We hadn’t a moment to waste. I hauled backward with all my strength, throwing my weight into the pull. The vine tightened even more. This thing had better not break! I felt the rope burn like fire into my hands. My feet slid in the dirt as Jack climbed up the side. Whatever I did, I knew I couldn’t let go. “Hurry!”
With a grunt, Jack heaved himself over the edge, dropping on the wet grass next to the pit. “Mike…it’s…it’s your…your turn, man.” His voice came raspy, his breathing in short heaves, as his clothes dripped with muddy water.
“I’m coming!” he yelled up.
Suddenly, a large shape approached. I searched my memory for anything that might fit the description: lazy, giant steps that would wake the dead; heroine and friends in danger; enormous height that might give the impression of dark clouds, but was probably some strange physical occurrence caused by the thing’s shadow. I gasped. The shape drew nearer, blocking the sunlight. Okay, so it’s not an earthquake. Goosebumps rushed over me as the hair on the back of my neck rose.
“Hurry, Mike!” I shouted. “Something’s getting closer. It’s big, sorta like King Kong or something.”
Jack and I pulled and tugged at the vine together, our heels digging into the ground. Gasping, I cast a nervous glance over my shoulder and flinched. An oversized reptile bounded nearer on two enormous, muscular hind legs. It must have stood as tall as a three-story building, and it looked like it really did walk right out of a low-budget Japanese studio, only far more real and horrifying. My heart thundered, and I wondered if it was time to faint.
The vine loosened in my hands and a splash echoed from the pit. Did Mike fall back in? I heard his muffled voice. “Darn sandals!”
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me! Once this thing feasts on you, you won’t need them,” I shouted. “Lose the shoes…unless you’re hoping to give it indigestion, ’cause you’re about to be dinner if you don’t hurry the heck up!”
Jack and I grabbed the vine again and pulled hard, falling flat on our backs as Mike let go of the rope again. Just what makes a monster movie truly a monster movie? Well, I supposed it was an image seared into your brain—just like the one I was currently experiencing. I lay trembling from head to foot, looking up at my worst nightmare.
It’s a…a…no way! A Tyrannosaurus rex.
* * *
I scrambled to my feet and my body stiffened as I gazed up; the creature stood as tall as a house. I thought about making a mad dash for the water, but then I realized any sudden movement might be like ringing a dinner bell for the hungry-looking monster. The T-rex’s nostrils flared like that of a racehorse, and anger boiled in the hunter’s red eyes.
The creature opened its mouth, and long tendrils of slime dripped from its sharp teeth, right onto my head. I’d been slimed, but that didn’t matter. I had other pressing issues at hand, like living to see tomorrow and even more important—oh, gosh—saving Mike! I turned, peeking inside the hole that was filling up faster than I could say “Boo!”
From the corner of my eye, I noticed something blue; it was Jack’s shirt swaying in the soft breeze. I heard him inhale a deep breath and let it out quietly. I had to hurry and come up with a plan because time was running out. Jack opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. “Take a few slow steps back,” I whispered. “Hide in the bushes behind the hole!”
Holding my breath, I moved like a snail into the vegetation and dropped to my stomach. Cold water soaked through my clothes as it continued to slowly pour over the bank of the river. Jack followed and flattened himself on the soaking wet ground.
I could barely get the words out of my mouth. “What’re we going to do?”
“Hey, guys!” yelled Mike.
“You’re not going to believe it. We’ve got a T-rex up here! But hold on, I’m coming,” I said, adding under my breath, “as soon as I figure out a way to get rid of this thing.” I looked around. Throwing a bone or a branch or anything wouldn’t work, because I wasn’t exactly dealing with a golden retriever. But what else can I do? In movies I’d seen, people always ran—most of them in the wrong direction. In this case, though, there was nowhere to run, and we couldn’t leave Mike behind.
“This is no time to make jokes, Casey. A T-rex? C’mon!” Mike’s voice came labored, his words spluttering out like he was swallowing more than his fair share of mud and water.
“I’ll get you out,” I whispered. “That’s a promise.”
