The Dinosaur Four

by Geoff Jones

  Morgan rolled his eyes. “It’s just a word, pops. It doesn’t mean I actually think she’s a bitch.”

  Callie wished Morgan would stop pressing Hank’s buttons. If he lost his temper here it wouldn’t help anything. Her bladder groaned at her. She really did need to pee. Just a quiet moan for now, but she knew it would get louder.

  “I’m supposed to meet my grandson,” Helen said. “He works downtown and he meets me here every week.” She looked from face to face. “He must be wondering where I am.”

  “Lady, your grandson is lucky he isn’t here,” snapped Hank. “We are in some serious fucking trouble right now.” Helen hugged her purse close against her chest.

  Callie put a hand on her fiancé’s arm. “I’m not sure that’s helping, sweetie.”

  “What’s your name, ma’am,” asked Tim, who sat across from her.

  “I’m Helen. Helen Davies.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Tim MacGregor. I was supposed to meet someone here this morning too.” He gave her a sympathetic nod. “A woman named Julie. We just started going out. I was looking forward to seeing her again.”

  Callie smiled. Tim’s friendly drawl seemed calming. “I’m Calista Grey and this is my fiancé, Hank Atherton.” Before anyone could comment on their age difference, she turned to her right. “And you must be William.” She pointed to the embroidered name on his UPS uniform.

  “That’s right. William Crockett.”

  Al said simply, “Al Stevens. Stevens Information Systems.”

  “I’m Beth. I work here. Worked here anyway.” She gestured toward her boss. “Lisa owns the place.”

  Lisa nodded. “How is your leg doing, Helen?”

  “Oh, it’s better. The bleeding has stopped. I’m so sorry I created such a fuss.”

  “That’s nothing! Look at my face,” said Morgan. He twisted his head back and forth to show off his cuts, which had dried in thin dark lines. “I’m Morgan Baker.”

  “Looks like an improvement to me,” said Beth. Morgan cackled.

  “So now we know we’re in the past,” William said. “Why did this happen to us? Did you all hear that ticking sound?” Heads nodded in the dim light. “Does anybody know where it came from?” This question was met with silence.

  Callie felt her bladder swelling at the base of her belly.

  Beth asked the group, “Do you think this happened anywhere else? Maybe it wasn’t just us. Maybe it happened all over the world.”

  “I’ve been wondering that myself,” William said. “I have two teenage boys in school. At least I hope they are in school, and not someplace like this.”

  “I don’t care if there’s anyone else here,” said Morgan. “I just want to know how we get home.”

  “Maybe we could leave a message for the future,” Beth suggested. “We could carve a note on stone. Millions of years from now, they’ll find it and know what happened to us.”

  Morgan shook his head. “No way. That could wreck things. That could screw up the timeline. All of us might never be born. We can’t leave any trace.”

  Hank huffed. That was stupid, Callie translated mentally. Hank had shamed more than one defendant on the witness stand with that sound.

  Hank stared at Morgan. “Don’t you think this two-story building is a bit of a trace?”

  “Well I don’t hear you coming up with any fantastic ideas,” Morgan said.

  “As long as those animals are out there,” Hank gestured with his thumb, “We don’t have any choice but to sit here and hide.”

  Callie shook her head. “I gotta pee,” she announced. “I drank a lot of water during my run this morning.” She felt the need to explain herself. “And then after that, I had a large latte.”

  “I already checked,” Lisa said. “My bathroom didn’t make it. That part of the building collapsed.” She leaned over and indicated the back corner, where the ceiling had caved in. Thin hints of sunlight broke through in a few places.

  Morgan reached up on the counter and grabbed a paper coffee cup. He extended it in Callie’s direction. “Here. We can all turn around.”

  Callie put her hand on Hank’s arm before he could respond. “Sorry, but I don’t think so, Morgan. I can barely go when someone is in the stall next to me. I’m not peeing in here.”

  Morgan shrugged and tossed the cup over his shoulder.

