Dinosaur Armageddon Vol. 1: Vengeful Promise

Chapter 17

Joshua swiftly pulled back against the shelves, his heart slamming in his chest. He had a hard time swallowing, feeling only fear.

Holy shit, he thought. Holy shit, holy shit. Not again.

Josh felt a tugging on his sleeve. He turned his head and saw Jessica with a handful of Josh's shirt, her eyes full of fear. The gesture she was making had an obvious meaning: Is it back there?

Josh nodded. He watched as Jessie let go of his shirt and lower her head, squeezing her eyes shut, as if she were trying to wake up from a very bad dream but just couldn't. Natasha looked the same way, only it looked as if she was holding back tears.

Josh could hear the dinosaur move through the aisle behind them, sniffing and growling. He knew it was hunting them. It could smell them. Josh wanted to grab his gun and shoot the goddamn thing, but the painful scene of his father's violent death paralyzed him right where he was.

Then there was the sound of scales scraping against metal; of snorting breaths and soft growling. Josh didn't have to peek: the dinosaur's head was right behind him, separated only by the shelves. He smelled the creature's breath; it was the scent of dried blood and rotten flesh.

Josh felt only terror and fear. His body screamed for him to move, to run. He could hear his own heart beating through his ears. Beads of sweat collected on his forehead.

Then the was a grunt and the scraping sound again, which was followed by the sound of the creature walking. Josh prepared for the worst, yet the creature didn't appear. It took him a moment to realize that it was walking away. It was going in the direction it came from.

Oh, thank God...

Josh felt relief wash over him as he heard they creature stalk away, but he knew it wasn't over yet; he and the girls still had to get out of there before they were spotted by the dinosaur. If they were to do this, they would have to be quick and silent. They would have to be careful to not draw attention to--

"Josh!!!" Natasha cried out.

Josh felt his heart freeze and his hair prick up his neck as he heard the snarl. He jerked his head to look over.

The dinosaur was right there at the end of the aisle, its teeth bared and its tail swinging. It opened its jaws and a thunderous roar ripped out of its throat. Josh could see saliva drip from its mouth.

"Ceratosaurus!!" Jessie shrieked.

"Move!!" Josh shouted, struggling to his feet. "Move, move! RUN!!"

He and the girls got to their feet and bolted for it with Josh in the front. Behind them, the dinosaur--a Ceratosaurus, apparently--followed them in pursuit. They surged past tall shelves, cashier stands, and old pastry displays. Everything was a rushing blur. Josh could feel the bags on his back bumping his back as he ran. He could hear the girls sprinting behind him and dinosaur chasing them; he could heard it slam and knock down anything in its way as it chased after them. He didn't dare look back.

Josh felt his fear intensify. This fear was just like the one he had felt the night his father died, raging in his heart like a tsunami. He still couldn't find the strength to take out his Beretta and shoot the damn thing.

Out the corner of his eye, he saw the exit, the glass doors with metal framing letting the sunlight through. It led to a room where the carts were kept, right next to another set of glass doors. Then a thought occurred to him: it looked like a small space. Maybe, just maybe, the Ceratosaurus might not be able to get through. They could escape.