In the movies, this T-rex would have already gobbled us up, but this was real life, and right now, the huge creature just appeared very curious, as if it wasn’t quite sure what to make of the humans. The problem was, curious always seemed to turn out dangerous in the end. The sharks in the ocean had been curious, bumping into me and trying to figure out what I was. The spiders had been curious before they stalked me. The duckbilled dinosaur had been curious before it chased me in the woods. The croc had been curious before it launched that river attack. And now this thing with teeth longer than its arms was following in their footsteps, right on cue.
It cocked its head again and sniffed the air, this time more loudly. I hoped it wasn’t just trying to savor the feast it was about to enjoy. A chill ran down my spine, and I started to sweat profusely. Maybe it couldn’t see so well, but I wasn’t sure how good their noses were. If it had a good sense of smell, it definitely had the upper claw in this little confrontation.
“I’ll grab the vine,” whispered Jack. “We’ll throw it in. Get Mike out. Then we all run as fast as we can away from that thing…zigzagging through the trees. We can head south where the jungle seems to be extra thick and overgrown, almost impenetrable. The T-rex is bound to get tangled up some, plus there’s great hiding spots.”
I shot Jack a sidelong glance. “But we left the vine over by the T-rex, and the trees with more hanging vines are over there too.”
Jack let out a breath and seemed to be pondering another idea. If the river wasn’t flooding the hole, this would be the perfect opportunity for me and Jack to sneak up a tree while the T-rex was distracted by Mike. I had no doubt Mike would be safe in the deep hole. We could keep a close eye on the T-rex and Mike. The predator would eventually get bored and leave. We could come back and throw Mike down a vine to get him out. But with the river flooding, this option was thrown out the window.
“What the heck’s going on?” Mike called from the pit below them.
I lay flat on my stomach, wondering if I could inch forward and make eye contact with him, but moving didn’t seem like such a bright idea. “Didn’t you hear me say we’ve got a T-rex up here? I’m coming,” I whispered, “but I won’t be much help if I lose my arms on the way.”
Mike tried to laugh, then spluttered some more. Obviously, he didn’t believe me.
“Okay, fine. I’ll be waiting. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”
I peeked through the clusters of branches and green stems. The creature cocked its head and swung its heavy tail that must have weighed more than my dad’s boat. The T-rex let out a roar; there were too many teeth to count in its gaping mouth.
“I hear something,” Mike called.
“Quiet!” I warned in a hushed tone. I opened my mouth to speak when the T-rex took a step toward the hole, its tail swishing back and forth, like a cat waiting for a mouse to come out of its hole. A scream froze in my throat.
“Casey! Jack!” Mike was one of the few people in the world who could ignore the roar of a prehistoric beast and not realize the imminent danger. “You guys still there?” He spluttered a few times, his arms splashing in the water, foolishly drawing more attention to him.
As bad as I felt for not answering, I didn’t dare draw the T-rex’s focus to me. The thing was even closer now. Mike was a big boy, and he could take a few more minutes of silence until I found a way to get rid of the monster. I was trying to save all of our lives, and if the silent treatment accomplished that, so be it.
The T-rex let out another roar, this time louder than before. My he
art started racing, and my breathing was labored, like I’d just run a marathon. I knew if I wanted to survive this mess without ending up as a dino treat, I had to do something more useful than sitting around panting like a dog. Pressing a hand against my chest, I tried to still my frantic breathing as the T-rex growled like some kind of angry Rottweiler. Breathe in, breathe out. Gosh, that thing is so...so...so huge. Breathe in, breathe out. And hungry. Big, giant letters blasted onto the screen in my mind: KEEP IT TOGETHER.
Jack whispered, “Gimme me your cell.”
I shot him a disbelieving look. “We’ll never get reception here.” I wondered why the heck he wanted a cell phone. It wasn’t like he could call 911 or Animal Control. But boy, those nifty tranquilizer darts would come in handy right about now.
“Casey, please!”
