When the kids got back to camp, it was late and they were exhausted. They all showered and were in bed within 30 minutes, and not even ten minutes later, everyone was already passed out.
Everyone, that was, except Darius. He was awake, looking out the window at a dinosaur enclosure. He'd snuck out of his bunk and into the common room on his way out of the tree house.
Until his father had passed away, it had been their dream to come toJurassic World—not just to see the dinosaurs, but to be with the dinosaurs.
And now those prehistoric creatures they had obsessed over were so close.
Leaving the camp would be crazy, but he just had to see—
"Hey there, Dino Nerd," Kenji said, yawning. "Whatcha doin'?"
"Huh?" Darius was startled, but he quickly hid it. Trying to think fast, he came up with a simple excuse. "Nothing. I was just...uh...heading out...'cause...thirsty?" He nervously grinned at the older and taller boy.
Kenji's eyes didn't leave Darius as he pointed at a nearbywatercooler, one eyebrow raised in 'that the best you got?'
"Look, bro," Kenji said, putting his arm around Darius's shoulders. "I don't want you to be intimidated by me just because I'm rich, my father owns a few condos on the island, and I'm... rich."
"I'm not intimidated by you," Darius replied sincerely.
"Oh, good!" Kenji smiled, "I want us to be friends. And friends tell eachother stuff—for instance, what they're doing out of bed after curfew." He continued to smile, but there was an underlining message there.
"I think you best get your arm off me, friend," Darius tried to shrug off kenji's arm, but it didn't budge.
"Oh. Why don't you make me, friend?"
"Huh," Brooklynn said from the doorway, making both boys jump slightly. "So this is what toxic masculinity looks like."
"Sorry we woke you," Darius rushed to apologise. "I—"
"He was sneaking out," Kenji tattled. "But I set him straight. I try to lookout for younger kids." He puffed out his chest slightly, trying to impress her.
"I've been waiting my whole life to get here," Darius defended himself. "And I'm gonna make the most of it." He pointed at the window, toward a dinosaur enclosure. "Those lights must be coming from the Compy enclosure. I just gotta check it out!"
Darius watched as Brooklynn raised an eyebrow and fiddled with her phone. "Sneaking out to see dinosaurs in the dead of night... mad danger of getting caught... great mood lighting... I guess that means... it's a late-nightdino exclusive, Brooklanders! We're going rogue!" She grinned.
🦕🦖🦕
Sammy awoke with a start. She'd just dreamt that a dinosaur--she wasn't sure which lunged at her and several faceless people besides her, ready to strike them down. She took deep breaths, trying to calm her heart down.
Sitting up, she put her head in her hands, her eyes drifting to her back, and thoughts of her family came into mind....
They drifted up across the bunks, across the other innocent teenagers sleeping, the lumps under the thin sheets--
A bed was empty.
It didn't spark any warnings, and her eyes continued to move over the other beds.
Except, two more beds were empty.
Heart already stull hammering from her dream, she checked the bathrooms... then the changing space, but the three missing campers were nowhere to be seen.
YOU ARE READING
Left Behind | Camp Cretaceous | Season 1
Fanfiction"This isn't your typical trip to a safari or zoo. Like always, when people try to cage Mother Nature, she breaks free. And people still haven't learnt by now that you cannot place a dinosaur in a cage for people to gawk at...." Jaqualine, Brooklynn...
