Future Hearts (A Primeval Story)

That's Not Tweety Pie Part 2

Connor makes an amused 'fair enough' face before turning more towards Danny. "What are you doing up there?" He asks as Danny gives him a deadpan look. "What do you think I'm doing up here?" Connor doesn't miss a beat though as he shrugs, "I dunno, it's kinda why I asked." He doesn't wait for Danny to speak before another more pressing thought comes to mind, "where's the bird?" He squints up at us, the tree obviously not blocking the bright sky enough. This time I speak up, having been the one in charge of keeping an eye on it, "close, the crash scared it off but it won't be gone for long so please, for the love of god, whisper." I finish, looking back down to Connor from scanning the area as he sheepishly apologises. "What are we going to do?" It's Danny who answers as he lifts the make shift trap he's been making out of the toe-cable. "We're gonna trap it."

"Brilliant." Connor smiles for a second before it fades, "how are we gonna do that?" This time Danny shakes the wire, making sure Connor notices it. Realising what the man's holding, his eyes widen, "ahh, cool. So what do you want me to do?" His innocent face makes me glare at Danny. "You just stay down there and look tasty." He throws the looped end of the trap down to the floor before continuing, "you're the bait." I cringe as he says that, looking down to Connor as a thought crosses my mind. "Connor, I can do it if you want? You've just been in a car crash." Danny disagrees instantly, as does Connor, but in a more witty way, "so have you; that giant gash across your forehead says so." Rolling my eyes, I wince at the movement that makes my eyebrows raise into my wound, proving his point. He looks rather satisfied with himself for half a second before he remembers what we were arguing about doing in the first place.

As both me and Danny watch on, Connor begins rocking back and forth on his heals, whistling. "Connor, it's a prehistoric terror bird, not a canary." Turning back to us for a split second he looks up to Danny, "are you sure this is going to work?" The man in the tree nods looking somewhat confident, "how can it fail?" I'd roll my eyes again if it didn't hurt too much. "Oh, in about a million different ways." I mumble, watching Connor worriedly as he turns back to the woods ahead of us. "Maybe we scared it away, like Mia said. Maybe-Maybe it's just frightened?" He asks himself, more wishful thinking than anything else. In an example of spectacular timing, the bird starts it's foreboding calls again. "Connor, get back in the car!" I shout to him as I hear Danny say something about it not being frightened enough. "Do what she says, get in!" Connor hurriedly shoves himself in the car, ducking below the window.

I hold my breath as the gigantic bird runs to where Connor was standing just seconds ago. It steps closer to the car and trap, bringing the side of it's head level with the window Connor is ducking under, trying to see if there's any of us left in the car. "Danny." I mumble frustrated as he tries to shift the trap closer to its foot. I swear I nearly fall out of the tree when it rears it's head back and smashes through the window, Connor just about getting away from it's reach under the branch that's impaling the car. "Danny!" Connor echoes my previous words, only a lot louder as the creature begins to force it's head and long neck further into the car. As I see it step into the noose trap I hear Danny say my name, telling me to jump. I do, cursing as my ankle rolls under me when I land but don't allow myself to stop, biting my lip through the pain until it begins to bleed. "Get out of there, Connor!" Danny shouts as I run to the car door, opening it and practically yanking him out the car before he has a chance to do so himself. "Run!" I shout, the metallic taste in my mouth making me believe my lip is bleeding quite profoundly. "Go, go!" Danny is with us, pushing us further as the bird tries to run after us, only getting so far before a loud crashing is heard as it falls to the floor.

We don't stop though, more of those familiar calls sound up as we dodge trees, this time I am slightly lagging behind. I don't dare look back as I hear one of the creatures bound through the forest after us. "Woah stop!" Danny's arm stops me from running into the open field as my eyes catch the wooden sign with the words 'danger unexploded mines'. "This day keeps getting better and better. Who puts mines in a field in England?" I huff as Danny states the obvious, "watch where you put your feet." Connor manages to quip back, "good advice, thanks." Mumbling an anxious 'come on' I force us forward and literally into a minefield. "Watch out!" Danny warns as he easily pulls ahead of us, shouting when he sees a mine. Keeping my eyes on the floor, I hop around the raised earth patches cringing in pain every so often as my ankle screams at me. Catching up to them we stop as we notice Abby and Sarah break through the trees and into the clearing, their dresses now torn off at the leg or tied up for running. Eyes widening, "woah, stop! Don't move!" I scream out as the two beside me also shout out variations of the same thing. Cupping my hands around my mouth, "it's a minefield!" They stand in shock for a split second before another bird call comes from behind them, pushing them forward, hopping around the mines as we call for them to hurry up.