"So, let me get this straight," I said, scrolling through the pictures on my camera from day two. "You're going to train Velociraptors like they're dogs?"
Owen sighed. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds bad. But, you see, Maddie, that's not the point. We know they're not dogs. This is just to test their intelligence," he explained. I nodded, sliding my camera away into my satchel. I pulled out my pad and pen and started scribbling down the information. "You're really serious about this journalism thing, aren't you?" Owen said, glancing at me sideways.
"I signed up for the class," I shrugged. "I just want to pass it, I guess." He nodded as we walked. We hit a crowded area, causing us to have to duck around a few families and groups of tourists. Suddenly my shoulder slammed into something hard, knocking me a bit off balance. I'd run into some woman. "Sorry," I said, wiggling through the next crowd. I got out the other side, where Owen was waiting, and sighed heavily. "Is this place always so busy?" I asked him, as we resumed walking.
He chuckled, reaching up to flatten my hair. We headed toward the far left path by the Visitor Center as he answered. "Not always. But the traffic does pick up during spring break, summer vacation times, blah blah blah," he said.
"Do any dinosaurs ever get out?" I asked.
"Um, sometimes. But it's easy to get a sedated Triceratops back into an enclosure," he shrugged. Then he perked up a bit as we rounded the corner of the road, heading left, away from the Visitor Center. I glanced to see what was so exciting, and I was answered quickly. "The T-Rex enclosure?" I asked, looking at him with an eyebrow raised.
"See, here, we call them 'paddocks'," he said, sarcasm ever present, mocking what I assume to be a corporate accent.
"Right, because they're horses," I quipped, sliding my paper away.
"Exactly," he said, with a small wink. We went through the gates and into the building. Up the stairs and to the right and you're in the viewing area. Just as we entered, the voice over the speakers announced that it was feeding time. I pulled out my camera and moved closer to the glass. The room started to fill a bit, and I had to do a little shoving to get a decent shot. "Hey, Maddie! Over here!" I raised an eyebrow in confusion and glanced around.
A flailing pair of arms caught my attention. Owen shoved in beside me, to my right, with a small huff. "Sheesh, let me get out of your way," he mumbled, shaking his head at some woman in a big hat. As it turns out, those flailing arms belonged to Johnny. Johnny, Brock, and Pepto all stood crammed into the corner of the viewing room, on the other end of the window. "Who are they? Your boyfriends?" Owen asked.
"Heavens, no," I said, quickly. "They're from my journalism class. Come on." I grabbed his wrist and pulled, tugging him along the glass, past kids with big disposable cameras and more women with big hats. We finally made it to the group, thankfully in one piece. "Hey, Maddie," Brock said.
"'Sup, Mads," Pepto said, faced pressed against the glass. I could just barely understand what he'd said. "Who's the dude?" Johnny asked, eyeing Owen.
"Dude?" Owen repeated, raising an eyebrow.
I sighed. "Guys, this is my uncle, Owen Grady. He works here at the park."
"You work here? So sick," Brock said.
"This is Brock, Johnny," I said to my uncle, pointing them out. "And that's Pepto."
Owen started chuckling. "Whoa, wait a second. His name is 'Pepto'?" he asked.
"It's a nickname," I said.
"Did he lose a bet?" Just then, down belong in the T-Rex pen, a goat hollered. He was tied to a certain spot, waiting to be eaten in front of the audience. The tree line a few yards from the goat rustled and Brock squealed like a girl. "It's coming," he said, in a high pitched tone, drawing out every syllable. I shook my head, but I couldn't help but chuckle a little. Then, out from the trees marched the ginormous beast. "Wow..." I said, quietly.
I pulled up my camera and took a few pictures. The Tyrannosaurus was huge. It had a gray colored body and yellow-looking eyes. It hunched low a little, heading straight for the goat. It only took it a few seconds to get there. Once it did, it toward over the poor thing. And it one lunge it crunched down on the goat, nearly eating the whole thing in one bite. The crowd cheered, but I was left a little sick to my stomach. "Aw, man, that's sick!" Pepto said.
"So sick!" Johnny agreed.
"Hey, who's up for getting splashed by a Mosasaur?" Owen said, mainly looking at me. He seemed to notice my change in mood before I'd even said anything. "Is it done yet?" I heard a familiar voice and turned around. I stood on my tip toes to see Brittany, standing over by the stairs. "It's really gross, guys," she said, looking anywhere but at the glass.
"Come on, let's go," Johnny said, wriggling through the tourists to get to the stairs. Brock and Pepto followed, and I turned to Owen. "Wanna tag along?" I asked, with a grin.
"Sure, why not," he smiled. He draped an arm over my shoulders and we followed the masses to the stairs. Outside the gates, we met up with the group. Johnny and Brock couldn't stop talking about the T-Rex eating the goat. Brittany visibly gagged and wrinkled her nose. "How is watching a dinosaur eat another animal entertaining?" she asked. That caused an argument between Brittany and Pepto to ensue.
It continued until we reached the Mosasaur stadium. Of course, the boys wanted to sit in the splash zone. So I left my bag behind a trash can outside before going in. Thankfully we packed a change of clothes. The 40ft monster splashed water clear up to the dry seats. And it wasn't just a trickle, but full-on waves of water. We came out of it soaked from head to toe. Then Brock had the idea of checking out the Gyro Spheres.
