Feel free to Comment and Please Enjoy!
ILLUSION
[chapter eighteen]
The lobby of Hilton Isla Nublar Resort was packed. Literally. There were people everywhere, some sitting, some standing. Most of the people were injured with minor scratches, which I was thankful for. My eyes scanned to room until they landed on a mother trying to care for her young daughter. Her face was scratched and she was bleeding form her cheek. The crying little girl couldn't have been over five years old.
"Why is everyone just gathering in here?" Zach asked, looking around the room. He had just been looked at by one of the park's doctors. He was right about it being just a sprain , but I was still worried. If something happened, he wouldn't be able to run.
This was the mindset this place put me in. My experience at Jurassic World has changed me. Whether it is for the better is a matter of opinion....
"The hotel only supports about 18% of Jurassic World's visitors because it only has 5,000 rooms," I answer, crossing my arms around myself.
He looks at me with a confused expression on his face. If I wasn't so physically and emotionally drained, I would have smiled at his cute confusion. Instead I shrug, "Its all on their website."
"Mari, Zach." Claire walks up to us and hands us rom keys. I look down at mine, realizing it was to my hotel room. I had forgotten I just arrived here today. It has really been a long day.
I turned back to all of the parents and their children. I was lucky enough to have a place to stay until the ships came in the morning. These people had no where.
"Claire, I think we should all stay in my room," I look at her," so we can give the other rooms to people who need it." I know mathematically it wouldn't be much, but I still felt like I needed to do something. This was practically my park now....
She smiles, "how selfless of you. Yeah, I'll go talk to the front desk." I nod. I wasn't looking or the praise. I was just tired and honestly, I didn't want to be separated if anything happened again.
Zach puts his arm around me and leads me to the elevators.
My hotel room had a living room area with two couches, Owen took one and Claire and Gray took the other. They fell asleep somewhat easily. I didn't.
I sat on the bed and watched how peaceful and innocent Gray looked, trying to distract myself from the thoughts racing inside my head. Its over, but my heart and brain still felt as if they were running for their lives. I couldn't get myself to calm down.
"We have a long trip tomorrow. We should get some sleep," Zach coaxes.
I glance down at him. He's propped up on his arm, resting his head against the headboard. He and I were sharing the California King sized bed. I looked down at the makeshift pillow wall was the keeping him on his side. Before we planned where everyone was going to sleep, Owen had given Zach and I the scariest death stare. He clearly did not want us anywhere near each other, but he didn't oppose the idea either. I think he feels responsible for us now.
"Don't you think that I would have gone to sleep by now if I could?" I raise my eyebrow at him. His pink lips curve up into a smirk. He looks absolutely beautiful just sitting there. If his little brother wasn't in the next room, I would have totally let my teenage hormones take over.
"We should get to sleep," I sigh and lean over him. He goes in for a kiss, but my lips brush his cheek. Smirking, I reach over him and turn off the light. I lean back down, smiling into the dark. Our little game will never end.
"You know what, forget it," I hear him mumble after a few minutes. The next thing I know, he pushes the pillow barrier away, tossing them onto the floor.
I turned my head towards him. "What is your prob-"
He cuts me off by grabbing my face in his hands, and pressing his lips to mine. He kissed me slowly, treasuring this simple moment. I kissed him back, but more desperate. After we leave tomorrow, I didn't know what would happened to us.
Zach slowly pulled away from me, "We should get some sleep, yeah?" He held me long enough to look into my eyes, before he laid back down. I rested my head on his chest as he played with my hair. I don't think I'm going to get much sleep tonight.
*
*
I woke up around 5:00 naturally. Usually I'd go back to sleep, but I had to be up early today. The ferries were coming as soon as them can. Claire said that they'd be here around 8:00 and that we had to be up even earlier in order to get seats on the monorail. So here I was, up early on a Sunday.
I wiped my face, cautious of drool, and tried to smooth my hair back. I look around the room. Everyone was still asleep. Good. I'm used to doing everything without having to worry about someone else to use the shower. Speaking of showers... I really needed one. I smelt awful.
Carefully, I slid out of the bed, which wasn't exactly easy to do with my 5'4 frame, and quietly walked to the bathroom. Turning on the cool water, because it was hot in Isla, I took my much need shower.
I heard the squeak of the door and paused. I reached for my towel and shut off the water. Wrapping the towel around me, I stepped out of the shower, careful not to trip. Who the hell was in here? Could they not hear the water running or?
I peered around one of the corners of the large bathroom. It was Zach. He was washing his hands. I sighed. He must 've used the bathroom.
I coughed, trying to get his attention. He didn't hear me over the running water. "Zach!" I yell, tightening my hold on the towel.
He whips his head around, eyes wide. "Sorry," he sputters, before his eyes rake my body.
"Hey," I snap at him. It was way too early for this. "Get out," I laugh.
"Ok, ok, I'm leaving," he said, holding his hands up.
"Pervert," I laughed.
I changed, rather quickly, and put my wet hair in a ponytail. Eventually, after lots of yelling from Claire at Owen, the others got up and ready. Mine, Zach and Gray's luggage was being taken down and loaded onto a different ferry, so we only had to worry about our carry-ons.
"Do you want me to carry that for you?" Zach asked, gesturing to my book bag.
My eyes widened. He could not know what I had in here. "No, no I got it," I insisted.
He pauses, narrowing his eyes, before giving in. "Alright, I was just trying to do the whole 'boyfriend' thing," he shrugged.
I sighed and lean in to kiss him, but the word boyfriend made me freeze. I pulled back.
"Oh my gosh, how could I forget?" I mentally slap myself. How could I let myself be with a taken guy? He was dating someone! And I was kissing him. I sat down on the bed. I am a horrible person. "You have a girlfriend, Zach."
