Ch 218: Change of Mind

Kai hollered, "Where are you going?"

I shout in mid-sprint, "Far away from you!"

"I said you can't cross the stakes!" Kai yelled somewhere farther back.

But I didn't care about his warning.

Instead, I hollered and kept going. "I'd rather be eaten by a tyrannosaurus Rex than deal with you!"

I dash off through this long flat ground that was covered in green vegetation and shrubs. Soon I ran into slopes, big rocks, and even rock figurations that looked like termite mounds. To follow was dirt, muddy puddles, and huge rocks that stood over my height.

I circle a muddy dinosaur print and continue running. Next, I leap high above a decent size rock and ground evenly to keep going.

Till my breath gave out and my stomach knots in strain. I had no choice but to halt. So I put pressure on the cramp and scanned everywhere, but I didn't find Kai or friends anywhere near. Then I heard this strange purr I'd heard Kai make once. I looked above from where I heard this purring rumble on this high rock. A tapping clawed at the rock, but I still didn't see him.

"I'm not in the mood for this, Kai," I say louder, but I get nothing in reply. Nor did I hear any noises. Until behind my back, I heard another purr like a gurgle. I face that direction and saw that this large shrub was moving.

"Kai, this isn't funny!" I censured and inch over cautiously. "If you're trying to scare me then it's working. So you can stop now."

The hustling ceased, so I peeked through vibrant leaves that were bigger than my head. Then my eyes met a yellow snake-like gaze. My breath got caught in my throat once this raptor poked its nose out. Its color was green like the lush shrub but then it changed into a silvery gray skin tone. It was the perfect camouflage like a chameleon.

More purring surrounded the area I had run through, so I peered where the noises came from. More raptors came out of hiding from behind larger rocks and other huge shrubs. They were all camouflaged for a well-organized ambush.

"So they do hunt in packs," I merely gulped when I whispered.

I took a quick glimpse behind them and noticed I was too far out to see the lake. Without my full awareness, I crossed the stakes.

A purr-like grumble vocalized above my head. On the same rock above me, another raptor stood on the rock. A deadly claw tapped the boulder. Its thin mouth curled when it growled from its nostrils. Oh, toy, I was in trouble.

"Aaaaah!" I screamed like a girly girl. I ran past the raptor in the shrub and it scarcely missed my arm. "Kai, please help!"

Loud screechy growls were behind me. I looked back at them and saw they assembled like a flock and then they took charge. Well, strategize hunters, they spread out in the distance and chase me. Before I knew it, they were in the process of ambushing me again in a snare. No way could I outrun them, but I faced forward, and I ran for it!

Merely three meters away was the woods. I kept pushing as two raptors from each side ran ahead to cut me off. But I was virtually at the trees and went to dive in! Until a huge tyrannosaurus Rex came hurling out of the trees with one ear-piercing roar!

"Kai please, I didn't mean what I said!" I screamed as those monsters' jaws came down to eat me before the raptors had any chance. "I don't wanna be eaten by a tyrannosaurus Rex!"

Just as its jaw goes to crunch over my body. Kai raised me from the ground and I looked down to see at the same time. A raptor was in mid-air to kill me, but instead, he threw himself into the deadly jaws of that tyrannosaurus.

Beneath those powerful jaws, it crushed that raptor. Almost instantly, it was dead. The other raptors vacated and the tyrannosaurus took its meal into the woods. Kai took me to a high tree branch.

I stared at him angrily. "You did that on purpose!"

He grinned, denying nothing. "Only to teach you a lesson about crossing the stakes." I was drawn wordlessly and rolled my eyes. "I'd never let anything happen to you. Next time, you are to obey my orders for your safety. This world isn't your world. The people living here know how to survive those beasts. But you will be eaten alive. You have pet dogs in your world. They have pet dinosaurs in theirs."

"Fine, but will you stop being such a jerk?" I asked.

"I'm sorry for my behavior," he replied. "Let's head back for lunch."

After I ate, Kai and friends, took me to the nesting grounds of those same raptors that hunted me. We sat high within these five growing patches of trees. The height gave you the perfect view to see how they build their homes above the ground. Their nesting area was in the tall grass. They flatten it out and made circular nests and pathways that looked like a cornfield maze.

Rome handed me binoculars to get a better look. I studied this one raptor that was golden like the grass. It barked out this cry as four baby raptors curled at her feet.

"Why is she crying?" I asked.

On the same branch next to my left, Kai corrected. "It's a he. The females hunt while the males watch over the offspring. His lifetime mate was killed by that tyrannosaurus. Now he has to raise their offspring without her. It's a good glimpse at what you'd do to me and our baby. Luckily, for him, he isn't immortal."

I rolled my eyes saying, "You honestly have to bring that up? I've come to terms that I can't leave my baby. You have me, Kai, so you should be happy!"

"I'd be happier if you loved me like you've grown to love our vamp baby," Kai said, obviously jealous.

"Are you seriously envious that I love our baby and not you?" I asked, staring at him sitting beside me. Yet, he only snorted like this rhino and refused to reply.

To my right, sitting next to me, Rome failed to hold his childish chuckle. So I smacked his stomach with the binoculars.

"Hey now, Princess, be nice!" He giggled. "I gave you those to have a better look. Not to whack me with it."

"Then mind your own business!" I snarled my voice.

From the branch behind us, Jack chuckled, "If you don't wish for us to hear your business, then might I suggest that you don't fight around us."

Throughout the branches of these five trees, Kai's friends started to laugh. Which brought the raptors' attention toward us. They lowly growled a purr and started prowling toward us.

"I'd say it's time to check out the tyrannosaurus pack," Kai advised as those female raptors came out of the grass.

Shaky, I agreed, "I say that's a good idea."