fanfiction Florian's Journal Chapter 3 (An Island of Death)

[FlorianWind9]

WELCOME!!!

In the previous chapter, chapter 2, I recounted the second time that I spawned upon The Island......Just like in chapter 1, I didn't last very long huh? Ah, but so is life within the domed environments of Ark Survival Evolved when you are fresh and new am I right?

Speaking of which, this next chapter will consist of an anthology of my many first experiences with death and deadly creatures upon The Island. It took more than a few tries for me to figure out how to survive more than a few minutes with all manner of hungry predators racing to devour everything in their paths every time I spawned in. So, with that being said, if reading an anthology of early death scenarios within Ark isn't your thing then I completely understand and will not be offended if you decide to skip this chapter. The next chapter, chapter 4, is when the story really starts to actually take off anyways. It's when I figure out how to survive more than 2 minutes.

On the other hand, if reading about other people's sufferings is your thing, then I gladly invite you to an anthology of my early painful experiences within this deadly deadly game.

To Celebrate the Existence of This Game; and to Mourn the ever-delayed approach of its Death; lets reminisce upon the typical early game experiences that most people have when they first become acquainted with Ark Survival Evolved.

FIRSTLY: I would like to state that this story is NONFICTION, meaning that every event is completely true and really did happen. wildcard did not provide a nonfiction prefix for me to choose, only a fanfiction one, so I guess that's what I have to go with...

SECONDLY:

IMPORTANT CONTEXT!!

               The events of this story are Very Heavily based upon the true life events experienced through the perspective of the player character Florian, Nine, Wind. The events are marginally smoothed to convert video game aspects into real life description, and ever so slightly dramatized for entertainment purposes; to make the story more enjoyable.

                These events occurred within the online video game “Ark Survival Evolved” which is owned by “Studio Wildcard”. So…while the original life events occurred through Florian and the other player characters mentioned within this story; the world scenery and visual assets, as well as the in-game story elements, were created by and are owned by “Studio Wildcard”.

              These events occurred majoritively upon the “Official The Island Server 39”, with only the very ending occurring upon the “Official The Island Server 2”; and the planned Epilogue on the “Official Ragnarok Server 65”; all of which no longer exist. Server 39 and 2 would be considered "Legacy Servers" if they still existed. Server 65 would be considered a "Modern Server Soon To Be Ended" if it also still existed.

                  The player created events of this story occurred between the time period of the game’s early access launch, on the online video-game hosting service “Steam” owned by “Valve”, which debuted on June 2, 2015; and just slightly beyond the game’s "full 1.0 release" on August 29, 2017. More specifically; the story of Florian’s journey, which would be depicted within the completed version of this book(If I ever manage to fully complete it), transpired approximately between November 28, 2015 and November 4, 2017.

                 I am hoping that this story will be a way for people who love Ark; that have friends that don't like playing video games; or not open world sand box video games; but who may like to read; to show those friends what the game Ark Survival Evolved is really like; or at least what it CAN be. I am also hoping to convey to those who may read it what This Video Game Has Meant To Me Personally.

               So...Without Further ADO...I Hope You Enjoy!

 

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Chapter 3

An Island of Death

                 I found myself back in the void…surrounded by the senseless nothingness…; this time contemplating whether I was better off here, or on that unknown and deadly isle...

                 No-matter how hard I tried to reach out with my mind towards some other location…any alternative place…it seemed as though it, or the void, were my only options. I still could hardly remember anything beyond its sandy shoreline…so perhaps that was why. Perhaps I needed a solid enough memory of some place to travel to it from wherever, or whatever this void was…

                No-matter the reason……a seemingly eternal existence with absolutely nothing but my own thoughts…or a nearly completely unknown, and potentially painful island seemed my only choices. And so…despite a fair amount of hesitation, due to thoughts concerning the very likely chance of such sudden pain-filled death…in the end; I decided that the warm sandy beaches, cool rippling water, juicy tasty berries, and even the bloody agonizing deaths were preferable to an eternity of absolute nothingness…

              I reached out towards the island with my mind once more; and prepared myself for the shock of needing to breathe again…

            …In a flash of light I appeared on the beach; lying on my stomach; with my feet in the water; and gasping for air. This time however, I wasted little effort; as I brought myself quickly to my feet and surveyed the immediate shoreline.

