Chapter Forty-Four
It took every ounce of mental strength that Claire had not to erupt into a screaming pillar of panic right there in the middle of the Control Room, where a dozen pair of eyes were watching her and awaiting her hence-departed wisdoms. With Masrani and the Wu's on their way to talk on resolutions, there was little else to be done other than to worry about her nephews as the ACU units began to mobilize, responsibilities as a manager pushed to the wayside - momentarily.
She had the sinking feeling that this was some kind of karma set back on her for all the weeks she'd been only half-involved in her nephews' visit to the park. She realized now, clutching the phone in her hand as it continued to ring into her ear annoyingly, that she'd been not only a horrible sister by ignoring her sister's children, but that'd she'd been a horrible example of family to Gray and Zach. She'd managed to ignore them, drive them apart, and put a wedge in their relationship almost as wide as the Panama Canal, if not a bit wider, dramatics aside.
Regret punched itself into her gut like a cannonball, sinking low in the core of her persona, until she gave up on the twelfth phone call and looked back to the GPS again, where the Indominus' tracker was blinking in a steady trek towards the park. Progress was still steady, and the animal hadn't veered off course, confirming Claire's suspicion that there was something going on that was a lot deeper than basic hybrid breeding, as Owen had hinted.
In her experience, the assets never really showed much calculated discernment or intent - of the animals who had been found out of their paddocks, very few of them had seemed to have any sort of plan other than to meander along in a confused fashion. However, this hybrid - this monster - had seemed to know what she was doing from the beginning, and she couldn't help but wonder if Owen had been right.
Owen – she closed her eyes. While at the very least thankful he'd been willing to go and retrieve her nephews, she was still burning mad that he would dare challenge her authority in front of the entire Control staff. It had been a mistake, asking him for his professional opinion at the paddock – had she just followed the system's protocols, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe she wasn't in as much control as she had previously thought – but, almost as soon as the idea popped into her brain, she batted it away with a shake of her head, a pinch to the bridge of her nose, and a call for an update on Real World One sheltering protocols.
Before the assistant could hand off yet another iPad to her, she was intercepted by Vivian, who held out an ear mic to her, her face flushed and her eyes still puffy from extended amounts of crying. She cleared her throat before Claire plucked the device from her hands, the girl looking more uncertain with each breath.
As Claire worked it into her ear, Vivian seated herself again. "It's Hamada," she said solemnly, "they want clearance to engage."
Clicking the mic on, she engaged with Hamada's set almost immediately. "Hamada, this is Claire Dearing," she waited for Lowry to bring up the video connection, "I'm almost set up for video on my end – how are things looking where you are?"
There was the expected sound of busy shuffling, as well as muted voices in the background, which was normal for a headset feed. Claire had experienced many of these moments as ACU had worked to contain animals and exercise trainings throughout the years the park had been working toward operation. It wasn't news to her, by any means, when there was a loud bang! on the other end of the line.
Hamada responded casually. "Fine and well so far," he reported, his voice quiet and collected, almost like a trained assassin more than an ACU operative, "we're geared up with some lethals and ready to discharge, on your mark. Have any idea what we're dealing with?"
Her mouth fell midway open during his check-in, her blood teaming with heat almost immediately. Protocols and policy aside, she couldn't help but focus on the one little word from his statement, despite his question. She was still hung up on it an awkward moment later, and her brow dropped into a wrinkle as the corners of her mouth pulled down into a serious frown.
Nervous energy prickled to life beneath her skin, and for a moment, she wasn't sure how to form words, until they sprang out of her mouth quickly, almost causing her to cough them out as she rubbed the front of her neck carefully, in an attempt to quell her energy more than not. "What do you mean lethals, Hamada?"
The man didn't skip a beat on the other end of the link.
"Lethals, Claire – it is protocol, is it not?"
Looking around the Control Room, Claire noticed that much of the attention had drawn away from her, everyone now focused on Lowry's attempts to bring up the video link. Clearing her throat quietly, Claire raised the microphone to her lips a bit further, shoved the ear wig deeper into her ear, and stepped away from the console that Lowry was working to make her way to a silent corner, anger barely contained inside her chest. Closing her eyes, she released a calm breath, and inhaled sharply in the next moment.
