"A monster that refused, sometimes, to behave like a monster. When a monster stopped behaving like a monster, did it stop being a monster? Did it become something else?"

-Kristin Cashore.

Prologue

July 25th, 2004

Isla Nublar

"There's no sign of her!"

"There's a storm coming, sir, we can't go out in that type of weather!"

Different types of cries were being shouted out through the dull roar of rain pouring over their tent. Simon Masrani was pacing with evident worry while his younger sister was wailing in agony as her husband held her tightly in his arms. Panic was slowly rising within the few people in the tent. Others were intently listening outside in the rain, waiting.

Simon was frustrated and worried to death. How could a seven year old girl like his niece be as foolish as to escape her guardians and head straight into the very forest that a Tyrannosaurus was residing in? The chances of the girl surviving were very slim and now those chances were next to nonexistent because of the massive storm that was now heading their way. Simon's niece was smart but she was merely only seven years old. What were the chances of the young girl coming out alive?

The wails of the mother intensified when Simon made a heavy decision that the search would to be put off until tomorrow morning. Simon could not endanger anymore lives and while the sounds of his sobbing sister hit his heart terribly, he knew there was nothing they could do now. All they could do was pray to whatever God was up there and hope that that little girl would somehow, someway survive a night in the same forest that housed a T-Rex.

_break_

I don't remember that day…or what made me ditch my babysitters and run off into the forest. I can't recall how I even got lost. I just remember the night when the storm had struck Isla Nublar. I was shivering…I was cold…so cold. I knew the chances of me surviving such a cold night were next to none and if we were being honest, I knew I was going to die. I was scared. Of course, I was scared. I was in the middle of a forest with a Tyrannosaurus prowling about.

I remember darkness…the sound of rain…I was falling asleep and just when I thought I was going to fall into a permanent death I felt the ground shake. It was an ominous feeling…it was faint but it was there. I was crying and clutching my tiny body and pressing myself more tightly against the tree I was under. The steps of the dinosaur were steady and growing in strength. I had my eyes squeezed shut when they stopped.

I remember the feeling of my hairs on my arm standing straight up.

It went deadly silent…the sound of the rain…thunder…wind were dulled and the only thing I did hear was…the low rumbling coming from a monster that was about to eat me. It breathed on me and I remember whimpering and my eyes flying open.

I remember…my eyes staring into the eye of a gigantic monster and the massive teeth that would tear into my tiny body. I was frozen in fear…I knew I was going to die in that instant. All the monster had to do was knock the tree I was hiding under and eat me. As I stared, terrified, at the monster…it let out another rumble…a growl? A snarl? No, that wasn't the right word for the sound it made. Would it make me crazy if I said…that the rumble…that sound wasn't meant to be terrifying?

As I watched, confused and horrified, the monster…the creature that haunted my dreams and killed so many men…simply lay down next to the tree with its head right next to the hole of the tree. I remember…not being cold now. I was still scared, no, terrified on what was going on and why the monster hadn't eaten me yet but somehow…I fell asleep.

I remember most of everything that happened when I woke up because when I woke up…I had waken up to the sound of the monster's rumbling chuff…again…to my ears it didn't sound ominous or even threatening. Why hadn't it eaten me yet? Would it eat me now? I remember thinking.

I wasn't cold…my clothes had somehow dried up. Was it because of the monster? Again, I remember staring into the monster's eye. I remember…my heart beating so loudly. I was scared…I knew it sensed fear…why hadn't it eaten me yet? I remember the monster slowly getting up. It slept laying down?

I remember watching it walk away and disappearing into the thick cover of trees and then…things were silent. No birds…no wind…nothing. Why was it so quiet? I remember running…I didn't know where I was running or too what but…I just knew I had to run. I had to run away before the monster came back and decided it wanted to eat me this time.

I was lost.

I wanted to scream and shout…but even seven year old me knew it would only attract the monster again so I simply ended up crying on the ground unsure what to do. I remember…the feeling of being watched and when I turned around I swear I peed my pants a little. There…the monster…watching me from the trees…just watching. Why wasn't it attacking? Why was it stalling? I remember getting angry. I remember asking myself why would it wait this long to eat me?

I remember that rumbling sound…that chuff. I was frozen in fear…this time I knew I was going to die. What other option was there?

Imagine, my seven year old reaction when the monster chuffed again and stepped forward. I couldn't feel my body…couldn't move. Was that what they meant when they said 'paralyzed with fear'? I was shaking…trembling…crying. It was coming closer…those massive claws…tiny arms…the teeth, they eyes. Terrifying…yet beautiful but deadly.

When I found courage to look at the monster…I remember being taken back…because…because it was looking at me…not with predatory hunger but in curiosity. Why would a monster…be curious in a seven year old food bag?

Why was it curious? Why didn't it just eat me?

I remember feeling as if my heart was about to explode as the monster…the monster lowered its massive…gigantic mouth in front of me…teeth…teeth…teeth. It's nose was right in front of me…I was going to die. I was going to die. It was a known fact that I was going to die…why wasn't I running? Why would I run? It could easily outrun me…I was only seven.

I remember…rubbing…rubbing? Yeah, I remember rubbing against my entire body…rough…the skin of a Tyrannosaurus felt rough…scaly…it reminded me of alligator skin…bumpy. Why was the monster rubbing against me? I remember thinking about a documentary about cheetahs…they were chasing a baby gazelle and once they had caught it…they weren't sure whether to play with it or kill it…as if they weren't sure if it was food or friend.

Was this monster unsure if I was food…or friend? Could a Tyrannosaurus even have friends?

