DISCLAIMER – Well, even though the TMNT's are not mine, at least I own the story. I also hope that I did not offend anyone from the UK or Australia with the previous chapter. I absolutely adore listening to anyone speak with a brogue of any kind and whenever I come across someone who has one, I just can't help myself in asking them "So, you don't sound like you're from around here," which prompts my asking them where they're from originally. Oh, to have the funds to run all over the world visiting different lands and people. I feel blessed just to have had the opportunity to see the Philippines last year!
As far as this chapter is concerned, I have to admit that I really like this chapter best, out of all of them. I rarely ever mention stuff like that, since I think it's kind of a faus pax for a writer to like anything they write. But, I had such fun writing this one, you just can't imagine. So many opportunities to 'paint' a picture of how I see 'things', that I kept adding more and more to the chapter. I'm still not satisfied with it and maybe, just maybe, this is where I need to focus my 'mainstream' novel idea, sans TMNT's, of course! Man, it just opens up an endless amount of possibilities.
Anyway, hope you like it as much as I do. If not, that's okay; I still do! LOL
Chapter 4 – Prey
Donnie had finally fallen asleep. After hours of tossing and turning, his eyes just could not stay open any longer and it seemed his grumbling stomach had finally settled down. Unfortunately, he didn't stay that way for long. Once again, he found himself fighting the 'urge to purge' what was left of his dinner from the evening before, the battle of wills between his mind and his stomach waking him up once again. Although he loathed throwing up, he was beginning to think that it would be far better than toughing it out in his room the way he had been doing.
Despite his presently uncomfortable state, though, he was much too snug under his covers to venture out into the chill of the lair. Consequently, he hunkered further under his nice, warm blankets and focused on not throwing up.
"Mike, so help me, come morning if Raph doesn't kill you first, I most certainly will," he vainly promised himself, quite certain that he was not alone in the 'upset tummy' department. "If not for the sauerkraut and pickles, or even those gummy bears, cauliflower on pizza should be outlawed." He groaned as he held a comforting hand along his stomach, "And I had two slices of it; what was I thinking?"
Finally, after several more minutes of no reprieve from his nausea, he sighed in defeat. Half rising from his pillow with his left arm under him for support, Don reached over with his right handto switch on the table lamp by his bed. He grimaced from the sudden brightness, laying his head back down again as he rubbed at his eyes.
As he began to adjust to his now illuminated room, he considered doing what he knew he should do, but then Don looked over at his worktable with its many unfinished projects. He wondered if maybe tinkering with one of them might distract himself enough from his current misery, possibly allowing enough time to pass so that the ill feelings would, too. Sighing and realizing that unless he did something other than lying in bed, Don was certain that misery would hound him until morning – or until he visited the 'porcelain god' in the bathroom and made a partially-digested offering.
Reluctantly, he rose up out from his nice, warm bed, and greedily took the comforter with him. Wrapping it securely around his shoulders, Don next slipped his feet into his fuzzy purple slippers, reluctantly standing up and thenshuffling over to his chair.
As he sat down and pulled his bedspread up further around him, Don eyed his latest invention, "Now, where was I…" he mused thoughtfully.
After a while and as he worked with the object in his hand, tightening a bolt here, calibrating an adjustment there, the lights in his room suddenly winked out. Don sighed deeply and shook his head, realizing that he would not be tinkering after all.
"What now?" he groaned in frustration. Due to his ninjitsu training, Don was well adapted to working in complete darkness – as far as patrol and the arts were concerned. However, his inventions were another factor all together. He needed light, that's all there was to it.
Don carefully placed his gadget back onto the table and stood up out of his chair. As a precaution, he reached over next to his desk where he kept his bo-staff and, once he had his weapon in-hand, Don shrugged off his warm comforter. He shivered once from the sudden chill of the room, and then kicked off his slippers.
"That's it; I've had it with drafty, cold sewers. I'm going to get heat into this place if I have to drill all the way down through the mantle of the earth," he grumbled irritably.
