by catt dahman
The men fought back, but the four animals aggressively backed them away from Wanda, protecting their prey. Her screams excited the creatures. While three nipped and slashed, the first troodon clawed into Wanda’s neck as it was accustomed; it was how to kill food.
Tom jerked away as a claw raked his arm, causing blood to pour.
“We have to back out,” said Alex as he pulled Tom back.
“Wanda!” Scott dodged another lunge from the beasts. Had the troodons known their prey better, (and they did now, too late for a real attack, but they would learn from this), they would have attacked fully and killed all of the men. For now, a few of the blows from the weapons hurt when they landed on sensitive snouts, and one blinked and backed out of the fight as Fish battered its eye.
In the future, the troodons would know not to parry, but to attack swiftly and take out the food fast. Most food wasn’t this smart. This fight was over, and it was time to retreat and consider what they had learned about the new food on the island. However, they would take their kill.
In the blood-soaked sand, Wanda grew cold as time slowed for her. She felt relief from the heat of the night and shivered. It was not bad. She faintly knew that her injury had vanished because her arm was fully gone. This was a very terrible thing: her arm being one. Her pain was drifting away as her head became more muddled; for that, she was thankful, but she was far too tired to get up. The fight around her was terrifying, but the sounds, the roars, and snapping of jaws seemed far away.
Wanda wasn’t sure why no one was helping her, and that made her sad. Tears fell, and she felt very alone. She thought, she always had felt a little alone until Tom and his friends took her under their wings and made her feel a part of a group. Tom was sweet to have invited her on this trip even if the trip had gone bad.
It was bad enough to be severely injured in a ship wreck and land on an island where there were no people and no help, but what were the chances of being attacked by dinosaurs? That’s what they were, she knew. It was obvious. Wanda smiled a little at that. To see extinct animals was amazing.
She didn’t hear them anymore and could barely see them as her vision became so poor that she only saw a small circle of activity. There was really no pain. She didn’t feel the wetness at her shoulder and throat anymore.
Wanda’s heart stopped.
Just as she died, two troodons grabbed her body and ran back into the trees, carrying her. With the three bodies they had found and then this one, there was enough meat for the pack. The little ones in the nests would be satisfied tonight, unlike most nights, and would sleep well.
Scott sank to his knees. He was relieved to see the four beasts run away, but they took Wanda with them; how could they do that? She was just…gone. The beach in the moonlight was stained with sprays and patches of maroon blood, but that was all. Wanda was gone, and there was no way to get her back. He was sure she had died because of the way her body flopped and hung limply.
Scott felt relief mix with guilt and horror. And fear. He was full of emotions as he tried to make sense of what had just happened to Wanda. It was almost more than he could believe.
“They took her,” Tom said. He knew they knew that, but he had to say it. Behind them, others were crying or shaking with fear as they held weapons. “Let go back. We can’t do a damned thing.” He didn’t want to leave Kelly alone over there. His worst fear was that they would come after her.
“You had no chance, Dude,” Davey said. He had positioned himself to protect those who were injured.
Tom nodded and let Kelly scrub his gash. She was worried about infection and so dug the cloth into the wound and worked in the vodka she was using to cleanse. Tom gritted his teeth and let her work. He was glad to see how Davey, his younger brother Vaughn, and several others had grabbed weapons and stood guard. Even Stu had stood beside Connie, Vera and their dad Durango, ready to fight.
“Help me understand what happened, Alex and Sue?” Tom asked.
“They smelled blood and came as a pack. I assure you those are really dinosaurs. I can’t explain it, but there is no doubt. Those kinds hunt in packs, and if we had pushed the battle, all of us would have died.”
“I can’t believe what I saw, Alex.” Sue said. She was scared but also excited and curious about the creatures. “Those were troodons, right?” she asked.
“I think so. They are a little different than what we have seen and have learned about. They’re bigger and stronger, but yeah, troodons. I am sure of that. Troodons times ten, though.”
