-CCF Day One-

Pain.

The first thing, the only thing Ben was aware of was: pain.

-

Everything hurt. The boy felt like he was falling, dizzy with vertigo, ears ringing, but hands twitching he felt the grit of dirt beneath his nails. Ben wasn't falling, he fell. This knowledge sent his heart a flutter.

-

He fell, Ben thought coming around again. 

From what? 

Why did he fall? 

Where was he? 

Was he alone? 

Was there anyone there to help him up? He pondered, pain radiating from his skull as internally the boy grew frantic.

Where was he? 

Where did fall? 

From when? 

Alone why? 

How help there was not? 

Fall how? 

When where was he fall alone? 

His thoughts became a tangled ball of yarn batted back and forth between confusion, anxiety, and despair. Nothing made sense to the boy, and the more his fraying consciousness tried to puzzle reason from a reason-less situation, the more unraveled it became. Thoughts jumbled, words slowly lost their meaning becoming foreign, until the blackness swallowed him up again.

-

Pain. There was such pain, that he wished for death. 

Gradually however, as Ben pushed through the immense discomfort his other senses began to trickle in. The irony tang of blood filled his nose, and rested nauseatingly on his tongue. Over the persistent ringing in his ears, he could hear the rustle of leaves and the night-songs of various insects. As his awareness grew the boy felt something brush against his arm, nudge his shoulder rocking him. Then there was hot, humid breath on the side of his neck.

The familiar icy pool of dread flooding through his sharply clenched stomach, a strangled cry of horror pulled free from the boy's throat. Ben's hands few out against his assailant. With disjointed movements he swung as mighty as he could. No!

Flailing as the panic set in the boy opened his eyes to a red world out of focus. As he battled, there was a little snort, and chortling. Hairs raising on the back of his neck as he searched for the ominous presence, he found not the hellish figure he had expected to be looming over him, but instead a little creature with wide friendly face. It nudged him with it's beak. Still fighting, fear of the unknown gripping Ben just as fiercely as had that innate dread he caught the creature in one of it's large intelligent eyes.

Honking the beast moved away, blurring as it put distance between them.

Blinking slowly as his eyes refused to focus on anything around him Ben stared up at the dark reddish-black that was the night sky. The small animal returned moments later, turning to look as it came into focus a word fell into place within the boy's mind: Bumpy.

-

There was something warm curled up against his side. It was comforting to Ben as the rest of his body seemed to be drained of all heat and strength. He relished the sensation, inching closer to the source.

-

Heart hammering, blood rushing to his head Ben lurched up from the ground with a yelp. He had to get away. He had to run! Something was chasing him! He knew it instinctively. He'd been running- It was coming! He was going to die! He was going to die! It was coming!

Hands and feet, legs and arms, right and left, left and right. There were too many of them to manage, yet not enough to support his weight. All limbs, and none of them responding the boy quickly became tangled within himself as he floundered in the dirt falling prone.

Trying again he shot to his feet. Ben watched as the ground tilted and then rushed up to meet him. There was no effort that could have been made to brace himself, he was down before the boy had even realized he was falling.

Face down, his head a thick lead filled mass too heavy for his neck to raise again Ben closed his eyes fearfully. It was coming! It was coming! It was coming...

 -

It was light.

Blinking hard at the bleary, monochromatic world around him, Ben felt more awake, more alert than he had previously. Everything still hurt.

He had to sit up. His movements spider-like as his spindly limbs shifted in disorderly conjunction, Ben gave up after a few failed attempts. Reaching back then, to touch the back of his head where it hurt the most, inquisitive but mismanaged fingers found a large gash, the hair surrounding it made spikey with dried blood.

That, wasn't ...good, he thought weakly.

After a few minutes and with some effort the boy was finally able to get his hands underneath himself, pushing up it took all of his strength to find the sitting position, and all of his balance to maintain it. His head turning listlessly from side to side Ben took in as much of the world around him as he could. He was in a jungle. The trees that surrounded him merged and fused together beneath his muddled gaze, seeming as though they were one solid mass. It took all of his fleeting concentration to pull depth from the image, his vision failing him.

