I am blown away by the response this story is getting! Keep the reviews coming! This chapter is in Maisie's POV! I really wanted to show her side of breaking her promise to Claire. Next chapter will be back in Claire's POV
Maisie's Chapter
"What do you guys want to see first?" Beth asked as we stepped out into the main strip of the park.
Gray skipped ahead of us, "The rides! No, t-rex! Wait, there's a petting zoo?"
I giggled at Beth's side. "He's pretty funny," I pointed out.
"He's a baby," Zach grumbled.
I leaned into Beth's side, squeezing her hand. I didn't like Zach very much. He was unhappy and grumpy.
Beth looked down at me and winked. "Where do you want to take them?" She asked me, ignoring Zach's mumbling.
I shrugged, "I like the petting zoo. We haven't seen the new babies yet." Just a few days ago a new set of triceratops siblings graduated from the nursery to the petting zoo. I got to be with mom when they released them into the zoo area, but I haven't been down to see them since.
"Oh, right," Beth remembered. "Let's go see the girls then."
"You can actually pet a dinosaur?" Gray asked, stepping beside me as we walked. I smiled up at him and nodded. "You can even ride on them, too."
"Come on!" Gray ran ahead when the petting zoo sign came in view. I went to run with him, but stopped to look up at Beth.
She laughed dropping my hand, "Go! Stay in sight."
"Ok!" I called out as I ran after Gray.
"No, this way." I took his hand when he stepped at the back of the line. I led him over to the exit gate and waved at Mr. Williams.
"Maisie! the girls have been waiting to see you again." He opened the gate and let us in.
"You can just do that?" Gray asked as I wondered through the zoo towards one of the smaller triceratops.
"Do what?" I asked.
"Get on anything without waiting in line?"
I nodded. "My mom runs the park, remember?" I giggled.
"You're my favorite cousin!" Gray said excitedly as he knelt down beside me.
"Aren't I your only cousin?" I asked.
He shrugged "Doesn't matter."
Once the baby triceratops wondered over to take food from another little girl we wondered back to the fence where Beth stood watching us. Zach sat on the bench beside her staring down at his phone.
"Can we feed them?" I asked Beth.
"There's no rush." She answered. "You guys have fun."
I turned to run back over to Mr. Williams with Gray close behind me. He gave me two tokens for the feeders. I gave one to Gray and we filled our hands with grains.
"It's so slimy!" Gray laughed feeling one of the baby's tongue on his hands.
I laughed as another did the same for me.
"Mais, honey I have to take this phone call." Beth called over the fence at me.
"Don't move, I know." I waved as she turned her back.
"Hey, guys!" Zach called over to us. We walked towards the fence where he stood. "Come on. Let's have some fun." He opened the exit gate to let us out.
"We are having fun." I told him, watching his face twist with his smile.
"Follow me!" He grabbed our hands leading us away from the petting zoo.
"I can't!" I tried pulling my hand out of his, but he was stronger. "I promised my mom I'd stay with Beth. We aren't allowed to go off on our own."
"Live a little, kid. You run this place." Zach told me.
"My mom does, and she'll be really mad if we don't stay with Beth." He continued to pull Gray and I along with him.
"I'm old enough. I don't need a babysitter."
"T-rex!" Gray called out as the announcement overhead informed the guests of her next feeding.
"Oh, no," I gasped. "My dad doesn't want me going to see the carnivores without him."
"Come on and have some fun. Look," Zach knelt down in front of me. "You stay with me and it's as good as staying with your nanny. We're family. Family trusts each other."
I studied his face for a moment. Maybe he was right. Maybe as long as I stayed with him and didn't wonder off on my own it was still ok. I nodded and smiled at him.
"Great!" He exclaimed and held his hand out once more. I took it willingly and led the way to the express entrance of the t-rex viewing area.
Mrs. Weiss was on duty today and she smiled as I approached her. "Where's dad?" She asked, looking at Zach holding my hand.
"These are my cousins. They are visiting for the week. I get to show them around."
"Oh how wonderful! Rexy is just about to eat." She let us through. Gray and I weaseled our way to the front of the crowd of people, our faces pressed up against the glass.
I closed my eyes as she approached. I could never stand to watch her eat, but I did like hearing everyone's reactions. Normally I stand towards the back, using my dad's hand to cover my eyes. He then would tease me for wanting to come in here, but was too scared to actually watch the show.
When Rexy was finished eating we walked back out as Gray gushed over how gross and cool it was. I agreed, pretending I never closed my eyes.
"Can we see that?" Gray asked, pointing to the mosasaurus lagoon.
"Yes," Zach said and we were walking over towards it.
Once again I had to explain why I didn't have my dad with me before entering into the stadium to take our seats. Like the rest of the caretakers, Mr. Bentley let us through with a polite smile.
I focused on Zach's face as the mosasaurus leaped out of the water to eat the shark dangling above her. His eyes lit up and I smiled.
"Want to see something else cool?" I asked.
"Yeah!" They both said at the same time.
The three of us ran through the park towards the monorail. "The gyrospheres are really neat! You can drive them through the valley around different herbivores." This was my favorite thing to do in the park.
"Sometimes when both my parents have a day off we have races through the valley. It's always girls against my dad. It's so much fun." I gushed over the memories of me sitting beside my mom, both of us laughing hysterically as my dad chased us.
We sat on the monorail. Gray listened to my stories, hanging on every word as Zach sat behind us talking to the girls sitting behind him.
"You're so lucky, Mais." Gray said, looking out his window.
