InGen / Jurassic World

:43:

*Claire's perspective*

The darkness was thick and muggy, hanging in the air like a phantom. Rain cut through the black, invisible pellets attacking us and the island. I am soaked. I can barely keep my eyes open. My hand slips and slides in Owen's as I pull him in what I think is the right direction.

As I stumble almost blindly through the deep, aged forest, I see only faint glows and outlines of the odd branch and trunk. I can smell the rain, I can smell the muggy earth.

The path we run on quickly turns to a muddy mess, tripping us now and again with stones hidden in the darkness.

I did my best to keep an eye out for something - anything - that could indicate where we were and where we were headed.

A flash of lightening illuminated the world, reflecting off the rain, making them fall like fireworks. The world went black, but I had seen a sign standing about 300 yards away, a familiar one.

I had forgotten about the thunder that would follow.

It smashed through the air and I jolted as my heart lurched.

I lost Owen's hand and I slid to a stop. My hair sticks to my face and neck, my clothes cling to my body; heavy and soaked through.

"Owen!" I scream against the rain. I strain my eyes but water flies into them, stinging. I scream again and stumble around blindly, "Owen!" I know I'm crying, but I have more rain than tears streaming down on me.

I hear a muffled noise and turn towards it, greeted with, again, blackness.

I see nothing.

aaiire

The rain was a barrier to sound.

"Owen!" My throat was squealing at my brain to stop.

Then the wind was knocked out of me when something solid thumps into my side, startling me into shock and fear. I felt something grab my arm, swinging me round, stopping me from falling. "Claire oh my god!"

I grab Owen's hand as relief flushes through me, but still leaves me filled with adrenaline. I grab his hand again, tangling my fingers with his, trying to make sure the rain doesn't win again. I shout through the rain in his general direction, "Do not let go!"

*Owen's perspective*

The second my hand slipped from Claire's, my heart practically stopped. I panicked as I tried to find her, holding my arms out frantically straining to hear her voice, my light. "Claire!"

wnnnn.!

The thick darkness put itself between me and her. The rain smashed down like bars. Her face flashed in my mind, her rich orange hair, her eyes, her nose, her lips, the way her cheeks flushed...

I stumbled towards the sound and suddenly collided with her, grabbing what I think was her arm and yanked her towards me. "Claire oh my god!" I yelled through the rain. My hair was flat on my head and water kept going in my mouth.

She locked our hands together again as somehow the rain got heavier. It muffled every noise, even Claire and she was - I think - less than a metre away. "Do not let go!" She screamed.

I won't. Ever.

*Claire's perspective*

I turned and turned and turned with Owen on the end of my arm to work out where we were facing and where the sign had been.

The wind changed direction and the trees whistled and howled in complaint. I bumped into Owen just as lightening split the sky open.

I saw the sign and started running just as the blackness returned. Owen was heavy on my arm then ran close. The thunder boomed and smacked my eardrums, temporarily putting me off balance. But the map I had quickly thrown together in my head guided us to the old, rusted sign.

I grabbed hold of the metal and didn't realise I was hyperventilating until I was waiting for another strike of lightening.

Owen yelled through the pounding rain, "Where are we?!"

I spat a sticky strand of hair from my mouth to speak, "Near the old park! I remember seeing a satellite phone!"

He replied but I didn't make out anything but rain muffled speech.

Lightening flashed and lit up everything. White light bounced off leaves and water droplets, showing the way I remember going with Owen after the boys.

I lunged forward with him, thunder cracking after us, and prayed that a tree trunk wouldn't get in the way.

My mind raced faster than my feet. We were vulnerable out here, so vulnerable. Anything could take us; it was too dark and the rain was too loud for us to hear any approach.

As the canopy thickened, our steps grew snappier by stones that scattered across the forest floor. Then we hit mud again and my feet kept sinking, making it increasingly difficult to move.

Just when we needed it, another lightening bolt dazzled across the sky, obediently followed by thunder. The raging storm must be right above us.

But I saw the mangled doors of the old innovation centre.

I head towards it, madly relieved but we have to be cautious. Something could be hidden in the leaves and deep foliage, a dinosaur hungry for fresh flesh rather than the rotting meat of long dead animals.

But we just slam into the ancient doors and they groan and whine in dissatisfaction as we drive them open.

As we plunge inside, the force of the rain pushing down on us suddenly disappears, and we hit the hard concrete floor.

Gasping, we both kicked the olden doors closed.