PANIC ROOM • KENJI KON

LIII. Welcome to Jurassic Park

Darius elbowed Kenji, "Come on, Kenji. Like that."

"Uhh, Eva first."

"All right, but one of you has to be my stepping stool."

Kenji shoved his chips into Darius's hands, then brushed off his fingers on his jeans. He cupped his hands together, offering a step for Eva. She pulled herself up with minimal effort. She didn't bother looking back to check on the boys' progress, instead continuing on and upwards.

Her heart beat aggressively in her chest for the ten seconds she was airborn, hanging onto the vine between the vending machine and the scaffolding.

"Ahh!" Yaz shouted from above. "Watch out for the compies!"

Eva looked up to see a compy watching Yaz on the vine, eagerly. When she looked down, Darius collided with the scaffolding, his fingers beginning to slip, and he let loose a scream. Eva's eyes widened, watching his fingers grasp the poles.

"I'm good!" he shouted.

Eva rolled her eyes, breathing heavily.

She continued up, at this point reaching the bar Yasmina was previously on.

Above, the compies all froze before screeching and hissing, scurrying away. Another dinosaur screeched, but this one was deeper, and more like a growl. The campers froze and looked down.

Standing by the entrance, a dead compy in her mouth, was the only surviving velociraptor— Blue. Her blue scales streaked up her neck like ocean water mixed with lightning in the bright sunlight that fell through the dome roof. She sniffed and growled, tracking their invisible scent. She clearly knew they were there— or if they were lucky, she'd think they were no longer there.

In the compy nest, two of the tiny dinos began fighting over the compass. Yasmina slowly inched upwards, despite Blue sniffing the ground below her vine.

Eva bit her cheek, eyes flickering between the compies, Yaz, and the velociraptor. She didn't like this situation, at all. Screw what she told Kenji about getting out of here alive. They were being hunted by the smartest dinosaur on the island. No chance they get their compass and all make it out with their lives. What karma were they enduring that they somehow ended up in the worst situations Isla Nublar has to offer?

Yaz continued her climb upwards. Hand outreached, her fingers slid blindly over the compass. It moved slightly, but didn't give. She reached harder.

Why wouldn't she just climb higher?

Her fingers grasped around the compass, and fell out of the nest, missing her hand by centimeters. A barely audible gasp sounded from her lips.

Eva's eyes widened and she reached out quickly, letting the compass fall into her hand. She tasted blood in her mouth as she slowly retracted her hand.

Blue screeched below her, looking in every direction but up.

As she let out a breath, her foot slipped, and her body dipped downward. Her eyes scrunched shut as her hands wrapped around the bar she was previously standing on. She held the compass between two fingers like chopsticks, while the other three were gripping the bar for dear life.

The sound of bones crunching momentarily filled the air, and then silence.

"Let's go," Darius whispered.

Eva's eyes sprung open. She let them readjust to the dim lighting before dropping down to the grass-covered floor wordlessly. Creeping around the edge of the scaffolding, she met back up with Darius and Kenji. Yasmina slowly came down next, rejoining them in the center of the room.