Five Years After The Events Of Jurassic World
The tropical rain fell in drenching sheets, hammering the corrugated roof of the clinic building, roaring down the metal gutters, splashing on the ground in a torrent. Elkay sighed, and stared out the window.
"Never start your story with the weather, Vox. Were you asleep during Writing 101?"
The adolescent felidragon looked up from his typewriter and gave her a sardonic look.
"Mother, I think you've become somewhat removed from reality."
"What do you mean?"
"If you don't know what I mean, that only proves my point."
Elkay stood up, walked over to the machine, and ripped out the page he had been in the process of writing. She crumpled it up and threw it across the room, cuffing him somewhat forcefully when she was done.
"Get rid of this garbage and try again."
Voxlemnion ran his claws through the mane of the head he was using at the moment.
"If you want me to write in your place, you're going to have to expect a few changes."
Elkay scoffed with offense.
"Changes, I can deal with. Abysmal writing, I cannot."
Voxlemnion growled like a cat that had been poked one too many times.
"You're one to talk. Who was it who started their story with a clap of thunder? You."
"I've improved since then."
"You haven't. You've gotten worse."
Elkay gave a honking laugh.
"Give me one example of how my phrasey-writing thingies are not so good."
Voxlemnion slapped his forehead.
"You're hopeless."
Slowly and with great difficulty, the eyes on his other head opened, and the limb yawned drowsily.
"Anything out of the ordinary happen while I was asleep?"
"Our mother is being difficult."
"Yes, but did anything out of the ordinary happen?"
The first head sighed.
"No. It's your turn. I had something in mind for the narration, but it clearly doesn't meet the so-called standards of our dear mother. Perhaps you will have better luck."
The first head wrapped its neck around the opposite shoulder, and the other half took over.
"Right. Let's start this over, shall we?"
The door clattered open suddenly, and a very wet Ellie stormed into the room. Her feathers jutted out in clumps, and her hair was dark with moisture. She kicked the door closed behind her and marched across the clinic with a foul air. Elkay watched her, debating whether it was worth it to try and calm her down. With great reluctance, she sighed and wrapped her tail around her feet, adopting a businesslike tone of voice.
"Ellie . . ."
"Don't. I'm tired and wet and I don't need your lectures."
Elkay bit her lip.
"Let me make an umbrella for you."
Ellie whipped around, her hair spraying water across the room violently.
"With magic?"
"It's a simple barrier spell. You won't even know it's there."
Ellie placed her hands on a nearby table, leaning forward and cackling bitterly.
"Won't know it's there. Won't know it's there. You surprise me with how stupid you are, sometimes."
Elkay folded her ears back and took an unsteady breath.
"Let me find you a real umbrella, then."
She waddled across the room and opened a large cupboard, searching it delicately. When she felt a handle of some kind, she pulled it out. What she had discovered was not an umbrella, but rather, a staff with a tooth or maybe a claw fastened to it. Elkay twirled it around in her paws sentimentally.
"How did this get here?"
She tapped it on the ground, letting it bounce back into her hand with a jovial spirit.
"Remember this, Ellie?"
With a hateful glare, Ellie lifted her head and clenched her teeth.
"No, I don't. I really, really don't."
Elkay gulped and placed it on the ground. She rooted through the cupboard again, this time finding a staff with a cloudy, orange stone on the end.
"But you remember this one, right? . . ."
Ellie balled her hands into fists.
"I . . . remember . . . nothing."
Elkay felt her heart sinking into her belly. With a slow nod, she placed the staff beside its twin.
"That's okay, Ellie. We all forget, sometimes."
Ellie slammed her fist on the table, making everyone jump. Elkay leaned backwards as she began to laugh in a disconcerting way.
"Ellie, what's wrong?" she whispered.
"Forgetting . . . It hurts. You wouldn't realize that it's hurting, because pain numbs with time, but that pain is the only thing keeping us from becoming monsters."
Elkay caught Voxlemnion's eye. She flicked her ear to the side. He nodded and left the room, taking his typewriter with him. When he was gone, Elkay changed her shape and walked up to Ellie as a human.
"Is that why Claire left? Is that why you sent her away?"
Ellie pushed various utensils to the floor, clearing the table noisily.
"SHE LEFT ON HER OWN! I TOLD HER THE TRUTH, AND SHE RAN FROM IT!"
Elkay whimpered.
"Ellie . . ."
"You think it was easy for me, wiping Lily's memory like that? How do you pick and choose what's suitable for a person to remember? Claire didn't understand. She thought that she was protecting Lily."
"But when Lily realized-"
Elkay fell silent as Ellie made a threatening gesture.
"The truth is that Claire was a human. She was not born a stegoceratops, and her child is not pure. But that's not the point. She didn't ask for reality. She asked for perfection. To her, Lily would always be her perfect little girl, and knowing about her mother's faults would harm that image. She had me crush her memories. Not store them: crush them. They no longer exist. Every time Lily came close to discovering what she was, I destroyed any chance of her reaching that truth. She was lied to, simply because I had been altering what she was allowed to remember. But Claire didn't care what measures I took. All she wanted was for her baby to feel wanted. She thought that she could get away with it. But I proved her wrong. I showed her what it was like. For a moment, only a moment, I took back her memories of being a stegoceratops. I let her hold Lily while her mind was anchored to the past. When that moment was done, I gave her back what I had taken, but I let her remember what she had been thinking in those few seconds. I let her wallow in the repulsion she felt as she gazed in horror at the child whom she did not recognize as her own. I made her feel hatred towards her own daughter, and in doing so, I proved that she was capable of despising that which she treasured. She was furious with me. Why wouldn't she be? The truth is never pleasant. Now she will live life knowing that she could have hated her daughter, knowing that her entire world is revolving around a lie."
