She never had a home. No safe spaces. No routines lasting more than a few months.
Because when it found her, she had to leave again.
She wasn’t the one making decisions. That was him—a soldier without a team, a hunter without a kill. He thought he could stop it, until it wiped out everyone beside him.
Now, with no one left, he kept her moving. Never staying. Never slowing down. Never letting it catch up.
The one rule was simple—when it got too close, they ran.
That was how she ended up on the island. An opportunity. A place to blend in. She wasn’t supposed to attract attention.
But Camp Cretaceous didn’t work like that.
The car rattled as Brooklyn lifted her camera. "Alright, guys, this is the official start of Camp Cretaceous! Introductions time!"
Kenji smirked. "Kenji Kon. Future billionaire. Best camper here."
Yaz crossed her arms. "Track star. Not losing sleep over any of you."
Sammy grinned. "Sammy Gutierrez! I live on a ranch. Never been scared of dinosaurs."
Ben muttered, "Ben Pincus. I, uh… have hand sanitizer?"
Brooklyn sighed. "That’s it?"
Darius straightened. "Darius Bowman. Dinosaurs are my life."
Brooklyn turned to her.
She moved fast.
Quick. Sharp.
Her hand snapped up, gripping the device before Brooklyn could record her.
Brooklyn blinked, caught off guard. "What—camera shy?"
She didn’t answer. Didn’t let go yet.
Brooklyn narrowed her eyes. "You’re seriously that paranoid?"
Her grip didn’t loosen.
Brooklyn frowned but moved on.
But she knew Brooklyn wouldn’t forget. She would ask again. She would watch again.
And next time, she might not look away so quickly.
The treehouse was bigger than she expected. Almost a real home. Almost.
Brooklyn spun her camera around. "Guys, this might be the coolest place I’ve ever seen!"
Kenji stretched. "Pretty sure this is my penthouse now."
Yaz scoffed. "You mean our camp base."
Kenji shrugged. "Same thing."
Sammy grinned. "Bigger than my house!"
Darius scanned the space. "We’ve got supplies, shelter, everything we need."
Ben shifted uneasily. "Did anyone else see the stairs? What if something big tries to come up here?"
Kenji waved a hand. "Then we fight it off like action heroes."
Ben stared. "You cannot be serious."
Brooklyn turned to her.
She glanced at the camera.
Before Brooklyn could lift it, she grabbed a backpack, busying herself with anything but the conversation happening in front of her.
Brooklyn frowned.
Not enough to say anything.
Just enough to notice.