They made a zoo out of dinosaurs

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𝕋ℍ𝔼 door to the enclosure creaked open, revealing the dim, shadowed interior. The air was thick, heavy with the scent of earth and something sharper, something metallic that clung to the walls. Rosita's pulse quickened as the tension settled into her bones like an old friend—one she never wanted to see again. The kind of tension that came with too many years spent walking among shadows, too many moments of feeling watched, hunted. She was no stranger to fear, but here, in the heart of this high-tech jungle, it felt different. More real. More dangerous.

Owen was in front of her, his steady presence offering some comfort, though his silence suggested even he was uneasy. The guard followed behind them, his boots echoing on the cold concrete, a slight tremor in his gait that Rosita noticed but said nothing of. She wanted to reach out, to soothe, to ground him—but the feeling in her chest, the weight of memories pressing against her, made her hesitate. Instead, she placed a hand on his shoulder as they walked, the touch light but firm. It was a small gesture, but it seemed to help, the tension in his shoulders easing under her palm.

They walked further into the enclosure, the area looking abandoned, yet the claw marks on the walls told a different story. Rosita's eyes traced the jagged lines, her mind already racing to the worst conclusions. Owen reached out, fingers gliding over the marks. He was the one to speak first, though it was a question not easily answered.

"That wall's 40 feet high. You think she could have climbed out?"

He was right to be sceptical, but Rosita couldn't help but let her thoughts wander to darker possibilities. "It depends," Owen replied, the words weighed down with uncertainty.

The guard, still visibly on edge, asked, "On what?"

"What kind of dinosaur they cooked up in that lab," Rosita answered, her voice low, almost a whisper.

As if on cue, the voice crackled through the guard's radio, sharp and urgent. "Paddock 11, this is Control. You need to evacuate the containment area." The words were distorted, almost swallowed by static, but the fear in the voice was unmistakable.

"Paddock 11, do you copy?" the voice continued, louder now.

The guard's hand hovered over the radio, confusion written on his face as he responded. "Yeah, what's the problem?"

Then came the words that would send them all into motion: "It's in the cage! It's in there with you!"

Everything shifted. The world went from tense to chaotic in a heartbeat. Owen's voice cut through the rising panic. "Go!" He moved with purpose, as the four of them—Owen, Rosita, the guard, and the worker—rushed toward the exit, adrenaline taking over.

But the guard stopped dead in his tracks, his gaze fixed on something in the trees before he rushed back to the padlock. The leaves rustled, snapping like bones under pressure. Rosita's heart pounded as her eyes flicked from the trees to the padlock, the sound of rushing footsteps nearly drowned out by her own pulse in her ears.

From the treeline emerged a massive shape, impossibly large, impossibly fast. The Indominus rex. Its growl shattered the air, a terrifying, primal sound that set every muscle in Rosita's body alight with panic. She didn't look back, couldn't look back as they sprinted toward the cage, the metal door now wide enough to offer a slim chance of escape.

The worker tried to run as fast as he could, but the creature was quicken, its jaws snapping around him like a vice. The scream that followed was nothing short of horrific—a sound so raw, so desperate, it sent chills down Rosita's spine. The sickening crunch of bones breaking, the tearing of flesh—she couldn't hear it, but she felt it, deep in her gut.

She ran faster, adrenaline pushing her forward, but her legs felt heavy, like lead. She couldn't stop the image of the guard being torn apart from playing over and over again in her mind. The door began to close, but not fast enough. They were right there—right at the threshold—but the Indominus rex was hot on their heels.

"Shit!" Rosita muttered under her breath, the word barely escaping her lips as she pushed herself harder, ignoring the ache in her lungs, the tightness in her chest. With a final burst of energy, they slipped beneath the gate just as it began to shut. They dove under a nearby truck, hearts pounding in their ears, praying they would be unseen. The Indominus rex, momentarily stalled, circled the area before it finally broke free, its heavy steps sending tremors through the ground. Rosita's eyes widened as she watched the creature, its massive form moving with terrifying ease. But then her gaze shifted, and she saw the guard.