Looking down at himself Ben found a clearer, more precise sight. His shirt was torn and grievously bloodstained. Cuts and deep bruises adorned his figure, the muscles in his arms and legs jumped and contracted in minute, trembling spasms. It was he shifted about taking a loosely cobbled together stock of his situation that Ben felt it. With a grimace he realized that at some point during or after the fall he had lost bowel control. Disgust and shame flooded through the boy who sat helplessly and alone in his own excrement.

Swaying as he blinked back tears, Ben turned his attention back to his surroundings. There had to be someone. He was very badly hurt, he found himself thinking with an indifferent analysis of his situation, one that bordered on apathy, and there had to be someone. His intelligent and emotional minds failing to meet on an even playing fields Ben was beside himself with humiliation, but detached from the dire circumstances in which he found himself disinterested and unconcerned with the very real danger he was in.

Calling cheerfully the small turtle like creature from before bounded up to the boy, little, stubby tail wagging energetically. Ben watched as it spun in a tight circle, before nosing his leg and repeating the process. What did it want? he wondered, watching the animal through a pinhole of awareness.

How did he get here? he asked himself then. He fell but, from what? Looking up Ben knew it was a mistake instantly as his perception wavered, light headed, the corners of his vision dimming the boy jerked forward to keep from tipping over. The world swam as he tried unsuccessfully to put his head in his hands, the left missing entirely, the right slapping his nose with enthusiasm. He felt very sick.

The thing nudged him again. Peering at it through muddied eyes Ben found himself at odds, equally perplexed, annoyed, and tickled by the bizarre new friend he'd seemed to have made.

"What?" he asked his voice a warbling rasp. "What nnn-nnn do you want?" he asked struggling to get his words out, concentrating on what he was saying, jaw clamped shut momentarily in a set of involuntary sounds.

At this response the thing seemed to practically explode with, for lack or a better word, joy. Running, tumbling, rolling in the dirt as it frolicked the little critter made a circuit around the clearing before coming back to Ben, leaping heavily into his lap. Wind rushing from his lungs Ben grunted trying meekly to shove it away.

"You're too big to nnn-nnn-nnn do that-" he complained, then it clicked after having lost it again at some point in the night: Bumpy. This was Bumpy.

"Bumpy!" the boy exclaimed hugging tightly to the baby ankylosaurus who nickered and murmured with relief into his stomach.

She'd found him, just like he'd found her. She was a baby, he remembered that much, his baby. He'd been there was she was born, and again when she needed him most all alone, the bigger one dead, killed by- It was coming!

A cold thrill of terror shot down the boy's back electrifying him with the need to run. From what he still could not remember, only that it was coming, and it's arrival meant nothing short of death. Heartbeat thready, breath shallow Ben planted his hands on the ground and tried to stand. His biceps strained and burned with effort as his elbows shook and wobbled with instability. He rose briefly before his strength failed him and he fell back onto his rear the impact jarring his spine, bright flares of light blinding him, the ringing in his ears growing unbearably loud.

He was going to vomit.

Eyes closed Ben tried to compose himself as his awareness dimmed, almost giving out all together.

Standing up was a bad idea, he thought fuzzily, but he couldn't just stay here. What if that unknowable, and unnamed apparition that plagued his mind with such frightful malaise found him?

Then, Bumpy, bright and alert nosed his cheek before nibbling delicately at what buttons remained on his tattered clothes. Wasn't she afraid? He found himself wondering. Didn't she want to run and get away, and save her own life? His movements convulsive, and frustratingly so, Ben reached out towards her cupping Bumpy under the chin with a surprisingly sudden bout of movement. 

Eyes alight with life the ankylosaurus bayed at him happily. Why was she staying with him when it could get her killed? He wondered, he was clearly broken.

Oblivious of and impervious to the type of self-doubt and distain the boy was experiencing the little animal seemed to have a plan. 

"I don't- Bumpy what is it? Nnn-nnn, nnn-nnn. What do you want?" he asked frustrated by his inability to speak, and having difficulty recognizing the nasal whine of his own voice. It sounded unnervingly alien, though rationally he knew it must be his own.