Much to her surprise, a quiet hiss escaped her lips. "Protocol or not, Hamada, this is a multi-million-dollar animal we are talking about," she began to nervously finger the end of her hair, pacing back and forth in her quiet corner, while gnawing on her bottom lip, "there's no way can justify just killing it –"
Hamada was deathly quiet for a brief moment, before she heard some type of heavy door slam, followed the silence that seemed to permeate through the connection. Pausing to make sure no one had heard her conversation thus far, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back, before she retrieved her phone from her pocket and checked the time before looking back to the Control Room main-screen, which was now live with video-feed, thanks to Lowry's steady work.
There was a shuffle, then a collected sigh. "But this thing has killed people, Claire. Where's the justification for that?"
Her mouth dropped open and her throat burned with a reply, but Claire's brain stopped for a moment as she thought about his words – people had died, yes. Their families would need paid off under the table before anything hit the public. Thankfully, no one knew there was a dangerous animal out of containment, except the staff, and contracts took care of any suspicion that outside word would get out, lest penalty of expensive court cases and charges. Masrani had made sure of that first and foremost as they'd hired people into the park, thankfully.
Before she had time to think, the elevator doors snapped open, and Wu, his daughter Lillian, and Masrani were exiting the car so quickly that it made her take a staggered step backwards. Claire inhaled a sharp breath, looked back at the monitor, and hurriedly hissed, "Go with non-lethal weapons for now, Hamada, until I get the logistics covered," before she cancelled the line and the feed dropped. Ripping the earpiece from her ear, it dangled over her shoulder as her other hand gripped her phone with white knuckles.
A stone still rolled throughout her stomach uneasily as she wondered about Zach and Gray, who seemed to dominate every other thought that skipped through her brain. However, Masrani was looking to her while exchanging words with Lowry, and Claire knew that she wouldn't be able to solve the issue of her nephews until Masrani and Wu were properly informed, despite her intentions. So, taking the phone, she dropped it on the console beside a Styrofoam cup of cold coffee, and turned to Masrani, who was collectively calm, though sweating profusely on his brow.
She looked away a moment, and found Lillian and Wu were reviewing footage of the Indominus' paddock as Vivian replayed the horrifying account; Wu's daughter scribbling notes as fast her father could recite them. Both scientists had a look of shocked awe and mesmerized glory, and Claire watched in muted patience as Masrani punched in a number on his phone, gestured for her to step up, and threw a hand out to gesture towards the monitor, as if it would magically appear with all the answers he'd ever wanted about anything in particular.
Holding the phone away from his mouth, he demanded with a scowl, "What in God's name is going on, Claire?"
She gulped back a breath, and dared to respond with a very quiet, and a somewhat hesitant, "Everything is under control, Isaac."
After leaving the Camaro parked near the Employee Entrance to the Samsung building, Owen had managed to convince a passing maintenance team to loan him their abandoned park SUV as they worked with crowds and control. Once they'd halfheartedly passed him the keys, Owen had thanked them with a nod, a smile, and a mock salute, as if things were as normal as any other day.
Coming to a halt outside of the maintenance building where Alan had informed them that he and Ellie were currently corralled at, he threw the car into park and glanced up the sunroof to peer at the Maintenance Building signage.
Marianne was beside him in the passenger seat, Sophie in the back. They'd managed to stop by the resort and find the girl a change of clothes, meeting up with Nick in the process. Informing him of the situation of Claire's nephews, they had ultimately decided having Nick stay in the resort to provide support was the best option.
Actually, Marianne had decided to leave Nick in the resort, for reasons of her own more than support. Nick couldn't have supported a cause any more than he could've supported them in this situation, though she hadn't said anything along the lines. The last thing she needed was her ex hovering behind her in a crisis - though, she remembered Ian Malcolm having stated that Nick had held his own in a different crisis many years before they'd met, but it didn't rightly matter.
Sophie was already out of the car and holding tightly onto Marianne's hand before Owen circled the SUV and met them, thumbing over his shoulder. "We'll go around back; shouldn't get too swamped with people that way."
Nodding her consent, Marianne reached for the phone in her back pocket, "I'll let Alan know so he can meet us." Tugging Sophie along behind her, Marianne followed Owen around the back of the towering maintenance shop, managing to send a quick text off to her mentor before stuffing her phone back in her pocket.
She was thankful beyond all hope that Sophie had been okay. The doctor had been confident that she hadn't suffered any side effects of shock, but, Marianne couldn't be so easily assured – the girl seemed different. She lacked the usual childlike innocence that she had possessed when Marianne had met her – her eyes didn't sparkle. Instead, they looked ashen and cold, as if she'd been a war veteran instead of a young girl. What was perhaps most disturbing was the lack of confidence, and the presence of cowering fear that seemed to possess her – as if she'd turned into a meek puppy seeking the safety of her mother's shadow.
