My jaw dropped and Mike shook my shoulder shouting in excitement. How could the pterodactyl even eat something that huge in one giant gulp?
The giant winged lizard flew toward us and glided on the air between flaps. Glowing red eyes penetrated through me, sending waves of panic flooding through my body. I had watched the creature swallow that huge fish whole, and my breath came in ragged gasps as I imagined a toothless beak ripping through my shirt at any moment.
Mike gave a loud cry and fell forward on the branch. “Incoming. Everyone duck!”
A loud, horrible screech carried through the trees. The beast’s wings fluttered nearby, snapping violently like a tarp in a hurricane, shaking the leaves and branches above our heads.
“Oh, man.” My body tensed as I looked up and strained my eyes to see; those cursed twin suns were too bright. The flapping of wings echoed in my ears. The creature swooped over our heads—a mere shadow on the horizon, but I froze to the spot, my hands clasped around a branch for support.
The pterodactyl dropped a few feet, blocking the rays of light. Through the leaves, I gazed at its leathery, membranous wings. Its skin was so thin, like that of a bat, that I could see the light shining through. For a few seconds, I thought the creature would descend and swallow us up, but instead it let out a screech and disappeared into the clouds.
I let out a sigh of relief. “That was one big bird.” I was trying to make some kind of joke, but my words were far too shaky to be humorous.
Mike nodded. “Yeah. Freaky, huh?”
“I’ve never seen anything like that before…ever,” whispered Jack.
Neither had I. I’d never been one to believe in ghosts, goblins, portals, or monsters. But after all I’d seen on this strange island, I started to doubt the judgment of my analytical mind. “I think it was just grabbing a snack.”
“Okay, but if a snack’s a five-foot fish…” Mike took a deep breath and paused, as if to gather his thoughts. “…then we’re in big trouble. One of those things could just pluck us right up.”
We knew now that we’d have to take more precautions while hiking through the vegetation. There would be no more hanging around in open fields, gazing at butterflies and flowers. We all knew those odd tracks on the beach were a sign of trouble, but it didn’t seem real until we witnessed actual proof with our very own eyes. Now we knew for a fact that the place was more dangerous than we’d thought before.
Jack’s jaw dropped as he gazed out into the jungle, speechless. Mike shook his head, eyes wide open in astonishment.
I tried to calm my racing heart, but it was no use. Something else besides seeing the pterodactyl made me uneasy: its live catch. “That fish was creepy, ugly, and bordering a little on the prehistoric side.”
“Yeah, it definitely had a prehistoric vibe going on,” said Mike.
Slowly, the words came out of Jack’s mouth. “If I didn’t know any better,” he said through a trembling breath, “I’d say we just saw the largest pterosaur ever—an extinct flying reptile called quetzalcoatlus. But how is that even possible?”
Mike let out a long whistle. “Is that crazy or what?”
The creature had been extinct for millions of years, but somehow, it had found a way to survive in that jungle. It was truly amazing, but scary at the same time. I felt privileged to see such an extraordinary creature, even if I knew no one would believe my tale. Another thought flashed in my mind. What if we’ve entered some kind of portal that has taken us back in time millions of years? I bit my lip hard. We…we’ll never get home! No way. I refuse to believe that.
Jack touched my shoulder. “Are you all right?” he asked, always so sweet and sensitive.
I snapped out of it with a fake smile, figuring there was no need to worry Mike and Jack with my insane theories. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Blue eyes swept over me, and he squeezed my hand. Jack could always read me like an open book. “You know you can tell me anything.”
I caught a glimmer of light from the corner of my eye and turned in that direction. Blinking, I craned my neck and peered through the blue-colored leaves. I scurried across the branches to the other side of the giant tree. My heart skipped a beat. “Oh my gosh. Is that a…a city?”
* * *
I felt tears well in my eyes as relief washed over my fatigued body. Civilization was right there, within reach. Help was in sight, and my parents would soon learn I was alive. Still, though, something didn’t feel quite right. It just couldn’t be that easy. I leaned forward, straining my eyes to take in what my intuition was trying to tell me.
