Long time no see, eh fanfiction readers? I've been gone from this story and from my others for months now. Now the hiatus is at an end.
Today is also my fanfiction birthday. It was exactly one year ago that I signed up and posted my first story. Time has flown :P.
This chapter isn't the best and it's relatively short, but I think it really does a good job as the penultimate chapter in starting to tie everything in. Also, Scott goes on a rather profane rant in this chapter, but the worst of it is censored out to keep this T-rated.
It's been a long ride. We're almost at the end now, guys.
The eleven left alive climbed the stairs to the second floor of the building, where they all promptly collapsed, exhausted from running so far. They'd already given up any hope of finding Eva alive. Tyler curled up into a ball and a few tears leaked from his eyes. "I don't think I can do this anymore, guys. I swear I'll probably get a heart attack and die of fear before anything can take a bite at me. This is hell."
"Doon't worry, eh," Zeke reassured him. "We're closer to the helicopter than ever, yo."
Noah checked his map, which was now torn in several places. "We're inside a huge enclosure, with a giant wall between us and the helicopter." He glanced out the window. "You can just see it in the distance. We can either go around like the 'rescue party' did, or try and find a way through."
"Is there a way through?" asked Zoey.
"Probably," answered Noah. "I've never known anyone to make a wall miles long without any type of door or gate or something."
"Well, we can start heading around the wall, and keep an eye out for any doors while we go," suggested Gwen.
Scott nodded. "That's as good a plan as any. Let's go."
As Scott stood up, Brick glanced around. "I don't know if we should leave just yet. I think we all need some time to rest and recover. After all, what could get to us while we're in here?"
Scott shrugged. "Fair point." He sat back down and started sharpening his pocketknife on a stone. After a little bit he held it to his finger and a drop of blood ran down his hand. It was sharp enough.
Sierra tried to grab Cody's hand, but he pulled away, as politely as possible. Not sure how to tell her to stop without seeming rude, he slid over next to Gwen and gave her a smile. She smiled back briefly before returning to her thoughts.
Brick coughed. "I think we should take this time to remember all those who passed on this dangerous journey."
Owen nodded. "Yeah. I miss everybody who...you know."
"If you don't mind, I'll say something," said Courtney hesitantly.
Brick smiled. "Go ahead."
"Well, we've all been through a lot. It goes without saying, really. Now we're closer to safety than ever, but it still feels pretty damn far away. It's tough to keep going sometimes, but we can't give up. If anything, we have to keep going for those who have died, to preserve their memory and keep their spirits alive. They're in a better place now; their torture is over. We're still here in this hell, but, with any luck, not for much longer. We may not make it, but we'll certainly die trying."
A lot of the campers were misty-eyed or tearing up. Owen was bawling his eyes out. Courtney continued.
"Let's do this for Harold. Sure, he and I may not have always been the best of friends, but his heart was in the right place. He was always there to say something weird and funny, even when we didn't appreciate it. If I could I would go back and be a lot kinder to him, but it's too late now. Don't worry though, he won't be forgotten.
"Let's do this for Heather. She may have had nothing but contempt for all of us, but she met a grisly fate that no one deserves.
"And for B. He never said a word, but he didn't need to. We could all sense his kindness and compassion. He'd want us to make it through this.
"For Izzy. She thought she was as mighty as the dinosaurs, and maybe she wasn't, but I'm sure that crazy chick is roaming around with a pet T-Rex wherever she is now.
"For Jo. She was badly injured before even the initial attack, but she never gave in and never gave up. If it wasn't for a stroke of bad luck I'm sure she'd be with us now.
"For Katie. I'll always feel like her death was my fault. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. But either way, she didn't deserve her fate. She was such a kind, cheerful girl.
"For Bridgette, the friendliest girl anyone ever knew. The vicious end she met was the complete opposite of her loving personality, which was as bright as the sun.
"For Mike. Much like Jo, he never stopped trying. In fact, he was the one who found the way to the boat inside the compound. If things had gone according to plan, he would have saved us all.
"For DJ. He died nobly, just like his Momma would've wanted. And he wouldn't let the 'nychuses bring him down until he had dragged some of them down with him.
"For Trent. Yes he died in a foolish way, but it was heartbreaking nevertheless. Back when he was sane he was such a nice guy, and it's hard to believe he's not with us anymore.
"And who could forget Dawn? What she did was the bravest and stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I could've never done what she did. She was- - -is- - -a true hero.
"For Lightning. I didn't know him well, but he was a pretty funny guy, if not always intentionally. He'll be missed.
"For Eva. We may not know how she died, but I can guarantee you she went down fighting. She was a strong woman- - -physically, mentally, and emotionally."
"And finally, for Chris, Chef, Ferdy, Sarah Harding, the interns, Dave the cameraman, and the boat driver. Some of them did truly evil things, while some did truly stupid things. Regardless, we'll keep pushing on for them and for everyone else. It's what they'd want."
Owen started crying even harder. Tyler and Zoey were also in tears. Brick saluted Courtney. "That was beautiful, ma'am. And you're right. They'd want us to do this."
