Chapter Thirteen
The air was thick with tension as Zed, Khalil, Lotus, Lena, Cris, and Jay ventured deeper into the jungle. The silence that had hung over the campsite earlier now seemed to have followed them into the woods. There were still no signs of the organizers or teachers and the eerie growl from earlier had left everyone on edge.
The elite trio and the poor kids, along with some of their classmates from both schools, walked in a tight group, eyes darting nervously from side to side. No one wanted to be the first to admit it but fear was beginning to creep into their minds. Something was off. The forest had never seemed so dense, so suffocating. The path they followed was barely a trail, overgrown with thick vines and towering weeds. The further they went, the more unsettled everyone became.
Zed, ever the one to take charge in any situation, drew a knife from his backpack. "I'll clear the path" he muttered, already slicing through the dense vegetation. He slashed through a few vines with quick, efficient strokes, cutting his way forward. His eyes were fixed on the thick underbrush in front of him, unaware of what lay ahead.
The others watched nervously as Zed led the way, hacking at the weeds with his usual arrogance. The others followed in his wake but they all knew the jungle had a sinister feel to it. Every snap of a twig underfoot sounded too loud, every rustling of the leaves too sharp.
Then, Zed's blade cut through a particularly thick patch of tall grass and suddenly there was a stillness. Everyone froze.
There, standing in front of them, was a massive creature. It wasn't some regular animal that might have been lurking in the woods—no, this was something out of a nightmare.
A massive T-Rex, its scaly body rippling with muscle, its enormous tail swishing lazily behind it as it stood before them. The massive dinosaur, its sharp teeth glistening loomed above the group, its tiny arms hanging uselessly by its sides.
The group stood frozen in disbelief, unsure if their eyes were playing tricks on them. A T-Rex?! Right in front of them? In a forest? How was that even possible?
Zed, still holding his knife, was the first to break the silence. His mouth was agape, eyes wide with shock. "Uh… guys? Is that a T-Rex?" His voice was a mix of awe and disbelief.
No one had a response because no one knew what to say. Was this some kind of sick joke? A theme park? Was this a special effects trick? But no, the T-Rex was real and its massive bloodshot eyes were now slowly shifting toward them.
The group collectively held their breath. The creature's gaze seemed to shift lazily, glancing at them with an air of indifference. It didn't seem to notice them immediately but when its eyes locked onto the group, it gave a low, guttural growl—a warning, perhaps? Or maybe just a curiosity, like it was assessing whether they were worth chasing.
"Do not move. Do not run" Khalil whispered urgently, his voice tense as he motioned for everyone to stay still. His eyes were wide with fear but his calm, almost stoic tone was the only thing that kept everyone from panicking.
The students, both elite and public, stood completely still like statues. It was as if the more they didn't move the more they hoped the T-Rex would just go back to whatever it was doing and forget about them.
But then, after five seconds that felt like five hours, Khalil's legs suddenly tensed, his eyes widened in a split second of pure terror and before anyone could even process it, he let out a blood-curdling scream.
"AAAAHHHHH!!!!" Khalil yelled at the top of his lungs and ran, his voice high-pitched with panic.
The T-Rex, perhaps startled by the sudden outburst or just deciding it was time for a snack, let out an even louder, more menacing growl. Its massive jaws parted as it began to charge toward them, the ground shaking beneath its weight.
Khalil's legs were already pumping as he sprinted ahead, his arms flailing wildly as he screamed like a madman, clearly in full flight mode. "I CAN'T DIE LIKE THIS!!"
"Khalil, WAIT!" Zed shouted but it was too late. Khalil was already way ahead of the group, his limbs flailing in every direction like an uncontrolled marionette.
The rest of the group followed suit in a panic induced frenzy. The elite students, who normally moved with calculated grace, were now running like a herd of scared chickens. Zed, with his usual swagger, was somehow even less graceful when running for his life. His knife, which had been so impressive in the jungle just moments ago, now seemed like a useless accessory as he sprinted alongside Lotus, who was moving with uncharacteristic desperation.
Lena and Cris, though shaken, didn't seem quite as panicked as the elite trio. They'd faced hardship before and knew how to stay calm. Still, they were running for their lives, their hearts pounding in their chests.
But Jay—poor Jay—wasn't faring as well. The thin boy had somehow tripped over a root, falling face first into the muddy ground. "Help! I-I'm down!" he cried out, his voice muffled by the dirt.
"MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!" Zed screamed, now completely forgetting his pride. He pulled Jay up by the arm and shoved him forward, keeping pace with the others.
And then came the chaos. Some students stumbled, tripping over rocks and branches. One poor kid, who had been trying to dodge a tree branch, found himself running straight into a bush and ended up tangled in it like a human-sized spider's web.
But the T-Rex wasn't giving up. It was gaining on them, its massive, muscular legs churning through the jungle with frightening speed. The ground beneath them shook with each thunderous step, sending loose branches and leaves flying everywhere.
Some of the students were so panicked that they started running in different directions, screaming and yelling at the top of their lungs. One kid, with a completely terrified look on his face, ran straight into a tree, knocking himself out cold with a sickening thud.
Lotus, who had been one of the few to remain calm earlier, was now running so fast that his usual brooding expression was replaced with one of pure terror. He looked over at Zed, who had taken the lead then glanced back at the others.
"I'm tired!" Lotus shouted.
"Just run!" Zed yelled back. "We're not going to die here!"
The T-Rex let out another terrifying roar, shaking the trees around them. There was no doubt about it now—it was hunting them and they were no longer in control of their surroundings. The entire retreat, the whole challenge, had taken a dangerous and ridiculous turn.
With the T-Rex hot on their heels and everyone screaming in pure panic, the jungle turned into a chaotic, adrenaline-fueled race for survival.
And somewhere in the madness, the students—both elite and public—realized one thing:
The jungle had become their true test and if they didn't stick together, they wouldn't make it out alive.