Jack interrupted my thoughts and smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. “Isn’t this awesome?”
I flinched as Mike’s screams rang in my ears. I feared he was going to wake up the entire jungle, including every single meat-eating bird and disgusting giant spider. I couldn’t really blame him for being excited, though, and at least we found somebody who could possibly help us. With a sigh, I focused my attention in the distance, noting a huge obstacle in their way. As was becoming par for the course for us, there was something to stop us from marching right in there and finding rescue. A brown stone wall wound up and down the landscape—over mountains, across valleys, plateaus, grasslands, rivers, and cliffs—just like The Great Wall of China. I grunted and rolled my eyes. Surely there has to be a way past a barrier like that. There just has to be.
“I can’t believe it,” said Jack, inching closer to me.
I thought maybe Jack shouldn’t be so close, but I couldn’t seem to move to the next branch. I felt his hot breath caress my cheek and looked into his eyes. He smiled, and his face reddened. Jack was so adorable when he blushed.
I gauged the distance between the tree I clung to and the city. I heard Mike muttering something about wishing he had a Jeep. It didn’t exactly look like a stroll on the beach—more like a seven-day march through tough terrain without food, water, or giant insect repellent. Ah, the joy of the wilderness. Maybe seven days was bit of a stretch, but it was still a good hike, nonetheless.
Turning my gaze, I noticed the sunlight reflecting off the glass city on the other side of the wall. I shielded my eyes and stared in awe at the brightness fracturing into a spectrum of colors.
I let my gaze drift over thousands of spires, pointed arches, and soaring towers. Thousands of glass cathedrals stretched out endlessly before me in the distance. The structures varied in shapes and sizes. My mouth dropped, rendering me unable to speak, as I tried to make sense of what they were and who could possibly have made them. There I was, seeing the most marvelous display of human civilization, and I had no camera to capture the moment. Without proof, no one at home would ever believe me. The next best thing I could do was to etch it all into my memory and re-create it on canvas. Painting tricky subjects like glass proved challenging, but I knew I could make it work, catching the reflections and translucency at the same time.
I wondered how the people managed to construct an entire city out of glass. One thing was for sure: They were more like exhibitionists who weren’t keen on their privacy. I snorted. Mom would go ballistic...unless it was some high-tech glass nobody could see through. Who would live in such a beautiful city, smack-dab in the middle of a tropical jungle? Surely, the brilliant architects would understand our dire circumstances and help us get home. Now, all we had to do was figure out a way past the giant wall and into the city. “Who do you think lives there?” I asked.
“You mean, even though they built a sophisticated city, how civilized are they?” Jack frowned and then stared straight ahead. “I don’t know, but those buildings look eerily familiar, like something out of medieval Europe.”
I scooted through leaves and branches for a better view. The buildings looked like a cross between Gothic and Romanesque. “I’ve seen this before…in Italy, Spain, and France, but they were made out of stone, not glass.”
“I bet we stepped into another dimension,” said Mike.
Jack shifted his weight on the branch
as he peered ahead. “I guess once we talk to them, we’ll find out if your theory holds any weight. I wish I could see people…or something. I’d kill for a pair of high-powered binoculars.”
“Think they’re even human?” asked Mike. “What if they’re from another universe or something?”
Aliens? Really? I had never believed in them and wasn’t about to start. The closest I’d ever came to an alien was when Mike dressed up for Halloween in a green latex body suit with a matching mask sporting bulging black eyes. I tried to maintain my composure and gave Mike a weak smile, but he could always see right through me. The thought of aliens made me a nervous wreck since it went against everything I took for granted to be true.
Jack softly touched my arm. “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s not aliens.”
“Yeah, I know.” The idea was plain ridiculous, and I wouldn’t give in to Mike’s crazy thoughts. And that was exactly what they were: crazy. I knew if people could build amazing structures such as the pyramids, then they could also construct a glass city in the middle of the jungle. What does Mike know anyway? It isn’t like he cares about anything other than girls and surfing. To him, even the giant stone statues of Easter Island or the pyramids of Giza must have been created by alien forces.
