Be Brave | Zach Mitchell [OLD VERSION]

[07]

"Oh no, that's the same voice the social workers used when my mum left."

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Zach drove the trio away from the old park and towards the new one, finally reaching the gate that lead out.

"Zach stop, I can unlock the gate," Elle yelled, grabbing his arm. 

Zach didn't listen, instead, speeding through the gate and breaking it open. Elle screeched in surprise, covering her head. She let out a laugh as they drove, everything was working out. In that moment it was but not a few minutes later they were being followed by hundreds of Pterodactyl's and Pteranodon's. 

"Okay, that's it. We're safe now," Zach reassured. Elle sighed in relief. Her eyes flickered to the rear view mirror out of habit, which is when she saw them. She spun around. Her eyes widened. 

"For fu-"

"Go, go," Gray shouted, following Elle's eye line. "Go."

Gray continued to yell as they drove until they saw the gate. 

Both boys screamed at the guards to open the gates. Elle took a deep breath, undoing her seatbelt and standing up, waving her arms. 

"It's Elle Miles, Simon Masrani's daughter, open the gate, you absolute wan-"

She couldn't finish her sentence because Zach pulled her down. 

"You have a serious swearing problem," Zach told. 

"Now is not the time, Zachary," she exclaimed. 

The guards opened the gates and they rushed out of the vehicle and into the main park area. 

The trio ran. Elle held onto Zach, who held onto Gray. They dodged the screaming civilians and the swooping birds. 

"Get inside now," Zach ordered, pushing Gray ahead of him and grasping Elle's hand. She pulled the pair back just before a Pteranodon swooped down. Then they began to run again. They all spotted Claire.  

"Aunt Claire," both boys yelled, one after the other, a Pterodactyl close behind them. It was shot down, smashing a table behind them. Elle winced as she jumped, the shards scratching her calves. She backed away into a wall as the beak came closer to the three. Luckily for them, it stopped centimeters away from them. 

Elle kicked the dinosaur in the other direction before jumping up. 

"Come on," she spoke. Before she could move, on of those things swooped down, missing her by centimetres. "Jesus," she breathed out. She stepped back, falling into Zach. "Where's Claire?"

Zach turned her in the direction they had seen Claire. They watched as she shot the dinosaurs that had landed on a man, attacking him.

"Is that Aunt Claire?" Zach asked. 

Said woman helped the man off the ground that Elle recognised as Owen. Then he pulled her into a kiss. 

"Yep and she is pulling today," Elle blurted, the girl snorted at her statement. Zach sent her a glare that she ignored. 

Claire noticed the trio, running to her nephews, embracing them both. 

"Thank God. Thank God. What happened? What is this? Are you okay? Where did you go? Why didn't you come back? I was so worried about you," she rambled, checking Gray for injuries.

"Who's that?" Zach interrupted. 

"We work together," Claire replied. 

"Hey, Owen," Elle greeted, waving at the man. 

"Hey. We gotta go," Owen told. 

Claire did as he said, ushering the three children away from the crowded area. She began talking to someone on the phone.

"What do you mean 'use the raptors'?" She questioned.

"Son of a bitch," Owen spat. 

"You shouldn't say 'bitch'," Gray scolded. 

"You shouldn't repeat swear words," Elle spoke up.  

"Take the kids. Get them someplace safe," Owen instructed.

There was a banging behind them as the large doors shook. 

Elle's eyes widened as she rushed to follow Owen and the others into a car. She jumped into the back, landing on Zach's lap, which went unnoticed by her but not by him. 

Zach and Gray began to yell at Owen.

"Shut up," Elle demanded. They didn't.

"This does not feel safe," Zach stated. 

"Can we stay with you?" Gray asked. 

"I am never leaving you as long as you live," Claire reassured. 

"No, him," both boys stuttered out. 

"Yeah, definitely him," Gray repeated. 

"I'll stay with you, Claire," Elle comforted. "You're a badass."

It was that moment that Elle realised where she was sitting and moved to the middle seat. She rolled her eyes as Zach sent her a wink. 

"You shouldn't-"

"I know, Gray." She sent the boy a small smile. 

"Elle, while we're here, there's something we need to tell you," Claire began, her voice soft. She turned to face the girl, placing her hand above Elle's. She squeezed it gently. 

"Oh no, that's the same voice the social workers used when my mum left." Elle muttered, her eyes wide and glistening with tears. She looked younger, more innocent and Claire's heart broke.

"Your dad, he decided to fly the helicopter to stop the Indominous but there was an accident that lead to the containment anomaly and he was in it. The helicopter went down and there was an explosion, Mr Masrani didn't make it," she explained. 

"Oh."

"I'm so sorry," Claire whispered.

"Can we go?" Elle asked. Her voiced cracked. "I don't really want to sit here when there's a hybrid dinosaur on the loose," she quipped, blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall. She barely got the words out, her throat tightening as she realised that she was alone yet again. She wiped away the stray tears, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her palms against them. She felt a hand on her back. Zach rubbed circles in her back, an attempt to comfort. She reached blindly for his hand and felt it interlock with hers. 

In that moment Claire remembered she was only sixteen and that she had been through more than someone her age should have been. In that moment she discovered how broken Elle was.