I Don’t Own Jurassic Park and its characters
Jurassic Park: New Life
(By Silver11k)
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The story sets in, short after Eric Kirby’s arrival at Islar Sorna. His fight to survive in the last two weeks caused, that he often has been forced to enter the abandoned laboratory of the InGen-Company. The last few times he has to, nothing happened. But this time events happened that he couldn’t even imagine in his worst nightmares and causing drastically changes for his future and life…
Chapter 1
A bath after a long time
Erik could hear the Velociraptor entering the entrance hall of the main building of the old laboratory. He ducked himself behind the reception, praying that he Dinosaur would simply walk to another room or better leaf the whole complex. So he would be able to go away with his life and maybe even get some of the canned food in one of the kitchen’s storage rooms.
Erik hasn’t eaten very much the last few days. He wasn’t surprised to see one of the Velociraptors, he knew, that this was their territory. But he thought, that they wouldn’t enter the buildings.
It seems, that his wishes becoming true, the Velociraptor headed towards a door on the other side of the hall.
Slowly Eric relaxed a little bit but suddenly his stomach betrays him and started to complain about the lack of food for almost forty-eight hours, aloud.
He only heard the Velociraptor’s hiss as he decided to rush towards a door what was just behind the reception.
Erik rushed down one corridor, then another, all the time the Raptor short behind him. Suddenly a door at the end of the corridor came into view that looks at least a little bit solid. He was lucky, that it wasn’t closed. So he rushed through it and closed it just behind him.
He turned around to see, that he was on a small platform almost five meters above the main laboratory with its machines and tanks.
Parts of the platform were broken away and a door on the wall on the other side, shows him, that there once has been a connection between the two doors. Parts of this iron way lay on the floor or smashed some machines.
Suddenly the Raptor pounced against the door, causing Eric to turn around. Again and again the Velociraptor repeated its doing. The door wasn’t so solid how it looks and small pieces of it were already broken.
“Oh fuck.” Erik whispered.
Slowly Eric backed away from the door without looking behind him. That’s when his last step doesn’t found anything solid, causing him to stagger and at least to fell down, screaming. Just into a big tank with a milk-white liquid in it. On his way down he heard the door to burst open before he landed into the tank and hit his head on its ground, causing his world to become dark.
The last pounce was too much for the old door and the Raptor flew right through it. It was to late to try to stop at the small platform, so the Dinosaur decided to jump forward once more. Doing this the Raptor cut himself on a sharp piece of metal as he jumped, causing a few drops of blood to fell into the tank, too.
Unfortunately it doesn’t land on the ground. It lands on a control unit and switched the machines on. A humming went through some of the old machines and suddenly bubbles filled the tank Eric lays in unconscious…
Almost two hours later Eric felt how someone pulled him out of the tank and pulled him on the ground.
He felt, as if he had to puke.
“Hey you? Who are you? Are you okay?” He heard a kind female voice ask.
He moaned a little bit his whole body felt strange. He thought, that it might come from his fall and the collision with the tank-floor.
Slowly Eric opened his eyes. The world was all blurry and he had problems to focus. Even the colors seem too bright. He closed his eyes again.
“Oh you are alive!” He heard the kind voice again.
Eric turned his head towards the person who talked to him, while he rubbed his eyes with his hands, while he slowly stood up. Damn his body felt really weird.
“Thanks for getting me out of this tank.” He said while still rubbing his eyes.
“Oh… no problem. By the way how get you into this tank.” The kind voice asked.
“I was chased by a… a…” This was the time he opened his eyes again. The blur wasn’t there anymore and now he saw who has talked to him.
In front of him stood the same Velociraptor that chased him before.
“Oh shit!” Erik shouted as he turned around and started to run to the door.
“Is something wrong?” The Velociraptor turned around to see if something maybe was behind him. “Hey what’s wrong?” It yelled behind him, before it started to follow Eric.
Eric was at this time just out of the building and ran for his life.
“Damn, I have to go away fast. Did it really spoke to me? Boy you hurt your head really bad.” He talked to himself still running.
The colors were still too bright and his eyes began to hurt a little bit. A fallen tree blockades his way. Without thinking he jumped over it. He looked back to see the Velociraptor nearly one hundred meters away, still following him. Eric began to wonder why he was able to run that fast.
That’s when he suddenly bumped into something solid but soft.
A strange moan caused him to look up. In front of him stood an Ankylosaur, looking at him. He just smashed into one of its legs and the Dinosaur doesn’t seem to be happy about it. Suddenly Erik saw himself confronted with the tail of the Ankylosaur, who beats with its club on the end, after him.
“Help! Help!” Eric yelled even when he knows, that nobody was there to help him.
Suddenly the Velociraptor, which he was followed by pounced at the Ankylosaur.
A little bit later some other Raptors jumped out of the bushes and onto the Ankylosaur’s back, causing it to get angrier with each passing minute.
The whole time Eric watched the fight in shock, unable to move, but then he turned around to run away again, but the tail-club was faster and hits him, causing him to fly against a nearby tree and to pass out again.
Chapter 2
Joining the pack
His body felt as if a truck has hit him. Actually it almost was. Well not of a truck, but of the tail-club of an Ankylosaur.
“So this is the one you’ve found.” Eric heard a female voice.
“Yes.” He recognized the voice as the same one, he had heard in the laboratory.
“I can’t believe it! A young and healthy male. And he’s a very handsome one.” He heard a third female voice.
“Yes! We are very lucky just when our last male gets killed and the others weren’t grown up yet.” Eric heard the first voice again. He was very confused and asked himself, what they were talking about. Slowly he opened his eyes for a short glimpse.
He found himself surrounded by four Velociraptors. Which were talking about him.
“But what’s are these strange things he wear.” Another one started to speak.
“I don’t know, I found him like this in one of these tanks.” The one he knew answered.
Something strange blockades his view to the front. He realized it before but don’t have the time to find out what it was. Now he tried to focus on it, while the Raptors not have realized, that he was awake. Its tip was pointed and all scaly with a blue green color with darker stripes on it. He tried to touch it with his right hand, but as soon as his hands got into view he got another shock. There weren’t his human hands. Instead of them he saw the claw of a Velociraptor. Unbelievable he opened and closed it a little bit. Hard breathing he continued with trying to touch that thing that blockades his view. It doesn’t wonder him much, but frighten him even more as he felt, the touch of his hand on it. Hard breathing he lifted his head a little bit of the ground turned it slightly, so that he was able to look behind him. What he saw made him take a deep breath of shock, causing much pain in his lungs. Behind him, Eric saw his body… but it wasn’t his body anymore. It was the body of a Raptor like the four ones, he was still surrounded by. The only thing that could give a clue about what he was before, were his clothes that were more or less ripped to rags. His view felt on his feet, where he discovered the typical big claw on each of them.
Now Eric understands, why the Velociraptors don’t have killed him by now and why he was able to understand them.
He now was one of them.
He felt quite miserable. Even when his mother and father live in divorce, he knew that both of them loved him all the time, but what will be now. Will they even recognize him now.
If he just could still cry like a human he would, but his body reacted to this feelings on the way a Velociraptor would have. He rolled together on the ground and shivered a little bit while he produced some sort of whining sounds. That’s when he realized, that he even produce the same sounds like a Raptor, but that his brain encodes them to a speech. That doesn’t help to cheer up his mood, but it got the other Raptors attraction.
“Look! He’s awake. Poor thing. It seems, that he has a hard time behind him.” The Raptor to his left said.
“You have to talk with him… Elia, you’ve spoken to him before. The Raptor he knows bowed his head slightly as if to nod in front of this one. Maybe it was the Alpha of this pack.
“Calm down young one, whatever happened to you, you are safe now.” The Raptor he now knew as Elia, said with a friendly voice. “I’m Elia and who are you? Do you remember me?”
It took a few minutes for Eric to calm down enough to answer.
“I’m Eric.” He said. “You’re the one from the laboratory, right? Please don’t hurt me.”
The head of Elia and the other Raptors snapped back in an upright position while they looked a little bit confused at each other. Then Elia looked back at him, holding her head a little bit bowed to the side in an almost asking manner.
“I don’t know what you mean with an laboratory but if you mean our birthplace, then your right. But why should we ever try to hurt you.” Elia asked.
“Poor thing…” The one Raptor repeated.
Eric slowly tried to stand up, but suddenly he yelped in pain.
“Take it slow, Eric.” Elia said. “Being hit by the tail of a big one isn’t something you can take easily.” Slowly she nuzzled his leg carefully, than she smelled on him. “At least you are lucky, that nothing is broken.”
Eric tried to stand up again, but more slowly this time.
“I’m a little bit thirsty.” He said.
“There’s a pond in that direction.” The Alpha said. “Let’s go!”
While the group of five Raptors walked to the pond Eric realized how his sense of smell and hearing got much better. He heard how something big walked through the woods, slowly in northern direction. Slowly he followed the others. Elia which saw, that he had still pain, when he walked felt a little bit behind the group.
“So how long did you have stayed into this tank?” She asked.
“I think, you know it, very well.” Eric said with a sad tone in his voice.
“Well I wasn’t sure. So you really were my prey?” Elia looked at him. Speaking of him as prey makes Eric shiver on his whole body. “You don’t have to worry, your now one of us, even when I have no idea how this was possible. But I will teach you to hunt and all the other stuff you have to know.”
“Thanks, I guess.” Eric said looking down.
“Were here.” The Alpha female said.
In front of Eric lays a big pond. Slowly he bowed forward to drink, but then he saw his face’s reflection on the water. He saw a raptor’s face reflecting of the water. His face, slowly he opened his mouth and he saw his formidable sharp teeth. Hell he are afraid, even when he knows, that it is his own face what he saw in the water. He moved his head a little bit away from the water and his head feathers stood up slightly.
“You’re a very handsome one, you know.” Elia said, coming towards him.
Eric bowed forward again and this time he drank. Hell he was thirsty.
When he finished he watched at him in the pond again. If he had been able to produce tears he would have dropped some of them now.
“Go back to the nests now!” Elia commanded. The others nodded and rushed away vanishing in the jungle.
Eric gave her a puzzled look.
“Are you the…” Eric started the sentence.
“The Alpha? Yes.” Elia finished.
“But I thought that this one with the red spots…” He started.
“Kiri? Oh no, no. She’s the Beta. You will learn fast.” Elia said, sort of smiling. “Would you mind to tell me your story?”
Eric looked at her really confused.
“Why?” He asked.
“I want to know who our new Alpha male is.” Elia answered still smiling.
Chapter 3
Much to learn
Eric stood there in shock.
“Did you say Alpha male?” he gasped.
Elia nodded.
“Expect for two hatchlings, you are the only male in the pack. So you are the Alpha, until another male fight with you and win.” She said.
“What happened to the last one?” Eric asked, while Elia looked down after the question.
“He was a good leader… but one day, last week he doesn’t felt quite good, but still he wanted to be on the hunt with us.” Elia said with a sad tone in her voice. “We didn’t heard or see it but suddenly one of the big predators stood behind us. We managed to get away fast enough but he…don’t.” She stopped talking. For almost ten minutes no one said a word.
“I’m sorry.” Eric said.
“For what?” Elia looked up.
“For asking this question.” Eric said.
“That’s no problem… Will you now tell me your story?” Elia looked deep into his eyes.
Eric started with the divorce of his parents and how he arrived at the island and his fight to survive for almost two weeks and ended with what Elia know, too. The hunt through the laboratory.
“Now I’m sorry.” Elia said.
“Why?” Eric blinked.
“For hunting you, for your change… you sure feel quite miserable for loosing your old life.” She looked down again.
“I miss my mom and dad. I ask myself, if they ever will be able to recognize me as their son and not as a…” He searched for the right words.
“I understand.” Elia said. “But I believe, that they are still loving you.”
“Thanks… by the way…” Erik said. “ I haven’t eaten since almost two days.”
Hearing this Elia started to laugh.
“I think by the nests, we still have something to eat for you.” She laughed, while she walked into the same direction as the other two Raptors before. Slowly Eric followed her.
After their arrival at the nests the “something to eat” emerges as the half eaten cadaver of some sort of small dinosaur.
Under normal conditions and in his old body Eric would never even get near it, but now it smelled so damn good. Slowly he walked towards it and carefully took a small bite of it. The taste of the raw bloody meat was too overwhelming and soon he found himself ripping and swallowing large pieces out of it.
Almost two weeks later.
Erik stood covered by a bush behind a small Dinosaur who was eating some leafs from another bush, not knowing what slowly approached behind him.
This was an easy prey. It walked too far away from its pack and now Eric was just behind it, ready to pounce, just waiting for the right moment, for his attack.
A little bit away Elia stood with another Raptor on a small hill, watching his doing.
Another minute passed without that something happened.
Suddenly Eric jumped forward on the back of the other dinosaur and dug his claws deep into its flesh.
The dinosaur yelled in pain and shock, but soon Eric was with his mouth at its throat and bit deep into it.
It was a short fight and soon Eric stood above his prey and took the first bite out of it, which was his right as the Alpha male.
Soon Elia and the other raptor arrived at the dead body to get their piece of it.
“Well done Eric.” Elia said.
“I had a good teacher.” Eric replied.
Suddenly a loud scream could be heard. Eric knew what it was and soon the whole pack vanished in the bushes. He looked back just to see how the T-rex arrived and bowed down to swallow his prey. He stopped at a safe distance and looked back.
“Sometimes I wished that this beast would just die.” He whispered to Elia.
“Oh he isn’t so bad. He just eats our leftovers. Even when we don’t finished it.” She sighed, looking how the T-rex slowly finished his meal and sniffed the air and finally turned around to vanish between the trees in the other direction. “The other sort is much more evil.” She said turning around.
Eric stood there watching the scene for a moment before following her.
After this the whole pack meets again at the nests to get some sleep. The pack counted nine grown up Raptors and fifteen hatchlings. The adult ones normal hunted in groups of three, but sometimes when a big herbivore has to be killed the whole pack worked together like one body. The first time it impressed Eric very much, how they coordinates each other to get their tactics for each different prey work. But now he was part of it himself.
