𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇 - camp cretaceous

22| The Ferry

This was Hell.

We were scattered across the open tunnel screaming in pure terror as we tried to avoid Toro's grasp. He charged forwards, backwards, side-to-side, growling viciously. We ran in a group, but Toro nearly getting the satisfaction of ripping us apart was the hint we needed to split up. We swerved.

CRASH! Toro slammed into a large crate, rendered dizzy. Brooklynn and I took this chance to hide behind smaller boxes as the revenge-driven carnotaur regained his focus. Brooklynn peered over the top of the container and screeched!

Toro knocked the crates out of the way and revealed our terrible hiding place. We ran to the tunnel's far end, and getting bored, Toro turned to my brother!

He snapped at Kenji, eager to trap him between his jaws. After many shrill screams, Kenji spotted Brooklynn and me running away, and he ran up the rails towards us. He was leading Toro right to us!!

"Jump!" Brooklynn yelled as Toro lunged.

I was a millisecond too late and felt the air rush past my arm as Toro clamped his jaws shut beside it. Shrieking, I pushed myself against a larger box to the side and landed on the rail. I was too slow and hurriedly went against a large crate beside me. Toro slipped on the edge of the concrete platform and hit the ground with a THUMP!

His clawed foot reached for my leg and scratched my uninjured arm. I winced and got up. Toro snarled as he slowly stood, and I ran right past him. I felt my legs seize up, and I staggered, falling to the ground. I tried to stand, but I couldn't move again! Toro was getting closer!

"Kiara, get up!" Sammy screamed.

"I can't!" I replied.

But when I tried to stand again, my body chose to obey, and I was racing against Toro. CLANK! I looked to the left, and Yasmina struggled to move with her taser staff. Toro swiftly turned his head and faced her before snarling lowly. He whacked me to the side with his tail as he chased after Yas.

She gasped and slowly moved away, but there was no way she could outrun Toro like that! Just as she was about to be snatched up, Darius flew by in a blur and threw a long wooden plank at Toro's head. Toro was stopped in his tracks.

Toro growled in frustration and fury and switched targets, chasing after Darius. Darius leapt over a stack of crates, landing with agility. He snatched Yas' taster staff, but Darius tripped instead of running from his foe with ease. At the same time, Toro crashed into the crates full of medical tanks, which leaked compressed air. The hissing was loud and pierced our ears, and the vile smell of sulfur arose.

I spotted the others hidden behind a large container and slipped past Toro to reach them. Toro chased Darius, but he jumped onto the platform where the rest of us were crouching. Now the gas had utterly filled the tunnel, and it was getting harder to breathe, and Toro was getting closer and closer.

We were tired and weak, and I felt that surge of drowsiness trying to drown me. But it was okay. Darius had that expression. That expression meant he had a plan. He leaned back and threw the taser staff at the cloud of compressed air, and time slowed.

We were thrown back as an eruption of amber, red and white burst in front of our eyes, the light blinding. Everything around us was stripped apart, bits of wood and splinters flying around our bodies. The smell of sulfur was intoxicating, but now it was accompanied by smoke. The ceiling lights were battered entirely, shards of glass flying around us.

From inside the smokey cloud, Toro was whimpering in pain, but we were yet to see the damage he sustained. The entire tunnel was covered with grey smoke and soot. I realised I'd been holding my breath, so I breathed in, only to cough so hard I had to bend over. The others started coughing, fanning the smoke away from their faces.

"Is everyone okay?" Darius asked anxiously.

"Surprisingly, yeah," Brooklynn smiled.

Kenji lay back, relieved, "Whoo-hoo! We did it! We beat..."

A rumbling came from the track. We gasped and peered over. There were chunks of concrete all over the rails, and they were thrown into the air as Toro burst out from beneath them, snarling weakly. His skin was utterly burnt, and he tried to walk towards us but lost his footing, slipping heavily onto the tracks. Toro whined as he stood to face us, and I started to pity him. If only Toro hadn't tried to kill us so many times...

Darius stared back at Toro confidently, not removing his gaze, and I could see what he was doing. I walked beside him and did the same, giving Toro a stern look and making him move back as though scared. The others came forward and copied after us, threatening Toro further. Eventually, Toro growled and turned away from us, walking away and back out of the tunnel.

"That's what you get!" Darius exclaimed, raising his fist.

"Take that, Toro!" I cheered, hopping about.

We all excitedly cheered as we watched Toro leaving, another wave of relief washing over us, one of drowsiness washing over.

"It doesn't get better than this," Kenji shook his head, smiling.

"You wanna bet?" Yas smirked, pointing towards the blocked-off exit where there was now a wide crack! There was enough space for us to get out! To escape!

We all got up and began to run towards the exit and out to the dock, running through the jungle with excitement. We laughed and giggled, running as fast as we could! We could finally make it to the...

The ferries were gone.

They were all gone!

"They... left us," I whispered breathlessly, staring at the empty ocean. It was laughing at us. The sea was laughing. How the dark blue waves rolled away from us, pulling the water with them as they did for the ferries, was cruel...

"They'll be back for us, won't they?" Sammy asked quietly.

"Of course they will! And until then, we've got each other. Right, Mr VIP?" Darius reassured her. He stepped to Kenji and softly punched his shoulder.

"No-duh, dino-nerd," Kenji smirked.

Brooklynn jumped between them and beamed, "Hey, don't forget Superstar!"

"Barf," Yas joked, playfully rolling her eyes.

"Group hug!" Sammy squealed, taking mine and Yasminna's hands and pulling us into a hug.

Kenji, Darius and Brooklynn hugged us and squeezed tighter than Sammy! But I couldn't enjoy it. I couldn't enjoy it because that strange feeling came back. It was worse this time.

I felt my limbs cramping up and stepped back, wincing in pain. My head was pounding, and white excruciating pain shot up my body. Everyone faded into black and back as my eyes fluttered. What was happening to me!?

Darius was saying something, but I could barely focus. Yasmina said something, and I forced myself to pay attention, realising she was saying my name. Kenji stepped towards me, looking fearful, but I felt weak. Everything felt numb.

I dropped to the ground, hitting my head against the damp grass and...

And everything went black...

Help...