Watertruck
Grant awoke.
He squeezed in sideways It was a very tight fit
He found himself in a space no bigger than the inside of a watertruck, lit by a small battery-powered lantern.
A hand was put on Grant's shoulder.
"Sir, are you okay?"
"What happened?"
"You nearly passed out. Eric and I here used the last of the gas grenades."
Grant looked up and saw two young boys, each with a T-Shirt and shorts.
They were none other then Miles Roby and Eric Kirby. The boys that they had all been looking for.
"Thanks, Miles."
Miles gasped.
"You know who I am?"
"You and Eric. Your parents are here looking for you."
"Are they together?" said Eric.
Grant nodded.
"It can't be," said Eric.
"Why not?"
"Their relationship only works as neighbors," said Miles, "otherwise they'd be teaming up to find us."
"They are," said Grant, "and as a matter of fact, you'd be surprised what people can do when they have too."
Miles and Eric both studied him, finally certain that they recognized him.
"It can't be," said Miles.
"What?" said Grant.
"You're Alan Grant," said Eric, "what are you doing here?"
"Your parents invited me along to be their guide."
"So we see," said Miles.
Grant finished up the mashed-up meat from a coffee can and picked a bottle of yellow liquid.
"What's this? Lemonade?"
"Be careful with that," said Eric.
"Why?" said Grant.
"It's from the T-Rex," said Miles, "scares away the little dinosaurs like Compsognathus but it attracts the really big one with the fin."
"This is T-Rex pee?" said Grant, holding the bottle up.
Miles nodded as he bit into his candy bar.
"Where did you get it?"
Eric gulped down a bite of his candy bar and replied "you don't wanna know."
"Oh, okay," said Grant, nodding his head.
"Dessert?" said Miles, passing Grant a candy bar.
"Thanks, Miles," said Grant and bit into it at once.
"We've read both your books," said Miles.
"You did?" said Grant, gulping down the bite of his candy bar.
"Yeah, I have them back at home."
"When Miles first bought it, he let me borrow them," said Eric.
"Which one do you prefer?"
"The first one," said Miles.
"Yeah," said Eric, "before you were on the island. You liked dinosaurs back then."
"Back then they hadn't tried to eat me yet."
"When InGen cleared out, they left a lot of stuff behind," said Miles.
"It's been that long," said Eric.
"Yep," said Grant and rustled up the wrapper of his candy bar.
There was a long pause.
Grant finally spoke up.
"Did any of you guys read Ian Malcolm's book?"
Eric raised his hand.
"I have it back at home."
"Eric let me borrow it in return," said Miles.
"What did you think of it?" said Grant.
"I don't know," said Miles.
"Me neither," said Eric, "it was a kind of preachy."
"Yeah," said Miles, "it seemed like the guy was a bit high on himself."
"That's something that we both have in common," said Grant.
There was another long pause.
"Any weapons or radios?" said Grant
Eric pulled up a long electric cattle prod to show Grant.
"Found this, but the battery's dead."
"It's a wonder you aren't. I'm amazed, boys. I barely lasted 30 hours. You lasted eight weeks."
Grant's words caught them both strangely.
"Is that all it's been?" said Miles.
"I thought it was longer," said Eric
"The important thing is all three of us made it," said Grant, "that's something we have in common."
"And so let's make a toast to that," said Eric, taking out three cans of Coca-Cola and passing one over to Grant.
"Would you like to join, Dr. Grant?" said Miles.
"Sure, guys," said Grant.
So they opened up their coke cans and toasted to a great survival before taking a sip.
"Listen," said Eric, "compies."
He put down his coke and to the door of the watertruck.
Compies crawled around everywhere.
Eric quickly closed the door and rushed back to his chair.
"That was a close one," he sighed to himself.
They all agreed.
Canopy
The sky turned to dusk.
An Ankylosaurus marched slowly through the ground.
Amanda laid herself down.
Paul sat across from her.
Billy and Simone called out of the tree.
"Alan! Alan!" shouted Billy.
"Alan!" shouted Simone.
But it was no use.
Simone gave out a sad sigh.
"I bet he's safe. Don't you, Billy?"
"Of course. He is our mentor and I believe in him."
"That's good. I guess the best we can do now is wait for our search for him till morning."
"Good plan," said Billy and they both went back into the trees.
Amanda looked out at the sunset.
"You look worried," said Paul.
"I'm not," said Amanda, "I bet a high chance they're safe."
"Me too."
"Paul, I'm sorry you have to be here."
"That's okay. I'm just here to find Miles. That's all."
"This is all my fault. I blame myself completely."
"You shouldn't. I mean, Miles wanted to see the dinosaurs so he joined Eric. But then I bring Ben Hildebrand into the mix. Trust to look after my son. Then..."
"Then what?"
"I'm just saying it's not your fault."
"Thanks, Paul. And here's another why I don't care much for Ben. He was reckless enough to put our children in danger."
"And?"
"Eric would've been very safe if he were with you. Ben took them to the more dangerous parts of the island where they were sure to be stranded. I'm sorry for letting him take Miles out."
"My fault. I gave permission to take my son out to see the dinosaurs."
"It's alright, Paul. At least, once we find them, everything will be fine."
They both gave each other a slight smile.
"Well," said Amanda, "I guess the only thing we could do now is get a good night's sleep so we can find them tomorrow."
"You're right."
"Good night, Paul."
"Good night, Amanda."
And Amanda turned around and went to sleep at once.
Paul lay down and smiled. He had never revealed his secret crush on Amanda since they first met but their love relationship was slowly developing.
Billy and Simone watched the moon when nightfall came.
"Isn't it beautiful, Simone?"
"What is, Billy?"
"That moon. It's almost full."
"Oh yeah. Definitely."
"So how long did you say you've worked as a naturalist again?"
