Chapter 3: Jaws of a Predator
Reaching down to her belt, Ellie carefully dons on the headset and calls out to John that she made it inside the shed. She reaches over to her other belt pouch for the flashlight, switching it on to illuminate the darkened path ahead. The stairs led down to a concrete landing with several pipes hanging above, metal railings crossing to the left and right which trailed out into the hallway. She found herself thankful for the flashlight as navigating through this building would be hell for the amount of times she would bump into the random pipes scattering about.
"Ahead of you is a metal staircase. Go down it."
Way ahead of you John.
Ellie entered a corridor only to be greeted with more dark, cramp hallways and piping. A sense of unease took over as the prominent darkness of the shed loomed over her like a thick layer of fog. If the raptors don't get her first, Ellie's frayed mind might succumb to her new claustrophobia and nyctophobia.
Come on Ellie keep it together.
John's voice rang again in Ellie's ear, snapping her out of her thoughts as she redirects her focus in search of the breaker box.
"After 20 to 30 feet, you'll come to a T-Junction, make a left."
"But just have her follow-" Ian tried to interject with a suggestion only for John to cut him off to avoid confusing Ellie.
"Look I know how to read a schematic!"
Ellie turns left as told, trying to hold in a chuckle upon hearing John and Ian arguing over the voice com in the walkie talkie. She approaches an alcove that veers into another passageway to the left. The corner of this hallway felt unassuming and little importance with the only feature being a service ladder that is label "Air Duct Maintenance." Ignoring the ladder, Ellie turns left into the alcove, stopping in her tracks at the dead end before her.
"Damnit. Dead end."
Nice going John.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait minute." John frantically cried out through the radio, noises of shuffling paper and mumbling piercing into Ellie's headset. "It may have been a right turn actually somewhere-"
John's voice suddenly cuts off and Ian's voice spoke out into Ellie's ears.
"Look above you." Ian ordered.
Ellie peers up to the ceiling finding several pipes and cables intersecting each other in various directions. One set of cables and pipes piqued her interest. The set of piping appear thicker and vastly reinforced compared to the other piping in the ceiling. Ian confirmed her of their significance with what follow.
"There should be a large amount of piping and cables above. Why don't you follow that?"
"Okay following the piping." Ellie replied.
Ellie follows the suggested route. After passing the exit she enters another corridor of steel and pipes. Concern for Arnold's whereabouts continue to mount the further Ellie ventured deeper into the shed. No sign or trace of him, she even wondered if he even made it inside. But it wouldn't make sense either considering she found his keys by the entrance. Her questions put on hold, Ellie focuses on the task on ahead.
Please be safe Mr. Arnold.
The corridor led Ellie onto a metal catwalk with railings on each side and a few sets of stairs along the way that lead to different sections of the shed. None of the stairs are relevant as the piping Ian suggested continued straight along the catwalk. Steeling her courage, Ellie steps onto the catwalk as the daunting darkness ahead continues its attempts to rattler her.
The stale air suddenly shifted into an unpleasant smell the further Ellie continued down the catwalk. The aroma tainted with the stench of chemicals and something rotten, decaying. Ellie held back a gag as the foul odor slowly intensified with each step she took. Not wanting to know the cause of the stench, Ellie sped down the catwalk with stride. She reaches the end of the catwalk that led to a few steps down into a small room where the smell prior faded away. Ellie inhales a few gulps of stale air before taking the steps into the dark room.
The narrow room she entered is shrouded in darkness with Ellie's flashlight barely making out the features. One positive thing Ellie found is the cables she followed earlier stop in this room. Focusing her torch toward the center of the room, Ellie notices a mesh gate leading deeper into the room where the overhead cables intersect with other similar large cables that run throughout the shed. A closer look past the gate, Ellie spots a large box labeled with various high voltage signs and caution handling notices. This must be breaker box.
"I see the box." Ellie said to John into her headset.