Cautiously, he stepped towards his closed bedroom door. He thought about strapping his leathers on, which would include his elbow and kneepads as well as the sheath for his bo-staff, but Don really didn't want to take the time. He just wanted to know what had caused the lights to go out.
Silently easing open his bedroom door, he noticed that even the hallway was pitch-black with darkness. Usually, there was a soft glow of light coming from the various kitchen and living room electronics and which acted well enough to illuminate the corridor by the bedrooms.
Usually, but, not now.
It was becoming increasingly obvious to Don that something had affected the electricity in their home.
"A black out?" Don queried to himself, "But, it's only March; it's still cold outside. There wouldn't be any reason for an overuse of power."
Puzzled, now, and just a little bit curious, he stepped out into the hallway and headed for the living room. As he walked, he listened intently, hearing a few snores and some groaning from the other bedrooms. A few of the groans were obvious testaments that, indeed, not everyone was enjoying the after affects from the pizza they had eaten earlier. Don was certain that, come morning, maybe even Leo might be willing to wait his turn to pummel their youngest brother, that is, once everyone was feeling better.
Nonetheless, he made his way deftly and successfully through the living room, avoiding the couch and other pieces of furniture as if the lights were on. Again, Don's knowledge of the arts assisted him,his keen and finely tunedsensesacting like his very own personal proximity alert.
Now, he stood at the front door to the lair and hesitantly stared at it, thinking to himself, "I wonder if there is indeed a black out and, if so, maybe I ought to get the others up, just in case the Foot decide to take advantage of the situation."
He looked back in the direction of his brothers' and sensei's bedrooms. He thought a bit, chewing the inside of his cheek in contemplation. He realized that maybe one or more of them might not be feeling too well. It was then when he decided that, if they were sleeping despite their discomfort, it would be cruel to wake them. Therefore, he made up his mine to just go take a quick look topside and assess the need, if any, for their intervention. "Why get them up if we're not needed," he reasoned logically.
However, just as soon as Don opened the door and stepped through the threshold and out into the sewer tunnel, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. Then, he felt a bending and quivering of the air around him,the scant sewerlighting at that point in the tunnelshowing the concrete walls seeming to melt away. As they pooled into nothingness, without warning and right before Don's eyes, everything changed!
Now, instead of standing in the dank, dark, and very smelly recesses of the New York City sewer system, Don found himself outside in what appeared to him to be an ancient forest, almost prehistoric in nature. The shadows were deep where he was, with intermittent light from the sun far abive as it fought its way down through the thick leafy canopy of trees.
As Don looked up to assess how high the canopy hovered, he was quite surprised to findthat its gentle sway rose nearly three hundred feet above the forest floor. A warm, humid breeze swirled about him, almost thick and suffocating with the smell of decaying leaves and moist earth. It was a definite improvement to what he was feeling and smellingseconds earlier. However, he wrinkled his nose in question. Laced with a variety of other strange scents, the breeze seemed alien and almost overwhelming. He knew then that he was outside. But, where?
Just the same, the otherworldly scene around him caught Don's attention the most.
He quickly noticed the huge pine trees, or conifers. They were – gigantic, almost reminding Don of redwoods from northern California. That explained why the treetops were so high above him. Yet, here, where he was curretnly standing and in addition to the mammoth trees, he noted strange fern like vegetation growing in small and large clumps along the ground. For the life of him, he could not name them, yet they seemed vaguely familiar. Having thick, nubby trunks and branches that gyrated out in a strange dance of growth, the trees grew in-between the stately giants, dwarfed considerably by them, yet adding a bizarre texture to the otherwise strange scene. They were curiously unique, with clumps of leaves or fronds gathered at the farthest ends of each branch, like a cheerleader's pompom.
Smaller, similar growth crowded around the forest floor, possibly ferns, by what Don could tell. With a littering of browned pine needles and other dead leaves carpeting the earth, there seemed to be a quiet hush filling the air, as well, as if the groundcover acted like hoise insulation.