The evening rain just sets in while he looked up through the small hole in the crowns of the trees at the clouded sky.
Strange, in his days as a human he don’t wanted to get wet by rain and now he doesn’t mind. He even enjoyed it to feel the warm rain cleaning his scaly skin from the dusk of the hunt.
The only thing he doesn’t want to get wet was a small book, well hidden under some leaves of his nest. He got it out of his old hiding place, when he was a human. It was some sort of diary, he started to write short after his arrival. As the raining stopped, slowly he got it out of the leafs and grabbed a role pen with the InGen logo on it. After his transformation to a Velociraptor, it took him several days to figure out how to write again with hands, which only had three fingers, but in the end he managed it, even when the letters sometimes looked a little bit strange.
He hoped, that if somebody arrives at this island he might be able to hand this diary to him on the one or the other way, what don’t meant to hunt him down. Maybe his parents will know, this way, what happened to him and that he’s still alive. Slowly he started to write the events that occurred that day, down.
Chapter 4
Death and Life on Side B
A few clouds at a bright sky. Expect of these, nothing remembered at the tropical storm, which waved over the island last night. A storm, that cost the life of a pack member.
Because of a thunderbolt a huge branch smashed one of the older females. Better said Elia’s mother.
Elia stood at the small pond and looked deep into the water. She not even realized it as Eric slowly walked towards her.
“I’m sorry for your mom.” He said after a while.
“Huh?” Elia looked up. “Oh thanks.” She said.
“What will happen to her now?” Eric asked.
“Normally we would eat her… but somehow I can’t.” Elia looked down as if she awaited that he started to laugh or looked at her in a disgusted way.
“Humans don’t eat their dead, too.” Eric said. “Normally they bury them and put a sign on their grave to remember them.” Hearing this Elia looked up.
“That’s a good tradition.” Elia said. “But a huge waste, too.”
“I know what you mean. The first time after my change, there were many things I had to think of. Maybe this way to think is the way of nature.” He sighed. “And you know, that I somehow lost my parents, too.”
“But your parents are still alive.” Elia looked up.
“Yeah, but what would they do if they see me now.” He said while he looked over his blue green, scaly body.
“Oh… I understand… I guess much the same when you saw me the first time.” She said. “I am really happy, that I didn’t caught you that day and that you felt in that tank, to be reborn… somehow.”
“But that doesn’t change the fact, that I miss them.” He answered.
“As much as I my mother.” Elia said.
Eric doesn’t answer. He just nodded, thinking about what would happen, if his parents were here. He dropped this thought. Probably they are thinking that he is dead by now and maybe this is the best.
Now both are looking into the water for almost an hour or two. Time doesn’t play much role in Eric’s new life now. Even when the right timing is very critical for their life.
“Did you want to go for a hunt?” Elia finally asked him.
“Yeah.” He just said and both Raptors were running into the jungle.
Almost three weeks later.
Eric was writing in his diary again while he lay in his nest:
“Today Elia laid eight beautiful and perfect eggs. I’m very proud and can’t await, that the young will hatch. Strange not too long ago I was a human boy and now I’ll be father of eight Velociraptor’s. It’s strange, what time and this new body with its instincts has changed me. I’ve become a really good hunter and I barely remember my old lives way of living. But I still remember everything and I still miss my mom and dad. What they will do right now? Dad surely is in his building market… Kirby’s tiles, paint and more in Westgate.” Eric chuckled a little bit as he wrote this, what would sound to non-raptors as a low repeating succession of silent growling sounds.
“Mom maybe had her next total loss with a car. Hell I miss them…”
“Hey what are you doing? Are you… how do you called it?” Elia stood right above him.
“You mean writing. Yes.” He said as he closed the book and buried it under some leafs again, before he yawned, showing his formidable sharp teeth. Slowly he stood up and stretched himself a little bit. “What are our eggs doing?”
“They are doing well.” Elia said as she stepped towards him and nuzzled him a little bit.
“Say… why did you laugh?” She asked.
“I had to think of my fathers building market.” He said.
“What’s that?” She asked.
“Well humans build their… nests, not out of leafs, branches and mud. And what they need for it, they get it there.” He tried to explain. He looked at his own nest. He builds it the second day as a Raptor out of a rather instinctive act. Strange how instincts rule his life now. He wasn’t sure if Elia knew what he meant. At least, Veloceraptors don’t know what a shop, or what money is.
“So he helps others building their nests?” Elia asked.
“Not exactly, but he somehow supports them.” Eric answered.
“Oh… I think I understand what you mean.” She replied, but Eric knew, she did not. Actually he missed many things of his old life. First of all, his parents, but then the more simple things of live. His friends, TV, sleeping in a warm and soft bed, a well-done steak… well it’s not as if the raw meat doesn’t fit for his new body or taste bad. Better said it taste incredible good, but one day after a good hunt he walked alone into the old laboratories kitchen and tried to make an Iguanodon steak. But when he smelled it he had to fight back the urge to vomit.
“I think I’ll need a little bit time to think alone.” He said, running into the jungle towards the old laboratory just before Elia was able to answer. They had a big cough just yesterday and even if a T-Rex may appear at the cadaver, it would be enough for almost three days, so he could use the free time for other things.
Slowly he entered the main hall and turned towards the laboratory. He passed some glass tanks, filled with some sort of liquid, in which dead Dinosaur embryos are swimming, connected to wires and he passed some artificial nests. After a short walk he reached the big tank with the small platform above it. The tank was empty now and one of its glass walls lies in fragments on the ground. He destroyed it within his first week as a Dinosaur, as he was in rage about what happened to him. He sighed and turned around to walk to another section of the complex.
Above the wasted parking slot was the radio antenna.
Eric first jumped on an old truck and then from it to the roof of the building, of which the antenna was on top.
One last jump and he was in the antenna. The blank metal reflected the sun in many directions. Slowly Eric lowered himself on the ground of it and started to enjoy the warmth around him.
“Well… sometimes being a raptor isn’t that bad.” Eric yawned as he drifted into a peaceful nap for almost two hours.
Chapter 5
Who dares?
It was almost one week from his last nap in the antenna as he was able to take another nap in it. But this time not for very long.
Slowly Eric woke up again from his nap in the huge antenna. In the distance he heard the calls of his pack. They were searching for him. He doesn’t want to stop sunbathing but they wouldn’t call for him if it weren’t important.
Soon he was out of the antenna and back on the ground, running in the direction the calls were coming from.
He met with Elia and the rest of the pack near the end of the jungle where the grass area started.
“What’s wrong Elia?” Eric asked.
“Kiri spotted a big prey, which seems to be seriously wounded. But we will need the whole pack to bring him down.” Elia said.
“What kind of big one.” Eric asked.
“It is one the really big ones. One of those with the long neck, but it’s a really young one.” Elia said.
Eric just starred at her. Bringing a Brachiosaur down isn’t something that should be taken easily, even when it is hurt. Hell not even a T-Rex dares to attack them.
“I want to see it first.” Eric said.
Elia nodded and soon the whole pack was near the river and really. A young brachiosaur stood several meters away of his heard. His right hind leg shows a really big wound, but it seems, that it happened through an accident instead of an attack through a big predator.
Elia was right, it really was a young one, but even this made him nearly too big to serve as prey for the pack.
“Are you really sure we can make it?” Eric asked Elia.
“I don’t know, but it would be great if we could, at least it seems, that he really is seriously injured and has already lost a huge amount of blood.” Elia said.
“Well we will never know, if we don’t try it.” Eric said. “But we have to be really fast this time.” Eric looks a little bit worried into the direction, where the Brachiosaur just laid down. Maybe it was really their big chance to bring one of them down and the big grass will cover them until it is to later for him. Eric felt how his hunting instincts slowly set in.
“Okay. What are we waiting for?” He sighed.
Soon the pack rushed towards the Brachiosaur but short before they reached him they stopped and parted into teams of two, which slowly surrounded the huge Dinosaur. He was really near and the smell of the fresh blood drives Eric almost crazy.
Quietly he asked around if everyone was on the right position. Then he shouted his command to attack. Soon the whole pack was on top of the Brachiosaur and dug their claws deep into his meat.
The young Dinosaur yelled in pain and shock but his herd was too far away to arrive just in time to save him. But on its top the pack wouldn’t be able to cause deadly wounds. It was far too much meat between his skin and the veins. So Eric slowly made his way over the struggling Dinosaur towards his long neck. The Brachiosaur still yelled in pain and his loud calls became very painful in Eric’s ears. As the head of the Brachiosaur turned backwards for one moment, Eric jumped forward and dug his long and deadly claws on his feet, deep into the throat of the huge Dinosaur and slowly slid slowly downwards, cutting a long wound into the Brachiosaur’s neck. As he jumped to the ground Eric felt the warm blood all over his body, as the calls for help of the Brachiosaur became more and more quiet and after almost ten or twenty minutes it was done. The Brachiosaur lies dead in front of them. Somehow Eric felt very proud as Elia slowly walked towards him and liked over his muzzle.
One of the younger females in the pack slowly walked over to the cadaver and wanted to take a bite of it. Eric only hissed and she understood, slowly backing away. It just wasn’t her turn. So Eric walked to the cadaver and took the first bite, now the others slowly followed. One after another and soon the whole pack was eating of the meat. Even when they ate that much, that there stomachs hurt, the cadaver looks like before.
“It will take weeks to eat all of this.” Elia said.
“Then we can look forward to some very happy weeks.” Erik smirked.
“By the way we should go home.” Elia said, while Eric only nodded.
On their way home, everyone was very happy. Having a Brachiosaur as prey wasn’t something usual in the packs life. Slowly and tired they entered their home. But something doesn’t fit. There was a strange smell in the air. Even when Erik believed, that he somehow knew it, he couldn’t say from where.
Slowly everyone turned towards his nest. While most of the nest were untouched, Eric’s was a totally mess.
“What the…?” Erik bowed down only to find two things missing. The first thing was his diary and the second was his old clothes, or better said the rags, they have been after his transformation and after he tried to get out of them. He has kept them well hidden under his nest. And now he remembered the smell. Humans!
Suddenly his thoughts were disturbed by a loud scream.
“Elia!” He rushed towards her.
Elia stood in front of her nest and looked into it, totally shocked. As Erik takes a look, too, he saw what caused her reaction.
There were only six eggs where eight should be.
Now Eric himself felt as if he has to cry. At least it were his eggs, too. Who dares to steel the eggs of his pack. And all over this, the strange odor of four humans lays in the air. Even when two of them smelled somehow as if he knows them. But he can’t say who they were.
Chapter 6
An unexpected prey
„Are you sure, that they will be save in there?” Elia asked while Eric only nodded. Both Raptors stood in front of a huge steel door. “But how shall we open it and by the way what is behind that door?”
“It’s a bunker. A safe place where humans normally stay, if it becomes too dangerous outside.” Erik said, while he walked over to the lever at the door. At first he tried to pull it, but his hands weren’t very appropriate for such work anymore, so he tried something different. Slowly he grabbed the lever with his teeth and tried to pull it on this way but it still doesn’t move a little bit. Eric took a step backward and looked at the door again. It wasn’t much bigger than a normal door, but instead of a handle it has this strange lever, attached to it almost in the same high as his head. Normally it should get open after he turned the lever from an upside to downside position.
“Maybe the mechanism is a little bit rusty after that long time.” Eric sighed. He looked around. The room, they were in, was almost empty, instead of a few boxes, crates and pipes, which stood in one corner. Erik walked towards one big crate that seems right for what he had planned and pushed against it. Slowly it started to move. He pushed it near the door. Now he was able to get better access to the lever as he slowly put one of his feet on it and started to push, but still the lever didn’t moved. Eric looked around again. A short raptor-smile could be seen as he saw the pipes. He jumped of the crate and rushed towards them and grabbed a short one with his mouth.
“What are you doing?” Elia asked as Eric jumped back on the crate.
Erik put the pipe on top of the lever.
“Thank God… it fits.” Now he pushed with his head against the end of the pipe.
The lever produced a rusty, screaming sound as it started to move.
Eric jumped backwards. That sound was very painful for their ears but somehow he has to get this door open, so he jumped on the crate and started to push again.
He has to repeat this procedure several times until the lever suddenly went to the downside position without much force and the door opened itself a little bit.
Eric used his claws, to pull the door open. Old air waved against Eric and Elia as Eric switched the lights on. It was a big room they were now standing in.
“Our eggs will be safe in here until we get the others back.” Eric sighed.
“I hope so.” Elia said.
Eric didn’t answer, but walked towards the stairs and back to the surface, where the rest of the pack waited with the other eggs.
It took them almost an hour to get all eggs down into the bunker, until Eric closed it again.
“Now we have to find these egg thieves.” Eric growled.
“The pack divided again to search the humans. Only one raptor stayed near the lab complex to keep an eye on the bunker entrance.
Almost two hours nothing happened and Eric slowly started to believe, that the humans were gone. As his anger slowly faded away he started to think about the humans. Who where they and what do they want with the eggs. He begged to god that they don’t have them for breakfast.
Suddenly he heard the call of the female, which guarded the complex.
He shouted his answer back and asked where the humans were at the moment. He was very happy that their way to communicate could be used over those far distances.
And soon he rushed towards the position she has told him, Elia always short behind him. As much as the others told him on the run, three of the egg thieves were on a tree, one was down and one was missing.
One was down? Eric hoped, that it doesn’t mean, what it heard after. He just wanted the eggs back and no dead. He rushed through the jungle and finally arrived at the tree, just to see two of his pack jumping, to get one of the humans, which hung head down on a liana, of the tree.
His heart almost stopped as he saw who was hanging there.
“Mom?” Eric whispered.
“That’s your mother?” Elia looked at Eric with wide eyes.
“Go away!” He shouted at the two raptors as he stepped out of the bushes. “Search the one who’s missing, but I want him alive!”
The two raptors stopped jumping, nodded and were rushing into the jungle.
Eric looked up the tree. His mother was back in the tree and behind her he saw his father, too, and a man he don’t know.
“Mom! Dad! It’s me! Eric!” He shouted.