Tears streamed down Elkay's cheeks.
"Ellie . . ."
"You think I'm a monster, but it's only because I'm telling you the truth. But you don't believe me . . ."
Elkay whimpered as Ellie pulled out a scroll.
"Read this . . . Read it!" she roared.
Elkay took the paper from her hands, trembling all the while. She unfolded it and began to read aloud.
"Claire stood up in alarm as Owen's tears began to fall on her face. She nuzzled his cheek with her bill, but this only made him weep harder. He hugged his knees and cried into his arms miserably. Claire was greatly distressed by this. She didn't want him to be upset. She tried to moo and get his attention, but it was no use. He was shaking with anguish, and there was nothing she could do to comfort him."
Elkay lowered the scroll.
"This was when Owen allowed himself to cry. It was right before they shared their first kiss."
Ellie nodded.
"This is what happened, yes?"
Elkay frowned in confusion.
"Yes . . . it is . . ."
There was a deadly calm behind Ellie's eyes.
"This, the text, is what happened. It's all that's left."
Elkay gulped.
"What do you mean?"
Ellie took the scroll from her hands.
"I destroyed this memory, too."
Elkay put her hand over her mouth.
"No . . ."
"It's gone. I took the memories from both Owen and Claire. I held them in my hand and showed them what I was about to do. They begged me to reconsider. They didn't want to lose that moment. But I crushed them. I obliterated their shared memory, leaving nothing but empty words. I gave them a copy of the text. They read it, and they cried. But it's only a shadow of the emotion they lost. No matter what, these words will never be able to recreate the feelings of those involved. These words mean nothing. You've been wasting your time. You've been living a lie."
Elkay sobbed.
"No, Ellie, no . . ."
Ellie spread her arms.
"You see all of this? You see the world we live in? It's silly. All of it. It means nothing! Do you think that anyone will ever be able to understand how much Claire and Owen love each other? No! Claire Dearing is a stegoceratops, and Owen Grady is a human. The only two people who will ever know how much they mean to each other are the ones in the relationship. To everyone else, it's all just words on a page, and those words translate to interspecies romance. No matter how much they love each other, it will never matter, because the world takes them at face value. If there is more to their story, it will never be known."
Elkay sniffled.
"But we can tell the story-"
"We can't! You tried, and you failed!"
Elkay's lip quivered.
"I'm still trying . . ."
Ellie struck her across the face. Elkay fell into the corner of the room, sobbing heavily and shielding herself from another blow.
"It's over! Vic and Zara's knot is still motionless, and another bond has been severed!"
Elkay shook her head.
"Ellie, what happened to Lowery and Karen . . . That was not part of the plan."
"You're blaming me?"
Elkay wiped the wetness from her eyes, but fresh tears took their place.
"I told you, Ellie. I told you it was a bad idea. Their knot wasn't strong enough. It never could have survived-"
"Then it was never meant to be!"
"No!" Elkay shrieked, "It was just the wrong time!"
"Wrong time?" Ellie rasped, "I'll tell you what was wrong about it: she was due early, and you said that we needed to find a way to keep their child out of the way."
"I didn't think you'd get rid of it! Ellie, how could I have expected-"
"Because I trusted you!" Ellie thundered, "I did everything you said! I went back for the raptors, I became a Queen, and I wrote a story, all because I thought we were working towards a greater goal! But it's all pointless! This story resulted in nothing, because life is nothing! We! Are! Nothing!"
Elkay's breaths grew steady, and her face hardened. She stood up slowly, but with purpose. Lifting her chin defiantly, she stared at Ellie with eyes that no longer released tears, though her cheeks still glistened in the light.
"We are not nothing. This story means something. To me, to you, and to everyone we know. It's not just silly. It never was. The idea that I didn't care was the greatest lie of all. But it was necessary. Who would ever believe me, otherwise? Who would give it a chance? I am going tell you something, Ellie, and you'd better pay attention. We can never be nothing, because nothing is the lack of something. We exist, and therefore, we have meaning."
"Meaning . . . We have no meaning. It's all pointless."
Elkay shook her head.
"It's not. I'll prove it. I'm going to take away an aspect of the story that used to mean something to you. You will do the same for me. When it is all over, we will have lost some things and gained others. But life will go on. I will prove to you that no matter what is taken away from us, The Star will not allow us to be nothing."
Ellie nodded.
"I accept. But you will be proven wrong . . . just like Claire."
***TSJWFEW***
Henry was reading when he saw Alan walking by with a box of old junk. He wouldn't have cared, ordinarily, but one object in particular caught his eye. He dropped his book and ran over, fascinated and horrified at the same time.
"You found my staff!"
Alan looked at Henry, then at the box. A long pole with a sharp fossil fastened to it was jutting out of the mess.
"Oh, that. Yeah, Elkay gave me this stuff so I could throw it out. She asked me to dump it by the garage landfill specifically . . . for some reason."
Henry picked up the staff. He twirled it around in his claws. Alan gave him an uneasy look.
"I figured you wouldn't want it."
"Why?"
He shrugged.
"Well, it seemed kind of . . . wrong. I considered donating it to the museum, but I know how much you hate being remembered as a villain."
Henry took off his glasses and placed them in the grass gently.
"Well, I don't think . . . I mean, I did use it when . . . but it's not . . ."
He sighed.
