Camp Cretaceous Part 3: The Zipline

Yasmina P.O.V:

The camp looks pretty cool, I'll admit but this constant pestering by everyone especially the YouTuber and the Texan, like come on, if I avoid you deliberately, I don't want to be near you, it's not that hard to figure out. This group of people couldn't be more mixed than a diverse public school back home, honestly, we are all so different it's a wonder that anyone talks to one another. Darius, the excited nerd that lives and breathes dinosaurs. Ben, a scared and paranoid germaphobe. Sammy, a very people person that doesn't know the meaning of quiet. Brooklynn, a 'famous' YouTuber, with a deep attachment to that phone, if I didn't know any better, I would believe she goes to bed with it. Kenji, was your typical rich, privileged and smug kid that thought the world revolves around himself. And finally myself, the introvert that despises human interaction while being a national elite athlete.

I look towards the only room away from the common room and cabins, Dave had told us that Ryan had been given his room that would house his gear and distance away so that if he wanted to, he could study his training modules. Jealous, that he got a private room, I could understand the reasons why. Ryan was...aloof I think is the best word to describe him. While everyone was easy to get a read on (because they wear their feelings on their sleeves), Ryan on the other hand was closed off, all I could get from him is his dislike towards Kenji, his dark attitude to others especially Ben and Brooklynn and his non-chalant mood when he caught the compy.

I look towards him wearing gym gear and heading towards the bridge that leads towards the neighbourly tree. When Roxie told us about the gym, I think it was the first since arriving on this island that I smiled besides the time Ryan introduced himself in the truck. Oh...Boy... I'll seen big guys before, being an athlete you meet people who are healthy fit, steroid fit or hopeless unfit, but looking at Ryan, holy shit, that is peak-human fit. I've never really gone out of my way to feel attracted to someone, but I can't help it but wander my eyes over. I shake my head from these thoughts and walk over towards him.

P.O.V Change: Ryan

Gym time for me. Hamada told me before I left, 'Ryan, while you going for fun and whatnot, I want you to keep to your routine and workouts, got it?', Hamada is a good bloke but he is demanding with his time and dedication to said routine. And I don't want to go back to ACU out of practice, slow and weak, Hamada would chew my ass out if I did that. "Heading to the gym" I hear to my right. I look to see Yasmina walking over to me, well this is a surprise, Yasmina remained me of...me, quiet, loner, drifter, I guess. "Ahh, Yeah, my commander would chew and spit me out if he heard that I was slacking". I answer, surprising myself with the ease that I'm having with this conversation. She chuckles, in that moment I liked her laugh, she laughed at a joke that I made, I don't make jokes, what the fuck.

"Do you mind if I join you, I haven't worked out since I left the mainland.". She asks. Is she asking me permission...why...why does she need my permission. "Yeah that's fine...you don't need my permission you know, the gym is open to everyone." I question, I was curious. She walks back to her cabin to grab gym wear and looks back towards me. "I didn't want to intrude if you wanted time to yourself...we all saw your outburst to Roxie and I heard what you said to Ben in the truck, better safe than sorry you know." She answers while walking off. Huh, I guess if I was her, I would ask to, I subconsciously look over her form as she strolls away, I have to admit to myself, she is pretty. Fuckin, get your mind out of the Rex's mouth you idiot, you don't time for that nonsense.

2 1/2 hours later:

Me and Yasmina exit the gym and are walking back across the bridge toward the common room. We are laughing on our way there. "Wait, so you gave everyone a nickname when you met us at the dock." Yasmina questions me. "Yes, it is a recruit thing that ACU do when training new members, I just did it without even knowing." I retort back to her happily, as happy as I can. "What did you name us?" She wonders. "Well, Darius was the first one I saw and looked like the shortest one, so I named him Shortie, Ben was next, he looked wimpy and skitish like something was going to jump at him so I called him Skits, Brooklynn has too much pink so Pinkie, Sammy, very bubbly so I called her Bubbles and Kenji is just Kenji." I sate her curiosity. "Why doesn't Kenji have one, I know you two don't get along but-". I cut her off while hastening my stride, done with this conversation. "He's an idiot, so I call him idiot, simple as that."

