“Yeah, you’re right.” Jack tilted his head to the side. “But look how they alternate movement with their two back legs. They’re swimming just like aquatic birds.”
I squinted, my grip tightening around the branch. I sized up the creature, taking in every detail, the way artists always do. Large, pale blue eyes stood out. Pebbly-textured skin, like that of an elephant, covered its giant brown and white muscular frame. The dinosaur’s snout ended in a wide beak that reminded me of a duck or a platypus. Startled, I jumped as it blew air through its dark crest, making the distinctive trumpeting sound of an elephant. I frowned when the other creatures began to make loud calls and musical noises in response. I only hoped it wasn’t some kind of signal to attack.
Jack shook his head. “Paleontologists have been wondering for a long time why they have those bony crests. And now we know. They’re for communication.”
The kind of communication declaring war? I anxiously bit my lip and stared into the river, meeting the creature’s gaze. It let out a long snort. It dawned on me that I was less than twenty feet from a real live dinosaur. “I don’t like this one bit. Let’s go!”
Mike smirked, his voice nonchalant. “Remember, this thing isn’t dangerous. It just eats leaves.”
“C’mon!” said Jack, grabbing his arm. “Casey’s right. It’s best to cruise on outta here before that big guy gets any closer.”
Mike nodded. “Yeah, you’re right, bro.”
Jack pointed past a cluster of large rocks and granite boulders. “Let’s head this way.”
“Okay,” said Mike, turning toward the thick brush and towering trees.
Finally, they were starting to listen to reason. I walked a few steps when my foot slipped into a rabbit-sized hole. The more I wiggled, the more my ankle sank into a tangle of what I presumed to be roots. I pulled and pulled, but my foot wouldn’t budge. Crap! I was stuck. I swallowed hard. If the spiders were oversized, I wondered if the snakes would be too. I only hoped the resident snake wasn’t home, because I was sure it’d make an anaconda seem like a lovable teddy bear.
Mike glanced over his shoulder at me. “Coming?”
I let out a heavy sigh. “Can’t! My foot’s stuck.”
“You fell into a hole?” asked Mike, eyes wide.
“Yeah. Call 911 and get me the Jaws of Life, pronto.” I wasn’t exactly stuck in a mangled car or a collapsed building, but a set of hydraulic rescue tools sounded like heaven at the moment. “Hey, maybe warn them there’s a dino lurking nearby, too, so they can bring the tranquilizer gun.”
Jack turned his focus to my foot. He thrust his hands into the hole and tried to manipulate the dirt around my foot. “Pull with everything you’ve got!”
Fists clenched, lips pursed tight, and eyes squeezed shut, I pulled harder.
Nothing happened.
I let out a frustrated grunt and tried again.
“Okay, stop for a minute,” said Jack. “Let me dig some more.”
“That thing’s been staring at me like I’m some sort of delicacy. We shoulda left the second this thing started swimming over here, but noooo…you had to say it was harmless.”
“It is harmless,” Jack said, hesitating, “as long as you’re not invading its territory.”
I lifted a finger. “You could’ve mentioned that tiny detail before.” The duckbilled dinosaur let out a raspy breath that made me shudder. How close is that thing? I glanced over my shoulder and gasped. It now swam only inches away from the riverbank. I desperately struggled to free my foot. “Maybe the dino will just stay in the water.”
“Hard to tell. Wild animals are just unpredictable.” Jack wrapped his fingers around my leg and tried to pry my foot loose. When his attempt failed, he stuck his hand deep into the hole and ripped the roots that were wrapped around my foot. Jack’s calm demeanor helped to keep me from totally freaking out, and I wondered again what I would do without him.
A big splash made me flinch. Mike’s jaw dropped, and I dared another look over my shoulder. The duckbilled dinosaur waddled out of the water, like a hippo, with a loud snort. My stomach lurched. Water dripped off the creature’s column-like legs and bulky body, looming as large as a freight car. Piercing eyes glared back at me as it opened its mouth and showed off rows and rows of teeth. My lungs constricted. I couldn’t breathe, and I thought I might faint. Those choppers looked great for slicing and dicing vegetation. Surely, no plant stood a chance. Would I?
