Chapter Fifteen
The jungle was no longer the only threat on their minds. After their harrowing encounter with the T-Rex, the students—exhausted, muddy, and shaken—knew they needed to find an escape route. The island, once a place of mystery and adventure, now felt more like a trap, a place where their lives hung by a thread. The teachers and organizers had vanished, leaving them to fend for themselves and the ever-looming presence of the T-Rex and the unknown dangers of the jungle made it clear: they had to get out—fast.
With Khalil still grumbling about his near drowning experience and Zed trying to shake off the mud from his clothes, the group found themselves walking toward the edge of the island, near the seashore. The salty air hit their faces like a welcome breeze, the sound of crashing waves providing a strange sense of relief.
"There's gotta be a way out of here" Zed muttered, wiping his brow as he looked out over the ocean. "If we can just find a boat, we might be able to get back to civilization"
"That would be great" Khalil said sarcastically, still not fully recovered from his muddy disaster. "As long as it's not made of more mud"
Lotus scanned the coastline, looking for any sign of a way off the island. "There's gotta be something" he said, his voice more serious. "We've got no food, no shelter, and who knows what else could be lurking here"
As they continued to walk along the beach, the group's eyes were drawn to something strange in the distance. It was a small, weather-beaten boat, half sunken in the sand but still mostly intact. It looked like it had been left behind by someone long ago—probably a fisherman or someone who had tried to escape the island before.
"Is that... a boat?" Lena asked, her voice filled with a mix of hope and disbelief.
"Yeah!" Zed said, his eyes lighting up. "It looks like it could work!"
The students approached the boat cautiously, as though expecting it to disappear at any moment. The closer they got, the more they realized that it was indeed functional—though old and battered. The hull was cracked in some places and the wood was warped by the saltwater but there was a rudder and two oars. It wasn't much but it was enough.
"This baby is our ticket out of here" Zed said, glancing around. "We need to fix it up!"
Khalil sighed. "I can't believe we're relying on this thing to get us off this island" he muttered, kicking at the sand. "But I guess it's better than fighting another T-Rex"
"Stop complaining" Lotus said, already bending down to inspect the boat. "We don't have any other options. Help us look around for anything that can help fix it"
The students split up, scouring the beach for anything useful. Lena found a few long branches, which could be used as makeshift paddles if needed. Jay and Cris gathered some large leaves and vines to try and patch up any leaks in the boat's hull. Meanwhile, Khalil found a rusty old knife, which he immediately put to use trying to scrape off some of the seaweed that had clung to the boat's bottom.
Zed stood by, overseeing the work with a critical eye. "We'll have to work fast. The tide's coming in" he said, motioning to the rising water. The boat was already half submerged in the sand and it wouldn't be long before it was completely surrounded by the ocean.
The group worked quickly, with Zed's leadership pushing them all into action. It was surprisingly efficient, considering the circumstances. They used the vines to tie up the cracks in the boat, the branches to create makeshift paddles, and the leaves to cover any holes.
"We might actually make it out of here" Cris said, almost in disbelief as they finished their quick repairs.
"Don't jinx it" Jay warned, looking nervously at the horizon. "It's not over yet"
Lotus, who had remained relatively quiet through the process, gave the boat one last inspection. "It'll hold" he said simply. "Let's get in"
As the group climbed into the boat, they felt a sense of cautious optimism. They were far from safe but this was their best shot. The boat creaked under their weight but it stayed afloat and the cool breeze from the sea felt like a balm to their senses.
"We're not safe yet" Zed said, grabbing one of the paddles. "Let's get going!"
With everyone settled in, they began paddling. The boat jerked forward, moving through the shallow waves. The sound of the crashing surf grew louder as they ventured farther from the shore and for a moment they thought they might actually make it out of the island alive.
But then, just as they thought they were clear of the dangers of the jungle, a loud roar echoed from behind them. The T-Rex, somehow, had found its way to the beach.
"What the fuck?!" Khalil screamed, panic flooding his voice as he grabbed for his own paddle.
The boat lurched forward, the group paddling with all their might. The T-Rex's massive form loomed at the edge of the beach, its eyes locked onto them as it let out another terrifying roar. But by the time it started moving toward them, they were already too far out.
The island, with its dangers and mysteries, was shrinking into the distance. The T-Rex, though powerful and fearsome, was no match for the students' frantic escape. The boat bobbed gently in the waves and as they paddled toward freedom, the roar of the dinosaur grew faint.
"We did it!" Lena said breathlessly, a relieved smile on her face. "We're out!"
"We're not safe yet" Zed reminded her, still paddling. "But it's better than being stuck on that island with a carnivorous dinosaur"
The students continued to paddle, the rhythm of their strokes matching the slow but steady progress of their escape. For the first time since they'd arrived on the island, they felt a sense of hope—hope that they could make it out alive, hope that they would survive the wild, and maybe even learn something from the experience.
And as the island finally disappeared from sight, they allowed themselves a brief moment of peace—before they turned their eyes toward the open sea, the unknown future that lay ahead of them, and the lessons they had yet to learn.