            I hadn’t noticed it upon my second arrival here, as I had been far too distracted and mentally overwhelmed, but this time I noted…that my muscles weren’t nearly as stiff as they had been upon my first time waking up in the sand;…furthermore, I didn’t feel nearly the same crippling pain of thirst or hunger either... It was almost as though my new body somehow remembered my previous experiences; and had become stronger with each revival.

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            I didn’t have time to contemplate the thought however, as I needed to be alert! Something dangerous could appear at any moment!

            This beach was similar to the one which I had first materialized upon, though it still had its noticeable differences; giving cause to believe that I was yet again in a different location on the island… By the position of the sun, it seemed to be sometime in the evening…though it was difficult to say due to not knowing which side of the isle I had reappeared on…

            As I gazed far down the beach to my right, it became abundantly clear that inferring the time of day truly was the least of my problems however…as I spotted a pair of large, menacing beasts; which were preying upon a group of terrified Dodos. Although they were quite a ways away…even from this distance, I knew that they were of the same species which had killed me after my first revival; and though the creature which had killed me when I first awoke upon this dangerous island had certainly turned out to be very frightening…it was when I clearly saw the visage of this beast…that I truly became terrified.

           Their physical features were unmistakable to anyone who knew even the tiniest amount of prehistoric knowledge. They appeared to stand about ten feet high upon two powerful, three-clawed hind-legs; limbs which looked built for extremely fast sprinting speeds. They looked to be about twenty feet long, from deadly snout to lengthy whip-like tail-tip; their two slightly smaller, but still very powerful, long-fingered…three-clawed arms appeared designed for dexterity and pinning strength. Their long, rounded mouths filled with jagged little teeth…used for tearing into the flesh of their victims; their orangish-green, or bluish-green scaly hide; their perceptive and intelligent, forward set predatory eye upon each side of their heads; the long tuffs of feathers upon their arms, the ends of their tails, the tops of their heads, and following along the spines down their backs; and of course the very large…as large as my entire forearm…curved, raised, inner claw upon each foot…

           …THEY WERE RAPTORS!!

            Suddenly overcome by an all-consuming fear, I bolted into the trees before me; in the timid hopes that they would conceal my presence!

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             I ran as far and as fast as I could! Dodging around tree trunks; stumbling over the underbrush; slowly becoming more and more exhausted with an ever increasing incline beneath my feet; my only thought being a desire to put as much distance as possible between myself and those apparent Utah-raptors!

            The deeper into the trees I went…the more difficult it became to see; as the sun’s light was ever more hidden behind a thickening canopy of leaves. It was then that I began to notice large boulders sparsely mixed in amongst the trees as well; and once I felt that I could run no farther, I chose a smooth looking one to gratefully lean against. The hard surface felt cool and refreshing to my exasperated body. Gasping for air…my legs wobbly with exhaustion…I didn’t know if my panicked flight had really done me any good. It was likely that those two Raptors hadn’t noticed me, and were now quite some distance away sure…but I had used up all my stamina in the process…

             Fatigued…and potentially lost deep in a dark, unfamiliar forest…it didn’t seem I was any better off than I had been on the beach, near those terrifying monsters.

           Just as I was wondering what my next course of action should be, I suddenly heard the crashing sound of large footsteps coming towards me! I quickly looked around and saw the form of a large creature slowly, but determinedly, making its way through the trees in my direction... At first I thought…hoped…it might be a relatively harmless Stegosaurus; but even in the dimmed light, I could make out the frightening truth of what it was as it came closer...

           My spirit sank as I saw the fourteen foot high, and twenty-eight foot long from nose to tail-tip stature; its thick armor-like, greenish-black hide; its two powerful, three-clawed hind-legs; its two extremely small, and stubby, four-fingered front arms; its huge, large as my entire torso, oval-shaped head filled with razor-sharp teeth…and attached to a thick, sturdy neck; and of course…its two big, thick, long as my entire arm…horns protruding from the top of its head……it was a Carnotaurus.                       