Suddenly, Don heard movement along the ground in front of him, giving him quite a start, and causing him to whip his bo-staff up defensively. Yet, he relaxed right away when he saw that it was only a few beetle-like insects crawling in and out of the decomposing leaves, soon scurryingout of sight. It was obvious his sudden appearance had startled them. However, what intrigued him mostwas their size. They were the biggest insects that he had ever seen, maybe six-inches long, and easily challenging what he had heard about Texas cockroaches and how large they could get.
He just hoped this variety didn't know how to fly!
Nevertheless, it all happened so fast that the only thing he could utter was "What the SHELL is THAT?"
Yet, before he could wrap even a single thought around what species they were, a loud whirring and buzzing noise came suddenly from above. Itseemed to be dive-bombing towards Don, which caused him to duck at the last moment. With his eyes wide in shock, he observerd as the biggest dragonfly he had ever seen whizzed by him, just missing the top of his head. What was more startling was the noise from its madly fluttering wings as they filled the otherwise quiet of the forest. It almost reminded him of a helicopter, but miniaturized. With the insect's double set of translucent appendages, it flew haphazardly, almost as if in a state of panic. Yet, it managed to keep its trajectory and stuck to one direction as it flew away from Don. With its iridescent green and blue wings glittering through the sporadic rays of light, which shot like needles through the dense shadow of forest, the dragonfly had a jewel-like quality.
Just the same, although the insect's flight pattern seemed erratic as it bobbed up and down, sideways, and then back up again, the dragonfly still managed to keep to its course. Nevertheless, flying further into the forest deep and away from Don, its frantic behavior almost seemed to suggest that it was in a race for its life.
As in answer to that consideration, Don's keen hearing detected a quickly advancing footfall, but it was unlike any footfall that he had ever heard. Instinctively and not taking time to wonder about it, he jumped behind a nearby clump of large, oversized ferns. With their tendrils of green frilly leaves thick and concealing and with his own similar coloring, he blended well in and among them.
Now, safe behind their protective fronds, Don watched with a combination of dumbstruck awe and wonder. There, trotting into his view was as a very large reptilian creature, its coloring of tans and dark blues a stark contrast against the brighter greens of the surrounding area. Along its back where the darker color resided, Don could see striping. Considering the intermittent and sporadic beams of sunlight that cut down through the forest canopy above, the pattern was typical for a creature living in such shadowy conditions. The stripes probably assisted its ability to hide from predators and help conceal him from his prey, as well. However, where the limbs, neck, and tail began, the more vibrant blue changed over to the earthier tones of tan.
Suddenly, the creature stopped. Now, it stood just short of where Don was hiding, maybe ten feet away. In fear, the turtle hunkered down some more, firmly clutching his bo-staff to his plastron, just in case he had to defend himself. However, Don made sure he could still observe the strange reptile. Consequently, he kept very still, barely breathing as he watched the spectacle before him, his mind working on overdrive.
What kind of creature was this? It was bad enough Don's entire world had changed the way it had, but to bear witness to such a beast; his logical mind just could not miss the opportunity to study it.
As the turtle tried to make sense of how any of this could be happening, the creature glanced left, and then right, sniffing the air and stretching its long graceful neck upwards. It seemed determined, as if searching for something. With a trim, delicate head and elongated beak, bearing large, expressive eyes, the reptile lifted its long snout skyward to the forest canopy above. Then, with small flaring nostrils working excitedly and with its mouth opened, showing off a fine set of very sharp teeth, it seemed to be 'tasting' the air. Don could hear it suck in and then blow out, its tongue working along the inside of its mouth as it deciphered the various scents he seemed to be picking up. The beast then snorted and shook its head, either not pleased or – maybe – confused.
Could it detect him, Don thought worriedly?