~~~~~/-\~~~~~
Over an hour later, the former campers were still resting. The wooden building seemed pretty secure, and no one wanted to leave it sooner than necessary.
Cody was still sitting next to Gwen in an awkward silence. He was racking his brains for something to say. "So..." he began, "what do you plan on doing if, I mean when, we get out of here."
Gwen thought for a second. "I don't know. Things can never really be the same. Obviously this whole ordeal has changed us, but it's more than that. The world knows of this place now; they'll be clamoring for our stories. I mean, we were celebrities before, because of Total Drama. But now we'll be world-famous."
"I wouldn't really mind the fame."
"Well, is there really anything so special about us? We're just a random bunch of teens who got stuck in this situation. Yes we've done some amazing things and made smart decisions, but all in all it really was mostly luck that we got this far. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time; there's nothing special about that."
"Gwen, I think you're pretty special. I mean, look at why I'm here. I just wanted the million bucks, simple as that. But look at why you're here. You didn't want to play the game; you knew how it corrupts people and turns allies against each other. But when you heard your friends were in trouble, you came here without a moment's hesitation. You knew we might already be dead. You knew you might die yourself. You knew coming here might just cause more death. But you came anyway. For us. For me."
Gwen nodded. "It wasn't just me, you know. Everyone here is a hero. Even those who just 'wanted the million bucks', as you said, have shown more bravery than anyone could've anticipated. That includes you, Cody."
"Thanks." He slipped his hand into hers. "We'll make it out of here." She smiled.
Tyler had been talking with Ezekiel for a while, but now he sat in silence, staring out the window. A Brachiousaurus had passed by about ten minutes ago, the majestic beast stopping to graze before continuing on its way. Now everything was still, but he sensed movement just out of sight. Water splashed out of the river and on to the banks. He caught a quick glimpse of green scales and his heart dropped into his stomach.
A second later, a giant eye was staring at him through the window. He froze, determined not to panic. The others noticed and also kept motionless. The Spinosaurus roared. It wasn't as powerful or deep as the T-Rex's roar, but it was still just as terrifying.
The creature rammed the window and it shattered, along with much of the wooden wall splintering. Glass shards flew everywhere. They cut both the teens and the dinosaur, but both parties ignored them.
Zeke and Scott were the first to react as they ran downstairs. The giant dinosaur pulled its head out of the room and walked around the building, trying to see where the two had gone. Tyler saw a chance to escape and jumped through the gaping hole in the wall and fell into the river below.
Immediately, the Spinosaurus' head whipped around. It stepped into the river, the water only going up to its thighs. Tyler had just surfaced and was swimming to shore when the giant jaws swallowed him. Everything went black.
Brick, Noah, Courtney, Gwen, Sierra, Cody, Zoey, and Owen ran down the stairs after Zeke and Scott, flinching as Tyler screamed. Zeke ran back up the stairs to give the dinosaur a rude hand gesture before exiting the building with the rest of the group.
The Spinosaurus was apparently still hungry, as it pursued them. They reached the edge of the forest and dashed through the undergrowth, soon emerging into a clearing. Directly in front of them was them was the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Bursting out of the jungle right behind them was the Spinosaurus.
~~~~~/-\~~~~~
The two dinosaurs stared each other down, ignoring the campers. The Spinosaurus roared. The Rex roared and stepped forward menacingly, starting to circle the larger carnivore. The group of survivors scattered, running in every direction to get away and avoid being stepped on.
Right to their left was the large wall, where all of them ended up. There was a large door, but it was shut. Next to it was a metal lever, which Gwen hurriedly pulled.
Noah sighed. "This island hasn't had electricity for years; that lever is useless."
Meanwhile, the Tyrannosaurus made the first move and lunged forward, aiming for the Spino's neck. The Spinosaurus dodged but the Rex had a follow-up move ready. Its powerful jaws clamped around the Spino's neck, crushing and twisting. But the larger dinosaur wasn't finished yet. It reared up and slammed the Rex into a tree, making it lose both its grip on the Spino's neck, and its balance. The tyrant lizard king fell over, roaring pathetically.
Scott pulled at the door. It occurred to him that it might lift upwards, like a garage door. He bent down, grabbed the bottom, and pulled with all his strength. At first it only budged an inch or two, but then it slid up the rest of the way, with Scott staggering under its weight.
"Let's go!" yelled Cody. He grabbed Gwen's hand and pulled her through with him, Sierra following close behind. Before anyone else could go, Zeke kicked Scott in the shin and he fell forward. The door instantly slammed shut behind him.
"Ow!" yelled the redneck. "What the hell was that for?!"
"Just testin' yo reflexes, yo," answered Zeke. "Gotta make sure you're in good enough shape to outrun ol' Mr. Dino!"
"YOU'RE A F*CKING MORON! GO TO F*CKIN' HELL YOU LITTLE C**T, AND THEN F*CK YOURSELF SIDEWAYS!"
