It's them!

"It's my parents!" Maisie cried, hands fighting the seatbelt.

"H-Hold on!" Alan Grant barely caught her as gravity pulled her back to the ground, sprinkled with glass. Maisie felt their pricks, but she only cared about getting out. "Heelllp!"

"Maisie!?"

That was Claire! Relief flooded the heels of urgency as Maisie scrapped herself from under the car. Then she was half crawling, half running around the vehicle. "I'm here! I'm-"

Claire and Owen burst through the upturned headlights. Maisie clung to them, shocked at the happiness overwhelming her stomach, heart pounding faster than she could breathe. She felt Owen's hand as Claire squeezed. "You're okay. Uh, you're okay."

And you came. Maisie rejoiced, nodding into Claire's shoulder. "I'm fine."

She moved past Claire, getting a full hug from Owen. She caught his eyes, the most vulnerable she'd ever seen them. "I'm sorry... I'm..."

Owen buried kisses atop her head. "Don't even worry about it."

He was crying. They both were, huddled close around her. Their faces glowed, their arms guarded, and even in the growing heat of the forest, Maisie stayed between them. Dr. Grant and the others had abandoned the car, staring at them and toward the tower. Claire registered their presence, her grip loosening. "That-"

"They helped me." Maisie assured them. Introductions were clumsily made, but Maisie kept near Owen and Claire; where everything felt right again.

}{}{}{}{

"That knee is shattered." Owen looked over Ellie Sattler's head, giving the group the message. After prying the paleobotanist from the jeep, she leaned against it, with pale, shallow breaths. "If I need to wait... at the tower... I can."

"Any chance this'll run?" Kayla spun the back tire with her hand, knowing that every inch of this jungle was undriveable. Still, a layer of steel between her and it would've been comforting.

"Not unless it, um, plans to crawl uphill for us." Ian Malcolm gestured the way that they had tumbled down. Kayla admired the man's persistent sense of humor. Though it will likely be annoying an hour from now.

She was playing it optimistic; humor and their situation. But after seeing Owen and Claire find their girl, the hope felt good.

"There should at least be a map," Claire threw in, gesturing to the tower's lingering ladder. Ian spun at that, fingers dancing, eyes bulging. "No, better. Every, umugh tower is interconnected to uh the main complex- and each other- by, um, tunnels."

Everyone's face immediately opted for the tunnels. Owen and Alan braced themselves to lift Ellie. Kayla moved for the station, only to freeze at the first tremor. It started on the ground, up her legs and through every bone in her body. Her spine went cold.

"Don't move." Owen and Alan mouthed as she turned. Kayla's eyes widened as trees broke and the ground crunched to reveal the giganotosaurus. It's sharp eyes and teeth caught one flame after the other while it lumbered forward. Closer, closer...

"Owen-" Claire tugged at his shirt, drawing Maisie near.

"Why is it always bigger?" Ian whined as the giga stopped. The forest snapped and crackled as they stared up, fixated. Kayla fought to breathe. We can't stay like this! We're crazy to even-

The first massive roar broke their trance and they retreated behind the jeep. Kayle hugged the back wheel, sucking in a soundless breath as the dino followed. Her nose hit the pointless car instantly and Kayla grabbed Maisie out of the way as it clunked over. A cry rose with the flames. Kayla caught Owen's eyes and knew someone was trapped.

"Get going!" she shoved Claire and Maisie toward the tower.

"This is, uh," Ian's voice shook. "This is- Ellie, just hang on."

Alan and Owen pressed against the car, but it barely budged. Their movements only excited the giga. Kayla's heart jumped into her throat with the next roar.

"Go!" Ellie was batting Alan away. "Go!"

"Shut up!" Alan grabbed at her arm with a weak tug. Kayla pushed Claire forward. "Get Maisie up there!"

She turned back around, taser at the ready. The giga's head swooped down, knocking Ian back through a bed of embers. Owen barely yanked Alan free as the car folded in like a scrapbook, serving the giga's curiosity. Kayla moved after Ian as he rolled from the flames, batting at his sleeves. Kayla picked up a long, sturdy stick, noting the desperation as she threw it at him. "Use that!"

"Uuugghhh..."

Yeah, me too. Kayla waved her taser, igniting its light over her head. "Hey, beasty!"

The giganotosaurus, inches from Ellie's trembling face, rose. Its eyes mirrored the static and Kayla's mind once more pulled at her to run. Instead, she gave into her fear and stayed rooted on the spot. The enormous, scaled head drew closer. She breathed with it, her small chest to the massive breath over her whole body. It hesitated; Kayla didn't. She thrust the taser into the corner of its mouth. At the same time, Ian's stick found the soft tissue beneath the jaw. The giga stumbled back, clearing the path from the jeep to the tower.

"It won't..." Alan strained with the front tire. "move!"

Ugh! Kayla dove under the legs of the monstrous creature, hitting towards the knee joint. The wind kicked out of her body and there was only air before she hit the ground, ribs first. Kayla gasped, but no sound came out. What had hit her? Get out! Get out NOW!

Kayla dragged herself up, ordering her eyes to focus.

"Hey!" Ian was shouting, a roasted locust piked on his stick. He waved it, drawing the giga's attention. But no; it recognized the easier prey, back at the jeep.

Kayla found Owen's shirt, pulled on it. His eyes turned stony, and Kayla felt their anger. They were familiar with these decisions; it didn't make them any easier. Owen looked down at Ellie, but the woman didn't make eye contact. She only acted. Trembling for air, she peeled Alan's hand off so Owen could tear him away. He immediately swung at him. Kayla's peripheral caught the giganotosaurus, closing the gap in one bound.

"Ellie!" Alan thrust against Owen. The giga growled, over the jeep once more. Ian pushed himself between it and Owen, flaming torch at the ready. "Go. She won't stay that way."

Alan's face turned purple. "No!"

Kayla didn't even glimpse, dragging Alan by the other arm. If she'd needed to tase him, she would. They needed to survive... what did that look like, when you'd remember the instant any screaming stopped?