“Make them go away! Make that those beast go!” He heard his mother shouting. After he heard this all what Eric wanted, was to curl together and start to cry. They don’t understand him. But something caught his attention then. A few meters away lay a man on the ground, a huge wound in his back, but still alive… somehow.
“He won’t make it very long.” Elia said. “Did you want, that I…?”
“No. I’ll end his suffering. At least it was my fault. I should have make clear, that I want them alive before.” He whispered.
Slowly Eric put the head of the man carefully into his mouth, not to cause more pain. With a sudden movement of his head, he broke the man’s neck. He laid the dead man’s head slowly back on the ground.
He spitted, to get the taste of his blood out of his mouth. He felt quite miserable. It happened, he, Eric Kirby has killed a human.
“Noooo. Mr. Udesky.” He heard the cry of his mother, what makes him only to feel worse.
“At first Ben and Eric, then Cooper and Nash and now these monsters killed Mr. Udesky, too.” She cried.
Eric looked at her and saw how she pressed something red at her breast, while she cried. It was his diary and above it a piece of his old clothes. Now he understood, why she was thinking, that he is dead.
“Read it mom!” He shouted. “Read it and you will understand!” Slowly he and Elia vanished in the bushes.
“They don’t have understood me. Not even a damn word.” He sobbed. “And now they will think, that I’m a killer, nothing more than a dumb bloodthirsty animal.” He stopped and curled together on the ground, to cry.
“It’s okay.” Elia tried to calm him down. “But you don’t may forget our eggs… our children.”
Slowly Erik looked up.
“We have to go! I can hear the others, they’ve found the one, who’s missing.” Elia said.
Chapter 7
Stampede
Slowly and still sobbing, Eric stood up.
“I only want, that they know, that it’s me and that they coming towards me without fear.” Erik said.
“I understand your problems, but we have to go now!” Elia said, before she rushed into the direction, the calls where coming from.
Eric looked behind her, before he started to follow her as fast as he could. He just broke through the last bushes as he saw a man, surrounded by four Raptors. Somewhere he knew this man but from where. But suddenly it hits him…
“That’s Dr. Allan Grant!” Eric gasped.
“Do you know him, too?” Elia asked.
“Not personally, but I’ve read some of his books.” Erik said.
“He has the eggs! I can smell them!” One of the other Raptors hissed.
“WHAT?” Elia and Eric shouted at once, as both rushed nearer to Allan.
“Oh shit!” He whispered as the both Velociraptors come nearer and nearer.
Hearing this, Erik stopped and looked at Allan.
“You don’t need to have fear, we just want our eggs back.” Eric tried to say. But all what Allan understood, was the chirping of a Raptor.
But it caused, that Allan looked at Eric.
Eric just wanted to start to write what he had said in the sand, as a low thunder in the distance could be heard, what became louder with each passing second.
Eric knew what it was. He has heard it before, when they have chased a herd of Hadrosaurs.
The others knew the sound, too and got very nervous.
“Oh no.” One Raptor gasped.
Suddenly the first Hadrosaur broke through the bushes in full speed.
“Go away! That’s a stampede!” Eric barked his command and he and the other Raptors run for their lives. Being behind an amok running herd of big Dinosaurs is really good if you hunt them, but being in front of them is more than deadly. He looked back and saw how Allan Grant vanished in an other direction, short before a T-Rex broke through the trees behind them.
So that was it, what caused the panic of the herbivores.
Seeing this Eric and the other Raptors decided to go away from here as fast as possible, as long as the T-Rex was hunting, no one was safe.
As the new, that they were far enough away from it. The pack stopped.
“Damn! I hat this T-Rex. We almost had our eggs back and now… damn!” Eric said hard breathing.
“And now it is too late to hunt. It will be dark soon.” Elia said with a sad tone in her voice. They went back to their empty nests.
This night, Eric don’t had a good night, first he had a nightmare of a man without a face who made the eggs in a huge pan and started to eat them and after that he dreamt how he was joined with his parents as a normal family of humans again, when he suddenly changed into a Raptor and started to rip them apart. He woke up hard breathing. It was still night and Tai heard the sounds of the sleeping jungle, asking himself, if he really would be a danger for his parents. Suddenly it became uncomfortable in his nest, so he stood up, turned around and lay down again.
“You can’t sleep, too?” Eric heard Elia whispering.
“No.” He whispered back. “Would you come with me for a moment?” Eric asked her. “I want to show you something.”
“Sure.” Elia said.
Both Raptors quietly stood up and walked away from the nests. Eric guided her towards the abandoned laboratory.
“What do you want here?” She asked as he jumped on the old truck and from it to the roof.
“Just follow me.” He said and soon both were lying in the antenna and were watching the sunrise.
“Thank you for bringing me up here. The view is great.” She said.
“I hope, that you’ll like it, but you have to come up her when the sun is already up for a few hours.” Erik said.
“How do you feel Eric?” Elia asked.
“What do you mean?” Eric asked in return.
“I mean you saw your parents yesterday and… I’ve a question I want to ask you for a long time.” Elia said.
“You know you always can ask me about everything.” Eric replied. “So feel free to ask.”
Elia looked deep into his eyes before she continued.
“If there’s a way to tell your parents about you… would you go back with them?” She asked.
“I asked me the same question quite a few times.” Eric sighed. “I really miss my old live. But I know, that I would miss this live, too.”
“And? Would you?” Elia asked.
“As long, as I am a Velociraptor? No! And I know, that I wouldn’t change back to a human being… somehow I knew this. I mean, what would happen, if I go back like this. They would put me in a cage, even when my parents would say, that I wouldn’t cause any trouble. And I know, that I can’t life in a cage for very long.” He said.
“I’m happy to hear this. You know, maybe if you hadn’t destroyed that machine you would be able to change your…” Elia started.
“No one should ever be changed and ripped out of his live.” Eric became very seriously. “And I wish it nobody, not even my biggest enemy.”
“Oh you mean the T-Rex.” Elia looked up.
“Not really.” Eric said.
“I’m sorry, it was just an idea.” She looked down again.
“Well to speak the truth… I’ve played with the same thought for a few times. My parents as Raptors.” Eric looked away, a little bit ashamed. “By the way… I think we should go now and search them.”
They got out of the antenna and soon were back at the nests. Some of the other Raptors were still sleeping. As everyone was up they went to the Brachiosaur and started to eat as much as they could.
Eric knew, that it would be a long day, but he has to find his parents, even when this means, that they have to leaf their territory.
Chapter 8
Out of territory
„Where are we now?“ Eric asked.
“I don’t know. I never was that far out of our territory before.” Elia said looking around very worried.
“But you was out of it before?” Eric asked.
“Only one time… and that was when our Alpha male got killed.” Elia said with a sad tone in her voice.
Hearing this caused Eric to shiver on his whole body. They searched for many hours now but they haven’t found a trace yet. The only trace they had went to a canyon, which was covered with huge cage like construction. But they weren’t able to enter it; the spiral stairs just weren’t made for Velociraptors. So they searched several hours until they’ve found the entrance near the river. There they found the trace again but lost them only a few meters away, at the river again. Now they were on the other side of it, but there wasn’t any trace, even when they sniffed as hard as they could.
Suddenly they heard a roar behind them and spotted a Spinosaur, which was rushing at them.
“Oh shit! What the hell is that?” Eric shouted.
“That’s the one who killed our Alpha. Run!” Elia screamed.
The whole pack split up and the groups rushed into different directions but the Spinosaur was still hunting only Eric and Elia.
They rushed as fast as they could but the bushes slowed them down, even when the Spinosaur was much bigger than them he was now able to stomp through the bushes while Eric and Elia had to run around them or through their branches what wasn’t very easily.
“Damn… He’s coming closer.” Eric shouted.
“There to the trees!” Elia shouted. As they rushed towards a part of the jungle where the trees stood very dense.
Short before the Spinosaur was able to get one of them they rushed through the first line of trees and now they had the advantage on their side. The Spinosaur with his huge body wasn’t able to get through the trees very fast while they could rush very fast between the trees and very soon, they were out of danger. Hard breathing both Raptors stopped between two huge trees.
“I… I think we are safe.” Eric said while he lay down.
“I hope that.” Elia said. “It’s not so funny to be the hunted.”
“Now you know how I felt, when we have met the first time.” Eric said. “To see claws and a teeth filled maw rushing behind you isn’t something you like very much.”
“Well… now your one of that teeth filled maws, too.” Elia said. Both looked at each other before they broke into a full laughter.
“Why the hell are we laughing? I mean we have almost been killed by that predator.” Eric gasped.
“Maybe because of that fact.” Elia laughed, jumping on Eric’s back, looking deep into his eyes. Eric looked up before she suddenly liked over his muzzle.
“Hey you two!” Kiri’s voice could be heard short before she jumped out, between the trees. “Typical! The whole pack is searching you not knowing if you got killed and you two were laying here and kiss each other. And something like that calls themselves the Alphas.” Kiri joked.
“Oh shut up! We are only happy, that we managed it, to get away from this maw.” Elia said, causing that Eric started to laugh again. As she realized what she just had said, Elia started to laugh again, too.
“Are you sure, that you haven’t hurt your heads while rushing through that bushes?” Kiri asked.
“I think we should get the pack back together.” Eric stopped laughing and slowly stood up, almost to an upright position and started to call for the other pack members as loud as he could. Between those trees they were safe. The Spinosaur wouldn’t be able to go through them without causing much noise.
Slowly after he had called, the other pack members arrived, while it became dark around.
“Shit! We won’t be able to get back to the nest in time before its totally dark.” Kiri said.
“We won’t go to the nests anyway… not until we got our eggs back.” Eric said totally serious. “And if that means, that we have to search them while it is night, then so shall be it.” He sighed.
“Hunting while it is dark is totally untypical for our kind.” One of the younger females said.
“It’s untypical, that someone dares to steal two of our eggs, too.” Elia said, looking at the female, which just have spoken. The female just nodded while she thought about her own eggs.
Slowly the group started their search again. They headed back near the river as quiet as they could. Not to be not heard, but not to overhear something important.
They had followed the river, which was shining in the bright moonlight as Eric suddenly stopped. He has heard something. Down the river very silent the sound of a motor could be heard. It has to be them. Who else could use a motor on this island? Eric gave a silent order, that the pack should stay where they are, and rushed down to the river. Slowly he pushed his head through the leafs but pulled it back at once. In front of him the Spinosaur slowly walked down the river. Just in that direction, the motor sound was coming from.
But suddenly something different caught Eric’s attention. A few meters away he heard a jiggle, he knows just too well. He walked after it and soon stood in front of a huge pile of excrements. Eric swallowed hard as he grabbed into it and managed to pull a yellow phone out of it. He was short before vomiting as he walked to the water and washed his arm and cleaned the outside of the phone as good as he could before he tipped with one of his claws at a button and the jiggle stopped. He was very lucky, that the phone has a cord attached to it so he was able to carry it, without that he has to carry it in his mouth. He rushed back to the others and they started to rush in the direction the sound could be heard a few minutes ago.
Suddenly they heard a loud roar out of that direction and short after that a red glowing orb could be seen that flew a short bow and disappeared a few seconds later again, followed by another angry roar, then silent.
“We have to go there!” Eric barked. They rushed forward just to stop a few moments later as the Spinosaur broke through the line of trees in rage, passed in front of them and disappeared between the trees on the other side.
“He doesn’t even notice us.” Eric said.
“It looks almost as if he hasn’t got his prey and is very angry about that.” Elia said.
Slowly they walked to the river. The boat lays destroyed in the middle of it, but on the other side, the eight Raptors spotted the movements of three humans.
“We have to get them! Now!” Elia wanted to rush to them, but Eric jumped in front of her.
“No! It’s not the right time yet!” He said.
Chapter 9
See again
“What? But they have our eggs! They are your children, too!” Elia said a little bit shocked.
“Elia no one wants our eggs back, more than I, but look at the river and say me, if we can make it to the other side before they were able to reach another tree?” Eric pointed at the river. Elia looked at the broad river and sighed.
“I don’t think we could make it in time.” She said.
“Look at me!” Eric said. “I promise you, that we will get our eggs back and that no one gets injured. At first we have to wait until they went into the jungle again, so we can cross the river unseen. And then… just a normal hunt, but…” Eric looked around to be sure that everyone was listening. “No one is allowed to kill or hurt one of them!” The other Raptors only nodded.
He looked back to the other side of the river and saw how the three humans walked into the jungle. He gave a sign and the whole pack walked down to the river. And started to cross it. It still was very dark and only the moon spent light. But it was still enough for the Raptors eyes to see everything around. Something that was lying on a sandbank in the middle of the river caught Eric’s attention. The water wasn’t deep so he was able to rush to it. On the sandbank he spotted an unconscious man, which wear a brown shirt. Eric smelled at the man. No he wasn’t dead. Slowly Eric grabbed the shirt of the man between his teeth and started to pull. He pulled Billy to the other side of the river and a little bit into the jungle.
“That’s one of them!” Elia said.
“But he hasn’t our eggs.” Eric said after a short while. “You three stay here and watch him! When he wake up, don’t let him get away, but don’t hurt him. Oh… and keep this until I’m back.” He said to three females as he handed them the phone, he was still carrying.
The three females stayed, while the rest of the pack started to run behind Allan Grant and Eric’s parents. Slowly the sun began to rise and it was almost day, as they fund the small group again. Slowly each of the Raptors rushed another way to surround them until Eric gave the signal and soon after that the humans found themselves surrounded by five Raptors.
“They want the eggs.” Allan said. “Otherwise we would have been dead by now.”
“Give me my eggs back!” Elia said calm but serious.
“We have to crouch down… She provokes us.” Allan said and the whole group lowered themselves at the ground.
“Elia they don’t understand what we say.” Eric said.
“Let me try something different.” She said as she slowly walked towards Eric’s mother.
“She thinks that you’ve stolen the eggs.” Allan said.
“Go behind me.” Eric’s dad said, but Elia only hissed at him.
“Elia!” Eric shouted.
Slowly Elia started to nuzzle Eric’s mother, then she took a step backwards.
“Please!” she said.
