:¨·.·¨:
`·.. Chapter One
Taylor didn't like her new school. In fact she didn't like anything about this suburb. She didn't know anyone and it just wasn't home.
Steve had decided it would be 'best' for them to move. He was stubbornly adamant that Taylor had "fallen down the pipe" because she was too upset from her mother's death, and apparently leaving the apartment which held the memories of her mother would do her good. Taylor had kicked and screamed and had almost literally been dragged from the place, and now all her and Steve did was fight.
Taylor walked along the hallway, trying to shut out the sounds of happy kids playing outside. She noticed a large dent in one of the cupboards and was briefly curious of its origin, but a shout from a nearby classroom drew her attention away from it.
"You can't pretend it didn't happen!" came a boy's voice from inside the room.
A second voice responded but Taylor couldn't make out the words. She pressed her ear against the door.
"You know it was real!" continued the boy. "You were THERE! You can't just act like it never happened! There was a dinosaur here! A gorgonopsid, I looked it up!"
Taylor's heart pounded. A dinosaur? Memories of the giant scorpions flashed through her mind.
The second person said something unintelligible which resulted in another angry shout from the first person. The door swung open and, before Taylor had the chance to escape, the boy pushed past her and stormed from the room. He punched the wall in frustration then disappeared around a corner.
Taylor glanced inside the classroom to see a teacher staring at her with slumped shoulders. Before the woman could barrage her for eavesdropping Taylor dashed away after the boy.
"Oi! Oi, you!" she called out, spotting him in the hallway. The bell rung and suddenly kids were bustling around her, blocking her path.
A chubby red-haired boy popped up out of nowhere. "What you want him for?" he demanded.
Taylor turned to him. "What's it to you?"
"Just he's crazy, is all." The redhead made circular motions around his ears. "You know, coo-coo."
Taylor leant forward. "Why, what happened?"
"Reckons he saw a dinosaur in the school," the boy scoffed. "Says that Miss Cameron and him got trapped in the end classroom because of the dinosaur. Obviously he's making it up, 'cause Miss Cameron says it never happened. He's a nut."
"What's his name?"
"Ben. Uh… Trent, I think. Ben Trent."
Taylor frowned and scanned the hall for any sign of Ben. There was none; he was lost in the menagerie of kids. She sighed. She'd have to find him later.
xxx
Spratt bounced around her legs and yapped. Taylor grunted and unceremoniously dropped the dishes in the sink, ignoring the clatter that rang around the kitchen.
"Watch it!" Steve called from the lounge room, where he was sprawled out on the sofa watching television.
Taylor growled. She cooked and cleaned and did the housework and this slob had the nerve to tell her to 'watch it'? She grabbed Spratt's leash, clipped it on and slipped out the back door.
Spratt danced about and tugged on the leash, struggling to do her own investigation of every bush and blade of grass. Their new apartment was down the road from an expanse of woodland, and Taylor decided that a wander through would help calm her down. She led Spratt past the green fence and into the towering trees of the Forest of Dean. A few birds chattered on a nearby branch and the wind whistled faintly through the sparse leaves.
Taylor exhaled, letting the tranquillity wash over her. Her and Spratt traipsed through the trees in relative silence. After a few minutes Taylor realised the quiet was just making it easier for her mother to sneak into her head and within another thirty seconds she was sitting at the base of a tree with her arms wrapped around her legs and the tears flowing down her cheeks.
Spratt yapped at her and scrambled over her knees, energetically running her tongue all over her owner's face. After a while the tears were indistinguishable against the dog slobber. Taylor laughed meekly and rolled Spratt over to rub her belly vigorously. Spratt wagged her tail and yapped again.
"You're a good girl," Taylor murmured.
The sound of a snapping twig made her look up. A figure dashed away, scattering the dead leaves everywhere. Taylor jumped up and took pursuit, calling out. "Oi, you! Who are you? Oi, stop!"
The person ignored her. She realised with a shock who it was. "Ben!"
He stopped and turned around, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How do you know my name?" he demanded.
"Why were you watching me?" Taylor countered, approaching him.
"I was just walking past and saw you crying. I was trying to decide whether to do something or leave you alone."
"Oh okay." Taylor wiped her eyes to rid the remaining tears.
"So how do you know my name? Who are you?"
"I'm Taylor. A boy from school told me who you are. I was trying to talk to you in the hall but you didn't hear me."
"Why were you trying to talk to me?"
"I overheard you talking to Miss Cameron about the dinosaur," Taylor said.
His eyes blazed with anger. "And you think I'm crazy, too!" he scoffed, taking an aggravated step back. "I know what I saw! More than once! It destroyed my room!"
"I don't think you're crazy. I seen one too."
Ben stopped, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Well it wasn't really a dinosaur," Taylor admitted. "It was giant sand scorpions. But I went back millions of years in the past!"
Ben took a step closer, tilting his head slightly. "You're not making fun of me, are you?"
"No. There was desert and rocks and things."
Ben failed to suppress a laugh at her unintentional echo of his argument over a year ago.
"What are you doing in here?" Taylor asked.
"Looking for the portal," he divulged.
"The big light?"
"Yes!" Ben's voice rose a couple of octaves in excitement. So she was serious. Finally someone who not only believed him, but knew what he was talking about. "When did you see it?"
"Back in Hackney about three months ago. Spratt ran into it and I followed her through. Nick and Stephen came through and we got trapped on the other side for a while," she explained.
"Nick," Ben repeated. The name sounded familiar. He made a K sound. "Nick K- something?"
"Cutter?"
"That's it!"
"You met 'im?"
"Yeah, him and Abby. Abby … uh, Maylan, I think it was. Or something like that."
"I never met no Abby."
Ben frowned. "The gorgonopsid chased us through the forest, and then she went and told everybody she didn't see anything," he recounted lividly. "The stupid thing followed me home and tore my room apart. It almost ate me. Mum was so angry; she didn't believe anything I said. It hasn't been the same at home since."
"How long ago was that?" Taylor asked.
"About a year and a half." He looked at her sideways. "I'm thirteen. How old are you?"
"I turned twelve last month." Taylor noticed the camera hanging around his neck. "Do you come here often, looking for the big light?"
"Every day," Ben declared. "I'm going to prove it exists. I know it's out there somewhere, I just have to find it again."
Taylor barely had a moment's hesitation before saying, "Can I help?"
Ben eyed her. "Sure. No one ever believed me before, so sure. Would be good to have some company."
Taylor grinned. "Cool, so wh-"
Spratt had been snuffling around her feet, overturning some leaves. Suddenly the dog unearthed a lizard which shot out like a rocket; immediately she flitted after it.
"Oi! Spratt!" Taylor dashed after the little terrier, calling out desperately. "Spratt, come back, girl!"
She chased the dog through the trees for a few minutes before coming to a halt and gaping in astonishment. Spratt disappeared in a blaze of white light, yapping her little head off.
A/N: Yes, I know Abby's name is Maitland, before you say.
I have no solid plotline planned for this story, just a couple of vague bunnies floating around in my head, so updates will be a little less predictable than my usual stories.
For anyone waiting for me to update season three of And You Can Quote Me On That, I've been slack and I'm sorry. *ducks from flying objects* I've done four episodes so far, bear with me, I'll get them done ASAP.
