PANIC ROOM • KENJI KON

LXXXVII. Girls Got Skills

Chapter Eight Seven:  Girls Got Skills

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Sammy dropped the branches in front of the drain, while Eva, Darius and Brooklynn gathered more fallen branches and twigs to plug the drain.

The ground rumbled and Eva dropped her branches, looking around for the culprit. Darius was quick to pull her away, the four hiding behind some rocks as Big Eatie and her daughter stepped through the tree line, snapping at each other.

"Oh, great."

"Just what we need: hungry dinosaurs."

"Not hungry, look." The Eaties snapped their jaws at each other, running around one another. "Just playing," Darius explained. "Which means they're not going anywhere anytime soon."

Darius ran out from behind the rock, headed away from the Eaties.

"Um, what are you doing?" Sammy asked.

"We can't finish the drain with them around, so I'm gonna distract them."

"How?"

"They want to play, right? So, I'll give 'em something to play with."

"Darius, no— wait—" Darius ran away, attempting to gain the attention of the Eaties. Brooklynn rolled her eyes. "Love that he thinks he can do all this by himself."

"I'll help him," Eva volunteered.

"Come on! Over here!" Darius shouted as Eva ran up.

She stopped at Darius's side, and placed her pointer and middle fingers in her mouth, breathing out hard. A sharp whistle cut through the air, easily catching the dinosaurs' attention. They took off in a sprint, leading the Eaties away from their soon to be watering hole.

"It's working!" Darius panted.

"A little too good!" Eva agreed.

"There it is!" He motioned towards the thirty food platform in the trees. Eva groaned— why had she volunteered for this mission in the first place? And couldn't they hide somewhere that had railings? Or didn't combine two of her greatest fears?

Darius climbed up first, Eva quick to follow. Just as she reached the top, one of the Eaties ran into the tree, Eva collapsing against the platform as everything shook.

"Well, the good news is, we got them away from the watering hole," Darius said, trying to comfort himself and Eva.

"Yeah, well, the bad news is that we're trapped," Eva muttered, glancing over the edge.

~~~

"Hey, Eva?"

"Mhm?"

"Are you... doing okay?"

Eva groaned so loudly, the dinosaurs below them roared, as if she had just reminded them they were still up there. She pushed to a sitting position, and scooted her back up against the tree beside her. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Well, I—"

"Didn't really want an answer."

Darius opened his mouth to speak, but faltered. Finally, he said quietly, "Well, because, you're, you know.. You're our wild card, but—"