Chapter 3: Moment of True Terror
So here I am again at almost eleven thirty at night because I have a healthy sleep schedule. I am starting the name the chapters because I thought of a great one for this one. The first is called The Chair, the second is The Dinosaurs in my Head, and this one is called Moment of True Terror.
Owen pulled their rental car up in front of the Mitchell's house. Him and Claire got out, and looked at it. They had checked into the nearby hotel, and would go shopping later, but right now they needed to see the boys, especially Gray. Owen took Claire's hand and the two walked up the driveway. They rang the doorbell, and they heard footsteps running for the door. The door opened and Gray was standing there. He launched himself at Owen.
Owen caught the boy in his arms and pulled him into a hug. He felt tears coming from Gray's eyes falling onto his shirt. Claire stepped into the house, and Owen followed. Once inside, Owen placed Gray on the ground.
"Where's Zach?" Owen asked.
"My room. We're watching movies," Gray replied softly.
"How about you keep doing that," Owen said, "I need to talk to your parents, then I'll come talk to you,"
Gray nodded and ran back to his room where Zach was standing in the doorway. When he saw Claire and Owen coming down the hall, he ran and gave them both hugs.
"Mom and dad are in the kitchen," Zach said.
"Keep Gray occupied. You're doing good kid," Owen patted Zach on the back before heading into the kitchen. Karen and Scott stood there. Karen was on the phone and Scott was standing next to her. Both of them looked up when they entered the room. Scott went to greet them.
"Thank you so much for coming," Scott said. He gave Claire a hug and shook Owen's hand.
"Gray told you guys we were coming?" Claire asked hopefully.
"No," Scott said, disappointed, "Zach did. Karen's getting him set up with a therapist now,"
"I know this is probably an inappropriate time," Claire said, "but are you guys still getting the divorce?"
"No. We're going to hold off," Scott said, "it would be stupid to separate the boys at a time like this,"
"Well, you're not wrong," Owen said, and went towards the living room. Claire followed close behind. Scott stayed with Karen until she finished her phone call then the two joined them in the living room. Owen and Claire sat together on the couch while Karen and Scott sat on two separate armchairs. Owen exhaled.
"So I guess you guys want the whole story," Owen said. He had one arm wrapped around Claire, and his other hand intertwined with hers.
"Yeah!" Karen said urgently.
"Yes we would like the whole story," Scott said on top of Karen. Owen nodded and looked at Claire. She was already looking at him expectantly. He was going to have to tell the story.
"Well," Owen began, "it all started when Claire decided to drop by my bungalow. She asked me to come assess a new asset. I was like the dude when it came to dinosaur training and behavior. I trained raptors. After a bit of...arguing, I went. Turns out, the people in the lab decided to just go make a new dinosaur. A new highly intelligent hybrid dinosaur with at least five different species of dinosaur and modern animals alike. They also wouldn't tell me what was in it,"
"Why wouldn't they if they called you in to assess it?" Karen asked.
"I honestly have no idea. I thought the same thing," Owen responded, "anyway, I saw claw marks, on the side of the enclosure. We did a thermal scan and couldn't find it, so we thought maybe it had escape. So the security guard, a tech, and myself went in to investigate. Turns out she had set a trap. She was in there waiting for us. I was the only one who made it out alive,"
Karen and Scott looked horrified. Owen continued, "I went into the control room really mad because, well, I had just almost been eaten by a dinosaur. They had sent a group of soldiers in with non-lethal weapons to try and capture it. They failed. She had clawed out her tracker, and was lying in camouflage, waiting for them. I don't think any of them made it out,"
"That's when I ordered the evacuation to begin," Claire cut in. Owen looked at her, a little unsure, but she gave him a reassuring look, "but evacuating twenty-one thousand people from an island...it takes time. That's when I realized that Zach and Gray had run away. They were in the middle of the gyrosphere. Owen and I went out to look for them. We found the gyrosphere, but they weren't in it. Turns out the dinosaur, the Indominus Rex,"
"Which literally means untamable king," Owen cut in, "sorry. I just need to emphasize that this dinosaur was a bad idea,"
"Thank you, Owen," Claire said, "the I-Rex had chased them to a waterfall. They jumped,"
"Then, while looking for the boys, we found a field of dead Apatosaurus," Owen said, "that's when we found out how dangerous she was. She was killing for sport,"
"Turns out the boys had found the old park. They rigged a jeep to run, and they headed back to the main park," Claire said.
"Yeah and when we were in the original park, we were almost eaten by the I-Rex," Owen said, "then-then we sent a helicopter in with some heavy artillery guns. The I-Rex crashed into the aviary, along with the helicopter. Then all the pteradons got out and went to where everyone was. That was when we found the boys. We managed to escape the pteradons, but not without casualty.
"So the entire time, there had been this guy, from the inGen who really isn't that important because he gets eaten by a raptor, but anyway. He wanted to try and control the I-Rex and my raptors. He planned on sending the raptors after the I-Rex regardless of whether or not I helped, and there was no way I was leaving that man alone with my raptors,"
"So it's nighttime now. The boys and I, we watched from cameras in the truck as Owen, his friend Barry, some soldiers, and the four raptors went after the I-Rex," Claire said.