It chuffed…rumbled…hot, stinky breath hit me…it tickled and for some ungodly reason, I giggled. I don't remember how I was even able to conjure such a thing in such a bad situation but I did…the monster leaned closer and rubbed against my tiny body…nudging me. I remember…reaching out…my hand…it was staring at me again…curiosity?

It's skin was very warm…hard…scaly…like an alligator. I smiled. I remember smiling and running my hand across its nose…giggling again. I remember the monster leaning away and suddenly turning around. I remember being confused. It wasn't going to eat me. For some reason, my seven year old mind was a hundred percent sure the monster wouldn't eat me.

It had its back turned towards me…it's large tail was right next to me as it crouched on the ground. It's tiny arms on the ground. I remember smiling and giggling…a piggy back ride…not caring about how this monster could so very easily turn around and snap my tiny body in half…I gingerly climbed onto its tail and slowly clambered up until I was behind its massive neck and sitting there petting the beast as if it were my pet dog.

I gasped when it stood up and began to walk off with me happily on its shoulders. I remember how I was laughing…smiling…snuggled up against the monster that should've eaten me…should've been incapable of any human-like emotions. I remember briefly thinking on how this was possible…how a monster driven by millions of years of instinct…simply shut them off and have a child…a child crawl on its back.

Impossible.

It was impossible but it was happening. I remember talking to the Tyrannosaurus Rex as if it could honestly understand me…honestly, now that I think back on it. If it didn't want to eat me before it definitely must've thought of it when I wouldn't shut up. Anyway, I remember giving the monster a name…I had asked it if it had a name other then Tyrannosaurus Rex and obviously, I received no answer back so, my seven year old self gave a millions of years old dinosaur a name; Gruff.

Gruff seemed to walk and walk and walk on because I remember falling asleep. I don't remember how long but when I did I woke up to Gruff's chuffing…rumbling. I remember looking around and recognizing where we were. We were near the outer gates of the park. We were in the tree line but I could see workers getting ready for something…I remember realizing that they were going out to capture Gruff.

That was the whole reason why my Uncle had come here. After months of planning and preparing, they were here to capture Gruff and put him in a enclosure where he'd be held until his attraction was ready and the park was built.

Why did Gruff come here? Did he bring me here because he knew this is where I was from? How could the monster know something like that? I remember asking Gruff what he was doing…why he brought me here…I didn't want to leave him…yeah, I know, pretty dumb but hey, I was seven. Then Gruff did something that shocked me. He walked out into the wide open plains with me on his back and roared…roared so loud it made my ears pop. Honestly, it was such an amazing sound. His whole body shook and quivered…his muscles tensed and coiled…the sound wasn't threatening…that I knew. It was drawing attention.

Well, Gruff had definitely gotten there attention because next thing I remember was a swarm of vehicles', choppers, and soldiers' running out into the field yelling, shouting, and screaming out commands. I remember Gruff standing there…just…standing there…waiting…for what I don't even know…eventually I guess they realized that I was there…and I was sitting on the monster's back as if it were my pet horse.

You should've seen their faces…honestly, I still laugh about it now because I knew it must've been absolutely horrifying and impossible that a child…a small seven year old child riding on the back of a massive 15 meter Tyrannosaurus Rex. Yeah, that must've been quite a sight.

It was then that it was decided that luring the massive monster was better then going at it head on because if it they did, they'd risk my safety. Gruff began to walk off and I honestly didn't know where he was going and leaving the others completely stunned. I remember giggling and waving at them as if I was saying goodbye. I remember thinking just how intelligent Gruff was. I remember it had gotten dark and I remember the chopper over us…it had been following us for a few hours. When I saw the large walls and bars from Gruff's old enclosure…I knew my piggy back ride was going to come to an end.

Gruff chuffed again…rumbled…I remember being sad…what would happen now? Would he eat me now? I hugged onto him…crying…I was crying…because…I was scared again. Not far away…InGen was standing near…with guns…and men…my family. I remember Gruff crouching on the ground…I climbed down and for a spilt second when Gruff lowered his head so we were at eye level…I felt fear…I felt fear because I thought for a spilt second that Gruff would eat me there and then.

I knew everyone else must've thought it as well.

Gruff chuffed…rubbed his massive head against my tiny body…in goodbye…? I remember foolishly clinging onto the monster…Gruff turning around…lazily moving into the awaiting enclosure…and suddenly…I saw blood…Gruff roared again…a sound so shattering and powerful…a warning…then I was watching in stunned horror as Gruff snapped his massive mouth…teeth…over the body of a solider who had been too close…and eat the man whole… I remember yelling, shouting, screaming…the screams…they came from my mother…I watched as men scrambled to close the gate as men raced out of the enclosure as Gruff squashed another man as he charged at the gate but stopped a few feet away and roared at us…no…them…his captors…I remember someone grabbing me…tightly…so tightly it hurt…I remember staring back at the monster who just minutes ago was carrying me on his back…who used that same mouth to rub against my body in goodbye…watched him eat three kill and squish one

The fucked up part?

It didn't make me fear Gruff.

Gruff had saved my life.

Gruff…Gruff was my friend.

Hola, amigos c: So, yeah, this...this is the story I've been dying to write. I've had the idea for quite a while...even before Jurassic World came out. It's always an idea that's intrigued me and I've found enough courage to actually write it out and post it up. When I saw Owen and his raptors...how they followed him...it gave me courage to write about my idea. I know it's extremely far-fetched but hey, that's the jest of FanFictions, right? Anyway, I am quite new to the world of Jurassic Park and I will try my best to research correctly but if I get anything wrong, please don't strangle me, haha.

I do not own anything, btw. I just own my OC's.

P.S I also know that Gruff is not a 'he' but a 'she'. My seven year old OC just didn't know. I have a a lot of ideas for this story, so, please don't be quick to judge xD!