            'A CARNOTAURUS!!’

             I quickly turned with intent to run, but this rapid movement only alerted the Carno to my presence! While the dimmed light of the forest may have concealed my true form against the large boulder…it now knew that I was something small, which could easily become food!

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              The Carno let out a loud, menacing roar and began charging towards me; bashing its sides against the trees, as if to push them out of the way while it passed between them! In renewed terror, I ran as fast as I could; attempting to weave amongst the trees to use them as cover! Despite the tall, thick trunks slowing the Carno down however…I found it too difficult to keep up speed in my weakened state; and after only a short distance…the Carnotaurus had caught up to me...

              In mid-run the Carno bent down, and snapped me up in its jaws; my head and torso fitting almost perfectly within its mouth, while my arms and legs dangled out from between its teeth. The Carno then lifted me up amidst a muffled scream, and crunched down; breaking the bones of my hips and shoulders, while piercing the flesh so that streams of blood ran into its throat.

              My limbs broken…my body drained of energy and trapped between its jaws…I could do nothing now but wait for death…

              For what seemed like hours…but was more likely just a few agonizing minutes…the Carnotaurus continued to chomp while holding me up; breaking apart my body so that it could more easily swallow its meal, while somehow missing all my vitals so that I remained alive and conscious…my screams subdued within its jaws...

              Finally…I succumbed to the blood-loss…and the relieving embrace of death took me away from the pain.

~~~~~~~

             After a brief time of weighing the pros and cons, I again revived upon the island; this time finding myself lying on a sunny beach, that sloped up to a small grassy area; which was sparsely populated by bushes and trees.

             The grassy plain rose to something of a short cliff above the beach…up to about forty feet high at its peak…to my right while it sloped upwards more gradually to my left. Variously sized boulders, some of them quite large, and sticks or logs were strewn along the shore in either direction. Seeing nothing dangerous…I promptly walked up the short and steady incline to the peak of the grassy area; so as to get a better view of my new surroundings.

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           Peering farther inland…there appeared to be a dry river-bed, with a forest covered hill beyond it. Looking down the beach in either direction…the small grassy plain turned into a sparsely populated forest which thickened as it deepened... There were plenty of bushes for berries, but surprisingly little animal life for such an open area. I saw a few Triceratops and Stegosaurs grazing in the open grass; as well as a few Parasaurs far off in the distance to my left, grazing near the tree-line…but there seemed so few for the size of the open prairie…

           As I stood there, casually wondering why there weren’t more creatures nearby…and feeling relieved that there were no Raptors or Carnos far as I could see throughout the immediate area…I suddenly heard a quiet, rustling slither coming up from behind me.

           Before I could turn to see what it was, there was an abruptly loud hiss; followed by a sharp pain which sunk deep into my left shoulder! “Ahh!” I screamed in agony and surprise!

            Without hesitation, I began running; the now much louder rustling slither almost keeping pace behind me! As I ran, I looked back over my shoulder to see what had attacked me; and my eyes grew wide with terror as I saw what it was... It was a Gigantic Snake!

          Though I didn’t have the best view of it while looking over my shoulder through distressed, fear-filled eyes, the snake appeared to be about forty feet long and as wide around as my body at its thickest point! Its head alone looked to be nearly as large as my torso! Its scaly dark-green skin with large, lighter colored circular designs had kept it camouflaged well amongst the grass; so I hadn’t seen it coming in my initial survey of the area! A large frill, split at its top and bottom, also wrapped around the back of its head; and I could see two large fangs protruding from the roof of its mouth as it chased after me! It was like an extra-large boa…a titanic boa……A TITANOBOA!

          Now knowing the horror of what it was, and seeing that its determined slithering speed was nearly enough to keep up with mine, I put every ounce of strength I had into moving my legs as quickly as possible! However…despite my terror-filled efforts…after only a few seconds…I rapidly began feeling myself getting slower, rather than faster.

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           It felt as though an immense wave of fatigue was abruptly washing over me... My breathing became labored……my legs began to feel like wet, wobbly noodles……I felt all my adrenaline induced strength leave me, and found it difficult to even keep my eyes open….

            Finally…after having run only a few meters…I collapsed in a daze…and found that it took all I had merely to remain conscious…

             Lying there in the dirt…I felt a slow trickle of blood flow from the wound on my left shoulder. ‘The sudden, sharp pain following the hiss……the fangs protruding from the snake’s mouth………a bite?’ Even within my foggy state, I managed to understand that the Titanoboa must have injected me with some kind of tranquilizing venom. A second after this realization popped into my mind, I felt the Titanoboa slide onto my paralyzed body…and wrap its scaly form around me…

             There was absolutely nothing I could do, as I felt it squeeze the air from my lungs……and the life from my body.

