Dino Island 2

by J R Hogan

  “It’s almost like people think you’re untrustworthy,” Ling added in a quiet voice.

  Chastity clenched her teeth, but did not face Ling. “We do know that the impossible becomes possible here, and it’s based on the deepest recesses of a person’s mind. The pieces that we hide far away become real, and nothing else matters.”

  “And we’re the first humans to experience this?” I tried to hide the shaking in my voice.

  She paused before answering. “No.”

  “Wait,” Daisy cut in. “Just – just wait. How did you know where and when Professor Swift could return? And how can you make it happen for the rest of us?”

  Chastity narrowed her eyes at Daisy, clearly trying to suppress her annoyance with questions that she felt were below her dignity. “We don’t make it happen. We’ve only been able to calculate where and when it will happen.”

  “Fine,” Ling shot back. “Where and when will it open next?”

  Chastity squirmed. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, how can you find out?” Jessica added.

  Chastity closed her eyes. “I mean I don’t know if it will ever open again.”

  A heavy silence followed.

  “Just to clarify,” Ling finally pushed, “when you said ‘we’ calculate, it was just Professor Stringer using you, correct?”

  “FUCK OFF!” Chastity screamed in an outburst that shocked all of us. She buried her face in her free hand, heaving. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Yes, I was part of tricking you into coming here. Yes, I was then tricked by the asshole who doesn’t care about anything other than himself. Yes, I feel like shit, I want to go home, and it is fucking devastating to be the only friendless person here, praying that the people who hate me might give me half a fucking chance.” She trembled quietly. “I don’t have anything to offer you.”

  I stepped forward. “We’re willing to believe you, Chastity.”

  She spread her fingers and peaked at me.

  “So since you have nothing to hide, and because you want to be in our good graces, you’ll have no problem sharing what’s in that briefcase.” I folded my arms. “After, of course, you apologize to Ling. Absolutely no one will speak to her that way in front of me.”

  Chastity dropped her hand and gave me a blank look. “Mark, I-”

  But her voice was cut off by the sound of cracking branches. We all looked toward the thick jungle foliage as heavy footsteps raced toward us.

  With an unholy scream, a massive Utahraptor burst onto the sand, right next to the unsuspecting women.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  TOC

  Instinct took over as my mind wiped every thought but fear. The dino shocked me, but the thought losing someone important chilled me to the bone. I dove for the weapons backpack, but couldn’t spare the seconds it would take to load a gun, so I pounced on the katana and drew it high.

  The raptor was crouching directly in front of Sarah, ready to pounce. Knife drawn, Ling threw Sarah to the ground and stood over her. “Come on, ugly fucker,” she taunted, “I’ve got something for you to choke on.”

  The raptor reared its head back to strike, and all I knew was running. I built my momentum into a two-handed swing, like I was wielding a baseball bat, and leapt forward as its head descended on Ling.

  The next seconds were a blur.

  The katana was whisked from my grasp as I staggered past the raptor. I looked dazedly back to see the very dead dinosaur slumped over, my sword skewered through its neck from end to end like a shish kabob. It had cut so deeply and so fast that it became instantly stuck, which is why I’d lost my grip.

  My jaw fell at the sight.

  My jaw stayed in place when I turned around and found myself staring into the eyes of a second raptor.

  “GET YOUR FUCKING HEAD DOWN!”

  I obeyed the voice from behind me without question. A knife sailed over my head and flew into the raptor’s mouth, ripping a hole through the back of its neck and protruding out the other side.

  The dino tried to scream, but only sprayed a bloody mist before falling to the ground.

  Ling stepped up from behind me, rolled the squirming raptor with one sock-covered foot, and thrust a bamboo spear through its chest.

  The dinosaur went limp.

  Ling turned to me as I stood, her eyes aflame with bloodlust, and grabbed my hair painfully. I opened my mouth to yell in pain, but no sound came out. She yanked my head forward and covered my mouth in an aggressive kiss. My head spun as the soft warmth of her lips contrasted with the searing pain of the hair she continued to squeeze. Every attempt to speak was drowned by her tongue protruding farther into my mouth.

  I gasped as she pulled away, my thudding heart still screaming for oxygen after the sudden burst of adrenaline.

  “Okay, Professor Swift, you’re forgiven,” she deadpanned. Then she pinched my dick through my pants before staring at Chastity for an icy moment with neither breaking eye contact.

  Finally, Ling bent down to help Sarah to her feet. Ling lifted the shorter girl, who wrapped her shaking arms around Ling’s neck and buried her face in her shoulders. They remained like that for several seconds, Ling gently stroking Sarah’s brown hair. Then Ling pulled her back and rested their foreheads together, breaths heaving, otherwise silent. Ling slowly placed her hands on Sarah’s neck and kissed the top of her head softly.

