Jurassic Portal

by Robert Turnbull Jr.

  As quickly as it expanded, it faded and the scientists stood in front of their seats in awe and disbelief, all hope of portal technology was gone.

  Doc stood on stage and slowly pulled his headset off and dropped it on the stage floor.

  “Safe journey Jack.” he whispered as he slowly walked off stage, he knew he’d never see his friend again and could only hope that where he landed was where he wanted to be.

  ************************

  It was Paul’s group’s turn to portal sit and they had become worried that it had suddenly shrunk so small. On their end they could only see it when someone tossed a finely ground bone dust in the air and the portal would suck in the dust leaving a small cloud floating around the portal. It was finally decided that no more dust would be thrown, so the last time the portal was marked as Jack had done back in his world, tightly surrounded with marking stakes four foot high.

  “Paul!” one of the Mayans shouted. Paul ran out of the small cave just in time to see the portal grow slightly and become extremely bright. So bright that they had to shield their eyes as it grew to the size of a basketball…and faded to nothingness.

  After several shocked minutes, Paul ordered a hand full of dust to be thrown…the portal was gone!

  For the rest of their month they watched day and night under the strong cage they had built around the second level of the waterfall’s ledge. Every day they checked with dust, the portal never reappeared.

  For nearly two more years Quta ordered his people to watch for Jack and no one appeared. Right up to his death he hoped that his daughter’s husband would return. Coi prayed to her gods and Jack’s God, to no avail.

  Epilog:

  The golden sun was setting across the stone inlaid streets of the temple city. Slowly the shadows crept across the courtyard as Coi walked across the wide veranda of her home.

  A child of five held her hand as they stood and watched the setting sun sparkle through the tips of the distant trees and glint off the distant temples.

  In the child’s hand she held a photo of a man that Larry had given her mother a few days before his fateful trip to the temple. It was a picture that he had taken of his friend the day they started their business; Jack was beaming with pride, his dark hair fell nearly to his eyes as he smiled for the camera.

  “Mommy…” she held up the photo “tell me more about daddy.”

  Coi looked down at her daughter and smiled warmly “Oh he was a very strong and handsome man Lilly.”

  “I’m named after his mommy am I not?” Lilly chirped.

  “Yes my dearest, you are.”

  “Was daddy nice?”

  “Dearest, your daddy was a wonderful man and I loved him dearly. You know you have his eyes?”

  Lilly giggled “Oh mommy you always tell me that.”

  Coi pulled her daughter close to her and smiled as they looked out at the breathtaking sky as the orange and red sky began to fade into dark blues and purples. Coi added “You know your daddy loves you very much where ever he is.”

  “How do you know mommy? You said he was gone before I was born.”

  “Because sweetie, just before he left, I whispered in his ear that we were going to have a child and that he had to come back to us…and he whispered back that he would.”

  A sad look crossed the little blue-eyed girl “Daddy lied to you?”

  “No baby, daddy didn’t lie…”

  “But he didn’t come back, I won’t know my daddy…ever.” she sighed that was more of a huff “So daddy lied!” Her expression turned to a child’s pout.

  “I always…keep my…word…honey.” A tearful male voice came from behind them.

  They spun and Coi’s hands went to her mouth as tears streamed from her eyes and Lilly looked at the man, back at the faded picture in her hand, and then back at the man.

  “Daddy?”

  Jack stooped and held out his arms as Lilly ran to him, nearly knocking him backwards. Jack stood and swung his raven haired, blue-eyed daughter around as he hugged her tightly. As he swung back around Coi flew into his arms kissing him ravenously. She cried, laughed, and cried again she tried to speak through her sobs.

  “The portal closed…you didn’t come through…”

  “Shhhh…” Jack tried to calm both his crying ladies as he kissed them gently “It appears Doc was right after all.” Jack chuckled though his own tears “The portal didn’t have enough power to send me here…I’m guessing I was sort of suspended between worlds for a time. But nature always seems to balance itself out…maybe it was just luck, who knows. I remember blackness…and stars, it seemed like I was floating forever.” he choked back a sob “Next thing I knew I was on the ledge near the waterfall.”

  “My love I missed you so much.” Coi sobbed.

  “So did I daddy.” Lilly proudly announced.

  Coi released Jack long enough for him to hold his daughter out to arm’s length.

  “And what is your name young lady?”

  “Lilly, daddy…mommy named me after your mommy.”

  “Well Lilly, I am so happy to…to…” tears streamed from Jack’s eyes and he fought back sobs as he hugged her tightly “…meet you. How old are you now?”

  “I’m five daddy.” she giggled as if he should know.

  Jack looked at Coi and smiled “Five? My God, I was gone only a year.”

  Coi looked sadly at their girl and then managed to smile again “Jack…you left…nineteen years ago.”

  The air that Jack sucked in so hard and fast made him light headed as he leaned against one of the many stone columns. “Nineteen? My god…everyone ages slower here, it slipped my mind…but nineteen…”

  Coi hugged her husband “Our years Lilly is five, now you’re back you’ll age slower now too.” She looked up at her love “We can be a family for a long time my love…please don’t weep.”

  “I heard about your father from the man at the winch… Coi, I’m so sorry.” he looked strangely at his wife “Wait! You said I’ve been gone for almost two decades…I know you are the queen now…haven’t you remarried? I thought a queen needed a king?”

  Coi laid her head on Jack’s arm and stared out at the sunset.

  “I’ve had offers,” she teased and looked up at her handsome husband “but I told them all that someday you’d come back to us.”

  “You are…king daddy, daddy.” Lilly smiled at him as she blurted out “But today you can just be my daddy.” and with that she gave Jack’s neck a huge hug.

  Coi couldn’t hold the flood of tears back any longer as he held both of his girls close.

  Jack gently kissed Coi on her head and then Lilly’s cheek as he burst into tears and sobbed quietly.

  “Are you sad daddy?” she asked as tears filled her eyes.

  “No baby, daddy’s crying with happiness.”

  “You are? the tiny voice asked.

  He turned from his daughter and with an arm around both he watched as the last light faded into blackness and the sky was filled with a host of twinkling stars…

  “Yes Lilly, because…I’m home.

  The End.