Chapter 4
The last spike wall materialized into place outside the large wood fence, finally finishing a week long project that had left Liam completely drained. His implant had advanced him to the point where he could create large wooden structures, and one of them was a barrier covered in huge 4 foot wooden spikes. It was the only thing that made him feel safe now…
The death of Duck had taught him a harsh lesson about his new home: He was NEVER safe. At any time he could become lunch for a roaming dinosaur, and as such he had chosen the safest possible path of survival. He built large wooden walls running from the cliffs behind him out to the shoreline, effectively cutting a slice of beach off from any uninvited guests. The only way anything could get in would be to fall from the high cliffs behind the base, or to swim around the walls, and thus far he had seen no sign of large land predators along the beach that would attempt such a thing. Not to mention the spikes on the outside deterred anything from even trying to get in. As for Liam's ease of access, he had built himself a doorway in each wall right up against the cliff, ensuring he had a way in that couldn't be easily broken into.
Now only one mission remained on his mind: He had to find out what that giant building was that he had seen. Up until this point he had not DARED to leave his home island, unwilling to cross into uncharted territory before he had a safe place to live. Now that his home was completed however, he began to give the journey some serious thought. The structure couldn't be more than a few miles away, but that trek would take him straight through predator infested jungle. He had an assortment of primitive tools that he could craft, including a wood and metal pike that had proved to be effective against the roaming raptors. The construction of his home had seen two different attacks from the small hunters, but the open beach plus the length of the pike made stabbing them quite easy. Unfortunately, he knew that the mainland predators would be FAR larger, as proven by the Spinosaurus that patrolled the river forming his island.
Therefore, he had decided that stealth would be his only option. He hadn't wanted to try and tame another dinosaur, mostly to avoid the crushing feeling of loss coming back. So instead he would travel light, with just enough provisions to get him to the tower and back, just in case the worst happened and there was no one there. He would also bring his tool set, so he could adapt to any challenges on the way. No doubt, this would be a terrifying trip… but he had no choice. That night, he packed away some freshly cooked Raptor meat, along with a fair assortment of berries. He would take with him only his new Pike, and his stone hatchet and pick, along with a few materials to repair them. He had the ability to make metal ones, but metal was scarce on the shoreline, barely enough to craft the point on the pike. He settled into an uneasy sleep… terrified of the next day.
He set out as the sun rose, moving quickly towards where the mouth of the river emptied into the sea. He thought about swimming past the mouth, but he had no idea what could be waiting below the surface of the deep water, so he instead headed inland along the tree line, keeping FAR from the river edge. He stayed as low and silent as possible, doing his best to act like part of the scenery. With any luck, the Spinosaurus would have much bigger prey to worry about than a tiny human, and he doubted any raptors from the woods would dare cross into the Spino's territory. Very quickly he caught sight of the Green Tower, feeling the same strange draw he had felt the day Duck had been killed. Farther and farther he moved, searching desperately for a way across the river that didn't involve swimming.
As was typical of his luck however, there was nothing. No narrow crossings, no stones to cross, and no fallen trees, just an endless river with no end in sight. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the familiar heat began to beat him into the ground. As he rounded a bend in the river, he was happy to see a few Triceratops along the edge of the water, seemingly relaxed while eating the plants that grew there. If they think it's safe here, then this is the best place to rest. He made his way to a large pile of boulders opposite the Trikes, sitting down under a tiny overhang to eat some raptor steak. He found slight enjoyment in the thought that he might be eating one of Duck's murderers, though he once again felt the gnawing loneliness that dogged his every step.
If I can't find anyone else here soon… then what will the point is of me continuing to survive here?
Once he finished his meal, he stood and continued down the river, approaching the point where the river began to curve around the back of his little island. He had never gone this far inland before, and the sight that greeted him around the next bend filled him with dread. Up ahead, the river branched in two directions, the main current splitting around his island. The river itself led directly inland, and he could very clearly see swamplands absolutely TEEMING with life. Giant insects flew through the air, and he could see what looked like a massive snake basking on some rocks in the hot sun. There was no way he would DARE trying to go further inland, which meant he now had no choice but to swim across the river farther back.