As he was pondering this concern, the turtle quickly assessed the over-grown reptile. The creature stood maybe a little taller than Don did, but from nose to tail was much longer by comparison, maybe even as long as twelve feet! Now, standing upright on long spindly legs obviously meant for speed, and with a lengthy tail for balance and that whipped around excitedly, the beast grunted once. It seemed to be considering its next move.
Watching its tail whip about and the excitement it showed in its behavior, reminded Don of an eager beagle. However, it was then that he suddenly remembered what the creature's species was. He had read about such dinosaurs when he was younger and now all of that knowledge came back to him in a blinding and almost frightening rush.
"A stenonychosaurus? Here, in New York?" he thought with nearly heart-stopping surprise. However, he quickly reminded himself that he was no longer in New York, not if what he was seeing was real.
Finally, catching wind of its pray once again, the creature squawked excitedly and took off with an amazing swiftness.Itagilely leaped over leafy obstacles in its path in pursuit of its prey – obviously, the dragonfly. In no time, it disappeared far from Don's viewand within the shroud of shadows created by the giant trees and ferns of the forest.
For now, Don knew he was safe.
Although the danger had passed, for the moment Don continued to stay where he was. He was completely stunned, completely and unequivocally petrified with shock. His mind was having the most difficult time accepting where he was. He knew that none of what he had seen so far should be happening, could be happening, and, yet, it was. Logical or not, Don knew that he was not in New York anymore, or, for that matter, in the year two-thousand and five.
Just the same, he suddenly realized that he had been holding his breath, almost in a state of panic, which was highly unlike him. After all, he was ninja. Splinter had trained him to be one with his environment.
The problem was - this was NOT his environment!
He gasped, then, as he sucked in air, reminding his lungs that, although the atmosphere was thick and heavy with humidity, it was still oxygen and breathable. As his breathing finallyevened out, he asked himself quietly, "Where the shell am I?"
Don looked around, hoping to find the door to the lair and maybe get back to where he could immerse himself with familiar surroundings again. He wanted so desperately to be home. Unfortunately, it seemed as if the door and his lair had completely disappeared! Yet, he also noted that so went his nausea.
"Guess I can't have everything!" he lamented sourly.
With a sinking feeling, though, he realized then that he was now a stranger in a strange land. His instincts told him that if he was not careful, he could end up like that dragonfly was destined to be – somebody's lunch.
"I'd better watch my back a bit more," he wryly cautioned himself, "No telling if the 'steno' eats turtles, too."
At first, as he trudged through the forest, Don did mostly covert hiding. Running from tree to bush to tree, and waiting until he thought it safe to proceed to the next cover, Don kept himself as hidden as he could. Yet, he knew that he didn't have any idea where he was heading. All he wanted to do was to be was somewhere safe. Given the fact that a stenonychosaurus was present in this world, suggested that other creatures more fearful might be lurking in the area. Don didn't even want to begin thinking about that possibility.
As it was, whenever he would advance his location, he would look around furtively, making sure that there weren't any predators hiding in the brush to snap him up for their next snack. Then, he'd hunch over and run like a 'bat out of hell', nearly throwing himself into the bushes and rolling to a stop – and trying not to have a heart attack at the same time. After a while and as he became convinced that the forest wasn't as populated with large, ravenous beasties as he had first feared, he allowed himself a bit more freedom to relax. As a result, he did not run as much, giving himself time to evaluate his environment a bit more as he walked. Although he continued to seek a safe place to hide, he was rather intrigued with his predictament. After all, he did have a slightly inquisitive, if not scientific, mind. It would be unlike him to not anaylize what he was experiencing. Consequently and always keeping the safety of a bush within leaping distance, he began to assess his general vicinity more thoroughly.
"Based on the obvious prehistoric nature of the trees and foliage and considering the size of that dragonfly and the stenonychosaurus, all of this - should be extinct," Don deadpanned quietly, realizing the absurdity of his thinking based on his surroundings. Then,continuing his monologue, "Nevertheless, if I'm not mistaken, I would say I was in…"
However, before Don could utter his assumptions, he felt a rather strong vibration rumble along the ground.