“Well, there’s only one way to know for sure.” Mike looked at them, an adventurous gleam shining in his eyes. “Guys, we have a wall to scale.”
I smirked. “Shouldn’t we worry about getting there first?” I pointed at the dense tree canopy stretching out for miles. “By foot, it’s gonna be like hiking to Timbuctoo.”
Mike paused for a moment, his smile even bigger than before. “C’mon. There’s bound to be some shortcut. We’ll be eating burgers by nightfall, and I can’t wait. I’m freakin’ starving.”
I blew out a breath as my stomach grumbled. “Why did you have to mention burgers?” A big, fat, greasy, mouthwatering cheeseburger loaded with all the fixings—especially loads of mustard—sounded so delicious.
Jack ripped off a big, plump blueberry. “It’s no burger, but how about a little snack?”
I cocked a brow at him. Just because the berries looked delicious, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t kill me. “You try first.”
A smile grew across Jack’s lips, and he pointed to a monkey hidden in the leaves. “See that little guy over there? He’s been chomping away on them for a while. If they’re monkey approved, they must be okay.” He threw some berries in his mouth. “And they don’t taste bad either.”
I smiled, but just in case, I waited until Jack chewed and swallowed, and then another two minutes to ensure he wasn’t going to turn green or keel over. With a sigh, I took a bite. It tasted nothing like a juicy burger, of course—more like that healthy stuff that advertised “five a day for a strong heart”—but beggars can’t be choosers, and if fruit was all we had, fruit was what I would eat. I picked another handful of berries and munched away, my tongue getting used to the juicy, sour taste.
“They need sugar, big time, but at least they’ll give us enough energy for all that climbing.” Mike pointed to the wall in the distance.
Jack tore off another cluster of berries. “The problem with getting over that wall is the same problem we had back at the cave.”
“And what’s that, bro?” asked Mike.
“We’ve got no equipment or gear, and last time I checked, none of us are Spiderman.”
“We’ll find a way…and trust me, it won’t be Mike’s,” I said. I was sure there had to be an easier solution than climbing. Walls always have gates or entrances of some sort. If we came across it, we might meet a guard that could help us. I shook my head as a breeze ruffled through my hair. Leave it to Mike to suggest the hardest way possible, just so he could show off his thrill-seeking nature.
Jack echoed my thoughts. “We’ll have to find the main entrance.”
“I say we stick with my plan and improvise as we go along,” said Mike. “All right. Then let’s get a move on.”
“Wait!” Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I want to study the lay of the land a bit longer.”
I knew if we hurried and kept up our diligent pace, we could reach the city in a couple of days. (maybe sooner) There, we could get the answers we longed for, get help back to California, and be out of the nightmare once and for all. As much as I hated to pressure Jack, I knew we had to get moving, and I was about to drag him down that tree. “Don’t you want to get out of here?”
Jack groaned and rubbed his neck, his other hand clutching the branch, his knuckles white with effort. “That’s not fair, Casey. It’s not like I don’t want to. I’ve never wanted anything so badly in my life. I just… We can follow the river. It’ll take us straight to the city and—”
I noticed Jack’s fingers shaking. He wasn’t just scared; he was terrified, even though he tried to play it down. I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. “Jack? It’s okay.”
As Jack stared over the treetops, his grip around the branch tightened. His face paled, and his breath came in labored rasps.
I turned to nudge Mike. “Uh, how good are you with first aid?”
He looked at me like I was speaking Chinese, and by the look on his face, Mike would definitely be no help if Jack’s attack worsened. Mike blinked as if waking up from a trance. “We need to get him down…pronto.”
“Jack?” I rubbed my fingers lightly over his arm to help him relax. “Can you hear me? Look at me. Everything’s fine.” I grabbed Jack’s wrists and spoke in a soothing tone. “C’mon. Just step down. We’re not going to let you fall.” I helped Mike guide his ankle toward a lower branch, but Jack didn’t seem keen on cooperating.