“Give me the eggs!” Eric’s mom hissed to Allan who slowly opened the bag, in which the eggs were. And slowly he handed it to Amanda Kirby. Slowly she grabbed them.
Suddenly Eric jumped at Elia’s side, while his mother stopped in shock.
“What’s this one?” She hissed at Dr. Grant.
“It seems to be a male.” He replied, still whispering.
Suddenly Eric got an idea as he bowed down and started to write something into the sand with his claw.
“What the hell is it doing now?” She asked. “Oh my god! It is writing. Oh my…” Amanda was speechless, as she has read what Eric just has written into the sand.
“What is it?” Paul asked.
“B-Be careful! D-Don’t crush your g-grandchildren! Mom.” She stammered.
“WHAT!” Paul shouted out loud, what caused, that a young female was short before jumping at them. But Eric hissed at her and she froze in her movement and backed away a few steps.
“Go back you three and help the others.” He ordered. The three females run away, disappearing in the jungle. Now he and Elia were alone with the humans.
As he turned his head back to his mother she looked at him, but he still could smell her fear. Then he decided that he would need more drastic actions to prove, that it is him, so he started to search his diary. He smelled it in the rucksack of his father, who doesn’t dared to move, too, after Elia had hissed at him. He tried to open it and somehow managed it. Slowly he pulled the diary out of it. When his mother saw this, her eyes went wide.
“Oh no! Not this book, too! It’s the only thing, that those beasts have left from Eric.” She shouted and tried to grab after the book.
“Are you crazy!” Allan managed to pull her back on the ground. Eric was a little bit shocked, too. His head feathers stood almost upright while he asked himself if it is such a good idea to let them know what happened to him, but he knew, that he has to do it. So his claws flicked through the sides until he found the passage he was searching for. Slowly, hard breathing and with shaking hands he walked back to his mother and laid the opened bock in front of her at the ground and tipped with one claw at the passage she should read. After that he bowed down and grabbed one of the eggs carefully with his teeth and Elia did the same with the other on. Then Eric took a few steps backward, pulling Elia with him and laid the eggs back into the sand, so Elia was able to take care for them.
“I think, they want that you read this!” Paul Kirby said to his wife.
“Incredible.” Dr. Grant only said.
Slowly Amanda moved forward, grabs the diary and started to read in it.
Chapter 10
The diary
“Honey I want to know what our son has written, too.” He said.
“Ok I will read aloud, but I barely can read, what he has written there.” She looked at the letters while Eric silently cursed his claw hand.
“Let me try it.” Allan said.
Slowly Amanda handed him the diary.
“Well that’s even more worse than my handwriting.” Allan said. “But I think, I can read it. Okay…” And Allan started to read aloud out of Eric’s diary.
“It’s rather difficulty to write with only three fingers…the biggest loss is the thumb, but I think I can manage to write better after a little bit training.” The sobbing of Amanda interrupted Allan.
“My poor boy, he must have a horrible time before he died.” She sobbed.
Suddenly all three looked up as they realized that the Raptors were still there, while both started to speak with each other.
“Did you really want that they know about you?” Elia asked.
“They have the right to know about it.” Eric just said, lowering himself at the ground.
“Hell… I really want to know what they were talking about.” Allan mumbled before he started to read again.
“I miss mom and dad, but at least I’m safe now. Since I’ve met Elia I can’t complain about anything. But this body is so strange… I’m even afraid of myself when I see my image reflecting in the water.” Allan stopped.
“Who’s Elia? And what did he meant with his body is strange.” Allan asked.
“I don’t know about a third person.” Amanda said. “And I don’t know what he meant.”
“Maybe puberty?” Paul said totally serious.
“That’s ridiculous Paul.” Amanda said.
“Well… I could remember, that I was very worried about what happened in this time to my body.” Paul answered.
Allan turned to the next side and started to read again.
“It’s almost one week since I’ve changed into a R…” Allan stopped and looked to Eric’s parents, which were staring at him, the question written on their faces.
“What happened to him? From what changes are you talking? Come on tell it to us!” Paul Kirby said, while Eric slowly stood up again.
“Raptor.” Allan only said.
“WHAT?” Both were shouted together.
“I only read what is written here. And here stand. Changed into a Raptor.” Allan said.
“That’s even more ridiculous than Paul’s explanation with the puberty!” Amanda said.
“Here you can read it yourself.” Allan handed her the diary.
“I knew, that they wouldn’t believe it.” Elia said, slowly nuzzling him to cheer him up.”
“Would you have believed it? I mean even now I somehow can’t believe what happened that day.” Eric asked.
“No.” Elia said looking down. “But I’m happy about that day.” Eric didn’t answered to this statement, but suddenly he moved forward to the group of still arguing humans. Slowly he lowered his hand at his mother’s shoulder.
Feeling the touch Amanda turned around and started to scream in fear as she saw Eric, standing that near. She tried to back away from him and Eric let her do so. Slowly Eric bowed down to write something into the sand, before he went back to Elias side. Still shocked Amanda needed a few minutes to crawl forward to read what he has written.
“Mom it’s me!” She read aloud, before she looked up. “Eric?” She whispered the question.
Eric felt very happy that his mother finally realized what happened to him. In all his luck he squealed and jumped towards her from his position and grabbed his mother in a hug, with his claw hands.
Amanda screamed in terror unable to react to such a fast attack. Eric still holding her and started to rub his head against her cheek. While he was doing this he produced these typical breathing, almost purring sounds of a Raptor. Slowly Amanda calmed down. After nearly five minutes Eric stopped his doing and took a step backwards.
“Eric is that really you?” She asked while Paul and Allan were looking at Eric; the one confused and the other skeptical.
This time Eric just nodded.
“Yes mom.” He said, but the humans only heard another high-pitched squeal. So he decided to write his answer again in the sand.
“If that’s really you… would you tell me how many total losses I caused with the cars?” Amanda asked.
Eric thought a moment before he started to write a two into the sand.
Seeing this Amanda started to shiver and backed away from him.
“It isn’t Eric!” She whispered. Eric was really confused it only were two total losses in the last three years. Then it hits him.
“What was his answer?” Paul asked.
“Two! But I had three total losses.” She said.
“No! The Buick wasn’t a total loss.” Eric’s dad looked down. “I only said it to you, because I wanted the Jeep and Eric knew about it.” He said. “So it is really Eric.”
This time it was Amanda’s turn to rush to her son and hugged him tight, feeling his scaly skin. Now it was Eric’s turn to be surprised and his head feathers stood almost upright.
All the time Elia stayed with the eggs and watched them, but now she moved a little bit forward to Eric’s side.
“Are you happy now?” She asked
“Yes!” He only replied.
“Oh Eric… what just happened to you?” He heard his mother sob. “My boy…I thought, that I’ve lost you.” Eric looked at his mother and he saw the tears in her eyes.
Eric carefully freed himself from her hug and pointed at his diary.
Suddenly, a call from the distance.
“The human is awake! What shall we do with him?” Eric heard Kiri’s question.
“Take care, that he stay where he is, but don’t hurt him!” He shouted his order, while he stood almost upright.
“Amazing!” Allan said.
Then Eric started to write again.
“Did you miss a man with a brown shirt? That’s Billy!” Allan said as he read it aloud.
“He’s alive… follow me!” Eric wrote in the sand before he went to the eggs and took one carefully in his mouth again. Elia did the same with the other one.
They needed much more time with the humans, than without but at least they arrived after almost ten minutes, seeing a very afraid Billy surrounded by six Velociraptors.
Chapter 11
Mission completed but...
Eric slowly laid the egg down and gave the order that the pack should return to their territory and that he and Elia would follow them with the humans a little bit later. And soon instead of eight there only remained two Raptors. What would have, under normal circumstances, been deadly enough for the four humans, which were standing there.
Billy still stood at the same place hard breathing. His eyes looked away from Allan to Elia and to Eric and back.
“That’s the one who took our eggs.” Elia hissed. “His scent was the strongest around my nest.”
“Let’s have a little bit fun with him.” Eric smirked before he turned around and wrote something into the ground.
“Don’t worry we won’t harm him but please be silent about it. Just a little revenge for the eggs.” Amanda read loud enough, that Allan and Paul heard it but Billy not.
“Ready?” Eric asked Elia.
“Yeah!” she replied smiling.
“But please don’t hurt him.” After he said this, both Raptors suddenly looked at Billy and started to hiss and screamed out loud before both separated and rushed towards Billy in full speed.
“I think they are very angry about the eggs Billy! RUN!” Allan shouted.
Suddenly Billy snapped out of it and rushed into the nearest bushes, Eric and Elia short behind him. And soon Allan, Amanda and Paul heard tow raptor screams followed by a human scream.
“Noooooo!” Billy’s scream suddenly stopped.
“Oh my god! You don’t think that they have killed him, do you?” Amanda asked.
A few minutes later Elia slowly walked out of the bushes. Between her teeth she held proudly a piece of Billy’s trousers, which she now spits on the ground. A little bit later Eric followed, pulling an unconscious Billy behind him with his mouth.
“ERIC! What have you done?” Amanda shouted angry.
“We don’t even have touched his skin and he passed out.” Eric wrote into the ground.
“And what’s that?” Amanda pointed at the hole in Billy’s pants and “Eric just tipped at the word skin.
Slowly Billy woke up again.
The first thing he saw was Elia and he started to scream again.
“Calm down Billy!” Allan said they don’t even cause you a scratch.
“B-But how? Why?” Billy stammered.
“May I introduce you to Eric Kirby.” Allan pointed at Eric who lowered his head a little bit, showing his head feathers.
“That’s the beast that killed Mr. Udesky.” Billy shouted.
Suddenly Eric doesn’t felt very comfortable in his scaly skin.
“Are you sure?” Paul asked.
“That’s the only Raptor I’ve seen with feathers at this isle.” Billy said seriously.
“ERIC!” The scream of his mother hurt in his ears. “Is that true?”
Eric doesn’t dare to look his mother into the eyes as he slowly nodded.
“Why have you killed him? He was such a nice man.” She said with a sad tone in a voice.
“Mom I… he would have died a more…” Eric said.
“Write it! You know, that we don’t understand your… speech!” His dad said upset.
“He would have died a much more painful dead, if I haven’t had broken his neck.” Eric wrote shaking at his whole body and his head feathers down, pressed at his head.
Everyone stared at the written words unable to say a word, what makes Eric feel more and more miserable.
After a long time Allan started to speak.
“How seriously was Mr. Udesky wounded?” Allan asked.
“I can’t say it clearly but he had a long wound on his back.” Paul said.
“With such a wound he wouldn’t have made it very long at this isle. Even when the Raptors weren’t behind us, the smell of the blood would have caused other predators to hunt us and they would have killed Mr. Udesky the one way or the other. And so at least Eric gave him an almost painless and fast dead.” Dr. Grant said. Hearing this Eric dared to look up a little bit, but all he saw were the tears in his mom’s eyes.
“You were right Elia.” Eric whispered. “It was a stupid idea. Let’s go home.” With these words he grabbed one egg again and slowly walked towards the bushes, his head still looking down. Slowly Elia followed his doing. They were short before walking through the bushes as Eric heard his mother.
“Eric wait! It’s… okay.” She said. “I know, that you wouldn’t have done something like that, if there would have been an other way.
Eric stopped and looked back.
“This is really the boy we were searching for all the time.” Billy asked.
“Yes Billy.” Allan said.
“But that’s impossible! That’s a Raptor.” Billy said.
Eric walked slowly towards him.
“Tell me something new!” He wrote into the ground before he walked back. Reading this Billy’s mouth hung wide open.
“You have to teach me that writing when we were at home again. The reactions it cause are too funny.” She said.
Eric looked at her really confused.
A roar in the distance made Eric suddenly remember in whose territory they were right now.
Slowly they walked back to the group.
“It would be the best, if we return to our territory, I don’t think it’s safe here!” He wrote into the sand.
“I agree with that.” Allan said.
“Are you sure, that it would be safer than here?” Billy asked.
“Now that the Raptors are on our side, I can’t imagine a safer place.” Allan said. “At least our Eric here is their alpha male and I think we can trust him.”
Hearing this make Eric felt much better.
“So I think we should start right now! It’s a really long way.” Eric wrote into the sand.
“Okay… show us the way!” Allan said.
“But before we start! If anyone of us chirp like this, you have to be quiet!” He wrote down.
“Chirp like what?” Amanda asked her son.
Erik stood there and chirped a very high but short tone. It was the equivalent for “Be quiet!”
“Okay. Let’s go!”
Eric nodded and they were on their march towards the Raptor’s nests.
Chapter 12
The eggs are back
It took them almost one day, with the humans to reach the border to their territory. Now Eric and Elia were able to relax a little bit, knowing, that nothing lives here, that is too dangerous, except a T-Rex and themselves, but the T-Rex normally produces enough noise to hear him when he is almost one hundred meters away. Out of their territory, they stopped several times because of Eric or Elia heard something… They were very lucky, that they don’t run into the Spinosaur again. Eric doesn’t worry about himself or Elia… they were just too fast under normal circumstances but it would have meant a huge danger for his parents.
It was almost dark, as they reached the nests; the other Raptors were already sleeping. Slowly and quiet Eric and Elia stepped to Elia’s nest and laid the eggs in it.
“Tomorrow we will bring the others back to the nests.” Eric whispered.
“Thank you.” Elia just said as she yawned and laid herself down in the nest. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Eric replied as he walked to his parents, Dr. Grant and Billy. “It’s best you prepare yourself for the night, too.” He wrote into the sand.
“Have we to sleep here?” Billy asked. “I don’t feel very comfortable with the thought of eight Raptors sleeping around us.” He whispered to Allan.
“Don’t worry Billy. I can’t imagine a saver place on these island right now.” Allan yawned, sat down and leaned back at a tree. Somehow he started to get used to it. Billy only stared at him for several minutes before he followed and sat down, too.
“Mom? Dad? If you want, you can use my… nest.” Eric wrote in the sand and pointed wit on claw at the only empty nest around.
“Thanks but I think we sleep here.” Eric’s dad said. “We won’t fit in it anyway.”
“Oh… yeah.” Eric said with a sad tone in his voice. Even when his parents only were able to understand a low chirping sound, they seem to understand.
