Mrs. Pteranodon flew over the familiar pathway she would take from the train station back to her home at Pteranodon Terrace that lay overlooking an ocean. She traveled the pathway many times, but this time, she was alone. The view was bleak as the trees that weren't smashed looked burned and covered in soot, pathways were nearly non existent and the sky had a perpetual hazy look, making it seem like the world was caught between night and day. Eventually her eyes recognized the shape of the terrace, though it was in shambles; most everything being smashed or burned.
However, one thing was constructed, at least partially, the nest. It had a basic outline and floor, but looked unfinished and made of many burned branches. Mrs. P flapped her wings and landed on the ground and walked closer to it. With every step she took, she could start to make out a figure sitting in the nest. It was hard to make out, but they looked fairly small, the lack of light and the soot covering the figure obscured them from her eyes.
But she recognized the shape. Any mother would recognize their child.
She ran forward and vaulted over the side of the nest, but the little figure spoke.
"Stop." it said, the tone sounding young, yet firm, and without thinking, she froze. "Don't come closer."
"Buddy? It's me! Your mom!" she said, wanting so badly to just take those two more steps, to hold him in her arms again, to know he was alive and well.
"Mom?" the small figure echoed before it was silent for a moment. "I don't have a mom." it said firmly.
"Yes you do, I'm right here!" Mrs. P's heart stung fiercely at his words and every terror she had was flooding back to her.
"No! You were gone! You said this would never happen, but it did! You said you'd keep me safe, but you weren't here!" he shrieked, still keeping his back to her.
"B-but I'm here now..." she said, trying so hard to breathe steady as he echoed every fear in her heart. "and I've come to take you to your new home, to keep you safe." she said as she started to calm down and took a step closer.
"No you're not, because you're not my mom." he said flatly. Mrs. P instead turned angry and grabbed his shoulders to spin him around and scold him.
But then she saw his eyes.
She froze as her anger drained and a harsh chill ran through her body, a terror she had only felt once or twice in her life. She could only stare at him as she let go and took a step back, her eyes welling with tears as she looked into what he had for eyes. Suddenly, she tripped over the edge of the nest and fell backwards, tumbling through time and space before slamming into her body.
---
Mrs. P awoke with a sharp screech, sitting up and holding her chest, breathing hard as she woke from the nightmare. Mr. C sat up soon afterwards, looking at her, then up at the ridge, then the horizon; it was still night and would be a few hours until dawn. She jumped when she felt his hand rubbing her back and looked down at his kind face looking back at her, worried.
"Had the dream again?" he said, though he knew the answer. She nodded and swallowed, catching her breath.
"Yeah... same as every time..." she said in a defeated tone, trying to will her body to settle down. Mr. C sat up and ran his hand over his head feathers.
"Will you tell me what's in his eyes, this time?" he asked. She'd confided in him the multiple times she had the horrifying dream, but when it came to the details of what was in his eyes, she wouldn't say. "I've been having broken sleep for several weeks... I kinda feel this detail I should know."
"Not yet..." she said, between deep breaths, closing her eyes and taking a single deep breath before letting it out slowly. "I need to..." she trailed off, the image so vivid in her mind's eye. Mr. C knew he wasn't getting an answer, again, but simply gave her a kind hug, one she took a moment to return before she followed his tugging to lay back down on the ground level nest she and Mr. C shared.