  “Well you can’t go outside,” Al said. “Those things are still out there. Most of them are probably on this side of the river now.”

  Hank puffed up. “Hey buddy, she’ll go wherever she wants to go.”

  Callie felt her face grow warm. Her freckles were probably flaring, but at least in the dim light no one would see. She hated being told what she could and could not do almost as much as she hated Hank defending her. “They have ignored us ever since we got out of sight.” She stood and snatched a handful of napkins from the counter.

  “Cal, are you sure?” Hank asked.

  “I’m just gonna go on the sidewalk. The part overhanging the river. I’ll be fine.” She gave him a half-serious look. “Can you make sure no one peeks?” She crept out from behind the counter and into the seating area.

  The open wall on her left showed the far bank across the river. The closest hadrosaur had dropped to the ground and lay with its belly in the mud. Its mottled, grey-green backside faced the building and its long, muscular tail wagged back and forth, making a fan-shaped pattern in the mud. Another hadrosaur nibbled at a clump of ferns near the woods.

  Callie crept forward and stepped through the window by the front door. She looked to the right and saw Patricia’s empty boot stuck in the mud at the edge of the river. For a moment, the need to pee disappeared and she felt dizzy again. She made herself take deep breaths. Beyond the boot, four dinosaurs grazed on more ferns. Callie turned left and went out over the water. She squatted in front of a brick column at the corner of the building, where no one inside could see her. Relief hissed out onto the concrete.

  A moment later, she was back indoors. She leaned over the counter. “Put me in the record books. I dropped the napkins in the river. I’m the first person in the world to litter.”

  Hank smiled at her. His deep-set eyes and jutting, bushy brow normally gave him an angry expression. But when he smiled, he changed from Neanderthal to teddy bear. Callie loved to watch the transformation. She felt almost magical when she triggered it.

  “Come on back here, babe,” Hank said.

  “I don’t think we need to hide behind the counter. They aren’t doing anything. They’re ignoring us.”

  Hank gave her a look. She could tell he wanted to call the shots, but she was sick of sitting in the dark. She walked around and helped Helen up off the ground. “Come have a look.” She pointed out the dinosaurs on the far bank.

  Morgan walked past. “Who would have thought, huh? Goddamn dinosaurs!” A hadrosaur crossed the mudflat and looked in their direction. Helen stepped back.

  “It’s okay,” Callie whispered. “I don’t think they can see inside here, because it’s so dark and all.”

  Helen studied the creature, staring silently for a long while. “It looks like a cross between an elephant and a cow and a lizard.”

  “So what now?” Morgan asked the room. He walked back to the counter, reached into the glass display case, and took out a bear claw.

  Lisa crossed her arms. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

  Through a mouthful of dough, Morgan said, “I’ll pay you back later.”

  William placed a hand on Lisa’s shoulder. “We’ll need to share whatever supplies we have here, don’t you think?” She looked down and her scowl faded. William continued, “Since we don’t have any power, why don’t you and Beth see if you can figure out what will spoil? We’ll eat those things first.”

  Callie’s mouth dropped. Barely an hour had passed and William was suggesting they might be trapped here long enough for food to spoil. She shuddered.

  Beth took Lisa by the arm. “That wil
l mostly be the milk. Come on boss, let’s take inventory.”

  Helen remained at the open side wall and watched the giant creatures on the far bank. They made little noise as they milled about. Their hides were various shades of green, one so dark it looked iridescent. A short layer of furry down covered its back and shimmered in the breeze. Every so often, it rose up on its hind legs to look around, like a meerkat on the savannah.

  “Dinosaurs,” the old woman said after a long while. “Goddamn dinosaurs.”

  [ 11 ]

  Beth joined William and Tim near the front windows. Until the herd wandered away, they were trapped. From inside the café, they could not see out onto their side of the river. Both walls facing in that direction were windowless. They took turns leaning out the front and craning to the right so they could watch the closest dinosaurs.

