-CC Day Eleven-

Sitting in the middle of the auditorium, her feet propped up on the seat in front of her Yasmina bit down on the head of a sour gummy worm and stretched it until it snapped satisfyingly in half. Her mouth puckered delightfully at the grainy citric acid coating, but it was soon gone leaving only the sweet chewy candy behind. With a bowl of popcorn to her right the teen was enjoying the movie to the fullest. Tim Burton was a God, she thought watching the beloved green haired bio-exorcist wrecking havoc on the Deetzes and their guests, and this was one of his greatest films.

A loud ruckus broke out near the front of the theater, popcorn and chips flying through the air as some of the other campers messed with one another laughing hysterically about something.

"That's enough." Roxie called from the back when Darius turned an empty popcorn bucket over Kenji's head like a dunce hat and the primadonna began complaining about his hair.

It looked like so much fun, Yasmina thought enviously. No one had really spoken to her since her outburst at Canyon Convivial, the incident forever shrouded in whispers and back biting rumors. And that was fine, she thought denying just how badly it hurt. She'd been trying to keep them at arm's length since arriving here, now if they were going to do the avoiding for themselves it was all the better because it saved her a lot of time and hassle. Besides, she'd rather be hated for something she did than for who she was.

Trying her best to ignore them she settled back into a more comfortable position, but she couldn't fight nagging feeling of loneliness. Everyone turned against her eventually, she reminded herself, childhood friends growing into hateful bigots in what felt like the blink of an eye. It was much better to burn than to be burned, and what was the point in being friends with someone when you couldn't be authentic with them anyways? No, she just had to stick to the plan: make it to the olympics, win, survive her last year of highschool, get a job, move out, come out, learn to live without her family who she knew would never accept her, maybe go to college, and make friends and a family of her own then.

Yeah, that would work, she thought, blinking hard against tears. I'm not really sad, she lied to herself, it's just sleep deprivation. Turning around to stare at the couselors it all felt like some cruel joke.

Roxie was munching away on something, grinning like a cheshire cat while Dave sat beside her armed with an ice water filled squirt gun, spritzing them all like ill behaved cats if anyone started to doze off. Seeing Yasmina looking back the man smiled at her, giving a brief salute with his weapon. He was actually the closest thing to a friend she'd made at Camp Cretaceous, and that was only because for the sake of adult supervision Dave nearly killed himself each morning just trying to keep sight of the girl on her runs. He was nice, and kinda funny in a bad dad joke sort of way, and he seemed to really want to help her have a fun stay at the camp, not blaming her one way or the other for how things shook out.

"Ben, Brooklynn, do I see some naughty nodders?" he called taking aim. Slouching down in her seat a smirking Yasmina did her best not to obscure his line of fire. "It's not even two o'clock yet, come on guys you know the deal party all night tonight, sleep all day tomorrow and then nocturnal mayhem out in the park tomorrow! Can I get a whoop whoop?"

"Whoop, whoop!" Yasmina called out with the others who were awake enough to realize the danger they were in.

"I said 'can I get a whoop, whoop?'" the man repeated.

When Brooklynn and Ben failed to respond two jets of water rapid fired flew over the vacant seats that sperated the couselors from their charges and hit them each in the back of the head making them shoot up in shock and surprise. The other campers laughed at the spectacle, shoving and jostling the victims with good natured teasing.

"I think you should get Ben again!" Darius called out turning to look back at them as the other boy argued and begged him to hold his tongue. "He totally fell asleep during Jumanji and was literally propped up like a scarecrow right now!"

"Silence!" Dave called with an authoritarian tone, spraying Darius in the face. "I am the law here! Only I can decide when an where to deliver the judgement of the most glorious and grossly incandescent father on high! Praise the Sun!"

"Praise the Sun!" Kenji and Sammy called back throwing their hands into the air like a couple of geeks.