She looks perplexed. "Ok than what about me." She stops and pulls my arm back forcing me to turn towards her. Shit, that was rude of me. "Sorry, I called you Runner.". She looks confused then brightens up in realisation. "Good name, you figured out I was an athlete before you even met me, I'm impressed." I smile at her. As continue to walk across the bridge, I turn her back. "Hey, really sorry for have a go at you, about me and Kenji. We don't have good history." I tell her that no hard feelings about my outburst. "Yeah it's fine, I shouldn't have pushed, don't worry about it." She calmly replies. I stop to see her continue to walk through the door and until the common lounge, I think I've made a friend, well how about that.

I walk into the common room seeing everybody sitting around trying to find something to do. I see Shortie talking with Roxie and Dave, complaining that he came here to see dinosaurs and the compy was while cool was a tease. I notice that the sun is setting, huh, the herds bedtime is soon. I walk over. "Shortie, the day not over yet and besides didn't you notice the watchtower from your cabin windows." Shortie and everyone looks to me like I was crazy, Skits actually runs to the cabins and yells. "He's right, I can just see it through the trees." Roxie and Dave tells everyone that we would be heading to said watchtower, now this could entertaining.

Camp Cretaceous Watchtower:

"Wow, it's so tall." I hear Bubbles state. No shit it's tall, it's a watchtower that watches dinosaurs of course it's going to be tall. "Want to know something really funny." I tell the group. "What's that?" Pinkie questions. "This is an old Jurassic Park watchtower that was repaired and repurposed for the herd, the old watchtower was placed near the centre of the Tyrannosaur paddock of the old park. Some poor ranger had the worst job in those days." Everyone looks shocked even the blow-hard Kenji, guess he didn't know that. "Umm, that T-Rex isn't still here right". Skits asks very nervously, everyone starts looking around. "Ha no Skits, the Tyrannosaur isn't here anymore." I hear a sigh of relief from everyone, time to fuck with them. "Though old girl Rexy does have a new home on Main Street so that's that." I say walking up the stairs, I chuckle when I hear everyone gulping.

We were now at the top of the watchtower, everyone looking in awe and wonder. Seems normal to me but then again, I never tire of seeing a Brachiosaur bellowing across the plains, it's bellow resonating in me, the first time I actually saw one, I'll never forget that day. Dave attaches a zipline seat to Skits who tries to reason that Yasmina or Darius should go first or perhaps myself. "Sorry mate, I dibsed last." Kenji turns to me. "When." I look towards him and smugly state. "Just now." I hear Skits scream in panic as he goes, soon enough we are speeding down the zipline overhead the herd, I look to see everyone just avoid the head of a Brachiosaur that turns its massive head to gaze at us. As I pass, it leans forward to inspect, I hold out my hand and caress the graceful animal. I stare into its eyes with wonder. Magnificent creatures.

Later that night:

"Kenji, fucking move your ass you idiot." We run towards the trees, I'm hoping, no scratch that praying to God, Odin or who the fuck to get me and this fuckstick out of here. I pull Kenji towards the tunnel hatch that could potentially save our lives.

ROOOAAARRR!!!

I hear the rage fuelled roar of Allison, unlike Toro whose too uncoordinated to make sharp turns or Rexy being to big to fit in small spaces, Allison is fucking terrifying if you catch her attention, doesn't help that she despises anyone or anything that enters her territory even the birds are eaten if she sees one. I move out of the way as a tree is knocked down. "Go, run, faster, get to the hatch." I tell Kenji who screams in fear. I turn to show Allison as she breaks the tree gazing at us with a hate filled glare, she roars and charges full speed. I didn't have any weapons on me to incapacitate her to give me and Kenji distance, I only had my dads lighter.