~~~~~~~

             Again I revived upon the island; the sun shining bright directly overhead. I found myself at the mouth of a fairly good-sized river as it left the island’s interior, and emptied its waters into the ocean beyond. It was difficult to say for sure…but I guessed that the river was about forty meters across at its opening; a bit too far to traverse, considering that it looked to be some amount over twenty feet deep near its center.

             There were large, tree-covered hills on both sides of the river and continuing down the beach in either direction. A variety of plants and animals also decorated the waterway’s edges, as far inland as I could see. Far off down the river I saw small herds of Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Parasaurs, and Phiomias; as well as scattered Giant Tortoises, small flocks of Pteranodons, a great multitude of scattered Dodos; and even farther into the distant inland, I saw two great Brontosauruses arching their tree-like necks into the river for a drink.

            Truly…it was a tremendous sight to behold; which would have amazed and dazzled me…had I not been so distracted by thoughts concerning all which had happened up till this point.

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           ‘I had died four times now... Each time brutal…each time painful... Yet somehow, defying all the laws of nature which I was aware of, I had now revived upon this mysterious island four times as well; and in four different locations...’

            ‘I had no memory of any time before first waking up upon the beach of this isle…gasping and starving…aside from my name, and the number Thirty-Nine... I had knowledge of language; general knowledge of tools and concepts of civilization; knew the names and general natures of many of the plants and animals that I had seen, as though having learned them somewhere beforehand…’

            ‘There were Dinosaurs on this island…creatures that should be long extinct according to my memory... Each time I revived, my body seemed to remember its previous experiences and felt stronger; faster; more capable of handling the dangers of this isle...’

          ‘And then there was the diamond-shaped, metallic implant that I still had embedded into the flesh of my left wrist…with the white diamond-shaped crystal in its center; sparkling as it reflected the sun’s rays... Amidst everything else…this mysterious implant was perhaps the most intriguing……and the most concerning.’

          Seeing nothing dangerous for as far as I could see, I began walking along the river while pondering all these things…keeping a careful eye out for any hidden dangers as well.

          The sun was hot upon my naked body; yet a cooling breeze drifted from the river’s surface, keeping me in a state of comfort. A chorus of animal sounds filled the air along the water’s edge; various creatures going about living their normal daily lives…not a single one seemingly concerned about, or interested in my presence; despite the fact that as a human, I should have appeared as an oddity to them. It certainly still felt strange to me…seeing all these huge, prehistoric beasts that shouldn’t exist.

           Still…this casual stroll was at last a welcome period of peace, after everything else that had happened.

           Having walked for what felt like about fifteen minutes or so, I then saw a strange looking…motionless dark patch in the grass nearby; and decided to investigate. I walked towards it slowly…carefully…in case it might be something hazardous sleeping...

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           As I approached ever more slowly, my hands quickly sprung to my face in a desperate mission to plug my nose; as a putrid smell began to assault my nostrils!

           The stench grew ever stronger the closer I got…and once I had finally gotten close enough to see what the form was…I realized why. What I had discovered wasn’t so much something dangerous, as something which might attract danger; a dead…fly-infested…Phiomia...