She quickens her pace and pushes through the mesh gate for a closer inspection of the circuit box. The box is a large energy panel with various labels scattered about and several of the overhead cables attached to the top of the panel, the size of the machinery alone is almost the size of Ellie and two other people. Given the size of the park, it shouldn't be a surprise for something that supplies power to an entire island being massive. Carefully reaching for the panel's handle, Ellie swings open the panel door. A small sign escapes her lips from the sheer complexity of the interior of the circuit box. Several levers and switches liter along the front section of the strange machine. To the left is lined with many labeled switches that Ellie couldn't make of even with the aid of her flashlight.
Switching on a kitchen light, more like rocket science John.
"Alright John, the panel is open, now what?" Ellie asked.
"Now, you can't restart the power at hand. You have to pump the primer handle in order to get a charge. The handle is large, flay, and gray."
Simple enough.
The description of this primer handle John mentioned didn't help given most of the circuit box is vaguely described like the primer as large, flay, and gray. Fiddling around the surface of the panel, Ellie spots a gray lever with a small tag above labeled Primer Handle. A small smirk forms on Ellie's lips, silently thanking whoever place said label to lower the complexity of the circuit box.
Ellie sets down the flashlight to free her hands for the next task, priming the handle.
"Alright, here I go." Ellie said into the headset, lifting up the primer lever, trying to at least.
The stubborn handle didn't budge on Ellie's first attempt. A few light nudges were futile as the lever remained content in its current position. Bracing herself, Ellie places both her hands onto the primer and squats a bit before rising up with more force. The handle finally releases and Ellie continues the action several times until the circuit box emitted a small click, indicating it was charged and ready to go.
"Okay charged."
"Around the contact position there's a round green button, it says push to close. Push it." John instructed.
Ellie scans around the panel before spotting the green button she's instructed to push. Holding her breath, Ellie sinks her finger into the button, a loud crack sputtering from the machine. The sound almost makes Ellie jump but she quickly calms down with realization of no immediate danger. Ellie glances back towards the machine to find some new changes to the panel. The switches that lined on the left side were now partially illuminating a faint yellow glow. Their labels now visible with each label marked with various names from what Ellie could guess are locations and systems throughout the island.
"John, I'm seeing some labeled switches lighting up." Ellie said into her headset.
"The red buttons, turn on the individual park systems. Switch them all on."
Without hesitation, Ellie reaches for the first labeled switch on top. Some kind of plastic cap or shell is covering the switch she needed to flip on. With a quick flick, the plastic covering opens up and Ellie presses down the button of the first labeled switch. The labeling on the switch suddenly beams red with the words "Herbivore Feeding Compound" lighting up. With that Ellie started her way down the column of switches, flipping and pressing all switches she could find along the column. She reaches the final switch marked "Perimeter Fence" on the bottom before a resonating click bellowed from the machine. Another buzz emitted from the circuit box followed with several clicking noises echoing throughout the shed.
Ellie turns around towards the end of the hallway to find the cause of the clicking noises. To her delight the clicking is the building's overheard lights switching on. The lights continue to rapidly flick on towards her direction before slowing down in front of the circuit box. The once dark hallway is now illuminated with electrical lights. The power is restored and Ellie couldn't help but clasp her hands in joy.
"Mr. Hammond I think we're back in business!" Ellie cries out jovially.
A hiss of warm air brushes against the back of Ellie's neck. Ellie didn't notice at first until another wave of air expels from the circuit box. Then a third, followed by something completely different, growling.
Joy quickly turns to utter horror as Ellie rapidly spins around to confront the noise, and catches glimpse of something scaly peeking out of the cluster of pipes and cables. In a flash the snout of a large animal breaks out of the cables. The large head of a Velociraptor emerges from the metal structure like a grotesque jack-in-a-box. Ellie screams, screams out pure terror that she couldn't imagine she's capable of.
