Days' End by Scott L Collins Page B

turned down the path, entering the shadows of the older, more mature pines. She found the picnic area easily enough and sat down to eat her lunch.
    The sound of the water rushing and tumbling down the creek bed was soothing. The warm sunlight breaking through the dense trees in small lasers of frolicking light caressed the back of her neck and shoulders. The smell of pine was fresh in the air. Best of all was the lack of the normal honking, revving, and screeching brake sounds she was used to. With the exception of the splashing water in the stream, the breeze dancing through the leaves and the occasional birdsong, there wasn’t any background noise to speak of.
    She relaxed and ate her tuna fish sandwich, letting the sounds surround her and allowing the sunlight to drain away the stress of the morning. The sandwich was surprisingly good, considering she had bought it in the cafeteria. The chips, Flaming Hot Cheetos, were outstanding as always. When she finished eating, she sipped her Diet Coke and watched the leaves drift down from their homes high in the trees. Her mind drifted back to a day much like this one when she’d been able to spend the afternoon lying back in Alastair’s arms on a small blanket. They’d had a picnic in the woods and then spread a bedspread and had spent their day kissing and teasing one another.
    The peace of the moment was broken when she heard a branch break on the other side of the brook. Nysa, startled, snapped her head in his direction, attempting to locate the source of the sound. She had trouble spotting the intruder but was able to pinpoint the location when he finally spoke.
    “Sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean to scare you. I hope you’re enjoying your lunch. It’ll be a while before we have weather this nice again, I can tell you that. It’s pretty rare to have such a temperate day this early in the year. Good day now.” And the guard continued on his way to whatever destination he had in mind.
    Nysa watched him go, thinking it strange that guards patrolled the grounds. Of course, if they really were cloning an extinct animal, she could understand how Mr. Scario wouldn’t want any outside observers. She had, after all, seen Jurassic Park. She didn’t really believe they would be cloning a dinosaur, as the facilities didn’t have that much security. The guard had been carrying a rifle, but Nysa figured it was more of a defense against animals on the outside than any animals being made on the inside. They were in the middle of nowhere as far as she could tell, and bears and mountain lions must roam through this area from time to time. On that note, Nysa finished her soda, gathered her trash, and started back to the labs.
    She was making her way slowly up the path when she heard a tremendous cracking sound above her. She looked up and saw one of the large branches overhanging the path breaking loose from the tree. She dashed forward in an attempt to get out from under it. Her blouse and lab-coat did little to protect her from the falling branch. As she leapt ahead, various twigs and limbs caught her shirt, gouging into her skin and stopping her forward momentum, causing her to then stumble backward into even more of the branches. As the tree limb settled, it pulled, poked, and scraped her, finally dragging her to the ground.
    The guard reappeared. “Are you okay?” he asked as he approached her. “What happened?”
    Nysa was trying to get back into an upright position but was having difficulty pulling free of the twigs. She was vaguely aware of the pain in her back but was focused on getting out from under the tree branch. The guard stepped forward and helped her to her feet. She saw his face contort as he glanced down at her back.
    “Looks like you might need to go to the medical facilities,” he stated. “I’m no doctor, but a few of those gashes might need some stitches.”
    They trudged back up to the laboratory, the young guard supporting her as the adrenaline in her