"And that's when we found out the I-Rex was part raptor," Owen said, "the raptors turned on us and the I-Rex escaped. We made it back to the main plaza. It was dark, and I-Rex and the three remaining raptors followed us there. We managed to hide, but Gray, he was almost taken by the beast. Then Claire. Claire released the freakin T-Rex to go up against the I-Rex. She saved us. We got away while they fought. Then, when the I-Rex had almost one, the one remaining raptor, the beta, Blue, came and attacked the I-Rex. It gave the T-Rex time to get up. Then they drove it to the edge of the island, and the Mosasaurus jumped from the water, and pulled it under,"
"Then the T-Rex left us," Claire said.
"Along with Blue, my last raptor," Owen said, disappointed. Karen had tears in her eyes. You could tell she was in shock. She glanced back towards the boys rooms, then back at Owen and Claire.
"Thank you so much!" she started crying again. Then there was a scream. It was Gray. Owen shot up off the couch and ran down the hall before anyone could even think of moving. He burst into the room to see Gray sobbing and Zach frantically trying to calm him down.
"You're fine, Gray. You're fine. I'm protecting you. Just remember I'm protecting you," Zach said. He had a hand in each of Gray's shoulders, and was looking the boy in the face. Gray was not looking back. He had his head turned to the side, and he was hysterically sobbing.
"What happened!?" Owen asked frantically.
"His belt loop got caught on the bedpost, and then he just screamed," Zach said.
"That's his moment of true terror," Owen said, "each of us is going to have one. Mine was when I was laying under the truck, I can't lay down without seeing it. Now, Gray. The Indominus had a claw on his shorts so when he felt the tugging, he saw that moment,"
Owen pulled Gray into a hug. He felt good, being able to confide somewhat in Zach. Zach was old enough to understand, and was almost in the same situation he was. Zach couldn't break down because his brother needed to see him strong. Gray needed to know Zach was going to be able to protect him, and Gray seeing Zach break down would only break Gray down more. The same went for if any of them saw him break down. It could break them so much they wouldn't have a will to go on.
Zach thought. What was his moment of true terror? Was it when they were in the gyrosphere? He was almost in a lying down position, and he had lied down already. It couldn't be that. That's when he thought he had felt the most scared.
Zach retreated from Gray's room and went into his own. He looked around for something to do, then he decided to take a shower. He hadn't taken one since before they left for the island, and he wanted to get everything off of him. He went into his bathroom and turned on the shower. He stripped himself and opened the door. That's when it happened.
When he stepped in the shower; when he touched the water, he saw it. His moment of true terror. When him and Gray were underwater, hiding from the Indominus. That explained why he didn't feel the terror. He was too busy worrying about where he would get oxygen from. He didn't know whether the Indominus would jump. He had dragged his brother further under the water. He didn't know if they were going to drown or be eaten. There only seemed to be two options during that situation, and the blurry look of terror on his brother's face was something he couldn't shake from his mind.
He jumped back in terror, holding in his scream. Gray needed Owen now. He fell onto the ground against the bathroom wall. The shower was still running in front of him. He watched it as it splashed up and onto the floor, threatening to come closer. Tears began running down his face. He heard footsteps running towards his bathroom. He grabbed the hand towel, and quickly covered his junk as Claire burst into the room.
"Zach?" she bent down and pulled the boy into a hug, "are you alright?"
He shook his head and cried into his aunt's shoulder. He was so glad Gray wasn't there to see this.
"You're mom said you're going to the therapist in a half hour," Claire said softly, "do you think you'll be ready?"
Zach nodded, but continued to sob to his aunt. It would be better for him if Owen was there. He could talk to him about the moment of true terror thing, but Gray needed Owen more than Zach did. Zach just needed somebody, and Claire was somebody.
Gray finally calmed down enough for Owen to get through to him. Owen was sitting in a beanbag chair, and Gray was lying on his bed. For a long time, Gray had been in Owen's lap, but Gray said he was ready to go back to his bed so him and Owen could talk.
"So, Gray, would you like to tell me what just happened?" Owen asked. He knew what had just happened, but to heal, it would be best for Gray to say it outloud. Gray shook his head quickly.
"There are dinosaurs in my head," Gray said, "Zach said that if I believe that he'll protect me, he will,"
"And he will," Owen said, "and the same goes for me. And your Aunt Claire. If you believe we'll protect you, then we will,"
"But I do! And you all get eaten! Then I get eaten too!" Gray cried. Owen was slightly confused. He knew Zach had only told the boy this a little while ago, how had he already known it not to be true.
"Gray, when was the last time you slept?" Owen asked curiously.
"Before I called you," Gray sniffled. Owen paled. The boy was having daydreams, and not good ones. Gray's mind was playing tricks on him. Everything the boy looked at, his mind associated it with that damn island. This was not going to be easy.
"Gray, can I ask you another question?" Owen asked. Gray nodded, "would you be comfortable talking to a therapist along with me?"
Gray shook his head. Owen held his sigh. This was all up to him. He had to do this on his own. He had to put this boy back together while trying to put himself back together, and helping Claire and Zach put themselves back together.