I see Kenji run towards a cave in desperation, dickhead, if you go there, Allison will just stay there snapping at you until she gets you or until she pass out and let me tell ya, that animal has gas tank full of natural stamina, determination and...hate. "You fucking dumbass, don't you know that this cave is a death trap." I angrily reprimand him. Kenji looks up, appears to be crying, appropriate reaction given the situation. "I'm sorry, I just panicked, I wanna go home." I didn't have time to answer when Allison head enters the cave, I move back narrowly avoiding the snap of her jaws. I look to see any other way out besides the mouth full of teeth. I full a clank next to my and see a hair spray container, he carried that thing the whole time, wait a minute... lightbulb. I grab the spray and my dads lighter, lightning the fire, I hold the spray and press down.

SREEEECCCCHHH!!!

I burnt a good portion of the left side of Allison face. She pulls back before the burns become extremely severe, I sigh in relief only for her to come back.

ROOOAAARRR!!!

"Ahhhhh." I wake up in a hot sweat. My combat knife in my hand looking for any threat. Shit, another one. I get out of bed and head towards my bathroom to wash my face. Fucks sake, can't get one good nights worth of sleep. I exit the bathroom and look out the window, seems like a peaceful night, stars are out. I look down to see Kenji, Shortie and Pinkie running off into the jungle. What the fuck are you idiots up to. Against my better judgement, I get changed into my tactic ACU uniform and gear, lock my knife to my leg and my tranq pistol to my hip. I grab my electric rifle and made sure it had enough ammunition, I dialled it to 24 amps, always prepare for the worst. I head down to the elevator shaft and run off into the jungle in the direction the others went. I've had a bad night and these dumbasses had just made it worse. I'm in no mood for games.

Unidentified Paddock:

I arrived to see that Pinkie and Shortie on the paddock catwalk, never been her before, I run up with haste. "What the fuck do you think you idiots are doing out here." I angrily tell to the two. "We just wanted to see the compys." "Kenji took my phone and it fell into the paddock and he is trying to get it back." Both of them said what they wanted at the same time. I don't have time for this shit. "Just get back to camp and get Roxie and Dave out here, this is stupid and reckless what you've done. I'll be back with the man-child, just get out of here." I finalise as I jump down into the pen. I look around and find Kenji with Pinkies phone trying to take a photo.

"You are going to owe twice now, saving your hide." Kenji looks totally at ease with the situation. "Chillax bro, just getting some good shots." I was 2 seconds away from throttling him, until I hear Shortie yell from above. "This isn't the compy pen." I now just realise that I'm in an unknown paddock, but that can't be right, I have done inspections with Hamada with every dinosaur paddock all except...oh shit. "We have to get out of here now. We can't be here, it's too dangerous." I state with evident and clear fear in my voice. "Why." Kenji asks curiously and that's when I had the sound of clicking and quiet snarls, myself and Kenji turn to the inner fence to see a dark greenish-blueish dinosaur with a blue streak going down its body, stands tall on two feet with a sickle claw on the second digital.

"Because that is a Velociraptor." Kenji in his stupidity had taken a photo with flash, clearly aggravating the raptor more so that what it already was. It screeches at us while jumping towards the fence trying get us. "Go run, get to the catwalk access." I urge Kenji, shoving him away from the raptor and towards the ladder. "Help us, please, help us." Kenji begs for help and with Pinkie and Shortie running across the catwalk, no no no no, you going to make it worse. But it's too late as Pinkie pressed a button to try and open the main transport gate but instead it opens the inner fence gate allowing the raptor to have better access to get to us.

"Fuck." I say as I point my rifle at the dinosaur. "Stay back." I try and remain calm hoping that the animal would heed my order. It didn't. I hear banging and see Shortie banging a pipe bursting it, releasing steam to cover us. Shortie jumps into the enclosure. "What are you doing get out of here." I yell at him. "The steam should cover us until we get to the access ladder. I look at him with anger, I widen my eyes in fear as the raptor breaks through the mist and...oh great it brought friends. Three raptors are tailing the blue one who seemed to be the leader. Shortie backs towards me as I point my rifle at the pack. Kenji whimpering in fright and Shortie desperately trying to get his fear under control. "Oh crude." He exclaims. "This is NOT how I wanted my night to go." I retort back.