"Praise the Sun." Yasmina murmured with a half smile to herself, listening to Roxie badger the man about enjoying himself too much and being such a weirdo as he tried to explain the significance of the reference.

When they were finally allowed to go to bed Yasmina was worried about having trouble falling asleep after all the sugar and excitement. To the contrary however, the teen slept like a rock.

Skull feeling thick, and lined with cotton Yasmina woke to a band of sharp while light cutting across her face, sunlight streaming in violently from a gap in the curtains. Groaning as she tried to block it out with the blankets a dull pounding filled her head, and her found herself unable to determine if it was from an over abundance of sleep, or not quite enough. After a while she became restless, her legs antsy and jittery. She had to get up and she had to get moving. Getting out of bed the girl grabbed some clothes band crept to the bathroom.

After getting dressed and splashing some water on her face, the teen felt more refreshed. Pulling her hair tightly back she was ready to go when she paused looking herself over with scrutiny. She looked a little dull, and flat, Yasmina thought pulling at the corners of her eyes. Grabbing her makeup bag from the shelf she had been keeping it on the girl gave herself a quick smokey eye with a touch of mascara, and glossed her lips. Whoever said you couldn't be sporty and elegant? The teen wondered feeling more like herself. Winking as she blew her reflection an, I'm hot and I know it kiss Yasmina scooped up her earbuds, and tiptoed out the front door shoes in hand.

If I stick to the usual trail I'll be fine and if they wake up and notice I'm gone Dave will know right where to look. Yasmina reasoned lacing up her shoes. Jogging at an even pace each footfall brought the girl more clarity and peace of mind. This was exactly what she needed, she thought taking in a breath of fresh air as all the sluggish weight of sleep and paradoxically exhaustion rolled off of her, like water off a duck's back. Heart pounding with the exuberant feeling of being alive she quickly lost herself to the music.

By the time Yasmina got back to the treehouse her body was tingling with spent energy, yet somehow had found a hidden stash of adrenaline and endorphins and the girl felt like she was ready to take on the world. Walking inside she took off her shoes and headed towards the kitchen for some water. She was halfway there when she was hit with a tomatoey, spicy aroma, she wondered what the counselors were making this time. Rounding the corner however, she found neither Roxie, nor Dave, but Sammy standing next to a deep soup pan, stirring its contents carefully, while a second larger pot bubbled energetically on the back burner.

The cowgirl startled when she turned as saw Yasmina, eyes wide hand flying to cover her heart. "Yasmina!" she smiled moving from pan to cutting board where she diced another tomato. "You sure did get me girl, a little bit of a warning next time I nearly had a heart attack!" she laughed.

"What are you doing?" Yasmina asked looking her up and down.

"Well," Sammy started carrying the cutting board and it's juicy contents over the pot and scraping them in. "I'm usually an early bird myself, and when I got up well, there wasn't much else to do- well that's not exactly true I called my Mama and Daddy. They're a bit worried about me, and I talked to my sissies and my Abuela sh-"

"Why are your parents worried about you?" Yasmina cut the other girl off tersely, arms folded as she leaned against a counter.

"Oh!" Sammy smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked caught off guard as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Well you know, this is the furthest away from home I've ever been, not to mention the longest I've ever been gone for, and psh, dinosaurs right?" she rambled, distracting herself with cooking as she spoke. "Anyway I'm sure your folks are worried too."

Not in the way you might think, Yasmina thought bitterly. She had received an endless slew of angry texts and phonecalls from her parents after Brooklynn, who they only started following just to keep tabs on their daughter posted their arrival video, and Yasmina's scantily uncovered hair by proxy. "Yeah, I guess they are." she agreed. "But none of that explains what you're doing."

"Oh, well, duh!" Sammy laughed at her own expense. "Since I was already awake and Dave and Roxie were up all night too I figured I'd give them a break from cooking and make some of my mom's world famous chili." Yasmina rolled her eyes. "Or it will be world famous once y'all taste it," the cook said sassily waving the spoon at her, having caught the momentary expression. "Right now it's just Texas famous. Want to help?"