Zeke laughed. "Yoor voice gets pretty high-pitched when you get angry, eh. It sounds funny!"
The Spinosaurus ripped at the Rex's belly with its hind claws. The wound wasn't deep enough to eviscerate the iconic dinosaur, but blood poured out freely. The Rex snapped at the Spino, getting it to back off a little. Then it stood back up, swinging its long tail back and forth furiously.
The Spino charged, attempting to slam the slightly smaller dinosaur back down, but to no avail as the Tyrannosaur bit down on its neck with perfect timing. Digging into the wounds it had made earlier, the Rex mercilessly forced the Spinosaur to the ground.
Noah grimaced. "Did you see how quickly that door shut? We need something to prop it up."
"That's a smart idea," began Brick, "but I have to inform you that we're out of time. Look!"
The Rex twisted its head, and a loud snap was heard as the Spinosaurus' neck broke. The giant dinosaur lay dead on the ground, with the Rex roaring triumphantly above it. Then it turned to face the campers.
"Crap," whispered Zoey quietly.
"I'll hold the door for you!" yelled Brick.
"You won't make it through!" yelled Owen.
"There's no time to argue! Just go!" He yanked the door open and struggled to hold it up as Owen and Zoey ran through. Scott shoved Zeke through, then dashed in himself. Noah and Courtney were the last two, but they made it.
Brick stared solemnly ahead as the Rex walked up to him. "You think you've got me, don't you? You may have killed many of my friends, but I'll kill myself before you can get me." He was true to his word and let the door fall, crushing him. The Rex bent down to eat the half of him sticking out.
~~~~~/-\~~~~~
As soon as the nine left alive made it a safe distance away from the wall, Scott proceeded to try and strangle Ezekiel. He pinned him up against a tree by the neck with one hand, and grabbed his knife with the other. "Were you trying to get me killed?! I'll stab you, you little asshole, right in your damn neck!"
"Scott, calm down," said Sierra. "Zeke is kind of an idiot, but he wants the same as the rest of us; to get out of here."
Scott laughed. He laughed uncontrollably for several seconds. Letting the prairie boy go, he sighed. "Did you really think I joined this whole search party and rescue crew thing to save you guys? To risk my life for others? You all know what I'm like, but no, you thought I'd turned over a new leaf. Ha ha. Idiots. There's a very different reason why I'm here."
Before Sierra could reply, Scott wrapped his arm around her, pinning her arms to her side, and pressed the blade of his knife against her throat. Glaring at the others, he said "Make one move and she gets it."
Owen was starting to freak out. "What's going on?!"
Scott laughed again. "I came here because the scientists who bioengineered the Deinonychuses hired me. See, they'd prefer it if the world didn't about what they did with those raptors."
"It's too late for that; or did you forget that the whole world knows already?" asked Noah sarcastically. "Ian Malcolm and Alan Grant made sure of that."
"The world knows of this island, but they know nothing of the 'nychuses. Malcolm, Grant, Staci, and Duncan haven't told anyone. See, they've been presented with a choice by my scientist pals. If they keep their traps shut, they get to live. But, whether or not you bastards would agree to that is uncertain, so it's best to just kill you while we can. That's my job; to make sure none of you get off this island alive."
"Well, what are you waiting for?" asked Sierra, trying to sound brave even though she was terrified. "Kill us then."
"Oh no," said Scott. "It's much more fun to let the local wildlife do it for me."
"Why are you doing this!" exclaimed Zoey.
"What the hell do you think? I'm getting paid the big bucks for this."
"You're an idiot, Scott," said Noah. "Why would they pay you when they can just kill you and keep the money?"
"Oh, I'm sure they intend to kill me. I don't plan on letting that happen. But in the mean time, I might as well finish the job and make sure you all die." He put a little more pressure on the knife, and a thin line of blood formed on Sierra's neck.
Suddenly, the wall they'd past through exploded as the T-Rex burst through, roaring. The dust settled and it eyed the campers, who were only a few hundred yards away. Scott was genuinely scared with the rest of them for a second or two, but then he grinned. "Opportunity knocks."
TO BE CONTINUED...
Dead: Harold, Heather, B, Izzy, Jo, Katie, Bridgette, Mike, DJ, Trent, Dawn, Lightning, Eva, Tyler, Brick
Alive: Noah, Cody, Sierra, Zoey, Courtney, Ezekiel, Owen, Gwen, Scott
Dinosaur Species: Stegosaurus, Deinonychus, Ceratosaurus, Kronosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Compsognathus, Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Triceratops, Pteradon
Well, bet'cha didn't see that coming XD. I tried to foreshadow Scott's evilness just a little so it wouldn't be obvious, but now I'm afraid I didn't foreshadow it enough and it feels way too spontaneous. Shoot.
So, will the campers survive both the T-Rex and Scott long enough to get to the helicopter? Will the helicopter still work? Expect the final chapter within the next month or so. Peace out, yo.
~TheImpossiblyAwesomeWriter
Next Time: All hell breaks loose.