And the great will be weak

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𝕋ℍ𝔼 dimly lit cell was quiet except for the distant sounds of creatures stirring beyond the thick walls. The air was heavy with exhaustion and uncertainty. Claire sat near the metal bars, her gaze fixed on the baby triceratops nestled beside its mother in the adjacent enclosure. Their soft grunts filled the silence, a rare moment of peace amidst the chaos.

"Do you remember the first time you saw a dinosaur?" Claire's voice was quiet, almost nostalgic.

Rosita and Owen followed her gaze, watching as the baby nuzzled into its mother for comfort. "The first time you see them, it's like... a miracle," Claire continued. "You read about them in books, you see the bones in museums, but you don't really believe it. They're like myths. And then you see... the first one alive."

Rosita exhaled slowly, her fingers tracing the metal cuffs around her wrist. She had seen plenty of miracles turn into nightmares.

Owen, leaning against the wall, finally broke the silence.

"This is not your fault."

Claire turned to look at him, guilt swimming in her eyes. "But it is." Rosita shook her head, crossing her arms. "No. This one's on Owen and me." She glanced at him, then back at Claire. "We showed 'em the way." Owen sighed, running a hand down his face before standing up. "Well, listen. You, Rosita, and I are gonna have plenty of time to talk about this later."

Claire lowered her head, shaking it slightly. "If there is a later." Owen smirked, leaning casually against the cold stone wall. "Yes, there is. I got a cabin to finish." Before Claire could respond, a loud THUMP reverberated through the walls. The three of them froze.

"What was that?" Claire asked, alarmed.

Owen climbed up to the small, barred window, peering into the next room. A large shape shifted in the shadows. Then, with a low huff, a pachycephalosaurus stirred, blinking groggily as it adjusted to its surroundings.

"Well, look who just woke up," Owen murmured.

Without hesitation, he whistled.

"Boo."

The dinosaur's eyes snapped toward him. Then, with a sharp snort, it charged. The impact shook the brick wall, rattling the cell's lock. Owen hopped down, turning to the women with a grin.

"We're getting out of here." Rosita and Claire exchanged sceptical glances before Claire took a step forward. "What are you doing?"

"Escaping."

Claire's brow furrowed. "You sure about this?"

"Nope."

He whistled again. Another THUD. The whole room trembled as the pachycephalosaurus slammed into the wall. Rosita and Claire instinctively stepped back, eyes wide. "You are insane," Rosita muttered.

Owen ignored her, whistling again.

This time, the bricks crumbled inward, and the dinosaur stumbled through, now sharing the cramped space with them. It snorted, shaking its head from the impact, clearly disoriented. "Hey. Hey. Okay," Owen said quickly, raising his hands to keep its attention on him rather than the two women. "Come with me. Come with me. Okay. There you go." He positioned himself directly in front of the locked cell door, carefully gauging the dinosaur's stance.

The creature pawed at the ground, lowering its head. Owen smirked. "Alright, big guy... Let's do this." He whistled one last time. With a powerful snort, the pachycephalosaurus charged straight at him.

At the last possible second, Owen jumped, grabbing hold of the bars above him. The dinosaur barrelled forward, smashing through the metal door with an earth-shaking crash. The lock snapped clean off as the creature skidded forward, slamming headfirst into a metal pole.

It let out a low whine, shaking its head from the pain before huffing in frustration. With one final snort, it turned and sauntered off into the corridor. Rosita, Owen, and Claire stepped out of the wrecked cell, staring after the creature. Owen raised his hands.

"You're welcome."

The three of them stood in the dimly lit corridor, catching their breath after their daring escape. The sounds of distant activity echoed through the estate, but something else caught their attention—a faint shuffling sound.

They turned sharply.

A little girl stood at the end of the hallway, staring at them with wide, frightened eyes. For a moment, no one spoke. Then, in a flash, she turned and ran.

"Hey! Wait! Please!" Claire called after her, urgency in her voice.

Without hesitation, the three gave chase, their footsteps quick but careful against the marble floor. The girl darted around a corner, her small frame slipping through the shadows with practiced ease. She was fast, but fear made her reckless.

She reached a small lift and fumbled with the tiny door, her fingers trembling as she tried to shut it. Rosita was the first to notice—the tears in the girl's eyes, the way her chest rose and fell in panicked breaths.

Claire slowed down, placing a hand gently on Owen's arm. "That's Lockwood's granddaughter."

Owen's expression softened as he turned to the girl. He kept his voice calm, steady. "Hey, kid. You want to come down out of there?" The girl shook her head rapidly, pressing her back against the wall of the lift as if trying to make herself disappear.

Claire took a careful step forward, keeping her hands visible. "Uh... do you remember me?"

The girl hesitated before nodding.

Claire smiled, her voice warm and reassuring. "My name is Claire. What's yours?" For a moment, silence hung between them. Then, in a small, shaky voice, the girl replied: "Maisie. Maisie Lockwood." Claire's smile grew. "That's a beautiful name. Well, Maisie, these are my friends—Owen and Rosita."

Maisie's gaze flickered to Owen, studying him intently.

"I saw you with the velociraptors," she said hesitantly. "Uh, Blue." Owen's eyebrows lifted in surprise, then he grinned. "Oh? Oh, yeah?" He knelt slightly to be at her eye level. "Y-you like dinosaurs?" Maisie gave a small nod, sniffling as she wiped at her eyes.

Owen's grin softened into something gentler. "Hey, so do I. And Rosita." He motioned to her. "Tell you what—if you come on down from there, I'll tell you everything you need to know about Blue. How's that sound?"

Maisie hesitated, her small fingers gripping the edge of the lift.

Rosita took a step closer, her voice gentle yet firm. "It's okay, sweetheart. You're safe with us. Come on down."

Maisie glanced between them, then cautiously began to climb out. Rosita was there instantly, reaching up to help steady her as she climbed down safely.

Once Maisie was on the ground, Rosita crouched beside her, brushing a stray strand of hair from the girl's face. "Sweetie... we need some help finding your grandfather. Can you tell us where he is?"

Maisie's expression crumpled. She shook her head, her lower lip trembling. Rosita's voice softened further. "You made it down here all by yourself, huh?" Owen stepped closer, nodding in admiration. "Brave kid. Looks like you could use a friend."

Maisie looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"He's gone." 

Then, without warning, she threw herself forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Owen's waist. Her small body shook as sobs broke free.

Owen's eyes widened for a second before he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back gently. "Hey, hey. It's okay," he murmured, his voice soothing.

Maisie buried her face in his chest, her cries muffled.

Owen glanced at Claire and Rosita, something protective flashing in his eyes before he spoke again, his voice low and certain. "Uh... so, listen. I'll tell you what—we were just about to find our friends and get the heck out of here. You want to come with us?" Maisie sniffled, peeking up at him before turning to Claire and Rosita. Owen smiled. "We could use a friend, too." Maisie hesitated only a moment longer before nodding. Rosita gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Alright, kiddo. Let's get you out of here."

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By: SilverMist707