Alex groaned. She had just woken up to a odd smell. A sort of choking smell, but she had thought nothing of it. She hadn't noticed the evidential danger that had lucked in the huge building for over half an hour, nor had she heard the shouts of people fleeing from the building. Her partner a Dryosaurus named Pastalokie slept peaceful. Alex looked at her. A little too peaceful actually. Pastalokie had never slept well. Alex sat up and looked at her.
"Pastalokie?" Alex called to her. There was no reply.
"Pastalokie?" she called a little louder. Still there was no reply.
"Pastalokie are you ok? Wake up I think theirs something wrong" Alex moved closer towards Pastalokie who didn't respond in any way. As Alex moved closer she saw the horrible truth. Pastalokie had stopped breathing. Tears welled up in Alex eyes as she reached out to touch her dead partner. Pastalokies body was colder then normal. Alex stood up and moved out of the room tears in her eyes to find help. As she left their room she noticed a rise in tempter. A very significant rise in tempter. She carefully opened the door to the next room along but found no one.
"Funny" she thought, " we were listening to these people this morning but where are they now"
She pondered this and tried the next door. No one again. Fear welled up inside her and she realised something was really wrong. She returned to her room to think over what she should do, but as she opened the door she saw the terrible problem that had caused the building to be evacuated. Flames engulfed the room, and most of the floor had given way revelling the second floor and its burning contents. She didn't stand and stare long. She closed the door and leaned against it scared out of her wits.
" Now I know why this is the first type of this building on Dinotopia" she thought to herself.
She started running to the stairs as fast as she could. She was wide-awake now
"This isn't happening this isn't happening" she repeated in her mind as she ran towards the door.
As she ran towards the door a saurian body blocked her path, but she didn't have time to stop. She yelped as she flew through the air headfirst and slammed into the ground hard. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her forehead. Red sticky blood oozed down her hand and her head where she has hit it. The saurian moved over to her and hastily extended his claw with the words "are you ok?" Alex groaned and took the claw. She was quickly drawn to her feet by the strong pull of the Deinonychus at the receiving end of the claw. She wiped the blood away from her eyes and looked at the saurian in front of her.
"Cmon we don't have long" it said to her and grabbed her hand. Alex was suddenly dragged down a corridor very strongly.
"Wait wait wait whats going on here?" she hastily and hazily asked the Deinonychus
"You mean you haven't noticed?" he replied, stopping to turn and face her
"The building is on fire" he said solemnly. He examined the look of surprise on her face.
"Cmon we don't have much time, the whole buildings structures damaged, and may not stand for much longer" he started to drag her along again.
"What what whatey? What in the world are you talking about?" she asked him "whats your name" she continued. He didn't stop to explain this time but said it as they ran down the corridor.
" the support structure of the building that holds it up may have been damaged by the fire and so…" he was interrupted as the roof of the building collapsed behind then.
"That'll happen" he finished " and my name is Xnor, but at the moment this is not the time nor the place for chit-chat." He continued to drag Alex down the corridor but she broke free and ran by herself.
They reached the stairs and read the footprint sign saying they were on the 4th floor the stairs to the 3rd floor had given in to the fire. Xnor started to whiz and dip in and out of corridors. Alex followed confused at the odd pattern he was following.
"Where are we going, do you know where we are?" she rather annoyingly poked questions like this at him.
He growled not likening these questions "I know where we are going. I had part in the design of this building and" he opened a door in front of him and stopped abruptly. Alex barely stopped behind him.
She looked over his shoulder to see a gaping hole where the ceiling had given in.
He looked at the situation and quickly came up with a response. "jump over it".
Alex stared at him with horror.
"Your joking right? I am NOT jumping over that." She looked over the side and saw that the ceiling had given in on all levels and the first floor was visible.
"ok better idea then, turn around and go back the way we came." He turned and opened the door. Thankfully the roof had given in too so the smoke was venting out of their, so suffocation was not as strong a threat as it could be.
" err were gonna have to jump it I'm afraid" Xnor said his head still sticking through the door.
"What?" Alex panicked "why in the world would we…." She looked through the door and saw why. Part of the 4th floor roof had fallen in and fire had consumed it. The fire was gradually moving towards them.
Xnor closed the door and turned to Alex.
"Either we jump it or slowly get fried here. Its your choice" he looked at the gap. "" its not tooo far is it?" he looked hopeful.