I shrugged and reached in my pocket to retrieve the silver phone for Jack. I slid it sideways on the ground toward him. Jack pulled the phone slowly to his side and held it up through a gap in the bushes, a deep frown planted between his brows.
There was a bright flash, and then a vertical shaft of light reflected off the smooth chrome-like surface of the phone. Jack squinted against the sunshine and adjusted the angle. The beam bounced around the creature’s face until finally Jack found his mark: right in its huge eyes. Jack was like some kind of teenage MacGyver, and I was almost sure he could disarm a bomb with a bobby pin, probably even while blindfolded.
Mike often accused him of being boring, but I thought Jack was the cleverest, most resourceful, most ambitious, most down-to-Earth person I’d ever met.
Blinking wildly at the reflected sunlight, the T-rex moved back a few steps, jerking its head from side to side. It opened its mouth and released a high-pitched screech, obviously distracted and annoyed, and then closed its eyes. Jack was an absolute genius.
I sucked in a quick breath, staggering to my feet as my heart started speeding up again. “It’s working!” A splash caught my attention. Mike! I ran back to the front of the hole and picked up the vine, gripping it tightly. “Hold on, Mike. I’m coming!”
I dropped to my knees and peered inside. Brown water swirled around the deep pit, but Mike was nowhere to be seen. I slapped my forehead, and my stomach lurched as I realized he must be drowning.
I trembled. “Mike? Mike! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.” I took a deep breath, ready to dive in, and suddenly, I felt a tug, sending a wash of relief over me.
“Mike!?”
Bracing myself against a tree, I put one foot in front of the other and pulled back with every ounce of my strength. I tried to ignore the T-rex that was less than fifteen feet away. Its slashing claws could kill me with one single swipe, if it didn’t smash me into a pancake first, but I had to try and save Mike. I knew he would risk as much for me if the situation were reversed.
Mike choked and sputtered. “I’m okay.”
“Climb!” I yelled.
“Where’s Jack?” He could barely get out the words.
I gulped. “We ran into a small glitch, and he’s fixing it.”
“A small glitch?” repeated Mike.
“Actually, it’s sort of a big glitch,” I said, pulling back harder. I hoped he’d stop his interrogation for once so I could focus on my task. It was so typical of Mike to keep chatting while fighting for his life—or worse, to keep chatting while others fought to save his butt…again.
Mike spoke between breaths. “I heard those roars. Didn’t sound like Jack. Where is he?”
I peered over at Jack, struggling to maintain the right angle with my cell phone and said, “He’s tied up at the moment. Mike, there really is a T-rex. I’m not kidding. Hurry!”
“Yeah, very funny,” Mike muttered. “Really, where is he?”
I rolled my eyes and pulled harder, my arms straining with the effort. “Jack’s busy saving our butts. Now hurry up!”
As he climbed, he called out Jack’s name.
“Jack tilted the phone at just the right angle and sent out another blinding glare. “Uh, I’m a little busy at the moment, but if you prefer, I could abandon my position and let you have your moment in the limelight once we get you out.”
“That was close.” Mike popped his head over the edge, spitting out a mouthful of water and coughing. He hurled himself over the edge and dropped down on the ground. Letting go of the vine, he rubbed his face, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. Then he sat up and peered at me, oblivious to the huge predator lurking right behind him.
I pointed upward with a trembling finger. Words couldn’t describe what we were up against; it was something he had to see for himself.
Mike turned, his eyes bulging as he took in the view. “Oh, man! You weren’t joking. It’s…Sue.” Sue was the largest, most complete T-rex in the world on exhibit at their museum back home, at least for the next three months.
“Hurry up!” shouted Jack. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold her off.”
As much as I would have liked to wrap my arms around Mike, there was no time. Dinnertime was near, and we were about to become the main course.
Mike jumped to his feet, holding on to me as water dripped from his body. “Let’s go,” he whispered into my ear.
As the dinosaur took a step forward, I could feel the intensity of its red-eyed stare. Raw fear gripped me, making my stomach churn. The cell phone trick wasn’t working anymore, and any minute, the animal would pounce.
