It's a fine line, it's an age-old story

 /̵͇̿̿/'̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ 

𝕎𝔸𝕍𝔼𝕊 lapped at the shore as the group dragged themselves onto the beach, gasping for breath, their bodies aching from exhaustion. The salt air stung their skin, mixing with the rawness in their throats from inhaling smoke and ash.

Claire was the first to sit up, her lungs still heaving as she turned her head to see Owen and Rosita lying on their backs, staring up at the sky, their chests rising and falling rapidly. Their soaked clothes clung to them, covered in sand and grime, but at that moment, exhaustion weighed heavier than discomfort.

Claire ran a shaky hand through her wet hair, trying to steady herself before her eyes flickered around. Something was missing. Someone.

"Where is Zia?" she asked, her voice hoarse but laced with concern.

Rosita groaned softly, rolling onto her side before propping herself up on her elbow. Her gaze hardened as she exhaled sharply.

"It was a double-cross," she muttered, her expression darkening. "They took her. She must be with Blue." Owen, still catching his breath, lifted his head slightly and turned to Franklin, his brow furrowed. "Hey, can you still track 'em?" Franklin sat up, coughing, and pulled the tracking device from his soaked jacket. Water dripped from the ruined piece of tech, its screen flickering uselessly. "Not anymore," he said with a helpless sigh, tossing it onto the sand.

Claire clenched her jaw as realization settled in. Her face twisted in anger, her emotions boiling over as the truth hit her like a punch to the gut.

"It was a lie," she spat, her voice trembling with fury. She pushed herself to her feet, pacing in the sand as rage burned through her veins. "It was a lie. Bastards! It was all a lie!"

Her words echoed against the vast, ruined landscape. The sky above them, once blue and serene, was now shrouded in thick, suffocating smoke. The land behind them, once teeming with life, was nothing more than scorched earth, a graveyard of what had once been.

A deep, mechanical whirring sound filled the air, cutting through the distant rumble of the volcano.

The group turned toward the sky, their breath hitching as they saw something emerging from the thick clouds of smoke.

A helicopter.

Its massive frame hovered in the sky, its blades slicing through the ash-laden air. But it wasn't just the aircraft that held their attention—it was what it carried beneath it. Suspended in a massive cage, roaring in fury, was a T-Rex. The beast thrashed against the steel bars, its powerful jaws snapping, its tail whipping violently as it struggled against its airborne prison. The helicopter strained under the weight, but it carried on, lifting the apex predator away from the dying island.

Owen, Claire, and Franklin could only stare, their minds still reeling from everything that had happened. But Rosita... Rosita stood up, her eyes locked onto the helicopter, her fists clenching at her sides. "Not all of it."

𓆌

The three lay flat against the scorched ground, the heat of the smouldering earth seeping into their skin as they peered down at the beach below. The once-pristine shore had been turned into a war zone—boats lined the coast, helicopters circled above, and soldiers moved with military precision, turning the area into a full-fledged operation site. Cages rattled as dinosaurs were forcibly loaded onto ships, their cries of distress barely audible over the roaring engines and barked orders. "Move it! Move! Move! Anything of value, I want on that boat!" Wheatley's voice cut through the chaos, his tone sharp with greed and authority.

Rosita's fingers curled into fists as she glared down at him, her teeth clenched. Every instinct screamed at her to put a bullet in his skull, but she forced herself to stay put. If she were lucky, one of the more toothy captives would do the job for her. Then, she saw him approach a small, terrified stegosaurus calf.

The baby whined, pressing itself against the holds as the truck was carrying it. For a moment, it looked as though Wheatley was soothing the creature, running a hand along its trembling body. But then, he pulled out a metal tool. Rosita's stomach twisted in rage as she watched Wheatley yank one of the baby's teeth out. The stegosaurus flinched, whimpering in pain as Wheatley held the stolen tooth up, smirking as if it were a trophy. Rosita moved before she could think, but Owen caught her arm and yanked her back down.

"Not now," he whispered sharply.

Rosita's eyes burned with fury, but she forced herself to stay put as Owen lifted the binoculars. "They have Zia," he muttered. "They're loading out." Franklin, still lying low, furrowed his brows. "If they already have the dinosaurs, why do they need us?"

"They needed the tracking system to capture Blue," Rosita muttered, her voice tight with frustration. At that, Owen stiffened. "There he is." Rosita reached for the binoculars, pressing them to her eyes. Blue lay sprawled across a metal table, barely moving. His chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths, his body wracked with pain.

Rosita's heart clenched.

Then, a deep, guttural rumble shook the earth beneath them. The volcano. Molten lava boiled beneath the surface, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the sky. Embers rained down like fiery snowflakes, the ominous glow of impending destruction painting the world in shades of crimson and orange. Owen didn't hesitate. "We need to get on that boat." He pushed up from the ground. Rosita was right behind him. "You don't need to tell me twice."

Without another word, they sprinted down the slope.

Behind them, Franklin gulped as the ground trembled beneath his feet. "The rock is good!" he called nervously. Claire shot him a sharp look as she ran. "It's the boat or the lava, Franklin!" Franklin groaned in exasperation but forced himself to his feet. "Alright, boat's good! I'm all about the boat!" The world around them was collapsing into chaos. Soldiers scrambled to finish loading their cargo, flames licked the edges of the jungle, and the air was thick with smoke and panic. The sky rained fire—massive boulders of molten rock crashed into the earth, exploding on impact. The explosion rocked the ground, sending a powerful shockwave through the air.

Rosita and Franklin were thrown off their feet. "Rosita! Franklin!" Claire screamed, skidding to a halt. She turned to go back, but Owen grabbed her wrist. "Hey! Get the truck going!" Claire hesitated, torn, before nodding. She turned and sprinted toward the vehicle. Owen rushed back, pulling Franklin to his feet before reaching for Rosita. But Rosita wasn't looking at him—she was staring at something behind them.

A Brachiosaurus.

The towering herbivore lumbered toward the docks, its massive legs moving in a slow, desperate attempt to escape the encroaching lava. Rosita's heart pounded.

It's not going to make it.

She didn't think—she ran. "Rosita!" Owen bellowed after her, but she was already gone. She sprinted toward the dinosaur, waving her arms. "Come on! You have to run, or you'll die!" The Brachiosaurus hesitated, its large, panicked eyes locking onto her. "Come on!" she yelled again, motioning frantically. For a moment, nothing happened, however, it began to move. The ground quaked as the towering beast picked up speed, following Rosita as she sprinted toward the docks. Owen grabbed Rosita's arm and pulled her into the truck bed. "Hold on!" Franklin scrambled in beside them just as Claire floored the gas. The truck jolted forward, skidding onto the loading ramp just as the boat began pulling away from the shore. Rosita clung to the side, her breath ragged, before she turned.

The massive dinosaur launched itself forward, its heavy body slamming onto the metal platform just as the ramp snapped shut behind it.

Rosita exhaled, her body sagging in relief as she watched the creature take deep, shuddering breaths. They had made it. The boat pushed further into the open ocean, carrying them away from the burning island.

But as Rosita turned back, she saw it. The volcano erupted in full force, a massive inferno swallowing the land they had once fought to save.

And just like that, the island was gone.

 /̵͇̿̿/'̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ 

By: SilverMist707

I couldn't let that dinosaur die and that scene hurt my heart :,( 

I'm sorry that it was a bit short.