shirt and a long skirt tied at the waist and slit to mid thigh. Her eyes flashed a brilliant emerald, matching a jade necklace that bounced around her neck.
“Run!” she shouted back at them.
The boy pounded after her, eyeing Jake up and down with a stern frown as he passed. Gangly and long-necked, he was dressed in a grass-stained white toga with a leather belt, along with leather sandals strapped to mid calf. Another strap of corded leather tied back his curly, mud brown hair. He held his spear over his head as he ran.
Frozen in place, Jake stared after the strange pair.
Kady shoved Jake. “Do what she said! Run!”
Jake didn’t argue. Together, they fled after the other two kids.
An earth-shattering crack erupted behind them, accompanied by a screech of rage. Jake glanced over his shoulder. A thick branch from one of the giant trees broke away and crashed to the ground.
A giant head shoved a hole in the canopy. It was the size of a refrigerator. Its scaly skin steamed, its shark black eyes rolled, and its muzzle split wide with a roar. Razor-sharp teeth, like rows of yellowed daggers, gnashed and tore at the smaller branches.
Jake recognized the beast.
It was a carnivore that sat at the top of the food chain.
Millions of years ago.
Impossible…
“A tyrannosaurus,” Jake gasped out.
Looking back, he tripped on a root and went down on one knee.
Kady yanked him back up.
Behind them, the creature shook its thick head and bulldozed between two of the giant trees. More branches snapped. It was almost free.
“Hurry!” the strange girl shouted.
How could he understand her? Was this all a dream?
Ahead, the far side of the glade rose up into a jungle-shrouded cliff. It blocked the way. They would never be able to climb the cliff fast enough to escape the T-rex.
The girl seemed to read his thoughts. “We’ll never make it! Need to hide! This way!”
She veered off to the left and they followed. At the foot of a cliff was a tumbled nest of massive boulders. The girl aimed for them.
Another bellow chased them, followed by a shattering of branches. Jake risked another glance—maybe he shouldn’t have.
The T-rex heaved into the open glade. It shook its muscled frame. A thick tail whipped out and axed through some saplings and beheaded giant ferns. Scaly nostrils huffed, scenting the air. It cocked its head from one side to the other, like a bird searching for prey.
Despite his terror, Jake remembered an article he’d read about how birds were modern-day descendants of dinosaurs. But this T-rex was no clucking chicken. The beast was twenty feet tall.
Those black eyes found Jake. It froze, head still cocked, one eye fixed to its escaping prey.
“Run faster!” Jake yelled.
The T-rex leaped after them. It pounded, seven tons of muscle shaking the ground, gaining speed.
The girl reached the piled boulders first. She searched for a gap in them, some way to crawl to safety. Jake andKady reached her, along with the other boy.
“Over here!” the girl called out.
She dropped to her hands and knees and crawled into a gap between two of the boulders. “It widens!” she echoed back with relief.
Jake nudged Kady toward the hole. “Go.”
He made her head in first, but he kept tight to her heels. The boy in the toga followed last. He climbed in backward and kept his spear pointed toward the opening.
Jake discovered the girl was right. Behind the boulder, a small cave was formed by slabs of broken rock. Though it was a cramped squeeze, it held the four of them.
Just as Jake started to sit, their temporary shelter shook. The T-rex had slammed into the rock pile. Dust drifted down along with a scatter of pebbles. Jake stared up. He pictured the stack of stones overhead and cringed lower.
A huffing breath washed over them. It smelled like rotten eggs. The T-rex snuffled after its prey. Jake leaned down to stare out the tunnel.
“Stay back,” Kady warned.
All Jake could see was a pair of
“Run!” she shouted back at them.
The boy pounded after her, eyeing Jake up and down with a stern frown as he passed. Gangly and long-necked, he was dressed in a grass-stained white toga with a leather belt, along with leather sandals strapped to mid calf. Another strap of corded leather tied back his curly, mud brown hair. He held his spear over his head as he ran.
Frozen in place, Jake stared after the strange pair.
Kady shoved Jake. “Do what she said! Run!”
Jake didn’t argue. Together, they fled after the other two kids.
An earth-shattering crack erupted behind them, accompanied by a screech of rage. Jake glanced over his shoulder. A thick branch from one of the giant trees broke away and crashed to the ground.
A giant head shoved a hole in the canopy. It was the size of a refrigerator. Its scaly skin steamed, its shark black eyes rolled, and its muzzle split wide with a roar. Razor-sharp teeth, like rows of yellowed daggers, gnashed and tore at the smaller branches.
Jake recognized the beast.
It was a carnivore that sat at the top of the food chain.
Millions of years ago.
Impossible…
“A tyrannosaurus,” Jake gasped out.
Looking back, he tripped on a root and went down on one knee.
Kady yanked him back up.
Behind them, the creature shook its thick head and bulldozed between two of the giant trees. More branches snapped. It was almost free.
“Hurry!” the strange girl shouted.
How could he understand her? Was this all a dream?
Ahead, the far side of the glade rose up into a jungle-shrouded cliff. It blocked the way. They would never be able to climb the cliff fast enough to escape the T-rex.
The girl seemed to read his thoughts. “We’ll never make it! Need to hide! This way!”
She veered off to the left and they followed. At the foot of a cliff was a tumbled nest of massive boulders. The girl aimed for them.
Another bellow chased them, followed by a shattering of branches. Jake risked another glance—maybe he shouldn’t have.
The T-rex heaved into the open glade. It shook its muscled frame. A thick tail whipped out and axed through some saplings and beheaded giant ferns. Scaly nostrils huffed, scenting the air. It cocked its head from one side to the other, like a bird searching for prey.
Despite his terror, Jake remembered an article he’d read about how birds were modern-day descendants of dinosaurs. But this T-rex was no clucking chicken. The beast was twenty feet tall.
Those black eyes found Jake. It froze, head still cocked, one eye fixed to its escaping prey.
“Run faster!” Jake yelled.
The T-rex leaped after them. It pounded, seven tons of muscle shaking the ground, gaining speed.
The girl reached the piled boulders first. She searched for a gap in them, some way to crawl to safety. Jake andKady reached her, along with the other boy.
“Over here!” the girl called out.
She dropped to her hands and knees and crawled into a gap between two of the boulders. “It widens!” she echoed back with relief.
Jake nudged Kady toward the hole. “Go.”
He made her head in first, but he kept tight to her heels. The boy in the toga followed last. He climbed in backward and kept his spear pointed toward the opening.
Jake discovered the girl was right. Behind the boulder, a small cave was formed by slabs of broken rock. Though it was a cramped squeeze, it held the four of them.
Just as Jake started to sit, their temporary shelter shook. The T-rex had slammed into the rock pile. Dust drifted down along with a scatter of pebbles. Jake stared up. He pictured the stack of stones overhead and cringed lower.
A huffing breath washed over them. It smelled like rotten eggs. The T-rex snuffled after its prey. Jake leaned down to stare out the tunnel.
“Stay back,” Kady warned.
All Jake could see was a pair of
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