chapter

The carnage of the scene was nauseating, blood was spewing all over the place. About fifteen raptors crowded around the dead body of Inez using their razor-sharp teeth to tear flesh from her body, they hissed with delight as they became soaked in their victim’s blood. I wanted to vomit, cry, and scream with anger. A smaller raptor approached the kill very carefully, it sniffed the dismembered carcass of Inez and began to dine on the thighs. The larger creatures pushed the smaller one out of the way and threatened it with hostile screams and hissing. They were all the most appalling beasts I had ever seen, the beauty of their colorful feathers faded away with every chunk of meat that they ripped from the dead girl’s body. No longer did I have any respect for the raptors, they were demons in the form of animals. I feared them, hated them, and thought they were the most disgusting creatures to ever walk the face of the earth.

Inez was perhaps the only one to survive the first attack, now I would have no assistance in my attempt to leave the canyon. I needed her for support, not only physically but mentally as well. And there in front of me, she laid torn into a thousand pieces with her blood and organs spilled on the ground. Inez’s heart was lying in the grass still pumping despite the death of its host, two raptors were fighting over her intestines as if they were a sausage rope. One of these horrid creatures managed to severe the girl’s head from the body, and carried the head by its once-beautiful raven hair. Soon this raptor was ripping the skin off of Inez’s face, leaving only the face of a skull behind. Never have I seen such displays of hideous savagery, even among animals. And after this raptor was finished with the head, the smaller raptor sneakily approached the bloody skull and ripped the eyeballs out from it. Blue eyes that once made a young woman pretty, were making a loud crunching noise as the small raptor chewed them up in its teeth.

As the larger creatures saw this, they became infuriated at the runt that was stealing their food. Four of the larger ones pounced on the small raptor using their sickle claws to inflict multiple wounds upon the poor thing. I watched as the small raptor limped away squealing like a pig, intimidated by the aggression of the larger members of the pack. After this incident, the other raptors resumed eating their feast of human flesh. I was sickened by everything these creatures did, from their social habits to their merciless slaughter of Inez. However, I was forced to realize that they were nothing more than animals searching for a meal, and Inez was the easiest meat available. The foolish young woman brought the tragedy on herself, she refused to listen to my warnings and was now paying the price. I knew it was too dangerous to run out into the open field, otherwise the larger dinosaurs would have stayed there as well. But Inez dismissed everything I said, caring only about pleasing herself. 

As I was contemplating these thoughts, I noticed that the small raptor began walking towards the bush that I was hiding behind. At first I figured he was only retreating from the pack, finally accepting defeat in his attempt to snag a meal. The heavy downpour of rain made it difficult to see what was going on, making me quite anxious. All I could see was that the young raptor was slowly making his way in my direction, his yellow eyes and blood-soaked snout pointed directly at me. There was no way to avoid this piercing stare, so I was helpless to sit and watch as the raptor patiently crept through the grass on its way toward the oasis. Surely this thing doesn’t see or smell me. I thought. But I was wrong in this assumption, for as I was able to get a better look at the blood-matted creature, I could tell that it did in fact see me and was stalking me. That small raptor was starving, and found its next source of food: me.

If I tried to run, it would give away my position and perhaps draw the whole pack onto my trail. However, sitting in my current position, there would be no chance of escape. I had to do something and do it fast, my very life would depend on it. The small raptor was closing in fast, not leaving me much time to make a decision. Step by step it came closer to its newly discovered prey, intending to kill me as the others had killed Inez. It would not be a pleasant way to die, that was for sure. And furthermore, I didn’t necessarily like the idea of my carcass becoming food for those disgusting creatures. After seeing what the brutes had done to Inez, I decided that I should avoid falling into their clutches if possible. But it was too late for that, now the raptor was only twenty yards away. However, the creature stopped and looked at me for a few moments as if confused. It cocked its head to the side and made a quiet hiss, the blood of Inez dripped from the raptor’s serrated teeth as the pounding rain washed it away. If I’m going to escape, now’s the time. I thought. The way the raptor hesitated before it attacked gave me a slight advantage in my getaway, but I would still need one more element of surprise for my plan to work.

