Chapter Fourteen
The jungle was no longer just a terrifying backdrop for their survival; it had become the ultimate arena of chaos. Every step they took felt like they were running for their lives and for some it felt like they were running out of options.
Khalil was still in the lead, the sound of his rapid, panicked footsteps echoing through the forest. Behind him, Zed, Lotus, Lena, Cris, Jay, and the rest of their classmates were trying to keep up, but it wasn't easy. Their breaths were ragged, their legs were cramping, and most of them had tripped at least once in the mad dash.
The T-Rex, on the other hand, seemed unstoppable. Every time they thought they'd gained some distance, they'd hear its terrifying growl and feel the ground shake beneath them as it closed in.
"Keep moving!" Zed shouted, his voice strained with panic. "Don't look back!"
Lotus, his normally confident demeanor completely shattered by the chaos, was running so fast his thoughts were a blur. His legs were on autopilot, his mind focused only on survival. The dense jungle was giving way to a narrow path, and ahead, the ground looked slippery, almost like wet clay or lime, making it tricky to stay steady.
"This way!" Zed shouted, spotting the narrow gap between the trees. It was the only option left, if they stayed in the open the T-Rex would catch them for sure.
The students, some of them still stumbling, shifted to follow. But then, just as Khalil was about to leap into the narrow path, his foot caught on a slick patch of mud. His arms flailed wildly as he tried to regain his balance but it was no use. With a loud slurp, Khalil slipped, his feet sliding out from under him, and he fell—ungracefully—into the creaky, muddy water below.
The sound of his fall echoed, a deep splash that seemed to taunt the group. For a moment, everything went silent.
"Khalil!!" Zed yelled seeing his friend submerged in the creek, his arms and legs flailing like a fish out of water.
Khalil sputtered and cursed, trying to push himself up but his feet kept slipping out from under him. The muddy creek seemed to swallow him whole, and his usual bravado was nowhere to be found.
"I-I'm stuck!" Khalil yelped, splashing around wildly, his face contorting in frustration. "Why does this always happen to me?!"
The rest of the group, still on the narrow path, skidded to a halt. Panic spread like wildfire.
"What do we do?!" Jay cried, his eyes wide with panic.
"We've got to help him!" Lena shouted, glancing nervously at the T-Rex, which was still steadily charging toward them, its footsteps thundering through the jungle.
Zed and Lotus were already rushing toward the creek, their hearts racing as they desperately tried to help Khalil.
"Hold on, hold on!" Zed called out, grabbing Khalil's hand and pulling with all his strength. "This isn't the time for you to be playing around in the mud!"
"Who's playing?!" Khalil shot back, his voice muffled by the mud. "I swear, I didn't sign up for this!"
The T-Rex was getting closer, the ground trembling beneath its giant feet. It let out another deafening roar, and it was clear that it wasn't slowing down.
"Help!" Khalil cried, trying to crawl out of the creek but only sliding back down with a loud squelch each time.
Zed and Lotus exchanged a desperate look. The T-Rex was almost there, and Khalil was stuck. They were running out of time.
But just as they were about to pull Khalil out—when hope seemed to be slipping away—the impossible happened. The T-Rex, in all its terror inducing majesty, managed to trip. It let out a mighty roar of surprise as its massive foot got caught on an exposed root and with an earth shaking thud, the creature face planted into the muddy ground.
For a split second, the entire group stood frozen, watching as the T-Rex lay sprawled out like a toddler who had just learned to walk. Its giant head was buried in the mud, its massive body twitching as it tried to push itself up but its legs were tangled in vines and roots.
The students stood there, shocked and unsure whether this was a trick of their imagination or if the universe had suddenly decided to throw them a bone.
"Is… is it dead?" Jay whispered, eyes wide with disbelief.
Khalil, still covered in mud, turned toward the fallen beast, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "I… I think it's just stuck?" he said, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"It tripped?!" Lotus muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "How did that even happen?"
Zed, not one to waste an opportunity, stood up straight, his hands on his hips as he looked at the T-Rex with smug triumph. "Did I not say I was going to take care of this? I told you I had everything under control" he said, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
Khalil, however, wasn't in the mood to joke. "You're lucky I didn't drown while you were being a hero!" He tried to stand up, slipping on the muddy bank again and fell right back into the creek with a loud splash.
The students around them erupted into a mix of laughter and disbelief.
"Man, we're going to be telling this story forever" Lena said, shaking her head as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
"First, we almost get eaten by a dinosaur" Cris said "And now it's… stuck in the mud?" He let out a short laugh, shaking his head.
Meanwhile, the T-Rex, its pride undoubtedly hurt by the fall, was struggling to get back on its feet. Its roar echoed through the jungle once again but it seemed to be more of a frustrated growl than an aggressive one. It was clear that the great beast, for all its power, was no match for the chaos of the jungle's natural terrain.
"Alright, let's get out of here before it finally stands up" Zed said, brushing his hands off like he was wiping away the embarrassment of the situation. "But first, Khalil, get out of the mud, please"
Khalil, now utterly drenched in the creek's murky water, grumbled but eventually managed to crawl back to the path, his pride completely in tatters. The students, still in a mix of panic and laughter, quickly began to head back toward the relative safety of the jungle, leaving the T-Rex to struggle with its own humiliation.
And as they continued to run—now with just a hint of laughter escaping their lips—they knew one thing for sure: this would be a story they'd never, ever forget.
And next time, when it came to dealing with giant prehistoric predators, they'd be a lot more careful about where they stepped.