“Eric… even when you are now a Dinosaur, you shall know, that we still see you as our son and that we still love you.” Amanda said.
“Thanks mom… good night.” Eric wrote into the sand.
“Good night Eric.” His parents said as they sat down, too.
Before he lay down… Eric looked around for a last time, but he heard nothing than the breathing sound of the sleeping pack and the four humans. So he slowly lay down, too and was soon asleep.
The next morning Eric and the other Raptors where just on their way to bring the eggs back, when Allan woke up, only to found the group of four humans alone at the nest-area. Suddenly a Raptor rushed out of a bush, carrying an egg carefully in his mouth and laid it into a nest, before the raptor disappeared immediately in the bushes again.
Allan looked around. A few nest have been already filled with eggs, while others were still empty.
A few minutes later another Raptor rushed to a nest, carrying another egg. Allan used the time to take a closer look at the empty nests. He still couldn’t believe, that he was here, the probably most dangerous place on the whole isle and he could stay here, without to get eaten.
This time it was Eric who rushed towards Elia’s nest, carrying an egg. Allan doesn’t hear him as he stepped towards him, until he screeched a silent Raptor scream.
Allan’s head flew around in shock, only to find Eric writing a “Good morning.” into the sand.
Slowly Allan relaxed.
“You’ve frightened me.” Allan said.
“Sorry… I just said hello.” Erik wrote.
“Oh… what are you doing, right now?” Allan asked.
“We’re transporting the eggs back from the old base, back to our nests… did you want to help? With the rucksack we would be able to carry much more than the other way.” Erik asked.
“Sure!” Allan said as he emptied the rucksack and followed Eric to the base. Now and then an other member of Eric’s pack crossed their path… each one of them an egg in their mouths except those who came out of the nest’s direction.
After half an hour they reached the bunker. Elia was in the small room, watching over the eggs.
“Why did you brought him here?” She asked surprised.
“He can help us carrying the eggs.” Eric said, while Allan put the rucksack in front of him at the ground and opened it.
“Can we trust him?” She asked.
“Yeah…” Eric said.
“I hope your right… well that are the last ones.” She said, pointing at the last ten eggs.
Eric only nodded as he put one after another slowly and very carefully in the rucksack. As all eggs were in it, Allan put the rucksack back on. Outside the bunker Eric called the others that they now can stay at the nests, before they walked back.
Another half an hour later and they were back at the nests, where Allan slowly put one egg after an other back into Elia’s nest, distrustfully watched by Elia. As the last one was back in her nest, Elia started to relax.
“So these are your eggs, too?” Amanda asked Eric, who only nodded. “I would never ever have thought, that our grandchildren would be Raptors.” She said in a strange tone.
“And I would never ever have thought, that the grandparents of my children would be humans.” Elia hissed.
“What did she said?” Paul asked.
“She’s a little bit upset about your statement.” Eric wrote into the sand.
“I’m sorry… It’s only strange for us.” Amanda said.
“We’re making breakfast now… If you want you can come with us, but I don’t know if you like three days old, death Brachiosaur.” Eric wrote into the sand, causing strange looks on the human faces.
“Maybe we can make a fire and cook something.” Billy said. “I’m starving.”
Chapter 13
Breakfast
The Pack and the humans arrived at the cadaver a little bit later. A strong smell lies in the air.
“What the hell stinks here?” Amanda asked.
A little bit later she stood in front of the gigantic cadaver of the Brachiosaur.
Allan only starred at the hill of dead meat.
“And I ever thought, that nothing could kill such a gigantic being.” He said.
“Well it was a young one and he was badly wounded, too… He was an easy prey… for a Brachiosaur.” Eric wrote into the sand. Before he took a closer look at the cadaver.
Other carnivores have already eaten a huge part of it. And his sensitive sense of smell told him, that three days in the sun in this tropical climate, was one day too much… even for the Raptors. Disgusted he turned his head away from it.
“I think we need to hunt something else!” Eric said to Elia.
“How did you think of something like that?” Elia pointed in the direction of a grazing herd of Corythosaurs.
“I think, that’s just perfect.” Said Eric smiling. He chirped a short order and the whole pack walked off, leaving the humans behind.
“What the hell are they doing now?” Billy asked.
“It seems, that they were hunting something.” Allan said. “Let’s follow them, but we have to be careful not to disturb them while they are hunting. I don’t want to miss one second of it.”
Slowly the humans followed the pack.
A good prey was soon found. An older Corythosaur walked a few meters away of his herd. Eric only chirped and everyone rushed to his position, around the Dinosaur waiting for the order to attack. Several minutes passed without, that something happened. The Corythosaur still was grazing, not aware of the Velociraptors standing only a few meters away, ready attack him. Eric just wanted to give the order to attack, when the Corythosaur and its herd suddenly became a little bit nervous. The old Corythosaur makes himself as big as he could, by standing on his hind legs and looked around.
As fast as they could the whole pack crouched down at the ground.
Then a well-known smell waved at Eric’s nostrils, carried by the wind.
Eric only asked himself, why his parents and the other two don’t stay at the Brachiosaur?
Now they were standing just right in the direction the wind came from and their smell makes the Corythosaurs nervous.
That was no wonder. The last time, that humans came to Islar Sorna, they tried to capture many of the herbivores with no success. As much Eric was told by Elia, a big part of this group ended as a big meal for the Raptors but the herbivores react a little bit sensitive at the smell of humans since that day.
Well, at least he can’t see them, as he looked around carefully. Eric looked back at the Corythosaur, which was still standing at his hind legs, looking around, for a possible danger in the distance, but totally blind about what was sitting in the high grass in front of him.
“Well… maybe that isn’t that bad… ATTACK!” Eric shouted.
Even when the Dinosaur was prepared that a possible danger was nearby, he was totally surprised, that it was that close to him, as the Pack pounced at him. The whole herd realized what happened and rushed of in panic. Only the one, which was attacked wasn’t able to get away, with eight Raptors on it’s body, it was quite impossible. The Corythosaur yelled in pain as the Raptors dug their claws in his meat, causing several wounds, which were counted together more than deadly.
The whole fight was well watched of the humans sitting in a nearby tree.
“I can’t believe, that this is our Eric down there.” Amanda gasped, watching Eric, how he wounded the Corythosaur with claws and teeth.
“That’s his way of life now.” Allan said totally fascinated by the way, the Raptors attacked the much bigger Dinosaur.
“Even when he is now a Raptor he is still our son… somewhere in this deadly body.” Paul said.
“He is still your son and he remembers that!” Allan said. “Or how would you explain the writing or that we still are alive?”
“Your right. But… seeing this makes me very afraid again.” Amanda replied.
While they were talking, the pack backed away from the Corythosaur, awaiting the moment that he would die of the loss of too much blood. Even when they tried several times they weren’t able to get access to its throat. And with each passing minute the Corythosaur got weaker and weaker until he fell down at least.
The humans watched as Eric walked to the dead corpse and took the first bite.
“Look! How the pack start to eat…you can see each ones rank in the pack…” Allan explained very excited.
As the pack finished is meal and Eric look around and called for his parents… even when he knew, that they wouldn’t understand him.
“What was that for?” Paul asked.
“I think, that he is calling for us…” Billy said.
“Let’s try something.” Allan said, while he pulled something out of his rucksack. It was a strange object… but even stranger as its look, was the sound it produced, as Allan blew into it. But the whole pack reacted somehow at it. They looked around, really confused. Even Eric.
“Who the hell was that?” Eric asked Elia.
“I don’t know… but whoever it was… he is speaking a very strong dialect… I barely understood anything.” Elia answered.
Slowly the group of humans walked to the Raptors as they got of the tree. Allan put the strange thing again to his mouth and blew again, but this time in front of Eric, who started to laugh like a Raptor would, about what Allan has said on in the Raptor language, what caused Allan, Billy and Eric’s parents to back away a few steps.
Realizing this, Eric bowed down and started to write something in the ground.
“Sorry but that was just too funny…” He wrote into the sand.
The humans visibly relaxed.
“So? What did I say?” Allan asked.
“You said, that you like it to dig in excrements.” Eric wrote into the sound.
“Well… at least it was a complete sentence.” Allan said, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand.
“Are you hungry?” Eric pointed at the dead Corythosaur. “But if you want to cook it, you should use the kitchen in the old InGen Laboratory.” Eric wrote.
Chapter 14
The Old Laboratory
One hour later Eric and Elia and the humans entered the old main building. Eric looked at the wasted reception; the old InGen sign was still visible, remembering how he once ducked behind it when Elia has entered the building to hunt him.
“Strange… it was right here.” Eric said with a sad tone in his voice.
“Oh… I remember it…you was right behind that thing and the whole hall was filled with the smell of your fear.” Elia said.
Eric doesn’t answer. It was strange how his life has changed from a human to a Raptor… to a living kill machine on two legs.
Slowly he headed for the kitchen. The humans following him.
It was strange that there was still gas in the tanks, as Amanda switched the stove on and put the pan on it. Soon the whole large kitchen was filled with the smell of roasting flesh.
Eric and Elia had to leave the kitchen.
“What did they only do with the meat?” Elias asked shocked. “That smell is disgusting!”
“I know… but they have to do so. Otherwise they wouldn’t be able to eat it…” Eric said.
“I don’t like the smell anyway.” Elia sighed. “The good meat.”
A few minutes later the meat was well cooked and ready to be eaten.
“Eric?” Amanda shouted. “Did you want something, too?” She asked.
Eric only shacked with his head.
“Okay.” Amanda went back into the kitchen. The smell, that waved out of the kitchen made Eric almost to puke. The same smell that once smelled very good for him, has now the opposing effect.
“I don’t even know what I should think of them?” Elia said. “Are they now belonging to the pack or are they prey?” Elia asked.
“No they aren’t prey… they are… something different.” Eric answered.
“So they belong to the pack?” Elia asked.
“They are my family.” Eric sighed.
“And what am I then?” Elia asked while she nuzzled him.
“Your belong to my family, too.” Eric said laughing.
“I really want to be able to understand, what they were saying.” Allan said, while he chewed on a big piece of steak.
“I hope, that they don’t talk about, what the best way would be to kill us.” Billy said.
“Billy… you have to admit, that we still are alive and that after you have stolen their eggs.” Allan said.
“Do you really believe, that this is Eric Kirby? I mean this is impossible!” Billy whispered.
“A few years ago most people thought the same about cloning Dinosaurs.” Allan said.
“What did InGen wanted with the Dinosaurs anyway?” Amanda asked.
“They wanted to build a theme park on the other isle but it became a disaster because of one man. Denis Nedry.” Allan said.
“I think I’ve heard about it.” Paul said. “But I thought, that it was a bad gag or something like that.”
“There are too many dead people to quote it as a gag.” Allan said. A few minutes there was total silence. Only sounds of eating and Eric’s and Elia’s talking outside could be heard.
“I think, that we should stay here until we have been rescued.” Allan said.
“That would be the best, but… what’s with Eric?” Amanda asked. Again silence.
Nobody has thought about what should happen with Eric now.
“Maybe they can change him back, if this Raptor really is your son.” Billy said.
“And what shall we do, if they can’t change him back?” Paul asked.
“Well at least he seems to be happy as a Raptor.” Allan said.
“Do you remember my first hunt?” Eric laughed.
“How could I forget this? You jumped almost over your prey and fell to the ground into the mud.” Elia replied smiling.
“Before we start to think about, what should happen with Eric, we should think about how to get a rescue team here?” Billy said.
“We need power… Maybe Eric knew where the fuse box is.” Allan said.
“Eric!” Amanda shouted and a few second later Eric rushed into the kitchen.
“Did you know where the fuse box is?” His mom asked. Eric only nodded and slowly walked out of the kitchen.
“Let’s follow him.” Paul said.
They followed Eric at first out of the main building, over the wasted parking slot and into a small building. Then a few stairs downward and the stood in front of the fuse box and a few minutes later the whole complex came back to life.
A siren could be heard from outside but it stopped when Allan switched one fuse more on.
“What was that?” Billy asked.
“The fence of the compound.” Allan said. “Now we are really save.
They walked back into the parking slot.
“Why did you know where the fuse box was?” Amanda asked.
“I switched the power off after the accident, that has changed me.” Eric wrote into the sand.
“Would you mind to show us, the machine, that has changed you?” Allan asked.
Slowly Eric led them into the laboratory. The huge robot arms came to new life as the power was switched on and turned broken egg shelves around. Some monitors were blinking and some of the tubes filled themselves with bubbles.
Eric stopped in front of the broken tube. Bad memories appeared in his mind. The hunt, how he almost had broken his head, the shock when he woke up, rescued by Elia and how he realized what has happened with him.
Out of a small tube came a small beam of this strange white liquid.
Eric wanted to write something, but he wasn’t able to write on this hard floor, so he looked around.
At least he found a computer terminal, that wasn’t broken.
“That was the machine…” He tipped on the keyboard and it appeared on the screen.
“I’ll take a probe of the liquid… maybe Mr. Hammond can say us what this is. And maybe we are able to change you back then.” Allan said.
“NO!” Elia screamed while every face turned towards her, even when only Eric was able to understand her.
Chapter 15
Home sweet home
“NOO!” Elia shouted, showing her sharp teeth and she prepared herself to jump.
“I told you, that these beasts were planning something!” Billy shouted.
“Elia stop it!” Eric yelled at her, while she ducked under his order. “What do you think, you are doing?”
“I…I…” Elia stammered before she suddenly rushed out of the laboratory.
Eric tried to follow her but he lost the eye contact outside the building. Now he has to find her by her smell. Slowly he followed her trace until he found her under a few bushes, crying.
“Elia?” He asked concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want them, to take you away from me.” She sobbed and looked down. And if she would have been able to cry tears, she would. “What if they were able to change you back? I couldn’t bear it to loose another one, who I love.”
“No one will take me away from here.” Eric said wit a soft voice. “Not even my parents.” Slowly he bowed down and started to nuzzle her.
“But they are your parents.” Elia looked up.
