High above the misty cliffs of Isla Nublar, at the peak of a billowing waterfall, a man and a woman stood nobly at the summit of a great mountain. They scanned the landscape with trepidation, hoping that their proposed "trial run" would go as planned. Claire peered over the edge of the cliff, gulping.
"I'm having second thoughts."
Owen knew that she was talking about flying, but his mind added 'about our relationship' to the end of her sentence . . . perhaps a manifestation of his secret fear. He tried to push the thought away, but the fact that he'd had it at all meant that things were going wrong. And it wasn't just his imagination, either. He was positive that he'd hurt Claire more than he'd every hurt her before during Moonwatcher's question-answering-whatever-it-was. She hadn't been the same since then, often adopting a haunted look that was somehow more worrying than her usual, distant, possibly-thinking-about-murder stare. Owen had broken her. Traumatized her, even. Why was she still with him? She must hate herself, obviously.
(Don't blame Claire. The reason she hates herself is because of what you said.)
"Do you wanna turn back?" he asked.
She paced near the ledge, staring down into the misty abyss.
"I don't know. We've come so far, and I don't want to throw it all away."
(Is she doing the whole double-speak thing on purpose?)
(No, she's not being duplicitous. You're being paranoid.)
(Fuck, what if I'm wrong?)
(Just talk to her, you piece of shit! You're making things worse!)
(Oh god, what would I even say? If I open my mouth, I'll just end up admitting that I'm not comfortable sleeping with her, and it'll be like last time, only worse.)
(Are you even uncomfortable with it, though?)
The short answer was 'yes'. The longer and more nuanced answer was 'yes, but only because of what might happen if I do'. If he made the decision to engage in a night of intimacy, there was no turning back. Whether it was morally wrong or not, it would be done, and it wasn't the kind of thing that could be un-done. What if Claire changed back into a human? They'd have to go on knowing that they'd done something abnormal- or worse- better than normal. Oh, god, what if he liked it more when she was a dinosaur?
(You'll never know, because you're not going to do it. You made a promise, and you're sticking to it.)
(A promise to who, though?)
(To myself . . . and to Claire, indirectly.)
(She'd be happier if you kept an open mind.)
(I can't know that for sure. What if I fuck things up more than I already have? What if the other side is a billion times worse than what's going on between us right now?)
(Nothing could be worse than this.)
(That's what I always say right before everything turns to shit. How long until I hit rock bottom? What if I'm not even close?)
(You have to try to make things right, at least.)
(This is a bad idea. Sex isn't the answer. I can find a way to make Claire feel good about herself without whipping my dick out.)
(So why haven't you?)
Owen frowned sadly, staring at a distracted Claire. He watched as her quills bristled, and imagined-
(Stop it.)
-and her legs were really, really long, so-
(Don't you fucking dare.)
-notice that her scales were so slick and shiny-
(STOP.)
-just press up against her like-
"Owen?"
He snapped to attention.
"Urf?"
"I said: do you think we can make this jump?"
"No."
"What?"
He gulped.
"I mean, yes. Yes, we can, but we have to be careful."
She bit her lower beak.
"If I screw up, we could both die."
"Moonwatcher said that she has everything under control."
"She's standing at the base of the cliff with a trampoline."
Owen peered over the ledge.
"Ah. Maybe we shouldn't put our faith in her after all."
"Not sure why we even considered it."
After a long pause, Claire took a deep breath.
"Well, I suppose we should give it a try."
"Alright."
Owen climbed atop her back, sliding his legs between her plates. His hands drifted down her sides, tenderly brushing her scales on the way down.
(Too much! She can tell that you're being weird!)
He patted her neck gently.
"On the count of three. One . . ."
He squeezed her torso between his legs, heart suddenly racing as he realized how dangerous this was.
"Two . . ."
(Oh, god, I forgot what it felt like to be this close to h-)
He didn't get to say "three", because Claire made the leap while his mind was busy with other thoughts, and he suddenly found himself gripping her neck in panic.
"OH, SHIT!"
His feet tingled as he gazed at the trees below, which were small and dense, like a forest of broccoli. The canopy's colors seemed to intensify as he became hyper-aware of just how high they had started, and how fast they were plummeting. His grip loosened around Claire, and he nearly fainted. Just as he was passing out, she spread her wings. The sudden halt caused his face to slam into her body, nearly leaving him toothless.
"Sorry!" she squeaked.
"That's okay . . ." he replied woozily.
Claire's wings rustled gently as they flew towards the setting sun. Owen found himself dazzled by the orange light that danced over her scales.
"This is going well, all things considered."
"I'm going to try flapping."
She beat her wings. Owen shifted his thighs as he sensed thick muscles rippling beneath her ebony hide.
(Don't you dare get a boner at this altitude!)
(Oh, Christ, she would definitely be able to feel it, wouldn't she?)
(But you're not getting one, are you? You're not attracted to dinosaurs.)
(Of course not. It's just the fear of flying. Adrenaline, maybe.)
(Focus on something else.)
(Okay . . . think, Owen, think . . . Well, there's a lovely sunset right in front of you.)
(. . . Jesus Christ.)
(I'm trying, okay?!)
His blood turned to ice when he realized that Claire was staring at him over her shoulder.
"Whatcha thinking about?"
"Sunset," he squeaked.
She quirked a brow and smiled.
