20th day
Almost a couple of weeks later, two things had grown visibly: my hair (now it covered entirely my back) ...And my womb, which was showing all the signs of pregnancy and little lives growing inside.
During those twelve days we returned two times to the Visitors Center; then Berik and I went to the coast where it all had started -after a very strong storm-, ran three times from Legs-Jaws though not scared in any way, and hunted together near the lagoon, mostly Runners.
The poachers fortunately left "our island" after that incident; we celebrated their decision (and it was one of those occasions when we went to the Center) in the best possible way.
Completely naked there, only for him, I was once more in a very good mood. With the group of poachers gone, no one could enter our refuge while we were enjoying alone all the calm of that day.

Back in the cave, then, after these two weeks...
"I didn't know that the hair on your head could grow so much... But it's alright for me, my woman".
We were laying on the floor, Berik with half body over me while I was caressing slowly his head like we used to do, for at least one hour. A normal day for us included going to hunt, avoiding Air-Claws and other predators, returning to our cave after having eaten outside and sharing in our shelter long rests, readings or tender moments along with conversations. A way of life that I could have without getting bored or going crazy only thanks to him.
"Yes, the human hair can grow as much as mine, or more. That's why we normally keep it short".
"What will you do, then?"
"Don't worry, sweetheart. I will let it grow even more only for you".
"Thanks, my woman -he said, full of delight. -Now let's sleep one or two hours before going to hunt again".
My husband Raptor put his head very close to mine and I kissed his face to sleep in calm like him.

In the afternoon -3 or 4 PM, I guess-, we got out to hunt something; this time it happened to be a Spitter.
"You can have all you want, my love, it's too small to share. I'll go in search of my own prey".
"Then look over there, my woman, that group of Horn".
"Good idea, honey. I will take something else of my prey to our cave, so that both can share a nice good leg tonight".
Since still my state would allow me to chase even a Runner -or kill it with my own hands-, in less than ten minutes the chosen Triceratops was dead; then I took part of his belly and with my Good-Claw I cut a big piece of his leg, leaving the rest to a Pack of hungry Small who had been watching from some distance all the action.

It was going to be a cold night, so I was lucky having there a pair of blankets and enough warm clothes; Berik would sleep by my side, which for me was perfect because then I could be cuddling to him and feel more comforted.
"Want the Horn leg roasted or just like it's now?" -I asked to my husband on the way to our cave.
"Roasted today, my woman". -He answered and I kissed his lips knowing that he meant "my love". After all we had got so used to our life together that Berik was no longer just a Dinosaur, but almost the perfect man for a happy wife.

Half an hour later I had all the food ready for us and we entered our "Home, sweet home".
"How good to be inside at last, right, Berik? ...That fire didn't help very much, against the cold".
"Yes, I'm also feeling better here".
"Ok, let's feel even better then, having this delicious supper and then going to our bed".
He ate his part much faster as usual, but I knew that he had enjoyed it.
"You were right, my woman. Horn legs always taste better this way".
"Thanks, sweetie... In your case, by the way, you are starting to reach the level of a gourmet, meaning a person who knows very much about a certain kind of food".
"Could you please explain, Gloria?" -Asked then Berik, who was also learning every day many more words, and I did it gladly.
"We better sleep now" -Ordered Berik somehow, twelve minutes later.
"Of course, my love. I'm with you in a moment".
Covered completely with the blanket, I got ready to spend a good night along with him; the occasional roars coming from somewhere no longer disturbed me. I waa truly a different woman compared to the old Gloria who came from Virginia, and one of the best predators was sharing my bed... Protecting me.

21st day
9.36 AM:
That morning I found myself cuddled to my Velociraptor like I was needing even more warmth and protection.
"Sorry, my love, maybe I had a bad dream though now I can't remember it".
"Don't worry, my woman. Actually I was enjoying this".
"How sweet, Berik -I said kissing him two or three times. -Want to stay here with me, this morning?"
"I'd surely do it... But I must go to hunt, and if you want, you may come with me".
"Yes, honey, we'll be hunting together again very soon, because... You're watching over me, but I always want to do the same with you".