  “So, Professor Swift,” Jessica called out, pulling my attention toward her, “I noticed that you now have a sword.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  TOC

  I looked down at the Utahraptor I’d killed. It was nearly beheaded; I probably would have cut clean through if the sword hadn’t been stopped by its spinal column. Still dazed, I stumbled to the carcass and grabbed the sword with both hands.

  It wouldn’t budge. Pulling on the weapon simply jiggled the head.

  Then Jessica’s shoe landed on its face as her hands wrapped softly around mine. “Rock it gently, Professor,” she explained.

  Eyes locked on me, she squeezed both fists, pulling it back and forth in smooth, stroking motions.

  The sword came loose, bursting upward with the sudden release of tension.

  “So do you want to tell us what other surprises you have for us?” she asked, green eyes wide with anticipation.

  “Jessica?” Ling called softly.

  We both looked at her.

  “Let’s do this later.” Ling’s arm was still around Sarah’s shoulder. Daisy had walked off a ways on her own, and Ling was taking Sarah to follow.

  “I’ll make lunch,” I offered.

  “I’ll help,” Jessica added, her fingertips grazing the small of my back.

  Ling smiled. “We’d like that. We’ll be back in a bit, I promise.”

  I ached to follow, to let them know that I was going to fix everything, and to beg for our dynamic to shift back to where it had been before I left. But I’d learned long ago that you should give a woman space when she says she needs it, even if you want to chase her. A man who thinks with his dick is often a man with a very lonely dick.

  “Chastity,” Jessica said brightly, “you said that you wanted to help. Good news! Those two raptors need gutting if we want any chance of eating lunch before the sun sets!”

  Chastity and I locked gazes. Her expression revealed nothing but doubt.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” I offered, grinning, “but don’t worry. We’re willing to trust you with a knife.”

  Jessica helped me unpack the groceries. The experience was both exotic and familiar as we stacked boxes of pasta while waves crashed in the near distance. I didn’t want to admit to myself how idyllic it was, so I instead focused on the task at hand. It kept me busy; as soon as we’d unpacked what seemed like a full duffel bag’s worth of equipment, I immediately turned to find that we’d hardly made a dent in unloading our supplies. Soon enough, the sheer quantity of goods made the camp feel like a per
manent institution rather than a transient’s survival outpost.

  “She’s just standing there,” Jessica noted, wiping her brow.

  I looked over at Chastity, who was glancing nervously between the dead raptor and our efforts.

  “Don’t you know how to gut a dinosaur, Chastity?” I asked as though it were a normal question.

  She folded her arms and exhaled loudly. “You can’t seriously expect me to cut that thing open, Mark.”

  I looked at Jessica and smiled. She raised an eyebrow back at me.

  “Don’t worry,” I called without turning my head. “Jessica’s got plenty of experience, and says she’d love to teach you.”

  I faced Chastity, who looked ready to cry. “You want to eat, this is how we do it. Welcome to the world you created.”

  • • •

  Setting up the rest of the kitchen equipment was a slow process. I kept glancing up at Jessica, who carved up the Utahraptor like a seasoned veteran while Chastity hung back in revulsion. Jessica’s strong, confident movements entranced me; I must have spent more time in a daze of admiration than I did performing actual manual labor.

  Ling, Sarah, and Daisy came back right as Jessica had finished butchering. I grinned at them. “There’s plenty I want to share with you,” I offered. “We’ll need to discuss the weapons before the dinosaurs surprise us again.”

  Ling smiled, masking her emotions. “We’d like that, Professor. But let’s have lunch first.”

  My head spun. They hadn’t warmed back up to me yet, which wasn’t a good sign. But they did want to eat with us. The gears in my analytical mind threatened to fall off their axels as I overthought everything.

  “Wait,” I announced.

  Everyone turned toward me.

  “Chastity was about to apologize to Ling for the way she spoke earlier. While her default behavior isn’t acceptable in our group, she’s eager for the opportunity to correct herself.”

  The air grew thicker than a raptor’s spinal column.

  Chastity stood, stared at the sand, and smoothed her lab coat. She cleared her throat. “I should not have told you to ‘fuck off,’” she explained in a wooden tone. “For that, I apologize.”

  “And we’re proud of your willingness to grow, Chastity,” I answered. “You’re free to continue assisting Jessica with the meat.”

  The tension decreased but did not disappear as everyone started moving again, preparing for the meal.

  Ling approached me as Daisy and Sarah walked over to Jessica. She pinched my stomach and pulled me close. I bent down, suddenly under her spell. “Give them time, Professor.” She kissed my lips softly and whispered in my ear. “Talk to Sarah alone after we eat. Daisy will take longer. Allow her space.”

  “What should I say to Sarah?” I asked.

  She bit my ear a little too hard before heading to the campfire, which was just starting to heat up.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  TOC

  With stream water and dry pasta boiling over the fire, it actually seemed like a normal lunch. Each of us had a plate of spaghetti and seasoned raptor chunks. It almost felt civilized.