Episode 4
I scrambled to my feet and my body stiffened as I gazed up; the creature stood as tall as a house. I thought about making a mad dash for the water, but then I realized any sudden movement might be like ringing a dinner bell for the hungry-looking monster. The T-rex’s nostrils flared like that of a racehorse, and anger boiled in the hunter’s red eyes.
The creature opened its mouth, and long tendrils of slime dripped from its sharp teeth, right onto my head. I’d been slimed, but that didn’t matter. I had other pressing issues at hand, like living to see tomorrow and even more important—oh, gosh—saving Mike! I turned, peeking inside the hole that was filling up faster than I could say “Boo!”
From the corner of my eye, I noticed something blue; it was Jack’s shirt swaying in the soft breeze. I heard him inhale a deep breath and let it out quietly. I had to hurry and come up with a plan because time was running out. Jack opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. “Take a few slow steps back,” I whispered. “Hide in the bushes behind the hole!”
Holding my breath, I moved like a snail into the vegetation and dropped to my stomach. Cold water soaked through my clothes as it continued to slowly pour over the bank of the river. Jack followed and flattened himself on the soaking wet ground.
I could barely get the words out of my mouth. “What’re we going to do?”
“Hey, guys!” yelled Mike.
“You’re not going to believe it. We’ve got a T-rex up here! But hold on, I’m coming,” I said, adding under my breath, “as soon as I figure out a way to get rid of this thing.” I looked around. Throwing a bone or a branch or anything wouldn’t work, because I wasn’t exactly dealing with a golden retriever. But what else can I do? In movies I’d seen, people always ran—most of them in the wrong direction. In this case, though, there was nowhere to run, and we couldn’t leave Mike behind to drown.
“This is no time to make jokes, Casey. A T-rex? C’mon!” Mike’s voice came labored, his words spluttering out like he was swallowing more than his fair share of mud and water.
“I’ll get you out,” I whispered. “That’s a promise.”
In the movies, this T-rex would have already gobbled us up, but this was real life, and right now, the huge creature just appeared very curious, as if it wasn’t quite sure what to make of the humans. The problem was, curious always seemed to turn out dangerous in the end. The sharks in the ocean had been curious, bumping into me and trying to figure out what I was. The spiders had been curious before they stalked me. The duckbilled dinosaur had been curious before it
chased me in the woods. The croc had been curious before it launched that river attack. And now this thing with teeth longer than its arms was following in their footsteps, right on cue.
It cocked its head again and sniffed the air, this time more loudly. I hoped it wasn’t just trying to savor the feast it was about to enjoy. A chill ran down my spine, and I started to sweat profusely. Maybe it couldn’t see so well, but I wasn’t sure how good their noses were. If it had a good sense of smell, it definitely had the upper claw in this little confrontation.
“I’ll grab the vine,” whispered Jack. “We’ll throw it in. Get Mike out. Then we all run as fast as we can away from that thing…zigzagging through the trees. We can head south where the jungle seems to be extra thick and overgrown, almost impenetrable. The T-rex is bound to get tangled up some, plus there’s great hiding spots.”
I shot Jack a sidelong glance. “But we left the vine over by the T-rex, and the trees with more hanging vines are over there too.”
Jack let out a breath and seemed to be pondering another idea. If the river wasn’t flooding the hole, this would be the perfect opportunity for us to sneak up a tree while the T-rex was distracted by Mike. I had no doubt Mike would be safe in the deep hole. We could keep a close eye on the T-rex and Mike. The predator would eventually get bored and leave. We could come back and throw Mike down a vine to get him out. But with the river flooding, this option was thrown out the window.
“What the heck’s going on?” Mike called from the pit below us.
I laid flat on my stomach, wondering if I could inch forward and make eye contact with him, but moving didn’t seem like such a bright idea. “Didn’t you hear me say we’ve got a T-rex up here? I’m coming,” I whispered, “but I won’t be much help if I lose my arms on the way.”
Mike tried to laugh, then spluttered some more. Obviously, he didn’t believe me.
Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series Omnibus Edition (Books 1 - 4) Page 23
