Although the periodic visits from Zia and Franklin filled me with joy, there was always a feeling of envy that overcame me whenever they entered the room (on top of the usual bloodlust, I'm sorry to say). Most of the time, they'd be smiling, laughing, holding cold drinks and combing wet hair that smelled of chlorine . . . to them, this was a vacation. They didn't even seem to mind that they weren't human. They didn't have a care in the world, whereas I had lost Owen, Maisie, and . . . well, pretty much everything.

Zia, in particular, was off-puttingly gleeful. There wasn't anything wrong with that, I suppose, but she didn't seem to grasp the seriousness of my situation. When I admitted to her that I had murderous impulses, she replied with, "That's okay. Sometimes, I wanna kill you, too," and she laughed and laughed like it was some kind of joke. Franklin seemed more concerned about this revelation. I never thought he'd be afraid of me, but then again, he's afraid of everything. Still, there's something deeply unsettling about seeing your own monstrosity reflected in the eyes of your friends. It was a reminder of how far I'd fallen, and for all I knew, this wasn't even rock bottom.

I looked forward to seeing my friends, perhaps even more so than when I first arrived on the island. It broke the monotony of my circumstance, of course, but more so than that, it gave me a break from my obnoxious neighbours. The metallic herbivore had been taken away a few days after his arrival, the crested dinosaur with the soft head still hadn't spoken up, and none of the other hybrids seemed to be interested in me. Well, except for one. Unfortunately, my worst roommate was also the most vocal, and we were constantly getting into shouting matches. Having abandoned all semblance of civility, he was relentless in his petty invectives, and I very quickly came to the conclusion that-

"Eli, you are the biggest butthole I've ever met."

He snorted.

"Wow. Language. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? Or did you try to eat her, too? . . ."

I rolled my eyes and paced back and forth some more.

"Your comments aren't as biting as you think they are."

"Well, you are the expert on biting," he retorted.

I groaned.

"You've been trying to break me with the same rein all morning. Is that really all you have?"

"Well, attempted infanticide far outshines enabling the creation of a monster, in my opinion. What more do I need?"

I scoffed.

"'Attempted infanticide' . . . You're a real piece of work, you know that?"

"Tell me it isn't true, though . . ."

I wheeled around.

"You know what's worse than attempted infanticide? Honest-to-god murder. I have bad genes. What's your excuse?"

"You can't prove anything."

"I know you did it. Moonwatcher told me so."

"Moonwatcher says a lot of things."

"Things that are true."

He burst out laughing, but it was obviously forced.

"Moonwatcher is a joke."

"She's trying to help me."

"Honey, she feeds you fish-heads and scoops your litter box. You're less of a patient and more of an inconvenient pet."

"And what does that make you?"

"Someone who's getting out of here. Unlike you, I'm not a dangerous psychopath."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? It's true. But if you don't believe me, we could always ask your boyfriend . . ."

"Shut up, Eli."

"That's fair. I mean, even if we wanted his opinion, we couldn't get it, could we? Not unless he comes back. But I doubt he will. How long has it been since you last saw him? A week? Maybe more? He's probably forgotten all about you."

"You won't get to me, Eli."

"No, I suppose I won't. I don't have a way with words. You, on the other hand, can convince people to do whatever you want. Fly to a burning island, stow away on a boat, unlock your cage and set you free . . . No, I'm sure he'll be back. But it hurts my heart to think of how disappointed he'll be when he realizes that you really are nothing short of a monster."

That was all it took for me to snap.

"I'll show you a monster!"

I pounced forward and crammed my arm between the bars, clawing at him between furious barks. In the middle of my outburst, the lab doors opened, and Owen stepped inside with Moonwatcher not far behind him. Their timing could not have been worse. I slipped away from the cage wall sheepishly, ignoring Eli's triumphant smirk. Wrapping my tail around my legs, I gazed at Owen expectantly. He nodded ahead.

"Hurry up and let her out. It's past Maisie's bedtime."

(Out? Let me OUT?)

I was terrified and flattered all at once. Owen trusted me. He thought I was ready to be set free. I wasn't so sure myself, but I was willing to try my hardest, just to prove that I was capable of-

But he walked straight past my cage and approached the orange-ey hybrid. I felt my heart sink as Moonwatcher flicked through her ring of keys.

"Well, Iris, today's your lucky day. Maisie's had an accident, and she needs your help."

My eyes went wide.

"Is she okay?!" I blurted out, grabbing the bars of my cage and pressing my snout between them.

Owen didn't look at me when he spoke.

"She came knocking on my door in the middle of the night, scared silly. She thought she was bleeding to death. I'm not equipped to handle this."

It sounded like an accusation. As though it was my fault that I was locked up. I guess it was, in a way.

"How is she? Does she need-"

"Iris will handle it," Owen interrupted coldly.

I was glad to be facing away from Eli, because I wouldn't have been able to resist slapping him across the face, assuming he was wearing that same shit-eating grin, which I'm sure he was. But there was still time to prove him wrong. Not just in the name of besting him, but also because . . . Well, Owen was right about not being ready for this. He shouldn't have to take care of Maisie on his own.

I puffed out my chest.

"Owen, I promise, I'm trying everything I can to get better, and as soon as I have this thing under control-"

"Iris will handle it," he repeated.

Moonwatcher led the orange-ey hybrid, whom I now recognized as Iris, out of her cage. She stepped down delicately, snout turned up with posh indignance.

"Well, it's about time. I told you I didn't mean to bite that man."

"Yeah, alright. We'll show you to Maisie's room," Moonwatcher huffed.

I slithered up to Owen as he passed, but he refused to look at me. When Moonwatcher slowed to a stop beside my cage, I hardly noticed.

"Don't worry, honey. We'll be back. She asked for you, specifically."

I turned away from Owen to gape at her, utterly stunned. She winked- or at least tried to wink. She sort of scrunched up her face and closed both eyes at different times. I nodded, forcing a smile, and watched her leave. When the doors slammed shut, Eli gave a nasty chuckle.

"Well, how about that? Looks like you left more than one broken heart in your wake."

I wasn't angered by his remark, this time.

How could I be, when I had reason to believe that I still had a chance to make things right?

***TSJWFKFEW***

I had a lot to think about that night. It took me a long while to fall asleep, and when I did, my slumber didn't last long. I awoke from troubled dreams to the sound of creaking. When I opened my eyes, I did not see bars in front of me. I lifted my head, quills stiffening. Slowly, the door to my cage moved back into my line of sight, gliding gently on its hinges. The cage was open.

I sat staring at the open door for a good long time before convincing myself that it was real, that I wasn't just dreaming it up. Fighting my initial impulse to make a break for it, I inched towards the exit with trepidation. Should I let someone know that my cage was unlocked? No. If I called someone over, they'd think I was setting another trap. Should I just wait until morning? No, I might not be able to resist the urge to maul whoever showed up to feed me.

