DimensTraveler: A Good Dinosaur Story

By: David Serra

Chapter 1

It was a quiet day at the Merek's place. I was babysitting their young daughter, Holly, who was running around in her magician's uniform. While relaxing on the couch looking through my astrology book, Holly looked over my shoulder at the section I was reading. I showed her the page I was looking at.

"Reading anything good?" She asked.

"Only about space and alternate dimensions," I replied.

"Huh, I see. Want to see a cool trick I've been working on?"

I put aside my book and turned to face her, she displayed a hand of cards with a wry smile.

"Pick one but don't show me." She instructed.

I took one and looked at it, it was a Queen. I put it back and she shuffled them before putting them in a cloth bag. She shook the cloth bag around and reached in it. Producing one card she looked at me with a grin before showing me the card.

"Is this your card?" she asked with a flourish of her hand.

"No, that's an Ace; the card I picked was a Queen."

Her expression dropped. She tossed the bag across the room and slumped against the couch.

"Not again!" she cried.

I gently put a hand on her shoulder with a reassuring smile, "You'll get it, Holly. Just keep practicing."

"Do you think I have what it takes to become a great magician?"

I studied her expression; it was a mix of doubt and concern.

"Try not to focus on being great, just do this because you enjoy it."

"Will that make me great?"

"Like I said, keep practicing, it only makes you better."

I patted her shoulder and headed into the kitchen. She followed behind and sat at the kitchen table with a new deck of cards. I picked out a package of bread and a cereal box from the counter and cabinet. Placing them both on the table in front of Holly, she was shuffling her cards half-heartedly.

"Would you like cereal or a sandwich?" I asked.

"Sandwich please." She replied glumly.

"What kind of sandwich?"

"Surprise me."

I got out a jar of grape jelly and decided I would give her a jelly sandwich, her favorite. I heard the front door open and her mom, Mrs. Pam Merek, entered with her arms loaded with shopping bags. She stumbled over and set a few of them down on the counter.

"Oh, hi Egan," she greeted, "Thank you again for babysitting Holly."

"You're welcome; I heard she wants to put on a magic show for her birthday tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, how's she doing with that?"

I exchanged a look with Holly who shrugged in response.

"She's improving."

Mrs. Merek spoke while unpacking her shopping bags. "That's great; can you make it next week? I have a huge meeting tomorrow at work."

"Sure, I'll be here."

"Thank you, I appreciate that. Hey before you go can you help me take this up to the attic?"

She took out what looked like a strange 8mm projector and set it on the kitchen table. Upon closer inspection, I realized it wasn't an 8mm projector but an antique sun-projector.

"Where did you get this?" I asked, intrigued.

"I bought it at an antique shop. They had the thing on display for ages so I thought it might come in handy for another eclipse."

"Oh cool," said Holly, "Does it still work?"

"Yes, I tested it already."

"Can I see?" She asked.

"Sure, in a minute."

I helped Mrs. Merek unpack the rest of her supplies before she led us outside with the projector. She placed it on the patio table and made a few adjustments to the lens, pointing it at a bare spot on the wall of the house.

"Whoa cool!" Holly exclaimed.

The image showed the sun clearly with its sunspots included on the side of the house. I studied the image closely, amazed and curious.

"This is really neat." I said.

"Yeah, like I said if a solar eclipse ever happens this'll be useful." Mrs. Merek said.

I studied the image closely; it was amazing that Mrs. Merek even got the projector to work.

"Well, do you need anything else, Mrs. Merek?" I asked.

"Oh no, thank you again. See you tomorrow at Holly's birthday party?"

"You got it."

"Great, tell your parents I said 'Hi'."

"I will, see you later."

I was about to leave when a circular shadow slowly descended into the image of the sun, progressively covering the picture.

"What the heck?" I asked out-loud.

There were hardly any clouds out and it couldn't have been the moon. I stepped towards the image, a strange tingling feeling swept throughout my body. I heard Holly shriek before I was sucked into the picture.

