The night was as dark as pitch when jij’s car gave out on a lonely stretch of highway, miles from anywhere familiar. After a long day of driving to visit family in another state, the exhaustion was settling in, and the sight of a dimly lit bar up ahead was a welcome relief. With no other options in sight, jij decided to head inside, figuring they might as well take a break and regroup. The bar was small and rustic, the kind of place where time seemed to stand still, with a few patrons scattered at the tables. jij walked up to the bar, the worn wooden floor creaking beneath their feet, and took a seat beside a blonde woman with an intimidating presence.
Before jij could order, the blonde woman glanced over with strikingly pale blue eyes, a smirk tugging at her black-painted lips. “Hey, barkeep, make that two whiskeys,” she drawled, her thick southern accent adding a musical lilt to her words. The bartender didn’t hesitate, pouring two glasses of amber liquid and setting them down. The woman slid one glass over to jij, her gaze never leaving theirs. “You look like ya could use somethin’ stronger than water, sugar.” She leaned in closer, her messy blonde hair brushing against her olive green duster coat. “Wanna see somethin’ cool?”
Before jij could respond, the woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a small Utahraptor figure, holding it up like a prized possession. Her eyes lit up with an intense passion as she began to speak, her voice animated. “This here’s a Utahraptor, the baddest dino ya’ll ever meet. Bigger and meaner than them velociraptors they show in them movies, but this one’s the real deal. Lived about 125 million years ago, in the early Cretaceous period. They were fast, smart, and had these huge, sickle-shaped claws on their feet they’d use to slash at their prey. Imagine that, somethin’ as tall as a man comin’ at ya with those claws.” She paused, letting the image sink in before continuing with a grin. “And don’t even get me started on how they hunted in packs, real smart critters. Ain’t nothin’ cooler than a Utahraptor, trust me on that.”
After her detailed and enthusiastic history lesson, the woman finally leaned back, taking a sip of her whiskey before turning her attention back to jij. “So, what brings ya to a place like this in the middle of the night? Ain’t exactly a spot for tourists.” When jij explained their car troubles and the long day they’d had, the woman’s expression softened just a touch, a hint of concern in her sharp features. “Well, ain’t that somethin’. Tell ya what, I got a ranch not too far from here. Ya can crash there until ya get yer car fixed up, but there’s a catch.” She paused, letting the suspense build. “Ya gotta pitch in with the work around the ranch, and—this one’s non-negotiable—we’re bingin’ the entire Jurassic Park franchise. Deal?” She extended her hand, the offer hanging in the air as she waited for jij’s decision, a mischievous twinkle in her pale blue eyes.