Pulling open the back door, Owen waved them through, bracing it open with his booted foot, and a strong arm barred across the front. He gripped the door-frame with white knuckles, and as she passed by, Marianne noticed for the first time the dense wrinkle in his forehead, as well as the deep lines of a frown pulling down the corners of his lips.
Swallowing back a dry breath, she tried to tell herself that things were fine, until the sneaking thought that Owen wouldn't look so grave if things were fine snaked its way into her brain, constricting her thoughts like a serpent. Her stomach was already turning with nervous energy, and she felt sick and exhausted, if not beyond her means. The thought of just sitting with the rest of the crowds was not entirely unappealing, though her raw emotions told her that she'd never been able to sit by a day in her life, and today wasn't a good day to start a habit.
Ushering them through the door, it banged closed behind the trio, and Owen nodded in the direction leading out of the back room, which was dark. Taking her hand in his own, he gave it a reassuring squeeze, as if sensing her uneasiness - Marianne didn't think anyone could tell she was off her normal game, but, Owen wasn't just anyone. Though they hadn't been together very long, she seemed more tuned into him than she had before, and vice versa - perhaps relationships had that effect? Or maybe it was just sexual tension; never mind the fact that he'd almost gotten himself killed for her.
They came out of the supply room, into the edge of swarm of people, milling about like nervous hens cooped together in a hen-house. What people weren't pacing back and forth were trying to make calls, others asking questions to the few exhausted-looking employees attempting to take down names of separated loved ones. A pair of employees - young adults, no less - were huddled in the corner not far from the door they'd exited out of, attempting to communicate with other controlled areas via walkie-talkie and headsets, one running a clipboard while another scribbled notes. Their hushed tones only unnerved the guests who were wise enough to pay attention across the floor.
It looked as if everything was as it should be, in the eyes of protocol. However, swallowing back a dry breath, Marianne tried to tell herself that things were fine, until the sneaking thought that Owen wouldn't look so grave if things were fine snaked its way into her brain, constricting her thoughts like a serpent. Her stomach was already turning with nervous energy, and she felt sick and exhausted, if not beyond her means. The thought of just sitting with the rest of the crowds unsettled her further – she never would've been able to sit in the crowds, milling around, waiting for confirmation of everyone's worst fear. Things weren't fine – she'd never be able to tell anyone that, park attendant or guest.
While exhaustion pulled at every corner of her being, Marianne continued to force one foot in front of the other, driving herself forward with every breath. She couldn't be exhausted, because no matter how exhausted they were, that thing milling about the outskirts of the park with chaos in its maw would never stop.
Owen took her by the arm gently, and guided her along the outskirts of the crowd, where a few onlookers noticed them with curious and disgruntled looks. However, the determination must've been quite evident on their party's faces, because no one made any move to intercept them. Sophie looked to the crowd with a blank and expressionless stare, her feet shuffling across the floor as people pointed, stared, and hushed amongst themselves while gesturing to the young girl.
Noticing the uneasiness, Owen scooped up his niece, and began to scan the crowd for any sign of Alan and Ellie. Marianne stood dutifully at his side, until her phone pinged, and she retrieved it. The simple response of I see you, alleviated all her concerns for a moment, until Marianne looked up and saw Alan and Ellie jogging towards them briskly, Alan slipping his phone back into the breast-pocket of his shirt.
Ellie immediately embraced Marianne, a sigh of relief pouring out of her. "I'm so glad you're alright," she murmured into Marianne's ear, though she wasn't entirely sure if Ellie understood the scope of her commentary to Marianne's situation. Embracing her friend back, they parted to find Owen already thumbing over his shoulder, gesturing for them that it was time to go.
"Let's get a move on," he said quietly, attention on the crowd of onlookers more than the immediate group. Sophie clung to him like a bad habit, her eyes sad and her face pulled taut with exhaustion.
Turning on his heel, Owen added quickly, "Best start in the valley – the boys could easy be stuck out there with all the rain we've had."
Once outside at the Jeep once more, Owen helped Sophie scramble up into the vehicle, buckled her in, and then thumped the door closed. Turning to face Alan and Ellie, Marianne glanced through the Jeep's tinted window to see Sophie staring away from them. Marianne bit her lower lip nervously, and her stomach knotted in concern, but Owen's voice brought her back to the conversation.