“What are you talking about?” Helen asked.
Alex took a deep breath. “I don’t know where we are or how it’s possible, but the first critters are compsognathus. No doubt at all. Those mean sons of bitches we just fought with are troodons. All of you’ve heard of velociraptors from movies, right? Well, these are like cousins to them. They don’t have the back claws like sickles, but they are smarter versions, hunt in packs, and are bigger and…and more lethal than what people have always thought.”
“You’re back to dinosaurs?” Stu asked. He wasn’t being sarcastic but was still skeptical. He didn’t know what to think except that never had he seen anything like those animals.
“You saw them and what they did the same as I did. If you have a better explanation, lay it on me,” Alex suggested.
“How is it possible? We didn’t scoot through a time warp, right? Did we?”
“No, Stu, I don’t think that’s it. With so many islands all over the place, we may be on a very small one that never really evolved. Look at Australia. They have weird animals that no one has ever seen except for there. It makes sense that there are places like this that have animals we aren’t used to.”
“If people lived here, we’d have heard of these things. It wouldn’t be a secret, so I think it makes sense that we’re on a small island and that we’re alone. That explains why no one came to rescue us,” Helen said. It really hit her, the nagging fear that they were alone.
“There’s no help coming? At all?” asked Vera as she cried, “what now? What are we going to do?” Durango Jones absently stroked her hair; she didn’t calm down. He could pat her forever, and she would never forget watching the Gothic girl being attacked and dragged away. Her brother Tom had been hurt, trying to fight the creatures; she would always have nightmares about that. Had Stu not been there, weapon in hand, she would have screamed herself hoarse.
“We make do and find a way to survive and get rescued, or we find a way to get back to sea. We stick together,” Tom said. It was something his father would have said, much louder and much stronger, but his father was not doing well with his head wounds. “It’s probable that people are searching for us right now, and when we’re found, they’ll find the creatures here.” He couldn’t say dinosaur just yet.
“Are you sure they’re looking for us?” Vera asked.
“Of course. We didn’t vanish. They’ll know we’re lost, so then they will find wreckage signs and then us, right here. Vera, they can name a creature after you…a Verasaur.”
She smiled.
“We have some seriously injured people, Tom,” said Kelly as she bit her bottom lip while she added some rum and wrapped it in a bandage, wondering when the wounds would stop. All she did was stitch and clean, and she felt helpless.
Then in the daylight, we search again for supplies. We can dive in the shallows and see if things sank. We can search the beach, gather things, explore, and figure out how big this place is as we tend to the injured and avoid the monsters, and we will do it together. Before, we half-assed gathered supplies, but tomorrow, it’s for real. We need everything we can find, no matter what it is, Tom thought aloud.
“And we need fresh water, food, and shelter,” Scott said. “We can clear out that one part of the boat and make it a shelter. It isn’t the best, but it’s strong, and the way it is sitting will ensure that we can guard the entrance. It’s huge, and the hole isn’t that large. We will have plenty of room, but I thin
k the top deck is weak and shouldn’t be trusted.”
Tom thought about that, and Fish said maybe they should move the injured there now and clear it out in the morning. If they didn’t do something, no one would sleep at all. He cocked his head at Kelly.
Kelly wavered on her feet with exhaustion.
It took hours, but they moved everyone inside or directly outside next to the big wreckage. Kelly, like some of the rest, fell asleep a few hours before sunrise because none of them could fight the tiredness any longer. Her sick bay was the bottom deck. The second deck was a place for the rest to sleep.
It was the longest night any of them had ever known.
Chapter 4: Day Two
Scott dozed off and on, always trying to be sure someone was watching the trees, but no other animals came to torment them, and when the sun rose, they stayed where they were, letting everyone sleep as much as possible.
Because of the episode the night before, they faced a problem when Brian died midmorning. If they buried him, they not only would attract animals, but would also let his body be eaten, something that made them sick. Fish came to the rescue as he showed them how to wrap Brian in a sheet with rocks and anything else heavy they could find and then bind him like a mummy. Wearing their life jackets, Scott and he swam out as far as they could and let the body sink beneath the waves.
