THE TOWER

The main road was clear, had been for the past few hours as we walked along side it. With the few medical supplies Billy had snagged, he had also managed to steal the pack with all the food and two water bottles in it, but none of us were hungry…I also had the tiny fear that the animals would smell the food and come to investigate the new scents.

I looked ahead of us where Clark was slowly walking, kicking up leaves and tossing rocks onto the road to our right. Billy was next to me, a pained expression gracing his usually peaceful features as sweat stung his cuts. I weaved our fingers together, unknown tension filtering out of me at his touch, I let out a relieved sigh and Billy tiredly smiled. He looked tired, I probably looked the same. No sleep, no proper nutrition or showers. God, we were such a mess and it hadn't even been three days…maybe it had, I don't know. I could care less; I just wanted to go home.

"How's it going?" Billy spoke up finally as Clark ripped a leaf in half and crumbled it in his palm. I sighed and leaned against his shoulder for a moment.

"Tired. Can't wait until we get to the building. How're you feeling? You didn't exactly sleep in a good position." I looked up at him as he rubbed his neck unconsciously, he shrugged.

"You make a good enough pillow."

"Gee thanks." I laughed, he grinned and rubbed dirt from around his nose.

Our laughter faded into silence and I looked to the road again, finding nothing tailing us from the other side other than the sun up above. I looked back to where there was a line of sweat going down Clark's shirt.

"What should we do about Clark?" Billy whispered, I frowned.

"What about him? He seems fine despite everything that's happened…which is actually kind of creepy now that I think about it."

"No, I mean after." Billy's eyes darkened for a moment, "He's lost his brother, we all lost Muldoon. The kinds of therapy this kid would have to deal with…"

"We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there I guess. As long as he's not suicidal I think we're good." I offered after a moment, "He still has family Billy, it's not like he's an orphan."

"Yeah well…his life's not going to be the same after this."

He let it hang there and I watched Clark's sloped shoulders and hanging head. He was right, the kid would repress the memories just like Ian and Alan and Ellie did but overtime the nightmares would start and therapy would be the only option.

Ellie woke up in fits, Alan would hallucinate raptors in the living room and even the grocery store. Ian would wake up and refuse to sleep for three days. Even in the safety of the city in their houses, the dinosaurs still plagued them.

I remember when I first started to sleep with Ian he'd warn me about his fits, they got weird sometimes.

I hade been drifting between sleep and consciousness with the TV buzzing in front of me. Papers and pens littered the coffee table, my report was dimmed on my laptop, that cursor blinking every damn second. I sighed and shifted on the couch, stretching my legs as I tried to find a comfortable position to sleep in. I could just go walk to the bedroom in ten steps but I was warm and content. Besides, I'd just wake up Ian who had just come back from a conference thirty minutes ago, looking wrecked.

I pulled the blanket around me and closed my eyes, letting the softness of everything pull me down…

"No…no, don't…"

My eyes snapped open at the pained moan coming from the bed room. I slowly got up, letting the blanket pool on the floor as I padded to the room yawning. My short and t-shirt swished with each tired step and I ran a hand through my tangled hair as I came to the cracked door. I peered around it into the darkness to spot the lump on the bed. I smiled to myself and rolled my eyes nefpre entering and closing the door behind me before walking quietly over to Ian.

He was still in his dress pants which were riding dangerously low on his hips and his glasses were hanging loosely on his nose. I pulled the glasses off, thankful that he had taken the liberty to slip out of his shoes and went to work getting him out of his nicer shirts, knowing he'd bitch about it in the morning. He continued to sleep like the dead as I hung the shirt in the closet, his tanned chest rose and fell evenly and I resisted the urge to reach out and muss up his hair a little from the gel he had placed in it to look presentable at the meeting.

I turned to the bathroom, ready for sleep as well when another pained sound came from behind me.

Ian's head rolled from side to side and I could see his muscles twitch from the soft moonlight that shone through a slit in the window. I frowned and padded back over to him, not daring to touch as he reached out for nothing and turned onto his side, face digging into the pillow. I kneeled on the bed, peering over him as my hair fell in my face.

His hair wasn't still encased in gel, it was his sweat. His curly hair stuck to his forehead as he gritted his teeth in pain from whatever dream he was having.

"Shit!" I cursed, tumbling backwards as Ian's hand suddenly shot out and swung through the air before gripping his leg, the one he had hurt at the Park. I swept the hair out of my face as he cried out in pain, "Ian?"

"Stop-oh god please stop it." he cried, a pained and broken sob ripped from his chest and I though of all the times Ellie woke up screaming from nightmares…but Ian…this was just different.

"Ian? Ian wake up." I placed a head on his sweaty forehead as my heart raced in anticipation and adrenaline. I knew sleepwalkers could react violently if woken up but I had no experience with psychiatric nightmares, I cupped his jaw, "Ian, it's not real! You have to wake up now!"