"What – is – that?" he wondered fearfully. Instantly, he leaped into another bush and crouched within the shrouded safety of the fronds. Knowing when and where he believed he was in time, Don's eyes widened with anxious anticipation. He looked to hileft and then right – and finally above him – but failed to see what had made the earth tremble as it did.
However, what did catch his attention was a larger assembly of light seeping through the forest of trees not more than a hundred yards from where he huddled. The more he studied it, the more he realized that an open area probably lay just beyond where the trees were. Curious, Don carefully walked the distance, keeping low and sticking to the shadows of the heavy brush whenever he could. He continually looked all around him, mindful of the fact that anything could be lurking about, and well hidden within the shadows. It was never far from his mind the possibility of becoming someone's lunch – or dinner, not that any creature from this particular era would have given thought to what part of the day it was, so long as they were eating.
The closer he walked to the edge of the forest, the louder and stronger the vibrations became. Slower now, Don eased his way up to the very last tree before the expansivemeadow began. He swallowed deeply, not at all certain he wanted to see what was causing the disturbance. After all, if he was correct in his assumptions, some very scary and very large monsters might be looming beyond.
"Other than my stealth capabilities, no amount of ninjitsu or my knowledge of technology will work here," he moaned despairingly.
Finally, after taking a deep breath, Don could not deny his curiosity anymore and, so, he chanced a look. As he peered around the ancient redwood tree, which was about as wide as a city school bus, he took in the scene before him.
Now, he was certain where and when he was. How it could be so,was beyond his ability to fathom and for Don that was quite a lot.
Yet, there they were and in a meadow so large, that it must have spanned hundreds of acres, if not more! Within the safety of the gianttrees, Don could only stand there in total and utter amazement as he looked out across the grassy expanse. He smiled. For in herds of fifteen to fifty and far enough away to be more entertaining than a threat to him, he gazed in near disbelief at the menagerie of dinosaurs, dinosaurs that were very much alive and more real than he could ever imagine.
There were maiasauras, triceratops, and anatosaurus, as well as other much larger and smaller creatures. They were all foraging through the meadow as they munched at the foliage, some ripping huge mouthfuls of grass from the ground as big as bales of hay.
Don was completely mesmerized. "How could this be?" was an exclamation that kept repeating itself inside his logical mind. He knew that these animals – or dinosaurs – had been extinct for at least sixty-five million years. He also knew that it was as impossible for him to be where he was, andin the same way that it was impossible for these creatures to be alive.
Yet, his eyes and ears told him differently, despite his mind's insistence that it was inconceivable. He could hear them trumpet and bellow, as they called out to their herd-mates. He could see their coloring and the way that their muscles moved under their thick scaly skin. Some had very smooth epidermis while others seemed to be rougher by comparison. There were babies and juveniles, as well as older more mature versions. Every species he observed seemed to be thriving and for a second, Don wondered about predators.
However, as the ground quaked again with some of the beasts ambling about on their ponderous legs, his attention diverted back to the wondrous behemoths. Now, some were whipping their tails around. A few slammed their long appendagesto the ground in a manner that might have been a form of communication, or maybe it was part of a mating ritual. With the younglings gamboling around, it was quite possible a few males were indicating either their territory or attempting to impress a female.
Either way, Don realized it had been the dinosaurs in the meadow that made the concussion from earlier. Considering how far they were from him, he was quite impressed with their power.
Nevertheless, the science-minded turtle's intrigue grew by the moment and, because of that, he forgot to keep himself hidden. Slowly drawn to the amazing spectacle before him, he forgot about his fear and of his previous concerns for predators. He now, absentmindedly, ventured beyond the safety and concealment of the dense forest and into the meadow.
Standing clear of the massive overgrowth and well into the field, with the warmth of the sun's rays now upon him, Don surveyed the almost surreal scene – and smiled again.
