The thing grabbed the time freezer in its talons, lifting not only the time freezer but Cindy as well. Jimmy grabbed onto Cindy's legs, hoping to pull her down but instead getting lifted too. Soon they were high in the air, Jimmy's feet just barely skimming the treetops. A fall from that height would definitely be fatal. And Jimmy was beginning to lose his grip.
"Come on, think, think, THINK!" he muttered to himself. That's when he saw the tree a few feet in front of them. It was around three feet taller than the others, tall enough, he thought, for Cindy and him to grab a hold of.
"Cindy!" he shouted.
"What?"
"You see that tree, the one that's a couple feet taller than the others?"
"Yeah."
"When we pass it, I want you to let go of the time freezer and grab onto it."
"WHAT? Are you crazy?!"
"Just do it! If you don't we'll both fall!"
Cindy didn't argue. They got nearer to the tree.
"On the count of three," Jimmy said. "One… two… THREE!"
Cindy let go of the time freezer. There was a terrifying second or two where they started to fall, but Cindy reacted quickly. She reached out and grabbed the tree with both hands, stopping their fall. The two scrambled onto a branch, panting heavily.
"We're alive!" Cindy said, sounding amazed.
"Yeah, no thanks to that thing," Jimmy said. "What was it, anyway?"
"I don't know, I didn't get much of a chance to look at it before it grabbed me," Cindy said. "All I know is that is wasn't like any animal on earth. There are no birds that big on the planet."
"Unless it was… but it couldn't be, that's not possible…." Jimmy muttered.
"What?" Cindy asked.
"I was just thinking out loud, forget it," Jimmy said.
"Tell me!"
"Well, okay, but you're not gonna like it…." Jimmy said, taking a deep breath. "I think it might have been a Pterosaur."
Cindy stared at him, mouth half open. "But… but then that would mean…."
Jimmy nodded. "We somehow went back in time."
Cindy looked like she couldn't decide whether to faint or break Jimmy's neck. Thinking that he really didn't like either option, he said, "I could be wrong, though. Maybe there really is a bird that big, and nobody's discovered it. You never know. I mean, this place is totally deserted. There's no people anywhere."
"Of course it's deserted," Cindy said through gritted teeth. "That's because people don't exist yet!"
"Just calm down, okay?" Jimmy said. "I'm probably wrong. I mean, that flying… thing is the only thing we've seen to suggest that we might have gone back in time."
"Yeah, you're right," Cindy said, sighing. "Sorry."
The two sat in silence for a moment just looking around. Then Cindy gasped and grabbed Jimmy's arm.
"Oh man…." she said.
"What?" Jimmy asked.
She pointed. Way down below, in the field that surrounded the woods, was a pack of very large, and very real, dinosaurs.
"Come on, think, think, THINK!" he muttered to himself. That's when he saw the tree a few feet in front of them. It was around three feet taller than the others, tall enough, he thought, for Cindy and him to grab a hold of.
"Cindy!" he shouted.
"What?"
"You see that tree, the one that's a couple feet taller than the others?"
"Yeah."
"When we pass it, I want you to let go of the time freezer and grab onto it."
"WHAT? Are you crazy?!"
"Just do it! If you don't we'll both fall!"
Cindy didn't argue. They got nearer to the tree.
"On the count of three," Jimmy said. "One… two… THREE!"
Cindy let go of the time freezer. There was a terrifying second or two where they started to fall, but Cindy reacted quickly. She reached out and grabbed the tree with both hands, stopping their fall. The two scrambled onto a branch, panting heavily.
"We're alive!" Cindy said, sounding amazed.
"Yeah, no thanks to that thing," Jimmy said. "What was it, anyway?"
"I don't know, I didn't get much of a chance to look at it before it grabbed me," Cindy said. "All I know is that is wasn't like any animal on earth. There are no birds that big on the planet."
"Unless it was… but it couldn't be, that's not possible…." Jimmy muttered.
"What?" Cindy asked.
"I was just thinking out loud, forget it," Jimmy said.
"Tell me!"
"Well, okay, but you're not gonna like it…." Jimmy said, taking a deep breath. "I think it might have been a Pterosaur."
Cindy stared at him, mouth half open. "But… but then that would mean…."
Jimmy nodded. "We somehow went back in time."
Cindy looked like she couldn't decide whether to faint or break Jimmy's neck. Thinking that he really didn't like either option, he said, "I could be wrong, though. Maybe there really is a bird that big, and nobody's discovered it. You never know. I mean, this place is totally deserted. There's no people anywhere."
"Of course it's deserted," Cindy said through gritted teeth. "That's because people don't exist yet!"
"Just calm down, okay?" Jimmy said. "I'm probably wrong. I mean, that flying… thing is the only thing we've seen to suggest that we might have gone back in time."
"Yeah, you're right," Cindy said, sighing. "Sorry."
The two sat in silence for a moment just looking around. Then Cindy gasped and grabbed Jimmy's arm.
"Oh man…." she said.
"What?" Jimmy asked.
She pointed. Way down below, in the field that surrounded the woods, was a pack of very large, and very real, dinosaurs.