The tempting thought crossed Yasmina's mind briefly before she gave her answer. "No." she said grabbing a bag of chips from the table before turning on her heel and walking out.

Falling into a couch the athlete savored the salty goodness that was her pilfered potato chips while staring at the ceiling trying hard to ignore the occasional clatter that came from the kitchen. Closing her eyes after a while it seemed for a moment as though she would doze off, until she heard Sammy humming to herself in the other room. Curiosity piqued, it would seem her efforts to relax would have to wait as Yasmina, trying to be stealthy snuck a glance over the back of the sofa.

Dancing a quick two step as she hummed the cowgirl opening a nearby drawer, and took a utensil from it before swinging her hip against the wood to close it again. Hurriedly diving back into the cushions when the other girl gave a twirl Yasmina couldn't help but smile to herself, heart fluttering. She was seriously cute, the teen thought a blush rising in her cheeks. Staying in that position, a hand pressed to her heart Yasmina played dead as she listened to her fellow camper work hard in her labor of love for the rest of them.

It wasn't long however, before she heard Sammy leave and head towards the bathroom. Unable to contain herself with wonder as to what made this chili so special, and wanting to get to know Sammy better, even if she denied it Yasmina vaulted over the back of the furniture and bolted into the kitchen at lightning speed. One taste, in and out, she told herself giving the tomato base a stir while the beans boiled separately. Ladling up a spoonful the teen blew on it before moving it towards her mouth, only to stop. What the hell is all that green and yellow crap? She wondered glaring at food. Turning the spoon this way and that she couldn't quite make heads or tails of the mystery ingredient that was beginning to break down.

"It's zucchini." Sammy said coming up behind Yasmina who jumped dropped the spoon on the floor.

"Holy shit, I thought you were a cowgirl not a freaking ninja!" Yasmina grumbled irritably.

"Got ya!" Sammy giggled wrinkled her nose playfully in a way that made Yasmina's stomach do a summersault. "It was the only way mama could my sisters and me to eat veggies, was to sneak them in somewhere and chili was always zucchini, now I just like the way it tastes." she explained.

Tossing the spoon into the sink Yasmina assumed her signature look of generalized annoyance and disinterest before heading back out. "So what did you think, too much salt, or not enough, it's such a fine line between the two and you can screw it up so easily."

"I didn't actually taste it yet." Yasmina muttered under her breath.

"Well get over here then!" Sammy said looping her arm around Yasmina like they were best friends and pulling her over to the stove, handing her a spoon.

With a sigh the shorter of the two tried the simmering concoction, "Yep, that's chili pre-beans alright."

"I was thinking of adding more body to it," Sammy said standing back at the cutting board. "Like extra onions, and garlic, mushrooms, maybe some soy sauce and smoke flavor if we have any-"

"Mushrooms? Soy sauce?" Yasmina grimaced.

"I don't know," the other girl said turning on her with a touch of attitude. "I'm not adding any meat to it and Google said those were good ways to bring up the flavor. That poor Ben, I think I'm gonna be sick if I have to watch him eat one more peanut butter and jelly, or frozen veggie burger. Yuck, I mean how does he even live without meat, and cheese!" she gushed turning to Yasmina aghast. "Can you imagine living without cheese? I think I'd die!"

"Are you always like this?" Yasmina said folding her arms, a physical indication that she raising her emotional shields.

"Like what?"

"Like," Yasmina motioned broadly to Sammy head to tone with a repulsed expression. "This!"

"Every day of the year except for the first of Octember then yeash watch out!" Sammy winked, fracturing Yasmina's armor a little bit.

Grabbing Sammy's arm when she was about to dump a cutting board of diced onion and minced garlic into the pot Yasmina snapped, "What are you doing? Aren't you going to at least sweat them first, I mean sauteed is best but just dumping them in raw?"