Bumpy trotted a few paces away before turning back and urging Ben to follow. "Bumpy, I can't." he said with a cringe.

Discontentment played across the animal's face as she bellowed what he felt was meant to be a commanding roar, forefeet kicking up plumes of dirt as though she intended to charge. Bumpy repeated the trot and turn several more times with growing aggravation as the human seemed to fail time and again to interpret her meaning. Finally she trudged over, all but defeated, she pushed and shoved the boy off balance with the crown of her head.

He couldn't stand, he just couldn't do it! Angrily Ben was unable to figure out how to get it around to the young dinosaur that he just couldn't do what she wanted of him when he caught himself from falling on all fours. Bumpy bounded away with chirps of elation at this development before turning and calling for him to follow with triumph. Crawl! She wanted him to crawl! It all made sense now, but, as he slowly tried shifting one hand in front of the other it jumped out from beneath him without his consent.

His motor skills frustratingly shot and unrefined the boy tumbled back to the soil, tears in his eyes.

Darkness edging in around him once more, Bumpy gently roused him, her tongue running along the side of his face. "Bumpy," he sobbed. "I can't, I just can't. Leave me-e nnn-nnn leave me nnn-nnn here and go. Please I don't want- I don't want-" What was it he didn't want exactly? "I don't want anything bad to happen-nnn to you."

Bumpy chuffed and snorted with agitation at his lack of cooperation, circling the boy and assessing him from every angle as he made ready to give in. His heart racing, Ben knew that "it" was going to get him sooner or later. He was defenseless. There was nothing he could do, so why not just let it happen? He thought bleakly. There was no point in getting Bumpy killed too.

Depression and a bitter resignation to his fate overwhelming him Ben was about to close his eyes when Bumpy backed into him with an almost birdlike trill. Blinking he lifted his head as she continued to walk in reverse. 

"What are you-? Ow!" he yelped as she walked over fingers and right up beneath his chin. "What is this?" he moaned woozily, head on his new armored pillow as the world began rock back and forth once more.

Picking himself up with great exertion as Bumpy kept up her antics it wasn't long before the boy found himself practically laying ontop of the animal. A sad smile crossed his face, she just wanted to be near him, to cuddle, to not be alone. As much as she was his baby, he was her mom.

"It's going nnn-nnn to be alright." he whispered as the little animal seemed to settle down at his nearness.

The two lie together for several minutes, while the tangled web of the boy's mind began to work itself out. If she could trust him enough to follow him for as long as she had, to come back for him, and refuse to leave, maybe he could start trusting her too. Ben thought after a while. Forcing himself to his knees, hands held as tightly as he could onto the ankylosaurus' shoulders Ben ground his teeth together sharply.

"Ok Bumpy." he said with a newfound determination. "Let's go." Bumpy honked loudly with a zealous response.

Knees torn and scratched by rocks, roots, and twigs Ben refused to quit, slowly but surely chugging along, crawling with the help of Bumpy, who half dragged the occasionally mumbling boy behind her. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't much, but it was all they had, and the baby dinosaur seemed to know exactly where she was going.

After crawling for what felt like hours, breaking frequently to pant for air or lay down and recover from an intense bout of vertigo sweat pouring down his back the hapless survivor and his stalwart companion seemed to have finally reached at their destination. Pulling away from him Bumpy burst through a small cluster of ferns announcing their arrival boisterously. Edging up behind her the boy who was gradually beginning to precieve color again looked about with growing dismay at the ...more jungle, Bumpy had led him to.

Curling in a heap Ben willed away his agony, commanded the world to stop its constant motion, begged the unyielding ring in his ears to cease, and implored the clarity of sight to return to his gaze. More than all this however, he prayed for someone to find him.

Ben lay drifting on the verge of what might have been sleep, but he feared was something more sinister for several minutes until the noise Bumpy was making grew too loud to ignore. Nervously trying to hush her he watched the hazy turquoise and yellow ball of fury pacing about the clearing, bellowing angrily, her stub of a tail throwing dirt and debris through the air.