* * *
Cowering on the damp ground, I froze as I stared into the eyes of a modern-day living dinosaur. My heart jackhammered against my ribs. The towering creature had a gigantic curved crest atop its head and a spoon-shaped beak, along with what must have been a 1,000 teeth.
The dino stood way too close for comfort, less than thirty feet away. I tugged and twisted my foot, but it wouldn’t come loose from the hole. If I could have opened my mouth, I would have screamed at the top of my lungs—not only at the animal, but at Jack for ensuring us the gigantic thing was as sweet as a kitten and at Mike for calling it over.
Mud flew everywhere as Mike dug into the soil. “This thing hasn’t made one aggressive move. I think it’s just curious.”
If he says so. Nothing scared Mike. If I could hear fear in his voice then…well, I just wasn’t going to go there. There was no need to freak myself out even more. I frantically flexed my foot and wiggled my toes to loosen the mud some more.
I gulped as grunting and snorting rang through the air. “Listen, you guys don’t worry about me. Just run!” If this was the way I was meant to die, then I wasn’t about to let my friends become dinosaur bait along with me.
Jack’s gaze kept darting over to the dinosaur, as if he was monitoring every move the creature made. “You know I’ll never leave you, Casey! We fight until the end.”
“Exactly what Jack said…and then some,” proclaimed Mike in a victorious knight-in-shining-armor voice.
I clenched a fist. “Oh, you better believe I’ll fight. I don’t plan on going down this easy.”
Digging at the dirt around my ankle, Jack said, “Once your foot’s free, I’m going to distract the dino and get it to chase me. When I do, I want you and Mike to run as far as you can in the other direction.”
“Hey, I’m supposed to be the crazy one here,” said Mike. “If anybody should do it, it should be me.”
My mouth dropped. The heat must be frying both of their brains.
Jack gazed directly into my eyes. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you or Mike. That’s a promise.” He spoke with heartfelt sincerity.
“No Mike stunts!” I said. “We stay together. You got it?” I waited for an answer, and when none came, I let out a huff. Obviously, his mind was already made up.
Mike cleared his throat. “Hey, Jack, I know you want to play hero and save the day, but I’m going to have to pull rank. We need to distract the dino…like right now! That thing’s huffing, puffing, and stomping like a raging bull. In my book, that’s attack mode. You work on getting Casey’s foot free while I draw its attention down the riverbank. Maybe I’ll even scare it back into the water.”
“No way!” I said, not giving Jack a chance to reply.
Mike darted toward the creature, stabbing tentatively at its body with a long stick, as if engaging it in combat. “Come and get me!” he taunted the beast.
The duckbilled dinosaur let out a roar and advanced a few steps toward him. My heart jumped into my throat; it was like watching Mike play King Arthur against a dragon. If only I could get my foot free, this Queen Guinevere would fight too.
Jack wrapped his muddy hands around my leg and yanked as throbbing pain raced up my thigh. “Put your body and power into the pull!” He started digging like a madman, sending a muddy shower of dirt and pebbles flying everywhere.
Beads of sweat dripped down my face as I pulled with every ounce of strength I had. I closed my eyes and exhaled as my foot loosened, and finally, I managed to break free. Jumping to my feet, I
tensed my muscles and prepared to take off when the creature turned in my direction. A chill shot through me. I took a long, slow step backward, avoiding eye contact so the creature wouldn’t feel threatened and challenged into a fight. Nice and easy. No need to spook it.
Letting out a deep roar, the dino reared up on its hind legs, towering over me like a two-story building. The creature’s gaze moved toward me as it dropped on all fours with a thunderous thud.
“RUN!” shouted Mike in warped slow motion.
I got the message loud and clear, and nobody needed to tell me twice. With my top glued to the sweat on my back, I sprang into the overgrowth and sped deeper into the jungle, leaping over giant logs and slippery rocks along the way. My frantic mind forced my feet into action, allowing me to ignore the burning sensation in my legs.
Behind me, a loud screech rippled through the air. Branches snapped, and the ground shivered as the beast gave chase.