Everyone watched silently.
“That was the right thing to do,” Helen said, “and I feel better about a burial at sea. I hope it’s the last.”
“We can only hope for luck. Kelly says the captain is doing well, and he awoke for a while and drank a lot of water. I have faith he will be okay,” Fish said.
“Vera worries me as well as Durango and the captain. For all I know, any of us could get an infection and die. We have to face that,” Helen said.
“That is true, Helen, but we have made it so far. My ear... meh…it will not grow back, right? But it is only an ear. I feel fortunate.” Fish sat and carefully made spears and pikes from the junk they found. Wood, if long and sturdy, was sharpened into a spear. A sharp bit of metal tied to a longer piece made a lethal club that could cut and slice. In their extensive searches right off the beach in three feet of water, they found a sprawling spill from the galley, which provided cans of food, knives, cups, and pots.
Somehow, the contents had spilled before the galley section broke into pieces. The sea had been random about whom it took and how it broke apart the boat. Big sections must have sunk because most of the boat was nowhere to be seen. Fish told them stories of other wrecks he had learned about and explained how fickle the sea could be; it was unpredictable.
“You hear the stories and wonder. You think some of the stories about wrecks and creatures are impossible, but we have explored very little of the world’s oceans, and there is far more we have never seen and can not imagine than what we do know. Once, it was said there could not be giant squid, but there are giants that we have seen and photographed. We see hurricanes, but no one can predict what they will truly do.”
“But dinosaurs aren’t part of the sea,” Alex mused.
“No, but this island is in the big, blue sea. It’s a mere dot of land. Mysteries are all over.”
Joe ignored all that talk and shifted his views quickly, trying to figure out how to cook a big meal on the fire. He knew stew and soups would make the food go the farthest, and he had enough canned meat and vegetables to keep them full for a few days, provided they found fresh water. The rest could worry about animals and mysteries, but he had people to feed. He had to provide full bellies and nutrition, things he was good at. It gave him a renewed sense of purpose, and he was elated.
But no one asked a cook’s opinion. Had anyone asked Joe, he wouldn’t have waxed on about sea stories, like Fish who made him smile. He would have pointed out that Fish’s role was to amuse, lead, and be strong. Each person had a role even if he didn’t understand it or wasn’t ready to embrace it, yet. Tom was a leader. Whether Scott was a leader, he didn’t know. Tyrese was a leader, too. And they worked as a team.
Kelly was a nurse, but few had taken note that Davey hid his smarts well but was also good at medical stuff. It made Joe smile to think people had missed that. The group was mourning for themselves and others, but they would find their strengths, just as Joe knew his (he knew long ago), and they would come around.
Joe was very glad to have the supplies he needed. He could have made do, but this was better. A full belly of warm food tended to sooth fears and put nerves to rest. That was why he was proud of what his job was; he was able to help the frightened survivors and give them some succor.
Once the searchers broke into the other areas of the battered boat on the upper deck, they found a compartment with fishing equipment and snorkeling gear. They could have fresh fish. There were nets and small crab traps, and all were in excellent shape, unlike the humans. At some level, they understood that the find would cover two areas. First, it would give them purpose, as well as giving some of them a job. Joe would have understood that well and would have agreed. The fresh food would be healthy for them and would help Joe do his job in providing for them.
Joe didn’t need a degree in human behavior to know all this; he had learned and lived long.
Kelly was thrilled when they found the main medical supplies from the mini-sick bay. She had antibiotics, more bandages, real disinfectant, all kinds of creams, and pills. As some luggage was found, people added personal items so Kelly had several pairs of tweezers and scissors, and magnifying glasses so she could see better as she worked. It was better than Christmas for her.
Davey slid next to her with a box he held close and slid it into her hand. “My stash, like it’s good shit. I kept a couple, but you can use this for…yanno…like pain and shit help?”
