My hands are shaking still, even as I grip the handles, I pull up to a stop at the top of a hill and gaze out across the paddocks below me trying to steady my breathing. My whole head is spinning as I try to come to terms with everything. This morning everything was normal, God was it really only this morning that I had overheard Owen and Claire talking about me? It felt like a lifetime ago. I had woken up as plain old boring Taylor, best friends with a sex god I was madly in love with but would never notice me and now… he noticed me, he called me pet names that did something strange to my insides and we had both nearly been eaten, twice, by ancient carnivores, one of which was a whole new level of terrifying and currently on the loose around a park filled with thousands of tourists.
I watch for a moment as all the gyrosphere's head back to their base, they're recalling everyone then, good, maybe the people running this place weren't as stupid as I thought they were. A glint from the far right of my peripheral catches my attention and I see a lone gyrosphere moving through a break in the fence, well that's not good. I glance back towards the others and realise that no-one has noticed them and I know I promised Owen I'd head straight back but I can't let innocent people put themselves in danger, I'd just quickly lead them back to safety and then go back. Taking a deep breath, I kick the bike back into motion and head down towards the giant hamster ball, following it through the trees.
A sudden roar sends me careening off the bike and scrambling behind a tree hissing in pain as the forest floor rips through the skin on my arm and side, my breath rattling in my lungs painfully, as I glance around the side of the tree and see the Indominus attacking the Ankylosaurus before I meet the terrified gaze of two boys hanging upside down in the gyrosphere. How did it get here so quickly? It was too close to the park, too close to the thousands of innocents. Oh, God, what was I going to do, I can hear them screaming as it begins to bite into the ball, the glass shattering more screaming and then, just like when the new kid fell into the raptor pit I was on my feet and running to them before I knew what I was doing, I just knew I couldn't let them die, I couldn't let anyone else die today, I couldn't watch it.
Grabbing them both by the arms I urge them to keep running and we do, panting, gasping, legs burning, frantic and so terrified I felt as though I would be sick at any second until we leave the trees and find ourselves at the top of a waterfall.
"We have to jump," I gasp and they both look up at me in shock, their fear reminding me that I had to try to be strong for them now.
"I can't," the younger one whimpers and I grasp his hand in mine as his other hand is gripped by what I assume is his brother, a roar behind us making us all tense.
"We have no choice," I say looking behind me and seeing the trees move as it begins to crash it's way closer to us.
"On three," the older boy says but the roar behind us means no time for counting as we all jump and I feel the breath of the monster on me as we do so. That was too close, Owen is going to kill me. As we hit the water my head collides with rock and everything becomes instantly fuzzy as I fight to keep my eyes open, realising that the I-rex was still watching, I grab the boy's ankles trying to tell them to be quiet and we watch for a few tense seconds that seem to stretch on forever until it moves away and we swim to the bank. Shaking my head, I try to clear my vision as I put my hand to my head wincing and pulling my fingers away to see them coated in blood. Great, now Owen really would kill me.
"Are you okay?" the older boy asks and I nod my head smiling at him,
"Yeah, I'm fine, just a scratch, we should get moving," I reply and he nods as we begin walking through the dense jungle, my gun in my hands as I try not to tremble, desperate to keep them safe and not let on how scared or woozy I was, "I'm Taylor by the way," I say with a smile.
"I'm Zach, this is my little brother Gray," the older one replies,
"Bet your parents are going mad with worry by now," I say trying to strike up a conversation,
"They're not here, we're here visiting our Aunt Claire," Gray says and I nod before something clicks in my head.
"Claire Dearing?" I ask and they both nod, "well I'll have to make sure you get back safely now or she'll definitely sack me," I joke and they both grin a little at me.
"Do you think we'll get back?" Gray asks now and I look quickly at Zach before smiling at him.
"Yes, besides they'll be out looking for us by now too, I know at least one person that will make sure we are safe and your aunt Claire is the boss so we're going to be just fine…" I babble, my head still spinning slightly and everything just a little blurry still. I stop suddenly as we look up to see a set of ancient looking doors. The original park, I had spent my childhood looking at pictures of these doors, wishing I could come here. This is so surreal, I literally became the person I am, doing the job I do because of this place and now I was standing here in front of it.
Slowly, we make our way in and spend a moment staring around in awe and apprehension. There was an air of pain and death that clung to the place and it made me shiver slightly, I wanted Owen. The thought hits me quite suddenly and my resolve to be brave for the boys nearly fails me as I feel an overwhelming need to be in his proximity and surrounded by his warmth and safety. Zach makes a torch using a T-rex bone and some old bunting and we wander through the building trying not to think about the strange sense of reverse de ja vu that floods over me as I look at how the place has been left exactly as it was when disaster struck the first time, why do we never learn from our mistakes?
"Look, jeeps," Zach points out and we rush over to inspect the two vehicles, Gray rattling off details about what type of jeeps they are and I allow myself a moment to be slightly impressed.
"Finally, what do you reckon Zach, Gray, do you think we can get this up and running again?" I ask and they both grin as we set about doing what we can to make the engine run again.
After almost an hour of working on it with the help of both the boys we finally have it sorted only my head is feeling woozy again now and I grip the side of the car to keep myself upright as my vision swims and everything gets blurry.
"Taylor, what's wrong?" Zach asks and I shake my head at him,
"Nothing I just… bit dizzy, think you might have to drive for me," I mumble glancing at him and he nods gulping a bit as he helps me into the backseat before jumping in with Gray and putting the jeep into gear. The drive back to the park is a… blurry one, I am drifting in and out of consciousness as concussion sets in and the adrenalin drains out of my body by the time we are back and the boys are dragging me through the resort as we are attacked by prehistoric birds, although I'm not entirely sure whether I am imagining them or not as I am half slumped over Zach's shoulders.
"Tay… Oh no, no, no," that voice seems to penetrate my foggy mind and I struggle to sit up from where I have found myself on the floor somehow,
"Owen," I call out to him but I don't get any answer and I begin to panic that it was more than a concussion and I was dying or something and hallucinating, then I hear shots I think and a scream, "Owen," I try again and this time I am being pulled up into someone's arms and opening my eyes I can see his face, and after a moment I can focus on only seeing one of his face and as I see the concern that marred his expression I break down as I try to cling to him too.
"I thought I'd lost you," he is whispering into my neck as he holds me,
"What do you mean?" I ask as I try to stand up, my legs wobbling and his arms firmly around me to keep me upright.
"I went with Claire to find her nephews and I found your bike, I… I thought," he breaks off again and it terrifies me to see him this vulnerable.
"Hey, hey, I'm okay, I'm right here," I say, putting my hands on his face and he examines me closely,
"You're bleeding," he says instantly.
"I'm fine," I emphasize, "mild concussion from a rock and a couple of scrapes from coming off my bike, that's all, now we should really be moving," I say and he nods looking towards Claire and the boys,
"We want to stay with Taylor," Gray says instantly and I smile at him before glancing warily at Claire who nods too and then we are all moving.