The Chaos Theory || Camp Cretaceous ||

2. Wild Child

"What's that?"

One of the kids had noticed something and Serenity realized it was her hair, which was trailing into the water. She quickly pulled it out and curled it over her arm, hiding behind the Trike again. The dark-skinned boy was peering around to try and see something, but Serenity was sure she'd hidden well enough.

"Darius, come on," the pink-haired girl said. "We're going back."

Serenity also needed to go back. She took a deep breath and sprinted out into the field, keeping as low as possible. Roberta looked up as she took off and huffed after her, questioning and then looking at the kids. She went back to drinking as if nothing had happened.

Serenity soon reached the nest and dropped her wet hair onto the floor, gathering new leaves and dirt into the dripping strands.

Did something happen? Limbo asked, shuffling bones around to fix their nest.

The humans almost saw me, Serenity answered. I'm not ready yet.

Would you leave with them if you had the chance? Grim asked curiously from the side.

Her head cocked in a questioning manner and Serenity felt fear tug at her heart. She approached her sister and pressed her forehead against Grim's snout, feeling her rumble through her bones.

I don't know.

Grim was silent and strong, softly purring as Serenity stroked her fingers over her fangs and up to her neck. She was velvety soft and warm. Serenity didn't want to leave them, but she knew a day would come when they would inevitably get separated. It was a premonition. She knew it was going to be true.

I'm going to think about it, Serenity said.

Grim nodded and Limbo watched her curiously as she climbed her tree and sat in her favorite spot before going back to her task. Chaos was gone again, like she was most days. She would return by nightfall with prey, or without.

Serenity watched the sky and the Pteranodons that she could see flying in the distance. They were free and peaceful. She wished she could fly as well, just to get out of here for a little while. She didn't know where she'd go, but it was better than being stuck in a tree as her only place of solitude.

With a sigh, Serenity closed her eyes and pictured herself amongst the humans. It just didn't look right. There was no way she could go back to society and fit in. She was too different. There was just no way. She groaned and pulled on her hair in frustration, growling low. What was she to do if more humans came? She had no idea. What would she do?

Before she could answer her own question, a low call came from the forest and Serenity looked up curiously. It was a call she had never heard before and it intrigued her. She stood on her perch and peered into the canopy to try and see if she could spot what had made the noise, but the leaves were too thick and she saw nothing.

Serenity looked down at her sisters, and then into the forest. She promptly jumped to the next tree and made her way toward the call that was still sounding. She came closer with every tree and kept squinting to see if she could spot it before it spotted her. Curiously, she searched the area, wondering what this new creature was, if it was a creature.

Before long, Serenity stood on a sturdy branch hidden by leaves, watching a young Ankylosaurus lumbering behind another human. Serenity was a little bit confused. So there were a total of six kids on this island? Not including her, of course.

This child was another boy, and he held a spear over his back with some woven strands of a plant. The Ankylosaurus followed behind him as he talked to her, and Serenity was more than curious about this one. He was wearing a white shirt with holes in it, and a blue cloth covered his forehead. A blue satchel sat at his hips holding what she believed to be berries. His shorts were blood-stained and gross, but not torn. His shoes were muddied and the laces were missing.

Serenity didn't even have shoes!

She kept watching, following the boy as he moved throughout the forest gathering berries and carving a path. He was heading somewhere, away from their nest, which was good. But still, Serenity was still very curious.

He was different from the other kids. They weren't friends with a Dinosaur after all. Serenity followed along in the trees until she came upon his little camp. A wonky shelter with a little fire beside it. The Ankylosaurus plopped down beside the shelter and shook it, almost tearing it down. The boy stoked the fire and popped some berries in his mouth. He petted the Dinosaur and smiled happily.

Serenity dropped out of the tree and into a bush, curiously looking through it. This boy was a little older than the one called Darius but younger than the tallest boy. He was resourceful and compelling, and Serenity didn't fear revealing herself to him for some strange reason.

Carefully, she crept closer on all fours, though she stayed in the bushes until she was brave enough to try and come out. She didn't need to. One false move and a twig broke under her foot. The boy was on his feet in an instant, spear pointed at the bush she was hiding in. Serenity growled a little louder than she had wanted to, and the boy growled back even louder.

It snapped her out of her stupor and she slowly rose, revealing herself to him. Her long, white hair trailed behind her over the ground, disappearing in another bush. Her blue eyes pierced his equally blue ones and he stared at her for a good few seconds.

Then he lowered the spear and cocked his head to the side. Serenity did the same. They copied each other for a moment, and then the boy sat back down. Serenity moved out of the bush and crouched back down, her preferred sitting position.

"Look, Bumpy, another person..." the boy said quietly.

Serenity growled and opened her mouth to make some clicking noises, only to realize that wasn't how humans talked. She worked her jaw for a moment as he stared at her in bewilderment.

"H-H... e... llo..." Serenity managed.

"Uh," the boy said. "Hi?"

Serenity clicked at him and moved closer, evading the fire and moving toward the Ankylosaurus. It watched her warily until she came close enough to sniff it and it swiped its tongue over her face. The boy watched their interaction for a moment and then leaned back against the tree his shelter was built beside.

You are a human? the Anky asked.

Yes, Serenity answered.

You speak our language? she asked.

I do, does he not?

The Anky shook her head and looked at the human she had been following. She conveyed to Serenity that this human had been the first thing she had seen when she had been born and that he had protected her. Now she would protect him.

Do you not speak human anymore? the Anky asked.

I'm not sure... Serenity answered, watching the boy watch her.

"My name is Ben," he said after a moment. "What's yours?"

Serenity had no idea what to say, so instead, she pulled a stick from the bushes and stuck it into the dirt, scribbling what she remembered from her mother's teachings. She wished she had been taught more, but her wild education hadn't left much room for writing and speaking a lot.

The boy – Ben – watched her and when she was done, he sat up to read what she had scribbled down. He cocked his head to the side, eyebrows furrowing as he tried to decipher the scraggly handwriting.

"Serenity?" he asked questioningly.

She nodded and smiled, happy he had guessed it in one go. She clapped her hands together and made some clicking noises, growling in between them. She knew he had no idea what she was saying, but it didn't matter.

There was finally someone like her on the island, and she couldn't wait to share what she knew with this boy.