"My mama never does, she says if you can't handle it get out of her kitchen, but really I think it's just because she never has the time." Sammy admitted lowering the wooden the board.

"Well that's just stupid!" Yasmina scoffed searching of a frying pan. "Garlic and onion don't have to be super sharp and bitter all the time. They can actually be really sweet if you treat them right." she criticized reaching for the oil as she stood back up.

"So kinda like you huh?"

"You know what forget it, I was just trying to help!" Yasmina shouted throwing the pan across the range.

"No, wait, I'm sorry!" Sammy called after her as Yasmina stormed out of the kitchen.

Shoving her earbuds violently into her ears the runner tuned her out. Going back to the girls' room Yasmina climbed up into her bunk and laid there trying her hardest not to cry. She was angry, angry at Sammy for being so friendly and good all the time, angry that Sammy had even tried to reach out, angry that she treated her no differently than she treated the others. But more so Yasmina was angry at herself for being too afraid to let her guard down, angry at herself for hurting someone who was just trying to be kind, angry at herself for being so scared all the time.

Covering her eyes with her arm Yasmina let a few sullen, and remorseful tears slip out.

She stayed in her bed long after everyone else was up and moving until Roxie came to get her for dinner. Everyone was sure to thank Sammy who waved off their gratitude like it was no big deal, though to Yasmina she seemed a little less bubble gum and cotton candy than usual. Taking a bite, Yasmina's gaze snapped up to look at the chef, there was a savory sweetness to the chili that could only come from caramelized onion. She regretted not staying to help her cook, and felt guilty that Sammy had followed through with her diva-esque demands even after she'd treated her like crap for trying to play.

"It's really good." Yasmina muttered into her bowl.

"Thanks." Sammy smiled.

"I call dibs on the left overs." Ben announced an awkward blend of hopeful and nervousness as though he expected some type of back lash. "For variety."

"You can have a much as you'd like," Roxie intoned with a smile. "Infact Sammy here has given me the marvelous idea of making one large meal that we can all share every couple of days so that you can enjoy too. I'll begin looking up recipes right away!"

"What?" came a chorus from the omnivorous males at the table, the loudest of whom was Dave. Yasmina grinned at the dirty look he received, before he quickly though unemphatically agreed.

After dinner everyone who wasn't already wearing one, as Brooklynn forever seemed to be, put on a jacket or hoodie and piled into the Jeep.

"Where do you think we're going?" Darius asked whipping his head around trying to take it all in, like it wasn't the same jungle now that it was dark out.

"Since we're heading West somewhere lame, probably." Kenji said leaning back over the side of the tuck bed. "What?" he asked when he realized everyone was staring at him. "I've been to Jurassic World a million times! I keep telling you guys this and yet you never believe me, my dad is a huge investor, in fact he might have almost as much stock as Masrani does now."

"What is he trying to do buy Masrani out?" Brooklynn asked skeptically.

Kenji shrugged, "Listen I know as much about my dad as he knows about me, zip."

"He, he can't do that though!" Darius argued after a moment of uncomfortable silence. "Mr. Masrani rebuilt this place, he saved the dinosaurs, the Costa Rican government was getting ready to fire bomb the whole island because they were worried the dinosaurs would escape somehow when he took over and-"

"Wow," Kenji cut him off. "And here I thought you couldn't get nerdier or more boring. Who cares?"

"I didn't know that." Brooklynn said turning to the boy in yellow.

"Yeah," Darius nodded. "It's actually pretty cool."

"Hmmm, maybe you can explain it to me sometime I'm sure my veiwers would be interested." the pink haired girl smiled in the growing darkness. "Brooklynn unboxes the truth about the Masrani Global take over of InGen and how it may have saved dinosaurs as we know it!" she said in her best trailer announcer voice.

"Wherever we're going I hope they have good lighting, I can hardly see a thing." Ben whined hugging himself. "Or preferably indoors."