Heart pounding, I stared ahead blankly. Slowly, without making a sound, I took a step toward the open doorway. I reached forward and took the door in my paws, pulling it back. For a split second, I reconsidered. But I promptly shook the thought from my head and shut myself in.

The bolt closed with a rather audible clunk, but my attention was drawn to a distant corner of the room, where something was making a rustling sound. When I turned to look, I caught sight of something- or someone- crawling between the cluttered tables. I wasn't the only prisoner to notice this strange occurence. The crested dinosaur lifted its head with confusion, letting out a bleat of recognition. It searched the darkness, but finding nothing, returned to its usual dull stare. I turned back to the tables, but couldn't locate the mysterious intruder. Perhaps they had gone away.

Deciding to go back to sleep, I marched in a circle and curled up with my tail to my snout. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Eli dozing peacefully, thin plumes of exhaust drifting down from his nostrils. For a brief moment, I was reminded of how I had come to trust him in the first place. He always presented himself as a charming ball of humble charisma, but that was of course a front to conceal his malicious nature.

Not that I had room to criticize.

Still, I was hopeful that there was a fundamental difference between him and me. Whereas Eli used the appearance of normalcy to conceal his monstrosity, my own monstrosity was forcefully overlaid on top of my true self, which was fundamentally good . . . I hoped. And I was optimistic that my close calls were just that: close calls. If given the opportunity to murder Owen, I wouldn't do it. I hadn't done it. I was no murderer, and nothing could push me to that point.

Of course, this all went out the window when I replayed the incident in my mind, and remembered how much I wanted it.

I cried myself to sleep.

Again.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Just as Moonwatcher promised, she returned with Owen the next day. I bolted upright, wagging my tail like a puppy, but Owen didn't seem too happy to be there.

"Hello, Claire."

"Hi . . ." I breathed.

"We're going to try something new today."

"Something new?" I echoed hopefully.

Owen nodded, still refusing to meet my gaze.

"Maisie wants to see you."

I beamed.

"Is she here?"

"No. She wants you to come out and visit her."

My smiled disappeared.

"Come out? . . ."

"Yes. We're going to find a way to let you out- temporarily."

Why did he have to say that so pointedly? . . .

"I- I'm not sure if that's a good idea," I stammered.

"Me neither, but Maisie insisted we try."

I shrunk back.

"I don't know if I'm ready."

Moonwatcher pushed Owen aside brashly.

"Luckily for you, Claire, we have the proper tools to make sure that you're prepared for another meltdown. I spent all night reading up on your tragic backstory, and I think I've found a way to stop you from mauling your adoptive clone-child right in the face."

Before I could comment on her insensitive phrasing, she pulled out a paperback book and began skimming the pages.

"Okay, it says here that you're worried about your parents' relationship falling apart."

I batted my eyes.

"What?"

She tapped the page.

"It's an emotional sore spot for you, so here's what we're gonna do: whenever you think of killing someone, just imagine what it'll do to your folks' marriage. Do you really want to be the cause of their divorce, Claire?"

My jaw dropped.

"That's a terrible thing to say! And what kind of book-"

She was already flipping to another page.

"Ah, here we go. Remember how you were so worried about the staff of Jurassic World putting down Pearl? Try to imagine her face on your potential victims."

"This is ludicrous," I muttered.

Moonwatcher shook her head, unimpressed.

"Alright, I didn't want to pull out the big guns, but here we go . . . Remember Justin, Claire? Remember how bad it felt to be responsible for his death?"

My eyes went wide.

"How the fuck did you-"

"Ah-ah-ah. PG-13, Claire."

Owen frowned.

"You've killed someone before, Claire?"

I gasped.

"No! No, I-"

"But you were responsible for his death?"

I shook my head rapidly.

"NO! I mean- I don't . . . I don't know . . ."

Moonwatcher clapped the book shut and did a little dance.

"It's working! It's working!"

I snarled.

"Whatever trick you're trying to pull, stop it right now! You have NO right to use my past against me like that! Where did you get that book? Who's responsible for this?"

She shrugged.

"Tess Sharpe, I guess?"

I growled.

"Well, tell her she has no right to snoop. I don't want some creepy stalker following me around."

Moonwatcher snickered.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!" I barked.

"Nothing . . . nothing," she squeaked between snorts.

"Just tell that pervert woman to leave me alone, okay? I don't want people reading about my life!"

Moonwatcher's eyes darted back and forth.

"I promise, nobody's reading about you right now," she said quietly, lips pursed.

"You'd better hope not."

Moonwatcher sighed.

"Well, I guess reminding her of her tragic past didn't help much."

"I think you mostly just pissed her off," Eli muttered from his cage.

I stomped my foot.

"Shut up, you!"

"Okay, okay!" Moonwatcher interjected, holding up her hands, "I think we need to try a less conventional approach."

She reached behind her back and pulled out a microscope. She placed it on a pizza paddle and slid it into my cage. I looked down at the microscope, then up at her.

". . . Is there . . . something you want me to do with this?"

Moonwatcher raised her eyebrows.

"Maybe. Tell me, how does it make you feel?"

I looked down at it.

"It's a microscope. Am I supposed to recognize it, or . . ."

She pulled it back through the bars.

"Okay, new plan. Owen, hold."

She dropped the microscope in his arms.

"Touch the microscope, Owen," she drawled.

He began patting it slowly, unsure of what she meant.

"No, like, stroke it or something," she instructed him.

Still confused, he ran his hand over the shaft like it was some weirdly-shaped cat. I stared at him, then turned to Moonwatcher.

"I don't get it."

Moonwatcher rolled her eyes and grabbed the device from Owen's hands.

"Wow, you're nothing like the old Claire."

"Old Claire?" I prompted.

"Yeah, she was the Queen of the Universe. Big and green. Emotionally unstable. Recently got axed by her sister. Long story. Anyhoo, I think it's time to try our last resort."

She marched across the room and came back with a big, black briefcase. As she snapped the latches, she called over her shoulder.

"Owen, can you tranq her for me?"

He stepped backwards, blinking with surprise.

"Tranq? As in tranquilize?"

"No, as in felade. What else could 'tranq' mean? Jesus Christ. Get with the program."

He frowned.

"Are you really asking me to shoot her?"

"With tiny syringes, yes. She takes three doses."

She shoved a gun into his arms, and our eyes locked. Owen looked surprisingly nervous.

"I can't do this."

"Sure, you can. Blam, blam, blam, and she's out cold. Piece of cake."

I gulped and forced myself to stop shaking.

"It's okay, Owen."

He looked down at the tranquilizer gun.

"Claire, I'm not going to shoot you."

I laughed nervously.