He turned back the way he had come, looking for the narrowest point possible to cross. It wasn't very long before he returned to the Triceratops herd, passing through the many rocks on his side of the river. While still among the rocks, he approached the water's edge, hoping that maybe some of the rocks might allow him to jump part way into the current, cutting down the time needed to cross. Sadly none of the boulders lay close enough for his purposes, and he was about to turn away when he spotted something. A ripple had formed in the water, making a beeline for the Triceratops herd.
Oh no…..
The ashen grey Spino burst out of the water with unbelievable speed, charging toward a Triceratops that had distanced itself from the herd. The Trike spun towards the sudden noise just as the Spino crashed into it, jaws closing around its bony frill. The trike bellowed and shook its head, wrenching its bleeding head loose and charging forward. The Spino neatly dodged the horns and braced for another charge, then looked up at the sound of more bellowing. The rest of the Trike herd charged forwards, ready to defend their friend. The Spino turned and fled back to the river, the trikes halting at the water's edge to watch it leave.
Before the fight had even ended, Liam had fled for cover. He ran deeper into the boulder field, taking refuge behind a large stone until the Spino had either fled or started eating. Being so focused on the hunt across the river… he almost didn't notice the small bubbling sound next to him. He froze… then slowly turned to see who belonged to the noise. Lying among the towering rocks was a black crocodile so impossibly big that it passed as one of the many boulders. Its eyes were closed, its gentle breathing making a slight gurgling sound as it slept. Liam didn't make a sound… slowly creeping away from the monster. He didn't make a sound… but unfortunately the Spino did. The roaring and bellowing across the river woke the beast, and it opened its eyes to see Liam not 5 feet away from its snout.
With a hiss, the massive crocodile lunged forward with impossible speed, massive jaws snapping at the easy prey. Liam ran in a blind panic, vaulting over rocks in his way in a desperate attempt to escape the giant reptile. It lumbered after him with a growl like an old truck engine, struggling to squeeze through the narrow passages after its tiny prey. For a fleeting moment, Liam thought he might just escape…. then rounded the last rock to reveal open beach. A very hungry and angry grey Spino lumbered out of the water, still sore about its missed kill. It looked at Liam and roared, turning to charge at him. He knew that running was hopeless now, so he closed his eyes and waited for death.
That's when the pursuing Crocodile burst out of the rocks behind him… and the two apex predators caught sight of each other. They stopped dead in their tracks, Liam directly between them. He opened his eyes at the sudden quiet, and then looked around. The beasts were in a standoff, staring at one another over his head. The Crocodile made the first noise, letting out a deep bellow that shook the ground. The Spino responded with a challenging roar, and charged at full speed towards the Croc. Liam dove to the right for all he was worth, barely dodging the Spino's stomping feet as the two predators clashed.
The Crocodile snapped at the approaching Spino just as it reached it, and the creatures locked jaws. The Spino's superior size allowed him to drag the Crocodile out from the rocks, the fight moved onto the open sand. The Spino shook free and tried to flank the Croc, but with blinding speed the reptile lashed out and grabbed the Spino's head in his jaws. The Spino roared in pain and pulled away, its left eye destroyed. The Croc attacked again, latching on to the Spino's side and pulling to try and make its opponent fall. The Spino ripped itself free, blood flowing freely from its wounds. In a desperate gamble the Spino darted forward and clamped its jaws over the Crocs, trapping its only weapon. As the Croc lashed its body to free itself, the Spino stomped on the back of his opponent's neck with a long front leg, and then heaved his head upward. There was a sickening crunch as the Croc's neck broke, and the Spino let his defeated adversary slump to the ground. Liam had been frozen in absolute shock, but now he ran for home with absolutely no thought of continuing to the building. The Spino didn't care, too hurt and tried to care, instead dropping down next to the dead Crocodile and starting to eat.
Liam ran the entire way home, slammed the entry door closed, ran into his house, and collapsed in the corner shaking like a leaf.
Author's Note
Yes… I know. It's been a LONG time. I'm sure people seeing this for these past many months thought I had given up on this story.
As you can see, this is not the case. Life has CERTAINLY been busy with a fair share of accidents, repairs, school, bills, and family. But now I can return to this project and continue to hone my skills at writing. Obviously it's rough, but over time I hope to become a worthy writer with the feedback I receive here. I still can't give any schedule, but I can promise there will never be a gap like that again.
