Written for QLFC round 2
Keeper: Jurassic Park
Word count will be at end.
The plane touched down on the runway of the island, continuing to drive along the pavement before it came to a stop. The door was lent down and people began to exit.
The Dursleys and their seven-year-old nephew were the last ones to climb off. The nephew turned to watch as the door was lifted and the propellers started, engine groaning as it was started. The plane turned slowly and began its descent back down the runway, lifting off into the air once it reached the end.
"Boy! Hurry up!"
Turning around, the nephew noticed that everyone was already heading to the jeeps that were parked at the other end of the runway. He ran to catch up, getting a cuff on the back of the head from his uncle for "slowing us down, you impertinent freak" and a click of the tongue from his aunt. His cousin just grinned at him from behind his mother.
He stood several steps away as the three men and two women that stood in front of the jeeps explained about what was going to happen. He tilted his head to look into the murky and nightmarish forest that was in the background of the jeeps. The trees moved like they were dancing, the leaves rustling as the wind whispered and as the animals chattered among themselves.
"Now, everyone, cling into a jeep and we will begin the tour."
His relatives clambered into a jeep, squishing themselves together. There was no room for him and he turned to go to another jeep when the driver, a woman with chestnut brown hair, told him, "You can ride up front with me if you would like."
He gave her a shy smile and then clambered up into passenger seat, buckling himself in.
She clambered in afterwards and started up the jeep, the engine purring to life. Their jeep followed behind the others, the woman talking to his relatives on the things they would see. The dinosaurs that were beyond the forest in a closure secured by durable fences. The birds that were bigger than his cousin. The bugs and insects that were as big as his arm.
She continued to chatter endlessly as the jeep moved down the road, the trees still swaying to some tune he couldn't hear.
Then, he heard it.
"He approachesssssss . . ."
"The closure was built several years ago when scientists realized that they could replicate the DNA of the dinosaurs. They built this island and began their research and development. The roaring you can hear beyond the fences? That's either the T-Rex or some other dinosaur."
"Won't they knock the fences down?" he heard an older girl ask.
The man who had been talking laughed. "No. The fences are made of the most durable steel and metal they could create. The dinosaurs have tried to get out and they haven't so far, little lady."
"Yes, but," another one interrupted, a man, "they could if, over time, the fences become less durable. What will you do then?"
The man had no answer and changed the subject. "And coming up are the raptors."
The jeeps pulled up in front of the fence slowly, coming to a stop so they could all see.
The raptors were tiny things but large at the same time, with nimble arms and strong looking legs. Their tails were long and swayed side-to-side, reminding the nephew of the trees of the forest from earlier. Their beady eyes bore into them, like they were studying them, before huge jaws snapped at them.
Some of the others gasped and leaned away.
The nephew just leaned closer.
And he heard it again.
"He approachesssss."
It was when they were about to leave the island when it happened.
His relatives were the last ones to climb on to the plane, his cousin waddling before his aunt, who was fussing and playing with his hair. His uncle was behind them and turned to him once he reached the doorway.
"Uncle?" he asked, the first time he had spoken since they had arrived on the island.
"Who said you were coming with us?" his uncle replied stonily. His uncle raised a hand and pressed it into his chest, pushing him and send big him down the stairs in a tumble. "We never wanted you and this is a great way to rid us of you." A smile, a cruel, jaunty, smile spread across his uncle's face. "Hopefully the dinosaurs will eat you. Painfully."
Then, he turned and entered the plane, the door shutting behind him.
As the plane flew down the runway, he swore he could hear someone screaming from inside, "They left him! He'll be eaten if we don't go back!"
The sky looked so pretty from where he was on the runway, the plane a speck in the sky.
He traveled through the forest, listening to the insistent chatter of the animals and the high buzz of the insects. The sun had long gone down hours ago and it was dark as the deep ocean, the only light of the moonlight that poked through what fringe didn't cover it up.
He waved the stick that he had in his hand, moving things out of his way. There was a rustle somewhere ahead of him and he froze, stick still held up as he listened.
"I sssmell him."
"Where isss he?"
"Right up ahead."
There was silence and then more rustling.
His heart was beating faster now and his hand clenched around his stick, holding it up in front of him like a shield. "W–who's there?" he called.
"Issss that him?"
"Yessss."
There was a rustle before he gasped as a raptor head poked through the bush, more following it. They climbed from out of the green and made their way before him, staring at him with beady eyes.
"Are you sssssure it isss him?"
"Yessss, I am sssure. He ssssmellsss like the other one."
"Can he underssstand usss, issss the quesssstion."
He blinked, gulping, and opened his mouth.
"I can undersssstand you."
"It isssss him!" one raptor hissed with glee. It turned to the others and emitted a croaking roar, the others sounding it back. It turned back to him and hissed, "You musssst come with ussss."
"Why?"
"For you are our king."
"Issss thisss it?"
"It ssseemsss to be ssso, Talkur. They are annoyingly disssgusssting."
"That we can agree on, my king."
"And that sssnake-like fellow. He reeksss of sssomething bad."
"What ssshould we do?"
"Nothing. Let them deal with him. He isss not of our busssssinesss."
"Are you sssure, my king?"
"I am posssitive, Talkur. Let usss head back to the others."
[word count: 1,110]