"Well, it's not like it's a real gun, right? I mean, I was able to use one . . . remember that?"

Moonwatcher laughed.

"That little guy probably died. Speaking of, make sure you don't use more than three darts, Owen, or this might turn into an Old Yeller-type situation."

His hands were shaking.

"Why can't YOU shoot her?"

"Because she's YOUR dog, numbnuts."

"HEY!"

Before Owen could confront her, I reached through the bars.

"Owen, wait! Just listen to her, okay? If this is what needs to be done, we have no other choice. Just do it, okay? . . . For Maisie."

I held his gaze for a long time. He nodded gently, then lifted the gun.

"I'm going to shoot you in the neck, okay?"

My neck tensed up involuntarily.

"Alright," I squeaked, "Just let me know when-"

PEW!

I gasped. My first instinct was to reach up and pull out the needle, but I stopped myself.

"That's one," Owen announced as he reloaded.

I whimpered.

"Alright, just tell me when you're about to-"

PEW!

"AH!"

"Anticipation makes it worse," he stated.

"I think I'm getting drowsy . . ." I gurgled.

"One more, Owen," Moonwatcher reminded him, "This mistake has been made before."

"Asshole," someone muttered from the cage behind me.

Owen lifted the gun for a third shot. I braced myself. When the needle-prick didn't come, I opened my eyes.

"Owen, are you-"

PEW!

The third syringe hit its mark. I jolted, then blinked with surprise.

"I feel a little dizzy, but I don't think it's wor-rrr-rrr-"

I didn't get to finish my thought, because the ground flew up at me and slapped my face. After a bright flash, I found myself floating in gold fog with rainbows sparks. I paddled forward, smiling with contentment as soothing music carried me over a stream of sweet-smelling cactus juice.

I recall the time they found those fossilized mosquitoes, and before long, they were cloning DNA . . .

I laughed merrily as I floated downstream on my back.

Now, I'm being chased by some irate velociraptors, and believe me, this has been one lousy day . . .

"It has, it really has," I mumbled.

As the music continued to play, I noticed someone paddling beside me. Owen and Maisie were sailing in a rainbow canoe.

"Come on, Claire! We're on our way to Delaware!" Owen beamed.

I reached forward with a human hand. Owen's fingers grazed across mine. I smiled, but when we held each other's hands, I gasped with horror.

"What's wrong?" Owen asked through a stiff-looking brachiosaurus face.

"Owen, you're-"

I gazed at my hand, which had become a pitch-black paw. I yanked it away from Owen in panic.

"Claire, where are you going?" he asked.

The canoe drifted down a fork in the river, growing more and more distant.

"Owen, wait!"

The water rushing beneath me wasn't a babbling brook anymore. I had been carried into the rapids.

"Owen, help!" I screamed in panic.

He and Maisie watched me from their canoe, which was fading into the light. I reached out in desperation.

"Come back!"

They disappeared, leaving me in darkness. I struggled against the chaotic waves, which pulled me under with fangs of white foam. I struggled to come up for air, but found myself being sucked down with each attempt. Finally, when I broke through the surface, I noticed a volcano in the distance. The orange light warmed the cold, blue night of my world, but a flash from the titan's mouth made me turn away, shielding my face as the brightness scorched my figure. When I opened my eyes, I saw that not too far downstream, the water seemed to cut off in midair.

Waterfall.

I screamed, calling out for Owen and Maisie, but no help came. I tumbled over the cliff, falling towards a cluster of rocks with the same burning eyes as the ceratopsian skull.

"NO!"

As soon as I hit the horns, I jolted awake. Before I could process my nightmare, I was pushed down forcefully. Owen's hands were on my neck.

"Stop it. Don't try anything."

"Owen? . . ."

I felt something tighten across my windpipe. There was a sharp click.

"Done."

Owen stood, backing away from me. I kept still, panting with fear.

"You can get up now," Moonwatcher chirped.

I slid my paw across the ground, trying to stabilize myself. I noticed that my toes felt heavier than usual. I held up my paw and realized that my claws were tipped with hot pink plastic.

"These will prevent you from causing too much damage- both to your victims AND the hardwood floor, which we just installed in the hotel lobby a few days ago."

I turned my arm over. She had even glued pink nubs to my quills.

"We can't take any chances," she explained, "I'm sure you understand. Right, Claire?"

"Yeah . . ." I replied uncertainly.

As I ran my paw over the back of my frill with bewilderment, I felt a thick band constricting my neck. My quills bristled with unease.

"You won't be able to take it off: don't worry," Moonwatcher singsonged, "We still need to test it out, though. Owen will be in charge of the remote."

"Remote? . . ."

Moonwatcher passed a small device to Owen. It wasn't much more than a black box with a big, red button on it. I cocked my head.

"What's that for?"

"For the collar," Owen said quietly.

Hearing the guilt in his voice, I understood. I made myself small.

"Oh, no . . ."

"Oh, yes!" Moonwatcher babbled confidently, "It seems as though you respond to electricity, so . . ."

'Respond to'? Well, that was one way of putting it. But I wasn't too keen on the heart-stopping pain of being electrocuted, to put it mildly.

"I . . . I don't like this," I stammered.

"Tough tiddies. This is a necessary precaution. You don't want to lose control again, do you?" Moonwatcher stressed.

"No . . ." I admitted.

"Alrightee, then. Owen, zap her."

His eyes widened.

"Hang on, I know how it works. There's no need for-"

She held up her hand to silence him.

"Owen, until we're sure that you have the emotional strength to use the collar when things get nasty, Claire is not leaving this room. This is for your own safety . . . and Maisie's."

Owen was about to object, but I spoke up before he had the chance.

"Do it, Owen. If this is what it takes . . ."

He stared at me for a long while.

"Are you sure? . . ."

I thought about Maisie, how alone she must feel after going through all of this. I'd endure any pain in the world to keep her safe.

"Yes. I'm sure."

He nodded.

"Alright. Here we go."

When his finger landed on the button, I fell to my knees, crying out in pain. I had intended to keep my composure, but I just . . . couldn't. I screamed and thrashed around until I was released from the gut-wrenching torment. I lay gasping on my side.

"It works," Owen announced brokenly.

Moonwatcher nodded.

"Good. Do it again."

"What?! But I just-"

"Owen, this isn't about Claire: it's about you. We need to be sure that you won't hesitate when the moment arrives."

He took a deep breath.

"Alright."

He lowered his finger, but Moonwatcher pulled his hand away.

"Look her in the eye."

Owen met my gaze. I tried to be strong, but I was still lying on my shoulder, and my body felt like it was falling to pieces. I nodded at him, hoping he would be brave enough to do what needed to be done.

He was.

This time, the pain lasted longer. I thrashed around and felt tears pouring down my cheeks as I screamed. When the pain finally came to an end, I saw Moonwatcher holding down Owen's finger. He batted her away forcefully.

