𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟰: 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵

-PROOFREAD-

The sun peered over the horizon, its golden rays slowly filtering through the blinds and casting long shadows across the room. Vera stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she adjusted to the new day. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, stretching languidly before padding barefoot into the main room. Her eyes swept the space, noting the unusual quiet. "Where's Roxie and Dave?" she asked, her voice still husky with sleep.

Ben, already awake and curled up on a couch, didn't look up from his task. His pencil moved in swift, sure strokes across the paper as he replied, "They left a note, they'll be gone for a couple of hours."

Curiosity piqued, Vera crossed the room and peered over Ben's shoulder. "Whatcha drawing?" she inquired, sinking into the cushions beside him.

Ben's face lit up with pride as he tilted the paper for her to see better. "Me and Bumpy," he announced, his voice filled with warmth.

Vera's smile faltered for a moment as memories of Wu's lab flooded back. She could almost hear the clinical detachment in Dr. Wu's voice as he spoke about the baby dinosaurs. Shaking her head to dispel the unsettling thoughts, she refocused on Ben's drawing just as the others began to stir.

The door burst open with a bang, startling them both. Darius bounded in, his energy palpable as he shouted, "What up, Camp Cretaceous? Whoo-hoo!"

Kenji, slumped in a nearby chair, spun around slowly to face Darius. His hair was disheveled, and dark circles rimmed his eyes as he grumbled, "Not in a 'whoo-hoo' mood this morning, Darius. Not after yesterday! Trekking through a rainstorm will do that." He shot a pointed glare at Ben, who shrank back slightly.

Ben, seeking to deflect attention, took a long, loud sip from his juice box before quipping, "We only had to walk because you crashed our gyrosphere." Kenji's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Ben quickly ducked behind Darius for protection. Vera rolled her eyes at their antics, pointedly ignoring Kenji's attempt to catch her gaze.

Undeterred by the group's lack of enthusiasm, Darius pressed on, his hands gesticulating excitedly. "But today's a new day! Kayak Day!" He looked around the room, seeking any sign of shared excitement. "Who doesn't wanna paddle alongside dinosaurs, real dinosaurs? It's gonna be awesome, right?" His voice trailed off as he finally noticed the absence of their counselors. "Wait, where are Dave and Roxie?"

Kenji lazily reached for a nearby note, slapping it against Darius's chest with more force than necessary. "The babysitters took off early and left this," he drawled.

Darius's brow furrowed as he read aloud, stumbling over Dave's unique communication style. ""BRB, Gotta go. Boss talk, BB. Later. Smiley face." Is that a dinosaur emoji with a thumbs up?" He said analyzing the note.

Kenji's lips curled into a sneer, his voice dripping with disdain as he elaborated, "It's Dave speak." He lazily flicked his wrist, gesturing for Darius to turn the note over. "Roxie translated on the back."

Darius's fingers fumbled with the paper as he flipped it, his eyes widening slightly as he took in Roxie's neat handwriting. He cleared his throat, adopting a mock-serious tone as he read aloud:

"'We have to go talk to our boss. Stay inside until we return. Draw, bond, whatever. The radio's set for channel six in case you need us.'" His voice rose slightly as he continued, emphasizing each repetition. "'Stay inside, stay inside. Do not leave, Kenji, looking at you.'"

A mischievous grin spread across Darius's face as he finished reading. He glanced up at Kenji, a playful spark in his eyes as he let out a chuckle. Kenji, in response, dramatically rolled his eyes, his entire head following the motion to express his annoyance.

Darius's gaze dropped back to the note, his brow furrowing slightly as he read the last line. "'Uh... Sorry for the kid's menus, it's all Dave had.'"

He turned his head, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on a colorful pile on the ping pong table. There, stacked haphazardly on a side table, was a mountain of children's menus. Beside them, laid a scattered array of crayons.

Kenji's face contorted with indignation, his voice rising as he fumed, "Do they understand how old we are? I mean, when was the last time you even saw a crayon?"

Ben, still clutching his drawing, proudly held it up for all to see. His face fell as Yasmina leaned in, her eyes narrowing critically as she teased, "Hmmm. I have notes."

Seeing Ben's crestfallen expression, Vera quickly intervened. She leaned towards him, her voice warm and reassuring as she said, "She's just joking. It looks good, Ben." Her words had the desired effect, as a small smile returned to Ben's face.

The door burst open with a resounding bang, causing everyone to turn. Brooklynn stormed in, her face a thundercloud of frustration. Yasmina, ever nonchalant, greeted her with a smirk. "Brooklynn. What's new on the internet, Superstar?"