There was a stone by my feet, about the size of man’s fist. If it worked with the Comp, surely it would work with the raptor. Of course, the Comp was substantially smaller than a raptor and was more easily intimidated. But perhaps I could stun the creature just long enough for me to make a run for it. So, after saying a prayer, I picked up the rock and grasped it firmly in my hand. The raptor was still waiting in the grass to pounce on me, gathering enough courage to take down a full grown man. I jumped out from the bush screaming like a maniac, and threw the rock which hit the small raptor right between the eyes. The creature ran in circles squealing like a pig, shocked and frightened at my sudden display of aggression. I watched as the rest of the pack ceased from their eating and turned their heads toward the commotion, they were obviously stunned as well. This is my chance! I thought. Turning in the direction of the woods, I ran like a man possessed. Adrenaline and fear surged through my veins, tree limbs and bushes seemed to back away as I pushed them aside with unmatched velocity. Twigs and other debris snapped and crunched beneath my feet, giving the raptors a fix on my location. I could hear them screaming as they chased after me, running at twice the speed I was. At any moment I expected the sharp blade of a sickle-claw to come tearing through my backside like a meat hook, and my body to become butchered as if I were a fatted calf.

 

Although my chances were slim, there was still hope. The raptors only stood about three foot high, and without their sickle claws, I could have easily beaten them all senseless. However, at the time I was more concerned with how I would escape the wretched creatures. Turning my head around, I saw that the raptors were gaining on me with every stride. The bushes were rattling as they ran through them with the speed of a bullet, it would not be long before I became the next course on the raptors’ two-meal dinner. Up ahead the thicket of brush ceased, giving way to the open ground of the forest. There I would get the first and closest glimpse of my pursuers, even though it would perhaps be my last. Out in the open, I wouldn’t stand a chance against the raptors. Their speed and agility was superior to that of a human, making me incapable of losing them in the chase. Within a few seconds, I broke free from the thicket and entered the forest. My pursuers followed soon afterward, their screams echoing through the trees. At first, I didn’t have the courage to look behind me, knowing that there was not much chance for escape. But due to some unknown impulse, I turned my head to look behind me.

What I saw, both stunned and encouraged me. Although the raptors were extremely athletic creatures, the soggy mud caused by the constant downpour of rain, slowed them down severely, so much that I could easily outrun them. It was really quite comical watching the fierce raptors clumsily slipping and falling down in their desperate attempt to catch up with me, I laughed and gave them a farewell salute as I merrily ran away. However, one of the raptors refused to give up that easy. This individual was the small raptor, who had first attempted to attack me. He was lighter and quicker than the others, putting him at an advantage over his larger counterparts. The others snarled at him with jealousy as they slipped and slid clumsily through the mud, I could tell that this dwarf raptor was enjoying his day in the sun. The scene made me smile, thinking how many human situations I had seen that were similar to this one.  

If I didn’t pick up my pace, the small raptor would stand a good chance of catching up with me. There was no time left to lose, I had to get away from the pack of raptors as soon as possible. So, shifting to a higher speed, I ran like a gazelle through the open forest. Only the occasional boulder or fallen tree would stand in my path, causing me to leave the raptors in the dust. The mud slowed down my running from time to time, but not nearly as much as it did my attackers. By then, I had lost sight of even the small and agile raptor. This gave me a feeling of security which in turn filled me with courage and strength. I ran forward with all of my might as the raindrops relentlessly beat my face, thinking of how miraculous my escape had been. Under any other circumstances, I would have been dead much earlier in the chase. The superior athleticism of the raptors would have been utilized to take me out if the mud had not been there to slow them down. However, I was soon awakened from my daydreaming by a familiar screaming sound echoing through the trees. Looking back, I saw that it was the same small raptor that had been keeping up with me all along. But this time, the creature was not running. Instead of slipping and stumbling through the mud, the raptor was leaping and bounding just like a kangaroo, making it twice as fast as before.

