Splash... splash...
Drip... drop...
The sound of torrential rain was punctuated by the rhythmic dripping of water.
Carlo was awakened by the noise right next to his ear. He lifted his head to find Mom's massive frame blocking the entrance of their shelter, shielding him from the driving rain.
He was tucked away in a hollowed-out mound that Mom and Dad had built together. Dad was out patrolling the territory, while Mom lay curled across the entrance, acting as a living levee against the wind and storm, leaving only a tiny gap for Carlo to breathe the fresh, damp air.
Drip... drop...
Rainwater cascaded down Mom's snout, tracing the line of her mandible to her neck before falling to the earth. She sat there, crouched in the mud, her yellow pupils glowing in the darkness of the forest. She hadn't slept at all.
Carlo felt a sudden surge of security. He lowered his head again, basking in the warmth radiating from her body, and drifted back into a peaceful sleep.
Rumble—
A crack of thunder jolted Carlo awake. He found himself standing by the Great Lake, his head heavy and swimming; he nearly toppled over sideways.
The rain beat down on him relentlessly, blurring his vision, and the gale-force winds sent a chill through his scales. He adjusted his stance, planting his feet firmly in the mud. He looked around, but the curtain of rain obscured almost everything. He could just make out brother Stegosaurus curled up next to the Triceratops skull, hogging Carlo's favorite patch of shade. Even so, the Stegosaurus was soaked to the bone.
Carlo looked down. The Parasaurolophus hatchlings were huddled beneath him. Though their hides were damp, they were sleeping soundly. He shifted his posture slightly, extending his reach to provide more cover for the little ones on the edge who were catching the spray.
Lifting his gaze again, he looked toward Mom and Dad's old nesting grounds. The storm could mask the scent of many things, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry.
Come to think of it, has it been nearly a week? It's probably time to feed Teacher Mosasaurus.
…
"Don't you get it?! That thing at the bottom is alive! It's alive!"
Inside the submersible, the young technician had completely lost his nerve, screaming into the comms at the control room.
"Request denied. You are in the most advanced aquatic vessel known to man. You're afraid of a prehistoric fossil?"
As the youth argued with the surface, the pilot remained stoic, focused entirely on sawing through the skeletal remains of what they hoped was the target.
Beep— Beep— Beep—
Above the water, a helicopter hovered, winching up the bone fragments as they were brought to the surface.
"That's thirteen! How many more are down there?" the crewman on the chopper shouted into his headset. He was met with silence. "Dammit..."
Beep— Beep— Beep—
Another beacon bobbed to the surface, glowing with a faint red light. The retrieval specialist leaned out and shouted in surprise:
"This isn't the target sample!"
Below the surface, the Mosasaurus had clamped its jaws onto one of the submersible's hydraulic arms. Despite the water resistance, the sub was being whipped around in a violent, uncontrolled spin until the entire mechanical arm was sheared off.
The pilot's head slammed into a monitor, knocking him unconscious instantly. The younger man scrambled to take the controls, reversing the sub toward the gate they had entered through.
The Mosasaurus tried to chew the metal arm, but finding it unpalatable, spat it out. It watched the retreating sub for a moment but chose not to pursue, turning its attention instead to the commotion on the surface.
"Ground One! Do you copy?!"
The helicopter touched down on the damp pavement, the pilot calling out to the technicians at the control console. Seeing movement in the nearby trees, a crewman peered out.
"Los? Is that you?"
"ROAR—"
A deafening bellow answered him. An Acrocanthosaurus burst from the treeline, charging the helicopter with terrifying speed!
"Go! Go! Get us up!"
Fortunately, the engines were still hot. The chopper lurched into the air, though the predator managed to snap off the left landing skid with its teeth.
"Phew…"
Before the crew could even exhale, the Mosasaurus breached the surface like a Great White, jaws snapping at the belly of the helicopter. It missed by a hair's breadth.
It couldn't be helped. Carlo had fed Professor Mosasaur so well that she had grown a bit too heavy to achieve the necessary airtime.
…
"I remember the helicopter landing near..."
Darius didn't finish his sentence before Ben yanked him back into the bushes. The rest of the group didn't even stop to ask why; they dropped into a prone position instantly. Their survival synergy was now terrifyingly efficient.
Seconds later, an Allosaurus prowled past, its nostrils flaring as it tasted the air for lingering scents. Thanks to the heavy rain, the campers managed to stay hidden despite being less than five meters away.
Once the predator moved on, Darius parted the grass slightly to scout ahead, only to witness a horrific sight.
Two other Allosaurs had caught a staff member in a hazmat suit. Grabbing an end each, they pulled in opposite directions, literalizing the phrase "torn in two."
Darius let the grass snap back into place. He turned away, clutching his chest, his breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps.
Further off, an Allosaurus significantly larger than the others, the pack leader, clamped its jaws onto the junction where the rotors met the fuselage of the downed helicopter. Pinning the wreck with its foot, it ripped the blades clean off. The high-speed spinning of the rotors had unnerved the Alpha.
The leader seemed to sense movement in the nearby brush and turned to investigate, but then a roar echoed from the horizon.
Tonight, it seemed, this wasn't the only pack hunting. Exercising caution, the Alpha hissed a command to its group, leading them back into the safety of the deep woods.
…
Drip... drop...
Rain fell from the leaves, leaving the earth damp and rich. Warm sunlight began to pierce through the clouds, casting a serene, peaceful glow over the island.
An Edmontosaurus would have agreed that it was a very peaceful morning, though it didn't look particularly peaceful itself, being quite dead.
Carlo dragged the Edmontosaurus carcass onto Main Street, leaving a long, smeared trail of mud behind him.
"Roar—"
Carlo dropped the prey at the edge of the Lagoon's broken fence and let out a loud, calling roar.
This time, the water remained deathly still. No response came from the depths.
What's going on?
Thinking it might be a fluke, Carlo roared again. This time he got a response, but it came from the direction of Paddock Nine.
Carlo glanced back toward the paddock, then turned his focus back to the Lagoon. He froze.
When did the Lagoon gates get opened?
Wait... where the hell did my Mosasaur go?!
Carlo called out one last time, but the Mosasaurus was gone, out into the open ocean. Dejected, he left the Edmontosaurus carcass behind and began to walk away, his head low.
Rexy stepped out of her paddock a moment later, spotting the fresh Edmontosaurus just lying there. She stood there, completely baffled.
Is he not here to challenge me for territory? Is he... running a delivery service?
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