My knees sunk into the mattress as Ian tossed back onto his side, his long legs kicking into my own and making me tumble onto his side. I scrambled up, my breath quickening as I managed to grip his shoulder and his jaw forcefully. He moaned pitifully, his brows scrunching together. I saw my nails leave small marks and I blinked.

I dug my nails into his shoulder and jerked a little bit, if dream pain couldn't wake him up then real pain would have to do the trick. That saying that went 'pinch yourself if you think you're dreaming' could be useful.

"Ian! Wake up!"

His eyes opened suddenly and I let go of his shoulders, the crescent moons shining brightly against his skin as his dark brown eyes slid back into focus. I sat back on the bed as he slowly sat up, running his shaky hands over his face and exhaling slowly. He shook in fear and exhaustion.

"Are you…alright now?" I asked, knowing it was a dumb question but the silence was killing me, I touched his arm and was relieved to not feel him flinch. He nodded, either to himself or to me, before looking around the room.

"Did I wake you?" his cracked voice as he answered, I smiled softly and ran a hand through his messed up hair.

"I'm pretty sure you woke up the world, I was only half asleep anyway." I got up and went to shut off the TV in the other room as he got up himself, changing out of his slacks and into flannel pants.

I shut the window as well, pulling the blackout curtains over the glass before joining Ian in the bathroom as he splashed cold water on his face. I hopped on the counter and ran fingers through a graying patch of his hair in his sideburns; he shuddered at the touch before knocking my knee to knock it off.

"What was it about this time?" I watched as he rubbed a towel over his face before leaning against the counter, back to the mirror.

"I was…I was running, screaming. Alan was waving at me and then-then the T-Rex…" he shuddered and shifted his stance off his injured leg, "Its jaws got me and I uh, well it swung me back and forth."

"That dream again?"

"Yeahm that one." he looked at me as I kicked my legs out, "Did you at least get your report done?"

"A hundred more words and it's perfect. Will it ever stop?"

"Homework? No."

"No, not that," I shook my head and laughed lightly, bumping our shoulders together, "The dreams, your nightmares."

"Only time will tell." He turned and stood between my legs, bumping out foreheads together, "Chaos in the mind exists for as long as chaos exists on the real world."

"I hate your riddles," I replied, letting my hands roam up from his waist and around his neck. Ian sighed at the touch and sagged against me, "You need sleep, c'mon."

"Angela-"

"Then I need sleep damnit." I rolled my eyes and kissed him softly, he folded in front of me and I pulled him out of the bathroom and to the bed, letting him fall next to me heavily and tangle our legs together.

I buried my face in his neck as he lazily curled my hair around his fingers, no doubt knotting it. Being with Ian was easy; I didn't have to pretend to be someone I wasn't. Being with him was so intense sometimes that I was left speechless and wanting to cry from just so many emotions crossing my mind.

I fell asleep in his arms as Ian laid awake, his thoughts whirling in silent equations as I drifted into my own universe.

I let go of Billy's hand softly as we turned to two medium sized buildings with a rickety bridge-walk connecting the two. The bridge stretched over what looked like holding pens for dinosaurs; obviously there wasn't any on the cages anymore but the thought of standing maybe twenty feet above a velociraptor or a triceratops intrigued me. Billy jogged ahead of Clark and me, ditching his pack as he began climbing the ladder leading to one building; I turned in a circle, taking everything in as Billy monkeyed it over the top.

"Hey look!"

I turned to the left as a small brown scaly head poked through some underbrush some ten feet away, I eyed it and backed Clark up to the ladder as the mysterious dinosaur made a deep hoot-braying sound. Clark shimmied up the ladder a few rungs as the creature shook the bush to get out; I stopped from climbing up myself as the dinosaur finally wriggled out and stumbled onto the road.

A baby stegosaurus sniffed the air like an overgrown, scaly puppy…complete with its tongue sticking out the side of its mouth. I laughed to myself and Clark hopped back onto the ground next to me as the stego wandered over to the cages closest to it. Billy shouted down to us as he peered over, I waved him off as the stego ventured closer, completely oblivious to the two of us as it eyed the man-made objects curiously. Billy slid down the ladder anyways and dropped next to me, instinctively pulling the both os us behind him before turning to the dinosaur.

"Could we pet it?" Clark moved around Billy as the dinosaur finally spotted the three of us and blinked owlishly with its wide, dark eyes. Its tail swung back and forth and I looked around for its parents but saw nothing, "Can we?"

"Let it approach you first." I nodded, feeling Billy relax at the herbivores curious shuffled towards us. The dinosaur brayed as Clark moved too quickly, Billy's hands wrapped around the top of the teen's arm.

"Slowly, Clark."

"I got it, I got it."

The dinosaur turned its nose up as Clark outstretched a shaking hand.

