Connor was trapped, the Anomaly was closed and there would be no way to get up to it anyway. The Pterodactyl seemed to realise that it was home again and wasn't in any immediate danger – well not for the moment anyway. It decided the car was too heavy and dropped it. Connor yelled as the car plummeted down, the floor was a very long way down. It landed with a thud and Connor knew no more.
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Connor rubbed his eyes. His head felt like he had just attacked it with a hammer. He felt it gingerly, there was a cut on his forehead and a scratch in the back of his head, but he would live. It seemed the car was a different story. It was smashed to bits, he opened the door and it fell off. Connor heaved himself to his feet, they didn't seem to work properly, he stumbled and fell onto his face.
"Ow." He said to himself and looked round. The floor was dusty and flat. There was a mountain in front of him and maybe some birds in the sky if he half closed his eyes and turned his head like this. His head hurt.
Connor decided that he wasn't too keen on this place with barely any life except the killers in the sky above him and chose that he would like to get home please. But that meant this huge mountain in front of him with the giant birds at the top and no water at that. He wondered what was happening on the other side if the Anomaly. With a huge sigh, he began to climb.
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How large was this thing? Wondered Connor as he walked. It stayed the same Steepness and there was never any change in the dusty floor. The top seemed the same distance away as when he started, but the floor was a lot further below now. It wasn't long before he was gulping for water and panting until he wanted to collapse. Only thoughts of his friends and Abby kept him on his feet – well, until he was on his knees.
In time, the sky turned dark and the air grew cooler. Connor yearned to sleep, but he knew that the Anomaly wouldn't stay open for long. He kept going – almost walking in his sleep, until he collapsed.
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When he awoke, Connor wondered where he was, and why he was so thirsty, until the heat of the sun and the dusty floor reminded him. He looked up, the top was definitely a lot closer than when he remembered it. He wasn't sure how long he had slept, but he knew that he had to get to the top. He walked on.
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Finally, finally! The horizon flattened and Connor glimpsed the Anomaly. It had stayed open for so long? Wow! He made his way towards it, until he heard a screech. Ah, yes – the dinosaurs. How could he have forgotten them? Connor whipped round and glimpsed the flash of a talon and hurled himself to the floor. He felt the breeze as they narrowly missed his head. Flipping himself onto his back, he pulled out his gun. He knew Cutter had told him never to kill them, but did he really have any choice? Cutter wasn't here anymore was he? And Connor had no choice. He pulled the trigger and the thing fell to the ground, dead.
Connor pulled himself to his feet and stared, almost hypnotised, on the Anomaly. It was too high up. He sighed and turned away. All these birds! And him, trapped on the ground. One thing he noticed was that the Anomaly was no longer closed. Did that mean they were coming to help him?
He put his gun back in his pocket and looked at the birds. They didn't seem to be paying him any attention at the moment, so he didn't need his gun out. There were no other creatures around, and Connor knew that these dinosaurs were carnivores. So where was the prey?
Almost as if it was answering Connor's unasked question, one of the birds suddenly shrieked – a noise that made Connor wince – and flew off down the mountain. A few seconds later, it returned with a mouthful of some animal – Connor wasn't sure what exactly. He was just glad it wasn't him.
He turned back to the pressing question of the Anomaly and looked back up at it. There was a sort of shimmering in it, and a loud noise. A split second later, a helicopter came right through. Danny was at the 'wheel?' and Becker was next to him. His and Becker's eyes met and the other man said something and pointed at him. The helicopter touched down and Connor climbed in.
Now the creatures decided that they looked tasty and chased the helicopter as it took off.
"Hurry Danny!" Yelled Connor in panic as the pterodactyls swooped after them. Danny guided the helicopter through the Anomaly and Connor felt a wave of relief wash over him as he spied green grass. "Lock it!" He shouted at the party below as they flew through.
"You what?" asked Danny as the Anomaly closed behind them – just in time. The pterodactyls were safe on the other side. Danny took the helicopter down and touched it on the floor. Connor staggered out.
"Water." He gasped at the crowd. Lester threw him a bottle, and he gulped it down.
"You okay Connor?" asked a familiar voice behind him. It couldn't be... Connor whirled round – Cutter!
"Cutter!" gasped Connor, staggering backwards. "But. But, you're." He fell on the floor, looking round. Nobody else seemed freaked out by Nick standing there. But he died! Connor had sat with him, until his breath died in his chest. All he could do was gape at him. "But you're dead!"
Cutter just stared at him, then at the others around him.
"I'm dead? Nope, pretty sure I'm still alive." He said in a funny voice. "You hit your head?"
"NO! Well yeah, but that's not the point!" Connor stammered. "How can you be standing there?" He blinked a couple of times and pinched himself on the arm. Nope, he wasn't dreaming... wait, there was something missing...
"Where's Abby?" He asked,
"Who?" was the reply.