Brooklynn's eyes flashed dangerously as she spat out her reply, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I wouldn't know, because when I went to get my phone from its charger, it wasn't there! Someone stole my phone."

The room erupted into a cacophony of excuses and denials, each camper tripping over their words to explain their innocent use of Brooklynn's coveted device. Yasmina's voice cut through the chaos, her tone both amused and exasperated. "Brooklynn, who hasn't had your phone?"

Brooklynn's gaze swept the room, her eyes narrowing as they landed on Sammy. The usually bubbly girl squirmed under the intense scrutiny, her voice small as she murmured, "I... haven't seen it either."

"Really?" Brooklynn's voice dripped with skepticism, her eyebrow arching accusatorially.

Sensing the rising tension, Darius jumped in, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "Hey, hey, it's okay! Since we're not kayaking till later, we'll have plenty of time to look for the phone."

Brooklynn scoffed, her lips curling into a sneer. "Oh, I think I know exactly where to look." She advanced on Sammy, her voice low and dangerous. "I also think that whoever took the phone, might be trying to hide some of the things that are on it. What do you think, Sammy?"

Sammy's face was a picture of bewilderment. "Um, what?"

In a flash, Yasmina was on her feet, inserting herself between the two girls. Her eyes blazed with protective fury as she faced off against Brooklynn. "What is your deal? Sammy said she didn't touch it!" She leaned in, her voice a low growl. "Ever think you might have just lost the stupid thing?"

Undeterred, Brooklynn's voice rang out with cold determination. "Hmm. Well, then, let's check her bags and test that theory out." She made a move towards the bunks, only to find Yasmina blocking her path once more.

"You do not get to go through anyone's stuff," Yasmina snarled, her face inches from Brooklynn's. "I don't care how famous you think you are!"

From his perch on the couch, Kenji watched the unfolding drama with undisguised glee, a smirk playing on his lips.

Sammy's voice quavered as she tried to defend herself. "Brooklynn, I did not—"

Before she could finish, Darius leapt into action, frantically waving menus in the air like makeshift flags. "Brooklynn, guys, come on!" he shouted, desperation coloring his voice. "We can't be this upset over phones. Let's make the most of this incredible opportunity!" His enthusiasm seemed forced as he tried to redirect their focus. "This is Jurassic World. It's—"

A thunderous roar from the distant jungle cut through Darius's speech, silencing the room instantly. The campers exchanged wide-eyed glances, their argument momentarily forgotten.

"What was that?" Brooklynn whispered, her anger replaced by a hint of fear.

Kenji's response was more question than answer, his usual bravado faltering. "Um, a T. rex?"

Darius shook his head, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Mm-mm. I don't think so."

Ben's voice quavered as he sought reassurance. "Then what sort of dinosaur did it sound like? Friend-ish? Or foe-ish?"

As one, the group gravitated towards the balcony, their eyes scanning the dense foliage for any sign of movement. Sammy's voice was hushed as she asked, "Where's it comin' from?"

Yasmina squinted into the distance, frustration evident in her tone. "Can't see anything from here. The trees are blocking everything."

Darius's face lit up with sudden inspiration. "Maybe they're moving a new dino from the lab to another enclosure," he suggested, excitement creeping back into his voice. "We could probably see it from the observation tower! Could be cool."

Sammy's mood shifted instantly, her earlier distress forgotten as she latched onto Darius's arm. "Wow, that's a great idea, Darius!" she chirped, already dragging him towards the elevator. "What are we waiting for?"

Brooklynn's indignant cry followed them. "Hey, we're not done talking about this yet!"

Ben's protest was lost in the sudden flurry of activity. "But, guys, it's Indoor Arts and Crafts Day! We should stay and wait for Dave and Roxie, right, Kenji? Vera?"

Kenji clapped Ben on the back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "If you wanna stay here and draw you and your dino-crush, go for it. I'm gonna go see me a T. rex or a girl fight. Either way, I win. Ka-ching!" He punctuated his words with an exaggerated fist pump.

Vera offered Ben a gentler encouragement. "It'll be quick, Ben. Come on, live a little."

Ben's resolve crumbled visibly as he watched the others file into the elevator. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he called out, "Fine, go on! I'll just stay where we're supposed to stay, wait for who we're supposed to wait for, and be right where we're supposed to be." He turned away dramatically, arms crossed.

Vera shrugged, reaching for the elevator button. But before her finger could make contact, Ben's resolve shattered completely. He sprinted towards them, his earlier protests forgotten. "Wait! Guys, I'm coming too!"

After a short, winding walk through the lush jungle, the group arrived at the imposing observation tower. Kenji, Yasmina, and Darius began pulling at the rusted door with all their might, but to no avail. "It's locked!" Kenji huffed, his face red with exertion.

