Dinosaur Armageddon Vol. 1: Vengeful Promise

Chapter 16

Joshua snapped back to the present, his heart a heavy burden. He hadn't forgiven himself for what had happened. That he couldn't save his father, that he cursed Marshall for sacrificing himself so Josh could live. It took Josh a long while after Marshall's death to realize that he would have done the same thing if he was in his father's shoes.

Josh reached into for the knife strapped to his waist and took out the blade from its sheath. He stared at the knife for a long while. Although it was a gift from his mother, it was also the last gift his father had given him. It had served him well in the past. He did everything in his power to make sure that it was always in prime condition.

He sighed as he looked at the knife. Then he tossed it up, spinning in the air, and caught it by the hilt.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he said out loud, sheathing the blade. "I hope that you can forgive me."

Josh then continued his trek through the forest, looking around. He was pretty sure he knew where he was. Then again, a lot of the forest was more of the same. But Josh knew that he wasn't lost. Having been outdoors a lot, he had a pretty good idea about his location. And, of course, he knew how to find his way back if, by some off chance, he did get himself turned around.

As Josh moved onward, he saw the familiar slope just ahead of him. He felt his heart leap. With silent hope, he ran up the hill. This had to be it. It had to be. With each step, he felt the suspense build up. And when he finally reached the top of the hill, he smiled and laughed.

Just down the hill was the grocery store. At long last.

"Alright!" Josh cried gleefully. Then he smirked and folded his arms. "We'll see who's definition exceeds who's now."

Joshua returned to the hill with Natasha and Jessica in tow. When the reached the top, he looked at the expressions plastered onto their faces; their eyes wide and their mouths gaping. Josh kept the smug look on his face, his head held high and his muscled arms folded.

"I told you so," Josh said.

The girls snapped out of their daze and collected themselves.

"I'm sorry we doubted you," Jessie said.

"Me too," Tash said. "I guess we should have learned to have more faith."

"It's cool," Josh said, adjusting his pack on his back. "Now, let's get down there and get some food. With any luck, much of the stuff that's in there should still be fresh. But keep your guard up; we don't know if there are any dinosaurs inside."

The girls nodded in acknowledgement and followed Josh down the slope of the hill to the buildings below. As they walked, Josh was on alert, looking for any signs of danger. It may look calm and quiet, but Josh knew better than to trust that alone. He knew for a fact that some carnivorous dinosaurs were ambush predators, watching and waiting in their hiding spot, not making any sound whatsoever until prey comes within range of their attack. The last thing the unfortunate victim sees is the killer as it strikes.

He knew this because he's seen it before. He had many examples of such deadly encounters in which he and the girls were the targets. Luckily, he managed to stay alive through it all.

But for the moment, anyway, it seemed that they were in no immediate danger.

As they passed the buildings, Josh could see that Mother Nature was starting to retake her turf. Thick green vines and moss clung to the brick walls. Some of the windows were shattered and vines snaked into the buildings themselves. Josh could smell some kind of mold. The huge parking lot was in no better shape: it was cracked in numerous places, many of which had plants growing out from them. Their were a few cars parked in the lot as well, but they weren't in good condition. Some had massive dents on the hoods and bodies, as if they were trampled by a herd of large creatures. Windows were broken and tires were flat. Some had their headlights hanging out. There were even a few that were flipped upside down or tilted on their sides.