Its snout bumped against his palm and he took a sharp intake of breath before outstretching his hand again, rubbing his hand over the hard flesh. The dinosaur closed its eyes at the contact and Clark released a breath of amazement before moving closer until he was literally right against the stegosaurus. Billy and I moved closer as well, holding our breaths as we touched the dinosaur, it's bumpy skin reminded me of the triceratops when we first landed here. But this stegosaurus was larger, its long plates on its back skimmed the tops of our heads and its head reached my shoulders. Bigger than a baby but smaller than a teen, most likely a 'tween' kind of height…for a dinosaur at least.

"It's so bumpy." Clark smiled as he trailed his hands over it's solid plates, the dinosaur shook and we laughed. I loved the feel of its skin and I swear I could hear something like a purr coming from its throat as we stroked over its neck and stomach. The deep rumbling reminded me of Ian when he woke up in the mornings, voice scratchy with sleep, "I can't believe it. I can't believe this."

"At least it's not eating you." Billy joked, I rolled my eyes and shook my heas as the dinosaur's head turning in my arms so I was cradling the large head. I smiled, forgetting about the dried sweat, blood and tears on my skin, the rocks in my shoes and the gnawing hole in my heart. The dinosaur's eyes fluttered open and I smiled at it.

"Hey there beautiful, you're amazing." I whispered as it shifted from one foot to the other, "Amazing…"

We all looked up suddenly as a louder call sounded from the forest where the stego had come from. The dinosaur answered with a call of its own and Billy pulled back as the sounds of branches being snapped rang in the silence. Billy pushed Clark to the ladder as thuds of feet could be heard.

"Momma's here." He looked to me and I frowned, "This is why you can't go dog shopping; you get attached to them way too easily."

I rolled my eyes and let the dinosaur's head slip out of the cocoon of warmth in my arms, the stego blinked its large eyes again and after a moment of intense staring Billy put his hand on my back and turned me away.

"Stay safe." I whispered under my breath before gripping the ladder rungs and hoisting myself up. I looked back, halfway up to see large, bigger than life stegosaurus adults come forward through the trees and head straight for the tween, bellowing in comfort and relief as the stego clumsily walked to its herd. Billy laughed beneath me and I watched until they were out of sight.

"Alan wasn't lying, they really do move in herds."

Clark pulled me up onto the walkway; I spared one last glance to the disappearing animals before reaching down to help Billy up as well. The steel was cold underneath my feet and I warily eyed the rusty parts of the walkway. The sound of the hatch clicking made me turn my head and Billy threw an arm around my shoulders as we stared at the cage surrounding our heads.

"What do you think this was used for?"

"In case the animals jump up? I don't see much use for protection." I shrugged and reached out, running my fingers over the dome on the sides and above us. Clark pushed past us, walking to the other building.

"Better for us then." He mumbled, Billy frowned before taking my hand and leading us across the way.

"He okay?"

"It's hot, we've been chased by man eating animals…I'd be at the edge of my patience too." I offered, Billy just nodded before staring up at the completely ruined radio tower on the top of the building. Vines and weather had worn down the metal to the point that it was bent in half, "How much do you bet this thing is broken?"

"Muldoon probably didn't even think about this, just figured it'd still be up and running." Billy sighed heavily, dropping the bag to the ground; I eyed Clark as he sat against a wall, closing his eyes. I sat myself against the wall as well and dug into the bag and pulled out some granola bars that were slowly dwindling. Billy turned in a small circle, stretching, "Get the radio out of there, might as well try it."

"…We've got a radio?"

"Muldoon slid it in my hand when we…last time we saw him." Billy shrugged as I took out the small black device and tossed it to him, "I uh, I thought you saw me put it away."

"I didn't. It works though right?" I crowded against Billy's side comfortably as he began messing with the thing, so far nothing but static.

"I'll figure it out, try to get a station that gets across to your dad." He smiled softly at me and bumped our foreheads together, "Get some sleep, I'll wake you when I get some feed."

I fell asleep to the static as Billy's warmth cascaded over me.

When I woke up, it was dead midnight and that eerie buzz of insects and plants rang in my ears. I slowly blinked and stretched my back from the cramped position I had been sleeping in against the wall. I winced, squeezing my eyes shut as a cringe shot through my neck, making me reel back a bit.

"You're awake."

I looked to Billy behind me, he gave a lopsided grin before reaching over and brushing cracked off plaster off my back. I ran my hands through my tangled hair and pulled out clumps of dirt and plaster as well, Billy chuckled and I tossed a piece at him before leaning back against him.

"Did you get any sleep at least?"

"Got a few winks. Been messing with this thing," he held up the radio and passed it over to me, "I got a channel right as you woke up…I don't know if it'll reach your dad but it's worth a shot. I haven't heard anything from it and when I tried it I got nothing."

I took the radio from his hands and looked at it for a second before getting up.

"Don't go far." He called after me as I made my way across the rusty walkway to where I sat myself in the middle with the radio tucked between my knees. I could feel Billy's eyes on my as I held the button to call out. I took a dep breath as I tried to push down the lump in my throat, I had to do this. This could be my only chance…

"Hey dad…it's me Angela."