"What am I trying to say? Look, this staff isn't necessarily a bad thing. You know how lonely June can get, and she'll be a teenager soon . . . this fossil contains viable DNA . . ."
Alan blinked.
"Are you saying that you want to make her a boyfriend?"
Henry shook his head.
"No, no. I'm just thinking . . . I mean, there aren't many spinosaurs around, right? It might be nice for June to have someone of her own kind . . . Not necessarily for romantic purposes, but . . ."
Henry bit his lip.
"Am I making any sense?"
Alan shook his head.
"Not really . . ."
Henry took a deep breath.
"There are dinosaurs all over the world now, and we've had to change our way of life because of it. Perhaps we could make things easier by improving the dinosaur race."
Alan frowned nervously.
"What are you saying, exactly? . . ."
Henry started pacing.
"Back when I was working at InGen, we had a system for taking care of our experiments. If there was sufficient room for a parasaurolophus, we'd make a parasaurolophus. If it needed food, we'd get it food. But the dinosaurs didn't fare well alone. It's the same with gerbils: they live longer when they have a companion."
Alan tilted his head.
"So, you want to extend June's lifespan? . . ."
Henry laughed.
"No, not exactly. I'm just saying . . . this world could use more dinosaurs. More diversity. If we help this new ecosystem along, it would be beneficial for everyone."
Alan narrowed his eyes.
"Henry . . ."
"What?"
"This isn't sounding . . . healthy . . ."
Henry frowned.
"Are you saying that I'm reverting back to my old ways? Christ, Alan! We've known each other for many, many years. Don't you trust me?"
"I trust you, but I don't trust your ambition."
Henry scowled.
"Really? You're going to just go ahead and say it? Look, this isn't about ambition. I'm not doing this for myself. I have a family now. I care about them. Part of keeping them happy is making sure that the world they live in is suitable for their needs. Normally, we wouldn't be able to change the way things are, but if we had the opportunity . . . Alan, you'd do anything for your children, correct?"
"Yes, but I wouldn't risk messing with an unpredictable system."
Henry glowered.
"God, you're just like Ian. You're so quick to dismiss anything having to do with progress, even if it would be beneficial for everyone."
"Everyone?" Alan echoed, "How can you be sure that it's beneficial for everyone?"
"Progress always is."
As Alan gave him a look of disapproval and concern, Henry sighed and loosened his grip on the staff.
"Alan . . . I know how you feel about this, but I swear, I'm not trying to do anything out of the ordinary. If you're completely against it, I won't go through with anything just yet."
"You shouldn't go through with it, ever."
Henry looked away.
"I . . . Maybe you're right, but I'd like to keep the staff, anyway. Just in case . . ."
Alan nodded reluctantly.
"Alright, Henry. But really think about what you're saying, okay?"
Henry sighed.
"Yes, I will. It would be dangerous to do otherwise."
***TSJWFEW***
When Zara entered her house (a hollowed-out baobab tree near the lagoon, courtesy of Neithhotep), she was delighted to find that everything smelled of cinnamon. She made her way to the kitchen and saw Vic pulling a giant cookie out of the oven. As soon as he noticed that she was there, he placed the tray on the counter and jumped up on her belly, clinging to her in a bizarre Vic-and-Zara hug. She could feel the warmth of his oven mitts, which was a welcomed sensation after being outside in the cold Autumn air. His tail wagging back and forth with glee, Vic nuzzled her belly, then smiled up at her with deeply innocent eyes.
"You're home early! I'm glad I get to spend more time with you, but I didn't get a chance to decorate my baking. Promise you'll act surprised when I finish it off . . ."
Zara laughed and rolled onto her back.
"I promise, you silly old thing!"
Vic slipped down her chest and gave her a kiss. She smiled as she kissed him back, running her pterosaur talons down his tail. They finished their embrace, and Vic climbed up on her snout. Scooting as close to her eyes as possible, he ran his index finger down her beak and smiled.
"I love you."
Zara beamed.
"I love you, too."
She tossed her head, dislodging him, and caught him with her wings.
"And I love your baking! Is this a new recipe?"
Vic shook his head.
"No, this is an old one. I didn't want to take any chances today. Everything has to be perfect."
Zara cocked her head.
"Why?"
Vic back up slyly, opening the medicine drawer behind him.
"Today is a very special day."
Zara raised her eyebrow.
"Is it? I don't think I'm familiar with whatever holiday you're referring to. Is it an American thing?"
Vic smiled.
"No, it's not a holiday. It's something even better."
Zara smiled coyly.
"I still have no idea what you're on about."
Vic reached into the drawer and held something behind his back. Zara tried to peek, but he adjusted his pose so that she couldn't see.
"Today is the eighteenth of September," he stated grandly.
"Is today different, somehow?" Zara asked.
Vic shook his head.
"No, not yet, but it's going to be. See, in most contexts, today would be an ordinary day. Any day would be ordinary, in fact. December 25th on its own is boring, but when people decided to call it Christmas, it became magical."
"Your point being?"
Vic grinned.
"Just like people, days have no real meaning until you assign one to them. And it's different for everyone. One person might look at September 18th and feel gloomy, because their cat died on that day. Another person might hate it, because they have to pay the landlord by midnight. It's all in the way it's perceived."
Zara placed her wing under her chin.
"I know you're going somewhere with this . . ."
Vic walked towards her slowly, keeping his hands behind his back.
"On the day we became a couple, you showed me a note. I'll never forget those words."
"Oh, no?"
"No. And I haven't told a soul what you wrote. Even if I did, they'd never know what it meant to me."
Zara laughed.