           I wasn’t sure what had killed it; as I couldn’t see any rips or tears in its hide. ‘Perhaps it had simply eaten something poisonous? Still, no-matter the reason for its death, the smell of its rotting meat would surely attract a predator of some kind’; so I promptly spun away with the intent of putting a fair amount of distance between myself and the carcass. Nonetheless, as if to prove my theory, something roughly the size of a basketball-with-wings unexpectedly slammed into my face while I turned around!

         The impact caused me to loose balance, and I stumbled backwards; falling onto the Phiomia’s head, and cutting my right hand on one of its sharp tusks! I looked up to see what had hit me, and found a small army of Giant Bugs staring back at me!

          ‘…GIANT BUGS!!’

         There were fifteen or so Giant Dragonflies buzzing around me and the carcass; each of their segmented bodies appearing to be about a foot and a half long, from their buggy eyes to the tips of the stingers on their tails; each of their four wings looked just as long, and every one of their six legs was lengthier than my hand! On the ground there were ten or so Giant Ants slowly crawling towards the carcass and I as well; each of their segmented bodies also looking to be about a foot and a half long, with six legs each lengthier than my hand, and pinchers longer than my fingers; their lengthy antennae moving about in search of the rotting meat’s position.

         I stood up and began moving slowly away from the dead Phiomia; hoping that their true target was the rotting carcass, and they would ignore me.

          Most of the Giant Dragonflies did land upon the Phiomia; ravenously tearing into its hide with their sharp mandibles. Unfortunately…a few of them continued to swarm around me; likely drawn by the scent of rotting meat, which had gotten on me as I fell onto the carcass…they began attempting to land on and bite me!

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          Likewise, most of the Giant Ants kept crawling towards the Phiomia; vigorously burrowing into the soft flesh of its stomach to satisfy their hunger; but a few of them persisted in pursuing me…nipping at my feet with their giant pinchers!

         I began flailing my limbs in attempt to ward them off! Kicking and swatting as hard as I could to knock them away! No-matter how much I swatted or kicked however, they persevered; driven by an instinctual need to feed…viewing my feeble attempts at defense with little concern. Fortunately; their combined, buggy attack was more annoying than actually painful…but gradually, I began acquiring a multitude of shallow inch-long cuts all over my body.

           Eventually…I decided to just make a run for it!

           I took off as fast as I could; figuring that a little distance and chase would cause them to lose interest…considering that there was a perfectly good, unmoving target nearby! However, it seemed not even this would shake their focus from me!

             The Giant Dragonflies were so fast that they managed to nearly keep pace; so that every time I stopped to catch my breath, it wouldn’t be more than a few seconds and they’d be upon me again! Meanwhile; the Giant Ants, while much slower, also kept up the chase…likely using their extremely powerful sense of smell to track my path!

            After a few minutes of this…in desperation, I thought to try using the river as protection. ‘Normal sized ants and dragonflies usually don’t swim so well…so surely, these ones wouldn’t follow me into the water either?’

            While still running at full force, I leapt into the river with a splash; and paddled out to where it was about ten feet deep! Then…I turned back to see what the giant insects would do…and was relieved to find that they had finally given up their pursuit!

           The Giant Ants merely stood on the river-bank; waving their heads from side to side, as if they had suddenly lost my scent. Meanwhile…the Giant Dragonflies flew a short ways out over the water but then, as if they too had lost track of me, turned back towards land and flew off. “HaHa!” I shouted back at them. ‘Victory! At last I could have peace again!’

             And then…before I even knew what was happening……I was dead.

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           An uncountable multitude of sharp pains suddenly began signaling over my entire body all at once! I watched in pain and confusion, as the river all around began to bubble and churn; while turning thick and red with my blood! And then…shortly before I lost consciousness…one of my attackers leapt from the water aiming for my face!

            It was a large, roundish fish about the size of my torso; its scales a menacing deep, muddied red; and its wide, opened mouth filled with razors for teeth! It was a huge Piranha!

