My Life, Day 1

I woke up one morning, my vision blurry from the slumber. I didn't realize what was going, but before I could get conscious control of my body, I was on my feet and lashing out with my leg. I heard a yelp, and smelled something, blood. Then my vision cleared and I realized what just happened. I saw a pack of Velociraptors encircling me. There was also a little pile of blood coated feathers where I had driven my 7 inch toe claw into the side of one of them. I gave the wound a quick glance, and was happy to see that it was very deep and bleeding heavily. It would take weeks of tending to it, if the raptor isn't left behind by his pack.

 The Velociraptor pack, having lost the element of surprise, start to back off. They know how dangerous I can be when I fight. Some time ago, they had attack me while hunting. I fought back, but they caught me focused on another thing, so I couldn't pay attention to the pack slowly creeping up on me. I had suffered several major wounds, but that's beTter than what their leader got. The only reason they backed off is because kicked the Alpha female in the skull. My toe claw barely missing the brain, but still leaving a deep flesh wound. The sheer force of the kick also imploded her skull, dooming her to die even if the wound didn't do it. The raptor would have barely been able to drink, or even breath, and she died soon after the encounter.

 The raptors where gone for the time being, but they would be back. And I'm afraid that I one day, I won't be able to fend them off. There will be too many newer, younger, and more agile raptors. However, that is a different worry for a different day. My current predicament is one of which I have never had luck with. Its making season again. I am a young and healthy male Achillobator. I have a large territory, but I can't seem to find a female, and that's why, every year, I take a journey to find a mate. Its alway risky, as I go off in a different direction each time.

 This time, I've had good luck with finding water. That is only because I found a little jungle in the desert. I am nearing the end of it, and from there, I don't know what lays ahead. I gather myself up, and trek on. The forest is getting thinner, and I start to smell something odd. I have smelled many odd things before, and this is something I've smelled before. It still takes me some time before I realize what it is. I run. I run like I've never ran before. I smell female Achillobator. The smell is weak, but I know I'm in her territory. That's for certain. Then another odor reaches me. One that almost stops me in my tracks. I also know this smell all to well.

Tarbosaurus, the most feared creature in the ecosystem. I remember that we are all in Tarbosaurus territory. We can't not be. We live along him, but among the smaller animals, we make sure we put others in thier place. Since the Tarbosaurus only marks out the edges of his territory, which I know is much farther out than this, I can tell that he is close. If he is close, then the female raptor knows he is close. Which means she is hiding, and so should I. I find a small cave big enough for me to rest in. I'm tired, and will wait for the Tarbosaurus to leave.

After a few hours, his smell finally recedes. I was taking a light nap. Half awake, and half asleep. This way I could tell when he is gone, and still get rest. The sun is around three fourths of the way down. I figure that I could meet the female at sunset, and first I'd have to alert her of my presence. In the middle of me thinking, a little part of my brain said, "Why can't you smell her, only something dead and rotting?" That's when the main part of my conscience smelled a carcass. I quickly followed the smell to find a bunch of feathers and limbs strewn upon the ground. I could tell what happened. The Tarbosaurus got to her first.

Sad, and discouraged, I looked at the sun. It was closing in on the horizon, but I had recently rested. Time to keep on walking. The day was almost done when I left the now dead Achillobator's territory.