"Well, they were just words . . ."
Vic shook his head seriously.
"No, Zara. They were so much more. Up until I read them, I never imagined that I could possibly have any value."
Zara touched his cheek.
"But you do . . ."
"Only because you saw the value in me," Vic said seriously, "Without you, I would be nothing. In fact, I would be less than nothing, because no one really liked me, and I was known as the screw-up. But you changed that. I'm the man-"
"Dinosaur!" Zara laughed.
Vic smiled.
"I'm the dinosaur I am today because of the way you saw me. You were the only one who had any real faith in me . . . in what I was . . . in what I could be. Even though I haven't done much with my life, I must be the happiest man- the happiest dinosaur on earth, all because of the way one person sees me. I can only hope that I make you feel the same way."
Zara smiled sincerely.
"You do."
Vic beamed.
"I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you say that. For once, I know I'm making the right decision."
He took a deep breath.
"Zara Young, will-"
BAM!
They both jumped as something hit the window. Zara put her wing over her mouth.
"Shit!"
She peered out the window, but was unable to see what had dropped to the ground.
"We should go see what it is," she said.
Vic began to follow her out of the house, but reconsidered. He ran back to the medicine drawer and placed his secret surprise back inside. When it was shut away, he jogged out the front door.
"That's one disadvantage of living in a tree, I suppose," Zara philosophized as he ran up to her, "It's doubly appealing to birds, because- OH!"
She gasped in surprise as she saw the body of a small pteranodon lying in the grass. Vic ran over and scooped it up.
"Oh, no! It was a baby . . ."
Zara shrieked as he held out the corpse.
"Vic! Get that thing away from me!"
He looked down at the chick with confusion.
"Zara, it's dead."
She placed her wings over her eyes.
"Doesn't matter. I hate those monsters. Hate them, hate them, hate them!"
Vic sighed.
"Alright. I'll notify Vivian. I'm sure she'll know whose child it was."
He placed the chick in the grass, closing its eyes gently. With a solemn mien, he returned to the house. Zara had pulled down the shades, most likely uneasy about the presence of a pterosaur nearby, even a dead one. Vic washed his hands in the kitchen sink and sighed.
"I'll never understand why you're so afraid of them," he muttered, "They're harmless, as far as animals go . . ."
Zara scoffed.
"Harmless? Vic, they're monsters!"
He shook his head.
"I've talked to them before. They're just like you and I, only a little dumber."
Zara scratched the floor with her claws in agitation.
"Oh, sure. In this world, they're nice, but back home . . ."
She shuddered. Vic dried his hands on a towel and walked up to her.
"Zara, are you okay?"
"No. I'm not okay."
Vic hugged her.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Zara shook her head.
"No . . . No . . . I'm just living in the past. It still upsets me, you know."
Vic cocked his head.
"What does?"
"How I . . . How I died."
Vic squeezed her gently.
"Gosh. I'm sorry, Zara . . . Wait . . . What does this have to do with pteranodons?"
Zara gave a quiet rumble.
"I've never told you the whole story, have I?"
Vic bit his lip guiltily.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Zara shook her head.
"I should be honest with you."
She took a deep breath.
"Before the mosasaur decided to . . . Before that . . . I was . . . and then . . . Look, pteranodons were involved."
Vic gulped.
"Were they in cahoots with the flying monsters that grabbed you?"
Zara gave him a funny look. Vic's jaw dropped.
"Oh . . . The pteranodons and the monsters are the same thing. Oh, gosh. I didn't realize. The way you described it-"
Zara shook her head.
"I know. I haven't been clear. But it still causes me pain, you know? I don't think I'll ever be able to recover."
Vic rubbed her side, tears brimming at his eyes.
"Oh, Zara. I'm so, so sorry. If I ever meet the pteranodon who attacked you, I'll give him a firm talking-to."
Zara shook her head.
"As much as I hate the beasts, it wasn't their fault. If anyone is to blame, it's the Indominus Rex."
Slowly, Vic stopped rubbing her scales. Now that he knew the details of her accident, something was sounding very suspicious about it. He was only now starting to put the pieces together. When the penny dropped, so did his heart.
"You died during the attack on Main Street . . ." he whispered, eyes wide.
Zara nodded.
"Yes, of course. When did you think I died?"
Vic started trembling.
"I didn't . . . I mean, I didn't think- I wasn't thinking-"
Zara frowned with concern as Vic became noticeably distraught.
"What's wrong?"
Vic stepped backwards.
"I . . ."
He backed into a table and jumped five feet in the air. Zara inched forward with worry.
"Vic, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Vic tried to say what was on his mind, but found that he couldn't look at Zara. He closed his eyes and turned his head, wincing preemptively.
"It was my fault."
Zara blinked rapidly.
"What?"
"It was my fault that the pteranodons got out."
Zara shook her head.
"No, Vic, it was nobody's fault. Claire says the same thing. It's not-"
"I knew the Indominus was dangerous," Vic choked, "We made it that way. I wanted . . . Oh god . . ."
Zara frowned lightly.
"Vic? . . ."
He took a shaky breath.
"I wanted a field test for the raptors and the Indominus was supposed to . . . I mean . . ."
Zara cocked her head.
"Vic, you're not making any sense. It's not your fault that the Indominus got out."
"It is. That was the plan."
Zara pulled her head back in surprise. She looked away, and her face showed consternation. Vic could tell that she was thinking about something, and that "something" scared him very much.
"I . . . I didn't know it was you down there," Vic stuttered helplessly, "I mean, if I had known you like I know you now, I would have never-"
He broke off when his eyes met Zara's. She gave him a pleading look.