"I think I know what's really going on, here."
(FUCK, SHE CAN SMELL IT ON YOU!)
"You're afraid of flying!" she laughed.
Owen nodded emphatically.
"Yep, definitely. I don't much like heights. Not one bit."
She smiled warmly.
"That's okay. I'll be gentle. Do you want me to land soon?"
"Only when you're ready."
"I can drop you off and go it alone."
"Uh-"
(Now look what you've done! You were supposed to be spending time with her, but you messed it up by being a dishonest piece of sh-)
They both screamed as something large and blue streaked in front of them. Claire fell off-balance and tumbled backwards, pawing at empty air. Owen lost his grip and slipped from her back.
"OWEN!"
She made a grab for him, but toppled forward clumsily. When she righted herself, she made a second dive and just barely managed to nab him.
"Hang on!"
Before passing out, Owen caught a glimpse of their attacker. It was a pteranodon that glimmered in the sunset, probably because it was partly made of metal. The most alarming feature of this animal, aside from the laser-gun on its right shoulder, was its left eye, which glowed green like a radioactive emerald. He wondered if it would be best to flee, but the thin air got the better of him, and the world became a tangle of darkness and distant sounds.
He heard the monster's jet engines getting louder.
Someone screamed.
***TSJWFKFEW***
When Owen awoke, he found himself tied to a thick, wooden pole. Worse still, he shared the space with Moonwatcher. Zia, Franklin, Gunnar, and Wheatley were there as well. They had apparently been bound up for a few minutes, at least, considering they were in the middle of attempting an escape. Moonwatcher fidgeted eratically, sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth.
"Almost . . . Almost . . . You know what, I think I might have actually tied us up more."
Owen frowned. His head was pounding.
"What happened?"
Moonwatcher raised her eyebrows.
"Oh, you're awake! Do you remember Peter?"
"Who?"
"One of Eli's henchmen. You never met him."
"Then why did you ask me if I remem-"
"Turns out, he ended up as a pteranocar, only he's more of an airplane-type hybrid. I guess the universe considers airplanes 'flying cars', so he's a weird-looking cyborg, and he also has a laser-gun and knife-fingers and a reading lamp instead of a dick, which I have dubbed 'Fuxo'."
Owen narrowed his eyes.
"Okay . . . but what happened?"
Moonwatcher shrugged helplessly.
"Somehow, he managed to track down Eli, who cut a deal with him. They worked as a team to overpower us and steal our largest hovercraft."
"Uh-"
"The good news is, I managed to get a hold of my iPad Mini, as you can see. Using my nimble toes, I was able to continue narrating, though I had nothing to write about for the past hour, seeing how you were unconscious."
"Did I hit my head?"
"No, you fainted like a pussy. Then they drugged you when you started to wake up."
"With chloroform?"
"Possibly. They rifled through my backpack, which means chloroform is not off the table.
"Jesus Christ . . ."
Franklin squirmed around uncomfortably.
"Get us out of here!"
"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Moonwatcher whined.
Zia kicked her legs, growling with frustration.
"You're a real lousy supervisor, Moonwatcher! Not only did you let our world descend into chaos, but-"
"Shhh," Moonwatcher said, placing her finger over Zia's beak, "I need to focus."
"Fine."
They sunk into the ropes, sighing deeply. After a beat, Franklin lifted his head.
"Wait. Moonwatcher, do you have a free hand?"
"Um . . . no?"
"Then how did you shoosh Zia?"
Moonwatcher blinked.
"Oh . . . Hang on. Yeah, my left hand is free. Would you look at th-"
"UNTIE US!"
She gulped nervously.
"Sure thing."
After a bit of fumbling, the ropes fell away. Owen stood immediately.
"We have to find Claire."
Moonwatcher grabbed his arm.
"Hang on. We don't even know where we are."
The gang spread out, scanning their surroundings. The room they occupied was some kind of storage facility, as evidenced by the comedically old-fashioned crates with labels such as "fragile goods" and "miscellaneous objects". Owen dusted off a box that read "STUFF". He twisted his mouth.
"This is strange. Why are these crates marked with such vague descriptions?"
Moonwatcher grabbed a crowbar from a hook on the wall.
"Only one way to find out."
She wedged the bar under the lid of a large crate and pushed down. The cover popped off, and the walls fell away shortly after. Several cylinders of dynamite rolled across the floor. Owen gasped, stumbling backwards in panic.
"We're all gonna die!"
"Only if something sets them off," Moonwatcher corrected.
Gunnar stared down at the explosives, chest heaving. His pupils were almost pinpoints. Taking note of his panicked expression, Wheatley smirked and crept up behind him.
"BANG!"
The poor dinosaur let out a terrified bellow and bolted across the room, climbing up a support beam before sliding down due to his excessive dinosaur-weight. A voice came from the other side of a wooden door.
"HEY! What's all the noise about? . . ."
Moonwatcher gulped.
"Uh-oh . . ."
***TSJWFKFEW***
Claire's eyes fluttered open. When her vision stopped doubling, she realized that she was tied up in the back of a large aircraft. The walls hummed noisily, making her dizzy. She rolled over, grumbling woozily as she stretched out her legs. Though her ears were ringing, she could hear dull voices. She shook her head, and after a few seconds, she recognized one of the conversers.