             The fish took a chunk of flesh out of my right cheek and then…fortunately…due to a combination of the pain and blood-loss…I blacked out. ‘While taking shelter within the river from the vicious giant insects…I had unexpectedly been killed within the time-span of just a few seconds…by a swarm of some kind of Mega-Piranha…’

~~~~~~~

             I revived upon the island in a RAGE!! Having become entirely ticked-off with all these cheap, sudden, and painful deaths; I was determined to survive!

              From the beach, I immediately sprang to my feet and got on the move! I kept myself at a casual jog; slow enough so as not to expend all my stamina, should I suddenly need to transition into a sprint, but fast enough to keep me quick on my feet; and provide a head-start should I need to begin running! I remained highly alert; constantly looking around in all directions for dangers both hidden and obvious! It was imperative that I spot every possible threat quickly and from a distance, so that I might have the opportunity to out-maneuver whatever it may be! I even snatched berries off bushes while on the move for food; to keep up my stamina; resigned never to relax my guard for a rest until I had found a truly safe, and protected place to squirrel into!

              The sun was high in the sky…so I presumed that it must be about mid-day; meaning that I had roughly half a day to find a high, difficult-to-reach outcropping, which predators couldn’t climb to…or a small cave that predators were too big to enter…or perhaps a tall and sturdy tree with a large enough branch, high enough so predators couldn’t reach; or really anything that could be made defensible, from the monstrously deadly beasts I had so far encountered…as well as all those which I surely yet hadn’t.

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            I kept to the beach for awhile…the sand hot beneath my feet…as the fairly open shoreline provided good visibility; both for spotting potential safe-havens, as well as predators. Unfortunately…I found nothing for caves, outcroppings, or tall sturdy trees; and when I saw a Raptor some distance down the coast…I took that to be my cue to begin searching more inland.

             Quickly turning into the trees, long before the Raptor had seen me, I began making my way up the shallow incline!

             I jogged ever deeper into the thickening forest; weaving amongst the trees and large rocks; never stopping or slowing for even a second!

             Within this darker…more visually confined environment, I had to keep an even sharper eye out for potential threats. I spotted many Stegos, Trikes, and Paras cautiously grazing amongst the trees…as well as some Raptors and Carnos leisurely hunting between them. The latter two I avoided with the greatest stealth I could muster, while the former three I used as cover; hoping that any nearby predators would go after them, instead of me.

             My half-baked plan at this moment, was simply to make my way up to the top of a large hill; hoping to find a sturdy enough tree to climb, so that I might get a better view of my surroundings. ‘Surely I’d be able to see something useful’ ,I hoped; ‘and then be able to plan from there.’

            As I began climbing steeper inclines however, I started to notice that my movements were slowing. While I had gone at an easy and steady pace…keeping up my energy with a horde of berries…I could feel myself becoming fatigued due to a lack of water. Considering the heat, and the distance I felt I’d traveled by this point; I supposed it was understandable that the juice of the berries hadn’t been sufficient in keeping me hydrated.

           Fortunately, just as my thirst was about to start gnawing at my stomach, I came upon a little creek of clear…cool water; flowing atop a rocky river-bed. I hadn’t yet found a truly safe or protected place…but my dehydration needed to be dealt with, if I was to continue my search. Therefore, still remaining highly alert, I decided to have a short rest; and knelt down beside the cooling water...

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            The sunlight filtered gently through the trees around me; as the sounds of softly rustling leaves, and peaceful bird calls, floated on a light breeze... Cupping my hands into the clear liquid…I kept a watchful eye as I brought it to my lips for a drink; the crisp, refreshing taste immediately reinvigorating me; causing me to feel as though I could do anything!...that perhaps, this time…I might elude the fate of a painful death!

                As I continued to kneel there…sipping the cooling water from my palms…a curious little creature suddenly popped up on my left side; seemingly out of nowhere! Its abrupt presence startled me for a moment, but its small stature and non-threatening movements quickly put me at ease.

                The animal had a proportionally long neck and exceedingly long, skinny tail; in all looking to be about three feet in length, from nose to tail tip. It stood about one foot high upon two lean, well-toned, three-toed hind legs; and had two much smaller, three-fingered front arms…its somewhat delicate looking hide a soft bluish-green; which would provide excellent camouflage amongst the nearby shrubbery. It had a long, narrow mouth filled with tiny pointed teeth; and three long feathers sprouted from the top of its head.