  Their size astounded Beth. One of the larger ones rolled in the mud not too far from the building. Its motion shook the earth. When it rose, a thick layer of brown mud coated its back and flanks. “It’s taking a mudbath,” Beth whispered over her shoulder.

  “That probably keeps the insects off,” William said.

  “Some of them maybe,” Beth noted. A swarm still buzzed around the creature’s head.

  William put his hand on Tim’s shoulder. “Hey, man. I think you saved my life out there. Thank you.”

  Tim nodded. “You were just trying to do the same for Patricia.”

  Beth divided her attention between the conversations inside and the giants outside. Of all the people in the café, William seemed the most real. Free of bullshit. He was probably a good father, she thought with a pang of jealousy. He seemed like the sort of guy you would want watching out for you.

  A racket came from inside and Beth pulled her head back in the window. Hank stood in the center of the seating area, picking up fallen chairs and trying to put the room back in order. “What the hell was that woman thinking? That’s what I want to know. That was stupid.”

  Beth looked over at Callie. Hank seemed like a bully. He made Beth nervous. Callie looked annoyed, but kept quiet about it. Beth didn’t blame her.

  Morgan had finished his bear claw and moved on to a slice of coffee cake. “Why does he get to call her stupid? Stupid is way worse than bitch.”

  Callie held up a hand. “Morgan, shut up.”

  Beth leaned back out the window for one last look around the corner. The muddy hadrosaur walked over to the river near Patricia’s lone boot and took a long drink. It relieved itself at the same time, spraying a stream of wet feces onto the ground behind it.

  Beth stepped away from the corner. “Hey Tim. Your turn, man.”

  “I never saw anyone die before,” William said quietly. “That was rough.”

  Tim moved over to the window. “When I was a kid, my dad used to take me to the rodeo every January. We stopped going after a rider got gored by a bull right in front of us. It ran around in circles with the poor bastard impaled on its head.” He leaned outside and peered around the wall.

  Lisa spoke up. “At least the rodeo guy knew what he was getting into. Patricia was just a woman buying a cup of coffee.” She looked ashen, even in the dim light.

  She feels responsible for what’s happening, Beth thought. It’s her store.

  Lisa glared at Hank. “And she may not have been very smart, but that doesn’t mean she deserved to die.” She shivered and rubbed her arms. Al picked up his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

  “What are we going to do about her body?” asked Helen. She had returned to her seat on the orange couch. “We can’t leave her out there. Rats will get at her.”

  “Have rats even been invented yet?” asked Morgan.

  “Evolved,” corrected Hank. “And what do you propose we do with her, Ma’am?”

  Helen frowned. “Well, don’t you think she needs a proper burial?”

  Hank counted off on his fingers. “One, I don’t have a shovel. Two, those things out there don’t respond so well to the sight of people. Three, they don’t look like they are going anywhere any time soon. And four, she’s half buried already. I know you didn’t see what happened, but that woman was stomped so deep into the mud I don’t think we could move her if we tried.”

  Beth nudged William and mouthed quietly, “So angry.” William winked at her.

  “What about the smell?” asked Al. “If we leave that body out there, it might attract something worse.”

  “I don’t know how it could be much worse,” Morgan said. “That bastard was fast.”

  William nodded. “Hippos are the same way. They look slow and fat, but they are actually the most dangerous animals in Africa. Not the lions or tigers, like everyone thinks.”

  Beth looked at him with wide eyes. “Wow, that’s a helpful piece of information, mister. Do you go to the zoo a lot or do you watch the nature channels?” She peeled open a chocolate almond biscotti she had swiped earlier from the back counter.

  William smiled. “You are a sassy one.” She gave him a wink and he went on to explain, “My boys used to love going to the zoo.”

  “You sound like a good dad,” Beth said, chewing.

  “Didn’t your old man ever take you to the zoo?”

  “Nah. My asshat father went to prison for insurance fraud. That’s why I’m working now instead of college. But I’m saving up. In a couple of years I’m going to film school.”