“That’s true, but what would the other humans do, if I’m going back? They would put me in a zoo, in a cage or even worse, they maybe would start experiments on me.” Eric said. “By the way my home is here now, with my family.” He bowed down and slowly liked her over her muzzle.
“Is that the truth?” Elia stopped crying and looked up.
“I promise, that I never will leave this isle.” Eric said.
Elia jumped up as she heard this, rushed towards him. And now it was her turn to nuzzle him.
“Thanks!” She chirped.
Both Raptors were standing there for a long time, saying nothing.
“We should go back into the laboratory.” Eric said as he slowly turned around and headed to the buildings.
“Wait!” Elia said. “Won’t your parents be frightened about my reaction?” She looked down.
“I’ll explain it to them.” Eric said.
A few minutes later Eric and Elia entered the laboratory again, but none of the humans was in it.
“Where are they?” Eric asked before he started to sniff the air to get their scent. Then he turned around and walked down a corridor to their left.
The whole place looks even stranger when the lights were on. Leaves covered the floor and plants grow through holes in the ceiling and now and then between them the lights. Some were broken, but most of them were on. Eric still followed the scent of his parents.
They entered a room with several tables in it. On each table was a pc-monitor. Some of them were showing their old start desktops. Small lights flashing on the several terminals and it almost looks like as if the workers just were on a coffee break or something like that.
Eric stopped at one monitor, which shows a plan of the whole complex and a menu at the side. One sign was blinking constantly. All doors unlocked. Eric moved the cursor on the sign and clicked the mouse with his claw. Suddenly a clicking sound could be heard and the doors were locked. A second click and the door-locks opened again.
“What was that?” Elia asked.
“It seems, that the door locks are still working… maybe that can be useful.” Eric mumbled.
“What are door locks?” Elia asked again. Eric just pointed at a gray box at the door.
Eric looked at several other monitors but most of them were only showing numbers or were broken.
Slowly he walked to another door and followed the scent of his parents again. After a short time he heard their voices, behind a door. Slowly he pushed the door open with his muzzle and looked inside the room. He saw his parents, Dr. Grant and Billy standing in the middle of a large and empty room.
“The sleeping rooms have to be somewhere here around.” D. Grant said.
“Shouldn’t we have been waiting for Eric in the lab?” Paul asked.
“Believe me, he will find us if he want to.” Allan said.
Eric produced a loud Raptor scream, to make them noticing him.
“Eric!” Amanda turned around and looked at her son. “I see that she is here, too.” Eric’s mom pointed at Elia.
Eric wanted to write an answer but there wasn’t anything he could write on in this room.
His mom sighed and put the Diary out of her bag and handed it to Eric, together with a pen.
“Elia just was upset about…” Suddenly Eric stopped. How should he tell his mother, that he planned to stay here, whether there is a way back to humanity or not.
“And about what?” His mother asked. Eric only sighed.
“About taking me home and to change me back.” Eric wrote.
“I think I understand… Elia?” Amanda said while Elia looked surprised about the fact that somebody speaks to her. So she only nodded.
“Elia… I know, that you don’t want, that we take our son home, but you know, that he still is a human inside of this body.” Eric’s mom tried to explain with a sweet and understanding voice. “And he has to become a human being again. Do you understand, what I mean?”
Elia looked down before she slowly nodded.
“Ok… Eric? Do you know where the radio station is, so we can make a call, that someone gets us from this isle?” His mom asked.
“Yes. But mom… would you mind to sit down please? I have to tell you something.” Eric wrote at the page of his diary.
Slowly Amanda sat down.
“You know Eric, that you can tell me everything.” Amanda said.
That makes Eric only to feel worse. He now that his mother loved him very much, even when he’s a Raptor. It wasn’t easy, what he has to say, but in the end he started to write it in the diary before he handed it his mother.
“I’ll stay here!” He has written in the diary.
Chapter 16
A huge decision
„WHAT?“ Eric’s mother yelled totally upset, causing a lot of pain in Eric’s sensitive hearing. The diary felt to the ground.
Eric backed a little bit away of his mother.
“We went through this green hell and lost three men, only to hear, that you want to stay? Eric you can’t be serious!” She yelled.
“Mom I…” Eric wanted to say. But he stopped as he remembered that she don’t understand what he said. “Elia… I think, that it would be the best, if we go home.” Slowly he turned around and headed for the door.
“Eric wait!” He heard his father. He turned around and saw his father holding the diary.
“Are you really sure, that you want this?”
Eric only nodded.
“Why?” Paul asked.
Eric walked to his father and grabbed the diary with his claws and put it on the ground before he grabbed the pencil and started to write.
“Follow me, please.” Eric wrote, before he slowly walked to the room with the computers. The humans slowly followed Eric.
“Oh, no computers.” Allan moaned.
Slowly Eric walked to one of the computers and started to tip his answer on the keyboard with his claws.
“At first you have to know, that I am very happy that you’ve searched me here. I really am, but what would happen if I go back with you? I don’t believe, that I can be changed back in the nearest future. Even when InGen helps you with it and even when you tell them, that I am really your son, they would put me in a cage… and I know, that I would die in such a thing…” Eric wrote, looking down.
His parents stared at the monitor for a long time without saying a word.
“…And the second thing is, that I already have children here, even when they aren’t hatched yet.” He wrote.
That seems to convince his parents.
“We understand you Eric his father said, but you have to understand, we don’t want to loose you at this dangerous place.” His father said.
“Well… I would say, that I am one of these dangers at this place.” Eric wrote smiling, what shows his teeth a little bit.
“Point to you.” Paul said.
“But you still can be killed by this big beast… We’ve seen how it killed a T-Rex without any problems.” Amanda said.
“I know, but when I felt into this tube, it changed not only my body, it changed my whole life, too. I’m now not only a member of the Velociraptor pack on this isle; I’m the Alpha male of this pack. I have to hunt to be happy, without it… well the hunting instincts are very strong.” Eric wrote.
„I think, that Eric is right.” Allan said. “To rip him out of this pack would maybe mean to kill him and maybe it will mean the end for the pack as well.”
“Are you sure?” Paul Kirby asked.
“You only have to watch what happen, if you rip animals, which are living in packs, out of their packs.” Allan explained.
Amanda slowly walked to Eric and pulled him into a strong hug.
“But I don’t want to loose you again, Eric.” She said while Eric produced a short chirping sound.
It was a strange picture. A human woman was hugging a Velociraptor.
“Amanda.” Paul said. “I think, that Dr. Grant is right, and that Eric should stay here, even if that means, that we maybe never see him again. But I think, that it really would be the best for him.”
“You’re right.” She answered with a sad tone in her voice.
Slowly Amanda stepped back and Elia walked to Eric.
“I’m very happy that they let you stay here.” She said as she started to rub her head at his one.
“I’m, too” Eric replied.
“Eric?” Allan asked.
Eric looked up and nodded o show, that he heard him.
“Would you mind to help me with something?” Allan asked.
“With what?” Eric tipped at the keyboard.
“I want to learn more about the social live of the Raptors. Especially their language. And I want to ask you, if you can help me with some sort of dictionary.” Allan asked.
“But that would take a lot of time, and I thought, that you want to leave this isle as soon as possible.” Eric wrote.
“Now, that the Raptors aren’t a danger anymore, I think, that I maybe ask Mr. Hammond to establish a small scientific outpost here.” Allan said.
“And what’s with the dig side?” Billy asked.
“Well we’ll run out of money sooner or later.” Allan said totally serious.
“And you believe, that this station still can be used for something like this? It doesn’t seem to be that safe.” Billy argued.
Slowly Eric walked to the security terminal and activated the door locks again while the two men were arguing. The clicking sound caused everyone to turn their heads towards the door.
“Well I would say, that it is save enough.” Eric wrote as he has unlocked the doors again and returned to the other monitor.
“You see.” Allan said optimistically. “This whole place only need to be cleaned up and a few repairs here and there and it would be as good as new.”
“What are they talking about?” Elia asked Eric. “I understood what they said, but not the meaning.”
“They are talking about the possibility to move here.” Eric said.
“Oh…” Elia only replied.
“But we need to get off of this island first.” Allan said.
“I hope that the radio station is still working, too.” Billy said.
“Eric? Do you know where it is?” Amanda asked.
“No… I only know, where the antenna is.” Eric wrote.
“Could you show us the way to it?” Amanda asked.
“Yes.” Eric replied through the computer.
“I only hope, that it still is functional.” Allan said.
Chapter 17
Time to say goodbye
Eric led the group to the building with the antennae on top. Slowly they entered the building and soon found the radio station. Leaves covered it almost totally and it seems to be a wonder that they somehow managed it to call for help. The man at the other side of the phone told them not to move away and that the help will arrive as soon as possible but, that it would need almost three hours to get there. So they decided to walk to the nest area again.
As they arrived at the area another female rushed towards them.
“Elia…good that you’re arriving. Your children are short before hatching.” The female said.
“What?” Elia’s eyes become wide and she rushed to her nest. Silent chirping sounds could be heard.
Slowly Elia bowed down and touched on of the eggs with her muzzle.
The eggshell was broken at one point and a small Raptor pushed his way into the light. Slowly Elia licked the small Raptor clean.
“We are very lucky to see something like this.” Allan said to the others, as he saw what was happening there.
“Mommy? Daddy?” The young one chirped.
Eric was very proud at this moment. His first-born child.
“It’s a son.” Elia said.
“I never thought, that we would be grandparents that fast and with such grandchildren.” Amanda said.
“Stop complaining Granny.” Paul laughed.
“I don’t complain! I just say, that it is very unusual for humans to have Raptors as grandchildren.” Amanda said.
Slowly the other eggshells broke under the pressure the small Raptors were building up inside their eggs. One after another pushed it’s way into the fresh air and Elia was really busy, caring for them.
Eric looked up as he heard a strange sound in the distance. Some of the other Raptors heard it, too.
As it becomes louder he remembered what it was.
“The helicopter is coming!” He wrote into the sand.
“Well… I think we have to go back…” Allan sighed.
“I think you’re right…” Paul answered.
“I’ll bring them to the old lab.” Eric said to Elia.
“Okay.” She answered.
Slowly Eric walked with his parents, Dr. Grant and Billy back to the buildings. They arrived, as the helicopter just started to land on the helipad.
Eric stopped at the end of the trees.
His mother turned around and pulled him into a strong hug.
“I’ll miss you she sighed. After all you still are my baby.” She almost started to cry.
“Mom…” Eric said, but this time it seems, that she was able to understand him, even when she don’t was able to.
“DR. GRANT? DR. ALLAN GRANT?” A voice bellowed out of a megaphone.
“WE’RE COMING!” Allan shouted back.
“One moment!” Billy shouted as he rushed into the old lab and came back a few minutes later.
“What did you do now? I hope you didn’t have stolen some eggs again.” Allan said totally serious.
“I’ve just taken a probe.” Billy said. “Just taken a probe!”
“I hope so.” Allan replied.
Slowly Eric’s mother released her son out of her hug and kissed him on his head, before she turned around and followed Dr. Grant.
His father only patted him on his head.
“Please, be careful. Don’t get eaten.” His father only said, before he walked off, too.
Eric now stood alone at the end of the jungle and watched his parents first enter the buildings and then the helicopter. Suddenly he felt very alone. What did Billy said? Just taken a probe?
Eric suddenly realized, what that could mean. He rushed towards the buildings.
“STOP! STOP! DON’T START!” He shouted as loud as he could. But it was too late the helicopter was started as he arrived at the entrance of the building.
Meanwhile in the helicopter.
Miss Kirby saw Eric rushing towards the building and shouting something in this Raptor speech. Slowly she started to cry.
“He will be okay.” Paul Kirby tried to calm her down.
“I have to talk to Mr. Hammond. Maybe he managed it, that we can take some of these buildings back online. Maybe we are able to learn something more about them.” Allan said.
Billy heard what Allan has said but he didn’t answered. Slowly he pulled the small probe of this strange liquid out of his poked and handed it to the Kirby’s.
“Maybe you’ll be able to see your son again with this.” He said.
Paul grabbed the glass and watched it.
“Thanks.” He just said.
Meanwhile back at the ground:
Eric watched how the Helicopter disappeared in the distance, out of the antennae, with a worried expression on his face. Slowly he started to walk backwards to the nests.
But his worries were washed away when he entered the nest area.
Many small voices started to shout “Daddy” as he arrived.
A few small Raptors rushed towards him, followed by Elia.
“Look who is back.” She laughed. But she stopped as she saw his face. “Is anything wrong?”
“They’ve taken a probe from this liquid, which has changed me, with them.” Eric said.
“Oh… I don’t think, that this is a problem.” Elia said.
“Maybe…” Eric sighed.
“Daddy!” Eric’s children kept shouting.
“Hey there.” Eric started to smile as he saw the small Raptors.
“Three boys and four girls.” Elia said smiling.
Slowly Eric bowed down and sniffed at them, while the small ones moved forward and started to nuzzle his muzzle.
He still was worried about his parents, but now he has to take care for his family first.
Chapter 18
Back to “normality”
“Eric wake up! We need to go hunting. The young ones are hungry.” Elia tried to wake Eric up.
Eric felt a few tiny-clawed feet rushing and jumping on his body.
“Daddy wake up!” He heard a chorus of small voices.
Slowly he opened his eyes. He hasn’t had a good night. Worries about his parents and this probe kept him awake almost the half nightlong. He begged to god, that they wouldn’t use it to turn themselves into Raptors, too.
But it wasn’t the time to be worried now. He, his family and the pack were hungry and they needed to hunt. He stretched himself as he stood up slowly.
Soon the small Raptors rushed through his legs and made much noise, while they were playfully hunting each other.
“I’ll stay here with our children.” Elia said.
“That would be the best.” Eric said before he chirped a command and he and the rest started to search for some food.
Not far away they found their meal for the day.
An Edmontosaur bull walked alone through the jungle. He was alone. Maybe a young one without a herd. An easy prey, if their tactic won’t fail.
A silent chirp and the pack split up again. But this time Eric just walked slowly in front of the Edmontosaur.
Huge Dinosaur stopped and starred at Eric, who just stood there starring back, he didn’t even move a muscle. He only stood there and stared back. He knew, that the others where around the Edmontosaur in the bushes.