"What's wrong with you? Are you some kind of psychopath?!"

"You might want to watch that kind of language around Claire," Eli chuckled from his cage.

I'll bet he was getting a kick out of watching me writhe around on the floor like that. But Moonwatcher sprung to my defense.

"Hey, Claire's not a psychopath," she asserted, "Neurotypicals commit the vast majority of violence, so if anything, Claire being a bloodthirsty monster means she's the exact opposite of mentally ill."

Well. So much for words of comfort.

As Eli laughed to himself, Owen helped me to my feet. It was a relief to feel his touch again, even if the circumstances weren't ideal. He brushed the dust off my side and nodded towards the door.

"Come on."

Moonwatcher held up her hand.

"Wait. There's one more thing we need to do."

She reached into her backpack and pulled out a metal device.

"Close your mouth, please."

I did as I was told, and soon, a muzzle was strapped to my head. I felt my throat wobble.

"Are you okay?" Owen asked.

"I'm fine," I replied, fighting back tears.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I didn't realize how bright natural light could be until it smouldered my eyes, which had become accustomed to the darkness of the lab. I was forced to squint for the first few minutes of my conditional freedom as I was led across the island by Owen, who looked like a bright blob of colors. I thought I must be hallucinating all the strange bodies that surrounded us, but when the confused blur left my vision, I realized that this was no ordinary island. Fantastic creatures of all shapes and sizes walked among humans. Most of them had saurian traits, but there were a few elephants and other exotic animals. I gaped in amazement as a flock of raptor hatchlings wove between the feet of medium-sized herbivores, who laughed at their childish games. They didn't seem bothered by their presence in the slightest.

When we passed a pool area, a large aquatic creature with leathery wings and a long crest lifted her sunglasses and waved at me excitedly from her massive folding chair.

"Hello, Other Claire!"

I couldn't place her voice, but she sounded familiar.

"Do I know her?" I asked Moonwatcher.

"Not her in particular, but someone similar."

I didn't understand, but I was getting used to not knowing what the hell was going on.

We encountered more strange animals when we crossed a schoolyard. Dinosaurs of every time period and diet were playing together, just as though they were nothing more than a group of human students, rather than diverse creatures that lived millions of years apart, and who might have preyed upon each other if this wasn't the case. I batted my eyes, bewildered by this strange sight.

"Were all of these dinosaurs human once?"

Moonwatcher shook her head.

"We have natural-born dinosaurs here, but they're genetically similar to humans for . . . reasons. Just treat them like you would any other human. We have this racism-allegory thing going on, so maybe don't contribute to that negativity, okay?"

"Um, okay," I gulped.

Owen didn't seem too phased by this unusual society. He had already seen everything there was to see, I suppose, but he was also a tad . . . distracted. I wanted to start a conversation with him, but our recent interactions weren't exactly chit-chat material. I watched him as he marched forward with semi-distant eyes, trying to judge his mood.

"I'll bet Maisie is excited to see all these dinosaurs running around," I ventured.

"Like I said, she hasn't left her room," Owen replied icily.

Oh, right.

"Ah . . . Well, do you think she might want to explore the island with us?"

"Encountering carnivorous dinosaurs might be a traumatic experience after what happened in the mansion."

"EY! What did I JUST say about dinosaur-racism?" Moonwatcher snapped.

Ignoring her, Owen shook his head.

"We have to approach this situation carefully. It's a lot to take in."

I nodded.

"Poor Maisie."

"Yeah, poor Maisie," he echoed, somewhat sardonically.

I lifted my head, frowning at him with displeasure.

"You know, you don't have to be like that."

"Like what?"

"You know: all cold and distant . . ."

"I'm not cold and distant."

"Well, you're kind of acting like a jerk."

He hummed, shrugging.

"I'm allowed to. You tore my leg in half."

I winced as he lifted his pant-leg. I had left a pretty nasty scar. It looked very, very permanent.

"I'm sorry, Owen."

"I should hope so."

"I am!" I asserted defensively, "And I'm trying to make things right. I'm sorry if I'm not getting better fast enough for you, but I really don't have control over-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

"Alright. So stop hounding me when I'm trying my best."

"I'm not. I'm just concerned that you're maybe not in the best shape right now."

"Well, I'm managing, but-"

"It may be a mistake to let Maisie see you."

I froze.

"Oh . . . So that's how it is, huh?"

He turned around, arms crossed.

"Don't you try to make me feel guilty for protecting her."

"'Protecting' her? It seems to me like you're struggling to parent her."

"Yeah, because you left me alone!" he barked.

I frowned, tensing up.

"This wasn't my fault, Owen."

"Can I make an observation?" Moonwatcher piped up.

"NO!" Owen and I shouted at once.

"Observation withdrawn," she muttered.

Owen turned back to me.

"So, we're back to this, huh?"

"Back to what?"

"Back to blaming me for all of life's problems."

I scoffed.

"Owen, I meant that it's nobody's fau-"

"Oh, I know what you meant. All I did was make one mistake, Claire. If you had been driving, things wouldn't have turned out any differently."

"What the hell are you talking ab-"

"Look, we both know what you really think of me, but I refuse to feel guilty. What's done is done, and I couldn't have prevented it, as much as I wanted to. It wasn't my fault."

And then I understood. Nothing I'd said up until that point had given him the impression that I blamed him for the car accident. He spoke as though this had been an established attitude for quite some time, and since it didn't come from me . . .

I felt bad for Owen, but part of me was relieved that this wasn't all on me. He must feel responsible for what happened, which meant that every hurtful thing he'd said until now was partly fuelled by his own guilt. It didn't make what he'd said right, of course, but it gave me hope that he still cared about me. He just had a different, somewhat harmful way of showing it.

"Owen, I don't blame you for what happened."

He didn't reply.

"I don't," I repeated.

"We're almost there," he said.

"Okay."

I considered reaching for his hand, but realizing that it might be a bad move, I stopped myself.

He was still holding the shock-button, after all.

***TSJWFKFEW***

I smelled Maisie from all the way down the hall. Owen was surprised when I stopped in front of her door, but I didn't feel like explaining how I knew where she was located. He probably could have guessed on his own, anyway. He pulled a swipe-card out of his front pocket and opened the door. As I stepped through, I noticed that his thumb was hovering over the remote. I was slightly hurt, until I reminded myself that he was only looking out for Maisie.

She was sitting on the bed, wearing foam claws and a tail, just like Owen told me. She looked up when I entered the room, and I tried to smile at her, though the muzzle made it difficult. She looked down again.

"Hi, Maisie . . ."

She didn't make a sound. I turned to Owen for guidance, but his face was stoic. I took a deep breath.

"How've you been?"