Seeing the features of a raptor up close and in person is by far the most surreal and horrifying thing Ellie has ever witness. Its powerful limbs, claws, and rows of deadly teeth really make the raptor a true predator of a time long ago. And now it's here, ready to sink its teeth into a helpless human.
Ellie stumbles backwards from the raptor's assault, scrambling into the mesh gate behind as the raptor attempts to swipe at her with its deadly claws. Just when the raptor would strike Ellie it gets caught in the various cables and pipes. Relief didn't last as the monster thrashes violently around and prying off the cables entangling its limbs.
Run! Get out!
Ellie darts past the mesh gate. Her eyes widen in horror as the raptor frees itself and lunges towards her with claws and talons out for the kill. Ellie closes the gate in time for the raptor to collide into the mesh with thunderous impact, sending her tumbling onto the floor from the overwhelming force. The gate doesn't lock into place as Ellie, petrified in fear, watches the monstrous predator latch onto the swinging gate. With its claws and talons trapped on the gate, the raptor uses its momentum to swing the gate forward towards the terrified Paleobotonist. Ellie didn't have time to get up. She quickly lifts her legs and kicks the gate back with all her might, locking the mesh gate and raptor inside the room containing the circuit box.
The raptor roars out of frustration, struggling to free its claws from the mesh gate. It relentlessly shakes and scratches at the gate in an attempt to break free its limbs with little success. Not wasting this opportunity, Ellie scrambles back to her feet and distances herself away from the room before hitting her back against the opposite side of the hall where the raptor is stuck.
Ellie remains focused on the trapped raptor, praying the gate will hold up. Her heart rate is alarmingly high and her breath is coming out in panicked gasps every second. It took a great deal of willpower to calm herself but it did little to relax her tensed limbs. However the shock from the raptor's ambush left Ellie too frighten to notice the guest beside her.
In her terrified trance, something fumbles onto Ellie's shoulder, almost sending her jumping towards the heavens. A glance over to the surprise object reveals it being someone's hand grasping onto her shoulder. Relief flooded in when Ellie notices the familiar tone of skin and watch around the wrist.
Oh, Mr. Arnold.
She turns around to greet the engineer, many questions at the ready and pent up anger for his sudden appearance.
No one was there.
Ellie is left baffled looking to the empty space. How was Ray Arnold still clinging onto her shoulder? She quickly looks over to her shoulder for the owner's hand, a familiar decaying odor attacking Ellie's nose and a horrible realization fell onto the women's horrified gaze.
The hand clinging onto her shoulder was nothing but an arm. Ray Arnold's dismembered arm. The urge to scream and vomit simultaneously left Ellie too mortified to make words. Ellie quickly tosses Arnold's arm off her shoulder with shaky hands in a failed attempt to rid the memory of the gory sight. The smell of blood intensified with each inhale Ellie took. The dry heaves escaping her lips left Ellie shuttering and sick to the stomach with no means of respite from all that's happened. The sick feeling of all she has witnessed finally reached a breaking point at the mess before her.
Arnold's remains tucked away beside a wall and several power cables.
Most of his body remains hidden in the cables' shadow. But several bits of what remains of Ray tumbled onto the ground. Ellie cried out in horror upon seeing the scraps of flesh and clothing that shine in the lighting from the overhead lights. Pools of blood formed around the eviscerated remains of the engineer follow by an odor beyond any foul stench Ellie has ever known. The smell, revolting and repulsive, now embedded into Ellie's mind. Never had she wanted a memory forgotten.
He's dead! Oh god he's dead!
A trembling Ellie stumbles away from the brutal sight, unaware she's backpedaling towards the mesh gate holding back the raptor. The prehistoric hunter freed its claws from the metal prison and lunges at Ellie again, slamming its nose into the closed gate. The force sends Ellie onto the ground with the wind knocked out of her lungs. The raptor lets out an ungodly shriek like a battle cry of a savage warrior, tearing at the mesh prison with all its might. The scream broke Ellie out of her terrified stupor and she quickly scrambles to her feet to flee.