"Eli? . . . ELI, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
The voices stopped. A metal door hissed open, and Eli rolled through it, eyes wide.
"What the hell? . . . WHAT THE HELL!"
He whipped around to face the pilot: a cobalt pteranodon with mechanical parts that clicked irritably.
"Peter, what the fuck is Claire doing here?"
"I was met with some resistance when I incapacitated the others, so I took a hostage before knocking them out."
Eli met Claire's furious glare with panic.
"Oh, no . . ."
He turned around and approached the flying reptile, who was sharpening his blade-claws on the control panel.
"We have to go back. Right now."
"Why?" he asked with a sneer.
"Because this wasn't part of the plan!" Eli spat, "No one was supposed to get hurt!"
"She isn't hurt. She's just tied up. If it bothers you that much, we can ditch her when we land."
Eli's breathing slowed.
"Okay, okay . . . No, wait, this isn't okay. Can't we just take her back?"
"It's too late. We'd be risking capture if we turned around now. I don't know about you, but I don't want to see the inside of a prison again."
"You're a felon?"
"Yeah, but it's not like I put that on my resumé, boss. Besides, ain't you a felon too?"
"He's a murderer," Claire hissed.
Eli gulped, tapping his claws together nervously.
"Couldn't we let her fly out the side door or something? You have wings, right, Claire?"
Peter bobbed his head, considering the idea.
"She'll get sucked into the engine, but that could solve our problem too . . ."
Eli snapped his jaws, making the pteranodon crumple his twiggy neck.
"We're not killing anyone, and especially not Claire!"
"We might have to. What's more important: some do-gooder dinosaur or your freedom?"
Eli considered this, then rolled over to Claire. He untied the ropes that bound her feet.
"If you're gonna throw her overboard, you may as well leave her tied up."
"I'm not throwing her overboard. I'm setting her free."
"So she can fly away? I already told you, the engine will-"
"Turn us around. We're going to bring her home safely."
Peter's eye twitched.
"Excuse me? . . ."
"You heard what I said. Bring us back."
The pteranodon cocked his head, then slipped down from his seat, crawling forward on bent wings.
"I didn't come this far just to be betrayed by a feeble heart. If the girl is going to be a problem, maybe it'd be best if we got rid of her, once and for all."
A thin, green beam surged from his eye, landing on Claire's chest. The gun on his shoulder started humming.
"PETER, NO!"
"Sorry, boss. It's for your own good."
As a blast of green energy erupted from Peter's shoulder, Eli knocked Claire out of the way. She grunted as she hit the wall, momentarily stunned. The air around her was sucked through a hole in the back of the plane, and the resulting wind made her shiver. She lifted her head and noticed Eli lying on his side. Smoke rose from his neck. Still partly tied up, she hobbled over to his motionless body.
"Eli . . ."
He groaned and lifted his head. He was just singed. She let out a sigh of relief, but jolted when a green dot appeared between her eyes. She yelped and darted to the side as Peter shot again. Having no arms for balance, she landed on her back, kicking her legs in a desperate attempt to find her footing. Peter continued to shoot in blasts until he realized that it was getting him nowhere. He set his shoulder-gun to a steady beam. Claire screamed as the laser drew near. Suddenly, Eli sprang into action. He pushed Peter backwards with his snout, but the resulting path of the laser cut away more metal, making the hole even larger than before. Claire felt herself being sucked towards it. Meanwhile, Eli had knocked Peter out a side door by the front of the ship, but realizing that the engine was just behind it, grabbed his wing with his tiny arms, saving him from the rapidly-spinning blades.
"Don't let go, Peter!"
The reptile snapped at him furiously. Eli flinched, and noticed Claire sliding towards the open hole.
"CLAIRE!"
"Eli, help!"
He looked from her to Peter, and making a decision, let his former employee go just as he was about to peck his eye out. The pteranodon shot backwards, flapping frantically before being sucked into the engine. When he came out the other side, he was motionless. His torn-up body glided gently towards the calm ocean below. Eli stared at the scene with wide eyes before remembering that he was needed. He rolled to the side and grabbed Claire just as she was about to slip through the hole, biting down on the ropes that bound her and pulling hard. When she was free, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him quite unexpectedly.
"Thank you for doing the right thing."
"I . . . I let him go, and- and now he's-"
"It's okay, Eli. You couldn't have saved him."
"I . . . I could have-"
They both shrieked as the airship rocked haphazardly. Claire peered down at the distant ocean.
"Can you fly us to safety?"
Eli shook his head.
"No, I can't. Peter was a pilot, but I'm just . . . me. I'm not gonna make it."
Claire covered her mouth.
"So we're going to die? . . ."
"No, not you. You can fly out of that hole and land safely."
"But . . . But I can't just leave you here . . ."
Eli smiled sadly.
"Sure, you can. What else is there to do? You can't carry me down, and I can't . . . Well, I can't do anything right. Except this one last thing, I suppose. I'm almost relieved that it was all leading up to something, this mess of an existence I've had to endure. If saving you is my one good deed, that makes everything else worthwhile . . . Maybe not worthwhile, but . . . but it all has a point, now. My life . . . it wasn't a waste, and I'm going to be okay. Well, not okay, since I'm going to die, but-"
"Eli."
