The Cattle Drive
Camp Cretaceous Balcony:
"We thought that it would be fun, we thought that it would be safe but we wouldn't understand the...horror waiting for us. The ground shook, the trees stopped swaying, the birds became quiet, the T-Rex emerges from the trees, its jaws open wid-". CLICK. The flash of Brooklynn's phone cuts Shorties story, honestly while not the greatest, Shortie, no Darius, knows how to deliver a scary story, hood up, behind a fire, ominous clouds, got to give it to him, kid has charisma. His excitement and how he acts just draws you in like a moth to a flame.
We all look towards Brooklynn with questioning looks (I glare a hole into the back of her head, I liked the story). "For the vlog." She says, non-chalant about the fact that she's running the moment. It's moments like these that I wish I had my machete. "Keep telling your little story. " The T-Rex emer-". "Shoot, ran out of space, hold on one sec, no no not that one, Everest was a good selfie." Brooklynn again interrupts...I've always had a short fuse and boy oh boy she is getting closer to blowing that fuse. "Maybe I should start again." Darius sadly states. "No, how about you just stop." Skits says as his grips surprisingly strong to Kenji. "Dude relax, he hasn't even got to the good part and how is your grip this strong." I laugh. They all turn towards me. "Maybe you're a guy magnet rather than a chick magnet Kon." Kenji looks bewildered and tries to shove Skits off. Darius goes back to his story. "The T-Rex opens he-." "Do you guys think we should invite Yasmina over, I think she would like this story." This time Bubbles interrupts.
I see Darius just gives up and lays down looking up in frustration, poor guy. "Maybe she just wants to be by yourself." Brooklynn reasons, I get it because I'm the same way, not a social butterfly but I can interact, besides myself I haven't seen Yasmina converse with anyone for a length of time. Maybe because we are the only ones with the most similarities therefore understand each other. "I don't get it." Bubbles states. Point made. Bubbles doesn't understand why some people like to be alone. "Take Ryan for example, he doesn't like sitting down and talking with us, he prefers to be alone." I look to Kenji. "Maybe I like being alone, cause then I don't have to deal with knob heads like you." I quip with Kenji glaring at me. "I think they're just shy." I look towards Bubbles with an eyebrow raised. Did she just say that I'm shy. I wasn't the only one thinking that either.
BOOOOOM!!!
Everyone jumps at the clap of thunder, my hand caresses my hammer necklace, it feels like old times back home with dad. The rain comes and everyone rushes back inside. I take my time, my mother always told me that the clap of thunder is a sign of strength and growth. For when the rain falls, the crops grow. But the clap is also warning to would be challengers that think that Mother Nature has no equal, limit in its destructive capabilities or mercy. She always said to appreciate what the rain and thunder can give and beware what they can take. Dad just said that thunder was God's way of saying hello. I enter the common room seeing Darius dejected, I walk over. "Don't worry about your story, mate, there's always another night." I tell him, he smiles then walks off. I sit at the base of the Tyrannosaur skeleton taking out my Rubik's Cube, seems strange but does keep my mind from wandering. I look to the couch and see Bubbles trying to talk to Yasmina. The girl doesn't seem to understand personal space. Yasmina holds a book close to her chest and scoots away from Bubbles. Bubbles tells Yasmina something about being alone and making a friend...or making the first friendship move or something.
I see Yasmina looking very confused and uncomfortable. Bubbles thinks that the book Yasmina has is scrapbooking, even I...the most unsocial person I know, knows that Yasmina is not a scrapbooker. Bubbles explains that she in her shell and needs someone to help her out. "But I like being in my shell." Truer words have never been spoken, Yasmina is a very private person, likes to keep to herself. "No one likes being in the shell. It stops people from talking to you." Bubbles is really going for it. "Bingo." Yasmina points out and walks away. Tough break. "I know you're just shy." Bubbles teases. "Can't hear you from my shell." Yasmina quips back. Huh, humorous.
I was still playing with my Rubik's Cube and see Bubbles walk over to the game/break room with the others. I see Yasmina on the veranda. I walk over thinking about what to say. I remember a quote that my mother use to tell me when I was down or upset. "A warrior can hoard his plunder, but not if he cowers at the clash of thunder." I say standing on the verandas edge a safe distance from Yasmina. She looks at me with a annoyed expression. "You a poet now." She asks. I shake my head. "No, it's just something my mother would tell me." She looks intrigued. "Why." She questions. "Well, I didn't know how to make friends when I was younger, tried everything I could, but no one seemed to like me so I gave up. Anytime, my mum would ask me, how was school, I would lie and say it was great...I had fun...when I didn't. I used to to get into fights, always went after the biggest bastard in the yard and I would just bust him up...trying to vent my frustrations." She looks at me with a sad expression. "Did your mum find out?" "Oh hell yeah, she always said that I was a poor liar. She wasn't mad that I picked fights, just that she was disappointed that I wouldn't say anything to her. She sat me down and told me what I said earlier to you." She nods her head and then perks up. "What does it mean." I smile in nostalgia. "I asked my mum the exact same question...and she told me that if a person can have anything he wants but if he is scared of challenge or hardship, he will become weak and forever alone to think about his failures."