"This is positively the most awesome thing I've ever seen," he crowed, "I mean, this is just like Jurassic Park, only, based on what I can tell with the species here, it's more like the Cretaceous period." He giggled a little, truly forgetting where and what he was for the moment. "Man, Mikey will be so envious of me, that is, if I ever get back home to tell him." Don continued to gawk, assessing, and making a mental note of all the creatures that he could identify. He wanted to make sure that if he did return to New York and his family, he would be able to recall everything he saw.
He stood that way in the meadow for the longest time, longer than he really should have, in fact. He really didn't know how much time had passed, but it was long enough to warrant his being noticed, long enough for someone to see him.
The 'someone' who saw him was quite large. The 'someone' stood very tall and walked upright on two long and muscular them and leading up to its full height, wasa pair of smallish, two-fingered arms with a huge head filled with huge, gleaming, and very sharp teeth.
In fact, the 'someone' quickly became one of three. They were of varying heights and it was safe to assume that quite possibly, they were a family unit, but that was the only 'safe' part about it.
In one moment, Don realized thathe had made a very, very grave mistake. He realized then that the other dinosaurs' tail thumping might have been a warning signal,instead of what he had first thought it was. He had wondered earlier about predators. As if in answer to that thought, the biggest of the trio of Tyrannosaurus Rex roared very loudly, jerking Don out of his mesmerized state of mind.
The poor turtle whipped around in instant fright and would have peed his pants, had he been wearing any, but he wasn't. He just peed - and he ran, back into the forest. He ran as fast as he could with the trio of 'teeth' in close pursuit. Because he had wet himself, he only added more scent to the chase for the dinosaurs to follow. He tried to run and hide behind the huge trees but found them of little use to him, considering that the carnivores chasing him were of comparative size. There wasn't any way for the ferns, both large and small, to be of any help either.
The only thing he could do was to run - and run he did.
The ground trembled even more, now, as the three Rex's gave chase, their long strides crashing to the earth with shattering and increasing velocity. As they barged through the forest and felling smaller trees,crushing brushy ferns, the micro quakes they created with each thundrous step they took, almost upended Don as he ran. Keeping his balance, though, he dodged in and around trees, over brush and sometimes through them. He ran faster than he ever had, hoping to find a crevasse in one of the giant conifers to crawl into, one that would keep him safe from the 'teeth' that pursued him. However, no such luck presented itself and, so, he continued to run, thinking about the movie he thought of earlier, and wishing he could find a waterfall with a cave behind it to run into.
"As if such a thing were possible here," he whined as he ran.
Don looked behind him and saw that no matter where he went or how hard he tried to out-maneuver them, one of the monsters found him out and pushed the chase onward. If he did stray off the intended course, whichever beast was closest to him would get Don back in line again, almost as if it was herding him along. This action drew the attention of the other two and then they would bookend the chase with the same mind-set. Regardless if he wanted to dart left or right, there was always one of the Tyrannosaurus Rex's there to coax him back.
They almost reminded him of the way wolves would hunt. "So much for the belief they scavenged for food!" he complained irritably.
And, like wolves, they were relentless. Don realized, though, that more than likely, they were a bit curious about him as well. Considering he was bi-pedal and stranger than anything that they had probably seen before, it was a logical conclusion.
Just the same, Don was not going to hang around and try to explain himself to them, no sirree. He was far too smart for that – and scared beyond reasoning.
Unfortunately, he had completely forgotten about the stenonychosaurus. As luck would have it, he soon found himself in a race with the creature.
The smaller, leggier, dinosaur had been innocently enjoying his freshly caught dragonfly entrée, and was almost finished with it when Don and his 'friends' chanced upon him. Without any formal introductions, the ninja found that, aside from running for his life, he now had to dodge the startled and quite frightened species of saurischia. With a protesting and then frightened squawk as he saw the other carnivores, the creature joined the footrace with Don. For a moment, it took notice of him, snapping at Don as if trying to grab a bite on the run. Either that or he was royally ticked-off for having his meal interrupted. Whatever the reason, Don decided to keep his distance from the creature as much as he could, while trying to do the same with the giants that were currently chasinghim.