No answer. I sat down beside her, not on the bed, seeing how I was too tall and probably too heavy for it. I noticed movement in the corner of my eye. Owen was gesturing for me to move away from her. I scooted back on the carpet.

"This is quite a nice place, you got here . . ."

It was a rather fancy room, but the chic décor was broken by tacky children's toys, probably bought from a giftshop somewhere. I picked up a velociraptor plush that was lying on her pillow. Turning it over in my paws, I raised my eyebrows.

"Is this Blue?"

She nodded.

"Wow, where did you get it?"

"The lobby," Owen answered, "They have lots of toys downstairs."

"Ah," I said, still hopelessly awkward, "Did you see some cool stuff in there?"

After a pause, Maisie nodded. That was something, at least.

"Great . . . Did you want to go down there?"

She shook her head. I winced.

"Okay. Is there anything else you want to do?"

She shrugged. She hadn't looked at me once since I sat down. After a long silence, I took a deep breath.

"Owen said you wanted to see me. Is there something you want to say? . . . Something you want me to say? . . ."

She continued to stare at the floor.

"Maisie, if you've changed your mind, that's perfectly fine. You don't have to-"

As I straightened up, she quickly reached out and put her hand on my paw, slipping out of her own foam claws. I looked down with surprise. I turned to Owen, who was bracing his hand over the button in warning. I remained still, but Maisie leaned on my shoulder, shaking a little. I felt water crossing my scales.

"Hey . . . Hey, don't cry, Maisie. Everything's going to be okay. I'm trying to get better. We'll be together soon, okay?"

I hoped I wasn't lying. Maisie sobbed and wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face in the gold stripe that ran down my side.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay . . ."

I risked placing my paw around her shoulder. Owen glared at me, but I ignored him.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm doing okay. You just be a good girl, alright?"

There was no comfortable way to lean my snout against her with the muzzle strapped around my head, but I was pretty sure that she didn't want to be near my teeth anyway. She continued to hold me, fingers making wrinkles on my scales. I let her cry, and soon found myself crying as well. I tried to hold it back, but to no avail. I started crying even more when I realized that I was beginning to think about how easy it would be to catch Owen off guard. Even with the controller in his hand, he wouldn't be fast enough if I decided to tighten my grip around Maisie. Those pink nubs on my fingers could only dull my claws so much, but-

I pulled away from Maisie, catching myself just in time. Owen's finger twitched, but he did not shock me. I wondered if he could see the guilt in my eyes . . . if he knew that I had almost lost myself.

"Claire . . ." Maisie choked.

"I think it's time to go," Owen said brusquely, stepping away from the wall he was leaning against.

Maisie reached for me, but I shrunk back.

"Maisie, I have to go back to my cage now, but I promise I'll come back for a visit, okay?"

She coughed, eyes red and dripping.

"Okay . . ." she squeaked.

I forced a smile.

"You be good while I'm gone, okay? You and Owen are gonna have so much fun. I'm so jealous."

Maisie didn't seem convinced by my remark. I don't blame her. I wasn't even convinced, myself. She stood up and gave me a hug.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Maisie," I choked, tears starting anew.

Owen clicked his tongue.

"Hey. We gotta go."

I gulped, slipping away from Maisie. Her lip quivered as she watched me leave.

"Bye."

"Bye," I whispered.

When Owen had shut the door behind me, I let my tears flow freely. He looked down at me, unsure of how to handle my emotional outburst. Luckily for him, he didn't have to. Moonwatcher, who had apparently been in the middle of an intense phone call, hung up and shoved the device in her back pocket.

"Hey, guys! Everything is fine, but I need to slip away for a second. Like, pronto. Right now. But everything is fine, so don't worry."

Owen frowned.

"Are you sure that-"

"EVERYTHING IS FINE," she interrupted, "PERFECTLY FINE. I JUST HAVE BUSINESS WITH DINOSAURS. FROM YOUR WORLD. EVERYTHING IS FINE."

"But-"

"It's fine. It's fine. This is fine. Everything's fine. I'm fine. This is fine . . . Gotta run!"

She bolted down the hall, leaving me and Owen alone together. He turned to me with a puzzled frown.

"Something tells me everything is NOT fine, but I guess it's none of our business."

"No, I guess not."

We made our way down the hall. I tried to keep my tail from swinging, since it sometimes scraped the walls, setting my body off-kilter. Owen marched ahead of me, seemingly eager to get me back in my cage.

"Maisie seems to like her new room. I see she's filled it with dinosaurs."

"I filled it with dinosaurs, at her request."

"She's been sending you down to the gift shop, then?"

"Every day."

"Do you think you're maybe spoiling her a little?"

He snuffed.

"First of all, she grew up in a mansion. Second, this seems important to her."

"How do you figure? Most of the toys don't even look played-with."

"Well, she always asks me to buy carnivores, for one thing."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"I hear her talking to them with growls and roars."

"Uh . . ."

"And then the next day, I find the most recent dinosaur lying on the ground, and she asks for a new one."

"O-kay, that is a little weird, but maybe you shouldn't be feeding her bad habits? . . ."

"Well, if you're so smart, why don't you try parenting her?"

I glowered at him.

"That's a low-blow, Owen. We both know that right now, Maisie's fate is up to you."

"And Iris."

"Fine, and Iris, but something tells me it's not the nanny who's letting Maisie throw her laundry all over the place. Is there a backstory for that, too?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I asked her to clean it up, and she said that she didn't have to, because she was, quote, 'living in the wild.'"

"Sounds like she might need some help."

"Not from you, I hope."

"From a therapist, but just out of curiosity, what makes you think that I'm not equipped to help her?"

"Aside from-"

"Yes, aside from the dinosaur thing."

He exhaled.

"I don't think you're setting a good example."

"Why? Because of something I can't control?"

"It's probably not a good idea to let her see you when you're this broken."

"Broken? Excuse me, but-"

"Where did those cuts come from, Claire?"

I froze. We had made it to the lobby, but the high ceiling wasn't the only reason his remark seemed to echo.

"Wh-what are you-"

"On your arm. Where did those cuts come from?"

I withdrew my paw under the shadow of my belly.

"I . . . I was thinking thoughts . . . bad thoughts . . . and I didn't want to let myself get away with it, so . . . every time I thought about hurting you, I hurt myself, instead . . . so that I would stop."

I was hoping he'd open up and show some compassion, but his eyes darted down to my arm, then up again, and he said-

"You must have thought about hurting us a lot."

Tears stung my eyes.

"Please, Owen, I'm trying my best to get better. It was a bad idea, I know, but I thought if I could punish myself, it would help. I didn't want to get away with having those thoughts, so I tried to teach myself some restraint. I know it was foolish, but my intention was to prevent myself from turning into some kind of monster."

"You already have."

That comment stung, but he wasn't even close to finished.