Ten minutes later, out in the cold but feeling the warmth of our reciprocal protection, we went to the lagoon as we always used to do. On our way there, we saw -to say it somehow- a marching Herd of Neck (Remember?, the Brachiosaurs); those titans were walking so sure of themselves as if saying "We're here now, everyone get out of our way". Not much later, a second Herd joined them walking in the same direction.
"Want another Horn leg, Berik? ...Your woman can get it for you".
"Thanks, Gloria, but I want to hunt by myself this time. See you soon! -he started to make his own game. -Send the Help Call if you need me!"
"Ok, just take care of yourself!"
Seeing my husband Raptor as he walked away, I could only feel proud of him; I had come with Berik to protect him and all that, but in any case he always was free to do his will.
I did want a good roasted Horn leg today, so I followed them from a certain distance until I could finally choose my prey.
Because, as you can see easily, the girl who lived -worked, went to school, liked to compare dresses or read the latest fashion magazines and drink slushies with her friends- there in Virginia, had become a hunter; and maybe one as good as Berik, using partially her instinct to choose her victim.
But considering that, needless to say, a Pack of Small shouldn't have had surprised me; at least not too much, running to the lagoon with me right on their way.
The difference this time was, I hadn't got there to be chased by any Dinosaur.
With my knife flashing whenever the Sun light fell on its blade, I charged against the Compsognathus' killing seven of them.
"Sorry, you were not in my food list today, but I'm afraid you forced me".
Picking them up, I went in search of my husband. That's when I noticed a strange silence, which in my mind activated an alarm. And where was he?
"Berik, my love, are you over there?" -I asked this time in english, not knowing why, looking around me; repeating the question in our language and with the knife in my hand, ready to attack.
Just a few seconds later, my instinct was almost crying "RUN! DANGER!"
But run from what? I couldn't see or hear any Dinosaur coming to hunt me. And where to run? I didn't know what was threatening me or where it was.
The trees this time didn't seem to offer protection. On the other hand, I knew well that big Dinos never stalked their potential prey behind a tree. As far as I knew, the only living beings who would do that were...
"HUMANS!" -I exclaimed shocked. At least one of the worst dangers wasn't very far from me!
I immediately dropped the Compies and let myself fall to the ground, hoping it wasn't too late. Had it been a carnivore I'd have been facing a predator, but being surrounded by humans I had to face a mortal enemy.
"Berik, where are you now?" -Cried my low voice. The options were crossing my mind like laser shots. Run to reunite with him? ...Send the Help Call? With one or more armed men near us, any of them would mean a certain death for my beloved Velociraptor.
"Ok, now I'm going to do my best, to hunt you first".
Turning my fear into anger along with my feeling of security, I got back on my feet ready to defend myself and attack. The Good-Claw was big enough to make them be afraid of its bite, and I also had brought with me a gun.
Letting my senses guide me, soon I could hear one of them somewhere on my left. Then I saw easily three tracks of feet; three men, surely all hunters, walking to the west. And those other footprints over there, didn't they belong to a Raptor?
"Oh no, Berik! Not again, please!"
It seemed that my husband Raptor was doomed again to be captured... Could they be the same poachers who found us two or three weeks ago?
"Oh, but it doesn't matter at all, who were the dirty guys attacking him again".
What was really happening, anyway? If my Berik was in problems, why he hadn't sent the Help Call?
The only possible answer for this, had to be again a tranquilizer dart. But this time, the poachers would really pay for it.
"Don't worry, my love, I'm coming again to help you. And I don't care who the hell they are. Your wife will punish them all".
So I'd have to save him a second time; but it didn't matter to me, because I would do it even a million times.

10.02 AM:
(Berik POV):
I was inside an iron cage with my hands chained to the bars, a rope closing tightly my mouth and feeling like the most stupid Alpha Hunter in the world.
How did they manage to take me by surprise? -the questions appeared all that time, however not making me feel better. -Were they always so obsessed to hunt me? ...My woman knew where I was?
Now my captors were trying to get back on board as soon as possible... Taking me to an unknown place. If they succeeded, my woman would only have our children to remember me.
Suddenly, it seems, she had an idea; good and dangerous at the same time.
"RAHAU! RAHAU! RAHAU!"
The men turned around looking for the source of that voice, but didn't see anything suspicious.
"Was that a Raptor?" -Asked one of them.
"I guess so, that's what they used to do every time I hunted them".
"Then you don't have ears. It didn't sound like a Raptor for me".
"What then? A distressed Gallimimus? Or a Deinonichus in heat?"
"No, idiot! It seems to be a human voice trying to sound like a Raptor's!"
"Ok, if you're the genius here, go and find out who's watching us!"
"Of course... If you're so dumb to do it, it'll be my job!"
"Just don't spend much time there! We have at least this Raptor and the ship is ready!"
That was all Gloria, hiding behind a wide tree, really needed to hear. Her only problem was how to attack them, knowing they had her husband. But leaving apart this question she was the Huntress, there.
"Well, then... I don't think there can be a plan. My only option is to be like, let's say, a Carnotaurus".
She charged against the man who had come to find out about her, with the best high-pitched scream she could make. When he or the others could be ready to react, the Good-Claw of Gloria had made a deep wound between his ribs.
"What? -said one of them. -Rick, get that bitch".
He was interrupted by Gloria, who of course didn't want to lose any advantage of her situation.
"Stay there, you hear me? Or I'll shoot right now!"
"Why do you think I'll do that? Maybe it has something to do with your boyfriend?"
"My b... What do you mean?" -Asked Gloria, a little shocked.
"We heard you calling him, 'Berik, my love, are you over there?' Now your... Dinosaur, is being held in a good cage".
In such situation where not only others knew their relationship, but they wouldn't let Berik get out just because she told them, Gloria had only one instrument of persuasion.
"Ok, now listen well... There's one of you bleeding, because of what I did with this knife. So you better let the Raptor out of that cage!"
"Or else what, freaky woman? -he still tried to have it all under control. -And what if I kill first yor lover?"
"IN THAT CASE YOU WILL SEE MY FUCKING KNIFE IN YOUR STOMACH SLASHING UPWARDS!" -Shouted Gloria, now really furious.
"Silence, psycho kind of bitch... I can't kill your boyfriend, actually, but only because we want to take the Raptor in our ship, to a place we have in the Everglades... So you're lucky for that. Now just cut all this crap of 'Release my Raptor' and get outta here".
It was already very hard to rescue him, but if she didn't do anything soon, it was going to be certainly impossible.
"Ok, you don't leave me another option". -She pulled out her gun and started to shoot at them. Just like with the other poachers, this was the only language they could understand.
"Nobody will ever take my Berik away from me!" -So full of rage, Gloria didn't even seem to know that she was killing four men. She could only think in her Dinosaur husband, the love they had for one another and the baby Raptors that now she wished to give birth with all her heart.