"Bumpy!" the snapped frantically. This was no time for her to be throwing a temper tantrum. 

Ignoring him the ankylosaurus continued to grumble and pace. Whatever or whoever she had been looking for wasn't there anymore, and that fact had royally pissed her off.

"Bumpy, nnn please!" the boy whimpered craning to look at her. "Nnn-nnn." Begrudgingly the little animal picked her way back to Ben where he fell like a stone, a loud huff of disappointment leaving her as she snuggled closer. "It'll be alright." Ben tried to reassure her, his hand finding her back with some difficulty. He rubbed her bumby plates with affection.

Snuffing and snorting away in quiet contemplative unrest the little ankylosaurus perked up just as Ben was starting to consider giving into the voice in his head that begged for rest. Standing abruptly she jarred the boy who gave a start. Her nose pressed to the soil Bumpy began chirping, and gamboling about excitedly before returning to Ben. With a groan he understood what Bumpy wanted, she'd picked up the scent, and it was time to go. The ragdoll pulled, and flopped, and flailed until at last he was in position and they ruefully set off again.

It didn't seem long before the weary pair stopped so that it's leader could nose around the roots of a tree. Emitting a chorus of happy sounds Bumpy pushed something towards her "mother" for appraisal. Reaching Ben concentrated hard on his movements, though his efforts did little good. With jerking, uncomfortable tension his hands veered off course again and again until at last he snared his prize.

Bringing it close so that he could get a good look at it Ben saw in his hand a shoe. A red shoe. Then, his already obscured vision began to waver, and distort through the lense of welling tears. Before he knew it Ben was crying. Why was he crying? It was a shoe. What did that mean? Devastated Ben clutched the article to his chest and wailed loud and long. Everything hurt, but especially his heart and he didn't know why. All he did know was that this was a very, very important red shoe.

Bumpy seemed distressed by the boy's tears and gently nudged Ben trying to be of some solace to him. Hugging the footwear to him the camper tried to reign himself in, finding success only after several minutes. Pocketing the shoe, dreadfully unable to leave it behind, the two continued on their way into the unknown.
 
-

Pain.

Sharp and distinct, it was different from the dull perpetual ache that had invaded every inch of the boy's body. This was new, a stabbing anguish located in his right forearm.

Bumpy was howling urgently. More than the pain, this is what stirred Ben from the dark void that had gripped him once more, and seemed intent on claiming him as it's own. Bumpy needed him.

What was-? He wondered with confusion.

Opening his eyes Ben could just make out the tiny brown creatures that hopped viciously at the baby ankylosaurus, toe claws poised to blind. Bumpy roared swinging her stump of a tail with all her might against the tiny bird like creatures that piped and hissed with menace for such little things. Alarmed as he tried to sit, Ben managed to shake one free from his arm. Turning he saw the swarm biting and clawing at Bumpy aiming for her eyes, snagging bites from the thin tissue at the corners of her mouth, and the delicate space beneath her tail, anywhere vulnerable and unarmored.

They had been biting him, he thought staring down at the fresh leech like marks, tears, and gashes that dotted his arms, the pain in his face telling him that he had been unconscious for some time and they'd gotten him there as well. Slow to react as his mind made tenuous connections between what was happening, and what the outcome could be, his heart leapt into his throat when Bumpy let out a timorous cry. Scrabbling around in the leaf litter Ben thought to throw a rock, though his fingers refused to choose one. 

Unable to close his digits properly Ben scooped his hand like a shovel. Using all his might he threw clumps of dirt and pebbles at the animals. Squawking and shrieking as he caught them off guard, they scuttled away, but not far. Though he couldn't quite discern them from among the roots and plant fibers unless they moved Ben could still hear them if only just as they bickered and complained obnoxiously to one another. He could just picture them fluffing and preening their smattering of feathers to be rid of the dirt.

What were those things? He wondered as Bumpy backed into him, rumbling angrily at the tiny monsters who had left them both bleeding and filled with dispair. It was rocks, the sling, not bow that had made all the difference in early warfare, he thought fleetingly before looking his girl over.

