Part II

My first night in the Permian was the most difficult. Despite my extensive field experience in archaeology and my experience rock climbing, trekking and rafting, I still wasn't prepared for life in the wilderness. I didn't have any real equipment with me. In fact, all I had in my bag was a change of clothes that I planning to take to Stephen's, a chocolate bar and a bottle of water. I was irrationally glad that I had my cigarette lighter. It was unlikely that it was going to help me if one of those horrible creatures attacked me again but it was probably better than nothing.

As the sun went down, I started to shiver. The thin jacket I was wearing seemed to be no match for the freezing temperatures of the desert.

I jogged along the edge of the cliff in an attempt to keep warm. I kept on glancing down the cliff in a hope that there would be a way down to a cave where I could shelter for the night.

Finally, after about an hour, I spied what seemed to be a very steep path leading down to a shallow cave in the rocks. I climbed down carefully and entered the cave. It was barely deep enough for me to lie down without my legs dangling out of the cliff face. Fortunately it was wider than it was deep.

I examined the floor of the cave. It seemed sandy, with no animal track marks. This was good. Hopefully I would be safe from the creatures out there in this cave.

Groaning slightly, I curled myself up against the wall of the cave and tried to sleep.

-*

As the early dawn rays of light filtered into my tiny cave, I woke from my uneasy sleep. I was hoping that it was all a dream and that I would wake up next to Nick in our bed and have nothing more to worry about than my next research paper. Unfortunately it seemed to have been real and I was somehow stuck in the Permian era due to a time vortex.

It occurred to me that, despite all this, I had been right in my research. There had always been something that had bothered me in the theory of natural selection. I wondered if these vortexes would explain the holes in that theory. If creatures from this era could travel into the future, perhaps creatures from the future could travel back. Perhaps there were more than one of these vortexes lying around.

I felt myself filled with renewed vigour. I would go out of my cave, climb back to the top of the cliff face and try to find another one of these vortex things. Hopefully, it would be one that would send me home.

As I stood up and stretched, I felt my stomach rumble. I sighed. A chocolate bar and a bottle of water wasn't going to make a good breakfast. Especially since I had to ration it. I didn't know how long it was going to take me to find one of those vortexes again – if I was going to find one at all.

-*

A few hours later, I no longer felt as chipper. The stamina from my unhealthy breakfast has long worn off and I was simply stumbling along wearily along the top of the cliff face. I had no idea where to go. I had briefly considered going into the desert but I decided that I might get completely lost in there.

In the distance, I saw more of the creatures that had attacked me last night. I sincerely hoped that they wouldn't smell me. This era was proving to be a terrifying place.

To my right, I saw a small strange-looking sharp-toothed creature crawling up a leafless tree. I shivered. It looked as though it would be very dangerous if it was bigger.

Wearily, for the fiftieth time, I squinted and shaded my eyes from the sun. I held my breath. I thought I saw a sparkle in the distance. I started jogging towards it. Yes! It seemed as though it was another one of those glittering, swirling vortexes I went through yesterday. I started running towards it.

In the distance, I saw one of the Gorgonopsia lift its head and stare in my direction. I shuddered and quickened my speed. I had absolutely no desire to tangle with one of those creatures again.

Finally, I saw the vortex in front of me. Its colours danced before my eyes. I stopped a handspan from it and hesitated. What lay beyond this one?

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Gorgonopsia start moving towards me. I certainly wasn't going to stay here any longer. Whatever lay beyond had to be better than where I currently was.

I took a deep breath and stepped through.