"I'm not making myself clear," he gulped, "Listen, don't worry about me. All I ever wanted was to do right by you, and even though this is all my fault, I've been handed the chance to fix things, if only in part. I'll die a happy man, knowing you're safe. And . . . and even though it doesn't erase what I did, I think I can finally move on, you know?"
Claire's quills bristled as she churred with confusion.
"You're not making any sense!"
Eli laughed nervously.
"No, maybe not, but that's okay. I'm at peace, and it's not like I can survive this anyway, so you may as well save yourself and leave the cosmic 'meaning of life' stuff to me."
Tears pricked at Claire's eyes.
"I don't want you to die."
He smiled humbly.
"That's sweet of you to say, but I'm afraid I have no choice."
"There's always a choice."
"Yeah, but some choices are hard. Right now, you have to choose between leaving me to die, and dying along with me. I think we both know what you need to do."
Claire's throat wobbled as she let out a terrified gurgle. She looked into the eyes of a man who was only minutes away from death, and wondered how she could live with herself if she let him slip through her fingers.
***TSJWFKFEW***
Owen, Zia, Franklin, Gunnar, and Wheatley stared down at the unconscious body of a muscular Tyrannosaurus. Moonwatcher stepped down from his shoulder and brushed herself off casually.
"Well, that was surprisingly easy. Now, let's see what he has in his murse."
She rummaged through the thug's bag.
"Hm . . . Looks like there are enough weapons here for all of us, except Wheatley, who should not be armed, by all accounts. Owen, take this pistol. Zia, take this shotgun. Franklin, take this assault rifle. Gunnar, take this knife."
She shoved the weapons into their arms one by one. Franklin froze as he was handed the assault rifle.
"I've never shot a gun before."
"Then this should be a good learning experience."
The door slammed open once more.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
A well-dressed Gallimimus marched into the storage room, taking a drag from her cigarette holder as she looked over the unconscious dinosaur and the newly-armed crew.
"My, my! Nobody's ever taken out Rob before, but I suppose I should have expected such nonsense from the famous Moonwatcher."
Moonwatcher crossed her arms.
"Give it up, Tits. We're putting your evil plot to an end . . . the plot involving Peter and Eli, not the underground drug ring. I still need my fix every now and then."
Owen blinked.
"Wait, is her name actually 'Tits'?"
The Gallimimus adjusted her brassiere.
"Everyone kept calling me that, and I decided to roll with it."
"I see."
A long silence followed. Tits looked from Moonwatcher to Owen, then exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"So, you gonna go back to being tied up, or-"
"EVERYBODY, DUCK!" Gunnar shouted.
He threw his knife at the Gallimimus. The handle bounced off her chest, and the weapon clattered to the floor unceremoniously.
"Huh. Usually that works in movies," he remarked.
Moonwatcher rolled up her sleeves.
"Well, Gunnar may be useless, but it's still six against one, Tits. You sure you're up to the challenge?"
Zia clenched her fists.
"Yeah, Tits! You may be aptly-named, but soon, you're gonna be aptly fu . . . oh."
As electric bolts snapped off her body, dozens of fuses began to hiss with fire. Zia gulped.
"Right. We're in a room full of dynamite."
After a beat, everyone made a dash for the exit, piling up before making a quick escape. Wheatley was the last to squeeze through. He kicked the door shut as he fled, leaving Moonwatcher locked inside. She gulped.
"UH-OH."
***TSJWFKFEW***
"I can't just leave you, Eli."
"This isn't up for debate, Claire!" he insisted, "I'm finished! You still have a chance! Go!"
"What if I fly you to safety? I may not be able to carry you, but I can break your fall."
"I'm too heavy. I'll just drag you down, and we'll both drown in the ocean."
"There has to be another way!"
His lip quivered.
"There isn't, I promise. Just leave me."
The ship lurched. Eli started shaking.
"Hurry."
Claire peered over her shoulder.
"I've never flown this high before."
"You can do it. I believe in you."
"I . . . I suppose I don't have a choice . . . Goodbye, Eli, and . . . Goodbye."
He nodded.
"Goodbye."
As Claire waddled towards the gaping hole in the ship's hull, Eli suddenly sped forward.
"Wait, Claire! If I'm gonna die anyway, there's something I should tell you."
She turned.
"What is it?"
"I . . ."
He rubbed the back of his neck (or at least as far as his arms could reach).
"Oh, boy. This is awkward. Maybe I shouldn't tell you. Does that make it worse? . . ."
"Eli!"
"Okay, okay! The truth is, I . . . You know what? I shouldn't have brought it up. Forget it. Just go about your business. Shoo."
Claire exhaled impatiently.
"Eli, if you're going to die, you may as well tell me whatever's on your mind."
"If I'm going to die, there's no point . . . not that there was a point to begin with, of course, since-"
"Eli, I swear to god . . ."
He gulped.
"Okay. I'll say it really fast, so you don't have to wonder."
He took a deep breath.
"I lo-AH!"
They both shrieked as a flaming Moonwatcher burst through the hull and knocked them both out of the ship. As their narrator sped into the distance, they tumbled through the air, grabbing for support and finding nothing but emptiness. Finally, Claire grabbed Eli's horn with her foot and started flapping her newly-grown wings. He roared beneath her.
"Let go!"
"I won't!"
"Save yourself!"
"I'm going to lessen the impact."
