Unfit For Survival (Ark Fanfic.)

Chapter 1: Nothing Makes Sense

A unfamiliar sensation on my arm pulled me from a dreamless sleep. I sat up with a wince, cracking my sore back and clutched my left forearm. My eyes were still blurry with sleep but I could clearly make out the one thing that seemed very out of place: a crystal embedded into my skin.

"What..." My fatigue quickly washed away as I scratched at it. It didn't hurt at all to touch, but I had to admit that it was unnerving having it attached to me. I didn't recall going anywhere where I might have acquired it. There was no redness around it showing that it was new and no tenderness or swelling around the... whatever it was. It was just there. Stuck in me.

I shook my head in order to clear it but ended up more confused when I saw where I was. Warm sand was touching my bare thighs and the hot sun was beating down on my bare chest. Tall tree were scattered on the tiny island I found myself on. The clean air was wonderful on the skin and airways and I would have enjoyed being here had it not been for one little thing. A minor detail. I had no idea how I got there. None. There were no drag marks or footprints leading to my body. It was as if I were simply dropped here.

The situation was fucked but I didn't feel scared about being in it. Confused about the location and thing in my arm, but not scared. Felt no need to be. It was as if this was natural. Thankfully there was something nearby to freak me out. Either I had heatstroke from being in the sun or I was just crazy. Those were the only two explanations for what I saw slowly wandering about the beach. A dinosaur. An extinct dinosaur was just leisurely strolling about the beach.

"Oh god... What the hell is going?" Now the fear began showing itself by basically crippling my legs. Unable to walk, I crawled backwards on the sand, unable to take my eyes from the beast in front of me. We locked eyes when its head turned towards me and I felt my body tense up. But it didn't charge. If anything, it looked completely uninterested in me as it turned away to munch at a nearby bush.

Still unsure if I was dreaming or not, I couldn't help but let my curiosity get the best of me. I didn't remember ever dreaming about dinosaurs but I wasn't about to let this opportunity get the best of me.

Walking slowly, my feet sunk into the warm sand with every step I took towards the creature. The closer I got to it, the louder it was. It gave off a low rumble. Its hide was rough and hard, an intense body heat emanating from it. It felt so real. It smelled real. The pungency of the scent it gave off was enough for me to begin breathing out of my mouth. It wasn't enough to deter me from running my hand along its large form. It was taller than me by over a head, but that was mostly due to the three horns it donned on its head.

A triceratops. It was both terrifying and beautiful to see and feel. It didn't seem to mind my presence. I got a vaguely interest look before it turned away from me to continue eating. I took it as an invitation to keep touching it.

With a hand still on the un-extinct beast, I took a moment to look at my surroundings beyond just the beach.

On one side was water that went on as far as I could see and on the other was a jungle. With the ocean stretching along the beach and jungle, I gained the conclusion that I was on some island. Beyond the jungle I saw the tops of what I assumed were either mountains or volcanoes, possibly both. But it was what was above it all that caught my eyes. What looked like giant pillars were floating above the island. They didn't look man-made and each of the three floating towers were lit with a different color. Blue, green and red. Just the sight of them, even from the distance that I was from them, was intimidating. I felt unnerved. My eyes drifted down to the thing in my arm and I found myself wondering if it was made by whoever made the pillars. The light in all of them seemed to be the same so I didn't think it would be out of the realm of possibilities. Especially not with dinosaurs roaming around.