"This is insanity" she muttered to herself. Her eyes met Xnors and she knew they would have to try.
"Ok then lets give it our best shot" she said to him and wiped the sweat and blood out of her eyes.
"Err you first Xnor" she beckoned for the saurian to jump first. Xnor looked at her and shrugged.
"Ok if you insist." He slowly backed up as far as he could. Alex watched him nervously. Without hesitation Xnor ran towards the edge and jumped. Alex held her breath. If he couldn't do it she was doomed. He made it. Xnor squatted to rest for a second, then turned to Alex.
"Cmon you can do it" he shouted to her. She shook her head.
"No…..no I cannot. I just cannot do it." She sat down and started to cry. Xnors shoulders slumped
"Cmon please………. Just try" he waited to see what Alex would do. She shook her head.
"No NO I cannot do it." She shouted in frustration. Xnor thought over what she had just said.
"Well then what do you intend to do?" he called across to her. Alex had collapsed to her knees and was crying softly. Xnor saw this and thought over what he wanted her to do. It was difficult and she wasn't going to do it at any cost. Not even her own life. He thought over the choices. But he couldn't see even one logical choice for the problem. So he spurted out the next best thing in his mind.
"Okokok heres what your going to do." He shouted across to Alex. She lifted her head slightly and showed she was listening.
"Your gonna climb up that wall see? And then your gonna go down the corridor that should be above your head till you reach a dumbbell waiter" he was interrupted by Alex
"What is a dumbbell waiter?" she asked him. Xnor sighed and quickly explained it was an outside world idea to move food up and down stairs fast. Alex nodded still not having a clue about it. Xnor continued
"Then you will find a entrance for members only yes? Then follow that path down and take the first left. Then follow that oath and come to the stairs to this level, and the 2nd floor. Go to the second floor and wait at the room labelled member only again for me ok?" he took a breath as he finished. Alex nodded and stood up.
"What happens if the stairs have gone or I cannot get round due to fire?" she asked
Xnor looked at her and sighed knowing she wouldn't like what he was about to say.
"Your stumped" he said solemnly.
"What?" she stared across at Xnor "isn't their any other way ……any other way?" she stared across the gap desperately at Xnor. He shook his head. The desperate face that was present on Alex face slowly turned to a determined face." I cant remember that. If that the only way then id rather jump It." she stood up from her slump Xnor moved backwards to let her land, keeping an eye behind him for any danger. Alex ran, she ran like she had never run before. But. Ah her foot ran fate was cruel. She tripped. And went flying forward. Xnor watched as she slammed into the ground and rolled until she came to a slow stop on the edge of the "shelf"
"Are you ok" he shouted across over the noise of the raging fire.
"do I look ok?" she groaned. But it wasn't over. As she sat up the support that held the "shelf" in place gave. She screamed as she, the wooden floor and half the wall and doorframe behind her collapsed downwards towards the raging fire.
Xnor ran to the edge of the platform he was on, being careful not to trip himself and looked down.
"ALEX" he cried downwards. The only reply was the roaring of the fire.
He shook his head sadly and started onwards slowly. He kept his eyes peeled as the humans expressed it. "what an odd expression" he started to think to himself "who'd want to peel their eyes?" his concentration lapsed from the current situation. So he didn't notice the burnt beam above his head. He only noticed it after he felt the crushing pain on his back. He gave a cry of surprised as he surveyed the situation. He tried to push off the weight of the beam, but to no avail. It was just too heavy for him to do alone. He then tried to pull himself out. He succeeded. The momentum of the push he had surprised him though. He couldn't stop in time as the stairs loomed. He went snout first down them. His bodyweight worked against him as he hit the wall opposite. He slowly and groggily picked himself up. He stood for a minute and started down the stairs. Now was the time he had wished that he had stayed in the Basin rather then become civilised. But he shrugged off that feeling. That wasn't important. What was important was getting away. Getting away from the fire. He came to the bottom of the stairs. He mind trailed to Alex
"stupid human" he cursed he couldn't take it. He was too dizzy. The building was flying around him. His legs gave and he slowly fell to the floor in a pile. He lay their breathing quietly. The breathing quietly subsided. His chest slowly stopped moving. And his eyes closed, not to open again in this life. The blow on the snout had caused a deadly hermitage in his brain, his brain bled well after his death. He lay there, no movement of his won making. The flames slowly engulfed his body cremating him. Alex had suffered the same end. As she had fallen she was buried under rubble. Their had been no escape.