"What do you mean?"
"Sounds like you have a lot of fun with your parents."
I shrugged, leaning back in my seat. "Whenever they have time for me. Takes a lot to run a park and the training program for the raptors."
"But it doesn't seem to bother you."
"I don't think so," I shrugged. "This is all I know. What do you do with your mom and dad?"
"Nothing, they fight a lot." Gray didn't take his eyes off the window.
"Mine do too sometimes. They try and wait until I go to bed, but I hear them. It's mainly about work though."
Gray turned to look at me, tears in his eyes. Did I say something wrong?
"It's hardest when my dad leaves after an argument."
"I know," I looked down at my hands. "My dad goes in the garage. My mom usually goes to her room. I fall asleep before they stop fighting, but by morning time they are normal and happy."
Gray narrowed his eyes at me. "So your dad doesn't go somewhere for a day? Like packs a bag and leaves?"
I shook my head, "Oh, no. My dad has never done that. Neither has my mom."
"Oh," Gray went back to looking out the window.
The rest of the monorail ride was silent between Gray and I. I was afraid I said something wrong.
"This is our stop," I informed them.
Gray and I walked ahead of Zach who was still in a deep conversation with the two girls from the monorail.
The ride operator was one of the younger workers. "Hi, Troy," I smiled as we approached him.
"Miss Grady," he smiled back and motioned for us to get in.
"Do we want to ride in two?" I asked as Zach and Gray climbed in. I was too young to operate one on my own.
"No, sit on my lap." Zach patted his knees. I climbed in and the belt stretched over both of us.
"Enjoy your ride," Troy said as we moved ahead.
"Where are they?" Gray asked, looking around.
"Go that way," I pointed in the direction where I knew most of the herbivores liked to graze.
Zach turned the gyrosphere where I pointed. Sure enough there they were.
"Nice, Maisie!" Gray cheered. I smiled, pleased with myself.
"Due to technical difficulties, all rides are now closed." The screen spoke in front of us.
"Oh, man," Gray and I said at the same time.
"Hey, no, it's ok." Zach said.
I shook my head. "We have to go back."
"Look, you're our VIP ticket. We can do whatever we want. Just a little longer." He pressed.
Zach's cell phone rang and he picked it up. "Hi, Claire."
"That's my mom?" I asked with wide eyes. "Is she mad?"
Zach shook his head at me. "What? I can't hear you— we're in the big hamster ball."
I giggled. "Gyrosphere." I corrected.
"Hello?" He pulled his phone from his ear to look at it. "We got disconnected."
"What did she want?"
"Just asked where we were I think."
"Oh," I relaxed. "That's it?"
Zach shrugged. "I couldn't here her, but I guess."
"What's that?" Gray asked pointing to a broken part of the perimeter fence.
"Off roading!" Zach said excitedly.
"Now way!" I yelled, gripping the handle above my head.
"I want to go back." I knew this was completely off limits.
"We will in a little bit." Zach said and pushed the sphere through the open spot in the fence.
"My dad is going to get really mad!" I warned them.
"Look," Zach pointed in front of me. "There's four dinosauresus"
I couldn't help but giggle.
"Ankylosaurus," Gray pointed out. "And there's five dinosaurs."
"Aren't you supposed to be some sort of genius?"
I couldn't help but agree. I counted four as well.
Zach counted them and the reflection of the fifth appeared on the glass in front of us.
"Five," Gray pointed out.
The three of us turned to look over our shoulders.
"What is that?" I screamed.
"Go!" Gray instructed his brother.
Zach moved, but we were trapped in the middle of a nightmare.
The Ankylosaurus spun to protect itself, smacking us with it's tail. We spun out of control.
I screamed as we bounced between the two fighting dinosaurs.
We finally came to a stop against a tree, but we flipped upside-down. Zach held me tight to him.
Zach's phone vibrated above our heads.
"Reach it," I shrieked when I saw my mom's picture flashing. "Mommy!" I cried
"Almost got it," Zach stretched his arm as far as it would go.
"Zach," Gray whispered.
I looked where Gray was looking and screamed. Zach's hand clapped over my mouth.
"Stay calm." Zach whispered to me.
I did the complete opposite. The monster in front of us twisted the gyrosphere in its claws. I shut my eyes as tight as I could.
"I want my dad!" I cried into Zach's hand.
I refused to open my eyes until I felt the gyrosphere lift off the ground. I opened my eyes to peer into the back of the monster's mouth. Teeth were all around me.
"Daddy!" I cried as loud as I could when we slammed back into the ground and brought back into the air.
"Make it stop!" I pleaded.
The glass shattered around us and Zach's arm was tight around me. He unbuckled us and we fell to the ground below. I curled up on my hands and knees just as Zach threw himself over me and tucked Gray into his side.
"Go!" Zach yelled, standing up and with his arm still around my waist, he lifted me with him. He carried me as we ran.
We got to the cliff and he placed me down on my feet. I turned to see the monster run out from the trees behind us. I went to run, but Zach grabbed my arm.
"We have to jump!"
"I can't" Gray gasped.
"No!" I cried out.
We didn't have time to do anything else. "Do not let go!" Zach yelled, gripping my hand tightly. He threw his body off the cliff, dragging me with him.
***Just a quick side note to all my fellow Bryce Dallas Howard fans.. I am in the process of putting together a BDH Fans message board for a place where we can all come together and discuss all things BDH! If you are interested and want to be notified when it's up and running shoot me a PM or click my profile and follow me on instagram!***