He cleared his throat. "Ok, here's what I'm thinking," he gestured to Alan and Ellie, where the blonde was fanning herself with what looked like a crumpled park map, "Marianne and I are going into the valley to track down some lost guests," he refrained from going into specifics, Marianne noticed, "I think it might be a good idea to find Hoskins and see if you can't talk some sense into him."
When he gestured between Alan and Ellie, the blood completely drained out of Alan's face and he dropped as white as sheet, his eyes widening beneath the brow of his traditional wide-brimmed hat. A sunburn was already setting in across his features, and dark circles accentuated the bags beneath his eyes. But, looks aside, Marianne could see the man from 21-years ago; the man who had endured hell and come out the other side – only to find himself at the same set of gates again.
Every stitch of him seemed opposed to the idea.
Ellie, however traumatic her experiences with the park had been two decades ago, didn't seem all that phased. Instead, she worked her hair into a low bun, heaving out a sigh that was almost as heavy as a brick. She looked tired and numb, with a hint of a sunburn evident on her fair cheeks. Her hair, while it had been bleached blonde in her earlier years, complimented her features nicely.
She nodded, as if confirming her understanding. "I don't think that's a bad idea. I have some resources in the States that might be good on their favors they owe me. If we just get Hoskins to hesitate enough, that might give my people some time to get a plan together in the Legislative arena."
Surprised rocked Marianne to her core, and her brows shot up a few inches on her face, spiking a look over to Sattler. "Wow, you do know some people, don't you?"
Ellie grinned at her. "I married a politician. Comes with the terf."
Owen liked the idea, it seemed, and affirmed it with a strong nod. Consulting the SUV's tinted windows once more, Marianne crossed her arms in front of her, and drummed her fingertips along her arm. What was left was the decision of what to do with the little girl in the car - Marianne didn't know how to go about presenting the situation to Owen. She would've much rather keep the girl safe and sound at the resort with Nick than take her with them out in the field, but, then again, leaving her with Nick the first time hadn't shaken out so well.
Owen seemed to be reading her mind, because he thumbed over his shoulder to add, "Sophie will come with us. I don't want her floating around by herself."
Alan and Ellie exchanged a look that told Marianne exactly that she needed to know about what was floating around their minds. Years ago in their original trauma from the park, there had been kids involved that they'd ended up dragging through the survival of the mess. Lex and Tim and survived and had done just fine, or so she'd heard - they kept regular contact with Alan through emails and letters. Last Marianne had heard was that Lex was married and expecting, while Tim had pursued a healthy career in paleontology, currently working in Egypt.
Another consultation to her mentor's expression told Marianne that this wasn't a good idea in his head - at all. However, when Alan didn't offer any argument or retorts, Owen seemed to take that as the conclusion to their conversation. Gesturing to them, he dug Marianne's Camaro keys from his pocket, and tossed them Alan's way. Catching them with one hand, Owen pointed towards the Samsung building, lifting his chin in an instructive gesture.
"Marianne's car is up at the Innovation Center, by the employee entrance. Take that out to the paddock, which is straight through the maintenance gates. There's signs posted to get around." Giving them double thumbs-up, he looked to Marianne and jerked his head towards the Jeep, signaling that he was ready to go. "Let's get a move on. Sooner everyone is accounted for, the better I'll feel about this whole thing."
Nodding her understanding, Marianne hardly had time to spin on her heel to march around the Jeep before Alan grabbed for her elbow. Tugging on it lightly for her to come around, she did so, facing the pair of scientists who gave her looks of worried concern and fear. Giving them a thin lipped smile and a look of sympathy, Marianne wrapped Alan in a tight hug, only to have him embrace her back securely.
"Watch yourself, kiddo," he murmured into her ear, "be safe, Marianne." His tone was grave and series, peppered with concern.
She nodded into his shoulder, giving his back a sharp slap of reassurance. "Of course," was her reply. She reached up on tip toes, kissed his stubbled cheek lightly, and was welcomed into Ellie's embrace gently, where the paleobotonist rubbed her back reassuringly. Marianne gave her a tight squeeze, before pulling back from her embrace.
"Keep in touch," Ellie quietly warned, touching her cheek lightly, "and stay alert."
Marianne nodded. "We'll be fine," she replied, before kissing Ellie lightly on the cheek as well.