"Oh, maybe where gonna got see that big swimming dino thing!" Sammy put in excitedly.

"Mosasaurus!" Darius shouted with glee.

"Yeah! The state aquarium back home has nights at the aquarium and it's so cool and dreamy feeling the animals are mostly all active still because they're all fishes, it's super relaxing!" the native Texan explained.

Sitting quietly Yasmina listened to everyone talking staring at the headlights on the road ahead.

They soon arrived at what looked like a long chain link tunnel that stretched out into darkness. Swinging a backpack over his shoulder Dave walked to the head of the group with his hands on his hips. "Well are you guys ready to go, or what?" he asked the kids who seemed unsure of their surroundings.

"I got this." Brooklynn said confidently switching her cellphone's camera to night vision. Immediately the screen flickered before the depth of distant ferns and plants began to pull away from the matte black of the jungle at night.

"I'll be filming for a while, thank you." Roxie said snatching the device away.

"Hey!" Brooklynn argued.

"And without any further ado," Dave said opening the door to the ominous tunnel and motioning for the campers to file in.

"So this is where you hide the bodies." Yasmina smiled at the man as she walked past him.

"No, no," Dave corrected her. "This is where I hide my victims before I need a place to hide the bodies, duh!"

"Oh haha!" the girl rolled her eyes.

The group continued on in the dark until Darius crashed into another chain link fence that rattled loudly. "Are we in a cage?" he asked turning to look at the shadowy figures behind him.

"It's more of an enclosed walkway," Roxie said coming up to them and unlocking what was actually a door that he had run into. "There we are, after you kids."

"What are we supposed to do?" Darius asked hesitating.

"Just keep walking, we're right behind you." Dave instructed, giving him a gentle push on the back.

Trailing behind the others Yasmina listened to them talk with a nervous excitement to one another as they tiptoed forward in the dark. "You're all a bunch of babies!" Kenji called, barely visible as he blazed a trail of his own well ahead of the group. There was a sudden rustle of branches followed by an "Ow!" as he walked into a tree branch and fell backwards. Everyone laughed at Kenji's failed bravado.

"So what exactly are we doing out here and why can't I have my phone?" Brooklynn asked loudly.

"You'll see." was the only answer Dave seemed inclined to give.

"Ben, I wouldn't keep running my hand along that fence if I were you." Roxie called out then.

With a little shriek Yasmina could just make out the silhouette of the boy as he pulled away from what he had been using to guide him in the dark. "What is it?" he yelled, voice cracking hard. "What is it?"

"Whoa, Ben, you're shaking like a leaf!" Sammy said then as they collided. "It's alright, here you can hold my hand." Yasmina watched as Sammy turned around pawing behind her in the dark. "Come on Yaz, I'm sorry about earlier," she said. "Now come make a Samwich, you know you want to, I'm already holding Ben's hand!"

Keeping quiet Yasmina folded her arms eyes on her feet until the other girl quietly gave up. It was then that she saw the large figure of Kenji sneaking back around the group. Coming up behind Ben he grabbed him by the waist with hands held like claws giving a bellowing roar. Ben screamed clawing and clamouring at Sammy who yelled at the older boy.

"God dang it Kenji! Ow, Ben ow! You're gonna break my fingers!"

"I'm done!" Ben sobbed. "I'm done and I want to go home!"

Realizing that he was actually crying Yasmina felt bad for laughing moments ago and quickened her pace. "Hey," she said announcing herself. "How about we make a Benwich instead? You ok?" she asked after the boy grabbed onto her with a trembling vice like grip.

"No I'm not!" he said.

"Kenji that was really uncalled for." Darius said picking his way back towards the trio.

"Yeah, major dick move." Brooklynn agreed.

"Oh my God it was a joke!" Kenji moaned. "The kids too sensitive!"

"Nah," Dave shook his head coming up to them and opening his backpack. "Brooklynn's right total dick move."