"Are you alright?" he croaked running a hand over the ankylosaurus who was trembling with a wounded melancholy all her own. "Thank you, nnn-nnn thank you for protecting me." he went on. "I promise to always protect you too." he vowed.

As if testing his resolve a small brown adversary rushed forward, it's mouth opened impossibly wide as it moved to attack. Swinging Ben missed, but the display was enough of a show of force to make the beast question it's methods as it hopped away lightly to join the others. Ben gave Bumpy another assessment, picking her over for injuries, holding his ragged button up against the missing hunk of flesh they had ripped and began eating out of her cheek. Bumpy whimpered pitifully into his chest.

"Come on Bumpy," he said staring hard and hatefully at the bounding little brown blurs. "We have to nnn-nnn have to nnn-nnn-nnn go." he says teeth grit, and tears in his eyes. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he fucking talk?

As the two set off again Ben could hear the little animals trailing just behind them. Turning enraged he hurled another load of dirt, leaves, and twigs at the animals which scurried away noisily. The act did not discourage them for long. They were still tracking the pair, waiting for their opportunity. Feeble and dazed Ben felt that they would have their chance too if he slipped back into the darkness.

Afraid, for as long as Ben could remember he had always been afraid. As they trekked slowly, methodically through the undergrowth he felt his body prickle with that ever constant fear, goosebumps lining his body as he fended off tears. Anticipating with horror least of all the worst from every situation it was hard to remember a time when he'd genuinely felt safe, or happy.

Then, with a rush of warm relief it came to him. Laughing through his pain it seemed so simple and so stupid that something like a television program could mean so much to him. It had been his sanctuary and refuge, nothing seemed able to get him in that place. Later he found that it was both a weapon and an armor ones he learned to carry with him at all times. A means to protect himself at his core when all other measures failed.

Voice trembling, spirits gradually lifting Ben in sheer spite of the little monsters that harried them began to sing. "Butterfly in-nnn-nnn the sky," he started in a lyrical whisper his voice growing in strength as he struggled to get the song that played so clearly in his mind to come out. "I can go twice as high! Take a look, nnn-nnn it's in a book, a Reading Rainbow! I can go anywhere!" he belted defiantly, before patting Bumpy with love at, "Friends to know, know, nnn-nnn know, and ways to grow. Reading Rainbow..."

The sun was high and hot by the time they broke free of the treeline. The lush green grass a much needed respite for Ben's worn and bloody knees. Then he felt the splash of water. Nearly weeping for joy Ben fell to the ground sucking up as much of the life giving liquid as he could, as Bumpy lapped at the puddle beside him. It took all of his resolve to drink, and keep the water down, frantically pushing aside his knowledge of microbes, and what risks they, and potential parasites posed. He was hot, thirsty, and dehydrated, beggers couldn't be choosers, and they couldn't stay long, not with the chirping company that had followed them.

After they'd had their fill a jittery limbed Ben did the best he could with the puddle and uncooperative hands to bathe himself, cleaning away as much of the filth as he could, skin raw and irritated from prolonged contact with his waste. Feeling better, and slightly more refreshed, and alive when he had finished the boy ignored the threatening calls that sounded out around him as he and his dinosaur set out again. As they plodded along however, Ben quickly found himself growing apprehensive of the large shifting mass Bumpy seemed to be making a break for. Swallowing hard, he put all his faith in the tiny animal, and quite literally followed her lead.

Honking and hooting when they arrived Bumpy seemed to know exactly was she was doing as she approached what he could now make out as a herd primarily composed of stegosaurus. The lumbering animals turned to look at the odd couple with measured interest until a large dusky hued specimen pushed it's way through the crowd. Ben felt as though he was going to lose all of his water when the thing bellowed at them. Desperately Bumpy called back.

The two seemed to argue for a minute, chuffing and chortling coming from the bystanders of the herd who seemed to give their input on the situation. Were they really communicating? The boy wondered, or was he imagining it? He did hit his head pretty hard, but they seemed to come to some sort of accord as the humongous animal craned it's comparatively small head around sniffing the boy inquisitively. Tumbling him and rolling him through the grass as she tried to take in his scent Ben realized just how easily it would be for her to kill him.