  The meal was awkwardly quiet. The women’s mutual hatred of Chastity, combined with my dicey standing with Sarah and Daisy, left a heavy silence that we were all too happy to fill with our ravenous eating.

  We washed everything in the stream when we were done. Jessica left with soap and shampoo to bathe in the ocean while Ling and Daisy offered to set up the tent.

  Chastity walked away to sit by herself. No one challenged this decision.

  “Sarah, you keep me in check,” I explained as the two of us stacked the last of the clean plates.

  She folded her arms.

  I folded mine.

  “I’m analytical,” I continued. “I like it when things make sense, or at least when I think they make sense.” I dropped my arms to my sides. “Most people wear their emotions on their sleeves, showing more than they mean to. But you-” I reached out to stroke her cheek, then doubted myself and withdrew, “you make it complex. Not… not complicated, but definitely complex.” I scratched the back of my head and stared at the ocean. I inhaled the gentle breeze; I relaxed. “But I know that you have so much going on below the surface – more than almost anyone I’ve ever met. So your inaction just proves how little I know about a person who means more to me than almost anyone ever has, which sends my head spinning, leaving me even further from figuring it out-”

  She smiled, then quickly covered her mouth with one hand.

  “See?” I snapped, exasperated. “With the slightest touch, you make it clear that there’s something you know and I don’t.” I sighed. “Um. Would you like to take a walk to the water with me?”

  She turned away from me and stepped farther down the beach, simultaneously consenting to my request and keeping herself at arm’s reach.

  I followed.

  We walked silently for a few minutes, the waves washing around her submerged ankles while I kept my shoes safe on the dry sand. Without a word, she stepped out of the water and sat on the sand, looking toward the horizon. I followed her lead and searched for a way to articulate my emotions.

  “I like being the professor, the teacher, because it means that I have all the answers. I rule on every ambiguity. It’s a lot of work, but that work just supports the feeling that the world has sense, has order, makes things right with enough effort.” I looked around the desolate beach, then peered over my shoulder at the omnipresent jungle. “The world doesn’t really work that way, though. And so here we are.” I brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes and leaned into my touch. “Some people need order in everything they do, and others bend toward chaos. I’m jealous of you, Sarah, because you remind me every day that a very select few are at home in both. You’re one of the best students I’ve ever had, but you’ve thrived in a world where I’m vulnerable.”

  I swallowed.

  “You were, after all, the first to successfully hunt me.”

  She took me in, her deep brown eyes looking up with her face pointed slightly downward, and I shuddered. I broke the gaze before she did.

  “I was your first. Then I left without saying goodbye.” I stared at the sand between my legs. “Sarah, I’m sorry.” I sighed. “But I’d do it again.”

  We stared at each other for a silent moment. Her mouth remained buried behind and arm that she had wrapped around her knees, leaving me unable to judge her emotions.

  I squirmed.

  “I had a practical opportunity to care for you. My analytical mind told that my first responsibility was your safety. The cost might be losing the feeling I had when you saw me as yours, but it was worth it. Sarah,” my voice trembled, “you tear down walls that I spent years building, and I hate how vulnerable that makes me. But that will never, ever change the logical choice: I’ll be whatever you need me to be, even if that means hurting because I let you get so close. I’m a practical man, and the cost is easily worth it.”

  I realized that she was kissing me, then I understood that she had pounced, and I was lying with my head in the sand. But I felt like I was floating. Her soft, round breast pressed against my chest as I leaned into her bubblegum lips and wrapped my arms around her. She was so light. I could feel the rest of my burdens falling away, and I didn’t realize how much residual pain I was carrying until I moved without it.

  Sarah spread her legs and pressed down onto my quickly growing cock. Her skirt opened wide enough to press her panties directly onto my pants; I could feel her heat through the fabric.

  We moaned with the same air.

  Then she hopped off, and I moaned louder.

  “We haven’t finished a cycle of drawing straws,” she explained. “It’s not my turn yet.” She stood.

  I scrambled to my feet. I tried to hide my feelings, but there’s nothing quite like the desperation of suddenly losing a sexual encounter that had seemed like a sure
thing. “Sarah, I don’t think – wait, you were the one who cheated the system in the first place! Why do you care now?”

  She straightened her skirt. “You’re right, Professor Swift,” she explained in a calm, logical tone. “You’re out of the doghouse, at least for me, but I can’t let you go without a parting shot.” She smiled despite herself, and it might have been the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. “I’m a very logical woman as well, and didn’t like being tortured by the emotions that you evoked in me. Your final penance will be going through the same torment, with a side of blue balls to keep me on your mind.” She walked back toward camp. “We’ll finish this soon enough.” She looked back. “If you can tell me why this isn’t a practical response, I’ll fuck you right now.”