Bringing up Brontosaurus
"But Mama, why can't we go to the bonfire?" Little Iris tugged on her mother's sleeve, her button nose wrinkled in dismay and her brown eyes pleading. "They were gonna have s'mores!"
"I know sweetie, but-"
"You can't have a bonfire when there's a compy warning." Ronan looked up from his train set. "Everybody knows that."
Iris ignored the boy and pulled on Amelia again. "Clara said her Daddy is training a new team of triceratops for their farms and we could see before we eat. Please can we go?"
"The compy's will eat YOU, duh." Her brother rolled his eyes. At nine years old, he had many a bunker stay under his young belt. He'd ridden a brontosaurus at their father's building company. And once, he'd even overheard Ms. Henderson on her phone during lunch, asking about her sister in law who'd been a victim of a velociraptor attack. Naturally, all of this made him an expert. "You're just a little kid, a pack of compy's would eat you for snack!"
"Nuh-uh! Compy's only get you if you mess with em or you're hurt. And you're a kid too!" Iris insisted, while her brother shook his head.
"Show's how much YOU know, Braxton's sister is gonna be a vet and she had to have compy training cause they always come for the hurt ones!" He waggled his fingers menacingly. "So if I push you outside, they're gonna come get you I bet."
"No!"
"And they'll chew your arms and scratch your face-" He sang, mock growling.
"You're lying! Mama make Ronan stop!"
"Alright you two, that's enough. Ronan, stop scaring your sister please." She squatted down, eye level with the five year old. "I know you're disappointed sweetie. But the alerts are there to keep everybody safe. So when they come, we gotta listen. Clara's mommy called me and said they're going to reschedule the bonfire, we can go then."
Iris pouted and leaned against her mother. "But I wanna eat s'mores."
Amelia chuckled and gave her a big hug. "Tell you what. I think I saw some cake mix in the cabinet, I bet you we could make some really yummy cupcakes for dessert tonight."
"Yay, cupcakes!"
"I wanna help!" Ronan got up in a hurry from his train set, and the young woman was happily mobbed by her children. "Could we make faces on em?"
"And flowers?" Iris begged.
"I think we could make that happen-" Her smile froze when the flat screen in the background flashed blue and was immediately followed by a steady beeping. The trio looked to their TV, at the same time that Amelia's cellphone rang.
"Citizens, as recently as ten minutes ago, a confirmed sighting of a Tyrannosaurus Rex was sent directly in to the Mayor's office." The blond news anchor was saying. About 40 with "distinguished" graying at the temples and solemn lines in his face, he seemed a most trustworthy sort. He was on the screen alone, as a flurry of noise and activity in the background signaled people moving to the designated shelters.
"Ronan, take your sister downstairs. Just like we practiced." Eyes still on the tv, she reached for her phone on the counter, trying and failing not to bark at her children. "Ronan! Right now please."
"Okay. C'mon Iris." He took her little hand, grabbing her stuffed stingray.
"But Mommy isn't coming-" Iris looked back, but let him lead her to the doorway in the main room, up against one of the walls.
"She will. C'mon, I'll race you!"
As little feet took off and the door swung open and shut, Amelia grabbed her phone.
"Babe?"
"Are you in the shelter yet?" Her husband asked.
"We repeat, as of ten minutes ago, a confirmed sighting of a Tyrannosaurus Rex was sent directly to the mayor's office. It's moving towards the northwest, at approximately 13 miles per hour and will be passing through several counties in the next hour. If you are in any of the red areas listed on the map behind me, please move to your shelters and bunker systems now. Repeat, if you are in the following counties, move immediately to your shelter or bunker system now: Counterset, Rutherford, Jamestown, Hadley, Saint Lucia's, Sorenson, Thunder Bay, New Farrell-"
"In a minute, I've sent the kids down ahead of me." She took in a breath and let it out slowly. Their bunker was state of the art, soundproofed, fully stocked and two levels underground with a small biodome and sun lamps if the threat in question decided to claim new territory in the area. Safe, sustainable and far away from teeth the size of small sedans.
"Come home." She said. "Come down with us, I can wait-"
"You know I can't." Some people were storm chasers. Tomasso Ronally was a tracker of dinosaurs. Amelia thought she'd prefer him following tornados. "She's a big one and she's moving steadily, there could be a mate behind her or a nest nearby."
"I thought Garrison was on this weekend?"
"Got thrown by the tip of a Brontosaurus tail. I'll be careful."
"No you won't." She hated the tears that came to her eyes, but more so hated that someone had to do this job and her husband was one of those someone's. "You've always been too reckless, you remember our first date?"
"You're one to talk, you were the one jumping in to assist on an emergency tranq with a pterodactyl." His chuckle was warm and low, just like the timber of his voice. "I love you. And I'll see you soon. Kiss the kids, stay in the bunker until I contact you."
"We will. Be safe." She sighed. "And have fun."
"Always do gorgeous." He hung up, and Amelia shut off the TV, pressing a handful of buttons on the security code and then moving underground, just as she'd promised.