The guard was crouched behind a car, fear radiating from his every pore. His eyes darted nervously, scanning for an escape, but he was too slow. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see the creature's tail whip through the air, knocking the car over with terrifying force. The guard barely had time to react before the Indominus rex struck again. His screams were short-lived, drowned out by the horrifying sound of the creature's jaws snapping shut around him.

Owen sprang into action cutting a cord with his knife letting the burning scent of oil drench on their cloths, covering any scent of theirs. They held their breath, staying as still as possible. The sound of the creature's footsteps reverberated through the ground like distant thunder. Rosita's hand trembled, but she gripped Owen's arm, trying to centre herself. Focus, she told herself. Stay calm. But the feeling of being trapped, of being hunted, was too familiar. Her thoughts flashed to her time in the park, to the terror that gripped her the first time the dinosaurs broke free. The memories—the sounds, the screams—they clawed their way to the surface, and she could feel her pulse pounding in her throat.

Stay calm. Don't let it take you back.

Owen's hand squeezed hers, grounding her as best as he could. The sound of the creature's growls reverberated next to them, and Rosita closed her eyes, willing the chaos in her mind to quiet. She thought of the simple things: Owen's hand in hers, the hard rocky floor beneath them, the steady rhythm of her breath.

Then, mercifully, the creature let out one final, deafening roar, before it stomped away. The ground trembled with each step it took, and Rosita exhaled the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

Her heart was still hammering in her chest, but the worst had passed—for now.

Owen sat up slowly, his face pale but determined. He looked at Rosita, his grip on her hand never wavering, the steadiness of his gaze anchoring her.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice quieter than usual, though the concern was clear.

Rosita nodded, though she wasn't entirely sure it was true. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

Her body was trembling, but not from fear of the creature. No, it was the weight of everything else—of the memories, of the old scars that resurfaced in moments like this. But she was still here, still alive, still standing. For now, that would have to be enough.

𓆌

Blue's golden eyes blazed with restrained fury, his powerful form straining against the restraints that held his mouth shut. His thick, scaled neck tensed, and his powerful tail flicked with barely contained aggression. Beside him, Delta, his sister, mirrored his unease, her snout wrinkling in disgust as she growled lowly, her sharp teeth bared. The cold, sterile hold smelled of antiseptic and fear, and it made Blue's blood boil.

Barry stood nearby, trying his best to calm the two raptors with soft words in French. "Ça va, mon garçon, calme-toi... Tout va bien," (It's okay, my boy, calm down... Everything is fine.)

But Blue wasn't listening. His attention was fixed on Hoskins, the man who paced too close, an invasive smile on his face, his every word laced with a sense of superiority that made Blue's blood boil.

"How fast can they run?" Hoskins asked casually, as if discussing nothing more dangerous than a house pet.

Barry's voice was tight with restrained anger as he answered, "Forty. Fifty when they're hungry."

Hoskins grinned, stepping closer to Blue, his smile widening as he eyed the raptor with a hunger in his eyes, not the kind of hunger a man should feel toward a living creature. "Ooh! You ever open them up, see what they can do?"

"No," Barry said firmly, his tone final, but Hoskins wasn't paying attention.

Blue could feel his sister's growl vibrating in her throat, a sound of disgust and warning. They didn't need to speak the same language for Blue to know exactly how Delta felt about the man. The contempt, the hatred—Hoskins was nothing but a predator in human skin, and the raptors could sense it. Delta's snarl echoed through the room, the sound low and dangerous.

Blue tensed as the man leaned in just a little too close, his scent reeking of arrogance and ignorance. Before anyone could stop him, Blue lunged forward, the metal door slamming against the hold with a deafening crash. The sound was a thunderclap, and Hoskins staggered back in shock.