Five minutes later, or so, only one of the men was alive, and of course dying. Gloria was eager to free Berik, but walked first to the man who still tried to breath.
"You... Damn bitch. I hope you pay... For killing us".
"I don't think it can happen; my home is this island where it doesn't look like there's a courtroom. Now some more words before you die: soon Berik will be walking by my side to our cave where we'll be happy again... Especially because I'm pregnant".
Not paying more attention to his words, she waited until there wasn't life in him; then she opened the cage and Berik was free again at last.
"My love... Forgive me for making you wait this too long. I didn't want any of them alive when you were able to get out".
"Don't worry, my woman -answered Berik as soon as the rope was removed. -Now just follow me so we can leave soon this place".

Around 11 AM:
We walked back to the lagoon, undisturbed but fast; in my mind at least, the ghost of all those poachers was chasing us.
"Did you eat something already, Berik?" -I asked, still a little nervous.
"Not much; they attacked me right when I had just started to eat my prey".
"Me either... Then we'll go together to hunt, and then I want to be with you again in the Visitors Center".
Behind the apparent order there was a desire and a need of being very close to Berik; feeling once more all his Saurian body while making him do the same with mine.
"Do you want to mate with me again?" -Asked he, almost guessing right and reading my mind.
"I'd love to do it, Berik, just to forget completely that I was once more about to lose you".
"Thanks, Gloria. Because then, we can think in food later".
"Oh, honey...!" -The unstoppable swarm of emotions finally made me throw myself to my Raptor, kissing passionately his lips and caressing his face; well, not all of them had escaped to my control, because in that case Berik and I would've been making love right there ignoring every possible predators.
My beloved, who didn't expect something like that, understood better how much I needed him, and stayed there in some kind of happy shock, almost wanting more of them.
"Maybe... Only in this moment I really know how much you love me, my woman".
"I'm glad that it made you realize, then. More kisses in that Center?"
"Yes, let's go now".

12.07 PM:
"You liked it, didn't you, Berik? -I asked, albeit knowing already what his answer would be; meanwhile I had started to dress again. -Because maybe we'll have to wait some months, before enjoying this again".
"Yes, my woman. For it seems that your species knows what to do, when they want to feel well making love".
"You're right -I laughed a little. -Like a simple animal, we humans can do anything to increase our pleasure and make our bed mates feel the same".
"Well... Now you, are right. -answered the Raptor nuzzling me tenderly. -I felt there all the things you mentioned".
Without needing more to know that we belonged to one another, Berik and I left the Center. In my case, of course, very hungry; but I didn't care. Right before making love, my Raptor had said that he would hunt something.
"You just stay in our cave, my woman, doing anything you want".
"I'll be there, my love, don't worry". -In my answer, once more, was the agreement by which if he said "Do this" I did it and if I said "Do that" he did that.

12.41 PM:
"Take care of yourself, sweetheart -I said to Berik when he was getting out to hunt. -Or maybe... Don't do it, so I can save you again, because for me it will be a pleasure".
"I'm sure, my love; but this time I'll be fine".
Trusting him I turned smiling to enter our cave... Our home, to brush a little my long hair. It had grown four centimeters in two days, reaching my waist. Just a month ago, in Virginia, many different things would've forced me to cut it, but being in this island and with Berik by my side, I wanted to let it grow much more.
"All I need today is to wash it in that waterfall near the Air-Claws Cliff. So after my beloved and I have had finished our meal we'll go there".

