by Eric Braun
“It’s perfect!” she says. “Come on down.”
You follow her route, almost slipping once and tumbling to your death. But you hold on, and so does Eduardo. You collapse into a cozy cave, just the right size for the three of you.
“Welcome to our new home,” Jasmine says.
The cave is damp and narrow. But you’ll be safe from predators here.
“We’ll use those roots to make a ladder,” Jasmine says. “We can go down to fish and up to forage for food. We can survive here!”
All thoughts of trying to get home have disappeared. The reality of your situation has sunk in. The Jurassic is where you live now. You’re just glad you have your friends with you. You don’t think you could make it alone. Together, you have a chance to survive.
THE END
To follow another path in the Jurassic Period, press here.
To learn more about the Jurassic Period, press here.
CHAPTER 4
INTO THE WETLANDS
“Let’s go that way,” you say, pointing to the wetlands. “I read once that if you’re lost, you should follow the water.”
It doesn’t take long before you begin to question your choice. The ground here is damp and muddy. The deeper you go into the wetlands, the more difficult it is to move. Large, biting insects swarm you. They remind you of horseflies, but they’re at least twice as big.
You follow a shallow river to where it joins a much larger river. Eduardo gasps at the size of it.
“This river must be as big as the Amazon,” he says. “If we follow it, it should empty into the ocean somewhere.”
You all agree that the resources of the ocean and its coastline might offer your best chance at survival.
“But how will we get there?” Jasmine asks. “Walking is so slow. We should make a raft.”
“Hmm,” Eduardo mutters, shaking his head. “A river like that is going to be filled with predators. I’m not sure it’s a great idea to try rafting down it.”
“The land route isn’t safe either,” you say. “We don’t know what sort of creatures live here.”
Jasmine swats at one of the flies as it bites her on the arm. “These bugs alone might eat us alive if we walk.”
To build a raft, press here.
To continue on foot, press here.
“We can’t keep slogging through this swampy muck,” you decide. “That river will carry us where we need to go. It’s worth the risk.”
With that, the three of you set out building a raft. Jasmine quickly takes charge of the project. She’s always been good at building things. You gather sticks and logs while Eduardo collects vines to tie them together. You carry the raft to the river’s bank and launch. Jasmine uses a long stick to push the raft out into the current, while you and Eduardo use makeshift oars to steer. Soon, you’re cruising down the current, watching the prehistoric world go by.
After about an hour, you see a sight that takes your breath away. A dinosaur stands at the river’s edge, drinking. It raises its head and roars at you. “It’s a young Allosaurus!” Eduardo says with glee. “Magnificent!”
You lift your phone to take a picture. Just as you do, something bursts out of the water near the shoreline. It’s an enormous crocodile! The monster is almost as long as a bus. It rises up out of the water, grabbing the young Allosaurus in its massive jaws. The dinosaur screams as it struggles, but it doesn’t stand a chance. The croc drags it into the water, which churns red and bubbles for several seconds as the struggle continues. Then, suddenly, the water is eerily still.
You’re speechless. You can’t shake the image of the giant croc. Where there’s one, there must be more. One could be beneath you right now.
To continue on the water, press here.
To steer to the opposite shore and get away from crocodile-infested waters, press here.
“Let’s keep moving on foot,” you suggest. “We’ll see how it goes. We can always change our minds if it’s not going well.”
The three of you trudge through the swamp, often wading through waist-deep water. You detour away from the river bank when Eduardo spots a strip of higher, dryer land. It’s there that you spot a nest. It’s a huge bowl of mud, nestled near some tree roots. And it’s filled with eggs. Enormous eggs.
“Could be supper,” Jasmine suggests.
“I’d hate to run into whatever laid those eggs, though,” Eduardo replies.
To leave the nest alone, press here.
To try to gather some eggs, press here.
“Whatever laid those eggs could be close by,” you say, backing away. “No, I think we’ll leave those eggs right where they are.”
You continue, following the river as it meanders through the swamp. Your feet stick in the mud with every step. Your legs are getting tired.
You notice some giant footprints in the wet ground. It almost looks like something bulldozed a path through this part of the swamp.
You hear the animal before you see it. Its low groan sends shivers down your spine. When you finally catch sight of it, though, Eduardo says you don’t have to be afraid.
“It’s a Diplodocus!” he says with excitement, “A plant eater.”
In fact, it’s not just one. As you draw closer, you see a dozen or more of the huge dinosaurs, feasting on the plants that grow here. Their long, narrow tails trail behind them as they crash through the brush. The herd moves slowly along the river bank—in the same direction you want to go.
“We should go around them,” Eduardo says.
“Why?” Jasmine asks. “They don’t seem to care about us. They’re going in our direction. Let’s just join the herd.”
“Are you crazy? These things may not care about us, but they’d crush us in a heartbeat if we get too close!”