            The creature didn’t appear frightened of me…but more so cautiously curious…as though it were trying to figure me out. It kept to about a three foot distance from me; bobbing and tilting its head, while making quiet chirping sounds... Its inquisitive, beady little eyes; and playful feathers poking up from atop its head…actually made it look quite cute. Peaceful as it appeared however…the entire scene began to gradually remind me of my first death upon this island...

              The beast which killed me then, had acted similarly shortly before slaughtering me... Although; this critter looked different…and was much smaller… So if it did become aggressive, I was certain that I could fight it off. If it came down to it…it seemed very plausible that with some quick movements, I could grab the creature by its head; and wring its neck. The thought even crept into my mind, that this species might provide a reasonable source of meat for my own food needs...

              Becoming curious myself…I reached out towards it with my left hand, to see what it would do… The creature looked at it and sniffed around as though expecting food…then finding nothing, it returned its gaze to me.

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                As it did so, another animal of the same species suddenly popped out from the underbrush nearby; and began sniffing my hand as well!

              Startled, my hand retreated to my side; and I stared back with a greater caution... That second creature had been hiding so closely nearby; and I hadn’t even had a hint that it was there! Just as I was wondering how many more of these critters might be lurking nearby…a third jumped out to join its friends; then a fourth, and a fifth!

              …It was then that the name for this Dino abruptly bubbled to the forefront of my mind…causing a cold shiver of dread to reverberate throughout my entire body......... They Were COMPIES!

                Knowing full-well the danger I was in, I stood up slowly and began backing away; never taking my eyes off their deceptively cute stares.

               It was then that I noticed I had become surrounded! While I had been focused upon, and distracted by, that first Compsognathus; ten more had stealthily come up from behind…blocking my escape! They had cornered me in a half-circle; with the creek being my only means of exit. Having no other choices, I slowly…carefully…and without averting my gaze from them…began walking backwards across the slippery creek-bed...

              The first few steps went well; and they didn’t appear to be following me across. The creek was only a few meters wide, and barely half a foot deep at its deepest point; ‘if I could make it to the other side, and step foot on solid ground…then even if they began chasing me, perhaps I could out-run them.’

             This shallow hope was short lived however, as I suddenly slipped upon a loose rock; falling backwards hard into the water! In an instant, having seen their opportune moment, all eleven Compies leapt onto me in a pile; and began tearing mercilessly at my flesh with their tiny teeth!

             Adrenaline surging through me, I tried with all my strength to shake or push them off; frantically flailing my limbs, and rocking my body from side to side; but there were simply too many holding me down! The more they tore into me…the more the creek ran red with my blood…and the more my muscles began to weaken from the damage... I screamed in agonizing horror; every painful, torturous second feeling like an hour; as their tiny bites were too shallow to cause any vital harm!

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             Finally…my muscles gave out from the tearing and blood-loss…and my body lay limp beneath them... It was at this point that one of them showed some measure of mercy…as it dug its way into my throat…and severed my jugulars; thus ending my life.

~~~~~~~

               Despite all the terror and pain that I had so far endured…I was determined to survive upon this deadly isle…even if for no other reason than the fact that I COULD try again…; and that the senseless void remained my only other option...

              So I revived once more upon a warm sandy beach. This time, even before I had begun to stand up, I noticed the form of a menacing beast standing over me. With a sudden, threatening hiss…and the rattle-snake-tail-like vibrating of the spiked frills upon either side of its head…I knew it to be of the same species which had killed me when I first appeared upon this island…; a Dilophosaurus.

              Before I could even attempt to stand, the Dilo spewed its green gooey venom out from its throat into my eyes. I felt a familiar feeling of searing pain, accompanied by blindness, shortly before experiencing the agony of having my throat ripped out. And just like that…before I had even had the chance to stand up…I again was dead.

Edited July 16, 2023 by FlorianWind9