Yasmina looks like she comprehending what I said and she nods slowly. "I know that Bubbles is trying to hard...and I'm not saying that you have to. But if you don't try to open up to people...in years to come, your going to look back on this and ponder what you could have done differently...by then...it would already be too late." I place down my finished Rubik's Cube in front of her and walk off back inside.
P.O.V change: Yasmina
I grab the cube and inspect it...perfect. I look back at Ryan as he walks away. I'm very confused with myself, like I avoid Sammy earlier, I don't really talk with anyone else but with Ryan I can have a conversation as easy as breathing. Maybe it's because he is similar to me. Loner, has no patience for idiocy and doesn't really connect with anyone. Maybe thats why we get along. I look down at the Rubik's Cube, I've seen him play with it before...not something I expected someone like Ryan to do with his time...honestly...expected him to sharpen a machete or something.
I think about what he told me. Like me, Ryan had a hard time making friends but what separates us is that he found a way to interact with people. I've seen him talk to Darius about the dinos on the island, Sammy about her ranch etc. He's capable of conversing with someone where with me, I don't...like people. He basically told me that I'm afraid. Which, while hurts, is true...never really had good experiences trusting people...so the fear of going through that again sucks. But he told me that if I don't try and move past my fear, I'm going to be stuck with where I'm right now. I shake my head, I'll figure it out tomorrow.
Next day: Common Room. P.O.V: Ryan
I sat at the base of the skeleton while Roxie and Dave tell us about what's happening today. "Hey sorry but can I skip today?" Everyone looks at me weirdly. Dave asks. "Why." I look at him and hold up my module books. "I need to study the behavioural response of a Gorgosaurus to a new environment. My mentor wants these done sooooo...?" Roxie nods in understanding. "Ok, you can stay, but you are not to leave the camp and always keep the radio nearby in case of emergency, got it? "Sure thing boss." I quip back. Everyone gets up to leave and I see Yasmina look towards me, I mouth the word 'try' and she nods her head and walks to the elevator and they are soon on their way.
Well, looks like I have the whole camp to myself. I'll get to the modules after a quick workout than maybe give Hamada a radio call to see how he's doing.
1 hour later:
I had a shower following my workout, and I'm now sitting down for study. Gorgosaurus...a member of the Tyrannosauridae family...fossils found in sites in southern Canada to as north as Alaska. The animal is a medium size carnivore, roughly the size of a Ceratosaurus, but meaner. An animal that is more docile in colder temperatures but is highly territorial to other species. Recommend that the animal house with at least two others, as studies show behaviour similar to wolves in a pack. Wow, a dinosaur that is compared to a wolf, makes sense, back then, Canada and Alaska was most like grassland with cold temperatures so predators like Gorgosaurus would have to adapted to hunt in a pack to sate hunger. No study has been given to suggest that Gorgosaurus would respond well to a new environment. Well that figures. I lean back in frustration.
"Ryan, this is Hamada, do you read?"
I jump at the ACU radio, fuck that scared me, I grab the radio.
"This Ryan, I read you commander, over."
"Ryan, it's good to hear from you again, how's the camp going for you...killed anyone yet, over."
"Ha, it's good to hear from you commander, camp is going alright and no I haven't killed anyone, over.?
"Just messing with you kid...but in all seriousness, tomorrow is reveal day, over"
I sit up. No more games.
"For real, but the paddock is not ready yet, over.'
"I know kid but if the boss tells us to do something than we will do it...I'm not happy about it...I've told Ms Dearing that the walls need to be built higher, over."
"Hamada, the paddock isn't ready, Masrani must know that right, over."
"Masrani has his balls in a vice, investors wanting to see there investment, failing park rates...he is rushing but there isn't anything I can do...Ryan...if anything bad happens tomorrow...I want you to be prepared and remember your training, over."
Silence.
"Ryan?"
"Copy."
"Stay safe kid, Hamada over and out."
The radio goes dead and sit back in my chair comprehending what I just heard. That paddock isn't ready, the walls might be tall and strong but with enough motivation, anything can break out or die trying to. That thing in that paddock, it has plenty motivation for escape. I shudder in thinking what will happen tomorrow. I look to my room, best be ready for anything.
4 1/2 hours later:
The storm came and gone, guess the meteordologist at control made a mistake, tough luck. I look down the window to see everyone coming back, although I can't hear them, Roxie looks mad, great, what have they done now. They exit the elevator laughing. "Ok what the fuck have you lot done now?" They look at me with excitement. I'm scared. "You missed the most amazing thing." Kenji proclaims. Yasmina takes over. "We pulled Darius and Brooklynn out of a mud hole." Skits was next. "Sammy had gotten a Sinocert-something to calm down and help pull the Darius and Brooklynn gryosphere out." That's very impressive, I nod towards...Sammy...and she blushes looking away. "Oh, that was nothing." I look at them all, well damn looks like I missed a good day. "Well done." I congratulate them as I walk off. I hear Skits say. "Did he just congratulate us, what has the world come to?" Never change Skits, never change.
Later as I was sharping my machete, I see Yasmina walk towards Sammy on the the balcony, while I can't hear their conversation, I see Yasmina give Sammy her notebook, well done Yasmina, well done. I get up as see Sammy hug Yasmina, I notice that she's uncomfortable but manages to give into the hug. Well indeed, today was a good day. I look down at my ACU radio...now I have the feeling that tomorrow is going to be not so good.
