"Six months old today!"
Maisie smiled at Owen's over the top announcement to the camera as it jostled between his face and the hyped velociraptors. Who had no concept of a birthday, but could pick up on Owen's enthusiasm. Or they just realized that Owen had meat.
"Feel their excitement in the air." Owen threw out a few dried pieces on the other side of the room. Echo and Charlie dove for it, but Delta and Echo weren't so easily fooled. Owen eyed the camera. "Yet another example of the second group's discernment. We're testing its limits... and so far haven't found any."
Maisie watched intently as Blue made a move for the bag hanging off Owen's shoulder. Owen angled himself between Blue and the bag, two clicks coming off his clicker. Blue and Delta paused at this. Echo and Charlie also raised their heads.
"This sound has been used since birth, establishing recognition of their alpha." Owen didn't dare glimpse at the camera, holding his stand off with Blue. "In the last week we've been introducing patterns. Patterns we're hoping they'll learn to respond and react to."
Maisie waited, clutching the pen from the hotel lobby, her thumb just above the clicker. On the video, Owen clicked his three times, holding his hand high. The raptors' heads followed it. Echo and Charlie stepped closer, eyes wide in curiosity and caution. Then Owen commanded. "Stand down."
But Blue and Delta took steps forward instead. Owen kept his stance, letting off another three clicks. "Stand down."
Maisie echoed these clicks with her pen. But Delta and Blue only wanted the food, Delta even swiping at Owen's arm! But Owen kept them at bay- away from the food- repeating his clicks and commands. Finally, Blue's posture relaxed. She barked softly and Charlie, Delta, and Echo did the same. Even backing up a few steps. Owen smiled proudly. "There we go. Nice job!"
He began feeding each raptor as the video ended.
"Maisie, I think that's enough." Claire spoke up from the other bed of their hotel room. Where she was dressed, Maisie had remained in her pajamas, comfortable within a 'chair' of over-stuffed pillows. She moved Claire's laptop aside, rolling over on her stomach. "One more-"
"You've already watched seven." Claire shook her head, gesturing for the laptop. She had forgone it while she egged over her papers for her meeting. They were lists of points she wanted to bring up and any counterarguments she thought the senator guy might give her. Maisie didn't care, but Claire had this thing about working things out under her breath. It was giving Maisie a headache. She wanted Owen here to provide comic relief. She had a paper to write questions on, but had become too engrossed to put any down. That and she had fallen asleep during the third and fourth ones. Since when did dinosaurs made her sleepy?
"Honestly, enough." Claire collected her papers atop the laptop, moving both to the desk that sat diagonal from the beds. "I want to talk with Zia and Franklin before the others sign on; make sure we're all on the same page."
Maisie laid her head back on the pillows. "The papers you've changed twice?"
Claire looked up in mock shock. "Is that sass I detect?"
Maisie thought to laugh, but she didn't. She was tired. And her head… when had it gotten so heavy? Maybe just thinking too much. Her mind fell back on the last screen capture of Blue and her pack. Then to the apatosaurus she had watched with Owen. Maisie went between terror and fascination for these dinosaurs. They were the characters from Grandpa's stories, the toys she grew up with, and the legends her mind ran with before she went to sleep.
Claire was suddenly bedside the bed, staring oddly at her. "Maisie, you ok?"
"Tired." Maisie gave an indifferent shrug. "Really tired."
Yes her head hurt, but Claire needed to be ready and undistracted for her conference. Maisie started at Claire's hand covering her forehead. "You are a little warm…"
"Mum," It slipped out again and Maisie sat up. "I mean, Claire!"
Claire stepped back, caught between concern and a smile. "Better make up your mind."
Maisie blushed, crossing her legs. "Well now I feel reallyguilty for not saying anything to Owen."
"Don't worry about it." Claire eased off, going back to her laptop and notes. "And just rest. We can do some more sight-seeing after this meeting."
Maisie pushed her hair back, thinking about Owen standing, alone, as they'd driven away. Her thoughts had been pegging him as 'Dad', and Claire as 'Mum' more and more. She just hoped it wasn't wishful thinking. She was here because Claire and Owen had convinced Iris that it was safest. That was saying something with dinosaurs roaming California. Her mind returned again to the apatosaurus and she cleared her throat. "I… I still don't want them to die."
Claire paused, taking a long, gentle look at her. "A part of me doesn't want them to either." But she gave an encouraging smile. "And no, that's not a bad thing."
Maisie smiled back, spreading out on her pillows. She grew settled as Claire sat at the desk, prepping. Safe. Maisie hoped she didn't have to outgrow that excuse; even after the dinosaurs were gone.
}{}{}{}{
"We don't have to be here, you know."
Carla eyed Jett, like he was crazy. He held up his hands to deflect her glare. "I'm just saying, lots of other business have closed down."
"The ones up north have." Carla specified, dinging the cash register drawer open. "Where the outbreak happened and where it's mostly been contained. We're in the clear and we're staying open."
