CHAPTER 38

Six triceratops milled around the four-wheelers, grazing on nearby foliage. As their sharp, broad beaks sheared through ferns and grass, the herbivores' heavy jaws chewed so loud that Seth and the others could hear it. The dinosaurs circled in slow thudding steps, their solid feet pounding dull on the dirt. With each breath they took, their rock hard scales heaved as their ribs expanded. All eyes among the teens were on the long trio of face horns each triceratops possessed. With one false move, someone could surely be skewered. At the very least, the danger of being trampled was eminent.

"We could always walk back." Dallas shifted with uncertainty.

"That's insane, Dallas. I'm not walking anywhere if there's velociraptors running loose." Kyra didn't take her eyes off the herd as she spoke.

"Yeah, Dallas. Don't be an idiot." Shelly nudged him.

"Well, what do you think, Seth?" Dallas took the attention off of himself.

Seth swallowed. He didn't know why anyone was bothering to ask him, like he knew any better. "I don't think walking is the best idea, Dallas. Maybe we could just wait until they leave." As he said it two of the triceratops lowered onto their bellies and then rolled on their sides with a huff.

"Any chance that'll happen this century?" Dallas watched the dinosaurs yawning.

Kyra flung her arms and started walking toward the triceratops. "Well, we can't just stand around here all day."

"Hey, where are you going?" Dallas called after her.

"To get my four-wheeler." She didn't even glance back at him as she said it.

A moment later Seth followed her. It was an impulsive move. His feet had started to go before he even thought about it. By the time he realized what he was doing, he felt like it would have been silly to stop or turn back, so he just kept walking. He was relieved when he heard Shelly and Dallas trailing behind him. He felt that if he was going to get trampled to death today, at least he'd have plenty of company.

As they approached the herd Seth kept a close watch on the faces of the triceratops. If they were getting spooked, he wanted to be the first to know. To his surprise, the dinosaurs didn't seem to care all that much that they were there. Some made a slight turn of the head. Others even looked away.

"This isn't as exciting as I imagined it would be," Seth whispered to Dallas.

Dallas looked the most nervous out of everyone in the group. "Just keep your head low, and don't give them a reason to make it exciting."

"Are you sweating, Dallas?" Shelly poked him.

Dallas made a sour face. "I'm glad you think this whole thing is a joke, Shelly. Just see if I help you when one comes stomping your way."

Dallas didn't see it, but Seth saw Shelly sticking out her tongue at him.

"Hey, keep it down, guys," Kyra whispered over her shoulder.

They were entering the heart of the herd now. As the triceratops milled about them, they still payed very little mind to the four teens. Kyra walked up to her four-wheeler careful, calm, and slow. One triceratops grazed upon the vegetation just at the base of her wheels. As she neared, she faced the dinosaur's horns head on. The herbivore lifted its beak from the grass and blinked with curiosity. Its jaw still munched in a crunching, circular motion as it examined her. For a moment, Kyra was stunned by the length of the animal's pair of brow horns and the breadth of its bony head frill. The skull was so enormous.

Kyra reached her palms over the handlebars and began to walk the ATV away from the beast. The triceratops made a grunt and nosed the four-wheeler with the stout horn above its beak. Kyra froze. She couldn't tell whether the dinosaur was getting agitated, or being friendly. The triceratops looked at her with a passive stare. It didn't appear to be aggressive. Kyra took a slow breath, adjusted her fingers on the handle grips, and continued to walk the four-wheeler.

As she inched away, the triceratops remained where it was. The herbivore watched her until it finished chewing and swallowed its mouthful. It let another moment pass, then turned away to continue grazing.

Seth crept around to the other side of the four-wheeler and took the handlebars opposite Kyra. Together they pushed the ATV away from the herd. Shelly and Dallas followed behind them, each walking their own four-wheeler. They all experienced a sense of relief as they distanced themselves from the triceratops. Near the overturned jeep they paused to turn on their motors.

As the engines rumbled to life Dallas took his handle grips. "I'll be happy if that's the last excitement we see today."

Kyra looked into the woods at the overturned jeep. "What are we going to do about that?"

Dallas followed her gaze. "We'll discuss that one later. Right now I'm more concerned about getting back on the other side of the fence."