"Claire, if Maisie sees you like this . . . Look, it's just not healthy, alright? You've visited her once, and it was difficult enough as it is, but I think we need to face the facts: we can't allow her to get comfortable with what you've become. This isn't normal. We can't just ignore how much things have changed. Maybe you'll get better. Fine. We'll see what happens then. But for now, I don't think we can carry on like this."

"Owen, she needs me."

"She needs Claire. I want my Claire back too, but-"

"I'm right here, Owen!" I shouted through tears, "I haven't gone anywhere!"

"This isn't the Claire I know."

I sniffed.

"So, you just don't love me anymore, is that what you're saying?"

"Not like this, no."

I hiccoughed, feeling my heart shatter inside of me.

"You asshole . . . You asshole . . ."

"Claire, I'm just stating the facts. Right now, you're not fit to take care of a child-"

"Yeah, well I'm a dinosaur, so what's your excuse?!" I barked.

Owen stood his ground.

"You left me to do this on my own."

"I didn't leave you, Owen! I'm standing right here, right now, offering you help that you choose to ignore-"

"'Choose'? I'm not 'choosing' anything, Claire. You've left me with no options! What am I supposed to do, just let Maisie live in the company of a vicious predator?"

"I'm not a vicious predator!" I screamed.

"Yes, you are, Claire. It's hardwired into your DNA. You can't deny it. It's part of your nature. You're a monster, just like everything else they cooked up in that lab!"

It was then that Owen and I noticed two things. First, we were not alone. Maisie was hiding behind a large pillar, eavesdropping on our conversation. This became obvious when she ran out from behind it, sobbing as she fled into the sunset. Which brings me to the second realization. Owen's remark, while directed at me, had implied something else, and had thus caused far more damage than he intended. For a moment, we stood petrified. Then, Owen snapped out of his horrified stupor.

"FUCK!"

My heart was pounding.

"Owen, we have to find her!"

We sprinted out of the hotel, scanning the landscape for any sign of Maisie.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" I wept.

"You can pick up her scent, can't you?" Owen asked brusquely.

"I- I don't know if-"

"Try."

"Okay, okay!" I quavered.

I lowered my head to the ground, sniffing it pointedly. The first few breaths earned me a nose full of dirt, but as I adjusted my angle, I picked up a trail of linen-smell.

"I've got it."

"Lead the way."

I bounded forward, sniffing the air desperately. I was probably too frantic to be efficient, but Maisie hadn't been gone long, so I was able to track her without much difficulty. I made my way into the jungle, keeping an eye out for footprints. As her scent grew stronger, I had to remind myself that I was not hunting to kill. My violent thoughts were flaring up again, but this time, they were numbed by fear.

Eventually, I found Maisie sitting in the middle of a clearing, curled up in a ball, crying into her knees. I let out a gentle churr. Maisie gasped and turned to face me. When Owen bounded up to my side, she whimpered and stood up to run away.

"Maisie, wait!" I called.

She slowed to a stop, facing away from me. I let Owen step forward.

"Maisie, I didn't mean what I said. Not in the way you think."

"You said I was a monster . . ."

"No, I said Claire was a monster."

I shot him a look.

"-but I didn't mean that either. Not really. I was just frustrated and angry and . . . Look, I didn't mean it. That's all I'm saying."

Maisie sniffled, wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve.

"He's telling the truth," I offered, "Owen loves you very much. He's just worried about your safety. I know it seems like he's mad, but it's only because he loves you so much . . ."

She turned around.

"He said that he doesn't love you."

I took a deep breath.

"People say a lot of things. But regardless of how he feels about me, that doesn't change the fact that he loves you."

"Why won't he let you visit me?"

I closed my eyes.

"Maisie, I'm not . . . well right now. I'm trying to get better, but I'm still not . . . I'm not myself right now."

Suddenly, she leapt forward and threw her arms around my neck.

"Yes, you are. You're the same as you always were. You just look different, that's all."

I gulped.

"Maisie, that's not entirely true. Owen's right to be worried. And maybe he shows it a little too much, but he's just trying to protect you."

"From what?"

I let her go.

"From me, Maisie. You remember what . . . what almost happened . . . what I almost did."

"But you didn't do it, Claire."

My beak quivered.

"No, Maisie, but I came close. And I didn't mean to, believe me, but Owen is right: there's a part of me that's born and bred to be a killer, and we have to make sure that I get it under control before we do anything too risky."

She shook her head.

"I don't believe you're a killer."

I smiled.

"Let's hope not. But until we're absolutely certain, we have to be careful, okay?"

She turned to Owen.

"You can train her, right?"

His eyes darted to the side.

"Uh . . ."

"You can train her like you trained Blue. Claire wants to get better, so if you teach her how to be like Blue, she'll have empathy, right?"

Owen blinked.

"Maisie, that's not exactly-"

"Please, Owen. Please train her like you trained the raptors."

Owen met my gaze. I offered a sheepish shrug, and he knelt down in front of Maisie.

"Okay. I promise to . . . train Claire."

Maisie laughed and wrapped him in a tight hug. He looked up at me, and I smiled warmly in response. He stood up with Maisie in his arms and turned back toward the hotel.

"It's late. We should head back. It's getting close to your bedtime."

She pouted.

"I'm too old for bedtimes."

I chuckled.

"Do as Owen says, Maisie. He's offered to help me, and he can't do that unless you both get some rest."

She smiled as Owen draped her over his shoulder.

"Okay, Claire."

"Atta girl. Now, what do you say we walk you back?"

We retraced our steps, heading towards the light of the hotel. Along the way, I encountered the scent-trails we had left behind. I sniffed them for practice. I could smell Maisie, Owen, and even myself, a little. Owen's smell was particularly nice, I decided, and I inhaled it as it wafted towards me. But as I breathed in, a fourth smell entered my nostrils. I slowed to a stop, sniffing the air with puzzlement. Noticing that I had fallen behind, Owen turned around with a concerned expression.

"Claire, are you okay?"

I crinkled my snout.

"I smell something new . . . it's almost like me, but-"

Snap.

My quills bristled. As I turned to locate the source of the noise, there was a flash of gold and black.

SCREEEEEEEEE!

A massive figure pounced on Owen. Without missing a beat, he threw Maisie to the side, then shouted as a gargantuan foot pinned him to the ground. I was shocked to discover that his attacker was a dinosaur like me, with plates and horns and curved claws. But this animal glistened with golden scales, at least where the body wasn't ebony. As it leaned in to complete its kill, I let out a low growl. It whipped around to face me, beak turning upwards in a fierce snarl. I flexed my claws. The animal barked. I sprung upon it.