Pain shot through Ellie's left ankle like an intense burn, forcing her to collapse onto the ground clutching her leg. A sprain Ellie guesses, happened during her fall thanks to the raptor. Ignoring the pain Ellie whips her head back towards the raptor and watches in terror as the raptor starts ripping open the mesh gate with its claws and teeth.
Run!
Fear, adrenaline, whatever it be, brought Ellie back to her feet as she starts running, limping away from the vicious raptor. The headset she had on earlier falls off and entangles around her right leg like a constricting snake but she simply ignores it, too terrified to stop and fix it. The flashlight she used now drags behind by its cord like a weight trying to slow Ellie down, that too simply an afterthought. The paleobotonist in short can't think about anything else but escape.
She sprints up the steps of the catwalk, taking great lunges across the metal passageway in an attempt to further the gap between herself and the pursuing hunter. The raptor launches itself onto the catwalk with claws and teeth at the ready to rend prey, the intent of closing in on its prey for the kill. The metal path is foreign for the prehistoric creature but it manages to make its way towards Ellie in large strides. The continuous shrieks from the raptor reverberates onto the catwalk that it almost makes Ellie stumble from fear, but she remains standing and makes a dash towards the T-junction connecting the dead end and exit of the shed.
Ellie turns sharply around the corner and approaches the stairs leading to the exit. Relief and agony washes over her with each step she took towards the stairs. Just when she was about to reach the steps, a sudden force yanks Ellie backwards onto the concrete floor with a dull thud. Clearing the daze from her mind, Ellie finds the culprit for her ill timed spill, the cord of her flashlight getting snagged around the corner she turned not long ago. Her vision quickly refocuses upon seeing the raptor struggling to cross the catwalk due to its talons getting caught in the metal grating of the walkway. But the distance is definitely too close for comfort.
Ellie detaches the flashlight off her belt and sprints up the stairs for the exit, desperate to escape and leave this place behind for good. She flies up the steps towards the exit as fast as her legs would let her without as much glancing back at her pursuer. The door is within reach. Ellie lunges forward for the handle and presses down on it for the humid environment outside that is her escape.
The door is locked.
She tries the handle a second time hoping it was a trick but like before the door refuses to open. The door is locked.
Oh God nonono!
Ellie forces down the handle again and rams her weight against the sturdy door but to no avail the obstacle doesn't budge. Ellie's trapped inside with a raptor. She quickly casts down her sight on the handle for the cause of the sudden lock in, and to her dismay the sight of a dull, red light answered her question.
A security pad of some sort above the handle emitted a strange light near the lock of the exit and it dawn to Ellie that she just restored power to the park. Some security systems are back online, including some locks. Text appeared on the keypad reading "Maintenance key required" at which Ellie's troubles continue to mount when the raptor rounds the corner at the bottom of the stairs. She didn't have a keycard or anything to lift the lock, that's until she remembers the key ring she found. Ellie quickly fumbles into one of her belt pouches for Arnold's key ring she picked up earlier and frantically flips through the set of keys, ramming each one into the handle's lock. The raptor finds itself at the bottom of the stairs, slowly making its way up as Ellie continued trying every key in hopes one fits. She swore she heard the raptor laughing, taunting her as she's trapped within the confines of the shed; her exit right in front of her and she can't escape.
It was at that point Ellie couldn't help but sob, tears on the verge of pouring out as she desperately tries another key to fit in the lock. The last key fits but refuses to turn. Ellie tries a second time only for her shaky hands to lose control of the keys. The ring of keys slip out of Ellie's trembling fingers and falls down the set of stairs into the corridor below with a dull clank, past the raptor awaiting halfway up the set of stairs. The hunter sneers menacingly, displaying its teeth and front claws, its weapons and tools to shred its prey to certain death. The raptor springs towards Ellie with claws out.
A/N: A twist! Yep, things get different from here on out. New chapter will be released later this month. That said take care all! - Poshil