The fight wasn’t over yet, my attacker was determined not to let me go, giving me no room for error. Turning my head around, I could see the small raptor jumping from mud puddle to mud puddle rapidly closing in for the kill. My running was only somewhat useful after the creature had discovered a new tactic, making the battle more evenly matched. The speed at which the raptor was moving alarmed me, so much that I thought that my miracle had been in vain. Of course, the constant downpour of rain made it difficult for the raptor to see me, thus providing me with one slight advantage. I chuckled nervously as I saw the fearsome predator leap from side to side, not realizing that I was directly in front of him. Although this was very promising, the raptor was coming dangerously close, and I would need to think fast in order to escape being butchered by the entire pack. With every step the grotesque creature came closer, cutting me off from retreat. No matter how fast I ran, he was still just behind me. This doesn’t look good. I thought. In one leap, the raptor could have easily reached me with his sickle-claw, had it not been for the blinding rainstorm.

I looked back to see the feather-covered monster still jumping from side to side, coming even closer. Think Nate! Think! I said to myself. However, no bright idea came to my mind, leaving me helpless to stumble through the mud as my stalker was closing the gap of escape. There was nothing I could do, the raptor’s jumping was simply faster than my running. But as I turned to the next corner, there in the middle of the pine forest, I saw a great pile of boulders and rock formations that were slippery with raindrops. If I could possibly climb the towering heights of the boulders, the raptor would find it nearly impossible to scale them. However, I was afraid that I too would find it impossible. But there was no other option, the raptor was coming dangerously close to my backside, and there was only one way to escape it. Running with every ounce of strength in me, I sped toward the boulders with fear and adrenaline pumping through my veins. The swift movement of my legs began to throw clumps of mud onto the raptor behind me, giving the creature an indication of my whereabouts. Only ten feet stood between me and the rock formation, too much distance to clear. 

Knowing that the raptor was so close behind me, there was only one thing left to do. I jumped from the ground and soared through the air towards the boulders, my attacker was so startled by my sudden display of athleticism that it took him a few minutes before he attempted the jump himself. At the end of my jump, my face was smashed against the hard surface of the granite boulder. Blood slowly trickled down from mouth, indicating that I had either broken my nose were knocked out a tooth, neither of which was good news. Meanwhile, my fingers were slipping on the grips they had found earlier, making my situation all the more hopeless. The rapture leaped from the ground after me, giving all the more reason for panic. However, I do believe that the fear of that wretched creature saved my life. Filled with terror, I climbed speedily up the rock face in a desperate attempt to save my life. With one arm, it proved to be nearly impossible. My heart pounded violently inside my chest as I frantically use my one hand to feel for grips on the boulder, every second I came closer to death.

Even when I found a grip to place my hand in, it was still too slippery to be of any help. Not only was I in danger of being attacked by the raptor, but also of falling off the boulder and landing in the rocky soil below. My feet and hand were constantly slipping, causing me to scream hysterically. Looking down below me, I saw that my fear the raptor was in vain, for the little devil could not scale the boulders as I could, due to the slippery surface. He was still on the ground leaping repeatedly, every time falling back down on the ground. The raptor squealed in frustration, and ran back into the forest to reunite with the rest of the pack. Looks like he's done with me. I thought. However, there was still another danger. I was hanging about thirty feet above the ground, and slipping every second. Both of my feet slipped free, leaving me only one limb. My one arm was not enough to carry the weight of my entire body, but it would have to be. The ground below was gravelly and had several small boulders scattered in different places, not providing a very soft landing. The drenching rain was not helping me in terms hanging onto the rock face, it splashed in my eyes and blurred my vision, causing me to flinch as I held on for dear life.