"Oh, wow. Guess we can't get in." Ben said, the fake sympathy dripping from his tone. "We should all go back before someone comes along and we get in trouble." He began slowly walking back the way they came, his footsteps hesitant.

Kenji began to scan the area, his eyes darting from tree to tree. "Wait, where is everybody?" The others all turned, their faces etched with sudden realization as they noticed the eerie emptiness around them. "Uh, there's usually someone around."

Brooklynn pulled a small, glinting pin out of her perfectly styled hair. "If we're doing this... then we might as well do this." With deft fingers, she inserted the small hair pin into the keyhole, maneuvering it with expert precision to unlock the gate. "Tada!" She announced, swinging the creaking door open with a flourish of pride. Everyone stared back at her in awe, mouths agape. "What? You didn't see my "Unboxing Kathmandu" video, "Hacks For When You Lock Yourself Out Of Your Hotel Room"?"

Sammy cheered, her voice echoing in the quiet jungle. "Last to the top is a rotten egg!" The group began to sprint up the winding, metal stairs, their footsteps clanging loudly.

"Later, rotten egg!" Yasmina shouted, her lithe form passing Brooklynn. The group finally made it to the top, panting and out of breath, their chests heaving.

"No more stairs!" Kenji shouted, his voice hoarse. "There better be something good." He demanded as he dramatically collapsed on the top of the stairs, his limbs sprawled out. Suddenly, the floor beneath them began to abruptly shake, the metal vibrating ominously. They peered into the dense brush to see the leaves shake violently with every thunderous thump.

"There's something out there." Brooklynn whispered, her eyes wide with anticipation.

"Something big." Darius added, fear stricken on his face, his skin pale. They all gasped as a dinosaur came to view, its massive form emerging from the treeline. They all sighed in relief to see a familiar long-necked dinosaur, its gentle eyes gazing at them.

"It's just a brachiosaurus." Yasmina assured, her shoulders relaxing.

"Ooh! Mystery solved. Guess we should head back now." Ben announced, standing up from his fetal position, his legs still shaky.

Darius stared at the trees intently, his brow furrowed in concentration. "But that doesn't make any sense. Brachiosauruses don't roar like that. They're more like..." He cupped his hand together, mimicking the creatures' bellows.

"Didn't quite catch that." Kenji teased, his lips quirking into a smirk. "Uh, one more time?" A blood-curdling yell was heard from down below as two staff workers approached the base of the observation tower. They frantically shouted incoherent words, flailing their arms wildly.

"What are they saying?" Darius asked turning to Vera, his voice trembling.

She shrugged her shoulders in response, confusion etched on her face. "No clue. It just sounds like gibberish to me."

Ben began to spiral, his words tumbling out in a panic. "Oh, great! They look mad. I told you we'd get in trouble."

Kenji shouted down to them, his voice cracking. "You're gonna have to speak up!" The brachiosaurus' ear-splitting roar caught the attention of the group, and they watched in horror as it stumbled and fell, the ground shaking with its impact. They shrieked in fear, jumping away from the railing, their hearts pounding.

As they watched, a monstrous dinosaur from their darkest nightmares came into view. Its massive, scaled body moved with terrifying grace, each step shaking the earth. Razor-sharp teeth gleamed in its gaping maw, and its eyes, cold and predatory, fixed on the humans below. The creature's muscular tail swung behind it, demolishing trees in its wake.

Vera froze in fear, as the blood slowly drained from her face, leaving her ghostly pale. Her eyes, wide with terror, remained fixed on the beast. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and her breath came in short, panicked gasps. She felt as if her feet had become rooted to the spot, unable to move or even look away from the horrifying scene unfolding before them.

They all watched, paralyzed with fear, as the creature devoured the two staff members, their screams abruptly silenced.

"What is that?" Yasmina's voice cracked, her eyes wide with terror.

"It got him! It got him!" Ben's panicked shout pierced the air as he latched onto Vera's arm, his fingers digging into her skin.

Brooklynn's face paled as she recalled the horrifying sight. "Dr. Wu's lab," she breathed. "There was a dinosaur. In—"

"Indominius Rex," Sammy interjected, her voice barely above a whisper.

Confusion etched itself across Brooklynn's features. "How do you know that name?"

Darius furrowed his brow, racking his brain for any recollection of such a species. "But there's no dinosaur named—"

"There's no time," Sammy cut him off, urgency lacing her words. "We need to leave. Now, now, now! We have to go."

