No Time For Dinosaurs

by John Benjamin Sciarra

  As they turned to walk back towards the distortion field, they heard a familiar sound: the sound of animals harmonizing by whistling.

  ***

  As they started walking back up the hill and past the fallen raptor, a rumble rolled through the earth under their feet. Dark clouds moved toward them as if froth at the ocean’s shore and the clouds took on the image of a tsunami.

  “We better move away from the trees, Kyle. Those clouds look like they mean business.”

  “Right. I’m right behind you.”

  As they walked quickly across the field, the sky darkened. Lightning flashed inside the clouds, but no rain fell.

  “Is this similar to the time you were here when the comet struck the earth?” asked Caleb.

  “Yeah, it was just like this. It came on fast, Grandpa. I hope we can make it to the—Gramps?”

  Kyle turned and his grandfather was nowhere in sight.

  ***

  Down Caleb fell, deep into the earth. The fissure that opened with the rumbling of the ground swallowed Caleb as if it were an enormous carnivore. It seemed to Caleb, he was falling through a tunnel. Indeed, as he rolled and slipped on the moist ground, the floor seemed to level off until it opened into a large chasm.

  The tunnel spit Caleb out onto the ground. He rolled over a couple of times, came to a stop unharmed and just lay there staring at the ceiling—until Kyle slid past him.

  “Gramps? Are…you okay?” asked Kyle as he crawled over to his grandfather concerned.

  Caleb was just staring at the ceiling in awe.

  “Are…you okay?”

  “Kyle…look up.”

  Kyle rolled over on his back and looked up where Caleb was pointing. “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful in your life?”

  “Yep. It looks just like the tunnels in the pond. Do you think they might be linked? Maybe we can get back out of here if there’s a passageway to the open ocean.”

  “Well…as I recall the story you related, we wouldn’t be able to do that without a Nessie to grab onto.”

  Caleb stood up and looked around. The area was small, but there were any number of passageways to choose.

  “Well…since time is of the essence, I say we should start looking. Any ideas which one to choose? After all, you’re the expert from the past.”

  Kyle walked around the cavern lit with the same phosphorescent ore he saw when he was with Nessie. The colors were truly brilliant and gave the room an otherworldly glow.

  “These walls are similar to the ones the creatures used, but…they appear smoother. Almost looks as if someone, or something, made them. How do you think they got here, Gramps?”

  “They do appear smooth, but I’m sure there are natural processes capable of making these tunnels. There are four of them and they all go off in different directions. We might as well choose one of them and see if it takes us somewhere. Worse case, we can see if we can get back up the hole we came down here through.”

  “That hole went straight down for quite a ways. How far do you thing we fell?”

  “Maybe a couple hundred feet or so.”

  The ground shook almost knocking them over followed by several smaller shock waves.

  “Well, whatever we’re going to do, we better do it quick or we’ll be here when the comet hits.”

  “Yeah, Grandpa. That will not be good. I say we go down this tunnel here,” said Kyle pointing to one of the tunnels.

  “Hmmm. Why that one?”

  “It’s as good as any of them.”

  “Okay. You lead the way.”

  Kyle entered the tunnel. The ground was smooth, the walls lit by the phosphorescence.

  “The stones form patterns. Did you notice, Gramps?”

  “Yeah, I did. That seems quite odd. Green on the left and blue on the right. Clearly forming a pattern amid the smaller glittering multi-colored ore. But…that doesn’t make any sense. Whatever creature might make this would have had a measure of intelligence and that doesn’t conform to known science.”

  “I thought you told me that sometimes you have to look at the facts and then draw a conclusion. I say we have to admit that science is wrong—again. Something had the intelligence to make these tunnels and mark them.”

  “Hmmm. I’m inclined to agree with you, Kyle. But what?”

  Up ahead, the tunnel split again. Red stones marked the tunnel on the right and blue stones, the left.

  “A change in pattern. I’m going to guess we take the passage with the red stone.”

  “Why the red, Gramps?”

  “It’s just a guess, but if these tunnels were made by intelligent creatures, then the blue and green stones mark tunnels that lead into the maze. Perhaps the red might mean a way out. It’s just a guess.”

  “Makes sense to me. What kind of creatures would be capable of making these tunnels?”