However, a glimmer of hope shot through my heart as my foot found a large crevice on the boulder. I used this ledge to propel my body upward, helping me to find another grip for my one hand. Also, my other foot found yet another crevice, assisting me in climbing the boulder. Looking up, my eyes perceived the top of the boulder, which then was only ten feet ahead of me. I had no idea what laid on the other side, but I knew it would keep me safe from raptors as they could not climb the slippery surface as I had. Feeling for another grip, and another crevice, I repeated this process until I reached the summit. With one last exertion of energy, my body leaped over the edge propelling me to the top of the boulder. And that instant, without any warning, I felt something hit me over the head with overwhelming force. All went black, and I passed out unconscious.

After an unknown length of time, I was awakened by a voice screaming in Dutch. The pain in my head prevented me from sitting up, throbbing relentlessly. Opening my eyes, I could see the rain had stopped, with the gray overcast still hovering in the sky. My body felt like a boxer’s punching bag, bruised and battered beyond recognition. I had lost an arm, and at least two gallons of blood. It was a fluke that I still live, either that or a miracle. Using my one hand cover my face, I winced in pain as I realize my lip had been busted after slamming my face into the boulder. Every joint in my body was screaming in agony, crying out desperately for rest. The voice was still screaming, causing a pounding headache to form in my skull. I was lying on solid rock, undoubtedly on top of the boulder I was climbing earlier. How I had gotten there, or what had hit me, was still a complete mystery. It was obvious that whoever was doing the screaming was a human being, and my heart rejoiced at the thought of it. However, the voice sounded quite hostile as it continued to give someone a proper tongue-lashing. As the hurricane of screaming rage continued, my headache worsened, increasing my agony sevenfold. 

 

I lost my patience with this infernal yelling, and gathered up what strength was left in me to demand that the yelling stop.

“Quiet!!!” I shouted as a pounding pain surged through my skull.  

There was no telling if the voice could understand me, for it was speaking in a language foreign to me. However, the tongue-lashing ceased as soon as I spoke up, indicating that whoever these people were, they understood my words. The sound of footsteps clicking on the wet rock ground came toward the spot where I was lying down, finally I would get a look at these people who dragged me to the top of the boulder. As the person arrived, I opened my eyes to see none other than Commander Siefert. He had survived! He was not the same distinguished European that I always knew him to be, instead, he looked like man who had just escaped from prison. The Commander’s uniform was smeared in mud, as was his face. His sandy blonde hair was waving in all different directions, suggesting that he had experienced his own share of adventures during my absence. Siefert’s dark blue eyes were wild and fearful, unlike his usual calm demeanor. By some miracle, the man’s glasses had managed to stay on his head. How this happened, I shall never know, but it was of little importance to me at the time. Feeling relieved at the sight of this familiar face, I started a conversation.

“Commander!” I then grimaced as the headache persisted. “You’re alive!”

“Yes…. But….. We thought you were dead!” he replied puzzled.

“We?”

“Well… Myself and my men, Zolique and Galbane.”

“Are the others alive?”

“I do not know, the odds are not in their favor.”

My hopes were both crushed and lifted up at the same time, on one hand I felt blessed that I should come across such able men to help me survive, but on the other hand I was saddened by the fact that the rest of our party were either dead or out wandering by themselves; including Cecil and Ibaka. Old man Whiggens would be as helpless as a newborn kitten by himself; after all, he was over sixty-seven years old. Ibaka, if he were still alive, was probably paralyzed with fear, rendering him incapable of surviving for very long.

“Stafford, you are missing an arm.” Siefert said calmly.

I rolled my eyes and sighed before I replied.

“I’m aware of that.” 

“What happened?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“After last night, I could believe that a winged Pegasus swooped down from the sky and bit your arm off.”

“You’re not too far from the truth, my arm was bit off.”

“I see, one of those blue creatures I presume?”

“No, something big, with horns.”