Kenji's knuckles turned white as he gripped the stair railing, inching away from the balcony. "Up here is safe, down there isn't," he reasoned, a tremor in his voice. "Besides this high up, it's not like Whatever-Rex there can even see us."

As if summoned by his words, the dinosaur's massive head swung towards the observation tower. Its predatory gaze locked onto the group of terrified onlookers, the air growing thick with tension as the beast's eyes narrowed, focusing on its next potential prey. Screams erupted from the group as the creature charged towards the tower, its enormous body colliding with the structure. Metal groaned and snapped, raining down as the tower shuddered violently. The force of the impact sent Sammy tumbling over the edge, her terrified shriek cutting through the chaos. In a flash, Yasmina lunged forward, catching Sammy's arm as the others scrambled to pull her to safety.

Darius's arm shot out, pointing to their left. "The zipline. Go, go, go!" he commanded, spurring the group into action as they frantically strapped into the harnesses.

"I can't! I can't!" Ben's fingers fumbled with the straps, panic overtaking his movements.

With an exasperated sigh, Kenji intervened. "Here!" he grunted, securing Ben's harness before unceremoniously shoving him down the line. Suddenly, Ben's progress halted mid-way, causing Vera, Sammy, Kenji, and Brooklynn to collide into him in a tangle of limbs and startled cries.

"Why aren't we moving?" Kenji's frustrated shout rang out. "Ben, what did you do?"

"Nothing!" came Ben's indignant protest. "It just stopped!"

The line began to shake violently as the dinosaur renewed its assault on the structure. Seconds later, Yasmina came hurtling down the line, Darius clutched tightly in her grasp. The force of their collision sent all the ziplines lurching towards the opposite platform.

"It's working. It's working!" Darius's triumphant cheer was short-lived. With a deafening crash, the dinosaur finally toppled the observatory. As the tower collapsed, the zipline snapped, the harnesses giving way and sending the campers plummeting towards the unforgiving ground below.

Consciousness returned to Vera slowly, her head throbbing and ears ringing. She stumbled to a nearby tree, her legs unsteady as she leaned against the rough bark for support. Blinking away the disorientation, she surveyed her surroundings, relief washing over her as she saw the others stirring. Beside her, Ben let out a pained groan.

"You okay?" Vera extended a hand, her voice laced with concern.

Ben grasped it gratefully, grunting as he pulled himself up and stretched his aching muscles.

A bone-chilling roar reverberated through the dense forest, causing the group to flinch. Vera's gaze darted upward to see Kenji clinging to a tree, his face a mask of fear as he called out, "Where the heck is that thing?"

"It's coming," Ben whimpered, cowering behind Vera's frame.

Yasmina's hushed warning cut through the air as she helped Darius to his feet. "Shh! It could be anywhere."

Uncertainty clouded Brooklynn's features as she tried to orient herself. "The observation tower was that way?" Her statement morphed into a question as doubt crept in. "Or was it that way? I..."

"Okay, I'm sorry, but I—" Sammy's words died on her lips as Vera caught sight of her hastily shoving an object back into her pocket.

Before Vera could inquire further, Darius's panicked voice sliced through the tense atmosphere. "Where's- No, no," he muttered, patting down his body with increasing desperation. "My necklace. I left it in my bunk!"

Another roar, louder and more menacing than before, echoed around them. Kenji attempted to interject, "We've got slightly bigger problems than—" only to be cut off by yet another earth-shaking bellow.

"We have to run. Now!" Sammy's urgent plea spurred the group into action.

They tore through the forest, branches whipping at their faces and roots threatening to trip them at every step. Darius's voice rang out, tinged with false bravado, "Everything will be fine when we get back to camp."

As they burst into the clearing, the devastation that greeted them stole the breath from their lungs. The once-familiar campsite lay in ruins, the balcony reduced to splinters and debris scattered across the ground like discarded toys. The sight of their destroyed sanctuary drove home the terrifying reality of their situation, leaving them standing in stunned silence amidst the wreckage of their former safety.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Sammy's shaken voice cut through the silence. "Dave, Roxie, the other workers, they must've all gotten away," she murmured, trying to convince herself as much as the others.

As the group continued exploring the remains, Ben and Vera came upon a crashed car. The boy bent down closer to observe the car, quickly regretting it. "Not all of them." He choked out. Vera turned her head to see a limb peeking out of the wrecked truck, no body attached. Ben collapsed, hunched over in front of her as he began to vomit. She whipped her head away from the sight of him, feeling her stomach churn. She stumbled to a bush and began to regurgitate her previous meal, hot tears begun to sting her eyes as softly sobbed.