"Bad idea! I can't let you get hurt again! Not because of me!"
He snapped at her leg. She yelped.
"Don't bite me!"
"Let me go! I'm not worth saving!"
"Yes, you a-"
They landed in the ocean with a loud splash. Claire felt the wind being knocked out of her, but the icy water made the experience so much worse. She thrashed around underwater, trying to find a way out. The broken glow of a distorted moon gave her a clue. She paddled towards it. When she burst into the cool, evening air, she took a frantic breath, coughing uncontrollably afterward. Eli was nowhere to be seen. He must have sunk. Claire dipped her head underwater, and sure enough, her denser-than-water friend was staring up at her as he fell into the murky abyss. She took a deep breath and swam towards him. Moonlight reflected off his scales, adding a silver coat to the delicate bubbles that raced upwards from between his teeth, but he was approaching a foreboding gloom from which escape was impossible. If Claire lost him to the darkness, he would never resurface. Her wings morphed into arms as she swam towards Eli, whose eyes were now closed. He seemed to have resigned himself to his fate, expecting no rescue from the woman who by all means had no reason to partake in one. When she reached out and took his cheeks in her paws, however, his eyes snapped open. Their shared gaze held more meaning than could be expressed in words, which made it all the more tragic that Claire hadn't caressed his face as a sign of affection. With an apologetic frown, she bashed her head against his. He jolted, and a set of airbags once again inflated from his posterior. They were dragged to the surface by the resulting buoyancy. A few minutes later, they washed up on the beach, wet and exhausted beyond reason. Eli coughed, sending a hail of sparks snapping out of his maw.
"Oh, god . . . Why couldn't I have turned into a boat? . . ."
"I wish I was part fish," Claire groaned.
"You are. We used Orca DNA- Oh, wait. That's not a fish. Nevermind."
He rolled onto his belly.
"Ugh . . . You saved me."
"That's twice, now."
"Three times."
"I hope you appreciate all the work I put into rescuing you from certain death."
"I still think you shouldn't have done it."
Claire sighed.
"Eli, can't you just-"
"No, I can't. Whatever good you see in me is a lie. I'm not the kind of person who deserves to be saved."
"So why try to escape?"
He closed his eyes.
"I wanted to go far away so I wouldn't hurt anyone ever again."
"You could just . . . not hurt people."
"It's in my nature. That's why I killed Lockwood. I'm a monster."
Claire bit her lower beak.
"Eli, I don't-"
"You know what I saw when I looked into his eyes? It wasn't betrayal. It was anger."
"So he expected you to kill him?"
"No, no, it wasn't like that . . . He didn't see it coming, but when it happened . . . he accepted it. He believed that I was capable of murder. And he was right. I killed him in cold blood, and I didn't even know that I could do it until it was over. And now this is who I am. I'm a murderer. I always was. I just didn't see it in myself, because I hoped . . . I hoped I was a better man than I actually was."
Claire sighed.
"What are we going to do with you, Eli Mills?"
"Well, if you really want my opinion, you shouldn't save me next time."
"You know I can't stop myself."
"I know. And I also know that as long as I'm alive, I'm going to keep needing people. I can make a million promises to myself to stay away from you and everyone else, but I always end up breaking them, because when I see you coming, part of me hopes that I can still fix this. But I can't. I'm not like Mr. Eversoll. I can't be alone. That's why I should leave: so I never have to face temptation. Everyone will be better off when I'm gone. Maybe I'll be able to start a new life, like you said."
"Eli, you don't have to do that . . ."
"Yes, I do. I'm getting off this island, no matter what it takes."
***TSJWFKFEW***
As she continued her ascent, somehow still shooting upwards at full speed, Moonwatcher shook her iPad mini with frustration.
"Don't you dare die on me! I charged you an hour ago, you lousy piece of-"
***TSJWFKFEW***
I backed away as Eli tried to get up, but his wheels slipped helplessly in the sand, and he struggled to so much as clear the ground in front of him. His engine revved as he accelerated, but cut out suddenly in an unhealthy-sounding sputter. He fell on his face, then spat out a mouthful of sand.
"Figures."
I sat beside him.
"That's okay. I'll wait here with you. Someone is bound to find us."
He seemed surprised by the offer, but didn't protest. After a few minutes of silence, he noticed that I was shivering.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just cold."
"I have a heater."
He opened his maw and revealed a set of parallel slits on the roof of his mouth. I wasn't particularly keen to be breathed on for an extended period of time.
"That's okay. I'll live."
We continue to lie there in silence until I felt him shaking beside me. I thought he might be cold too, but he was crying.
"What's wrong?"
". . . Everything. Just . . . everything."
I understood. What else was there to say? I already knew that he was having trouble coming to terms with his body, his past, and- Well, like he said: everything- and I already knew that I couldn't forgive him and that we weren't friends and that we had a casual rapport at the best of times, and a competitive antagonism at the worst of times- but all this confusion was thrown out the window when I looked down and realized that I had wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him close to my chest in a tight hug.
Now, how the fuck did that happen?
Eli seemed just as surprised as I was. He stared at me with still-leaking eyes, seeking an answer that I couldn't provide.
And even though he hadn't spoken . . . Well, he had a point. What the fuck was I doing?
(I started holding him, and I'm still holding him.)
Yes, but why?
(I have no idea, but I haven't let go.)
