Chapter Eight
Stranded
Part One
Groaning, Udesky rolled onto his back and blinked rapidly against the glare of the sunlight streaming through the canopy of the trees. Trees? I should be seeing the sky. A sharp pain riveted up his leg and like cold water to the face he recalled the accident. I wasn't supposed to be here, he whined to himself. If Jonas hadn't "gotten sick"…damn it! I'm only the booking agent!
Something shifted against his side and Udesky yelped, shoving it away. He peered down at what touched him, relieved that it wasn't a snake or baby dinosaur, but the kid Dr. Grant had let tag along. Benny? Billy? Bobby?
"Everyone ok," Nash's voice called out from the cockpit.
A round of moaned 'yeses' answered him.
Grant clawed at an armrest, struggling to sit up. He glanced around him, locating everyone and assessing their injuries. He was pissed, but the instinct to keep them all alive was stronger. "Check the radio," he ordered Nash.
The bulky African American nodded, his fingers trembling as he examined the damage. "Nope, it's busted beyond repair."
Udesky, his small body rushing forward, yelled, "No! There must be a way!"
Amanda stared nervously at Paul, mumbling under her breath, "Eric. Why have to find Eric."
Grant looked back at her. "What?"
Paul shook his head, sighing. "Eric. He's our son. It's why we're here."
Billy glanced between Paul and Grant, waiting for the inevitable confrontation.
Grant clenched his teeth, his jaw tightening. This is unbelievable. "Mr. Kirby, you better explain yourself."
"Oh shit," Nash cried from the torn cockpit. He yanked off his seatbelt and scurried toward the others. "There's a…there's a…a…" he pointed toward the shattered windshield that overlooked the trunk of a vast tree. "Something!"
They all flashed their eyes out the surrounding windows. A split second later, the jet teetered, threatening the branches to collapse. A roar pierced their ears and Grant squeezed his eyes shut. Oh Ellie, why didn't I listen to you, he scolded himself as the dinosaur smacked into the plane again, this time sending the large scrap metal dangling dangerously over the edge.
Amanda screamed just as their attacker shoved one more time, causing the plane to plummet towards earth. Everyone grabbed onto the seats, struggling to keep from crashing into the tail end of the jet. The airplane smashed into the ground, the backend crumbling like paper before collapsing onto its side. At some point Grant managed to think, At least we're out of the tree, and he couldn't help but remember rescuing Timmy from the car eight years ago.
The dinosaur came sprinting towards them, its claws tearing into the side and rolling them, trying to scare them out. Then, abruptly, it stopped. Grant crawled to his feet and peered out of the torn section. Paul began ushering everyone out, screaming, "He's left! Let's go!"
"No," Grant barked. "He wouldn't just give up. Not so quickly. Unless something spooked him, which means we've got bigger problems."
"Well we can't just stay here!"
Grant looked around him at all the frightened faces. Mr. Kirby – as much as he hated to admit it – was partially right. They couldn't just stay in the broken plane waiting for some dinosaur to devour them. Yet, the last thing Grant wanted to do was run off into the jungle…towards hungry predators…towards raptors.
"I love you, Ellie," he murmured breathlessly under his breath before leading everyone out of their minimal protection and into the dense forest.
Part Two
Swiping the living room rug, Ellie froze and glanced back at her wedding picture perched between their children's pictures. She was dressed in a simple, elegant white dress and a bright smile. Alan was in a black suit – he'd refused to wear a tuxedo – looking sharp and handsome: a charming grin just managing to reach his eyes.
Ellie ignored the vacuum and gently picked up the picture, gazing at it longingly. "I love you, Alan," she whispered, tracing the outline of his face with the tip of her finger. "Please, come back to me."
"Mommy," Charlie asked, stepping into the room with a sippy cup clasped in his chubby hands. "Who you talking to?"
Ellie, with quivering hands, replaced the picture. "No one, sweetie. Do you want some mac-and-cheese?" As she followed their son out of the room, she glanced back at the photo one more time, a sense of dread filling the pit of her stomach.
End Chapter Eight
Evilen: It just bothered me that Alan and Ellie weren't together in the third movie. I understand why they weren't, but it still pissed me off. So, I had to fix it.
Autumn Darkness: Thanks for the support! Now, when's your sequel-like story coming out? Are you working on it, yet?
Piper Of Locksley: Thanks!