Sighing, I said, “C’mon. Let go of that branch. You’ve got to help us out a bit.”
Every step down proved to be a challenge, but as we moved closer to the ground, the branches became thicker and stronger. Jack began breathing more easily and cooperating more.
From somewhere below, I heard the crunch of leaves and the snap of twigs, followed by loud wheezing ripping through the air. I strained my neck to see under branches as my heart skipped a beat. “Guys, stop!” My voice became a whisper, and my stomach fluttered. “Do you hear that? Something’s down there. What is it?”
Snorts and grunts drew close. I held my breath, my mind racing. Whatever it was, it was moving below. Something big, with heavy, powerful steps crushed through, each one louder than the last. Waiting to pounce? Coming to get us? What kind of animal could make that much noise? I didn’t want to stick around to find out. I struggled to climb faster. “Quick! Back to the top.”
* * *
I heard air being blown by something huge, followed by a louder grunt. Grabbing the closest branch, I pulled myself up. I was sure, for a moment, that no animal would find me in such a huge tree, but then a thought crossed my mind: Leopards, jaguars, tigers, and bears are all excellent climbers, not to mention that ptero-bird thing that we saw earlier that could fly right up here and snatch us. Crap! Did I forget those huge spiders could easily climb trees too? I tried to ignore the knots in my stomach. “Is that a…some kind of wild animal or what?”
“I dunno, but I’m going to check it out,” said Mike.
I reached toward him, my fingers brushing his arm. “What are you? Crazy-stupid?”
“More like crazy-brave,” he shot back in a low voice.
I rolled my eyes. There was nothing brave about it; he was just asking for trouble going down there, and the worst part was that he knew it. I couldn’t understand why he’d leave the safety of the tree, knowing it could be that beast from the beach. The last thing we wanted to do was draw its attention. “Listen, Mike…whatever that creature is, it doesn’t know we’re up here.” I tried to keep my voice from shaking. “Let’s leave it that way.”
“Mike, you’re going to get yourself killed,” said Jack.
“Yeah? That’s all I’ve heard this entire trip, like some kind of broken record.”
No
matter how hard Jack and I tried, we weren’t going to win an argument with Mike. He was a lost cause. If Mike was willing to face off with a shark, there was certainly nothing to keep him from climbing down the tree and facing whatever was down there. Mike climbed down to the next branch. “Don’t worry. I’m just going to sneak a peek.”
“Yeah, there ya go.” I flung my hand in the air, my tone sarcastic. “Draw its attention over here. Fantastic idea, Mike. You sure haven’t had one of those in a while, and I was starting to worry that you’d lost your touch.”
“Start climbing!” commanded Jack.
Mike twisted a leafy branch until it snapped. “Why? I’ve got a weapon right here.” His face didn’t show an ounce of fear.
“Hey, if you’re gonna fight that…that thing, you may want to find a bigger fly swatter,” I said with a roll of my eyes.
Before Mike could reply, a head, covered in reddish-brown fur, burst through the leaves. My jaw dropped as I stared down at the cross between a bear and a sloth—only WAY bigger. What the heck was that thing? I opened my mouth to warn the others, but my voice remained trapped somewhere in my throat.
Jack’s voice cut through the sudden silence. “Casey, get away from it!”
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. Every muscle tensed. I grunted at Jack. Does he really think the thing won’t notice me moving around? Doesn’t he realize it might bite me—or worse—if I even so much as try to breathe?
The beast stretched its furry neck and snapped at the nearby leaves. Its yellowed teeth almost grazed my knee. I flinched, ready to scream, as more terrifying thoughts raced across my mind: How could it possibly reach that high? Will it attack? Does it like the taste of...people? This isn’t good—not good at all. At least it didn’t sniff the air, growl, or snap in my direction. I thought that maybe if I stayed still, it wouldn’t notice me. I could feel its warm saliva dripping down my leg. Gross! I decided if it moved any closer, I’d just kick and hope for the best. The creature smacked its thick, moose-like lips and moved closer.
Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series Omnibus Edition (Books 1 - 4) Page 12