  “Well, the tunnels aren’t very tall or wide. The ceiling is about ten feet high and the walls wide enough for the two of us to walk side by side. I couldn’t guess as to how the tunnels were made.”

  “Maybe, the tunnels were here all along and whatever placed the stones simply made use of them. Nessie and the other animals survived into the future by staying in the tunnels when the comet destroyed most other life on the planet. Something else may have done the same. Something that maybe didn’t survive into our time, but survived at least for a while. Maybe we discovered a new type of creature!”

  “Maybe.” The ground shook again several times. “But I don’t want to hang around and find out. Let’s get out of here.”

  Kyle and Caleb picked up their pace and ran along the red tunnel. They ran for over thirty minutes until they came to another cavern with four tunnels split off in different directions.

  “Now what? We’re back to green and blue again as choices.” Observed Kyle.

  “Let’s try the green this time.”

  “Why?”

  “Why not? Maybe a change of scenery.”

  “You mean you’re tired of looking at walls?”

  “Uh, yeah. Besides, we might be going in circles.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe we should leave a mark on the walls just in case.”

  “Excellent suggestion, my good man!”

  Caleb picked up a small flat stone and scratched an arrow on the right side of the wall. “That way, if we come this way again, we’ll choose the other tunnel. Let’s get moving.”

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Kyle and Caleb stopped after about an hour of running.

  “I…have…to rest…a minute, Kyle. Guess I’m not in as good a shape as I thought.”

  “I’m a little tired, too. I see a brighter light up ahead around the bend. Let’s just go around the corner and see what it is and maybe take a rest there for a bit.”

  They walked a few more yards and then stopped cold in their tracks. Hanging from the ceiling of an enormous cavern were hundreds, maybe thousands of luminescent worms. The streamers descending from the worms gave the appearance of hanging strings of light.

  “Wow, Grampa! Have you ever seen anything like this before?”

  “Not personally, but I remember reading about the glowworm caves in New Zealand. Except, I don’t think the worms were this big! It’s incredible. Sure wish we brought a camera with us.”

  “That’s the one thing I keep forgetting. Although, like you said, who’d believe it was real? Now people can change things digitally that are almost impossible to tell the difference. I wouldn’t want to be…Uh—”

  Labelled a kook like me? It’s okay. I’m used to it by now.”

  They sat down next to the cavern wall to rest.

  “Why do people have to put other people down, Gramps? I don’t understand it. I know I make fun of Teresa, but I don’t really mean it. I just can’t seem to help myself.”

  “Sometimes, I think it’s because the individual feels insecure. In your case, I know your dad is tough on you. Most dads are tougher on their sons than their dau
ghters. Dads seem to think that their sons should take after them. When a son shows interest in something the father doesn’t think will make him look good to his peers and friends, he may push the child to do things the child really doesn’t want to do. He wants to be proud and he wants the son to be the ‘spitting image’ of him.

  “In most cases, children do follow in their father’s footsteps. Children inherit their parent’s genes so it makes sense that the child will often imitate their father. But, sometimes, we forget one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A child also inherits the genes of the mother—even the son. Not only that, but a child inherits traits of previous generations. Ever see a redheaded child whose parents are both blonde for example?”

  “Yeah. I would wonder if that child was adopted.”

  “It all has to do with recessive and dominant genes.”

  “Uh…don’t tell me. More math, right?”

  “Pretty much everything has to do with math. It’s very important, Kyle. When you get back to our time, you should really make sure you pay attention to the fundamentals. While you have an extraordinary sense of intuition when it comes to math it can only get you so far. I learned that the hard way. I failed math in grade school through what we called junior high. You call it middle school now.”

  “Wait a minute. You failed math? How did you get to fly fighter jets? Don’t you need to know a lot of math for that like calculus and algebra? Ugh! I get sick thinking about it.”

  “Yes you do need to know those subjects and much more. Someone sat me down and gave me the advice I’m giving you right now.”

  “So, what did you do?”

  “I got a tutor. A young lady who could do calculations in her head like you throwing the rock today. She took the time to make sure I understood the fundamentals and, almost as important, she showed me why I needed to know each new thing I learned. I really liked her. Who would have thought I would marry a mathematician!”

  “Grandma? She was your tutor?”

