Smoke (currently under editing)

13 · Paddock Nine

"We have a T-Rex." - John Hammond, Jurassic Park (1993)

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The five of us sat huddled together in a gift shop, holding our breath as the Indominus sniffed the space around us. All of the windows had been broken in, the aftermath of the chaos on the boardwalk barely hours ago. I looked down at my hands with wide eyes, realizing how fast the day had gone by. One second I was trying to keep Zach and Gray out of trouble and the next, I was smackdab in the middle of it.

"Go." Owen hissed, noticing that the large beast was distracted by the raptors. The confusion would only last a few minutes if we were lucky, just enough time to move to the next shop.

Blue let out a fierce growl just as I tumbled behind the wall next to Zach, heart pounding. We were lucky that the raptors had rejoined our side, and that the fierce little beasts were happy to fight the large monster. Their traitor of an Alpha. Mist paused for a second as she noticed me, but was quick to join her sisters in the attack after I motioned for her to go.

As I leaned my head back to rest on the wall, I noticed Gray counting something on his fingers. "We need more." He mumbled, looking up.

"More what?" Zach asked, looking around with wide eyes.

"Teeth," The boy replied, as if it was obvious. "We need more teeth."

"Okay, it's gonna be alright." Claire muttered, mainly to herself.

"You just wait here, I'll be right back." The woman's eyes lit up as she stood, and I immediately knew what she was thinking. As she ran out of the store, I shook my head, cursing under my breath. I pulled myself up, chasing after her.

❂ ❂ ❂

"You're not gonna make it twenty feet in those heels."

Claire whipped around, jumping slightly at the sight of me. Emotions flashed in her eyes, landing on a mix of surprise and anger. "What are you doing here?" She asked, looking me up and down. "I thought I asked you to stay."

"I remember your specific words to be 'you just wait here, I'll be right back.' You were looking at the boys as you said that, not me." I replied, crossing my arms. "Plus, I can't let you let out Rexy all by yourself."

"What?" Claire asked again, her eyes widening.

"She can run forty miles an hour," I continued, "At least. I'm not one to judge how fast someone can run, but in those heels? You're gonna break an ankle. If you're lucky enough not to get eaten, that is."

"I don't know what you're thinking," Claire replied, shaking her head. "But it's too dangerous to let you do this."

I gave her a look, before holding out a hand. "I never said that this wasn't dangerous because trust me, I know. You can try and stop me all you'd like, but we both know I'm better equipped for this."

Claire glanced between me, the paddock, and her own shoes, before reluctantly sighing. Her eyes were nervous, but she handed over the flare in her hands anyways. "Please, be careful." She muttered, picking up the walkie on her belt.

I smiled back at her, replying happily; "Always."

"Lowery, are you still there?" The woman asked, holding the walkie up to her mouth. "I need you to open Paddock Nine."

Lowery's voice crackled over the radio. "Paddock Nine? Are you kidding?"

"Damn it, Lowery," Claire hissed, "Be a man and do something in your life for once!"

I let out a sharp laugh as the man's voice rang across the walkie once again. "Why do you have to make it personal?"

The metal doors creaked open, the sound unsettling and unfamiliar. I pulled out my lighter, lighting the flare in a single move. "Hey!" I yelled, waving my hands. "Rexy!" My heart was pounding in my chest, my eyes meeting the beast's own.

I turned around, footsteps soft as I ran, mixing with the pounding ones of Rexy. As I whipped around the corner, I threw the flare as far as I could, watching as it bounced off of the Indominus. It seemed to be enough, as Rexy rushed forward, her sharp teeth snapping.

I tripped, rolling over to the wall. I took deep breaths, attempting to calm my heart, and glanced over at where the boys were hiding. They looked at me with wide, but proud eyes. There was a loud crash and I looked back, watching in horror as Rexy was knocked back.

Blue and Mist leapt forward, clawing at the Indominus until Rexy could pull herself back up. With a loud roar, Rexy ran forward, pushing the Indominus over the edge. Blue and Misty jumped off, just a few moments before the Mosasaurus reached up and grabbed the beast by the tail.

The beast's loud roar barely fazed me as I let out a sigh of relief, resting my head back on the wall. It was over, and we were all finally safe.