Sierra was falling into a white, glowing portal, which led down to the underground ocean.
She fell with a loud THUD.
Max was in the tent, conversating with a young, skinny toned woman who had white hair and albino red eyes when he heard the loud THUD.
The young woman looked at him and wrapped him in a hug, to protect.
"What was that, dear?" She asked as Max was now trying to get up from the chair that he was sitting in.
Max looked at her, with reassurance.
"My niece, Sierra. You stay here. I'll be right back." He said as he let go of her and began to leave out of the tent.
Sierra had her face covered in sand when she began to hear footsteps.
She instantly got her head out of the sand and was now lying on her back.
"Sierra, are you okay? I'm so glad that you're here today." Max said as he raced over to help her get back up onto her feet.
Sierra was now rubbing her head in remedy of the bad headache that she was having.
"Huh, Uncle Max? Oh...yeah. I...I'm okay and um...so glad to see you too." She said as she looked at him, with watery, hurting and painful eyes.
Max had a concerned look on his face as he rushed Sierra into the tent.
…..
The white haired woman was reading Paleontology Weekly and Tyrannogiganto Vogue when she saw Max return with Sierra.
"Hey, Max, sweetheart. You didn't tell me that you had a niece." She said as Max was sitting Sierra down onto the chair right beside his.
Sierra looked at her before she sat down.
"Hi. I'm Sierra. Sierra Anderson. It's a pleasure to meet you, um…" She began to say as she was introducing herself.
"Gigantra." The white haired woman said as she gripped onto Sierra's hand and began to shake it.
Sierra was shaking badly.
Max began to notice it.
"Um, Gigantra...Could you stop shaking her hand? I think that you're triggering her seismic activity." He said as he looked from her to Sierra, who was shaking very badly.
Gigantra looked at her.
"Oops. Sorry." She said, in an apologetic tone as she let go of Sierra's hand and Sierra fell into the chair.
Meanwhile…
"Sierra, please wake up. Please?" Laney said, concerned as she was shaking her.
Katherine was working on CPR and chest compressions.
Darien looked at the two.
"Hey. Can I um...try something out?" He asked, hesitantly as he was watching Katherine and Laney trying to revive Sierra.
Katherine and Laney stopped what they were doing to look at him.
"Sure. Besides, my hands are getting all achy and sweaty." Katherine said as she was now getting up.
"Yeah. She has sweaty hands and I have tired hands. Go ahead, Darien." Laney said as she laid Sierra's body back down onto the carpet and was now getting up and letting the young boy take over.
Darien knelt down beside Sierra's body and placed two fingers on her neck.
He was hoping that he would find a pulse.
…..
Sierra landed in the chair.
She could finally relax.
As she was relaxing, she could feel a sharp pain in her neck.
She cried out in pain.
Max and Gigantra looked at her, concerned but confused.
"Sierra, what's wrong?" He asked as he looked at her, worried.
Gigantra chuckled.
"She probably has to use the bathroom, sweetheart." She said as she looked up from her issue of Tyrannogiganto Vogue.
Sierra shook her head no.
"If you don't have to go to the bathroom, then what is it, Sierra?" Max said, worried about her.
Just as she was about to speak, she began to hear seismic activity and voices.
Voices that belonged to Katherine, Laney and…
Darien.
They must be trying to wake me up and, right now, something is preventing me from communicating to them but, what? Well… Whatever it is, I have to figure this out and fast! Sierra said to herself as she looked back down from the sky.
Gigantra looked at Max.
"Is she okay, sweetheart? I can get rid of her easily for you, if you want me to." She said as she looked at Sierra, with predator eyes.
Max looked at Sierra, who was now beginning to cover her ears.
He had to help her.
"That won't be necessary. She's my niece and she's hurting really bad right now." Max said as he began to head over to where Sierra was.
Gigantra scoffed.
"Whatever…" She said as she rolled her vicious T-Rex shaped eyes and began to go back to her magazine.
