The Dinosaur Man: A Sam Neill Story

The Second Day Is Better

Nikole woke up to soft snoring coming from the person next to her. Sam had his arm still wrapped tightly around her, his breathing deep and peaceful. Nikole smiled and turned over to see his face. He was relaxed, looking almost like a small and vulnerable child in his sleep. It was at that moment that Nikole realized she had fallen deeply in love with him, and that both scared her and amazed her to no end.

"Jeff was right for once," she thought wryly. She knew that Jeff would be impossible to deal with once they got out of this cave, and she would deal with that once it came. For now, she was alone with Sam, and that was enough.

She reached out subconsciously and began to stroke his hair, amazed by the silkiness of it. His light brown hair had some blonde streaks from all the time he spent in the sun. He shifted slightly in his sleep, causing her to move her hand away.

"I love you Sam..." She whispered, tears forming in her eyes. She knew it was wishful thinking for him to feel the same way, but she couldn't help herself. Sighing, she freed herself from his arm, and headed towards the rock.

The wind was still howling, almost twice as loud as the day before. Thunder was shaking the cave walls, and Nikole was afraid again. But then she looked at the peaceful form lying on the ground, and a newfound courage seeped through her. Cautiously, she rolled the rock back slightly. Rain pelted her face as she strained to see what was going on outside. She stepped out, careful not to lose her grip on the rock. Trees were all over the ground, with dirt and debris flying all over the place. Everything was bending in the wind, and Nikole had to clutch the rock to prevent herself from blowing away. "I hope everyone is okay," Nikole thought, thinking of the others. They had probably all made it to the hotels, but no doubt Steven was hysterical, trying to figure out a way to find his missing actors.

A loud crash of thunder startled Nikole, and she began to lose her balance. "Shit..." She muttered as she got caught up in the fierce wind. A bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree, causing her to jump up about three feet in the air. She let go of the rock, which in turn began to roll back into place. "No...no!!" She yelled, frantically grabbing at the rock. It was no use; she was trapped outside. "Sam!!!" She yelled through the crack, but she knew it was a slim shot. It was almost impossible to hear her own voice over the wind, let alone Sam hearing her. She plastered herself against the rock, her vision blurred with both rain and tears. The wind was whipping around her, and debris was flying everywhere. She continuously dodged the large branches and plants that were being whipped around. "This is an awful way to die," Nikole thought.

"What the hell?!" A voice yelled out, coming from behind her. A hand shot out and grabbed Nikole, not even giving her time to scream. She felt herself being yanked back in the cave, the rock slamming into place close behind her.

"Sam..." She gasped out, clinging to him tightly. He was slumped against the wall of the cave, breathing heavily. He quickly looked her over for any injuries, eyeing her wet clothes with concern.

"What were you doing?! You could've gotten killed!" Sam yelled, trying not to sound hysterical. Nikole was shaking, both from the cold and fear, and was still clinging to Sam.

"I'm sorry Sam...I wanted to see what was going on outside, and then lightning struck right by me, and I let go of the rock..." She stammered out, her heart still pounding.

"Don't you EVER scare me like that again! If I hadn't heard the rock slam, then you could have been trapped out there," he said harshly. Noting her terrified expression, he softened slightly, wiping away the tears on her cheeks. "Hey...it's okay. I've got you, you're safe now. I didn't mean to yell..." He said helplessly, watching as she broke down in tears.

"I'm sorry Sam..." She sobbed, holding onto him tightly.

"I know...it's alright..." He said soothingly, hugging her tightly until she calmed down.