In a split second, my claws were digging into the dinosaur's thick hide. The protective nubs fell away, leaving nothing between my talons and its flesh. It spun around as I clung to its back, but my claws were already in too deep to allow me to be bucked off. I slammed my tail into the beast's side, leaving two deep perforations. It screeched and rolled over, taking me with it. In the flurry of claws and horns that followed, it somehow managed to pin me down. It grabbed my skull between its jaws, but instead of piercing through to my brain, its teeth slipped. There was a snap, and the metal surrounding my beak fell away. The muzzle was off. I was free.

A surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins. I realized that I had finally found a way to satisfy my violent urges without suffering the consequences. Slaughtering a predator in the name of protecting my loved ones was no violent act- it was bravery. I could kill and maim and injure freely. This thought filled me with joy.

The next few moments were sheer bliss. I tore into the creature whenever the opportunity presented itself, basking in the dazzling glow that came with each spray of blood. I dragged my claws over his scales, finally piercing the tough hide. And I kept digging. I had half-eviscerated my opponent by the time he began to give up his fighting spirit, dizzy from losing so much blood. I clamped my teeth around his neck again and again, chomping him like an old bone. His movements slowed until he was completely still, but I kept going. After a while, the duel lost its appeal, seeing how my opponent was long-dead. To make the kill official, I twisted his head to the side before stepping down from the carcass. I panted, jaws dripping with blood and saliva, and looked up as the thrill faded away. Owen and Maisie were staring at me with horror. It was then that I realized what I had done. I gazed at the mangled carcass lying in front of me, eyes widening with terror. I looked up at Owen, who was shaking like a leaf.

"Owen, I-"

As I took a step forward, his hand whipped down to the remote in his pocket. I flinched, then let out a faint whimper. I backed away and darted into the trees before he had a chance to shock me.

I'm not sure how long I ran, but I must have covered a large distance, considering how fast I was moving. My tears shot horizontally across my face, carried by the wind. Branches struck my snout, but I barely noticed. I plowed through the dark jungle without knowing where I would end up.

I finally lost my will to continue, and collapsed in the dense foliage, sobbing heavily. I lay among the twigs and ferns, waiting for the end to come. I was now a fugitive, I realized, and it wouldn't be long before they captured me. And then what?

I trembled with fear, running over all the possibilities in my head. If they didn't shoot me on sight, they'd surely put me down once I was detained. I had just proven that I was, without a doubt, an absolute monster, and there was no going back now.

The horrified look on Owen's face flashed in my mind's eye. I'd never seen him so afraid, and we'd been through a lot together. And then there was Maisie . . .

I let out a miserable wail and curled into a ball, covering my eyes with massive paws. I shook uncontrollably, sobbing so loudly that I was surprised no one had found me yet, though I was certain someone was on the way. I felt myself sinking into emptiness, until there was nothing but fear and pain . . . and sorrow. This was the end. Rock bottom. I had blown my last chance at redemption. Owen was right about me. I really was a monster.

A hand on my shoulder snapped me out of my trance. I gasped with surprise, eyes shooting open. Maisie was sitting beside me, arm extended. My throat wobbled.

"Maisie . . ."

She stroked my neck calmly.

"Shhh . . . Shhh . . ."

"Maisie, what are you doing here? Where's Owen?"

"I don't know. I ran away."

"What?! Maisie, you shouldn't be here. Hurry up and get away before something bad happens!"

"But you're hurt."

"I'm fine."

She touched my chest.

"Hurt in here."

I sighed.

"Maisie, please . . . I don't want to hurt you."

"I know."

"So get away from me."

"You're not dangerous."

"Yes, I am. Didn't you see-"

"You're afraid."

"You should be the one who's afraid, Maisie!"

She reached out and unfastened my collar. I watched as it landed in the dirt, mouth agape.

"Maisie, what on Earth-"

"I don't want them to hurt you."

"Maisie-"

"They've already hurt you so much. You don't belong in a cage, Claire."

I shut my eyes.

"Maisie, you have NO idea-"

I gagged as she hugged my neck.

"No more collars. No more muzzles. You belong with me and Owen."

"No, I don't! Why-"

"Because you're a part of this family too."

I sighed, letting my head drop to the ground.

"Not anymore. You saw what happened. You saw what I did . . ."

"You were just trying to protect us."

"Well, I went a bit overboard, wouldn't you say?" I grumbled.

"You just wanted to do what was right. Like Owen."

I groaned, rubbing my snout impatiently.

"Maisie, Owen didn't KILL anyone."

"But he would have, if he had to."

"Killing is never a defensible solution."

Maisie looked down.

"You saved us."

I shook my head.

"Maybe, but it cost me everything."

The silence was broken by the wail of distant sirens. I lifted my head in alarm.

"They're coming for me. Maisie, get out of here. Now."

"Not without you!"

"Maisie, I'm in a lot of trouble right now, and I-"

She squeezed my neck.

"I won't let them hurt you!"

I pushed her away.

"I'll be fine! Just go!"

I grabbed the shock collar and tried to tie it around my neck. Maisie yanked it from my paws.

"Give that back!" I shouted, quills bristling.

Before she could reply, there was a loud zap, and she fell to the ground. My eyes went wide.

"MAISIE!"

I rolled her over with my snout, heart racing. She was unresponsive.

"No, no, no, no, no!"

I noticed someone standing in the bushes. Owen dropped the controller and covered his mouth.

"Oh my god . . ."

I wept furiously, still trying to resuscitate Maisie. Owen joined me. He was as white as a sheet.

"I thought you were going to- I mean-"

"We need to get her to a hospital. Quick!"

Owen lifted Maisie in his arms. I leaned forward.

"Get on my back."

"But-"

"For Christ's sake, just do it, Owen! We have to save her!"

He hoisted himself onto my back. I gripped him with two plates and dashed through the jungle.

"Which way?" I called over my shoulder.

"Left- I mean, right! Go right!"

I turned on a dime, shifting my plates to keep Owen from falling off. I charged forward with desperation, crossing a vast field after I burst out of the jungle.

"Where now?!"

"Straight ahead!" Owen called out, "Just keep g- STOP, STOP, STOP!"

I skidded to a halt, and not a moment too soon. We were at the edge of a deep canyon. A thin river trickled miles below my front paws. I turned to face Owen.

"Where are we going?"

He started hyperventilating.

"I don't know, I don't know . . ."

He fell forward, sobbing frantically.

"I've killed her . . ."

I nudged him with my beak.

"No, you haven't, Owen. There's still hope. Just hang on, and I'll try to pick up someone's scent."

I lifted my head, inhaling deeply.

"I smell . . . gasoline! There's a vehicle nearby! We must be close to civilization!"

VROOM, VROOM!

My heart dropped. I recognized that sound. It was no ordinary car . . .

"Oh, balls . . ."

A massive head rose from the tall grass, followed by a rugged body that sped forward on a pair of foul-smelling rubber wheels.

"Hello again . . ."