He sat down beside me, tossing his arms around me. "Kelly and I broke up when we were at the Tyrannosaurus Habitat," he laughed, "That's the reason I decided to put down my phone and take an interest in...other things." He wiggled his eyebrows, playfully shoving me.
I breathed a sigh of relief and shoved him harder back, before kissing him on the cheek. "That's fantastic!"
Zach raised his eyebrow at me, "I'll take your word for it."
We get up and head downstairs to the lobby.
The lobby is equally as packed as if was yesterday. There are bandaged people everywhere. I can't help but feel guilty that I had survived without a scratch, figuratively speaking of course. I frown at the bickering people. They were all desperate to get off this island.
"C'mon guys," Claire called from the doors.
Gray walks beside me as we head towards the monorails. He has his head down and he is twiddling his fingers.
"What's wrong Gray?"
He moves his fingers to pry his collar off of his neck. "Nothing, its just this shirt mom packed me is really itchy." He scratches his neck and pulls some more.
I laugh, and tug him into my side.
*
*
"Ready to finally leave this hell house?," Zach chuckles because he knows I am. We have been waiting for a ferry to show up for the past hour. I was getting anxious.
"I can't wait," I whispered. I was nervous that another dinosaur would attack at any moment. I felt completely venerable without Owen and his gun around. He and Claire were doing damage control: trying to calm down visitors, send out search teams, the works.
"Yeah, I can tell." He clasps my shaking hands, smoothing them. I rest my head on his shoulder, grateful that he didn't say anything else. We needed to talk about us. Were we dating? or was this just a fling? What even was a fling? Do people still have those...?
"Mari, hey. I can tell that something else is bothering you." Zach looks at me, the only way that he can, as if he could see into me. I frown. This was not the time nor place to take about Zach and I. Before I can answer, the dock starts to move back and fourth, swaying with the water.
At first it's just a trimmer, but then the dock starts to rock more violently. Echoing shouts sound from the terrified people waiting to board.
I look to Zach, who is holding on to the rail, trying to keep steady.
"What's happening?" hear Gray ask, coming up from behind us and peering over the edge. Zach grabs him as the dock shakes again.
Steadying myself, I look down and into the water, "I don't know."
"What...is that?" Zach suddenly gasps.
I scan the water, not seeing anything. Then my eyes fall on one of the ferries. I almost smile. I'm happy that the boat is here, but it is coming in fast. Too fast. I look around at the hundreds of people on the boardwalk. That boat is gonna need a way to stop, and if it uses the dock....
"It's coming in too fast," Gray says, jumping to get a better look. By now everyone has noticed the speeding ship.
"Why, why isn't it slowing down," Zach sputters. That's what I was thinking. Is there anyone controlling it?
The boat is getting closer now. I subconsciously take a step back. "Run!" someone from the lower deck screams.
I am petrified, but only for a few seconds. Gray runs ahead as I toss my bookbag onto my shoulders. I look to a fear stricken Zach. He quickly throws his arms over my shoulders. We try to follow Gray through the scattering people, but we lose him to the crowd. We reach the large hill surrounding the port and I carefully sit Zach down.
"Gray!" I call and watch horrified as the boat slams into the dock sending splinters everywhere. I climb up onto a bench and try to look over people's heads. I can't see Gray anywhere.
I gasp, crying. "Gray!" I hear nothing, but yelps.
"Mari!"
I turn and see Gray. He's ok and is standing at the foot of the hill. I run to him and wrap my arms around him. I kiss the top of his head, crushing him into me.
"Are you alright?"
He nods and we walk back to Zach.
After more heartwarming, brotherly love, everyone is gathered again in the hotel. There are people everywhere, franticly shouting. We were trapped on this island with dinosaurs on the lose. I don't know how I'm not hyperventilating.
I stop pacing and sit next to Zach.
"This has happened before, you know," I mutter,"in San Diego."
He leans forward, resting his chin on his propped up legs. "What are you talking about? What happed in San Diego?"
I looked at him shocked. How has he never heard about what happened? "In 1997, a tyrannosaurus rex was released in the city. Every worker onboard the ship carrying it was killed."
He sits back, taking in the information. "You really did your research, huh?" He says slowly.
"Well, when I was told I'd be going to a zoo that was known for its animals getting out and killing people, I did my research."
*
Thanks for reading!
Can I get 70 votes on this chapter? It's a long one.
Summary of Absolute: the Rise of a New Race
Absolute takes a new route through time and follows a new kind of futuristic hero, Everest Conrad, as she finds herself and the truth about the 'perfect' people running her nation, Optimum.
Absolute is almost like the cliché, highschool love story we all love, only this time, if the popular crowd doesn't like you, they have the power to kill you.
*
Optimum: Always Striving for Absolute
In Optimum, perfection is everything. In the year 3000, striving to never resort back to the New Dark Ages, imperfections and differences were outlawed and only the perfect survived. All races were blended together, all cultures absorbed, making one.
Everyone mirrors the same 'perfect' combination of skin tone and the same 'perfect' blend of golden hair.
Except for Everest Conrad. With her ink black hair and her tan skin, she is anything but 'normal.' All her life Everest has been stuck in her sister's shadow. Where Lenyx was the golden star, always connecting with everyone, Everest was the black coal, never fitting in. When she was younger, she didn't mind being compared to her twin, Lenyx, but now, as they both grow older, their differences threaten to pull them apart.
When the only person she can confide in is ripped away from her, Everest must turn to the one person she is supposed to stay way from for help.
As her life beings to shatter around her, she's faced with the biggest decision of her life: will she choose the path of perfection and ignore her fate, or will she let her fate be intertwined and tangled as it may while she figures out her true identity?