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Chapter 44 - CHAPTER 44: EMERGENCY LEVEL: VELOCIRAPTOR

John had barely stirred from sleep when a voice broke the stillness.

"Shhh!"

His eyes shot open. The voice was sharp, playful—and unmistakably familiar.

"And what's with that name—'Fatty Insect'?" it continued, its tone now tinged with indignation. "Seriously? That's what you call me in your head? Come on! I have style. I have presence!"

John blinked in disbelief. The worm was talking. Talking.

But before he could even respond, the insect's mood shifted.

"Oh, right!" it gasped suddenly, eyes widening. "I almost forgot. Minor detail. There's a dinosaur around here. Big one. Very big. And listen—I'm not fighting it alone. Not today. It's literally right behind that tree, so don't. Move. A. Muscle."

John froze.

His blood turned to ice. A cold sweat crept down his spine. His gaze slowly slid toward the thick trunk behind him.

Nothing.

Then—laughter.

High-pitched, wheezing, uncontrollable laughter.

The insect rolled over itself on the ground, shaking with amusement. "Gotcha! Oh, that was priceless! You should've seen your face!"

John's jaw clenched. Rage flared in his chest.

Without thinking, he lunged forward, snatched the insect mid-roll, and hurled it into the night sky with all the strength he could muster.

"Not so funny now, is it?" he snapped.

He turned, dusting off his hands and shaking his head, when a faint rustle caught his attention. A moment later, the insect came scrambling back through the undergrowth, squealing in sheer terror.

"Why did I ever choose you as my master?!" it cried, tumbling over itself in panic. "You threw me toward danger! You threw me at the thing!"

John narrowed his eyes. "What thing?"

Then he saw it.

From behind the bushes emerged a creature unlike any he had ever seen—small, yes, but unmistakably deadly. It had sleek, leathery skin, a long snout, and wings on its forelimbs. Like a bird and a dinosaur fused into one. A velociraptor, perhaps, though twisted by something... unnatural.

It wasn't large—but it was fast.

"Hey fatty insect!" John yelled. "He's tiny! You can eat him!"

The insect shot him a betrayed look, nearly tripping over a root. "To eat him, I'd have to catch him first! Look at him! He's a sprinting death machine! If he eats me, I'll be stuck in his teeth and die like a soggy snack!"

With that, the insect dove underground in a blur of motion, vanishing into the earth and leaving only a puff of dust behind.

John was dumbfounded.

"You traitor!" he shouted after it. "You made me your master—now save me!"

Silence.

Only the faint growl of the approaching predator answered him.

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