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Eli, we need your help. Please, tell us where we're going. Maisie needs a doctor."

"Two things. One, why should I help you, after all the trouble you caused me? Two- and an extension of point one . . ."

He smiled deviously.

"You're not going anywhere."

Owen slid down from my back, still cradling an unconscious Maisie.

"Eli, please. She's hurt. Badly."

"Had a bit of fun, did you, Claire?"

Owen glared at him.

"I did this. I made a mistake, and now I have to fix it. Help us, for the love of god!"

Eli smirked.

"Actually, you're going to be helping me. See, while you two were squabbling about your tumultuous- and probably unhealthy- relationship, I was planning my escape. Once I kill the dangerous predator, Claire Dearing, I'll be a hero. You're going to help me wipe the slate clean, you lucky ducks.

Owen gnashed his teeth.

"I won't let you get away with lying about Claire."

Eli snorted.

"Well, you'll be dead, obviously. You AND the girl."

Owen backed away slowly.

"You wouldn't murder us . . ."

Slowly, an ominous grin spread across Eli's foul maw.

"No, I wouldn't. But I know someone who will."

He lifted his tiny arms and pulled a gun from behind his back. My blood turned to ice. I wheeled around to make my escape, but it was too late. A bright red beam cut through the night, landing square on Owen's chest. My eyes narrowed. I crouched down, ready for the next command.

"Goodbye, Mr. Grady," Eli jeered.

His fingers tightened around the gun. As soon as I heard the pulse, I sprinted forward, with no hesitation whatsoever. My legs extended, and I flew through the air. Before I could pounce on Owen, however, he leapt to the side. I hit the ground and rolled over the cliff, still trying to make a grab for the set quarry. My claws found the ledge, but the dirt crumbled between my fingers, and I fell backwards into the abyss. As I gazed up at the sky, I saw Owen leaning over the edge of the canyon, hand extended.

"CLAIRE!"

I reached for him too, but he was shrinking fast. I fell through a passing cloud, losing sight of him.

As I fell to my impending doom, I wasn't afraid, or even that upset. Instead, I was overcome with unexpected joy. Owen had tried to save me, even after I attacked him without hesitation. I had completely lost myself to my monstrous side, but still, he wouldn't let me go.

He loved me. Even though I was a monster, he loved me.

Tears of gratitude rose from my eyes as I fell. Everything we'd shared was real. I knew it for certain now. We were meant to be together . . . only now we wouldn't be.

As the canyon floor approached me, I chose to spend my last moments remembering the love we shared. I was taken in by the memory of our last kiss, back in the mansion. I had already been poisoned by the monster's DNA by that point, but our kiss transcended the sickness that would eventually take my life. I could almost feel his lips on mine. I smiled. I didn't notice that my plates had begun to flutter, or that my arms-

I shot upwards. I was suddenly higher than before, and I was spiralling out of control.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

As I screamed, the night was illuminated with three-dimensional shapes, which dazzled my senses and threw me off balance. I flapped my arms instinctively, continuing my clumsy flight. I was flabbergasted, and to be perfectly honest, on the verge of shitting myself, but I caught a glimpse of Eli advancing towards Owen and Maisie, and I snapped to attention. I made a sharp dive, letting loose a battle cry that further enhanced my newfound senses. In retrospect, the look on Eli's face was worthy of a gilded frame.

"WHAT THE-"

I pecked him between the eyes, and he fell over dizzily, knocked out and very likely to develop a massive goose egg. My landing was even less graceful than his. I tumbled across the grass, wings (yes, wings!) flailing this way and that as I struggled to right myself. When I finally rolled onto my back, I heard frantic footsteps in the grass. Owen flung himself upon me, pressing his tear-soaked beard into my neck.

"Claire, oh, Claire! . . ."

I lifted my head as Maisie limped over.

"We need to get you home . . ."

"I'm okay," she said quietly, "It wasn't that bad."

Owen wept into my neck.

"You died, you died, you died . . ."

"I didn't die."

"Mph."

He continued to squeeze me.

"Don't ever do that again, okay? . . ." he quavered.

I blinked.

"I mean, I wasn't planning on it . . ."

More footsteps. I recognized Moonwatcher's voice.

"Two questions. What the fuck happened, and why do you look like a fucking bat?"

I lifted my arms. My claws had extended into the frame of what appeared to be leathery wings. I ran them over my face and found large ears perched on my head, plus a pair of fangs poking out of my beak. I was also slightly fluffy in places. I was done being surprised, though, considering everything else that had transpired that night.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Moonwatcher spat, "I mean, the other Claire was a vampire briefly, but you don't have her DNA . . ."

"Maybe the Indoraptor was part bat?" Owen suggested.

Moonwatcher rubbed her chin.

"For echolocation, maybe . . . But that also doesn't make any sense. This is silly. Silly doesn't belong in the actual canon. This shouldn't happen."

I looked down at my body.

"What part of this are you referring to, exactly? . . ."

Moonwatcher rubbed the space between her eyes.

"You know what? Forget it. We'll figure this out later . . . On a somewhat less confusing note, look what I found!"

She held up a small device.

"An iPad mini?" I asked, cocking my head.

"Yes, an iPad mini," she replied sharply.

I batted my eyes.

"Well, good for you, I guess? . . ."

She frowned.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Um-"

"With this iPad mini, I can get back to regular narration. No longer will we be tethered to your point of view!"

I stared at her blankly. She huffed.

"Let's just go home."

I smiled at Owen.

"Sounds good to me."

***TSJWFKFEW***

That night, returning to her cage did not feel like a betrayal of trust. Claire was relieved to be safe behind bars, despite Maisie's insistence that she ought to be released. She offered to secretly unlock Claire's cage again, but she firmly declined. She wasn't ready to roam free, she explained, though she promised to visit whenever she could.

"And you can even watch us train together," Owen added, catching Claire off guard.

Moonwatcher bolted the door shut, and Claire curled her tail around her legs, content at last. She had lost her batty features, but it was good to know that she had unusual superpowers lying in the wait, just in case things got out of hand again.

The others turned to leave, but just as he was about to step through the doorway, Owen changed his mind. He spun around and jogged up to Claire, who lowered her head attentively, wondering what he was about to tell her. To her surprise, he reached through the bars and touched her cheek, kissing her gently on the snout. He smiled as he pulled away, running his hand down her neck, shoulder, and arm. Their hands slid apart, and Claire felt as though she was choking on a tennis ball, but in a good way. Owen waved over his shoulder.

"See you tomorrow!"

Claire beamed with wonderment.

"See you . . ."

When he was gone, Claire smiled with nostalgia. In the neighbouring cage, Eli snuffed.

"There must be something terribly wrong with that man, kissing a dinosaur like that . . ."

Claire didn't even hear him. She was too busy rolling around on her back, giggling uncontrollably.