"Vic . . . You didn't want those people to die, did you?"
He shook his head quickly.
"No, no, no. Death is terrible. I wouldn't kill someone if I could help it. But the field test-"
Zara gave a deep rumble.
"Which is it, Vic? Did you intend for people to die or not?"
Vic laced his fingers together uneasily.
"Well, when people started dying, it gave us validation . . ."
He stopped when he came to grips with what he was saying. Motive or no motive, he was basically admitting that he wanted innocent people to die. People like Zara.
Vic felt his heart thumping in his chest. He was remorseful and confused and terrified all at once. He tried to think of what he had been about to say, but all that he could conjure up in his mind was "I wanted them to die". It was the truth. No matter how much he sugarcoated it, it was the truth. Zara stared at him, her expression evolving from denial to worry to anger, and finally, absolute betrayal.
"I never knew what they meant . . ." she whispered.
Vic held out his hands.
"Zara, please . . ."
"They said you were a bad man, but I didn't know what they were actually talking about . . ."
Vic's lip trembled.
"Zara, if I had known-"
She scraped her claws across the ground, making lines in the hardwood. Vic backed up in panic.
"Known? Known what? That someone you could take advantage of was about to die?"
Vic shook his head.
"No, no! Zara, no!"
She bared her teeth.
"You . . . I died because of you! And . . . And that's why I changed! You made me this way! I used to be beautiful!"
Vic reached forward with one hand, tears blurring his vision.
"You're still beautiful . . ."
Zara hissed loudly. Vic stumbled backwards.
"I was going to get married! Everything was perfect! I had a life, and you took it from me!"
Vic gulped. The tears were no longer lingering in his eyes. They slid down his chin and dripped onto his belly.
"Zara, I'm sorry! I would never-"
She snapped at him angrily.
"LIAR! I trusted you! I trusted you and you killed me!"
Vic whimpered.
"I didn't know . . . I didn't know . . ."
"Get out," she hissed, "GET OUT!"
Vic dashed across the kitchen and charged out the front door. He ran away with his head in his hands, still sobbing. Zara glared at him as he disappeared into the jungle, but it wasn't long before she was crying too.
***TSJWFEW***
It was almost time for dinner. Henry sat on a chesterfield, twirling the long-forgotten staff in his paws pensively. He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear June enter the room. It was hard not to notice a teenage spinosaurus, but somehow, he was not aware that she was present.
"What's that, Daddy?"
Henry looked up in surprise.
"Oh, nothing."
He placed the staff on a coffee table.
"Just an old cane. It's not important."
He waved her over.
"Come here. Tell me how you're doing."
June sighed and sat down beside him.
"Not good."
Henry frowned sadly.
"What's wrong?"
"I think I'm sick."
"Do you need medicine?"
June looked away.
"Sick in my head."
Henry bit his lip.
"Do you wanna talk about it?"
June squeezed her eyes shut.
"I thought about May today . . . thought about the truck that hit her. I imagined what I would have done to the driver. It wasn't healthy."
Henry wrapped his arms around her neck.
"Oh, honey. It's normal to be angry when you feel that something has been taken away from you. You loved May, and that's what's important."
June shook her head.
"No, Daddy, no. Something is wrong with me. It's always been that way."
Henry stroked her snout.
"No, baby, there's nothing wrong with you. We can fix this."
June's voice started to quaver weakly.
"I saw Mrs. Sattler today. Ellie's mom. She's getting older. She might not be around much longer. I wanted to apologize. More than anything, I wanted to walk over to her and say that I was sorry. But I was so scared . . ."
Henry held her as she sobbed.
"Shhh . . ."
June hiccupped.
"I've ruined so many lives . . ."
"You haven't! You haven't, sweetie."
"You never go out with your friends anymore. I'm a burden."
Henry shook his head.
"Listen, June. I love you. I'm going to keep taking care of you until you're better, okay? We'll get there. You'll see."
She looked up at him with an unreadable expression.
"You aren't going to give up on me? Not ever?"
Henry nodded.
"I'll always be here for you. Always."
"I understand . . ."
June slipped out of his arms. Although the conversation seemed to have gone well, the look on June's face didn't match the tone of what had been said. Henry frowned in puzzlement.
But he decided to let it go.
***TSJWFEW***
There was only one thing on Vic's mind: escape. He wanted to be far, far away from the island and everyone on it. He had hurt them. All of them. He had wronged nearly everyone in one way or another, and now he needed to make himself scarce. That's why he was dog-paddling through the ocean. He wanted to run.
Vic felt his stomach twist. He couldn't really run, could he? There was no escaping his past, because it was a part of him. No matter how far he ran, no matter how long he lived, his former self would follow him around like a shadow. There was no way to destroy the person he used to be. Not without destroying himself.
Shortly after this thought crossed his mind, he felt his limbs growing weak.
And he was too far to swim back.
***TSJWFEW***
In the hour that followed his discussion with June, Henry felt uneasy. He ignored the sensation at first, but somehow, he just couldn't shake the ominous feeling. He lumbered over to the bottom of the stairs and called to his daughter.
"June? . . . June?. . ."
Receiving no reply, he deduced that she was simply asleep. When he turned around, however, he saw that his staff was missing. Without missing a beat, he dashed up to her room and flung open the door.
"JUNE!"
He had never seen so much blood in his life.
