"Effie, you're going to get yourself killed one of these days," Keegan growled, making the redhead in question wince as she wrapped the bandage around her hand gruffly. "Does your dad know you're still doing this?"
"No, and he won't be knowing any time soon," Effie argued, yanking her hand away and wiggling her fingers, biting the inside of her lip as her palm stung. "At least not until I get it."
Keegan stood and crossed her arms over her chest, green eyes narrowing into slits.
"That's the thing!" she huffed, nose wrinkling. "You're never going to get it!"
Effie's gaze hardened and she sighed, gathering up the band-aids Keegan had left behind and shoving them into her fanny pack. "Gee, thanks."
Regret spread across Keegan's face in the form of a flustered blush, and she shook her head rapidly, brown ponytail bouncing as she chased after her. Her boots kicked up patches of dust in the dark as she tried to catch up to Effie's brisk pace.
"You know that's not what I meant," she stammered, reaching out a tanned arm and putting it on Effie's stiff shoulder. "I mean you're not going to get it because they're not dogs. They're wild animals, and-"
"Now you listen here, Keegan," Effie hissed, pointing a blunt nail in the other girl's face. "I've lived on a horse ranch all my life, and these animals, they're just like untamed mustangs with scales. Just 'cause it's not easy don't mean it can't be done. Just because you've never even sat on a horse's back don't mean-..."
She trailed off, watching as the gravel around Keegan's feet began to shake. It was subtle at first, but then… then she heard the rumbling. Without thinking, Effie pulled her bandana over her nose and mouth, yanking on Keegan's arm and ducking behind the shadow of a nearby boulder. Keegan squealed as the ground underneath them shook violently, covering her nose with her shirt collar and digging her index fingers into her ears.
Dozens of Gallimimus swarmed towards them, their talons kicking up dust and debris. Despite the little flecks of dirt flying into her eyes, Effie couldn't help but stare in amazement. Their legs were so long, and the orange tint of their skin was just mesmerizing, even at night. Their long necks made them look elegant and graceful, but the loud squawking bellows that left their beaks sort of ruined it. She watched until they were nothing but a cloud in the horizon, longing.