How far away am I? Do I dare look back? My breath came in short, shallow rasps as I glanced over my shoulder at the heaving prehistoric thing turning rogue. Plant eater, my butt! I gasped and jumped over a loose branch. The animal still thundered behind. Crap! It was gaining on me—and probably not to seek my lifelong friendship either.
I assumed Mike and Jack must have split off in different directions. Of course it would go after the smallest of the trio. I’m easy prey. Who wouldn’t want only a light afternoon snack in these temperatures? While I dodged through the thick vegetation, the dinosaur plowed right through it like papier mâché.
I gasped for air. My lungs burned. It was time to employ a new strategy. Hoping to slow down the creature’s pursuit, I made a left toward a thick cluster of trees. Even if the prehistoric beast could squeeze through the humongous trunks, the extra work might make it reconsider whether the meal was worth the effort. I had sprinted a few hundred feet when suddenly, every step became a battle. My foot became stuck in the thicket as my hands clawed through the tangle of vegetation, desperately trying to break through. I let out an exasperated sigh. Where’s a machete when I need one?
The beast stood a few feet away, sniffing the air like a trained bloodhound, as if it were trying to capture my scent. Dodging behind a tree, I gasped for breath. If the dinosaur turned the corner, it would see me, but I had no energy left for another sprint. I began to wonder where my knights in shining armor had gone. Probably sunbathing and sipping juice out of a coconut with one of those fancy little umbrellas stuck in it, wondering what’s taking me so long. Massaging my temples, I forced my attention back to the situation at hand. If I didn’t come up with a plan soon, I’d never experience the gratification of kicking their butts for deserting me.
Jack had told me that duckbilled dinosaurs were peaceful, gentle herbivores. Either he was mistaken or it was some kind of innocent misunderstanding. Maybe all this thing wanted to do was snack on my arms because it mistook them for long tree branches. Naw. Who am I foolin’? That thing was hungry, and if Jack’s assumptions were even remotely true, it must be looking for a change in diet. I dared another peek around the tree and held in my breath. There it was, its glaring blue eyes scanning the area like it knew exactly what it was looking for. Does it? My heart started to race again.
I hoped it would eventually lose interest, turn around, and leave, but something told me not to raise my hopes too high. The thing was like a missile homing in on its target. After years of eating nothing but salad, who wouldn’t want to cash in on some juicy Christmas turkey?
I jumped as a loud crack echoed through the air. The duckbilled dinosaur butted at the trunk I stood behind like some kind of angry ram. The ground trembled and the trees shook, sending fan-shaped leaves tumbling toward the jungle floor. I could have sworn I was smack dab in the middle of a mini-earthquake.
Bolting in the other direction through the towering ferns, I sucked in huge lungfuls of air. I swerved around a couple of twisting trees, and then suddenly a blow hit me in the back with full force. Toppling forward, I crashed to the ground and fell face down in the dirt, the impact knocking the breath out of me. I gasped as a stabbing pain shot through my body; it felt just like when that horse had thrown me off a year earlier on a trip to Montana. Scrambling to my feet, I spit out earth and turned to look at what had caused me to fall. I shouldn’t have, for the dinosaur met my gaze, its eyes wide like it was staring at the most curious thing it had ever seen.
I shrieked as a stream of sticky saliva rained down on me. I grabbed a long, thin branch with a sharp, spear-like end and waved it about frantically as I pressed my mouth tight. I had to scare the thing, so I tried to look mean, deadly, and dangerous all at once. It wasn’t much of a defense, but I decided if it moved an inch closer, I would punch out its huge eye. “Get away!” I shouted, jumping on the spot to make myself look bigger. Best-case scenario, the animal would think I wasn’t worth the trouble; but in the worst case, my jumping antics would trigger its killer instinct. Oh boy. Sweat gathered above my brows; thinking negatively wasn’t helping much. I swallowed and pushed the thought to the back of my mind.
Looking up, I stared straight into the dinosaur’s eyes. I could barely reach its middle, I was so small by comparison, but I refused to be afraid anymore—at least not until I lost a limb or two.
The creature roared and whacked the stick out of my hands with one swipe of its foot.