***TSJWFEW***
Vic was still moving forward, but barely. He could feel his chin dipping under the water as he struggled to stay afloat. It was a battle he was about to lose. With tears in his eyes, he opened his mouth to say that he was sorry one last time, but his apology was interrupted by a sudden influx of salt water. Soon, he was completely underwater. Bubbles escaped from his lips as he floated downwards. He could see grey clouds through the wavy water. They were so far . . .
But then he was being lifted towards the surface.
He passed out before he could discover who had rescued him.
***TSJWFEW***
Isla Nublar's medical facilities had greatly improved over the years, but the doctors and nurses hardly saw any action. Tonight was abnormal, because the staff had to deal with a very serious case. Most dinosaurs and people who visited the hospital were sick with something curable, or else injured in a way that would heal without issue. The wounds of the young spinosaurus were worse than anything they had ever encountered. Henry knew this, but he was positive that June would recover. How could she not? She had her whole life ahead of her.
He snapped to attention as the doctor came walking out of the emergency room. When he tried to stand up, she put her hand on his shoulder and forced him to sit back down.
"I'm sorry. There was nothing we could do."
Henry felt the world come crashing down around him.
"No . . ."
The nurse closed her eyes.
"I know this is difficult. If you need to make use of our wellness facilities-"
Henry didn't hear anything she said after that. At first, he didn't allow himself to believe that June was gone. Even though he could see her lifeless eyes staring at him through the door, which the nurse had neglected to close all the way, he wasn't willing to accept the truth. Of course, it didn't matter how much he wished for everything to be alright: nothing would change the reality of the situation.
His daughter was dead.
***TSJWFEW***
As soon as Vic opened his eyes, he heard someone say his name and felt a pair of wings wrapping around his neck. It took him a while to figure out that it was Zara. He became more lucid as time went on, feeling upset because she was crying into his shoulder, and he did not want her to be sad. When his thoughts stopped colliding, Vic rubbed his forehead and groaned.
"Zara? . . ."
"Vic! Oh, Vic! Don't you ever do that again!"
"Do what?" he asked cluelessly.
"You ran off!" she exclaimed, raising her wings for emphasis, "You didn't leave a note or anything! You just swam out into the middle of the ocean and-"
She sputtered hysterically before screeching angrily.
"You could have died!"
He was kind of wishing he had.
"You're lucky I found you in time, you stupid, stupid man!" Zara scolded, "What were you thinking?"
Vic sighed.
"I don't know. I just wanted to get away."
"From what?"
"My guilt, I guess," Vic said quietly, "I'm sorry. It really was stupid of me."
Zara looked at him with pity.
"Vic . . . I need you to promise me that you won't do anything like that again. I'm serious. We need to talk about this."
Vic looked away.
"I'm sorry . . ."
Zara turned his head with her talons.
"Promise me, Vic. Promise me."
Vic nodded.
"I promise."
Zara took a deep breath.
"I'm breaking up with you."
Vic could have seen it coming from a mile away, but the development was so much worse when it actually happened. He couldn't stop himself from crying. Zara gave a pained expression and hugged him remorsefully.
"I'm sorry, Vic. I have to. I have to . . ."
He tried to compose himself.
"No, no. I understand. I shouldn't make this more difficult for you."
Zara said nothing, but continued to hold him. Vic relished the moment, knowing that it would probably be the last time they'd be this close. As she pulled away, he felt himself being drawn to her, but it was too late. He no longer belonged to her, nor she to him. He could feel her warmth dissipating into the air, and realized that he would never be happy again. But he deserved it.
"Vic . . ."
He swallowed the lump in his throat.
"It's okay. I understand," he quavered, "You can find someone better, I'm sure."
He meant it sincerely. If there was one good thing to come out of their separation, it was that Zara could finally be with someone decent.
"I'll be fine. I promise," he droned, "You don't have to worry about a thing."
This, he did not believe, but he didn't want Zara to feel guilty. He continued to spout similar nonsense, hoping that he could convince her that he was okay. When he was done, she left the room quietly. Vic was sure that she would recover from their breakup, but he did not realize that she was just as upset as he was.
Zara did not attempt to go back on her word, however. As much as she wanted to trust him, she couldn't stop herself from imagining the terrible things he had done. What would the others say if they knew? Perhaps they already did. Zara felt like the stupidest person on earth. To go this long without knowing about his past, only to have the truth revealed out of nowhere . . . the timing couldn't be worse. But Zara didn't know the half of it. As she reached into the medicine drawer to find some aspirin for Vic, her talons brushed up against something unusual.
She stared at the ring for a good minute before she found the strength to close the drawer.
***TSJWFEW***
There were two kinds of people on Isla Nublar: those who offered Henry their condolences and those who found the situation too unpleasant to discuss. He actually preferred the latter, because those who stayed quiet about the issue were at the very least more honest than the people who pretended that June hadn't taken her own life. They acted as though it had been a tragic accident, and nothing more. Of course, "died suddenly" was code for suicide, and everyone knew it without having to say a word.
The worst part about June's death was that it had been Henry's fault. Not only had he brought the claw-staff into his home, but he trusted that his daughter was okay when he knew otherwise. If he had only arrived a few minutes sooner, perhaps things might have turned out differently.
Henry went from questioning whether June's death was preventable to hating her for not telling him how she felt to simply giving up on everything. He did not eat, he did not sleep, and he did not speak so much as a single word. He was surprised that Seriama was coping with June's death relatively well, but he knew that she was trying to be strong for Harry's sake. As for Henry, he sat alone by the garage, wondering if there would ever come a time when he would stop being the cause of so much misery.
