Once the group had calmed themselves and somewhat rested, they set out once again on foot. They did not keep close to the river's edge, though. Instead, they traveled inland just far enough for the river to still be heard and followed. They walked through the remainder of the night. It wasn't until the morning sun reached the tops of the mountains that they finally stopped to rest once more. The Kirbys settled into the roots of a large tree, where they reminisced among themselves quietly, almost like a normal family...
Alan was pacing again. He was still fretting over their new course of action and what their next step should be. He hadn't said a word to Amy, nor had she tried speaking with him either. Amy stepped off a few yards away from Alan and the Kirbys where she found a large rock to sit upon. When her knees bent and she began to take her seat, her side screamed with a growing fire that made her wince and clutch at her hidden wound tighter. During their walk, Amy's initial shock had worn away and all the adrenaline that kept her side from feeling any pain had disappeared to the point that nearly every step was a painful challenge. The inside of her cheeks and bottom lip were raw and sliced open from her teeth with every step she took forward. Amy had kept to the back of the group so that she could do frequent checks on the wound. Whenever her shirt would fill with blood and begin to seep, she would quickly wipe away the blood with the sleeve of her jacket then return to applying pressure. Thankfully, the rain had colored the brown jacket to almost black, so no red showed.
Now alone on the rock, Amy could finally inspect the injury further and assess her situation properly. She opened her jacket, revealing a white tank top on her chest and saturated, oozing red along her abdomen. Carefully, she peeled the cloth up, revealing the wound. It was sickeningly deep and her blood refused to clot, though there was no sign that her insides might have been punctured. Instead, the gash followed the outline of her ribs, starting on the upper left of her stomach and over her side. Every breath she took would send a few drops of blood to drip and she winced, nauseated by the sight. Although the wound seemed bad, Amy concluded that it could have been worse. As long as she could make it to the coast with the others, everything would be fine.
"Amy?" Alan's sudden voice startled her and she jumped. Her head whipped around to face Alan, who only beckoned her with his fingers, signalling that it was time to go. Amy nodded and Alan went on to gather the Kirbys. Before he could get far, though, Amy called after him. The man stopped in his tracks and he peered at her from over his shoulder. Amy swallowed thickly and she wrapped her arms tightly around her sides.
"Alan, I'm sorry. For everything."
Alan sighed. "I am too."
"Do you think that, maybe... We could start over?"
"No," Alan shook his head. Instantly, Amy felt as though someone had stabbed her chest with a hot poker and tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She understood, though, and she only nodded her acceptance. Then, Alan turned to regard her fully, and when Amy forced her caramel eyes to face him once more, she saw him smiling. "We don't need to start over, Amethyst. We're perfect where we are." Amy's heart instantly rose to her throat and she could not speak, but there was no need to. Her chapped lips parted into her own, beaming smile and she could only nod again. Without a word, Alan turned and headed back towards the Kirbys. Once he was out of earshot, Amy released a breath she did not know she was holding. Her brown eyes landed on her bleeding cut again. With one last inspection, Amy fixed her shirt back over it and she stood, zipping up her jacket as she did and placing her palm hard against the wound to try and aid in stopping the blood flow. Even so, her heart was thundering so greatly and her head was buzzing so much that she could not be worried about her injury. That was, until she started to walk.
The group continued on through the woods, all mindful of their surroundings except for Eric. The boy had taken his spot next to Alan and locked the man into continuous questioning. Amy strolled behind the group slowly, careful of her footing. Despite this, every step seemed to open the wound further, and she was beginning to feel a wetness growing under her palm. Amy only pressed harder, the tips of her teeth biting down on the cracked flesh of her bottom lip. Her head had begun to form a thin sheet of sweat and her face felt cold. Her toes began to catch upon the rocks and tree roots as she shuffled after the others lazily. She felt sick. It didn't occur to the woman until that moment the significance of her situation, and it took even less time for her to realize that she was in trouble. She couldn't make it any further...