“Davey, most would have bogarted this. You are a really good hearted guy. You are amazing. It will help tremendously with the pain.”
“I thought Vera was a little bitch mostly, but she’s alone right now, and like maybe she will smoke one with me? I can talk her into it, play on her bad-girl side if you say it’s okay.”
“It is okay. I never would have advocated it, but that child needs relief something awful. She’s just a kid, a whiney one and rude, but a scared kind, and her daddy is hurt. See if she’ll sleep all afternoon, too. It will help her more than anything I have, and she’ll be out of the pain for a few hours. Sleep can heal as well as many things can.”
“Gotcha, Nurse Kelly. Oh hey.”
Kelly turned back.
“Tom did good. Like he picked a winner in you.”
“He picked a winner in you, too, as a dear friend.”
“Kelly, can…can I like tell you a secret you might need to know?”
“Please.”
Davey sighed. I’m older than Tom cause like I changed majors. See. I have an eye for stock and bonds and shit, so I’m a year from finishing my degree in that even though I’m like ancient,” he said as he chuckled. Before that, I did what my dad wanted and was pre-med. I ain’t shit good at first aid, like I can do the basics only, but if you need me….”
Kelly grinned and replied, “That’s the best news I’ve had since all of this went bad. I suspected something when I saw Tyrese’s bandages. I knew something was going on, you stinker. Check Vera’s leg because she hates me, and be sure there’s no infection. See if she is allergic to penicillin, and if she doesn’t know, ask if she is allergic to bees. If she isn’t allergic to bees, then she probably isn’t allergic to penicillin, but I have benadryl, just in case. Give her a shot for me?”
Davey nodded and said, “No problem. That’s simple. I won’t let you down. I’ll get the shot in her, get her high on a doobie, and get her to sleep. I can do that.”
In reality, he actually did exactly that, and Vera fell asleep without pain and finally rested comfortably. She didn’t argue about smoking drugs once she understood the pain would go away; coughing, she smoked and took the shot and lay down with
a huge smile on her face.
Soup was set aside for Vera and the captain because they would awaken later, but the rest dug in, and there was a small bit of crispy fried fish for each. Joe and Fish began to devise ways to set crab traps and traps for shellfish. After eating, Joe and Fish swam out, and soon, the traps and lines were set and would hopefully provide food.
Joe nodded happily and said, “The sea will provide us with nutritious food that tastes good and can be used in many different recipes. I can make coconut shrimp if we get both ingredients. Seaweed can help make sushi, very healthy stuff.”
After several attempts in designing, Scott and Tom made a sled that they mounted on waterskies, huge, and yet, not heavy. Tom also asked Tyrese for help in constructing the thing so that it could carry a lot of supplies and weight but added little weight of its own. It could bog down, but mostly it would glide over the dry sand and zip fast over the wet sand. It wouldn’t be perfect, but they would use it to scout for supplies that washed up and down the beach, Tom thought.
Scott, Helen, Tyrese, Alex, Joy, and Tom were on that team, leaving the rest to catch food, scavenge for supplies, tend to the injured, and defend the camp. How the team came to be was odd. Tyrese and Tom asked Scott and Alex because they were the best dinosaur experts they had, Helen volunteered, and Joy offered to go. All of them got along before the wreck and figured they could as a salvage team, too.
Vaughn gave his brother Tom a nod and smirked; Stu was constructing a bow and arrows.
“Joe came from that way, so let’s look.” Tom pointed. In a short time, they had picked up items in the sea trash that washed up. There were several tee shirts, some socks, five flat air mattresses in various conditions, a full bottle of sunscreen, many empty and full water bottles, towels and sheets, and one broken, useless cell phone. Their big find was a few sealed packets of mixed nuts, bruised lemons and limes, some plastic bottles of liquor, and two of the bar stools. The legs of those would make excellent weapons. The padded seats would be good chairs for sitting in the sand.