To go around the herd, press here.
To join the herd, press here.
With a gulp, you decide to stay on your raft. Danger is everywhere. You’re no safer on land than you are on the river. Luckily, you see no more signs of giant crocs. Within a day, you find what you’re looking for—the ocean.
The river spills into the ocean in a massive delta. From your raft, you spot a sandy beach in the distance. You use your oars to steer ashore.
It’s perfect. The sea gently laps the shore. There are no signs of large predators, aside from the washed-up skeleton of a truly massive shark.
“This is a place we can live,” Eduardo says confidently.
You use small logs and driftwood to build a shelter just off the beach. You fish for food and gather edible plants. Days turn into weeks. Weeks turn into months.
Life is hard. You endure terrible storms, food shortages, and illness. But somehow you make it. You and your friends carve out a life.
“This just isn’t enough,” Jasmine decides one day. “We need to move on and explore. What’s the point of living in the Jurassic if we can’t see everything? Who knows, we might even find a way home.”
You try to change her mind, but she’s set in her decision. She’s leaving. Eduardo refuses. He’s staying. Like it or not, your little group is going to split up.
To stay on the beach with Eduardo, press here.
To explore the world with Jasmine, press here.
You’re not going to survive long unless you eat something. You scan the ground for any sign of whatever laid those eggs, but you don’t see anything.
“Here goes nothing,” you say as you carefully approach the nest.
The eggs are oblong, more oval than a chicken egg, and much bigger. As you scoop one up, it feels almost soft to the touch. You tuck it under one arm like a football, then scoop up another. As you turn around, you hear a rustling from the trees above.
“Look out!” Eduardo calls.
Just then something massive drops from the trees. It’s a snake! You o
nce saw a giant anaconda at the zoo. This massive creature makes it seem tiny.
The snake wraps itself around you, coiling its body around and around. Eduardo and Jasmine try to save you, but they can’t pry the snake loose. It starts to squeeze. The air rushes from your lungs. You hear the sound of your ribs cracking. Then everything goes black.
THE END
To follow another path in the Jurassic Period, press here.
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Ed is right. Even plant-eating dinosaurs of this size are a threat. You’ll have to find another way.
You swing around the herd, putting some distance between you and the giant Diplodocuses. You’re feeling good about your choice until you see a different kind of dinosaur—a meat-eating Ceratosaurus. It looks a little like the T. rexes you’ve seen in movies, walking upright on two hind legs. Razor-sharp teeth gleam from its open jaws.
The Ceratosaurus is big, fast, and hungry. You run as fast as you can, but it’s not fast enough.
In the last moment before it snatches you up, you shout, “Keep running!”
Maybe your friends will escape your terrible fate.
THE END
To follow another path in the Jurassic Period, press here.
To learn more about the Jurassic Period, press here.
“These guys are huge. Predators are going to keep their distance,” you decide. “Let’s take our chances with the herd.”
The herd moves slowly along the bank. You stay close, and no predators come near. The dinosaurs mostly ignore you. They seem content to let you tag along.
Several days pass. After about a week with the herd, you head out in search of food. That’s when you see something remarkable. You come upon a still pool of crystal-clear water. Thinking it might be a spring, you approach it. What you see beneath the surface takes your breath away. The reflection in the pool is home! You can see familiar plants, roads, and even buildings in the reflection. Could this be some portal back to your time? Your heart races with excitement.
“Hey!” you shout. “Come here!”
“Could it be a way home?” Ed asks.
You do the only thing you can. You dive into the cold water. When you return to the surface, everything has changed. You’re back in your own time. Soaking wet, the three of you trudge through familiar plants and trees until you come to a highway. Your city is in the distance.
“What will we tell people?” Jasmine asks.
You’ve been asking yourself the same question. No one will believe you. That’s when you remember your phone.
“If my memory card is still good, I’ve got some photographs that are going to make us famous,” you say with a smile.
THE END
To follow another path in the Jurassic Period, press here.
To learn more about the Jurassic Period, press here.
“This is the only place I’ve felt even a little bit safe since we came here,” you tell Jasmine. “How can we leave it?”
She just shakes her head. She’s determined to go off alone, and you can’t stop her. You and Eduardo watch as she disappears around a bend in the shoreline. You’re afraid you’ll never see her again.
Life on the beach grows routine. You do the same things to survive, day after day. Your blazing campfire usually keeps the dinosaurs away.
Years pass. One day, Eduardo goes to collect wood for the fire. He doesn’t return. You search for your friend but find no trace. He may have fallen prey to an Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus, or some other predator.
You’re all alone. Life was hard and repetitive even when you had company. Now, all alone, it’s unbearable. You fall into depression. You stop maintaining your campfire. And the predators notice. When a pack of dog-sized dinosaurs strikes, you try climbing a small tree. But with a CRACK, the tree’s trunk snaps. As you crash to the ground, you know what awaits. The small dinosaurs are about to get a taste of the future.