Commander Siefert sighed, and then used a handkerchief to clean his glasses. I figured it was time to change the subject, although I wanted to warn him of the Allosaurus.  

“Say, who hit me in the head?” I asked rubbing my bruised scalp.

“Oh…. That was Galbane, thought you were one of the blue things so he clobbered you with his rifle. Do not worry, I have dealt with him.” Siefert explained.

“Yeah….. I heard you.” 

There was silence for a few moments, until Siefert broke it.

“So, how did you end up here?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” I inquired.

“I mean that a few hours ago you were climbing up the side of this rock as if something were chasing you.”

“Well….. That might be because something was chasing me. Boy Commander, you seem to be awfully good at the guessing game.”

“It’s a natural instinct.”

In spite of Siefert’s cockiness, I resolved to tell him my story. He agreed that I was lucky to be alive, and even shared some of his experiences. One of these, was a creature of colossal proportions. Double the size of the Allosaurus, it walked on two legs and had a large bony plate on its back. This plate, he compared to the sail of a marlin or swordfish. He and his two men would have never made it out alive if it had not been for the blinding rainstorm and the darkness of the night, the large creature could not see very well, allowing Siefert and his men to escape unharmed. 

“Where are we, what is all this? Every moment has been a nightmare ever since we set foot in this place.” Siefert said as if thinking out loud.

 

“It’s called the Valley of The Perished, natives are scared to death of it.” I replied matter of factly.

“Well, they certainly have a right to be.”

The Flemish commander spent a few minutes staring into space, and then resumed speaking.

“The only logical conclusion that can be drawn is……. That somehow a small group of dinosaurs have miraculously found a way to escape extinction, and have lived undisturbed here for millions of years.” He said.

I, being too tired to reason out theories and conclusions, stood up from the spot where I was lying down and observed my surroundings. Zolique and Galbane were standing behind Commander Siefert toting their guns confidently in their cut hands, I was immediately relieved by the fact that we possessed firearms; this would likely keep the raptors at bay. 

“Well….. If we are ever going to leave this place alive, then we better start planning how we are going to pull it off. Right now!” I said sharply.

The Belgians all looked at me with hopeless, empty stares. You three aren’t getting out of here with that kind of attitude. I thought. We would have to find a way out by nightfall, which was quickly approaching with every second. However, I was filled with the same despair as I realized the truth. We were lost! The Allosaurus had carried me in its mouth for several miles, leaving me clueless as to the direction of our former campground. But, there was still one landmark that had never left my sight. 

“Do think there’s any way we can climb those cliffs up there?” I asked pointing my finger towards the towering canyon walls.

All three looked at the cliffs and then exchanged glances.

“Impozzible.” Zolique said.

I had a slight dislike for Zolique, and it all came to a head when he casted water on my last flame of hope.

“Impossible!? Then what do you call a two thousand foot deep canyon in the middle of the jungle? What do you call a pine forest in the middle of Africa that stays a perfect temperature year-round? What do you call a population of dinosaurs living in a giant trench with even prehistoric plant life growing inside?” I mocked. 

Siefert, remaining calm, defended his second in command. 

“He’s right Stafford, there’s no way we could scale those cliffs. Especially you, being one-armed.” Siefert interjected.

“Now you’re getting personal.” I replied.

“It is true, we had better stay here on this boulder, the dinosaurs can’t find us here.” Siefert said.

“That’s what you think.” I commented.

“What are you talking about Stafford?”

“I’m saying that this boulder is not as safe as you make it out to be.”

“How?”

“Because the raptors have a sense of smell, I found that one out the hard way.”

“Raptors? What the devil are you talking about!?”

“Alright, I don’t have time to explain, but that is what those feathered lizards are called by scientists. Anyway, when I was hiding from one in the bushes, it still was able to pick up my scent from fifty yards away during a rainstorm.”

“So what if they can smell us? We have our guns, and I recall the one that was chasing you seemed to have a lot of difficulty climbing.”