"Easy there your majesty!" he whimpered with fleeting concentration, made unrelentingly dizzy as she manhandled him.

With a snot filled snort of satisfaction the queen seemed to approve as she merged back into the herd. Clearly proud of herself Bumpy trumpeted as she helped Ben to her. Carefully to two made their way to the center of the graciously slow moving herd. There, at the heart they found themselves surrounded by dozens of miniature replicas of the adults who had welcomed them in, and and odd, seemingly misplaced menagerie creatures, who like the wayfairing travelers seemed to appreciate that safety traveling in a herd seemed to offer.

-

A low baritonous rumble pulled Ben into wakefulness. It wasn't good that he kept doing that, he thought heart racing arrhythmically. Leaning close to his face, the gray, worn visage of an elderly stegosaurus peered at the boy with concern, Bumpy nudging him on the other side. Between to two of them Ben finally managed to get up, this time, to his feet, leaning heavily against the side of the massive animal who didn't seem to mind.

Staggering as the three of them seemed to have been left, somewhat behind they worked hard to catch up with the others. Ben jelly kneed felt as though he were auditioning for the Ministry of Silly Walks as his legs jumped and jittered as they pleased without the proper means of locomotion.

"Nnn-nnn, nnn-nnn, thanks for waiting with us, Granny." the boy muttered into the thickly scaled hide of the elderly girl. "I take it Queenie doesn't wait for stragglers. I can't nnn-nnn exactly blame her." he went on as she grumbled as though in response.

Granny who seemed to sense their dire circumstances stuck by the duet like glue, making them a trio of misfits and hazbins pulling through for one another until evening. Then as the sunset Bumpy knowledgeably blazed a trail to center mass once more. There amid the rabblerousing, shin-poking, squawking babies of the herd did they settle down for sleep. Curling into the uncomfortably hard, but very warm throng of bodies Ben felt himself dozing until a little steg began to nose him curiously.

"Go away." he mumbled sleepily. Bleating noisily the little thing just didn't give up bounding away with playful excitement when the alien creature that was Ben sat up to look at it. "I'm tired and I don't want to, to play!" he moaned blearily to it as it pawed the ground and swung it's tail. Even Bumpy announced her displeasure with a irritated chuff.

Oblivious to the hints the steg rushed towards Ben again nudging him in an attempt to initiate some sort of game. "No!" he practically wept. "Quit being so rowdy-" he said then, smiling as a thought struck him. "Quit being nnn-nnn so rowdy, Rowdy!" he said dubbing the animal so.

It was only after much grumbling and complaining from the adult members of the herd, that finally peace fell among the youngsters and Ben drifted off to sleep.

Waking with a start, the fresh morning sun assaulting his eyes and renewing the ringing in his ears Ben woke to what sounded like conflict. Heart racing as Bumpy, Rowdy, and the other baby stegs clamoured over him painfully Ben sat up and tried to make sense of what was happening. The adults were angry, roaring loudly at something, something that called back with just as much indignation. Flooded with trepidation, using the sides of his reluctant guardians for support Ben edged through the crowds until, dimly, he could just make out Queenie standing off against a large blue-gray mass backed by a wall and similarly hued bodies.

They argued and called for several minutes, sizing one another up, circling, Queenie's tail thrashed with menace, without ever being fully engaged against the outsider. 

"What's going on-nnn?" Ben asked Bumpy who found her way towards him.

Bumpy and a few adults seemed to rumble in response, making the boy doubt his own sanity. It wasn't really a response, and allowing himself to believe anything else was dangerous, Ben thought rationally. He'd hit his head very, very hard. He didn't really understand dinosaurs as much as he liked to pretend and project onto Bumpy, and they didn't understand him, and he should probably stop talking to them and acting as though he did. But, despite these facts he did get the distinct impression that there was some sort of challenge taking place.