THE END
To follow another path in the Jurassic Period, press here.
To learn more about the Jurassic Period, press here.
With monsters like that lurking below the muddy water, there’s no way you can stay on this little raft.
“Let’s get to land,” you say.
The others nod their heads in agreement. You steer your raft to the other shore, far from where you saw the giant croc. It feels good to step back onto land. It’s not so swampy here. You’ve floated into rockier, drier land.
For the next two days, you make your way on foot, drinking from small streams and eating mushrooms and seeds. Eduardo gets sick first. His stomach is cramping badly, and he can’t keep anything down. You and Jasmine soon suffer from the same illness.
“Probably something in the water,” Eduardo moans. “A bacteria or a parasite.”
Within a day, Eduardo is delirious. You’re all burning up with a terrible fever. You suffer from extreme chills. There’s nowhere to go for help and no one coming to your aid. You thought meat-eating dinosaurs were the biggest danger in this time period, but it turns out the microscopic life in the Jurassic is every bit as deadly.
THE END
To follow another path in the Jurassic Period, press here.
To learn more about the Jurassic Period, press here.
You can’t let Jasmine go alone. Eduardo has everything he needs to survive here. You pack some dried fish, and head out with Jasmine along the coast. As you round a bend, you take one last long look at Eduardo. Will you ever see him again?
You and Jasmine see amazing things. You escape packs of small, speedy theropods. You are nearly swallowed up by a sinkhole. Jasmine rides an Apatosaurus. You travel the world, seeing creatures that will one day be lost to history.
It’s the adventure of a lifetime, but through it all, you never stop dreaming of home and your family. You’ll never see them again. You understand that now. One day, you’ll return to the beach. You just hope Eduardo is still there to welcome you.
THE END
To follow another path in the Jurassic Period, press here.
To learn more about the Jurassic Period, press here.
CHAPTER 5
THE JURASSIC PERIOD
The Jurassic Period was at the heart of the Mesozoic Era. This era is known as the Age of Reptiles. The Jurassic spanned about 55 million years, starting at the end of the Triassic Period about 201 million years ago.
The Jurassic Period was the time when dinosaurs rose up to dominate life on Earth. Giant Diplodocus, measuring 100 feet long, ate plant life. Deadly Allosaurus hunted small prey. Spiky Stegosaurus roamed the land in large herds. Pterosaurs soared through the skies. Marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs swam in the seas. Meanwhile, the earliest birds appeared during this time, having evolved from dinosaurs.
The Jurassic was marked by major changes in Earth’s geology. It saw the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea, which split into two main landmasses, called Laurasia and Gondwanaland. The opening of seaways about 145 million years ago marked the end of the Jurassic and the beginning of a new period, the Cretaceous.
Dinosaurs and other reptiles continued to rule the planet during that period. It ended about 65 million years ago with a mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs and many other life forms on Earth. Scientists have found evidence of a large asteroid strike that likely caused this extinction. It knocked reptiles from their rule and paved the way for an age of more adaptable mammals to begin.
TIMELINE
PALEOZOIC ERA: Time of Ancient Life
MESOZOIC ERA: Time of Dinosaurs (252-65 million years ago) Triassic Period (251-200 million years ago) 252 million years ago: A mass extinction marks the end of the Paleozoic Era, sparking a rapid change in animal and plant life. The Mesozoic Era begins, with the first of its three pe
riods, the Triassic. The age of reptiles begins.
230-220 million years ago: The first dinosaurs appear.
210-200 million years ago: Triassic Period ends, and Jurassic begins.
Jurassic Period (200-146 million years ago) 201 million years ago: The supercontinent Pangaea begins to break up, causing rapid changes to the planet’s climate and setting off a large extinction event. This marks the end of the Triassic Period and the beginning of the Jurassic. The planet’s climate is warm and wet, supporting a wide variety of life.
180 million years ago: The Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean form as the supercontinent Pangaea breaks apart.
150 million years ago: Archaeopteryx appears in the fossil record. Among the many kinds of feathered dinosaurs, scientists recognize it as the earliest bird.
Cretaceous Period (145-65 million years ago) 145 million years ago: The Jurassic Period ends, giving way to the Cretaceous Period. Dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops roam the Earth during the Cretaceous.
80 million years ago: North America separates from Europe, completing the breakup of Pangaea.
65 million years ago: A massive asteroid strike drastically changes Earth’s climate. Large reptiles such as dinosaurs are unable to adapt to the rapidly changing conditions, leading to a mass extinction. The Cretaceous Period and the Mesozoic Era end. The Cenozoic Era begins. It is the Age of Mammals.