Berik followed the short sand path; his favorite preys were the Gallimimus', but if he could find a young Triceratops not very protected, it was okay.
"I better hunt soon something for my woman and me..." -Said to himself the Raptor. Near the group of trees where Gloria had seen the Carnotaurus, a T-Rex was apparently after a Pack of Runners... Good for him: the most prized prey in that island. But he had to be careful.
"Now Legs-Jaws makes them turn left... To the Night -his word for West. -So they're walking away from the lagoon... And I'm thirsty; but even then, much better to get the food when it's so close".
He kept following them ten steps behind the T-Rex, but in his own imaginary line. They went on by the north of the forest; but maybe their first plan was to go among the trees to make the Tyrannosaurus stop chasing them.
"Near our cave -smiled the Raptor in his own way. -Maybe it'll be a lucky day, after all, for my woman and me".
Focusing on his hunt though still remembering the moments enjoyed with her less than an hour ago, Berik approached to the chosen Runner. The rest was relatively easy; he found himself strong and quick enough to run and pounce on his prey. Not very far from this, the T-Rex was having one of the few fails... Maybe Legs-Jaws wouldn't eat today.
Berik instead did that, having enough to fill his stomach, then using his fangs and hands he cut part of a leg for Gloria... Just in time. A Carnotaurus had seen all the action and was approaching to the 'crime scene'. Let that Skin and the Tyrannosaurus fight over the remains of that Gallimimus when she gets there to reclaim them.

1.08 PM:
"Half leg of the Runner for you, my woman" -Said the Raptor after entering the cave; I took it.
"Thanks, Berik, you're wonderful!"
"It wasn't too hard to catch. And I did it before Skin and Legs-Jaws could get there -a battle of roars was heard right then. -There they are precisely, having an argument about who eats first".
"A T-Rex and a Carnotaurus... But they didn't see you, right, Berik?"
"Only Skin, when I was already coming here with your food".
I rewarded him with kisses on his mouth and face. -"Thanks again, my love... For the leg and for having taken care of yourself".
"You're welcome, my woman. Now eat what you need and then we'll rest again for a while".
"Sounds good. But after having my meal I want to be with you in that part of the Air-Claws Cliff where the waterfall is so nice, to wash my hair".
Having said that I started to eat cutting little pieces of the meat with my knife. This time I was so hungry that I didn't care if it was raw or -of course in this case- Berik had brought it in his mouth all the way here.
After eating very slowly all I needed -and it tasted strangely more salty-, we got out of our cave with the same kind of calm. Time had lost for me all its meaning and importance more than ten days ago. As for my friends in Virginia, they surely were considering me dead. But not even this could bother me now, having Berik by my side and his children growing inside me; waiting for the day when they would see the face of their mother, just like the Sun after a long but peaceful night.

1.52 PM:
"Maybe it's strange, my woman, but I like your hair covering you when it's wet".
"No, I think you're right -I smiled looking at him. -Like my hair being part of my skin".
Without any clothes and right under the fresh water, I was feeling like it was a perfect day in spite of what had happened that morning.
"Blessed water, now that the days are getting hotter. And it gives me a good idea. Tomorrow I can spend naked the whole day, going with you to hunt and doing all we normally do".
"Then don't ask me, my love. Just do it and I'll be happy".
I hugged him, still under the falling water, so that both could enjoy the moment.
"Well, given the situation, it's an order which I will love to obey".
Maybe the last step on my way to a primitive state would be given the next day... And I was fine about it. Having my hair already so long and my skin starting to get darker, anyone could mistake me for a native of that island.
On the way back to our cave we heard a helicopter coming from the north and ran to hide under a group of trees, but fortunately it went on to the other side of Nublar. Much better, for my part, because after so many weeks living in this island, a T-Rex didn't scare me as much as my own kind.
"I hope that they don't stay for too long, when they land with their horrible helicopter".
"I think the same, more or less, but at least they won't see us. Come on, let's return to our cave".
As you surely guessed already, Berik said and we did. Ten minutes later, both enjoyed another reading session with Dinotopia. And we dedicated the rest of that day to spend it peacefully, knowing that no one would search there for any living being.

Berik and I got ready to sleep; outside, the roars of some big Dinosaur could be heard under a heavy rain which however wasn't going to last very much. And anyway I was so used to every noise and weather of 'my island', that not even a T-Rex dancing at the entrance of our cave would disturb my sleep. Soon we cuddled a little closer, starting to share and enjoy our slumber.