"The ocean!" she heard Eric suddenly exclaim. Amy's head rose just in time to see the group beginning to run. With a heavy sigh, Amy pressed her side harder and she jogged after them. Soon enough, a clearing came into view. Paul bounced over a fallen tree and into the grass on the other side while Amanda and Eric followed suit. Alan waited by the trunk for Amy, though she made sure Alan crossed over before she would continue herself and she urged him to not lose sight of the Kirbys. Gently, Amy lifted her foot and she slid herself over, gritting her teeth tightly as the pain in her side sent a cry bubbling up her throat. Her feet touched the other side and she gasped, her chest pounding as she caught her breath. Not wanting to be left behind, Amy took in a few more gasps before pushing herself back to her feet and stumbling forward. Just as she reached the others, an echoing screech met her ears.
Seemingly from nowhere, Velociraptors surrounded them. There were raptors on all sides, cawing and snarling ferociously, driving the group of humans into a tightly knit circle. Instinctively, Alan threw his arms out, doing his best to protect them from the monstrous beast. Amy took a step forward and stuck out her own arm protectively, though she could do no more as her head swam dangerously. Amy's vision was doubled and it teetered. She felt near to losing consciousness, yet she stood as strong as she could, doing her absolute best to protect the Kirbys alongside Alan. The raptors cooed and dug their claws into the ground, kicking up flurries of sand in their aggression.
"They want the eggs," Alan whispered, his eyes watching as the raptors drew nearer. "Otherwise we'd be dead already." The raptors squawked loudly, almost talking to the other as they strode ever closer to the huddled humans. From her right, a new raptor appeared. She was different from the others. Her body was heftier and her stance inches taller. This one's head was also bare of any head crest, unlike the others that surrounded them. In other words, she was powerful and plain; a clear sign of the alpha female. "Everybody get down," Alan ordered, having come to the same realization as Amy. "She's challenging us."
Amy took to the ground rather harshly as her legs gave out beneath her. The woman felt close to either throwing up or passing out, though she focused on her breathing and pressed her side even harder. The rest of the group lowered as well. Amy could feel the soft scuffles behind her and Alan and she knew that the Kirbys were hiding Eric, forcing him to the center of their circle and away from the immediate danger. As soon as Amy felt the boy touch her, she clutched his shirt within her free fist and held him close, readying herself to run with the child if need be. There was movement on her right and Amy knew that Alan was working on retrieving the eggs, though painfully slowly so as not to cause too much unwanted attention.
The alpha female strode pridefully forward, no caution taken as she walked right on up to Amy and Amanda. The blonde woman was to Amy's left. Amanda kept her eyes down and her breathing was heavy, though she made no noise as the alpha raptor lowered her head and sniffed her hair. The raptor huffed, then moved to Amy. After another deep inhale, the raptor hissed and shook its head, bumping its nose roughly against Amy's forehead. Amy flinched and cowered, trying to appear small and vulnerable, though the raptor did not back away.
"She thinks you two stole the eggs," Alan murmured.
"Get behind me," Paul tried to crawl forward and in front of the women, though the alpha raptor was quick to pounce before him, hissing menacingly with her teeth bared and tongue thrashing. Paul backed away with his head down. With Paul subdued, the raptor returned her attention to Amanda. It bumped and nudged the woman, shoving and sniffing her for any signs of the eggs, then she did the same to Amy. The raptor followed Amy's every movement to escape its jaws, tracing her with its sharp teeth and powerful nose. Then, it cawed right in Amy's face, causing her to jump.
"She... She smells Billy on me," Amy growled softly, her eyes narrowing at the raptor which hissed at her challenge. Slowly, Amy nudged her hand against Alan's side, beckoning him. "Give me the eggs," she breathed out the demand, her open hand flexing in wait. Finally, Alan opened Billy's bag to reveal the eggs. Instantly, the raptors cawed out, their sounds echoed by the other and sending Amy to near panic, though she forced herself to remain still. Alan took the eggs from their pouch and handed them to Amy while the creatures were distracted. Amy's striking brown gaze did not break from that of the yellowed orbs of the female raptor standing so proudly before her. The eggs slipped easily into her hands. Ever so gently, Amy brought the eggs forward, sliding them through the sand as she pushed them as far away from herself and the group as she could reach. At the corner edge of her vision, she could see a smear of red against the egg within her left hand. She could only hope this would go unnoticed by both the raptor pack and Alan.
Suddenly, there was a loud, shrill screech on Amy's right and she jumped terribly. Alan had found Billy's print of the raptor resonating chamber and blown into it, sending out an unfamiliar call through the clearing. Instantly, the raptors reacted. One by one, they chirped and cocked their head curiously at the sound, trying to make heads or tails of the new call. Alan blew again, this time sending the raptor pack into a rage.