  “Oh, you want to be a movie star?” William smiled.

  “Screw that. I want to be a director. I want to make blockbus-”

  “Shhh!” Tim hissed. He shoved William and Beth away from the front. “One of them is coming.”

  [ 12 ]

  Al pulled Lisa close. They were once again huddled in a circle on the floor behind the counter. Al’s heart raced. He snaked his arm further around her, feeling the weight of her breast against his wrist. Sitting with his arm around Lisa Danser was more unbelievable than finding himself millions of years in the past. He shifted as he felt himself growing aroused and hoped she did not notice. She rested her head against his shoulder and Al lowered his face into her hair, breathing in the scent of her. Unbelievable.

  “What’s happening?” Hank whispered.

  William leaned around the counter, looking out front. He spoke softly back toward the others. “It’s sniffing around. Its head is just inside the room.”

  The animal snorted. The sound filled the space and Al felt the air move all the way in the back of the café.

  “Somebody do something,” whispered Helen.

  “What the fuck are we supposed to do?” Hank answered.

  William turned to face the group. “I think it’s leaving. It pulled back outside.”

  The building rumbled. Lisa let out a scream and Al squeezed her. The vibration continued, as if someone was operating a jackhammer in the room upstairs. Plaster dust fell from the ceiling.

  “What’s going on?” demanded Hank.

  William took another peek and then put his hands up. “It’s okay,” he told the group. She’s just scratching herself.”

  “She? What, did you get a look at her titties?” Morgan craned his neck.

  The building continued to shake. “She’s rubbing her belly on the front corner,” William said.

  Al rose to look for himself. He peered over the counter. Several others joined him, including Lisa. The wall of bookshelves on the right blocked most of their view. At the end of the wall, one muddy paw hung in front of the window as the hadrosaur scratched against the corner.

  The shaking stopped and suddenly the building was jolted to the left. Al steadied Lisa.

  The dinosaur out front dropped back down to all fours, her head visible through the window again. The wattled face of the alpha appeared, nipping the back of the female’s muddy neck. She jerked away and they both disappeared from view. The alpha bleated a low, stuttery warning.

  “I think that’s the only male,” William said. “That’s why I called the other one a ‘she.’ He’s go
t a harem.”

  The alpha reappeared at the front window.

  “Down!” William whispered. They all dropped back behind the counter again. “He’s looking for us. Keep your voices down.”

  “Why is this happening?” asked Helen.

  “Maybe the world was about to end,” Beth said. “You know, back in the present. We all got saved by aliens. They sent us back in time so someone would survive.”

  Lisa rolled her eyes. “Beth, you have made up a lot of weird stuff, but that might be the winner.”

  “Hey, now,” said William. “Maybe it’s true and maybe it isn’t. Right now we don’t know anything. Any ideas could be helpful. Even if they are wrong. They might spark other ideas.”

  Hank leaned in to the group. “Here’s an idea. I think that as soon as those dinos are gone, we should get the hell out of here. Remember what the girl said earlier? There might be other groups like us. This may not be an isolated event. It could have happened everywhere, for all we know. We have to look for others and try to group up.”

  Al wondered what would happen if they joined another group. “This is our only shelter. There’s food here, and tools.” In the back of his mind, he wasn’t sure he wanted to find anyone else. He knew where he stood with everyone in the café.

  “This shelter is going to get knocked into the river if it takes many more hits like that,” Hank said.

  Helen squeezed the handles on her purse. “Do you know how long it took me to walk two blocks from the parking lot? You can’t really expect me to go traipsing off through the jungle with you.”

  Callie prodded. “You said Lawrence used to take you hiking all over the place on his hunting trips.”

  “Young woman, my days of hiking died with Lawrence a long time ago.” She pursed her lips and shook her head at Hank. “I am not leaving this café. Whoever sent us here will surely try to bring us back. I intend to be right here when that happens.”

  Al wondered if the old woman might be on to something. If the group wandered away, they might miss out on a chance to get back home. Back to their normal lives.