And let go, I would not. I rocked back and forth slowly, running my paw down his bumpy scales as he gradually became still. The bitter smell of sorrow left him, and for once, he didn't seem to be in any pain or distress. His chest rose and fell with long, deep breaths, and he closed his eyes. I suppose I must have done the same, because I woke up from a short nap a few minutes later. Eli was staring ahead, but his gaze wasn't vacant like it usually was.
"No one's come for us, yet," he whispered.
"I noticed."
"Do you think they'll be much longer?"
"Who knows."
He nodded.
". . . Claire . . . You're a really amazing person."
I didn't know how to respond. Why did he have to put me on the spot like that? Was I supposed to accept the compliment or point out how weird it was that he brought it up out of nowhere or-
"Thank you for everything you've done. I owe you big time. Not just for saving my life three times, but-"
"Three times?"
Oh, fuck. The suicide thing. Right.
"Yes, at least three times," he repeated, ignoring my subtle wince, "You've given me more than I deserve. I should have realized sooner how lenient you were being with me, but I was so focused on the negative that . . . Well, I thought you were being cruel. But you weren't. You showed more patience and kindness than anyone else, and I'm sorry I let you down again."
"You didn't let me down."
"Low expectations?"
"No, not that. You tried to make a new life for yourself- in a very impulsive manner, mind you- but when the time came to choose between my safety or your freedom, you risked your life to make sure that no harm would come to me."
"Of course I did. I couldn't let you get hurt again. Of the two of us, your life matters m-"
He broke off, realizing that that was probably a grim justification.
"Sorry. What I meant to say is that I'm doing my best to make up for the damage I've caused."
"Well, you could start by buying me a drink."
He blinked.
". . . Seriously?"
"Yeah. I don't think anyone is coming."
He hummed.
"Well . . . okay . . ."
***TSJWFKFEW***
A few minutes later, we found ourselves in a small pub by the beach. The bartender, a Carcharodontosaurus, poured my beer from the tap, and Eli's drink from a gas hose. Why he had that option available, I'll never know, but it was awfully convenient. Eli lifted his glass.
"To not dying in a fiery crash."
"To not dying in a fiery crash," I echoed.
As our glasses made contact, ethanol spilled from his cup into mine. He winced and nodded to the bartender.
"Can we get a refill?"
"You'll have to pay for it."
"Fine by me."
I was handed a fresh glass. I stared at my reflection in the golden-yellow fluid, thinking hard. I flinched as a cold droplet of water slid onto my paw. I shook it off and turned to my drinking partner.
"Eli, what were you going to tell me before we crashed?"
He winced, then took a deep breath.
"Are you genuinely asking, or do you want me to confirm what you already know?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
"On whether or not I have it right."
He shrugged.
"Well, you're pretty clever, and I'm not smart enough to be subtle. I think you know what I was going to say, but if you need me to confirm your suspicions, I can. It doesn't matter now, of course."
I traced a water stain on the counter with my claw.
"Is it still true?"
He hesitated before answering, choosing his words carefully.
". . . Yes, but this isn't going to affect anything. It's not like . . . Well, you understand, right?"
"I do."
He bit his lip.
"Is this going to make things weird?"
I shrugged.
"Well, we're both dinosaurs, and we just escaped a giant hovercraft, so it's damn near impossible to 'make' this situation weird. To answer your question, I don't think it necessarily has to be an issue. As long as you don't try anything funny-"
"I would never."
"Right, so as long as you respect the fact that it's an inconvenience and nothing else, we're cool."
"Cool. Very cool."
He sipped his ethanol delicately.
"So, are we-"
"Friends?" I interjected.
"I was going to say 'all good'. I know we're not friends."
"Well, at the very least, we're not enemies, either. I don't know what the future holds, but for now, let's just say you're a 'friendly acquaintance'."
"That's very generous of you."
He was one hundred percent sincere. I gave a half-smile.
"Well, that's what happens when you do the right thing. I'm glad you decided to follow through on improving yourself, Eli. Not many people would. I still haven't forgiven you for what you did, but . . . I dunno. Maybe it's possible. We'll see."
For a second, I thought his brain might short-circuit.
"I can't tell you how happy that makes me . . ."
I lifted a claw in warning.
"No promises."
He nodded rapidly.
"I know, I know. I'm just glad that there's a chance."
He held out his paw for me to shake.
"So . . . friendly acquaintances?"
I rolled my eyes.
"You know, most relationships don't start with a handshake."
"Then it's a good thing I don't have hands."
I smiled and shook his paw.
"Friendly acquaintances."
***TSJWFKFEW***
Owen arrived just in time to see Claire and Eli shaking hands. Although he wasn't sure what had led to this moment, he had trouble believing that Eli could do anything to merit a display of trust, especially after what had just transpired. Claire noticed him standing in the doorway of the pub and gave a little jump.
"Owen! You made it."
"Where the hell have you been?"
He had intended to be gentler about it, but the words slipped out of his mouth like putrid slugs. He regretted them immediately, but withheld from back-pedalling.
"I'm so sorry," Claire breathed as she stepped down from her stool, "I washed up on the beach with Eli, and nobody came to get us, so-"
"So you went out for drinks?"
She rubbed her forearm.
"Yeah . . ."
Moonwatcher pushed Owen aside, marching straight up to Eli.