Jett appreciated his wife's business enthusiasm; it'd kept their supermarket running for thirty years now. Even with most of their employees staying home, glued to their news channels. Jett had convinced Ursula to go home at noon, since they'd had no afternoon customers all week. Jett had pressed Carla each day to simply close the market down. She told him he was being silly to lose even one paying customer. And with no dinosaur attacks in their area to speak of, Jett's argument was growing weaker by the day; thank goodness. Even so, having the Coast Guard posted at every road between them and the state line didn't alleviate his anxiety. Sure, they had been a lifesaver in a few cases, but their food deliveries hadn't come this week, putting them in danger of being understocked.
"Only two hours before we close up-" Carla reasoned when the ding of the automatic doors drew their attention. The doors closed, but even with the obtrusion of a display, Jett didn't see anyone. Jett raised a brow. "Hello?"
The ding sounded again, the doors opened and shut... and again, no one walked through.
"Oh, no," Carla exasperated. "Is it broken?"
"Maybe some kids." Jett suggested, heading to check it out. He came to the front, stopped, turned in a full circle. Nothing. Odd. And that was the second time it'd happened today.
"Anything?" Carla called out. Jett prepared to answer, when the slight scurrying of feet caught his ear. So faint, he wasn't sure the sound had been real. "No. I guess not."
"Well, there's a definite answer." Carla sighed as Jett reappeared at the counter. He gave a little pout. "Let's just close early, Car. One afternoon won't kill the business."
The very idea fired her brown eyes with annoyance. But Jett choose to pull rank, kissed her cheek, and headed for the back. "We'll pack the meat in the freezer and call it a day."
"There you go getting bossy again." Carla teased, locking the register. She slung her arm into Jett's and they strolled to the meat aisle together. Their feet screeched at the sight of four-foot creatures clawing up the side of the refrigerated rows. The creatures pulled themselves up with thin arms and spindly legs. Tails whipped back and forth for balance as mouths opened, showing little teeth ready to rip into the raw steaks.
"Wh-" Jett began, before Carla screamed. The growls and snarls stopped abruptly and the dinosaurs' heads turned. Eyed them with large, glassy pupils. Jett clutched Carla's hand and backed up slowly. They sensed this retreat, heads cocking... then abandoning the steaks. Carla's eyes bulged. "J-Jett-"
"Stay. Calm." Jett took another step back, pulling her with him. The growling returned, following by a hissing as the little dinos jumped to the floor. Their claws clicked against the tile and Jett tried to keep distance as the clicking came closer. He turned Carla around- only to find three more cutting off the aisle. They were encircled!
Carla fell forward with another scream, one of the dinos dragging her down by her calf. Jett wasn't given the chance to help as one leaped on his shoulders. Claws and teeth broke the skin of his back. They were small, but the pain sank deep, tearing the tissue and muscle wide open. Jett's screams matched Carla's and he tried frantically to get it off. But then there was another on his arm, pulling it the opposite way.
How are they so strong? The bizarre thought hit Jett. How can I end up dying from something so small?!
"Jett!" Carla shrieked, kicking with her free leg. With bloody fingers, she clung to the edge of a metal shelf to keep the carnivores from dragging her away. Jett pushed himself up as another leaped out of nowhere, landing on her chest. She was flattened as its jaws clamped across her throat. Carla arched and screamed again, chilling Jett's blood.
The next shriek however, silenced everything. The little dinosaurs stopped their attacking, heads jerking toward it. Jett's eyes tore from Carla to the shadow that fell over them from up the aisle. A bigger dinosaur stood there, all claws and scales and hungry, glowing eyes. Jett's heart sank, even as the little dinosaurs retreated off of him and Carla. The big dinosaur crouched, growled, and extended its claws, ready for its next meal. Claws scrapping the tile, it surged forward. Jett managed to roll over, putting himself in front of Carla.
The tail whipped him on the head as the dinosaur passed them, snatching one of the tiny ones in its mouth. With one crunch, the neck snapped and it flung it aside, diving for the next one. Jett's breathing slowed for a shocked second. It was going to eat the other dinosaurs... instead of them?
A few of the little dinosaurs tried climbing on its back, but the big dinosaur was fast. It rammed against the shelves, knocking them- and the food- to the ground. Their cries mixed as they tried to establish dominance, clawing and biting at every turn. Jett pushed himself out, biting his lip to hold in the pain. "Ca-Carla."
He had himself at a sitting position and put his arms under her armpits. A tiny dinosaur hit the shelf just above their heads, knocking him back down with the avalanche of boxes. Claws burned across his cheek and he batted the creature off. Gaining leverage with his feet, he began pushing him and Carla backwards, farther and farther away from the increasing carnage. Carla kept her hands over her mouth so she didn't cry out with every movement of her leg.
"It's okay. I gotcha you." Jett whispered desperately to her, until they were almost to the front. He hoped it calmed them both, to get outside. They always parked at the front. He would take them to the hospital, then take them home. Where they should've stayed from the beginning.