alight," the Indominus loved to write. She loved the taste of blood, the sight of fire, and the sound of bones breaking… but she loved to write even more. There was something within her that screamed at her to write. She tended to ignore it, but now that she had someone's attention, she would write as much as she wanted.
"So I'm supposed to entertain you? How?" the boy was not amused.
"By all means, keep asking questions. I want to rest a moment before the fun starts up again," she wrote.
"Is that so? Well, I guess I could ask how you view yourself."
"How I view myself? That's a boring question, you shouldn't try to bore me. As I said, I had a conversation with one of the longnecks out in the valley. She called me a monster, and I know that's what all of you humans think of me… I can't help but agree."
"Really? You'd just blindly agree with us?"
"I'm not agreeing with any of you, you are all agreeing with me."
"Sure… is there anything that you love? Anything that you cherish? You seem pretty content to just burn everything…"
"I love nothing and nothing loves me! There is nothing that I hold dear and nothing means anything to me. I would gladly set everything alight if I could, but I am trapped her on this island. What about you, is there anything you truly love?" The Indominus knew that she was hitting a nerve with the boy. She knew that someone this bored valued nothing, even though people loved him, he did not love them back. Perhaps he loved things, but that was superficial and she was more than ready to call him on it.
"Why do you want to destroy everything? Were you born like this…" the boy said, dodging the question.
"Answer my question," the beast wrote.
"I thought I was asking the questions?" the boy said, smirking at the devil, who huffed at him.
"I was born this way! Why don't you want to destroy everything?"
"Why should I want to destroy everything? I doubt you were born this way."
"Nothing seems right, I'm just trying to rectify it… if you are really so bored and if you really don't love anything or anyone, why don't you burn everything?" This time the boy remained silent. He had nothing else to say to the beast. But he acknowledged that she was right, he didn't love anything or anyone.
"I guess I'm not like you," the boy said.
The beast narrowed her eyes in disbelief. She thought that she had him with that last comment. She continued to write, "Why do you build, knowing destruction is inevitable? Why do you yearn to live, knowing all things must die? Knowing that none of it will have meant anything once you do? Life. Dreams. Hope. Where do they come from? Where do they go? Such meaningless things… I'll destroy them all!"
"I hope you enjoy wallowing in your pit of self-loathing," the boy said. He sent his harshest glare at the beast, hoping to end this little charade. "But I've become bored. Can we hurry this up?"
The Indominus stared at the boy, her crimson eyes searching for something that was not there. How dare he talk like that to her! But at the same time… "You seem to be in a rush towards death," she wrote.
The boy kept his glare but managed to say, "I can't deny the inevitable, why prolong my suffering. I thought that you would be able to lift this cloud of apathy, but you have only made it rain." The snow white beast pondered his words for a minute, he found her boring! Her! The largest and most powerful super predator on the planet! He knows his death is inevitable so he chooses to end it now? The teenager was actually starting to understand the Indominus' game, in this situation he could not lose.
On the one hand, the Indominus may become so enraged by his "boredom" that she would allow him a window to escape. Or she would eat him as she did his aunt, putting him out of his misery. If the beast was actually paying attention, perhaps she could have listened for his accelerated heart-beat and have known that he was lying. But as the boy predicted, she was too distracted by his words to think rationally. And then she snapped.
Into him, tearing him in two. She could feel her fires glowing brighter than they ever had before. Her only equal was a miserable human, and even he could not defeat her… or so she thought. She would live the rest of her life thinking that she had won when in reality, the little boy, not even a man, had defeated her with a few simple words. "I'm bored." Her own attitude had become her downfall, and so she was sent spiraling downward into the abyss.
XXX
A month past. The Indominus hasn't moved a muscle since she devoured the teenager. Her fires had long been put out. She was a fool to think that they would blaze for eternity. Fire was fleeting, needing tinder to continue burning, just as she herself needed sustenance to live. She is the fire and the fire is her. But now they have both been extinguished. She could feel it coming, faster now than it ever had before. Her death. Her sad and pathetic life flashed before her bloodshot eyes. Her heart beat faster and then began to slow before it stopped all together. As she closed her great crimson orbs, she remembered one last poem, something that she had forgotten to share with the humans.
The beast has set the world on fire,
\How many have been lost in the blaze?
And so she burns on her funeral pyre.
The sky rains ashes, born from hellfire
Until there's nothing that remains,
The beast has set the world on fire.
A red river flows through the stained earth,
So many are gone, so few are found,
And so she burns on her funeral pyre.
Don't let death make a mockery
Of this sweet, simple purity,
The beast has set the world on fire.
She returns to her once prison
To lay the days away, afraid,
And so she burns on her funeral pyre.
Lo and behold for she has won,
This marks the day she ends her fun.
The beast has set the world on fire,
And so she burns on her funeral pyre.
It was a testament of some sort. A dying will for all that she has accomplished. "Though," she thought in despair, "That longneck was right. I do die alone." And so the monster that had terrorized the small island, defeated the great Tyrannosaurus Rex, devoured many humans, and set the island alight has died this tonight, fading just as quickly as she came.
XXX
Whew! This took me a lot longer to write than I had intended. Originally, this was just going to be a short one-shot of the Indominus and her escape leading to her eventual death, but it quickly turned into a long one-shot that I had not expected. Right at the death scene, I felt something… sympathy? Perhaps, but I decided to change the script so to speak. The Indominus lives and goes on to torture the group of four plus Blue. In writing this, I have become the Indominus, and she has become me. But I would like to take a minute to talk about the two poems that I snuck in here for shits and giggles (though the poems were half the reason why this took so long to write… poetry is hard). The first poem is called a Petrarchan sonnet, characterized by the two quatrains and the two tercets with a particular rhyme scheme that total 14 lines. You may have noticed the rhyme scheme was simple (ABABCDCDEFEGGG if you care). The second poem is called a villanelle and is characterized by the two refrains (in this case "the beast has set the world on fire" and then "and so she burns on her funeral pyre") that rhyme. Both of these poems are original, I wrote them myself, first time writing poetry actually. Anyways… I know that the Indominus seems to have an obsession with burning things, but that's partially my fault. I hope that you can recognize the few references I threw into the story. Please read and review!