"Okay. Is it okay if I'm your therapist? Can I help get rid of the dinosaurs in your head?" Owen asked.
"Yes," Gray said. Owen exhaled in relief. At least he could help the boy heal. It was a long process, and it wasn't going to be an easy one, but it was something.
Zach and his dad pulled up to the therapist's office. They both stepped out and into the waiting room. Scott signed in and was given a clipboard of paperwork for Zach to fill out. He sat down next to him and handed him the clipboard. He had been filling out his own paperwork at the doctor's office for the last few years. He thought that maybe this once his dad do it, but he didn't. Even though Owen and Claire explained what happened to his parents, he didn't think they still fully understood the severity of the situation he was in.
He finished the paperwork just as the doctor came out for him.
"Are you Zach Mitchell?" she asked. He nodded.
"I'm Dr. Wilma Alison, but you can call me Wilma" she said, extending a hand. Zach shook it.
"Zach," he said softly. He handed her the clipboard.
"Would you like to come back to my office?" she asked.
"Sure," it's not like he really had a choice. They weren't going to sit in the middle of the waiting room and have a conversation about the horrors of Jurassic World. He got up and followed her into the back of the office. He saw small expressions of shock on her face as she read through the paperwork. He had written out his problems, or at least the ones that he knew of, on there, so he had gone in expecting that.
They entered the room. It was painted soothing colors. Blues, greens, purples. Nothing too bright, yet nothing to dull. There was a soothing green couch in one corner of the room, and Wilma's desk was across from it. She gestured to the couch, and Zach sat down. It was a very comfortable couch, he could fall asleep on the couch, if he was going to fall asleep, but he promised himself he wouldn't. Wilma sat at her desk and quickly typed some things into her laptop. She then turned and faced Zach.
"You can lay down if you want," she said. Zach shook his head. If he laid down, he probably would fall asleep. He hadn't slept in over forty-eight hours, so he was exhausted.
"So. You said you were on Jurassic World," she said, "that must've been hard,"
"It wasn't easy," Zach couldn't help saying it sarcastically.
"And you think you have PTSD?" she asked.
"I know I have PTSD," Zach replied, "Wilma, I can't shower! I can't touch water without seeing my moment of true terror, or whatever,"
"You're what?" she asked.
"It's what my aunt's boyfriend, Owen calls it. It's the moment on the island where you felt the most terror," he said.
"What was yours?" she asked, pulling that string. It wasn't the direction she normally went in with a patient, but it was a start.
"It was…" he thought of it again. The terror again began flowing through his body. He needed to stop it. He needed to stop it now. He wiped the thought from his mind, "I can't. I'm sorry, I can't think of it,"
"It's okay. We'll get there," Wilma said, "how about Owen? What was his moment of true terror?"
"When he was under the truck. Have you've heard the stories of Jurassic World?" Zach asked.
"Enough for context. I would've watched more if I had known that someone who was at the middle of that incident was coming in," she said.
"Well, right after the dinosaur escaped, Owen had to hide under a truck. The two people he was with were eaten. He had to hide under a truck, and cut the gasoline line and cover himself in gasoline to mask his scent. That was his moment of true terror. He can't lay down," Zach said, "and my little brother. He's got it much worse than me. He was almost dragged away and eaten by the Indominus. It had a hold on his shorts, and was going to drag him out. So earlier when his belt loop got caught on the bed, you can imagine what happened. He can't have his pants tugged, and my Aunt Claire, she hasn't experienced anything yet, not that I know of,"
"And what happens when you encounter whatever your trigger" she asked.
"You experience that moment again. You see it, and if you encounter it long enough, your nightmare comes true. She gets you," Zach said, "that happened to my brother,"
Tears began forming in Zach's eyes. He quickly tried to wipe them away, but it wasn't all that easy.
"I'm sorry," he said, wiping his eyes.
"No, it's perfectly okay, Zach. You're doing really well for your first time. Just take your time. Take your time,"
Zach nodded and let it out. He began sobbing in the therapist's office. She gave him a box of tissues which he gratefully accepted. He just wished his brother, his aunt, and Owen were there with him.
"Thank you, for lending me some clothes, Karen," Claire said as she changed out of the donated clothes, "makes me feel a little better,"
"You're welcome," Karen smiled. Claire smiled back and stepped into the heels Karen was letting her borrow. She screamed and immediately stepped out of them. She fell onto the floor, and leaned against the wall. She began crying. She had experienced her trigger; she had found her moment of true terror. Karen gasped and ran from the room.
"OWEN! OWEN!" she shouted. Karen could barely comprehend what was happening around her, but she knew one thing. Owen was coming, and she needed him right now, more than ever.
About the divorce thing, I know it's out of place but I had to mention it. It was brought up in the movie once then it was overshadowed by dinosaur attacks, so it was kinda pointless, and I hate that. I need closure, so I made it myself, unless they're thinking of doing something like this in the sequel where the parents don't split because the boys need to be together. I'd be fine with that, but still. It seemed awkward and out of place. Until next time.
-Croc9400