He heard a silent.
“We are ready.” Out of the bushes.
“NOW!” Eric shouted.
Soon the back of the Edmontosaur was covered with the Velociraptors. And almost as fast it lies dead on the ground.
When they finished their breakfast, they started to rip large pieces out of the dead body and carried them home to the nests.
Elia and the young Raptors awaited them. As soon as Eric dropped the piece of flesh he carried, the young ones were swallowing it.
“Just like the father when he arrived here the first time.” Elia smirked.
That’s when Eric has to think at his parents again.
A few months later:
Eric lies in his nest. He was a little bit exhausted because of the fact that he had to fight to keep his Alpha status for the first time.
It was a young Raptor, not one of Eric’s own children. He was strong, very strong, even when he just was a grown up since a short time. But in the end Eric was victorious. Now the other Raptor lays a few nests away and didn’t even dared to watch in Eric’s direction. But Eric’s thoughts were somewhere else.
He didn’t even heard Elia walking closer to him.
“You were incredible. A true Alpha!” She said as she slowly started to nuzzle him and to lick a small wound on his tail where the other one has bitten him, just a few seconds before Eric was able to get access to the other Raptors throat.
“Thanks.” Eric said.
“He was very strong. I’ve never seen such a strong young Raptor before. But you were stronger.” Elia chirped.
“I only hope, that I don’t have to fight against one of my sons soon.” Eric said.
“I don’t think, that they will. Not after this fight. Even the other young male said, that he never wants to get in your way.” She said.
“I hope so. Hunting a prey isn’t something bad, but to fight against another Raptor just don’t feel right.” He answered. “I don’t like this fighting.” He looked down.
“I know what you mean. But you don’t even have wounded him.” Elia said.
Eric wanted to answer but suddenly he heard the sound of a helicopter arriving in the distance.
Elia heard it, too.
Suddenly Eric started to rush into the direction from where the sound was coming. It was the same direction, where the old buildings were and when Eric arrived there he saw an InGen Helicopter landing on the helipad.
Eric stayed wit Elia between the last lines of trees, well hidden by some bushes.
They watched as a few humans emerged the helicopter and walked into the building. Between the humans, a human with a well known hat.
“What shall we do know? And what do they want here?” Elia asked.
“I don’t know. But we will see. Follow me!” Eric said before he rushed towards the open gates of the compound. They rushed to the main entrance and into the building. They heard the humans talking somewhere in the old laboratory, but Eric doesn’t dared to walk to them now, not before he knows what they want here. So he decided to walk slowly through some corridors until he stood on the small platform above the laboratory.
Under him the humans still were talking.
“So you really want to take this place back online?” A man asked Dr. Grant.
“Yeah… It’s not dangerous here anymore.” He said.
“I don’t know. I don’t believe in the story that the Velociraptors are now peaceful. And I still can’t believe, that Mr. Hammond believes in this story about this changed boy.” Another one said sarcastically. “By the way? What do you want to do here? Learning their Speech?”
“Actually…Yes! But not only their speech! We want to learn more about their way of live and not only of the Raptors, but of all Dinosaurs which are living on these island.” A woman with red hair said. But I have to admit, that these story really sounds strange.”
“So that’s what they want.” Eric looked at Elia.
“I need to see it with my own eyes to believe such things!” The first man said.
Slowly Eric took a deep breath, before he shouted a loud Raptor scream through the old Laboratory.
Chapter 19
Old friends. New friends.
“Oh shit! We are dead!” One of the humans shouted.
“Shoot them!” Someone shouted and another one raised his gun, aiming at Eric.
“DON’T SHOOT THEM!” Allan shouted! “Don’t you think, that we would all be already dead by now, if they want to kill us?” Slowly the man lowered his gun, but he was still prepared to shoot if it is necessary. Then Allan turned towards Eric. “Hello Eric!”
Eric just nodded before he jumped at the side off of the platform. Elia followed him.
Slowly they walked towards the humans. Eric was very nervous, because of the weapons, the humans were carrying. Elia wasn’t as nervous as him. Maybe it was because she never had to do with such weapons before. They stopped a few meters away of the group.
“What the hell are they doing?” The one with the gun asked Allan, while Eric slowly walked towards a keyboard.
“What are we supposed to do?” Eric’s written words appeared on a monitor.
“I think you are supposed to attack and kill us.” Allan said, while the other men’s mouths hung wide open.
Eric had to laugh after he heard this. The chirping sounds filled the laboratory.
“Well somehow he is right.” Elia smiled.
“Somehow… But we won’t do such things anymore.” Eric said.
“I bet they are talking about, how to kill us as fast as possible.” One of the men stammered.
“We are here to find this out, Gentlemen, so please stay up and lets start to get these buildings to a point, that you can live and work here.” Allan said.
“As long as you keep those things at distance, we will do so.” The first man said.
“By the way? What are you doing here? Allan?” Eric tipped at the keyboard.
“We want to use these buildings as an observation base, to gather some information about how the different species life at this island.” Allan answered. While Eric was listening to Allan, the red haired woman slowly walked towards Elia. Elia’s head flicked in her direction and she stared at the woman. The woman froze in her movement.
“Dr. Harding! I don’t know if she likes it.” Allan said.
“The Last time I was here we had to run for our lives and now we can watch them at a really short distance. That’s incredible Dr. Grant.” Sarah Harding said.
“I know that. No one knows that better than me.” Allan said. “We have to thank Eric here for this fact. But you still shouldn’t make her angry.” Allan said. He remembered the last time, when they were talking about the possibility of changing Eric back into a human being.
But he knew, that she never would do something that could make Eric angry.
“You could at least ask her, if you may come closer to her and maybe to touch her.” Allan said.
Sarah didn’t know, if she should do so. She didn’t even really believed, that the Raptors really were able to understand her. She didn’t even know how it was possible, that John Hammond was able to get her again for a mission on this isle. And again Ian didn’t know about that. She looked to Eric who looked at her, too. This Raptor was a boy? She can’t believe it. But at least she tried it.
“May I?” She asked Elia. “That’s ridiculous.” She said to Allan.
“Shall I?” Elia asked Eric.
“Only if you want. She won’t harm you anyway.” Eric answered.
As Sarah looked back she only saw how Elia nodded. Sarah slowly walked to Elia’s side and touched her with shaking hands at her back. She felt the warm, leathery, scaly skin of the female Raptor.
“Do all humans are like this?” Elia asked Eric as Sarah started to laugh.
“No… not all.” Eric said.
Sarah was very happy. The only thing what would have made her even happier was, when she would have been able to touch a T-Rex, too. Without to have fear to be eaten the next moment.
“The T-Rexes aren’t friendly, too, now, are they?” She asked.
“No.” Allan answered.
“Damn I’m an electrician and no gardener.” This statement was followed by a bunch of curses that came from the other side of the laboratory. “Leaves and branches almost everywhere. And then those beasts and these… Damn it… ah SHIT!”
“Something wrong?” Allan shouted.
“He has cut himself somewhere.” Eric wrote.
“Those damn glass pieces.” The voice answered.
“Why did you know that he has cut himself?” Sarah asked.
“I can smell the blood.” Eric wrote. Sarah looked worried to Allan, as she has read it. Slowly she backed away of Elia.
“What did you believed? That they are somewhat like scaly Teddy bears now?” Allan asked. “They are still carnivores.” He said without any fear.
“We have eaten something before you’ve arrived.” Eric wrote, to calm Sarah down. “And by the way. I still think of eating humans as cannibalism.”
“I really hope so.” Sarah said.
A few months later.
Eric pushed the door to the main building open with his head. The door opened easily since it was repaired, like the rest of the complex.
Eric walked towards the old Laboratory. The room has changed a lot. The old and huge machines were all gone. Instead of them, small tables with light lab equipment filled the room.
“Hello Eric.” Allan shouted as he saw the Raptor standing in the door.
“Hello Allan!” Eric answered, while the words appeared in human language on a monitor. It was some sort of translation Software; they were working on since a few weeks. It wasn’t easy, because of Allan’s incompatibility with computers. But as Billy arrived it became almost too easy and now the Software was almost complete.
Suddenly a younger male Raptor rushed to Eric. It was almost as high as Eric and has almost the same body coloring as Eric.
“Dad?” The young Raptor asked.
“Yeah Marty. Is something wrong?” Eric asked his son.
“No, no… Mom just wants to talk to you. She send me to get you home.” Eric’s son said before he rushed off.
“Okay! Bye Allan!” Eric shouted before he rushed off, too.
Chapter 20
A rather normal visit
Eric followed his son back to Elia.
“You have asked for me?” Eric asked.
“Yes.” Elia answered.
“So what do you want?” Eric asked while he stepped slowly towards her.
“I have a bad feeling about the humans.” Elia said.
“What? Why?” Eric asked surprised.
“I don’t know.” Elia said. “It’s difficulty to explain.” She was searching for the right words. “I know, that you are very happy that the humans are here and that Dr. Grant managed it to develop something, that they can understand us now, but…”
“Yeah?” Eric asked.
“I miss you.” Elia said. “After the hunt you almost every time rushed to the buildings and helped Dr. Grant the whole day, while I was waiting here for you.” Elia said with a sad tone in her voice and looked down.
“I’m sorry.” Eric said while he stepped closer to her and started to nuzzle her.
“It’s almost as if they have already taken you away from me.” She sobbed. “And I want you back.”
“Why don’t you just come with me to Allan?” Eric asked her.
“Since the humans are back, the whole building gives me a strange feeling, as if it isn’t right, that we be there.” She said.
“But it was ok, when it was broken and you’ve hunted me.” Eric joked.
“Yeah… I think it was… because it was broken.” Elia looked down.
“If it means that much to you, I’ll promise you to stay home more often.” Eric said.
A few days later:
Eric hasn’t visited the Allan for four days and used the time to discover new hunting grounds in other parts of the island, together with Elia. InGen has built many building on the whole island. Some other abandoned laboratories and supply stations. But all the time they looked carefully for not entering the Spinosaur’s territory. They even discovered outside of one abandoned laboratory, the nest of a T-Rex. But both were too smart to go nearer so they walked of.
But today Eric was on his way to Allan to talk to him. He had heard that another helicopter has arrived that day and he was curious what the helicopter could have brought to the isle.
A man at the gates opened the door through the electric fence and Eric walked through it.
The parking area was clean now. All the broken cars and trucks have been repaired as far as possible or have been taken to the continent. Eric looked up to the helipad. There was the helicopter. The InGen sign painted at its side. Slowly Eric pushed the main door open and walked inside. The first person he met was Allan just was walking out of the laboratory.
“Ah… Hi Eric. Just in time. I wanted to call for you with the megaphone.” Allan said while Eric laid his head on the side and looked at him and Allan could see the question in Eric’s eyes. “I want to show you something. Would you mind to follow me please?”
Eric nodded and chirped a “Yes”, what Allan already was able to understand. Dr. Grant turned around and walked back into the laboratory. A strange smell lays in the air and his brain told Eric, that there were other Raptors, but not of his pack. He closed his eyes and sniffed the air. He knew all the smells of his pack and those; two to be exactly; doesn’t belong to them. While he sniffed the air he followed the scent towards the place, where the strange machine once stood.
“NOW!” Allan suddenly shouted and Eric looked at him, as suddenly two Raptors jumped next to him from above. As they landed on the ground, one of them slipped and felt to the ground.
Eric was totally surprised by this action and looked from one Raptor to another. It was a female and a male, both fully grown up.
“Damn Paul, be careful.” The female Raptor said.
“Sorry Amanda.” The male Raptor said, while he slowly stood up.
“MOM? DAD?” Eric asked with wide-open eyes.
“Are you happy?” Amanda asked.
“I’m rather shocked.” Eric answered. “Do you know what you have done to yourself?” He started to get angry.
“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy that we can be a family again?” Amanda asked.
“I would be happy to see you again as humans and not as Raptors. Why the hell have you thrown your humanity away? Do you even have thought about the fact, that the live of a Raptor is rather dangerous and difficulty?” Eric shouted.
“But Eric…” His mother tried to say.
“Do you know how it is to take a live? To kill an other living being? Do you know, how it is to run away of a bigger predator as fast as you can?” Eric shouted while his parents duck. Somehow their new instincts told them to do so. Even when they knew, that it only was their son.
“B-But Eric… we are your parents and we would do everything, to be near you and to protect you.” Amanda said with fear in her voice.
Eric calmed a little bit down.
“I know that you only wanted to make me happy but have you even thought about the fact, that you have to fight your way into the pack structure now?” Eric asked.
“Why? You are our son… can’t you just say that we are in? I mean you are the Alpha.” Paul asked.
“Yes I am the pack Alpha. And because of that, I may not help you. I just can say, that you are in the pack. But you have to fight for your place in the hierarchy. And there I have to accept the strongest ones. If you are stronger as another Raptor I would be happy, but if you are weaker… I can’t do anything to help you. That’s the law of the wilderness.” Eric sighed.
His parents looked at each other. They really didn’t have thought about something like that could happen.
“And now we have to teach you to hunt and to survive first.” Eric said.
“Eric?” His mother asked.
“Yeah?” Eric said.
“I’m sorry.” She said, while she looked down.
Chapter 21
Time to meet the Pack
Eric felt quite miserable as he heard this. He knew, that his parents just wanted to be close to him. But there would have been other opportunities then to throw away their humanity.
“I’m sorry, too.” Eric said. “But why have you changed yourself? If you wanted to be close to me, why don’t you have talked with Dr. Grant? Maybe you could have stayed at the complex. So we could have seen us almost everyday.”
“We thought that it would make you happy and that it would be a big surprise.” His mother said.
“I’m happy to see you. But…” Eric searched for the right words.
“But what?” His father asked.
“Now I’m worried about you, too.” Eric sighed.
“Why?” Amanda asked.
“It was easy for me to get into the pack, because I was the only grown up male on these isle and they needed me as much I needed them to survive.” Eric tried to explain. “I have to ask you another question.” He sighed.
“You can ask us every question… you are our son.” His mother answered.