***TSJWFEW***
Vic was leaving the island for good. He had wanted to say goodbye to his friends, but he realized that he didn't have any friends to say goodbye to. Owen had been somewhat kind to him, but he was nothing more than an acquaintance, and he wasn't around anyway. Vic hired a sailor to take him to the mainland, bringing with him only a few possessions. He sat near the front of the ship, holding a large ring in his hands. Staring down at it, he could hardly believe that his proposal had ever been a possibility. He was so close to having a normal life, so close, but it wasn't meant to be. He was impressed with himself for getting as far as he did, considering he was the most awful man- or dinosaur- alive.
A cold breeze made him shiver. His first instinct was to offer Zara a coat, but he quickly realized that she wasn't with him. Nor would she ever be. She was gone forever. He would never see her again.
That's when the reality of his situation struck him. He was going to be all alone, and the person he loved more than life itself would never speak to him again. He had nothing to look forward to. Not a thing.
Vic didn't know what he would do, but he knew that he couldn't give up. He had promised Zara that he wouldn't do anything stupid. He owed it to her to keep that vow, at the very least.
He wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and stared at the ring vacantly. With tears in his eyes, he turned it over, watching it sparkle in the dull light, then tossed it into the ocean. It hit the water with a gentle plink, then disappeared forever.
***TSJWFEW***
Racked with guilt, Ellie sat at her desk, knowing that she had lost June because of her foolishness. Poor Henry was blaming himself for her death, and everyone else was blaming June herself. Ellie knew better. She would have liked to have blamed Elkay, but it was Ellie's fault for having failed her, not just as a person, but as a Queen. A Queen who was worse than Elkay.
Perhaps no one knew the full extent of Ellie's madness, but that didn't make it any better. She lashed out at her friends, ignored her subjects, and worst of all . . .
Ellie put her head in her hands. She hated to admit it, but her relationship with Alan was basically a formality at this point. There wasn't much keeping them together except obligation. That was the part that really hurt.
Ellie . . .
A raspy voice echoed through the room. Ellie knew who it belonged to. It was coming from the Beneath. There was no mistaking the booming baritone of the giant bull who had made it his mission to drag her back to his realm. Unfortunately, he would have her someday. Considering what she had done in the past few years, she would not go to Elliesium, the land which had been named after her. But she would gladly accept the pain of the Beneath. It was the right thing to do.
"Ellie . . ."
"Not yet. It's not my time."
"June is with us, Ellie . . ."
Her worst fears had been realized. Ellie felt her eyes prickling.
"Let her go. This is between you and me."
"She couldn't escape it. You won't, either. I will have your soul, but until then, I'll settle for June."
"Don't . . ."
"You're upset, Ellie. I'm glad. But we can make a bargain . . ."
Ellie closed her eyes.
"What do you want?"
"A chance to escape. A chance to rule the worlds above."
Ellie shook her head.
"I can't give you my kingdom."
"I'm not asking for you to hand it over. I want a chance to take it by force. Give me that opportunity, and I'll release June."
Ellie exhaled slowly.
"What are your terms? . . ."
***TSJWFEW***
Vic was the only person on the boat, he realized. Well, there was a gallimimus captain, but he obviously knew who Vic was, because he didn't try to talk to him. He was used to this kind of reaction by now. Perhaps when he reached the mainland, things would be different. Probably not, though. Even if someone wasn't aware of his identity, he'd have to tell them who he was out of obligation. Being dishonest with Zara was what had caused him trouble in the first place. He would never hurt anyone again, if he could help it. Of course, now that he was thinking about Zara, he felt a whole lot worse. He couldn't stop himself from imagining the look of betrayal in her eyes. He wanted to substitute it with a memory of her smiling at him, but he knew that that would be dishonest. Whatever she had felt in her heart before she discovered the truth, it had been replaced by hatred, and he would never get a chance to-
BAM!
Vic gasped as the boat lurched suddenly. He lost his balance and did a backwards somersault. When he peeked over his belly, he saw Zara clinging to the front of the boat, holding it in place with her wings. Vic's jaw dropped, and he sputtered for a bit before he could form words.
"Z-Zara?"
"Vic."
He stood up and brushed himself off.
"What are you doing here?"
She looked down at him with a clouded brow.
"I . . . never said goodbye."
Vic blinked.
"You did. Back at our- at your house, remember?"
Zara opened her beak.
"Yeah . . . Yeah, I guess I did."
They stared at each other awkwardly for a while. Vic had nothing to say, but Zara was clearly debating whether or not she should continue. Finally, she managed to squeeze the words out with great difficulty.
"I didn't want to say goodbye, though."
Vic felt his heart tremble. He couldn't allow himself to believe that she meant what he hoped she meant. But then . . .
"I don't think we're done. Not yet," she affirmed, "I know you did bad things, probably worse than the bad things most people do, but . . . Well, I mean, it's just that . . . I wouldn't have known, because you're different now."
Vic sighed.
"But Old Vic will never go away. If you blame me for the things he did, I completely understand. You don't have to like me, because no matter how good I am now, my goodness can never exceed how terrible Old Vic was. So, you really don't have to feel bad for me, because nothing I do will ever be enough. That's just the way it is."
Zara gulped.
"But . . . I mean . . . Old Vic is gone."
"Not gone. Just in the past. But what I did . . . That still happened, Zara."
She nodded quickly.
"Yes, yes. I know."
"So, you're allowed to hate me."
Zara frowned sadly.
"I know you'd expect that. Old Zara would have hated you. But Old Zara wasn't in love."
Vic felt his heart flutter. Before he could allow himself to slip back into a lie, he shook his head vigorously.
