CHAPTER 251
Seth was looking at the window. At first he didn't see it. He stared out into the night, and all he saw was the usual darkness. There was no movement. Nothing occluded his view as much as he could tell, but the thing of it was, something was occluding his view very much so. He just wasn't aware of it yet.
The more Seth stared the more he began to notice that something wasn't right. He started to see a shape, a great mass in front of him that had been standing perfectly still. Now it shifted and came forward.
The creature's skin was as dark as the night sky and matched its color with such perfection that it was scarcely visible even at close up.
Now that the dinosaur was moving Seth could make out a silhouette of details. No doubt, this animal was a carnivore. Its skin was made of more than rough scales. There were prominent nodules all over its hide. As the head came closer to him Seth made out a pair of horns over the eyes. He knew this animal, and its ability to blend so well into the darkness made sense, for it was a master chameleon.
With the carnotaur's face only three feet from the glass Seth was developing a powerful inclination to run. Daniel must have sensed it, because in Seth's restlessness he felt the pressure of a hand on his shoulder that steadied him and kept him from fleeing.
In the dark Seth heard Daniel whisper, "embrace it."
The carnotaurus leaned toward the window until its breath was fogging the glass. Seth was nose to nose with the beast. Through the large pane he could hear a deep growl. Now that the dinosaur was so close Seth could tell for certain that the colors over its skin were bilateral. This was Hellfire. Seth wondered if Two Face was not far away.
Hellfire crinkled her nose and sniffed the glass. She was taking in wafts of the remnants of dried blood. The raptors' plan had worked. They had attracted other carnivores to deal with what was left of the humans. Hellfire sniffed again. A big wet tongue came out and slapped the glass. The dinosaur shifted back. Seth could see the glint of her eyes. He could see them examining the glass, but he couldn't tell if Hellfire was aware that he and Daniel were on the other side of it.
Hellfire began to rock from side to side, and Seth felt Daniel's hand applying pressure on his shoulder. Daniel moved, and he guided Seth. Together they followed the motions of the carnotaurus. The dinosaur dipped its head low, and they dipped low. She raised her head. They straightened up.
Daniel whispered, "steady, Seth. Embrace it. Embrace the beast. Take control."
Hellfire leaned toward the glass, and Daniel shifted them forward. Seth's nose touched the window and the carnotaur's snout compressed against it from the outside. Seth could feel the vibration of its growl within the pane. The dinosaur reared away, and Daniel pulled them back.
Hellfire barked and snorted. She stamped her feet and then butted the window with her nose. Daniel continued to guide Seth and follow the carnivore's motions, though Seth was growing more concerned as he saw the glass shudder.
The carnotaurus tilted her head to the side and rutted the glass with one of her horns. A star shaped crack split into the window and proceeded to splinter into a larger spiderweb as the carnotaurus pressed harder. Daniel was holding Seth eye to eye with the creature. As the glass cracked between their gazes Seth watched the dinosaur's pupil widening on his. It scratched its horn along the glass and then backed away.
"Hey, Daniel," Seth said through gritted teeth. "I really think she's figured out we're not her reflection."
It was a mystery to Seth as to whether Hellfire had seen him before. Perhaps she had only seen her reflexion at first or confused him as such. One thing was certain. She could see him now, and she was fixing to break through the glass.
Seth shouted, "Daniel!"