“Oh, c’mon, big guy!” I scanned the ground for something else—a stone or anything—but apart from a few oversized leaves, there wasn’t much of an arsenal to choose from. There was no way I was going to win against that angry creature in unarmed combat, let alone outrun it. I blinked the dust out of my eyes and screamed, “Mike? Jack? Time to save the damsel in distress, guys!”
No response.
So much for a guy showing up when I need one. But that’s okay. I can handle this myself, right? Right. But how? And then a thought struck me. The next time it swipes, I’ll just play dead...and hopefully I won’t end up that way.
The creature swiped again, missing, and I fell backward. I curled up into a ball, clasped the back of my neck with my hands, and pretended to be dead. I squeezed my eyes shut as the creature’s breath brushed my skin. The smell of moldy vegetables assaulted my nostrils as it breathed near my face. As it sniffed me, I wondered if it would be able to hear my racing heart. I desperately hoped my split-second decision was worth the gamble and would pay off. Otherwise, I’d make sure to rise from the dead and haunt Jack and Mike for the rest of their lives.
The ground shook with each passing step the creature took, circling me. Then the animal let out a roar. What was I thinking? Playing dead? This isn’t anything like a bear. Geesh, what a dumb idea, I scolded myself, but it was far too late to do anything about it.
Something cold prodded my hip, followed by more pressure and then another shove. The dinosaur easily flipped me over and pushed me along like a ball with its giant feet. My lips parted in silent pain when another sharp cramp hit my leg and a thorn bore its way into my flesh. Oh, how I wished I were rolled up in bubble wrap, because rolling through a prickly garden wasn’t my idea of a good time. If only the dino would agree...
My skin burned, and a tremor traveled up my spine. The dinosaur had rolled me at least thirty feet, or so I presumed. I clenched my hands into tight fists to keep myself from whimpering. It would be nothing compared to the pain I’d feel if that duckbilled thing sank its endless rows of teeth into my body.
When the rolling was finally over, I just lay helplessly on my back, feeling like someone had just spun me in a washer or dryer. I opened one eye slightly and peered through my lashes. The creature hovered over me, with its huge mouth agape. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was my last breath, my final moment. I didn’t want to die.
Thoughts of my parents learning the news of my death broke my heart. If my two best friends didn’t live to tell their story, my mom and dad would think I had died in the storm. They’d never get the chance to know I had survived, if only
for a little while, and that bothered me more than anything. If Mike and Jack did somehow survive, would they blame themselves for this horrible tragedy? I hoped not.
I closed my eyes and waited…praying…hoping for a miracle. Slime dripped on my face, and I inhaled foul-smelling stench. My heart thrummed harder. I prayed to God that several tons of dinosaur wouldn’t come bearing down on me, crushing me to death like a pancake. My ears strained for any clues that the dino might be on its merry way.
Exhaling carefully, I pried one eye open, and then the other. The duckbilled dinosaur snorted, turned, and lumbered back toward the river. It was all a bluff! The thing was only defending its territory from a potential threat, like some all-powerful alpha male, or maybe it decided that it just liked its monotone diet better after all, because a brief gratifying moment wasn’t worth the bloating afterward.
Still shaking, I leaned on my elbows and tried to control my labored breathing. Late for their curtain call, Mike’s and Jack’s shouts pierced the air, making me jump. I cleared my throat and whispered, “Guys, over here.” I planned to do some serious shouting later, but for the time being, I didn’t want to risk drawing the creature’s attention back over for Round Two.
Mike broke through the ferns, his face ghost white. He knelt and placed his warm hand against my cheek. “Casey, what happened? I heard screams.”
Tears shimmered in Jack’s eyes as he wrapped his arms around me. “Are you okay? We came after you, but we couldn’t find which way you went, and we…I…” His emotion-filled voice drifted off.
“Don’t worry. I’m fine. It knocked me down, but I played dead, and it left.” I shook my head. “That’s one ticked-off dinosaur.”
Mike touched the shark tooth necklace I was wearing. “See? This represents the triumph of life over death. The Hawaiian guy at the surf shop told me that when he pulled the tooth out of my surfboard after my shark attack. That was why I had it made into a necklace.”
Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series Omnibus Edition (Books 1 - 4) Page 14