CHAPTER 197
Dianna was at the mouth of the lava tube. Warm jungle light poured on her face from past the snarling velociraptor that had her by the ankles. Dianna had fought the whole way up, kicking her boots, twisting her body, and grabbing at the cave walls. Now the raptor was pulling her into the open. The close confines of the tunnel were the only reason she was still alive, and now that was gone. Her vital organs were out in the open just waiting to be spilled by the slash of a killer claw. In the midst of her final stand Dianna did not notice the ground begin to shake nor the rumble through the jungle. The sight and sound of falling trees and thrashing underbrush had escaped her attention.
The velociraptor grabbed at her torso and pulled her close for a fatal slice. The hunter as well was oblivious to an impending danger. A fast moving group of mixed herbivores was charging through the jungle, and the velociraptor never even caught a glimpse of the therizinosaurus foot that whooshed by and kicked it off of Dianna in a swift blur.
Dianna was beside herself. It had happened so quick that by the time she turned to see where the velociraptor had landed it was already getting trampled by a stegosaurus that was running close by.
A bellow from another oncoming herbivore made her look back the other way to see an ankylosaurus and more therizinosaurs rumbling at her. Tucking her appendages in she rolled back into the lava tube before getting trampled herself. Within the tunnel the walls shook, and rocks and dirt fell on her. Dianna remained tucked in a ball, fearing the tube would collapse on her. As the pounding dinosaur feet began to fade she realized the integrity of the tunnel was going to hold. When the earthen debris ceased falling on her she waited a few moments and then uncurled.
Dianna looked up at the jungle canopy from within the hole. There was a haze of settling dust and fluttering plant matter. She waited another few moments then climbed up and poked her head out.
The herbivores were out of sight, though she could still hear them crashing through the trees. Dianna was wondering what on earth had startled them like that. Perhaps there was a predator nearby. She was just thankful to be alive. No doubt, the little stampede had saved her life.
She looked back down the lava tube. Seth and Kyra were still down there. She had to get back to them.
Dianna was about to dive back into the depths of the lava tube when she heard a crumble. It was followed by a loud crack, and she could visibly see the roof of the cave shift and come apart in the middle. The split was only getting wider, and the ceiling was sagging fast. Dianna pulled her legs up and clambered away from the tunnel right before it fell inward. A big puff of debris ejected from the tube, and the entrance to the cave was no more.
"Shit."
Dianna stood up and looked around the jungle. She tried to put the pieces together and visualize which way the rest of the lava tube was headed. Hoping that the cave hadn't entirely collapsed on Seth and Kyra she chose a direction and started off, being ever vigilant for the presence of raptors. The main thing now was finding another opening to the tunnels.