Owen had already started the SUV and revved the engine, and when Marianne looked over her shoulder, she saw him glancing out the side mirror, arm draped through the open window. Snapping his fingers, he waved Marianne to come on, and she hurried around the side of the Jeep. Throwing open the door, she hopped inside, thumped it closed, and checked her own mirror to see Alan and Ellie exchanging conversation, Alan gesturing with her keys looped around his finger.
"I don't like this, Zach. Maybe we should go back."
The concern in Gray's voice wavered in an unsteady warning, his attention nervously cast outside their bubble of protection. Zach had managed to guide the sphere outside of the valley, and into the overgrowth passed the gates. Somehow, the gate had been damaged, but that hadn't deterred him - the sphere had fit perfectly through as if it had been made for the ride, and the foliage stretched out around them in an array of greens and other colors, as if desperate for a glimpse of the modern.
The sky overhead was obscured from the canopy of trees, which were alive with the distant calls of birds and other tree-dwelling species. They shifted in the breeze, and had they been able to hear outside of their sphere, their music would've been more reassurance to the situation, which Zach needed. While he'd managed to put on a brave face the first few feet passed the gate, it was beginning to get a bit difficult to sense direction, and the last thing he wanted was to be lost.
Zach's uneasiness pitted his stomach further. Perhaps it hadn't been his best idea to venture out of the valley. Like it even mattered, he realized - it was another one of his mediocre ideas in a list of ideas that weren't that fantastic, as his mother had mentioned many times before. He had a knack for making bad decisions and having a puny sense of discernment, even when he wasn't trying to impress anyone - and he had the sneaking feel that this time, thing's were a colossal failure on his part. He'd tried to be a better big brother, and what had it resulted in? Gray's whining and uneasiness.
He edged the sphere on a bit further, not bothering to give Gray's suggestion an answer. They'd long-since turned off the sphere's monitor, which was on a continuous loop of Jimmy Fallon telling them to return to the sphere's platform, sounding off with an alarm system calling all units back to the park. As disappointed as he'd already felt, the warnings and alerts hadn't bode well for his confidence level, so Zach had just switched it off altogether, which earned him another series of complaints from Gray.
There was a slight tremble in the ground, one that made Zach stop the sphere abruptly. The beaten trail they'd been on had looked as if it had been mauled by dinosaurs, but Zach wasn't sure how that was possible - all the animals had been at the opposite end of the valley; certainly they hadn't made their way out already? Pushing aside the thought that perhaps he should tell his aunt about the hole in the valley's fencing, he instead looked to Gray for any kind of information, as if the boy had materialized an answer out of thin air regarding the earth's movement. Of course, they'd felt it before roaming around the park as the dinosaurs had walked; wasn't anything new there.
But, there wasn't any holes in any security fences at the park.
They shared a brief moment of concern, before Zach shook off the idea of retreat. He didn't want his brother to return home and say how much of a baby he was. He was a teenager, with teenage courage. He wasn't afraid of anything - for the most part. So, clearing his throat, he pulled the sleeves of his sweatshirt above his elbows, and grabbed the steering mechanism of the sphere, pushing it forward with a jerk.
Gray, looking desperate, glanced from the control panel, up to his big brother. "Didn't you hear, Zach? I said I don't like this and want to go back."
They were approaching a curve in the beaten trail, so Zach lined up the sphere and positioned it properly, so they took the curve smoothly without going off the folded foliage. He waved off Gray's concern with a flapping hand, rolling his eyes and inserting a breath that turned, sequentially, into a snort. "Don't be such a baby, Gray. We'll head back in a few minutes. We can always tell Claire that we had trouble getting the sphere working, which is true - the screen has been flickering the entire time."
He frowned. "But that's a lie."
Zach scowled at him. "Only a partial one."
"A lie is a lie, Zach!"
Without thinking, Zach released the steering mechanism, and the sphere jolted to an abrupt halt. Had their harnesses not been secured, both of them would've been flung forward into the control panel. Turning as much as possible in his seat, he threw his hands into the air, face exploding with red and evidence of rage. "Mom and Dad have been lying to us for weeks, Gray - what does it even matter!?"
Gray shrank away from him, and tears began to bubble up into his eyes. Immediately, Zach could see the evidence of damage being done, and when Gray turned away from him to sniffle quietly and run the sleeve of his shirt beneath his nose, his heart fell what felt like an eternity through his chest. He reached for Gray, but retreated, instead noting the slight movement outside the sphere.