At last a victor seemed to be decided, but to his surprise instead of going their separate ways, the blue-gray herd slowly began filling ranks within the file of stegosaurus. That was when Ben got his first clear look at her. Her left horn broken from recent battle, blood dripping into her eye and down the side of her face marking her like warpaint, the boy could think of no better name for the formidable leader of the triceratops clan than Bertha.

Nomadic and in search of a refuge and territory of their own the now blended herd ambled on, picking up, to Queenie's apparent chagrin more strays as they went.

By midmorning they had stopped for a break, and with little other recourse Ben began plucking blades of grass stuffing them into his mouth. He was starving, and so thirsty that the sharp tasting liquid chlorophyl that beaded along the severed ends of the moist plants was practically a godsend. Chewing a wad of the fibrous plants like gum Ben produced the shoe, staring hard at it, as though it could provide him answers. When he found none Ben hugged it laying back, wondering if this was his life now, and how long he could survive like this before eventually his body gave out.

It took nearly the entire hour or more they hung around to mindlessly grind enough plant matter down for the boy to feel, mostly full. He utilized the last few minutes of the break for a quick nap, ignoring the way his stomach protested and rumbled.

At midday however, they had reached nirvana. Joining Bumpy and the other youngsters of the herd Ben eagerly submerged himself into the cold clear water of the lake, gulping greedily at it's refreshing waves. Laughing and splashing with his newfound friends as the hazy, lumbering giants that were brachiosaurus ambled around them with earth shaking, good humored trumpets.

Ben didn't care what cocktail of biological hazards and pathogens he was wading in, it felt good as he splashed and played around making waves that crashed over an angrily honking Rowdy, and Bumpy who used their weaponized tails to try and get him back.

After a while though, Ben began to feel weak, and light-headed, his mirth ebbing away the boy slunk to the shoreline where he lay exhausted. Feeling something running down the back of his head he touched it, pulling his hand away to reveal a bright red stain. He was bleeding, he thought blinking at the worrying sight. He was stupid, he should have known better, but it just felt so nice, and for a minute he'd forgotten to be afraid.

Maybe he could stay here? he pondered. Near the lake so that he was sure to always have clean water to drink. Maybe something grew around here that was more substantial than grass? he thought optimistically. Yeah, that would be nice, wild tubers, mushrooms, or something, he thought sure he could identify whatever he uprooted. Trying to envision what it would be like, a little hut, just him and Bumpy on the lake, it seemed next to perfect.

It was as he daydreamed wistfully that a roar tore through the air. In an instant everything was chaos, everything was terror. Lurching with the others Ben raced towards the herd Bumpy pushing and shoving with a reckless abandon when he fell. Standing only to fall again as war-cries sounded out around him Ben resigned himself once more to death. He was only sorry to be taking his little girl with him.

Snorting with command her tail kicking dust before the boy Granny bellowed at him to rise. Finding his feet he leaned on her, tripping, a hand found one of her neck sails clinging to it for dear life. In the turmoil large bodies slammed together, Ben struggled to keep pace. Granny and Bumpy wailed when his legs gave out again. Turning her beak snagging Ben painfully by the arm the venerable stegosaurus hefted the human child into the air and ran.

Screaming at the permeating ache of being held aloft by the elbow Ben didn't fight it, as with a gruesome cacophony dying could be heard coming from behind them.

Evening fell with muted shadows, the herd clustering together in mourning. Ben nursing new bangs and bruises claimed his position in the heap of hatchlings where he had been appointed to stay by alert and irritable adults. Relieved that his makeshift family had made it out mostly unscathed Ben took stock of the members he held dear. 

Bumpy, his baby, nuzzled down close was already fast asleep wornout from her heroics over the past couple of days. Rowdy, Husky the triceratops, and Twiggy the gangly little whatever it was were nearby. Twiggy bobbing their head nervously as they settled down. Assured that Granny wasn't too far from his side even as he could no longer make her out in the twilight Ben felt contented, knowing too that Queenie and Bertha kept a watchful eye over their wards.

No, the boy thought then as he closed his eyes and began to drift off to much needed sleep. He couldn't leave them, wouldn't leave them. Going it alone was stupid and reckless. It was safer with the herd. He would stay with the herd.