Brave

Beginning of Much More

I couldn't do it. My hands begun to shake uncontrollably, beads of sweat trickled down my face. Lowing the gun, I chucked it gently sideways at Owen. My throat tightened as he swiftly brought the gun into aim. Briefly shutting my eyes, I turned from it all. The lifeless thud clattered just meters away from me now.

Taking a shaky breath, Zach reached me first placing a gentle touch on my lower arm in reassurance. I edged my arm away from him. Weakly smiling at him, I begun to regain my composure bringing back up my walls of defence; after all that's what my parents always taught me.

Be brave Aubrey. Be the bravest you can possibly be.

Until I'm with them again, that's what I'll be. The best I can possibly do, at the least.

The boy's Aunt closed towards me, her glaze eyeing at me intriguingly. Behind that sceptical gaze her eyes were clouded by fear. Everyone's was, even Owen had a glint of terror shinning in his hard assessing stare that laid upon me. "Claire.." She held out her hand.

Tearing my focus from Owen I zoned back to the present. "Aubrey."

*****

The car bumped along the dirt track, Owen driving at incredible speeds. The car now filled with an aerie silence, the rush of trying not to get human roadkill as we exited the parks centre had crashed long ago.

Indominus Rex.

The name of that beast from your worst nightmare.

You'd think that bringing dinosaurs world be enough but no. We stupid humans created a monster that not only is bigger, scarier and more dangerous than the original beast of the prehistoric; the T-Rex. Why didn't we just add body heat altering, camouflaging, smarter-than-any-animal-on-this-planet, blood thirsty genes and see where that leaves the outcome?

Destruction of human life as we know it is what I think.

All these thoughts swarming around in my head, the overwhelming feeling to throw up again pulsed through me dangerously. Green blurs flashes past my vision, my uneven breaths ragged in hopes of keeping my stomach content down.

I try focusing on anything but the fear and anger tearing me up from the inside. Swallowing deeply, I gripped the edge of the seat tightly trying to pull myself together. My gut told me something was horrible wrong... Apart from the obvious threat of this killer mutant dinosaur out to kill us all.

There was something else. I just know it.

A warm hand lightly clasps my lower arm shocking me from my state. Looking up I met Zach's warm brown eyes, he didn't say anything to me. Not now at least but he didn't need to. For the first time today I left his gesture of comfort, I didn't push him away or knock back the feelings that calmed my overwhelming thoughts.

Just the simple touch of kindness on my skin settled my stirring inside of me as the car rolled closer to the raptor exhibit.

*****

I wondered away from it all; the crazy guy Hoskins, the commotion of the plans for the raptors, the consistent reminders of the eminent threat that lurks beyond the lush green walls. Disappearing for ages I had watched as the boys surrounded the raptor cages in an almost childish owe as Owen did his thing I guess.

Not seeing anyone in the last half hour, in that time I'd managed to throw up in the nearby trees across the clearing and finally find myself propped up against the wheel of a jeep hidden from sight. Clasping my throbbing head in my hands, I started to give up on trying to calm down.

"Hey."

Zach hovered in front of me, too drained to even lift my head I waved a sad acknowledging wave.