Jump | Zach Mitchell

twenty-nine

JURASSIC World is ridiculously crowded for a theme park that has a killer attraction on the loose. 

Of course, the park employees probably haven't told the guests that the Indominous Rex is out. That would cause overwhelming panic, which is the last thing this packed place needs.

We shuffle through the dense path, elbows brushing strangers and receiving dirty looks as we do so.

"Stick together!" Zara chides, trailing behind us. "I don't want the three of you to leave my sight for-"

She's cut off by the park's speaker system. A cool, automated feminine voice comes on. "Ladies and gentlemen, due to a containment anomaly, all guests must take shelter immediately."

...so much for not alerting the visitors and causing chaos. I guess the park would rather take lawsuits for people being trampled than for people getting eaten. Not as much paperwork or something, probably.

The pushing and shoving of the crowd becomes slightly more aggressive as everyone starts to become more and more alarmed. I grab Zach and Gray's hands, not wanting to chance us becoming separated.

Sirens replace the verbal message now, blaring from every direction.

Then they descend, swooping over the cone of the Innovation Center. People begin to scream and run in all directions, trying to escape the jaws of the flying dinosaurs.

I see people being picked up and dragged; people being picked up and thrown; people being picked up and eaten. Zach has started to run now, trying to lead us to safety. I have to run twice as fast as him to keep up with his long strides. Gray is far behind, my arm almost over-stretched so I can stay attached to him.

I try to yell for Zach to slow down, but he doesn't hear me. He ducks as a Pteranodon dives, skimming his head before gliding off and snatching up a small child.

Zach starts to direct us to a building, but then quickly changes his mind when Dimorphodons start to break through the glass windows of allegedly safe locations.

"Stop running!" I hear Zara shout from somewhere behind us. "I can't keep up with-"

There's a rush of wind, and then I hear shrill screaming. It takes me a few seconds to realize that it's Zara.

I stop running and plant my feet, utilizing all my weight to jerk Zach to a stop. He turns to look at me, expression wild. Gray runs into my back and I stumble into Zach.

"Why are we stop-" Zach's question is cut short by Zara's legs nearly kicking him in the face. She's passed back and forth between two different Pteranodons, rising higher and higher into the air. I'm only able to distinguish where she is by the bright white of her jacket against the cloudless blue sky.

My heart hammers in my chest; I'm hyper-ventilating. My hand comes to cover my mouth when I see her plummet several feet before being snatched up once again.

"Oh my-"

Zara falls at least thirty feet, landing in the Mosasaurs tank with a massive splash.

All at once, the three of us sprint against the flow of the crowd, rushing to get to the tank, trying to see if our annoying babysitter is still alive. Yeah, she isn't that great of a person, but I don't want her to die!

I hit the side of the tank hard, grasping at the protective railings. I can see her flailing underwater, struggling to make it to the surface.

"What are we going to do?" I yell.

"I don't know!" Zach hollers back.

"Look out!" Gray shouts. The three of us duck down as multiple winged devils soar over our heads, diving into the water like hungry pelicans. One Pteranodon scoops Zara up and yanks her out of the water. As it begins to fly away, the Mosasaurs emerges from the deep depths and eats it whole, taking Zara with it.

I let out a scream so piercing that it burns my throat, hands flying to cover my eyes. Tears prick at the corners, stinging.

"Hey, Jonelle, stop it, stop it, stop it!" Zach chants. He cups my face in his big hands, then slaps my cheeks twice. All I can see is his blurry face, dark eyes serious. "Snap out of it! You cannot freak out on me right now!"

"Zach!" Gray yelps, slamming his little body in between us when a Dimorphodon comes too close.

"Go!" He shoves us along, latching onto my hand while my other grabs Gray's.

We're running fast, feet slapping against the ground so hard that it sends painful jolts up my legs. I'm gasping for breath; it's very difficult to cry when you're fighting for your life.

Random spurts of gunfire can be heard among the anarchy. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something large and dark tumbling out of the sky. It's a lifeless dinosaur, one that has been shot by the park's security forces that have now assembled up ahead.

A man breaks through Zach and I's arms on his search for shelter, leaving my hand empty.

The body of the dinosaur hits the ground then, its thick wing knocking into me. I feel myself become airborne for a few seconds before I crash into a metal picnic table. I hear a loud crack and then the pain sets in – unyielding, worse than anything I have ever experienced before.

I roll off and skid across the concrete, tearing the soft underside of my arm to shreds. I can feel the blood bubble on my skin, dripping down.

I want to scream but I can't seem to get enough air. I wheeze, stationary, dizzy. My head throbs when I try to sit up.

A shadow blocks out the harsh light of the sun. For a second I'm afraid that it's a dinosaur, but then I hear a familiar voice.

"Oh, no... Jonnie..."

Zach collapses by my side, arms coming around me. I hiss when he moves me to rest against him, but he misunderstands.

"It's okay, I've got you. I've got you," he repeats. His hands are shaking when they push my hair out of my face. I can feel him swallow hard. "You're okay."

I start to say his name, but then I start to cough. I know that there's something seriously wrong with me, but I can't get enough air to breathe, let alone to speak.

"Sh, it's all right. I'm right here." He drags us into the shaded cover of one of the buildings. There's just enough space between the trash cans for us to huddle.

I'm shaking hard – from pain or fear, I'm not sure. I can't control it, though.

Zach decides that I'm scared, and he tries to crack a joke to make me feel better. "You're getting blood all over my shirt," he teases lightly. I can tell it's half-hearted – I know this kid, and I know that he's scared shitless – but I appreciate the effort. "You're going to have to buy me a new one, you little shit."

A smile breaks through. I wait for the "you shouldn't say 'shit,'" but it never comes. Frowning, I find the strength to turn my head.

Then my hand feels devastatingly vacant. I gasp, adrenaline flooding through me. I'm suddenly only vaguely aware of the pain.

I shove at Zach's arm, trying to stand.

"Jonelle, hey! It's okay! We're safe-"

"No, Zach, you don't understand-" It all comes out rushed and breathy.

"Hey, it's fine. Come here-"

"Zach, Gray is gone!"