As if realizing that the stenonychosaurus would make a better meal, one of the Rex's roared in expectation. It quelled any interest the stenonychosaurus might have had in Don and, so, it began to sprint just a little ahead of him with its long, speed-friendly legs.
Why he was not running faster gave Don a bit of a pause. Maybe the creature had spent what energies he used in catching the dragonfly. Yet, something about the way the creature kept eyeinghim as they ran, told Don that, if anything, there was another concern he should be more worried about. If the trio of Tyrannosaurus Rex should quit the race, would Don have to contend, then, with Mr. Snapper? It was that sudden thought when Don realized why the 'steno' was not trying to out-distance him but to tag along. It was obvious the creature would try totake advantage of the situation. Don doubted very much his compatriot in 'fleeing for one's life' would miss the opportunity for turtle on a half shell.
Suddenly,with a sinking feeling, Don discovered another important realization. Either he had evidently dropped his bo-staff or in the rush through the trees, had it knocked out of his hand. Either way, it was gone.
Now, he was defenseless!
Instantly, Don knew he had to think of something – and fast, because as he looked ahead of him, he realized the forest was starting to thin out again. He knew that once out in the open, there wouldn't be anywhere to hide. However, before he could think of anything and without warning, the stenonychosaurus made a sudden turn – right in front of Don! Obviously, he had decided that the turtle was not worth the risk and, more than likely, found the dense forest a bit safer than the wide-open spaces of the meadow ahead.
In a heart stopping moment, Don found himself trying to leap and twist around the creature in order to avoid slamming into it. As he did, though, the steno's tail whipped up as it compensated for its change in direction, keeping the still-running animal from toppling over. The long whip-like appendage did as designed by maintaining the dinosaur's balance and allowing him to keep running and successfully escaping to freedom.
However, at the same time, it upended Don completely.
With the tip of the steno's receding tail catching the poor turtle's foot and tripping him, Don found himself flying face-first to the forest floor and into the deep compost pile of dead, decaying leaves and pine needles. Because of how fast he had been running, though, the abrupt change in his trajectory caused Don to slide a ways over and through the slick, moist covering of rotting vegetation.
Unceremoniously, he came to an abrupt stop at the base of one of the very large, overgrown redwoods. Although he was stunned but for a second, he quickly leaped up in sudden realization that he was no longer running. He then tried to scramble around the base of the tree to resume his escape.
However, the middle-sized Tyrannosaurus Rex blocked his route, glaring hungrily with yellow eyes at its prey.
Frantically, Don turned and tried to run in the opposite direction but found the largest of the three meat-eaters waiting there on that side of the conifer, as well. The smallest Rex, which was of little consolation to Don since even it was gigantic in and of itself, waited in the middle. Now,all three carnivores loudly gnashed their teeth at the turtle in hungry expectation.
Don found himself trapped! What was he to do, now?
Before he could think of anything, however, the trio of dinosaurs began a slow, methodical march in his direction. They quirked their head at him, as if in question, proving to Don that they were indeed curious about him. However, their drooling mouths with their razor sharp teeth made it even more apparent that, no matter how strange a meal looked, they would never pass one up.
Suddenly, the biggest one of the three threw back his head and roared in triumph, prompting the other two to make a sudden and blindingly quick dash towards their quarry.
With only a second left to his life, Don did what came naturally to anyone facing a horrific death.
He screamed.
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A/N – A second character death? Do you see any kind of death here, other than presumed? Until you know for certain, don't go flinging threats and insults or have a panic attack. All will be explained, eventually, although I think by now many of you have this figured out.
COMMENTS Thanks to all who read and reviewed. RAMICA – LUNAR-NINJA – THE REAL CHEESE MONKEY – LIONESS-GODDESS – MIKAELA'S SPADE – CHIBI ROSE ANGEL – BUSLADY OF SOCAL – PACPHYS – SOMELLAMAFREAK. Be blessed.