"Pastalokie?" Alex called to her. There was no reply.
"Pastalokie?" she called a little louder. Still there was no reply.
"Pastalokie are you ok? Wake up I think theirs something wrong" Alex moved closer towards Pastalokie who didn't respond in any way. As Alex moved closer she saw the horrible truth. Pastalokie had stopped breathing. Tears welled up in Alex eyes as she reached out to touch her dead partner. Pastalokies body was colder then normal. Alex stood up and moved out of the room tears in her eyes to find help. As she left their room she noticed a rise in tempter. A very significant rise in tempter. She carefully opened the door to the next room along but found no one.
"Funny" she thought, " we were listening to these people this morning but where are they now"
She pondered this and tried the next door. No one again. Fear welled up inside her and she realised something was really wrong. She returned to her room to think over what she should do, but as she opened the door she saw the terrible problem that had caused the building to be evacuated. Flames engulfed the room, and most of the floor had given way revelling the second floor and its burning contents. She didn't stand and stare long. She closed the door and leaned against it scared out of her wits.
" Now I know why this is the first type of this building on Dinotopia" she thought to herself.
She started running to the stairs as fast as she could. She was wide-awake now
"This isn't happening this isn't happening" she repeated in her mind as she ran towards the door.
As she ran towards the door a saurian body blocked her path, but she didn't have time to stop. She yelped as she flew through the air headfirst and slammed into the ground hard. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her forehead. Red sticky blood oozed down her hand and her head where she has hit it. The saurian moved over to her and hastily extended his claw with the words "are you ok?" Alex groaned and took the claw. She was quickly drawn to her feet by the strong pull of the Deinonychus at the receiving end of the claw. She wiped the blood away from her eyes and looked at the saurian in front of her.
"Cmon we don't have long" it said to her and grabbed her hand. Alex was suddenly dragged down a corridor very strongly.
"Wait wait wait whats going on here?" she hastily and hazily asked the Deinonychus
"You mean you haven't noticed?" he replied, stopping to turn and face her
"The building is on fire" he said solemnly. He examined the look of surprise on her face.
"Cmon we don't have much time, the whole buildings structures damaged, and may not stand for much longer" he started to drag her along again.
"What what whatey? What in the world are you talking about?" she asked him "whats your name" she continued. He didn't stop to explain this time but said it as they ran down the corridor.
" the support structure of the building that holds it up may have been damaged by the fire and so…" he was interrupted as the roof of the building collapsed behind then.
"That'll happen" he finished " and my name is Xnor, but at the moment this is not the time nor the place for chit-chat." He continued to drag Alex down the corridor but she broke free and ran by herself.
They reached the stairs and read the footprint sign saying they were on the 4th floor the stairs to the 3rd floor had given in to the fire. Xnor started to whiz and dip in and out of corridors. Alex followed confused at the odd pattern he was following.
"Where are we going, do you know where we are?" she rather annoyingly poked questions like this at him.
He growled not likening these questions "I know where we are going. I had part in the design of this building and" he opened a door in front of him and stopped abruptly. Alex barely stopped behind him.
She looked over his shoulder to see a gaping hole where the ceiling had given in.
He looked at the situation and quickly came up with a response. "jump over it".
Alex stared at him with horror.
"Your joking right? I am NOT jumping over that." She looked over the side and saw that the ceiling had given in on all levels and the first floor was visible.
"ok better idea then, turn around and go back the way we came." He turned and opened the door. Thankfully the roof had given in too so the smoke was venting out of their, so suffocation was not as strong a threat as it could be.
" err were gonna have to jump it I'm afraid" Xnor said his head still sticking through the door.
"What?" Alex panicked "why in the world would we…." She looked through the door and saw why. Part of the 4th floor roof had fallen in and fire had consumed it. The fire was gradually moving towards them.
Xnor closed the door and turned to Alex.
"Either we jump it or slowly get fried here. Its your choice" he looked at the gap. "" its not tooo far is it?" he looked hopeful.
"This is insanity" she muttered to herself. Her eyes met Xnors and she knew they would have to try.
"Ok then lets give it our best shot" she said to him and wiped the sweat and blood out of her eyes.