Thanks to the heat and humidity of the area, we dried off on the way. Of course, Brittany refused to go anywhere but the hotel to change, so we went without her. We stepped up in line, and I pulled off my button up, leaving me in a fuchsia tank top. I rang out the button up over some bushes while our group stepped up the line. "Having fun yet, kid?" Owen asked, with a smile. I smiled back and shook out my shirt. "Definitely," I answered.
I pulled my shirt back over my tank top and tied the sagging material above my waist. Just then, the worker at the front of the line called next. The people in front of us got in the hamster balls on the track and we stepped up to take their place in line. "This is gonna be so awesome dude," Johnny said to Brock.
"There are two seats in each sphere, and we have five people," Pepto pointed out. No one had thought of that. But I really didn't want to be stuck with one of the boys in those tiny balls. So we all agreed that I was going with my uncle, Johnny was going with Brock, and Pepto would go with the next person in line. He seemed fine with that decision, as he was already scouting out who was going with him.
The next ball became available. I glanced at Brock and he and Johnny waved me forward. "Ladies first," Johnny said.
"Okay." The Gyro Spheres took us down into the valley with the Apatosaurus herds. Owen gave me the luxury tour, doing his best impression of an actual tour guide, pointing out every different dinosaur we came to and gave a brief history on them. I took pictures as best I could through the sphere, and wrote down anything that seemed significant.
By the time we got back to the start, the group had to go back to the hotel to check in with Mr. Blac, as the sun was already starting to set. I checked my cell phone clock as our group started back for the hotel. Our flight home was at seven-thirty, and it was already five-fifty. "When is your flight?" Owen asked, falling into step beside me while the others ran ahead.
"Seven-thirty," I said. "It shouldn't take long for me to pack, though."
"Want to meet at a restaurant for diner before you go?" he asked.
I nodded with a smile. "Yeah, that'd be nice," I said.
"Great. So we'll meet around six-thirty?" he asked.
"Sure. I'll see you then," I said.
"See you then." I hurried to catch up with my classmates, already halfway back to the hotel. After we checked in with Mr. Blac, I headed into the room I shared with Brittany to pack. It didn't take me long, seeing as I only had a duffel bag, so it gave me plenty of extra time to change before diner. I washed and dried my hair, leaving it down. Then I dressed in loose jeans, a t-shirt and jacket, and my white sneakers. As I finished brushing my hair, I noticed the absence of a gold chain.
I spent the next twenty minutes tearing my room apart looking for it. I even went to a few of the shops that were still open to try and find another one, but no such luck. It was saddening, but I decided to cut my losses. I was already out and about so it didn't take me long to meet Owen at the restaurant.
We sat at a table and talked for a minute. The waiter came and took our orders and I sure he wouldn't say anything about mom. But, as usual, I was wrong. "How's your old man doing?" he asked. It took me a second to keep my face even. A nice, normal smile and flat features. "Um, I haven't been home much. But I spoke to him on the phone last week, and he says he's doing fine," I answered. I inhaled. He nodded. "Haven't you been going back for holidays and vacations and stuff?" he asked.
"I don't vacation much," I said. "I usually go on extra credit trips." Diner was a bit awkward after that. But it ended fine. He gave me a hug and told me to, "Be safe, kid." Then I went to meet the group at the hotel. From the hotel, we walked to the boat. It was the last boat of the night, and there weren't many people. But it was still a bit crowded.
The boat ride didn't take long, and then we were taking a bus to the airport. On the bus, I pulled my scarf out of my duffel bag and loosely draped it around my neck. I pulled my hair up into a pony tail on the way into the airport. We checked our bags and carry-ons and then headed toward Gate B, where our flight will be taking off in roughly ten minutes. We enter the line of others taking the late night flight back home waiting to go through the metal detectors.
I don't like airports. They can be so stressful sometimes. After getting through the detectors, our group slowly gets going toward Gate B. Johnny and Brock are debating another 'who would win' topic. Brittany's filing her nails while we wait to board. Pepto is aimlessly looking around. Mr. Blac is making sur everyone is here. And I'm standing patiently, waiting to hurry up and get on the plane. It took a few minutes to get us up to the flight attendant taking tickets, but we got there. I handed in my ticket and then followed the group into the plane.
Once again, I followed the numbers to my seat, occasionally passing the overstuffed passenger. Thankfully I had another window seat. I crammed my bag in the overhead and then slid into my seat. It only took a few minutes for the plane to finish boarding. And then we were off. I pulled my ear buds in and after pulling my belt over my lap and locking it into place. After a while of music, my battery died. So I stuffed it away in my pocket just as I heard a baby start crying from a few aisles back.
I sighed and leaned back into my seat. Suddenly the plane jerked to the right, sending me slamming into the window. Small shrieks erupt here and there. I glanced out the window, and then I saw it. The left engine was engulfed in flames. The plane shook violently and everyone started screaming and shouted. A small siren of sorts started wailing as I felt my body being pulled backward. The plane tilted downward in a sudden drop and my hands gripped the seat.
The plane bounced a little as I noticed trees out my window. Then suddenly the whole plane slammed into something hard, nearly sending me out of my seat.