"Since college."
"Wow. When we first met and became colleagues, huh?"
"Yeah. I guess that's true."
"Simone, I'm sorry that you have to come all the way over here. It's just that...Alan's always been a true friend of mine and..."
"It's okay, Billy. You don't have to say sorry for anything. As a matter of fact, I can't wait to reach the coast. And all the beautiful dinosaurs we'll see there."
"Yeah. Right. Well, I can't wait either."
"You're a really good colleague, Billy."
"Thanks, Simone. I think I feel the same about you."
"It's just that...at a time like this...I was wondering if...I could..."
"Admit the truth?"
Simone gasped back in surprise.
"Why how did you realize that?"
"I feel it in my gut."
"I think I feel the same thing."
"And I think I'm about to admit the truth."
Simone looked at him and laughed.
Billy and Simone kissed as the moon shone across the sky.
Daylight
The sky turned blue.
Grant opened the door to the watertruck and walked out with Miles and Eric to follow.
Eric pulled out something from his pocket and showed it to Grant.
"Dr. Grant, could you tell me what this is?"
Grant looked down and saw a claw in Eric's hand.
"A raptor claw. I used to have one. It was a fossil."
"Mine's new."
"He got it here on the island," said Miles.
"Impressive," said Grant.
"I'd say," said Miles, "we both kept it because we though it would in handy later."
"Great," said Grant as the three of them walked through the jungle, "keep hold of it just in case we need it."
"Sure thing, Dr. Grant," said Eric.
"How much of this island have you guys explored anyway?
"We stayed pretty close to the compound," said Miles.
"Yeah," said Eric, "we both figured if anyone came to look for us, that's where they'd start.
"We need to head for the coast," said Grant.
"Are you sure?" said Miles
"Why?"
"Closer you get to the water, the bigger things get."
Back on the other side of the jungle, Amanda, Billy and Simone waited as Paul hiked up his trousers and came out of the bushes.
"We need to stick with the plan," said Billy.
"What plan?" said Paul.
"Heading for the coast," said Simone.
"They're right," said Paul
"What about Eric?" said Amanda, "and Miles?"
"Miles is a smart kid," said Paul.
"So is Eric," said Amanda.
"Yes," said Paul, "so they probably have a better chance by the coast as it is. Figure that all the big dinosaurs would live in the center of the island. Right?"
"Sure," said Billy,
"Yeah, sure," said Simone.
And the four of them continued on through the jungle.
Spinosaurus
As Grant and the kids walked through the jungle, they heard a strange sound. It sounded human.
The three of them came to a stop.
"You hear that?" said Eric.
"What?" said Grant
It sounded like a ringtone.
"Sounds like my dad's ringtone," said Miles.
He started running.
Grant and Eric ran after him.
"Wait, Miles," said Grant, "how would you know?"
"I just know," he called back, "Roby Paint And Tile Plus At Westgate. Dad! Dad!"
"Mom! Mom!" called Eric.
Paul, Amanda, Billy and Simone were walking through when they heard Miles and Eric's calls.
"Dad! Mom! Dad! Mom!"
"Eric!" shouted Amanda.
"Miles!" shouted Paul.
"Eric!"
"Mom!"
"Dad!"
"Eric!"
"Miles!"
The two groups both ran out of the jungle on each side of a fence and ran up to each other.
"Kids!" shouted Paul and Amanda.
"Mom! Dad!" shouted Miles and Eric.
The four of them ran up to each other and engaged in a group hug.
"I knew it! I knew it!" said Paul, kissing Miles.
"I knew it all along!" said Amanda, kissing Eric.
With Miles and Eric looking up to each other as brothers and Paul and Amanda's love relationship finally developed, the four of them felt like a family.
Billy and Simone met Grant from the other side.
"Hey, Alan," said Simone, shaking his hand.
"Hey, Alan. You made it," said Billy, gripping his hand with Grant's.
"Yep. And I rescued your lucky pack as well."
"Want me to carry it?"
"Nah. I've got it."
"How did you guys know we were here?" said Paul.
"That jingle, dad," said Miles, "that stupid jingle from the store."
"My satellite phone," said Paul.
"When was the last time you've had it, honey," said Amanda.
"On the plane," said Paul, "I had with me on the plane and..."
He stopped to think and remember.
"What? What is it?" said Amanda.
"I loaned to Nash."
The jingle sounded again.
"He must've had it with him when he..."
The jingle sounded closer.
The group looked to see none other then the Spinosaurus, the same dinosaur that killed Cooper and Nash when they first arrived and the same one that killed the T-Rex, standing behind the trees, staring at them with the jingle sounding inside it's body.
"Run!" grunted Grant.
The Spinosaurus roared and striked.
Grant, Miles and Eric ran through the small door of the fence and joined Paul, Amanda, Billy and Eric on the other.
Paul and Eric stood tightly behind Miles and Eric as Grant, Billy and Simone stood aside.
They all watched as the Spinosaurus stomped away in defeat.
They were all relieved until they saw it coming back.
It destroyed the fence and charged at them.
It roared again before chasing down to small building.
Paul and Amanda hurried Miles and Eric inside and Grant, Billy and Simone ran in after them and closed down the locks to the door so the Spinosaurus couldn't get in.
Miles and Eric sighed in relief.
"It's okay, kids," said Amanda as she settled both of them down, "it's okay."
Billy and Simone looked at Grant as he still had Billy's lucky back strapped around his arm.
"Alan," said Billy, "can I have my bag back, please?"
"It's okay, Billy," said Grant, "I'll take it from here."
"Alan, please give me the bag."
Grant looked at Billy with curiosity flowing through his mind.
"It's not safe, Alan. Please."
Grant had a suspicious feeling about his assistant and zipped open his bag in surprise.