"You're in big trouble, mister!"
He nodded sadly.
"I know. I won't cause anymore trouble, I promise. You can lock me up again. I won't try to fight it."
"I sure hope not, because you're gonna be doing solitary for a long time!"
A twinge of fear momentarily distorted his face, but Claire stepped in before Moonwatcher could continue.
"I don't think solitary confinement is the best idea, both for Eli and in general. How do you expect to rehabilitate him if all you do is shut him away from any potential emotional support?"
"He can't be rehabilitated."
"That's not true. Give him a chance. Have him stay with Iris. He'll get better, you'll see."
Eli stared at her with disbelief.
"Claire! You don't have to-"
"You've been doing more harm than good, Moonwatcher," Claire continued, "Isolating him from society isn't helping. Let his friends take care of him."
"Eli doesn't have any friends."
"He has us. Zia, Franklin, Gunnar, Owen, and I can keep an eye on him. No cages, no ropes . . . just supervision."
"Sounds risky."
"He already escaped under your system. Why not let us do our own thing? If he tries to escape, we'll hand him over to you, but otherwise, he'll remain in our care."
Moonwatcher rubbed her chin.
"Alright. I suppose it'll balance out the workload, at least. I'll let him stay with your crew, but I have one condition. Eli must attend your training sessions to learn how to apply Owen's lessons to his own self-improvement."
"Done," Eli stated definitively.
Owen uncrossed his arms, lifting a finger.
"Now, hang on-"
To his surprise, Claire held him back. She looked into his eyes and shook her head. His sourness faltered.
"Don't you remember what he did to us? . . ."
"I know. I've made my decision. I want to help him."
Owen shook his head.
"People like Eli can't be helped."
"Eli wants to be helped. That's exactly why he can be helped."
Eli lifted a claw gently as he offered input.
"Claire, you don't have to make this your personal responsibility. With everything you've been going through-"
"That's enough out of both of you. I can make my own decisions."
Eli conceded his point, nodding gently. Owen continued to glare at her.
"You're making a big mistake."
"I don't remember asking your opinion."
He sighed with worry.
"Why are you doing this, Claire?"
"That's none of your business. Just trust that I know what I'm doing, and leave me be."
Owen said nothing. He turned and marched straight out the door, leaving Claire and Eli alone with Moonwatcher. Eli bit his lip.
"Claire, I know you've made your decision, but I feel like I'm interfering with-"
"That's enough, Eli. We'll get you settled tonight and discuss this in the morning."
He nodded, then leaned forward and gave her a hug.
"Claire, thank you, and I'm sorry, and I hope I can repay you someday, and I'm humbled by your mercy and-"
"I know, I know. I'm tired. I need to get home."
He let her go.
"Right, right . . . Do you need a ride?"
"You can walk me home, since you're coming anyway."
"Great! Where should I stay?"
"There's an empty room next to mine. Moonwatcher, can you get us the-"
She pulled a room key from behind her back and placed in in Claire's palm.
". . . Yeah, that. Here you go, Eli."
He took the card between his claws and stared down at it with wonderment.
"Is this really happening? . . ."
"Seems like it," Claire drawled with exhaustion.
Eli held the card against his chest and nodded.
"I'm ready. I promise not to let you down . . . again."
"You never let me down. I had low expectations until now."
Eli smiled.
"Then I promise not to let you down."
Moonwatcher clapped her hands, backing away hastily.
"Great! I'll leave you to it, then."
Eli smiled down at Claire, who nodded to the door. They stepped (and rolled) outside, crossing a field of wet, green grass. The air was cold, but Eli didn't seem to mind. It was as though he was taking it all in for the first time. Out of nowhere, Claire came to a stop and turned to face him.
"Eli?"
"Yes?"
"How long have you . . . you know?"
"Oh, um . . . A long time."
"How long?"
"Since you came to the Estate."
"Really? And you still sent me away to the island?"
He nodded guiltily.
"That was a big mistake . . . but you already know that."
"You didn't have to stand by your decision, you know."
". . . I know. But I did. I hurt you so many times, and it got harder and harder as I realized just how wrong I was, but . . . Well, it took me a long time to do the right thing. Or to try, I guess. I keep messing things up . . ."
"And now?"
"I'll do my best. And if I screw up again, I'll-"
"No, I mean . . . how do you feel now?"
His throat quivered.
"I'm not gonna lie to you, Claire. It hasn't faded with time. Quite the opposite, in fact. But it doesn't matter. We don't have to talk about it, and I definitely don't have to think about it."
"That's okay. I don't care what goes on in your head. Honestly, I'm just glad that someone is capable of-"
She swallowed.
"Nevermind. I don't know what I'm saying."
Eli nodded, avoiding her gaze.
"It's been a long day."
"Yes, it has."
". . . Claire?"
"Yes, Eli?"
"Is this going to make things weird?"
"I don't think so. We have an understanding, right?"
"Absolutely."
"Then I think we can leave it be."
"Alright. But just so you know, there are plenty of people who care about you. Zia and Franklin and Gunnar and Owen and Maisie . . . they're your family, and they love you."
"That's different, though."
"Not with Owen."
She went rigid, quills bristling.
"Okay, now you made thing weird."
"I'm sorry . . ."
"No, it's okay. I just . . . it's a lot to take in."