"Err you first Xnor" she beckoned for the saurian to jump first. Xnor looked at her and shrugged.
"Ok if you insist." He slowly backed up as far as he could. Alex watched him nervously. Without hesitation Xnor ran towards the edge and jumped. Alex held her breath. If he couldn't do it she was doomed. He made it. Xnor squatted to rest for a second, then turned to Alex.
"Cmon you can do it" he shouted to her. She shook her head.
"No…..no I cannot. I just cannot do it." She sat down and started to cry. Xnors shoulders slumped
"Cmon please………. Just try" he waited to see what Alex would do. She shook her head.
"No NO I cannot do it." She shouted in frustration. Xnor thought over what she had just said.
"Well then what do you intend to do?" he called across to her. Alex had collapsed to her knees and was crying softly. Xnor saw this and thought over what he wanted her to do. It was difficult and she wasn't going to do it at any cost. Not even her own life. He thought over the choices. But he couldn't see even one logical choice for the problem. So he spurted out the next best thing in his mind.
"Okokok heres what your going to do." He shouted across to Alex. She lifted her head slightly and showed she was listening.
"Your gonna climb up that wall see? And then your gonna go down the corridor that should be above your head till you reach a dumbbell waiter" he was interrupted by Alex
"What is a dumbbell waiter?" she asked him. Xnor sighed and quickly explained it was an outside world idea to move food up and down stairs fast. Alex nodded still not having a clue about it. Xnor continued
"Then you will find a entrance for members only yes? Then follow that path down and take the first left. Then follow that oath and come to the stairs to this level, and the 2nd floor. Go to the second floor and wait at the room labelled member only again for me ok?" he took a breath as he finished. Alex nodded and stood up.
"What happens if the stairs have gone or I cannot get round due to fire?" she asked
Xnor looked at her and sighed knowing she wouldn't like what he was about to say.
"Your stumped" he said solemnly.
"What?" she stared across at Xnor "isn't their any other way ……any other way?" she stared across the gap desperately at Xnor. He shook his head. The desperate face that was present on Alex face slowly turned to a determined face." I cant remember that. If that the only way then id rather jump It." she stood up from her slump Xnor moved backwards to let her land, keeping an eye behind him for any danger. Alex ran, she ran like she had never run before. But. Ah her foot ran fate was cruel. She tripped. And went flying forward. Xnor watched as she slammed into the ground and rolled until she came to a slow stop on the edge of the "shelf"
"Are you ok" he shouted across over the noise of the raging fire.
"do I look ok?" she groaned. But it wasn't over. As she sat up the support that held the "shelf" in place gave. She screamed as she, the wooden floor and half the wall and doorframe behind her collapsed downwards towards the raging fire.
Xnor ran to the edge of the platform he was on, being careful not to trip himself and looked down.
"ALEX" he cried downwards. The only reply was the roaring of the fire.
He shook his head sadly and started onwards slowly. He kept his eyes peeled as the humans expressed it. "what an odd expression" he started to think to himself "who'd want to peel their eyes?" his concentration lapsed from the current situation. So he didn't notice the burnt beam above his head. He only noticed it after he felt the crushing pain on his back. He gave a cry of surprised as he surveyed the situation. He tried to push off the weight of the beam, but to no avail. It was just too heavy for him to do alone. He then tried to pull himself out. He succeeded. The momentum of the push he had surprised him though. He couldn't stop in time as the stairs loomed. He went snout first down them. His bodyweight worked against him as he hit the wall opposite. He slowly and groggily picked himself up. He stood for a minute and started down the stairs. Now was the time he had wished that he had stayed in the Basin rather then become civilised. But he shrugged off that feeling. That wasn't important. What was important was getting away. Getting away from the fire. He came to the bottom of the stairs. He mind trailed to Alex
"stupid human" he cursed he couldn't take it. He was too dizzy. The building was flying around him. His legs gave and he slowly fell to the floor in a pile. He lay their breathing quietly. The breathing quietly subsided. His chest slowly stopped moving. And his eyes closed, not to open again in this life. The blow on the snout had caused a deadly hermitage in his brain, his brain bled well after his death. He lay there, no movement of his won making. The flames slowly engulfed his body cremating him. Alex had suffered the same end. As she had fallen she was buried under rubble. Their had been no escape.