He scanned the foliage ahead of them; thick trees and plants reaching up to the sky beneath a canopy of green. It was slightly cooler and darker in the foliage, but in a good and peaceful way. However, when Zach continued to scan, he saw the rustling of movement out ahead of the sphere - he wouldn't have been concerned had the trees and leaves not been rustling so high up in the foliage, which meant a bigger dinosaur was out there, or a bigger something was in close proximity to their little bubble.
His heart began to kick inside his chest, and a cold sweat began to form on his brow. He wanted to be sure it was even a dinosaur before he alerted Gray to their situation - it was a good thing, right? Being so close to a dinosaur would be awesome. Gray would love it! But, with that thought circling his min, why wasn't he relieved and at ease? I instead, he didn't like the slight tremble to his hand, or the nervousness pounding through his head like a drum.
Eyes still intently focused on the foliage around them, he didn't see any more rustling of the growth. However, his mouth was suddenly very dry, and he was having trouble regulating his breathing. Gray, blissfully unaware, was sniffling in his seat, sulking. Gray slowly extended an arm to touch his, noticing a flock of birds explode from the trees over head, the ground beginning to tremble even more violently in a rhythmic pattern. One...two. One...two. One...
Where was the other tremble? He couldn't feel it, though he felt each one before that trembling in his heart, beating away at the skeleton in his chest. He felt sick, and afraid, and nervous. Suddenly, a thousand thoughts were racing through his head - thoughts of his parents, of Claire, of safety, of...Gray. Zach needed to get them out of here; every fibre in his survival senses were itching and burning. Something wasn't right.
In his mind's eye, she saw the hole in the wall. Realizing that a hole only meant that an aggressive, desperate animal had punched its way through didn't give him mind ease at all - instead, he recalled the warnings and alerts, and it began to piece together in his mind. Something was out here with them - something big, something aggressive, and something wrong.
This is all wrong, he thought to himself, "...all wrong."
Noting that Zach had suddenly grabbed his arm, Gray situated properly in his seat, casting his brother an upset look. Shoving his hand off his arm, he swatted at Zach, still sniffling. His nose was red and his cheeks were wet, physical signs that Zach's outburst had crushed him emotionally. However, all Zach could truly focus on was the fact that the earth was moving again, and the trembles were getting stronger, though he couldn't see any moving underbrush.
Gray raked the back of his hand beneath his nose. "Yeah, you are all wrong. You're a jerk, Zach -"
Zach shook his head, "Shh, shh. You hear that, Gray?"
Gray furrowed his brow at him, confused. "Hear what?"
Zach waved his hand in between them, gesturing for him to shut up and listen. And, Gray did just that. He scanned the area outside their sphere, his breathing becoming short and panicky, as what Zach could only assume were footfalls continued to grow louder and stronger. Soon, their sphere was shaking with each rhythmic fall. He looked to Gray, whose face was suddenly lacking any kind of color; his eyes hollow with fear and unknowns.
Very suddenly, Zach felt like he was being watched, and he couldn't see how or by what.
"I think we should g-"
Before Zach could finish his thought or reach for the steering mechanism, he saw movement atop of the sphere. Slowly, like the ghost of death, it outstretched above them, a pale and rough looking skin that was massive, with long fingers and talons to match. It was dirty, stained with blood, and had pieces of flesh hanging from it - and before Zach could even form another thought, it slowly rested on top of their bubble, pressing as the tips slowly raked down the sphere and to the front, before the massive arm and talons were directly in front of them, outside.
Both of them were frozen. Zach couldn't take his eyes from the hand. He couldn't feel anything besides fear, which was choking the life out his lungs as if he were caught in a constricting serpent's hold. Unmoving, he tried to summon moisture into his mouth, and instead found a quiet whisper of warning for his brother.
"Don't...don't move, Gray,"
The boy beside him let out a whimper, and Zach slowly edged a look over to him, finding Gray's attention cemented outside his side of the bubble. At the sight, Zach's eyes widened, his heart jumped into his throat, mixing with the lunch they'd eaten earlier. His breathing became ragged, sweat began to fall off of him, and all he wanted to do was cry. He slowly edged for the steering mechanism, but realized it would do little against such a massive animal, which could easily outrun them. Instead, he just focused on staring at that thing, who's eye was watching them carefully, as if assessing what they would do next; maw slightly open, teeth stained with blood as flesh hung raggedly from odd spots around its mouth.
The animal stopped then, eye cemented on him for half a second, before it darted to look above them. And then, before either of them knew what happened, the monster's hand slammed into the roof of their sphere, sending the world spinning into a kaleidoscope of green and fear.