"Yeah. But what I said was true, just so you know."
"How do you figure?"
"Oh, come on. He loves you. You know it."
"But he's not attracted to me."
"Yes, he is. Don't tell me you don't smell it on him. Your nose is better than mine."
Claire shrugged.
"Smells don't mean anything. You've seen the way he acts around me."
"He's just scared, like all of us. If you talk to him, I'm sure you two can work things out."
"I hope so . . . You know, I'm surprised at how helpful you're being."
He laughed.
"Well, that's a bad sign."
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah, well . . . that's just what friends do."
He caught himself.
"Sorry, I meant- Crap, what was the word you used?"
"Doesn't matter. We're here."
They stood in front of the hotel, basking in a glow that illuminated them from beyond glass doors. Eli cocked his head.
"Are we . . . going inside?"
"Yeah. We are."
After taking a deep breath, she held out her paw.
"Friends?"
He shook it.
"Only if you want to be."
"Alright. Goodnight, Eli."
"Goodnight, Claire."
***TSJWFKFEW***
Maisie rolled over in bed when she heard a deep snuffing sound. She peeked through her blinds, terrified that she'd come face to face with a monster, but instead, she caught sight of a canine sniffing the lawn outside the hotel. It was large, taller than a truck, even, and seemed to be not quite a hyena and not quite a dog. Its armour clanked noisily as it pressed its nose into the grass. Maisie gulped and let her fingers slip down from the blinds, but they clattered together noisily. The animal lifted its head and stared straight at her. Without missing a beat, the creature leapt into the tree outside her window. It knocked on the glass with a black paw.
"Little girl, can you let me in?"
"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."
"It's okay. I'm an officer of the law."
"Do you have a badge?"
The dog pulled a medallion from her back pocket. Maisie wasn't sure how to respond to this. On one hand, she had been told to obey police officers. On the other hand, trusting strangers didn't feel right, no matter what their job was.
"Why have you come here?" she quavered.
"I'm looking for an escaped criminal. I tracked her this far, but I'm not certain she's actually here. Have you seen a giant bat lately?"
"No, and I've never seen one before now. My mother can almost change into a bat, though."
The dog wrinkled her nose.
"I'll bet that's why my Moonstone has been acting up."
She pulled a smooth, grey rock from her shoulder bag.
"This stone glows white when a bat is present. If your mother has been changing back and forth, I'll bet she's been causing it to flicker. If a real bat was nearby, it wouldn't cut out so suddenly, unless they travelled to another world."
The hound placed the stone on Maisie's windowsill, then pulled a thin, metal tube from the same pouch.
"Keep this with you, little girl, and give me a whistle if you see a bat. She must be brought to justice."
Maisie stared down at the artifacts uncertainly.
"My mother says that bats are friendly. A snail told her so."
The canine laughed.
"You poor child. You've been misinformed. Bats are terrifying creatures. They'll suck your blood and give you rabies. You don't want rabies, do you?"
Maisie pictured a black monster with red eyes and white fangs. Suddenly, bats weren't sounding so cute. Dogs, on the other hand, were supposed to be man's best friend. Maisie wasn't a man, but she got the basic idea. She opened the window a crack and pulled the stone and whistle to her side.
"I'll let you know if I see a bat."
"Good girl. If anyone asks, just tell them that you were given these instructions by Captain Stacy."
"Okay."
The dog winked, then bounded away, disappearing into the night. Maisie looked down at the whistle in her hand. She felt an immense responsibility weighing her down.
She couldn't disobey an authority figure, could she? Slipping the stone into her pocket, she decided to ask her mother.
As she stepped into the hall, however, she realized two things. One, there was a reason she hadn't seen her parents all day. Two, that reason was that they had returned with her least favourite person. She stared at the red autosaur, backing away from her mother with an expression of absolute betrayal.
"What's he doing here?" she hissed.
Claire swallowed nervously.
"Maisie, what are you doing up so late? Didn't Iris put you to bed?"
She wasn't having any of her shit. Claire realized that it would be impossible to sidestep this development.
"Maisie, sweetheart, Eli is going to stay in the hotel with us, but you don't have to see him if you don't want to. I know how you feel about-"
"He belongs in a cage."
"Maisie!"
"He does! Why would you bring him here, after what he did to us?"
Claire took a deep breath.
"Maisie, he's apologized, and he's willing to change. I know that doesn't undo everything, but-"
She wheeled around and slammed the door behind her, locking Claire out of her room.
"Maisie!"
The doorknob rattled. Maisie stepped back as Claire knocked on the door.
"Maisie, come out. This isn't what you think it is . . ."
She sniffled, lip quivering, and after stumbling backwards in shock, flung herself onto her bed and sobbed into the pillow. Claire's pleas rang in her ears, utterly meaningless after this unexpected change. She wasn't sure how long she stayed there, but she gave up eventually. She could hear Owen scolding her in the next room over.
Good. She deserved it.
Maisie rolled over and grabbed her stuffed Claire, which she flung against the wall with an unhinged fury.
"I HATE YOU!"
The toy landed on her dresser, and the voicebox came to life.
"I love you."
Maisie squeaked and wrapped her arms around her knees. She hid her face and cried for what felt like hours. Finally, she sniffled and pulled the Moonstone out of her pocket.
Claire had betrayed her, but someone still needed her help.