"Egan!" She screamed.

All went black with a loud sound of breaking glass.

Chapter 2

Screaming at the top of my lungs I was thrust through a large starry tunnel, spinning out of control. I felt like I was going to tear apart, my eyes shut tight as I continued to spin rapidly. A feeling of freefalling swept throughout me, the darkness replaced by a blinding light that pierced through my eyelids.

Before I had time to react I was thrown out the other end of the tunnel and tumbled down a woodsy hill. I slid to a stop at the bottom, dazed, shaking and sore. I groaned loudly, I was sprawled out on my back looking up at the sky and a three-peaked mountain. My ears were ringing loudly before exhaustion took over and I fell into a deep sleep.

Somewhere from the sky I heard a deep and raspy voice whisper, "Yes."

A loud crack of branches in the woods startled me awake early that morning. It was still dark as the sun rose slowly in the sky. A gentle breeze rattled the trees. Gathering my strength I stiffly strained up and wobbled onto my feet, using a nearby tree for balance. Rubbing my eyes I shook my head to clear my thoughts and looked around. I could see the place was lush with the three-peaked mountain looming over me.

I let out a shocked gasp and frantically looked around. Stumbling around that's when I saw something up ahead. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but it was a huge farm. I nervously went closer and saw a silo made of stones and tree parts, a cornfield, and in the center was a stone-house with large tree trunks for its roof. A picket fence made of wood surrounded the place. Gingerly I headed for the farm, the sounds of unknown creatures filling my ears the whole way there. I picked up the pace, fear and shock slowly beginning to take over me.

I nearly collided with the picket fence; I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Without thinking, I squeezed through a slight opening in the fence and headed towards the stone-house. I know that at the time I was trespassing but I was in too much shock to think straight. With trembling legs I continued forward, not sure what to expect. I was almost to the house when hasty clucks from a nearby pen caused me to jump back in alarm. The creatures that were clucking angrily at me resembled chickens except they were much larger with claws instead of wings. I scrambled backwards, tripping over myself in the process.

"Hey! Hey, what's going on with you?" I heard a voice say, it sounded like a preteen boy's voice.

I looked towards where the voice came from. A young green Apatosaurus, built like a tank, emerged from the house and approached the pen, not seeming to notice me. I froze and began to shiver.

"Will you cluckers shut up? Hey, Arlo! I think they're–"

He stopped in his sentence when he turned and saw me.

"I'm coming, Buck." I heard another voice say, this one also sounded like a preteen boy's voice although less deep than the one staring at me intently. "I guess they want breakfast early today."

"Arlo, don't move." Buck whispered sharply.

That's when I saw the other smaller and leaner Apatosaurus stop midway from approaching him. He turned towards me, his eyes slightly widened. I could feel my heart going into overdrive. I wanted to run, but I couldn't move I was paralyzed with fear.

"Arlo, get Momma and Libby, I'll handle this." Buck said and narrowed his eyes at me.

He picked up a huge branch in his mouth and came at me threateningly.

"No! Please, don't!" I managed to shout.

He stopped and instinctively dropped the branch. He and the Arlo's expressions turned to surprise.

"What's going on out here?" I heard another voice call, this one sounded like a woman's voice.

It belonged to a full-grown female Apatosaurus who emerged from the house, along with a younger female Apatosaurus, about the same age as the two who were staring at me. When they saw me they stopped in their tracks.

"Did… Did that critter just say, 'No, please don't'?" Buck asked, half-scared and half-surprised.

"Please don't hurt me." I begged.

Buck let out a loud gasp.

"Momma, what is it?" The younger female Apatosaurus asked.

She only stared at me with a questioned expression.

"Hey…" Arlo began, "How… How can you talk?"

"I-I… I just can."

"Do you have a name?"

"Egan… Egan Taylor. Where am I?"

There was a moment of awkward silence that fell around us. I studied each of their expressions locked onto me.

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