"No, Zara, no. Don't do this. You can be so much better. Once I'm out of the picture, you can-"
As he spoke, Zara leaned forward. She silenced him with a kiss, and soon, they were both wrapped up in the gesture. Zara let go of the boat and held Vic, not caring that the ship was sinking under her weight. The captain ran out of his control room and shrieked.
"What the hell?!"
Vic pulled away from Zara with a loud smooching sound.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so, so sorry! Everything is fine . . ."
The captain put his hands on his hips.
"Well, can you tell your girlfriend to get the hell off of my boat?"
Vic smiled.
"Sure thing. But you know, once she does, you'll have to turn around."
The gallimimus scratched his head.
"Ain't you leaving?"
Vic beamed.
"No, I'm not. I'm going to stay for as long as I can."
The captain rolled his eyes.
"Fine, but you're still paying full price."
Vic nodded distractedly and climbed up on Zara's head. She carried him across the ocean, following the boat's trail. As the sun began to peek out from the parting clouds, she looked up at him and smiled.
"Vic."
"Mhm?"
"Marry me."
He stared down at her with his mouth agape, absolutely stunned.
"I . . . Yeah, okay. Sure. We can get married."
"Good."
***TSJWFEW***
Karen was standing on one of Isla Nublar's beaches. There was no one else around, because the weather had been cold until a few moments ago. She hadn't noticed the change, however, because she was staring out at the water with her bare feet in the sand, deep in thought and unaware of the world around her. The waves licked her feet, and she did not feel them. She did not notice a single thing about her surroundings until someone joined her. Lowery walked up to her slowly, not wanting to startle her out of her reverie.
"I had a feeling you'd be here."
Karen said nothing. She continued to stare out at the ocean without actually looking at it. Lowery stood beside her, his hands in his pockets.
"I know it's been hard. I can't imagine what it was like for you."
Karen did not reply. Lowery took a deep breath.
"I talked to the boys. They said that you haven't been yourself lately. You'd feel a lot better if you just spent time with them."
Karen shook her head slowly. Her eyes were contoured with deep creases, and there was no color in her face. Lowery hated seeing her like this, but he forced himself to hang onto the hope that she could be brought back.
"Karen? . . ."
She closed her eyes. Lowery reached out and took her hand.
"Can't we try? Even if it goes nowhere, we could at least say that we made an effort . . ."
Another wave slid across the sand. Karen looked down as something tumbled through the water. A tiny starfish floated over to her foot and landed on her toe as the wave receded. She stared down at it, then looked up at Lowery. As she wrapped her arms around him, he began to cry.
They were tears of relief.
***TSJWFEW***
Alan had grown accustomed to having Ellie run up to him. Recently, he dreaded this kind of action, because it usually meant that something had gone horribly wrong. This time, however, she flung her arms around his neck and started crying into his shoulder. Stunned by this display of remorseful affection, Alan patted her on the back awkwardly. She sniffled and looked into his eyes.
"I never thanked you."
"For what?" he asked.
"For not calling me an angel. Everyone else has, because of my wings, but you always said I was a woman. I took that for granted. You never claimed that I was a different creature because of how I looked. I was always just myself around you."
Alan squeezed her gently.
"You still are. It's alright."
Ellie shook her head.
"No, it isn't. It hasn't been for a long time. I'm sorry. I've become something awful."
Alan touched her cheek.
"No. You haven't changed one bit. You're still you. We've had rough patches before. You've always come back to me. Always."
Ellie buried her face in his chest.
"Oh, Alan! I've done a terrible thing. I made two bargains, and one of them is going to end very, very badly."
Alan ran his fingers through her hair.
"Don't worry about it. We'll pull through. We always do."
"Do we?"
Alan nodded.
"Our journey has been a long one. We've travelled far and wide, and we've overcome many obstacles. We haven't walked alone. Not everyone we started with has made it this far, but that does not mean that they've left us. Someday, we'll all be together again. No matter what happens, when this is all over, we'll end up in the same place. It may seem tragic, but it's beautiful, I promise. No matter how much we suffer, no matter how much we lose, we will live on. As long as we are remembered, even by those who never knew us, our legacy will not die."
Ellie closed her eyes.
"And when there's no one left to remember us? . . ."
Alan smiled.
"There will always be someone. Love never dies. Although it might seem like it's the end, as long as there is life, there is love . . . and there will always be life. It may change in shape or nature, but it will never be gone permanently. Life will find a way, and as long as it does, there will be love, and that's what's really important."
They shared a kiss, and Ellie knew that he was right. Although Robin and Yannick had divorced, although Henry had lost his daughter, although Elkay had given up her chance to live normally, none of it really mattered. Vic and Zara had found love, Karen would soon be with child again, and Ellie was about to find her way after being lost for a very long time. There would always be life, and there would always be love.
For some stories, the final chapter might come sooner than expected, but when one page turned, another would take its place. It was comforting to know that somewhere, far away from the conflict on Isla Nublar, there was a family consisting of two hybrids and a human, blissfully unaware that part of their world was dying around them. The end of one story did not matter to them, because in their world, it was only the beginning. Even after the devastating impact of an asteroid, nothing could prevent seedlings from sprouting in the ash. They were destined to thrive in adversity, perhaps growing stronger than their predecessors. They were part of a new beginning. Their story was about to be told, and there was no doubt that their emotions would echo through those who heard their tale, perhaps not illuminated to the extent of the characters involved, but still somewhat. As long as there was truth, not reality, but truth in their struggle, they would inspire shared sentiments at many degrees.
And that is why they would never be nothing.