Zane knows of what has happened at these parks. He understands the inherent risks that come with the operation of a park with dinosaurs as the inhabitants. But seeing the blood, hearing the screams abruptly silence, the crunch of bones. An innocent employee killed in such a horrific way. An awful sight. He wanted to cry, to scream, to panic. But as the oldest, the one most familiar with the parks and their risks. He’d heard the stories, the recounts from his father and his dwindling mind confusing place and time. He couldn’t break, he couldn’t crumble. His focus locked on helping calm the closest of the campers, to offer some semblance of stability. First and foremost he was the oldest, responsible, strong, logical. Underneath this burden though, trapped inside his mind, a 17 year old kid, crying out for help, for safety and comfort. Ignored and forgotten.
Jay didn’t want to come, he was terrified of dinosaurs, of strangers, of the world in general. The blood. The scream. The whole event was burned into his brain. Replaying over and over in his head. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think. He just laid there, pressing firmly into the wood, breath’s coming out short and fast, heart hammering, tears flowing. Frozen in fear. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t move. He was stuck. Jay hated his parents in that moment for encouraging him to come here. He hated himself for not standing up and saying he wouldn’t go. He hated the idiot who ever thought up the idea of a park with dinosaurs. He could’ve laughed at the absurdity of it all, if he wasn’t literally paralyzed with terror.
Cole was angry and upset and terrified. He was feeling so many things at once and really wanted to punch someone. His hands were so tightly curled in fists that his knuckles were turning white. He knew some of the risks of the park, or the previous parks at least. He’d thought this one was supposed to be safer, wasn’t that the point of upgrading it. He should’ve just stayed in school, he hated it, but at least there wasn’t a chance of being eaten by dinosaurs!! There was one silver lining in this whole situation. At least when he died, he’d be with his mum. So he had that to look forward to. Sure he was only 16 and had so much potential. If a therapist was here right now, he knew for a fact they’d send him to the loony bin for sure. But honestly, Cole wasn’t scared of death. His mother had died and she was a good person. Surely if he died, he’d be with her, he wasn’t the most obedient kid, but he hadn’t like stolen or killed anyone. And he didn’t exactly believe in hell anyway…. In actuality Cole was silent and frozen. His mind having completely dissociated from reality. This was a liability in an island filled with dinosaurs, but unfortunately it would continue happening.
Lloyd wasn’t dumb. He knew about the previous parks, he knew about the deaths and destruction. He knew the risks, however he also knew dinosaurs. He had more knowledge than most kids his age. He was planning to be careful. To listen to the camp counselors, to follow the rules. It still ended up all going to shit, who could’ve guessed. He was only 12, a kid who just wanted to see some real life dinosaurs, give him a break. Lloyd was struggling to get the image of the employees death out of his head. He did all the coping mechanisms. Breathing, tapping, fidgeting, closing his eyes. Desperately trying to calm his thundering heartbeat. The problem Lloyd was facing with this particular situation was the dinosaur. He didn’t recognize the type. This seemed like such a minimal issue compared to a man being eaten. But if Lloyd was going to escape out of here and help the other campers get out as well. He needed to be right in his dinosaur knowledge or else he’d lead him and the other kids to their deaths. 5 lives were in his hands, 5 families were counting on him. Only 1 chance at not screwing it up.
Kai could hear his sisters barely contained cries, he could feel her shaking against him even her fingernails gripping his jacket, but he couldn’t comfort her in the way he normally would. All his thoughts and feelings were internal. His mind couldn’t handle anymore trauma. This was a situation he couldn’t yell or fight his way out of. He had no knowledge of dinosaurs or the park. He wasn’t smart like his sister. He was just a stowaway. Another life about to be lost to dinosaurs. A number on a chart that no one would care about. There was no one waiting for him, no parents, no friends. He only had Nya. He couldn’t be the big brother she needed. It was just too much. He hoped Nya understood what was happening, he hoped she could move on and live her life. In this state he wasn’t going to live much longer, he was a liability, a lost cause. The extra and the outcast. Nothing to add and not anything to lose. Just there. Like he always had been. Now he was even failing at that. She’d be ok. His final thought as he retreated into his mind, leaving reality behind.
Nya wanted to go home. Home was safe. Home was quiet. Home meant safety and security. Nya wanted to go home with her big brother. As she laid on his lap, wetting his shirt with her tears, she noticed how slack his arms around her were. She looked up at his face. His eyes were dull and lifeless. For a horrifying second, she thought he was dead. But then his head turned in her direction, his eyes showed a sign of recognition
something was wrong, very Very VERY wrong. He looked strange. His gaze wasn’t exactly on her, more like he was looking right through her. For the first time in her life, through his teenage angst and general anger issues, she felt frightened of him. Scared of her big brother, or scared for him? A bit of both. She wasn’t a therapist or a doctor. But she knew that his behaviour did not make sense after what just happened. She was the little sister, he was the big brother. He was supposed to comfort her, to protect her, to be there for her. He wasn’t doing any of these things. Nya wanted to go home. But without her big brother, was it still home. This terrifying thought of Kai not making it, was what pushed her to flip the script. Kai needed help. He’d done an amazing job of caring for her all these years. This fueled her determination to protect her big brother, to make it out alive with him in tow. Home became a goal, because home wasn’t a place. It was a person. It was Kai. Kai before all this. Her big brother would return if she helped him escape this place. He had too or else she’d lose everything.
