Washed Away

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I almost forgot. No mine.

SJ groaned and opened her eyes, wincing as the bright sun caused them to sting and tear. She sat up slowly, her entire body rebelling at the motion. What had happened? Then it all came rushing back. She and Kat and their fathers, out on the ocean for an afternoon of fun... The storm that had come up and washed her overboard. And Kat and...

She tried to scramble to her feet, but could only manage a slow stagger. She was alone on the stretch of beach. On one side the ocean reached on for as far as she could see. In the other direction plains, the horizon broken only by a small, dark lump. It looked as though she had washed ashore at an outlet, where a river met the ocean. With a sigh she started to follow the river inwards. It was bound to lead to somebody, unless she had washed ashore some where in the amazon or something. And if she was there it really didn't matter, because the chances of anyone finding her were basically zero.

A splash from the direction of the water caused her to look over. Leaping out of the water was a dolphin. It disappeared beneath a wave as another one surfaced, and SJ froze as other memories came tumbling back.

Sinking beneath the water...

Choking and burning as the salty fluid ran into her lungs...

Thrashing in desperation, totally on instinct, even as a small part of her mind screamed that it was the wrong thing to do...

Sinking... beneath the water into darkness, then rising again...

Gray shapes swirling around her, pointed dorsal fins illuminated in the brief flashes of lightning...

Huge smiles... Rows of teeth...

And the darkness again...

"You saved me, didn't you?"

One of them swam into the shallow water and squeaked at her. She waded out until there were eye to eye.

"Did you save anyone else, another girl? Long red hair? Well, I guess you probably couldn't tell what color the hair was, but was there anyone else? What about a man? Two men? Did you bring them to shore too?" The dolphin looked at her calmly, but didn't move, didn't make a sound.

"Well, did you?!" SJ cried in frustration. Then she hit the water in her anger. "Why I am asking you? You can't even understand me."

"Actually, "A voice from behind her interrupted, "You would be surprised."

SJ jumped and spun around. A boy was standing not twenty feet from her. He alone would have been odd enough, dressed as he was, but it was his companions that captured and held SJ's attention.

"Dreaming, I've got to be dreaming. Okay, SJ, time to wake. "She blinked a couple of times, but they didn't disappear. They were still there, towering above the young man on either side. In disbelief the blonde promptly pinched her arm, wincing at the stinging pain and causing the creatures to break into hoots of laughter.

"They always do that."

"Why are humans so silly?"

"All newcomers are like that!"

The boy shook his head, causing his white-blonde hair to shift from side to side. "Don't mind them. They're dreadful teases."

"Where am I?" SJ demanded slowly.

He grinned. "I've gone and forgotten my manners, haven't I? Welcome, to Dinotopia."

"Dinotopia..." She repeated hesitantly. "So I'm not... dreaming? They really are... real?"

"Am I real?" One of them hooted suddenly. "Of course I am. He's the one that not real!"

"He's lying. I'm the real one. "The other pointed accusing. "He's the fake!"

The one on the right jerked in surprise, jaw dropping in mock shock. "Am not!"

"You are too!" The one on the left responded indignantly.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

The man chuckled and walked away from the pair, who continued on arguing without even realizing that he had moved. "Like I said, they love to tease."

"What are they?"

"Sandstone and Redcliff? They're Anatosaurus, members of the Hadrosaur family."

"Hadrosaur... duck bill..." SJ said quietly, looking up at the creatures towering twenty feet over her head.

"Yah, they still have a lot of growing to do."

"Growing..." SJ repeated weakly. "Yah... right."

"So... are you ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"Sauropolis."

"Saur-where?

He laughed. "Sauropolis. It's the capital of Dinotopia. It's just a way up the bay here."

He began to walk away when something occurred to SJ. "Wait! You said.. you said that they understand more than I might think? Did they understand me? Can you understand them? Can you ask them?"

He hesitated. "Ask them about what?"

"About my father. About my friend. About her father. They couldn't have.. they wouldn't have just brought me... would they..?"

A deep sadness filled his voice. "I don't know. What happened?"

"We were on a boat, we were supposed to be having fun. A storm came and..." her voice broke.

A gentle hand came to rest on her shoulder, and she found herself looking into his eyes. They were an odd mixture of blue, gray, and silver, very pale, and very still. "I'm sorry. But if you are the only one here.... Then I would say that it is likely that you are the only one to have survived."

The grief was instant and intense. SJ jerked away, turning so that she was looking back out to the ocean again. The was water was calm, and anger filled her. How could it have the nerve to take her friends and her family from her, and then look like this! It wasn't fair.

He left her alone to her grief. Any words of comfort would have been empty, any action done more harm than good. This was something that she was going to have to work out for herself, and he could only help as she would let him, and right now he could sense that she wanted no help from him. Finally she turned her back on the ocean, her anger spent, leaving only sadness.

"I'm ready to go." she whispered, setting off along the beach.

"You might reach the city around tomorrow at that rate."

She in pain, SJ turned on him, releasing some of her grief. "Oh yah? Well then how do you propose that we get there, Mr. Smarty?

He motioned in the direction of the still arguing dinos. "Sandstone and Redcliff will give us lift."

With a sigh SJ walked over to one of the Anatosaurus. Redcliff, she guessed, to judging from his coloration. Upon closer inspection she realized that he was wearing a harness with a light saddle designed like a chair situated upon his back. Without missing a beat the dinosaur lowered his upper body, allowing her to mount with a minimal effort. As he rose she looked over and was surprised to see the boy easily balancing bareback

"One more question."

"Ask away."

"What's your name?"

He laughed. "By the first egg, I am making a mess of this! Verel. It's Verel."

SJ nodded and rolled the name of her tongue. "Verel... Verel. I'm SJ."

Verel opened his mouth to add something else when he was abruptly cut off.

"I'm Sandstone."

"My name is Redcliff. A much better name than his."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not!"

Both of the humans looked at each other, then burst into laughter as the dinosaurs began a new argument, once more completely oblivious to their riders.

(A/N) Well SJ, are you happy now? You can stop griping, at least for a little while, no? To everyone else, R&R!

To Hawaiianshirtguy (did I spell that right?)- Here's your answer. I have a bad habit of not making myself clear sometimes, but I didn't want to tell you who it was off the bat either. It'll make sense later on.