"Oh, shit!" Hoskins barked, startled, a laugh escaping him as he regained his composure. "That got me. It got me."

Blue's glare was like ice, and his low growl reverberated in his chest—a warning that shook even the walls of the steel room. Barry stepped forward quickly, trying to divert the situation before Hoskins could say something that might set the raptors off again. "What do you think? Want to take one home?"

Hoskins chuckled, clearly unbothered. "Hey, don't joke. When I was your age, I rescued a wolf pup."

Blue's snarl deepened, and his eyes flicked toward Delta, who, with another fierce growl, echoed her brother's feelings. She was a protector, and she didn't trust Hoskins any more than Blue did. The mention of a pup wasn't enough to change their opinion of this man, not after what they had endured.

"It was, like, two months old," Hoskins went on, oblivious to the raptors' rising fury. "It could barely walk. It used to sleep by my bed. Watch over me. My wife—she came at me with a steak knife once. The pup took a chunk out of her arm."

Barry's tone was sharp as he responded, "Did you put him down?"

"Hell, no," Hoskins replied, a twisted pride in his voice. "We had an unshakeable bond, you know? Just like you and..." He glanced between Blue and Delta, clearly trying to figure out their names. "What's his name?"

"Did this sag of meat call me a boy?"

Barry's voice was filled with barely veiled irritation as he corrected the man, "Delta. And she's a girl."

Hoskins nodded, unfazed. "Can I..." Barry smiled smugly and gestured to Delta allowing him to touch her, "Get your disgusting hands off me!" he placed his hand on Delta's side. She snapped her teeth, her growl rising in volume.

Barry moved quickly, stepping in next to Delta trying to calm her down, murmuring soothing words to Delta, but it was clear that neither raptor was in the mood for this man's casual touch. They saw right through him.

Hoskins pulled his hand back, unfazed. "Oh, wow," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Suddenly, a loud beeping interrupted the tension. Barry's eyes flicked to his phone, his face changing instantly to one of alarm as he read the message. "Code 19!" he shouted, his voice now urgent. "They said we lost two guys!"

Workers rushed to their stations as the emergency protocols kicked in. Hoskins turned to Barry, his face confused. "What's a Code 19?"

Barry didn't pause as he made his way to the door, his voice laced with disbelief. "Asset out of containment. These people—they never learn."

Blue's heart slammed in his chest. His instincts screamed, and his mind fixed on the two people he cares about his Alpha, Owen, and Rosita, who's voice flooded his mind, and with it, an overwhelming protectiveness that surged like wildfire through his veins. He could feel her presence in his heart, an anchor that held him steady even as the world around him spiralled.

Blue's golden eyes turned into twin pools of fury, his muscles coiling as he imagined her out there, alone, unprotected. His vision blurred for a moment, the metallic scent of the holding area mingling with the memory of her—the soft way she moved, the steady way she looked out for the pack. Blue's heart clenched painfully, a feeling so deep it almost hurt.

If anything happens to her, Blue thought, a voice dark as death stirring in his chest, I'll tear these people alive.

Blue's voice rumbled like a thunderstorm, deep and menacing. His words were directed at no one in particular, but the threat hung heavy in the air. "Touch her, and I will kill you."

Barry, still at the door, froze. He didn't need to understand Blue's words to feel the weight of the threat. The raptor's voice was like the growl of a predator that had been cornered—and Blue was no longer holding back before he walked off.

Hoskins was oblivious to the storm brewing in the raptors' hearts as he pulled out a signal phone and muttered to himself, "They're gonna learn all kinds of things about their new asset now." His voice was smug, as if everything were under his control, "Hey. Yeah, it's me. We might have an opportunity here."

Blue's gaze locked onto the man, his eyes like fire. He knew something terrible was coming, something even worse than what had happened to them before. Rosita, his thoughts whispered again.

Blue would make sure no one ever got the chance to hurt her.

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By: SilverMist707