…
After twenty minutes of trying to awaken Sierra, the three stared concerningly at her unconscious body.
"Mr. Anderson is going to be so mad at us for this." Katherine said as she looked at Laney and Darien.
Laney sniffled.
"Yep. Sierra was the best girl to be hanging out with. So full of adventure." She said as she was crying.
Katherine began to hug her, in comfort.
Darien then began to feel a heartbeat.
He looked back up at Katherine and Laney.
"Ladies?" Darien said as he heard the two girls mourning and crying.
Katherine and Laney stopped crying and looked at him.
"Yeah?" The two said together, at the same time as they were trying to get themselves back together.
Darien smiled when he felt a beating pulse, panging inside Sierra's neck.
"Sierra isn't dead. Whatever happened to her must've made her pass out. Whether it could be the heat or the state of her mind. Give her neck a feel. I'm not lying." He said as Katherine and Laney were now slowly kneeling down beside him.
Katherine and Laney looked at each other and were now placing two fingers, where Sierra's beating neck was pulsating from.
They both could feel a pulse.
They smiled.
"She's alive! She's alive! Isn't this wonderful, Laney?" Katherine said, excitedly as she began to get up.
Laney smiled and nodded her head yes.
"It is wonderful, Katherine and Darien… What should we do in the meantime? You know… Before she wakes up?" She said as she was beginning to get up.
Darien got up and was now on both of his feet.
He then began to think.
Hmm. These girls were doing research. Though, why? Does this all have to do with Lidenbrock, my six time great uncle and Maxwell Anderson, Sierra's uncle? There's a 100% probability. But, right now, we need to get Sierra to her father, Professor Trevor Anderson. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Darien said to himself as he looked at Sierra and then back at Katherine and Laney.
"Did Professor Anderson tell you girls where to head next after you three got done here?" Darien asked, with intrigue.
Katherine and Laney began to think.
They then remembered what Trevor had told them.
"We were supposed to be reporting back to the university. Am I correct on that, Katherine?" Laney said as she was remembering tiny fragments.
Katherine nodded her head yes.
"Correctomondo, mi mejor amiga." Katherine said as she looked at Laney and gave her a thumbs up.
Darien looked at Katherine, confused.
"What does she mean by that, Laney?" He said, remembering the foreign language that Katherine was talking in.
"She means...in translation… Correct, my best friend." Laney said, giving an explanation.
"Yep but, amiga is feminine because Laney is a female." Katherine said as she was also giving a clarification.
"Oh. Okay. Gotcha. I'm sorry if I didn't get it the first time. I grew up mainly around German people." Darien said as he looked at them.
Katherine and Laney looked at him and smiled.
"It's okay, Darien. It takes a while to pick up on a new language." Katherine said as she looked from him to Laney.
Laney looked at him and smiled.
"Yep. It's no biggie, dude." Laney said as she patted him on the back.
"Heh heh. Yeah…" Darien said, awkward and hesitant.
He wasn't used to being patted on the back.
Katherine and Laney looked back at Sierra.
"So, Darien… Are you coming with us to the university?" Katherine said as she looked back at him.
"Yeah. It would be so cool. Sierra would introduce you to Mr. Anderson and we would have fun." Laney said, urging it on.
Darien looked at Sierra, then at the exhibit of Max Anderson and then back at Katherine and Laney.
"As good as that sounds, ladies… I would be more than willing to come along." He said, giving his final answer.
Katherine and Laney looked at each other and smiled.
"Alright then…" Katherine said as she began to kneel back down to Sierra's body.
"Let's do this!" Laney said, with encouragement.
After they got the unconscious girl onto her feet, the three began to walk together out of the museum, supporting Sierra.
(So...Sierra is unconscious and back down to her last resort. The underground beach. Though, something isn't right with this picture. A new character has appeared and is already wanting to cause trouble. Her skin is albino and scaly. Remind you on anyone who was chasing Max? Now, Sierra is trying to get back to her friends. Please stay tuned for chapter nine.)