“That makes it even more complicated.” Eric said while his parents looked at first at each other and then back to him. Eric feels quite uncomfortable as he finally asked the question.
“Would you accept me as your pack Alpha? Would you do what I order, even when you think otherwise?”
“Why such a question?” His father asked.
“I have to ask this. To avoid conflicts later in the pack. Otherwise I would be forced to… to…” Eric took a deep breath. “To fight with you… Dad.” He looked down. While his parents stood there with their mouths wide open. Eric looked up and right into their eyes and they know, that he wasn’t kidding them.
“Please Dad… just say yes. Even when a small voice in your head tells you otherwise and that you have to fight with me for the position… I know that this voice is there.” Eric said, while his mother looked at Paul and back to Eric.
“Paul is that true?” She asked.
“Yes…” Paul looked down. “Yes I accept you as the pack Alpha.” He finally sighed.
Eric took a deep breath. At least one problem that has been solved.
“We should go now. You have to meet the rest of the pack now.” Eric finally said as he turned around. “Bye.” He shouted at Allan who knew what that chirping sound meant.
“Bye Eric.” Allan said and as Eric and his parents have left the building he turned towards Billy. “Do you have this at tape?”
Billy only nodded.
“Good. I really want to know what they have talked to each other.” Allan smiled.
Outside the building:
“So since when are you two Raptors?” Eric asked.
“For a few days.” His mother answered.
“I don’t know if you already have learned about your new instincts.” Eric said.
“Oh we have a little bit.” Amanda said while she blushed a little bit.
“I understand…” Eric said. “Well you will discover much more instincts in the next days… some useful ones and some which are only disturbing.”
After a short time they’ve reached the nest area. Sometimes Paul staggered about something, most of the time; his own legs and they have to wait until he was able to stand up again.
“Elia!” Eric shouted as he saw her.
“Yeah?” She rushed to him, but she stopped as she discovered his parents. “Who are those two?”
“You remember when I told you about my fear, that my parents could use the probe?” He said.
“Yes!” Elia answered.
“They did it.” Eric sighed.
“You mean that those two, are your parents?” Elia asked. Eric only nodded for an answer.
Elia started to walk towards Eric’s parents and sniffed at them, taking their scent into her memory. They really smelled a little bit like when they were humans.
“Hello.” Elia finally said.
“Hello.” Amanda answered.
“Welcome to our pack.” Elia said smiling. “They are in our pack, aren’t they?” She asked Eric, who answered with a nod again.
“Mom? Who is this?” A young female Raptor asked while others appeared behind her.
“Come here to me and meet your grandparents.” Elia laughed.
Soon after that Amanda and Paul saw themselves surrounded by eight young Raptors, which were sniffing at them and which were asking several questions until Elia ordered them back to the nest.
“Sorry… they are sometimes a little bit too stormy.” Elia said.
“Oh that’s okay. You should have seen Eric when he was younger…He was so cute…” Amanda said.
“Mom please…” Eric sighed.
“Okay, okay!” Amanda answered.
“I can imagine it.” Elia said.
“Where are the others?” Eric asked.
“They are somewhere near the nests.” She said while Eric started to shout the order that everyone has to come back.
A few minutes they found them surrounded by the whole pack and Eric started to introduce his parents to them, again. After everyone has taken their scent and everyone was introduced to them the pack separated again into smaller groups, doing several things.
“Well… that went better as I hoped.” Eric said. “Now you two are full members of the pack… but you have much to learn now.”
“What do you mean?” Paul asked.
“The way we are hunting for example.” Eric said.
“Oh I see. I only somehow hoped, that it was something instinctive, too.” His father said.
“Oh sometimes it is… but you have to learn the tactics and other stuff…don’t worry… you will learn it like I did.” Eric said.
“I hope so.” His father sighed, looking to Amanda.
“But the first thing you’ll have to do is to build your nest… It will be night soon.” Eric said. “You’ll have your first lessons tomorrow in the morning.”
Chapter 22
Learning Hunting
The next morning:
Eric hasn’t slept very well. Worries about his parents kept him awake for a long time. And other thoughts, too. Thoughts about how he has changed. Not only the changes in his body but in his whole behavior. When he was human, he would never have yelled at his parents.
Thinking about the words he has said he started to feel quite miserable. But the worst thing for him was, that he meant it, what he has said.
Would he really treat his parents like the Omegas if they can’t manage it to get up in the hierarchy?
Has he really become that cold blooded?
But it was the best for the pack. But they are his parents.
Confused Eric started to clean himself with his teeth and with his tongue. But soon he stopped again.
Has he really become a Raptor, not only in the body but in his mind, too? Was the only thing that distinguishes him from the other Raptors, the way he was born?
He looked towards Elia.
She has been a Raptor all her live and sometimes she reacts, rather human, too.
The first birds started to chirp in the trees. It wouldn’t take long and the rest of the pack would be awakened, too. And together with them the whole rest of this island.
Eric looked to his parents.
They were still sleeping, but a few little movements told him that they would wake up soon.
Again Eric started to clean himself as suddenly something pounced at him.
Eric looked back to see one of his children standing on him.
“Good morning Daddy.” The small Raptor chirped.
“Good morning Jessica.” Eric replied. The small Raptor jumped at the ground.
“Today is the big day?” She asked.
“Yeah. Today you and the others may come with us when we go hunting.” Eric said as he slowly stood up.
“Yeah? Thanks Daddy.” The small Raptor named Jessica started to nuzzle Eric’s leg.
“And your Grandparents will come with us, too.” Eric said.
“Really?” Jessica asked.
“Yeah.” Eric answered.
“Good morning, you two.” Elia said with a still tired voice.
“Mommy!” Jessica rushed to her mother. “Can we go hunting now? Can we?”
“No. We have to wait until the other ones are awake, too.” Elia said with a soft voice.
“May I wake them up?” The small Raptor asked.
“No! And now go into the nest and stay with your sisters and brothers in there until the others are awakened.” Elia ordered with a soft voice.
The small Raptor only nodded and jumped into the nest. Then Elia looked at Eric whose face darkened a little bit.
“Worries?” She asked.
“Yeah.” Eric answered.
“About what?” Elia asked.
“About… different things.” Eric replied.
“About your parents?” Elia asked.
“Not only…” He answered. “But how I’ve changed since that day in the Laboratory… Elia? Do you think that I’ve became coldhearted?” He looked directly into her eyes.
“What? No. You’re a good mate… my… how do you told this? Husband and a kind and lovable father to your children… Why do you ask?” Elia said.
“Yesterday, when my parents arrived… I yelled at them and in the end I asked my father and my mother if they accept me as their Alpha.” Eric said.
“And?” Elia asked. “What did they’ve said?”
“They said yes…and I explained them, that I have to… that I may not help them if they wouldn’t be able to raise in the ranking of the pack.” He said.
“You have only told them the truth. I don’t see where the problem is. You know that my own mother was almost the Omega female and when I became the Alpha female it wasn’t easy for me the first time, too.” She said. “Seeing her how she didn’t got something when we only managed to get a small prey. At least she wasn’t the Omega female.”
“But that is my biggest fear… that they could became our Omega pair.” Eric sighed.
“I see…” Elia said. “But you are such a good hunter and a good Alpha… why shouldn’t they rise in the hierarchy?” Elia asked.
“You don’t know my parents… but I hope you are right.” He said.
A few hours later.
The whole pack was on the hunt. The older Raptors walked in the front, while the young ones behind them. But between the young ones there were four older ones, too.
“Daddy…Grandpa stumbled again.” A small Raptor shouted. Eric stopped and saw how his father slowly stood up again. It wasn’t the first time today.
“Dad! Don’t think about it! Just walk.” Eric said.
“You say this so easily. I would give much to have seen you trying to walk after your transformation.” Paul said.
“Oh he almost outruns me.” Elia said smiling.
“Okay! Okay!” Paul said a little bit angry.
“So how will we learn hunting?” Amanda asked.
“By watching us at first and later by trying to catch smaller preys on your own and then in the pack.” Eric said.
A few minutes later they’ve found their prey. A herd of Corythosaurs grazed peaceful in the high grass. It was a large herd. Up to twenty animals. But at the first view, Eric wasn’t able to see an old or sick Corythosaur, what would make the whole hunt much more easier.
He gave an order and the whole pack separated in three groups.
The children and Eric’s parents stay where they are and watched out of the distance what the others were doing.
The smaller of the two other groups walked behind the herd and stopped there, waiting for Eric’s sign to start to frighten the herd, that they would rush right into the arms of the other group. Then the second group would try to separate a single Corythosaur from his herd.
What they planned was a little bit dangerous, too.
The whole herd would be in panic and their huge bodies could smash the Raptors if they aren’t carefully enough.
As both groups reached their places, hidden by the large grass, Eric shouted his order.
As soon as they’ve heard it the three Raptors behind the heard started to jump out of the grass, screaming, and rushed to the Corythosaur herd. The frightened animals started to flee, not knowing, that the were rushing into a trap.
Eric saw the whole herd rushing right into their direction. And he spotted a younger Corythosaur, which was running on the left side of the heard and who seemed to have problems keeping up with his herd.
Eric yelled another order and the rest of the pack rushed forward. Right into this stomping mass of flesh-made pillars.
As soon as the Raptors were between the Corythosaurs they tried to separate the younger one from his herd and finally managed it.
The young Corythosaur couldn’t stand a chance against the whole pack and soon lies dead on the ground.
Eric called for the third group and slowly his parents and his children were rushing towards him while he took the first bite. They’ve seen everything what happened… but… they weren’t the only ones who has watched.
A pair of yellow eyes spotted each of their movements out of the cover of the trees, waiting for the right moment.
Chapter 23
Lesson two: RUN!
When it was time for Eric’s parents to get their part of the prey, together with the young ones, they looked a little bit disgusted.
„Is anything wrong?“ Elia asked.
“All this blood and…” Eric’s mother stopped in the middle of the sentence.
“Well we weren’t fed with much raw meat until now.” Eric’s father said looking as green as his wife.
“Just try it… you will see it tastes great.” Eric said.
“But…” Amanda said.
“It’s the only food you will get on this isle.” Eric said. “It wasn’t easy for me, the first time, too.”
Paul slowly took a small bite out of the carcass before he started to swallow large amounts of meat.
“You have to try this.” Paul talked to Amanda. “It tastes really great.”
Slowly Amanda bowed down and sniffed at the dead Dinosaur. But she moved her head backwards really fast and produced sounds as if she wants to puke. The other Raptors looks at her with asking eyes.
“Do you now understand what I meant?” Eric asked Elia.
“Well I only hope that they are better hunters then eaters.” Elia said.
“Mom… let’s try this… Close your eyes and move your head forward until you touch the meat with your mouth and then you just take a bite out of it.” Eric said.
“But that’s disgusting.” His mother only replied.
“Mom this is the only food you’ll get until you die from now on.” Eric took a deep breath before he continued. “Mom please, it will taste great… believe me… my first bite was out of an older carcass and this one is really fresh.” He said with a soft tone in his voice.
“But I can’t… it’s so…so…” Amanda stammered.
“EAT IT!” Eric shouted at his mother, his head feathers stood fully upright while he ordered this. His mother ducked as she saw Eric.
“ERIC!” His father shouted but Eric only hissed at him, what caused him to duck down and to keep his mouth shut, too.
“EAT IT!” Eric ordered again.
Slowly she walked up to the carcass, closed her eyes and took a bite out of it. Suddenly she stood up chewing.
“That’s… great.” She said with a surprised expression on her face. Then she started to swallow huge amounts of meat, too.
“I only hope that she wouldn’t be that difficulty when she has to hunt.” Eric sighed as he slowly calmed down.
A few minutes later, the rest of the pack was allowed to eat, too.
But they hadn’t much time to eat.
Suddenly they heard the roar of a T-Rex and only saw how the huge predator stomped out of the tree line and rushed towards them.
“RUN!” Eric shouted and the whole pack rushed away. But one couldn’t get away that fast.
Eric’s father staggered and felt to the ground.
“DAD!” Eric shouted, as he stopped and rushed back to where his father lies. The T-Rex coming closer with each passing second.
“ERIC!” Elia shouted but didn’t dare to follow him.
Eric helped his father up. He pushed his head under him and lifted him up.
As soon as his father was on his own legs again, they started to run as fast as they could. Short before the T-Rex reached their position.
But the T-Rex wasn’t interested in them.
All what the huge beast could think of, was the carcass as he started to eat of it.
Slowly the pack joined again.
“Paul! Eric!” Amanda shouted as she rushed to Paul.
“Eric!” Elia rushed to Eric and started to nuzzle him really strong. “I thought that I could have lost you.” She almost sobbed.
„It’s okay.“ Eric said, hard breathing.
“What the hell was this?” Amanda asked, still shocked.
“Nature… Mom… just the way of life on this isle.” Eric said. “But now I have enough!”
“What do you mean?” Elia asked.
“That was the last time that this T-Rex steals our prey!” Eric started to get angry.
“Eric…you don’t mean?” Elia gasped.
“Yeah! We will let him pay for this… We will kill him!” He said totally serious.
“But…how?” Elia asked, while the rest of the pack looked from Eric to Elia and back.
“We’ll follow him. And then when he started to sleep… we will attack!” Eric said. Elia wanted to say something, but when she saw into his eyes she new that nothing would stop him.
They looked towards the T-Rex, who just has finished his meal. But something was strange. Instead of just leaving the half eaten carcass, he ripped one leg off and started to carry it away.
If it was a female, it only would have meant, that it could have a child. The same would have count for a male, which was together with a female, raising a child.
But they knew that this male was alone.
Slowly they followed him.
After some hours they reached an abandoned Laboratory. They saw the T-Rex walking closer to the buildings. He stopped short before the entrance and dropped the huge leg at the ground, before he roared.
But then something happened, what makes Eric’s mouth to hang wide open.
Out of the building walked a human girl and as she saw the T-Rex she rushed towards it without fear and the T-Rex lowered his huge head and the girl started to hug him.
“What the hell?” Eric asked. “We have to inform Allan about this!”
Slowly the pack left the T-Rex and the human girl alone and rushed home.