Savannah sadness
Disclaimer: I do not own Jurassic park
The crickets' song emanated loudly from the stretching field of gold, dry savannah grass. Their clamorous melody forcefully pushed through the thick stagnant African air. With the sweltering heat beating down upon the land, a lone bead of sweat rolled down the temple of the aged man whom was currently prowling through the tough thicket. Shins hardened and trained to withstand the itching burn from hours of stalking in the dead dry grass, he inched on along the trail only visible to him. An unparalleled focus was trained on each step and sound as he followed the path of his prey. He was close. The crickets silenced and all was eerily quiet as the gazelle were unaware to the predators that loomed so near to their veiled sense of security. The slight shift of a nearby branch was unnoticeable to all but the trained eye of the hunter. Adrenaline pricked the back of his ears as his heart beat steadily at a calm and practiced rate. Daring a glance at his unsuspecting prey, the unaware beast was now only a mere 5 yards away. With concentration solid as steel, the barrel of the gun gleamed dangerously as it was aligned to its target. The gazelles noticed the silence and began to stir, natural instinct crawled in ancient lines throughout their blood and screamed to them that they should run but, BANG! The gazelle scattered with phenomenal speeds through the dry grass. Nearby a unfamiliar bird cried out from underneath the heat, informing all with its squall that a kill had been made. Rolland Tembo rose from his crouched position to inspect his prey. The large lion lay before him dead. As usual, and preferred, a clean and quick kill was perfectly executed to the hunted king of hunters but, something was lost.. There was no satisfaction. No.. Challenge. Only the lingering stillness of defeat and death lay heavy in the dry air. The stillness burned with intensity into Roland's tanned and toughed, old heart.
This had been done before thought Roland and a moment went by... a sad moment. The moment in which his long time friend should have piped in with some sarcastic retort about his wavering aim that Tembo, himself, would never have admitted to. In reply He'd merely have chalked the waiver up to the heat, which of course was the true cause... but. The moment went by. The moment the friend that would have clapped him on the back saying with mock distain "Not quiet as large as last time old chap but... I guess it will do." all in the good spirit of teasing Tembo for he was undisputedly the most qualified and skilled hunter, whom hunted the choicely and most challenging game in the world. But again the moment went by and a dark and heavy cloud descended overhead, a figurative cloud remember Roland is in the most smoldering and secluded corner of African savannah there is, casting a shadow of pain and loss. The death of his dear friend was his fault. That blasted island hunt had been Ajay's last grab at hope and a saving grace for us. After I had punched that blasted dentist explorers teeth in for nearly killing us on a hunting party..that was actually not to far from here. I had my foot in the door to a locked forever african jail cell when that dinosaur job was thrown on the table. What could be more enticing than free good aged scotch, a ticket out of jail, and a handsome amount of crisp greens but the chance to make history.. to be the hunter of the un-huntable Tyrannosaurus Rex. And being a square and legal expedition was a convenient bonus. Their was no downside but above all the truth was that we were bored. Bored of pompous dentists, and fat tourists the thrill wasn't ever in the kill but in the challenge and the challenge had gone for us reminisced Roland. Today though...in pure solitude, his sadness and pain were his only companions or demons more like, and they bore deep into Roland's heart with each hunt preventing him from healing and accepting Ajay's dea..
Ring Ring...
Ring Ring...
Roland groaned, to get ahold of him on his direct line here in the middle of nowhere was imposible he knew this call would be either terribly bad or terribly good and with the grievous turn his luck had been taking, he didn't bother to raise his hopes up.
Ring, Ring...
Ring, Ring...
"A government number.. how wonderful," he lied to himself knowing full well that anything involving the government was bad news, the fact that they had his number and were able to get ahold of him were all indicators that a storm was coming. The dark looming cloud began to gain in strength and ferocity above him as he looked at that green button that blinked urgently. He knew what they wanted, it was what everyone wanted but the government would force him to do it.
Talking towards the heavens he said aloud "Once again, here I am in a pinch ol Ajay, cept' ..you aren't here to get me out of it this time... I will go back to that damned Island of death but rest easy. I have my eyes set on a new lizard they owe me a life lost and payment is long over due."
Roland decided and pressed the green button listening to the monotone government drones voice...
"We have called to inform you that failure to aid...we have cases against you...failure to comply will result in jai." the drone was cut short.
"Shut your trap, your wasting my time." Roland said authoritatively, "I will do it, so you can drop your phony charges and shove them right back up where you pulled them from. I have three conditions One. I am in charge and pick the team, Two. I need a bottle of good scotch a day. And Three. I get to shoot and hide any lizard of my choice. I happen to know a tombstone that needs redecorating... Hello?.. did you get all that you pencil pusher?"
*a shocked pause* "Ughh, Well..Ughh, yes..We can arrange transpo.." recovered the defeated pencil pusher shakily.
"Yes you will. Don't forget, a bottle of fine scotch a day or I'm out.."
With the incremental amount of confidence and dignity the pencil pusher had left he stated "Remember who's in charge . We have multiple strong cases agai..." the pencil pusher was interrupted yet again.
"Your absolutely right! Boy." He addressed loudly. "Make it a full case of aged scotch a day.. now I'm sure you already know where I am so pick me up in an hour." Roland finalized and ended the call.
On the opposite end of the phone the pencil pushers pride lay shattered across his dull desk, dial tone buzzing into his ear.
Roland's looming cloud stilled above him... but he recognized all to well that it was a false sense of calm. That it was just the stifling silence before the arrival of a raging storm he was all to familiar with. He began again on accepting Ajay's terrible fate but with more anticipation than before. Unsheathing his knife he began to envision his future, he violently stabbed into the flesh of the lion and with practice skill he began skinning the beast of the savannah that peculiarly with each cut began looking more and more like a velociraptor.
"Damned lizards," he muttered to himself with a rueful twinkle in his eye.