Kingdom of Deception

Chapter 5: What Is That?

    "Are you sure you remember the code?" I asked Maisie. We were sneaking over to the elevator doors at the end of the museum-like room. "I'm certain. I watched Mr. Mills punch in the code and the two men went inside." As we arrived at the elevator, Maisie punched in the code. With a gush of air, the doors slid open. We stepped into the steel chamber, quickly and quietly, and I pressed the -3 button. The doors closed and the machine pushed itself downward. I tapped my foot impatiently, my flats making a low pitched sound against the metal. Maisie grabbed my hand as the doors opened again. I looked around at the laboratory in amazement. All sorts of technology was scattered around, making noises and flashing colors. "Wow." I said as I walked past a glass panel. I pushed on the panel and it swung open. Maisie and I looked around the room, which had dinosaur eggs and embryos. Maisie and I were looking into an incubator, when I spotted a computer. I moved toward it and I heard my little sister follow me. It was opened to a video of a man and several baby velociraptors in some sort of pen. I clicked play and watched as a man played with and cared for the little dinosaurs. "This is Delta. She is one of the four little therapods." The man on the screen was giving background information on the small creatures, who were playing and jumping around him.

"You have Blue, you can get these raptors to do anything."

   The man had talked about one velociraptor in a more detailed fashion. Her name was Blue, and apparently, she was quite special. "You're sure she'll live?" I heard a voice coming from behind us and quickly paused the video. Maisie ducked under the desk and I slid behind a wall. "If it dies, we have blood samples." Eli's voice carried through the air and I panicked. I made eye contact with Maisie and pointed behind her. She looked to see them walking closer. She remained as still as possible and went unnoticed as they passed her. "No, that's not good enough. The raptor is a behavioral specimen." The two men were coming closer to where I was hiding, I had to think fast. As they passed the wall, I crawled back through the door and Maisie and I sneaked back onto the balcony. "It's a sprint, not a marathon, Mr. Mills." The voices made their way back toward us once more, so I pulled Maisie down the stairs. We ran into a corridor and backed up, just as the two men came into view. I could barely hear what they were saying, but I knew that they were arguing.

"God you brainy asshole."

    Eli walks away as he insults the other man under his breath. I let out a breath of relief, but elt something strange. It was like a blade brushing down my neck. I turned around and I felt the blood drain from my face at what I saw. A giant claw was sticking out of a dark cell; I couldn't even see the body of the creature inside. Maisie let out an ear piercing scream and pulled me back toward the main area. I was pulled out of my stupor, just in time to be grabbed by Eli. "Hey! What are you two doing down here?" He sounded angry, but I didn't care how he felt. "What was that thing?" I asked in a quiet voice, I was barely breathing but I still wanted answers. "What is it?" Maisie yelled. She was pulling on Eli's sleeve and crying. I felt terrible, I wanted to hug her, but Eli was holding both of my arms. I looked Eli directly in the eyes and gripped his forearms,

"What is it, Eli?"