"We're sorry Ben, everybody, we thought building the suspense a little bit would make the big moment a little more special." Roxie added.

"What big moment?" Darius asked.

"Here." Dave said handing out awkward, slightly bulky devices with adjustable three point straps to them. "They slide over your head like a baseball cap."

Fiddling with the straps of a second or two Yasmina finally got the stupid thing to fit, cold plastic and rubber cupping the area around her eyes snuggly. "Now what?" she asked.

"Hit the button on the right."

The world flickered for a moment before illuminating entirely in a pallet of green. These were night vision goggles! Yasmina thought excitedly as the world came into focus around her. She saw the other campers looking around in awe as they turned their own goggles on, until Ben cried out in terror moving further away from Yasmina, and the fence he'd been trailing.

Turning to see what he was looking at Yaz jumped back too as she saw several pairs of large glowing eyes belonging waist high dinosaurs that gripped the thick links with long digits, and whose heads bobbed and weaved over one another to get a better look at the campers. Breaking their previous silence the creatures chattered quietly to one another as they seemed to realize that they could now be seen. One broke away from the pack bobbing it's head with an exaggerated motion as it walked away from the others. When the kids turned tracking it the animal gave an enraged hiss before leaping onto the grating biting it with dozens of tiny serrated teeth. It's siblings echoed the angry vocalizations before dispersing into their enclosure where they could no longer be seen.

"Were those Troodon?" Darius gasped jumping up and down like he'd lost his mind. Meanwhile Yasmina and the other campers were trying to reign in their anxiety, hearts racing the unreal sensation of just how intelligent that encounter had been.

"Yep freshly cooked in the lab!" Dave enthused. "Welcome to the Nocturnal Loop, its an area of the park not yet open to the public, you're the first guests ever to venture inside!"

"So they really are nocturnal, there was so much debate over whether they were active at night or simply needed superior eyesight for tracking smaller prey!" the nerd rambled. "Are they entirely carnivorous or are they omnivorous?"

"Well," Roxie said as she handed Brooklynn's cellphone back to her. "They are technically omnivorous and will eat thick vegetation and tubers, but they seem to prefer meat and enjoy hunting both for food and seemingly as a game similar to," the woman paused trying to make an accurate comparison. "Orcas or 'killer whales,' have you ever seen a video on YouTube of an orca toying with a seal before going in for the kill, or throwing one back and forth with pod-mates?"

A shudder ran down Yasmina's spine, then she felt Ben and Sammy move in closer as all the kids nodded. "Well, like that!" Roxie grinned the green filter making her appear somehow sinister. "Oh, and they're venomous with a potent neurotoxin, so ...they usually have a long time to play. Feeding time is not pretty, anymore questions before we move on?"

"So, those things were creepy," Kenji announced coming up to the trio and taking a position near Sammy's free hand. "Like so much more than normal creepy. I'm uh, gonna stick with you guys, you know to watch your backs make sure you're all alright."

"My hero." Yasmina said sarcastically as she leaned forward to see his face. "Just don't get attacked by anymore trees."

"Haha!"

Sammy started to giggle as they walked on, heads swiveling to take in their surroundings, the occasional blur of a glowing orb to the left and right causing the little group to huddle nearer to one another. "What?" Yasmina snapped with both annoyance and nerves.

"Oh nothin'" Sammy said dismissively.

"No, what?" Yaz demanded.

"If I say it you have to promise you won't be mad."

Yasmina pressed her lips together in a hard line, "I promise." she lied.

"I just," Sammy paused to giggle again. "I just feel like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz is all!"

The little band of campers stopped walking as they all looked at Sammy then one another. Sammy thought she was heartless, Yasmina thought dismally, but that was fine, and so be it let her be heartless she thought. It was better to be heartless and alone, than to be heartbroken and abandoned.

"So, wait, which one am I?" Kenji asked perplexed.

This time Yaz got in on joke laughing with Sammy as they walked on, the boy still demanding an answer in frustration.