It had been several months since Zara was battered by the crazy man. She was healing, mentally and physically, as were the others, who were still living with her. They all showed signs of PTSD, something Zara knew all too much about. Her experience allowed her to better help them, though. There was something off about the man's silence, though. Why had he taken so long to come for them? Was he dead? Was it actually over? Zara didn't want to assume anything. Part of her just wanted to get it over with; the waiting was painful for everyone. She tried to remain positive for everyone, but they all knew that the man would come back. It was all a matter of waiting, now...
2 A.M., exactly 7 months after the last attack, and Zara had a very bad feeling in her gut. She just knew something would happen, she'd had the feeling of being watched all evening. As she got everyone settled for bed, she promised herself that she'd stay awake and guard them. She walked all over the house, repeatedly checking every window and door, making sure they were locked. She often peered out windows, thinking she saw someone in the shadows, but she was never sure. She had put everyone in the guest bedroom, because it had no windows, she dubbed it the safest option. Zia had seemed especially uneasy, and Zara had had to rock her to sleep. She had become especially close with the young paleoveterinarian during this nightmare. Claire had clung to Owen, and Karen kept her boys close. Vivian had stayed with Karen and the boys. It was clear that Zara wasn't the only one who felt that something was wrong.
Zara made her way downstairs to once again check the front door. She looked up from the ground after she was safely off the stairs, and she was greeted with a face pressed against the window. A face she knew, smiling that unnaturally wide smile. Zara let out a blood curdling scream, before fainting from sheer terror.
The assistant woke up, feeling sore and cold. She wondered where she was, or if she had even seen the face at all. Had she had a nightmare? A flashback, perhaps?
She certainly wasn't in the livingroom anymore; the substance underneath her wasn't hard wood floor. Maybe Owen had carried her upstairs? Her scream probably woke everyone up. If she had even screamed at all, she wasn't really sure.
"Owen..." Zara squeaked, feeling kind of drunk.
"Yes Zara?" came the deep-voiced reply. But... that was NOT Owen...
Zara's eyes shot open, and there he was... the crazy man. He loomed over her as she lay there on the torture bed. Her gaze immediately shot to the stretcher, but there was no one there. Now Zara knew, the man was planning to kill her. Zara sat up, raging with fear; her survival instincts were all she had now. She kicked at the man,missing but making him jump back enough for her to stand up.
"You're dead..." she said, punching him in the face. The man laughed, and said, "I believe you're the dead one here, Zara."
He then grabbed the assistant by her throat, his strong grip making her struggle for air. Zara knew she was going to die, but there was but one thought in her mind...
"Who will protect the others if I'm dead?"
As the man now held her throat with both hands, Zara felt her lungs begin to burn. Her vision slowly was going dark, her body becoming weak. This was it. It was over.
Zara was about to pass out, when she saw through her blurry vision, someone grab the man from behind, and jam a knife into his neck. He let go of Zara, causing her to fall to her knees and gasp for air. The man collapsed in front of her, blood pouring from the wound in his neck. Zara was then pulled to her feet and hugged so tightly she almost couldn't breathe again. Her rescuer was crying into her shoulder as she held her; she knew that cry...
"Zia..." Zara gasped as she returned the embrace.
"Yes... yes it's me.." Zia replied between sobs. Zara was crying too, mostly of relief. She had saved Zia, and then Zia saved her. Lord, she loved her so much.
Just then the others rushed in, and Zara was bombarded with hugs and questions about her and Zia's wellbeing.
Zia was sobbing intensely now, overwhelmed with traumatic memories from being back in the laboratory. Zara lifted her into her arms, holding her close and she walked into the other room. She was in search of that poor sick pteranodon. There it was, still caged in the furthest corner of the room. She took the cage from the hook, holding it away from herself and Zia to avoid being bitten. She was going to release the poor animal, hopefully allowing it to lead a normal life, as her and the others now could. As Zara left the laboratory for one last time, she glanced down at the dead man on the floor; his face was still frozen in the unnatural smile.
Outside the lab, Zara opened the cage of the pteranodon, and the poor creature gave her a look of gratefulness, before flying out of it's cruel home. The group watched it disappear into the beautiful isla Nublar sunset, before making their way home, for the first time, without fear.