Her weeping was interrupted with a loud shout. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Yasmina clutching a walkie-talkie. "Hello? Hello! Can anybody—?" The athlete's frustration grew as she repeatedly punched the device before dropping it with a defeated sigh. "We're on our own," she declared grimly.

"Give me my phone!" Brooklynn demanded, charging towards Sammy.

Confusion etched across Sammy's face. "What?"

Brooklynn's words tumbled out in a rush. "I don't care about you sneaking into Dr. Wu's lab, I don't care about whatever you did with the skin samples you took from the sinoceratops—" The group erupted into questions, but she pressed on. "I don't even care that you stole it now. All I wanna do is call for help! Where is it?"

As Brooklynn advanced, Sammy backpedaled. "Uh.. I.." she stammered before switching to a defensive tone. "I don't know what you're talking about! Skin samples? Sneaking into labs?" She retreated to the group. "You made up some crazy thing in your own dang head!"

Yasmina leapt to Sammy's defense. "Back off! Not everything revolves around you and your phone!" She positioned herself between the two girls. "It isn't Sammy's fault you lost it!"

Ben attempted to intervene, his voice trembling. "Would you guys please keep it down? There's a big—"

"A big, scary dinosaur?" Kenji scoffed, cutting Ben off. "Of course there's a big, scary dinosaur!" He loomed over the smaller boy, gesticulating wildly.

Vera bristled at Kenji's attitude. "Hey, back off! Sorry not everyone puts up a narcissistic facade like you do Kenji!" she snapped, giving him a light shove.

"And you're always a big-mouthed jerk!" Ben added, finding his courage.

Vera stepped closer to Kenji, her eyes blazing. "You know ever since I've met you, you've been nothing but rude and materialistic! Seems you still haven't changed after 15 years." The five of them erupted into a cacophony of accusations and insults.

Kenji sneered at Ben, "Yeah? Well at least I don't play with crayons!"

Vera retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Sorry, Mr. 'I'm better than everyone else'! Some people like to have fun! The only fun you know is flexing your Daddy's money! Money isn't gonna help any of us!"

"No one is getting out of here!" Ben's anguished cry pierced through the arguments. "We just saw people get eaten! We're alone, we're defenseless." He sank to the ground, hugging his knees to his chest. "We're dead."

Darius's voice rang out with determination. "We're not giving up. I get it. It's scary. This wasn't how it was supposed to be." As he spoke, the group gathered around him. "Things aren't always gonna go your way. Life is messy and sometimes... things fall apart. But that's okay, because when that happens, we pick up the pieces and keep going. And we never give up."

"What about your necklace?" Brooklynn inquired softly.

Darius brushed off the question with a gentle smile. "That's not important. I've got the memories right here." He placed a hand on his heart.

Yasmina's voice was tinged with uncertainty. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Get south to the park. Get help. And the only way we'll make it is if we do it together," the determined boy instructed. "We're a team or we're nothing at all."

Ben's suggestion came out as a half-hearted plea. "Or, you know, don't go back into the jungle."

Kenji pushed past Ben, striding over to Darius and throwing an arm over his shoulder. "You can wait for the negligent babysitters, but I'm with Darius."

Surprise flickered across Darius's face. "Wait, really?"

"Dude, there's no way I survived a dinosaur attack.." Kenji began, only to be interrupted by a piece of the balcony crashing down, nearly missing his body. "Just to be taken out by cheap camp debris Kenji ain't goin' out like that. We're going south. The rest of you coming or what?" He and Darius began to walk off.

As the group started to follow, Ben's hesitant voice called out. "Uhm but guys?"

Vera turned back, her expression softening. "Come on, Ben. It's best to stick in larger numbers. And Darius is right."

With a resigned sigh, Ben fell into step behind the others.

As they ventured into the dense jungle, the remnants of their camp faded from view. The once familiar sounds of the island now seemed ominous and threatening. Each snapping twig or rustling leaf caused the group to flinch, their nerves on edge. Despite their fear, they pressed on, drawing strength from each other's presence. The path ahead was uncertain and fraught with danger. This was no longer a summer camp adventure – it was a fight for survival.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘳𝘪 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴！
___________________________
IM SO SORRY THIS IS LATE I FELL ASLEEP😞. I was up until 4 am finishing up writing all of season one so that I can start on season two. This chapter took me so long for absolutely no reason😭. The Vera and Kenji tension has just been building so much this season. I don't have much to say but please don't be a ghost reader!! I love seeing comments under my book and please vote! I love you all and thank you for reading!

Also go check out the lovely kassssski 's book!!
its called Welcome to Hell and you should all go show it some love!

_________ ⋆ ★
©-CRETACEOUS , 2024