"No, no, no, call for help!" Paul insisted, to which Amy instantly shushed. Alan blew again, letting out an odd squawk she had not heard from the raptors, though it seemed to catch their attention. A male raptor suddenly lunged for the group, yet the alpha turned on him. She threw her head and hissed her threat, sending the male to cower and back away. She returned her hateful glare towards Amy and took a step forward, though she found herself distracted by a new sound. It was a helicopter, and it sounded close. The raptor listened intently to the sound, her yellow eyes bouncing as Amy practically watched the gears turn inside her skull. Then, she let out a string of chattering and the rest of the raptor pack began to disappear into the jungle, leaving only a single male and the alpha behind. The alpha dipped her head and, as gently as a dog with her pup, picked up one of the eggs between her teeth. With a lasting glare, the female took off, and once the remaining male picked up the last egg, he followed suit, leaving the five humans alone in the sand, confused and terrified.
Once the sounds of the creature's steps could no longer be heard, Amy finally breathed. However, her chest pumped and pounded greatly as shock began to settle in. Slowly, she looked down to her stomach and removed her hand, revealing wet, dark red blood. It had leaked through both her shirt and her jacket. "That's a helicopter!" she heard Paul say and he made a run in the direction of the sound. The rest of the group followed, all but Alan, who stayed by Amy's side as she breathed far too quickly and shallow to allow proper oxygen to her brain. She heard the tone of Alan's voice questioning her, though it was nothing more than a murmur as her vision went dark for a second. When she was able to see again, Alan was above her, his brow furrowed with worry.
"Amy, what's wrong?" he questioned the woman.
"Nothing," she insisted and pushed herself up to her feet by using his shoulder. Amy steadied herself and took some setting breaths through her nose and out her mouth, then she was walking. Alan was at her heels, though she ignored the man as her vision tunneled, focused solely on finding the Kirbys. Eventually she urged him forward, saying something along the lines of not knowing which direction to go. Begrudgingly, Alan took the lead, though he repeatedly casted worrying glances over his shoulder at the woman. The two paleontologists stumbled past the clearing and back into the woods. Amy felt much like a newborn fawn on new legs. Just when she got started, she would trip and have to adjuster herself against a tree. The only thing that passed through her mind was the coast. She had to get to the coast. She had to.
Amy rushed towards Alan, then, though everything was in slow motion and she was unsure of how fast she was actually moving. Amy felt as though she were slipping away from her reality, and she reached out for the one thing that could tether her to the world. Her fingers grabbed at Alan's sleeve and he turned to look at her, his handsome face blossomed with confusion. Alan said something, but Amy couldn't hear him. She was only able to read his lips, and even that took great effort to register in her mind. Amy took in a deep, stuttering breath, nodded, and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine," she said, even though she was practically leaning on him now. Still, she used her body to urge him forward, not allowing him to stop their walking. "Alan, can I tell you something?"
"What is it?"
"We aren't perfect, but I don't want to start over either. I know I've messed up a lot lately, but I love you, and I promise I'll make it up to you. No matter what."
Alan nearly stumbled over himself at that. He looked upon her, shocked and startled. Then, he chuckled an odd, flabbergasted laugh. "You love me?" he countered lightly. Amy was surprised by her own words. She hadn't realized she had said those words at all, but once she realized she had, all Amy could do was grin ear to ear. "That... That's the first time you've said that."
"It is."
"Well, I love you too." Alan had said this few times before, though every time he had, she knew he meant it, just as he did now. He loved her, and she had finally told him that she loved him too. At this, Amy's heart spoke words she had been too scared to even think of herself, though she knew she meant every word just the same.
"When we get back home, will you marry me?"
Alan chuckled nervously and his hand scratched the back of his neck. Amy could have sworn the tips of his ears had turned red. "That wasn't very... conventional."
She shrugged, still smiling as her eyes fluttered with a new onset of tears. "We aren't very conventional."
Alan pressed his lips together and he blinked hard. "No, I guess we're not." Then, Alan wrapped a heavy arm around her shoulder and he brought her close to his side, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "I'll marry you, Amethyst. I'll marry you."