Nublar's Seventh

"Your shoulder's weird."

Once again, the kids were running—only this time, it wasn't a giant hybrid dinosaur chasing them, but a flock of prehistoric winged nightmares. A bit of variety, at least.

Darius and Ben trailed behind, struggling under the weight of Bumpy, who squeaked anxiously in their arms. Kenji led the charge, gripping the iPad with the map, but not fast enough for Yasmina, who yanked it from his hands without missing a beat and sprinted ahead.

Hazel ran alongside the group, but in truth, she wasn't fully present. Her feet were moving, her breath was quick and sharp, but her mind was still trapped in the moment she had watched the helicopter spiral downward, flames and metal swallowed by the jungle. The what-ifs tormented her—what if he had been in there? What if she had just watched him die?

They reached the entrance to a large cave with a faded sign beside itthat read "River Adventures." One by one, they darted inside. Darius, Ben, and Bumpy were the last to scramble through, and as soon as they did, Yaz swung the door shut behind them. A Pteranodon slammed against it, its screech muffled by the heavy metal like material.

Silence fell. The only sound was their desperate, ragged breathing as they tried to catch their breath.

Then, a cold, automated voice crackled to life from the speakers.

"Welcome to Jurassic World's River Adventure. Prepare yourselves for the wonder of the underground river."

No one reacted. The eerie normalcy of the pre-recorded announcement clashed with the chaos outside. The group slowly moved forward, navigating around the barriers meant for long-gone tourists. Their footsteps echoed against the cave walls.

"Two adventurers per kayak. Life vests must be worn at all times. Adults, please fasten your own life vests before helping little adventurers."

Hazel lagged behind the others, still reeling.

"Hey, what happened back there?"

Darius's voice was gentle, but it still startled her. He had slowed his pace, now walking beside her.

Hazel swallowed, forcing herself to focus. "I... I thought maybe my uncle was in that helicopter." The words felt heavy in her mouth.

Darius's brows furrowed. "Why would your uncle be in the helicopter?"

"He works here, and I just—" She exhaled sharply. "I just know he'd do anything to find me. It's stupid, I know. I don't even know for sure..."

Darius shook his head. "It's not stupid, Hazel. If he's out there, we'll figure it out. I promise."

His certainty made her stomach unclench just a little. There was something about Darius—an unshakable belief that no matter how bad things got, there was always a way forward.

"Who is your uncle, anyway?" he asked.

Hazel hesitated, then shrugged. "Owen Grady."

Darius stopped dead in his tracks.

"YOUR UNCLE IS OWEN GRADY?! THE RAPTOR TRAINER?!?!"

Hazel grinned. "Yeah."

"AHHH, THAT IS SO FREAKING COOL!" Darius all but screamed, his hands flailing in excitement.

Ahead, the others were gathering their life vests and picking seating arrangements.

"Brooklynn and I call the CKK!" Kenji declared, hands on his hips like he'd just made a profound announcement.

Brooklynn arched a brow, completely judging the name he had just come up with. "CKK?"

Kenji slid his sunglasses on. "Cool Kids' Kayak."