“The boulder is wet and slippery now, but just wait until it’s dry. Do you want to take a chance on getting butchered by those gargoyles?”

Siefert glared at me through his smeared glasses, and exhaled in frustration.

“Well then, since you are the genius, Why don’t you figure a way to get us out of here?” he blurted out in mockery.

I sat in silence for a few moments, praying that the Lord would show me something. There had to be a way out, or at least a place to keep safe. Then, all of the sudden, I was struck with an idea.

“Ok, the first thing we need to do is to find a place to keep safe from the raptors and use it as a base. How about those rocky areas we passed on the way here?” I said pointing to the sea of bedrock that surrounded the forest.

Commander Siefert would not answer, but continued his piercing stare that made my insides melt. 

“Sir, the missionary is right. The dinosaurs seem to stay in the forest where it is cooler.” Galbane kindly pointed out.

It seemed like I had finally found an ally among the Belgians, the towering giant of a man who would give me much needed leverage in a fierce debate.  

“Shut up Galbane! Are you contradicting your commanding officer?” Siefert growled.

“But sir….. I was only suggesting….” Galbane murmured.

“Silence!!!” 

Zolique watched all this with a smile on his face, he enjoyed watching the poor fellow get scolded. I found it very hard to respect that devious and deceptive young man, there was something about him that made me sick on the inside.

“He’s exactly right Commander, and we should head for high ground immediately, before darkness sets in. You don’t want to end up like me do you?” I said while showing them the stump where my left arm used to be. 

This seemed to have the desired effect upon my audience, they had never seen the bare charred skin of my cauterized wound, and I think it shook them up a bit. I waited several minutes for their reply, most of which they sat in silence as if making an important decision.

“Alright Stafford, you win.” Siefert mumbled.

“Follow me.” I replied.

It took us a little while to climb down the boulder, but didn’t slow us that much. After we made it to the ground, we began pushing our way through the forest. Galbane and Zolique kept a finger on their triggers, ready to open fire on any rouge saurian. However, I didn’t think that the bullets of our guns would have an effect on a creature such as the Allosaurus, we would have to wait until we encountered one to find out. There was some concern that the Allosaurus would find our hiding place, being that the horned monster made its home not too far from there. But I knew that would be a problem to deal with later. As we were scurrying through the woods, Commander Siefert approached me.

“Stafford, I think you’ll be needing this.” Siefert said.

The Belgian handed me my trusty revolver from my days in the war, it was not so shiny anymore, now it was covered in dirt and rust, but she still packed an awful wallop when fired.

“Thanks Commander.” I replied grateful.

We resumed our march, but Siefert stayed right beside me, as if trying to share a bit of information with me but reluctant to do so.

“Something on your mind?” I asked curiously.  

“If we are going to leave this canyon, we will have to go out through the same way we came.” He muttered.

“One problem with that, the tunnel is opening was sealed off during the rock slide.”

Commander Siefert tripped on something as I said this, and let out a yelp.

“Shhhhhh…. We don’t want them to hear us.” I cautioned.

He looked a little frustrated with me as he got up from the ground, indicating that I should keep my mouth shut and just hear what he had to say.

“Listen Stafford, when we made camp I brought with us two crates. They were small enough for one to carry in their hands with markings that said in Dutch: ‘caution’ and ‘fragile’.” Siefert explained.

“What about it?” I replied as we jogged through the bushes.

“They contained dynamite.”

This news stopped me dead in my tracks, I held up my hand in a halting gesture and grabbed Commander Siefert by his shirt. This was not of an aggressive or hostile nature, but one of surprise and shock. The Belgian understood this, and kept his cool.

“They contained…..What?” I asked.

“Dynamite.” He calmly replied. 

At first I thought he was joking, but then read the sincerity in his eyes.

“You brought dynamite?” I asked him.

“Yes, before we entered the cave, I figured we might need to blast through. So I brought with us two small cases of dynamite as a precaution.”