  “Yep. Of course, it was quite a few years later. I was much younger than she, but I was quite taken with her. She thought it was cute. But a few years later, that age difference didn’t seem to matter as much. Your grandmother became a math teacher in college and I ended up in her class. Her star student I might add! Of course, it would have been inappropriate for us to date while I was her student. So, when I graduated, the first thing I did while still in my cap and gown was ask her out.

  “So, you see, there’s a little bit of the mathematician in your genetic makeup. We just have to tease it out.”

  “Wow! I never knew that. You miss her don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I sure do. Life can be cruel sometimes, Kyle. But it goes on no matter what happens. I just keep busy with things like building stuff no one else thought to try. Sometimes I fail, but when I have a success, it’s worth it. Except when I tried to learn the violin.”

  “Wait a minute. You played the violin?”

  “I wouldn’t call what I was doing playing. Exactly. More like murdering the strings. I knew what notes to play, but I couldn’t seem to coordinate the correct succession of notes.”

  “Well, it looks like I got that gene from you, then. I tried to play the violin. How do people do that?”

  “Did you know that Einstein played the violin?”

  “Really? Do you think…you don’t suppose the harmonics from the strings made him so smart?”

  “That’s an interesting theory. Playing a musical instrument requires a great deal of intuitive math. Of course, some natural talent helps. You’re thinking of the violin sounds that the time capsule makes, right?”

  “Yeah. I wonder if the harmonics of the violin vibrates the cells in our brain in such a way as to change the brain’s chemistry.”

  “That’s pretty deep, Kyle.”

  Just then something stirred in the water.

  ***

  “What was that?”

  “I don’t know and I don’t think I want to find out. We’ve had enough surprises today. Let’s get over to the other side and maybe find a place to take a nap.”

  “Okay, Grandpa. I’m right behind you.”

  After taking a short nap in what seemed like a safe place, the two of continued walking down tunnel after tunnel in complete silence listening as they went for signs of anything moving. The walls changed colors and each time they had to make a decision. Caleb continued to place marks on the wall indicating which way they go.

  After what seemed like hours of walking they came upon a series of tunnels that split off in four different directions. On one of the walls was an arrow.

  “Uh oh, Gramps. We have been walking in circles! What do we do now?”

  “Make the obvious choice.”

  “Choose a different tunnel.”

  “Yep. See? You’re getting smarter already.”

  “If I was smarter, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

  “Well, don’t give up hope just yet. If the comet did hit, at least we’re safe. That might not have been the case if we tried to get to the capsule.”

  “I guess that’s true. But we might be stuck here forever!”

  “I’m starting to like this place. So many things to see, so much to learn that we really never knew about life from this time period.”

  “What good is it if we can’t tell anyone?”

  “It’s not about telling someone else. It’s knowing what you know and having a sense of satisfaction from that.”

  “Yeah. I suppose. It’s like what you said about having the film of the big ape, right?”

  “Exactly. Who cares what others think anyway? It’s about what you experience in life, not what others think about you.”

  “You mean, like my dad?”

  “Yes. It’s natural to want to make our parents proud of us. But, eventually, it’s about doing what you want to do and pursuing your goals that are important.

  “You’re a smart young man, Kyle. No matter what you choose to do with your life, look for the satisfaction you get from doing the right thing by others and you will be successful in everything you do—even the failures.”

  “How will the failures help?”

  “They help if you learn from them. For example, we failed to find our destination just now and found ourselves going in circles. But we learned from that. Now we chose a different path. One of these will lead to success.”

  Caleb stopped suddenly and leaned down next to the ground.

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  “Shhh. I hear something. It’s coming toward us. Through that tunnel,” said Caleb pointing toward the blue. “It….sounds very large. We need to get out of here. Whatever it is might not appreciate visitors.”

  Kyle and Caleb shot off down one of the tunnels opposite the approaching sound. They ran past another cavern and still the sound kept approaching. It was a scraping sound intermittent with the heavy breathing of a large creature.

  They ran down another set of tunnels until they reached an enormous cavern filled with water. Stalactites covered the entire ceiling, many reaching down into the water to meet the stalagmites growing up out of the water. The conical outcroppings were crystalline in appearance and reflected the colors of phosphorescent ore at their base. The result was mesmerizing.

  They looked down into the crystal clear water and the images confused the senses. They couldn’t tell if they were looking at a reflection, or that the bottom was truly filled with the outcroppings.

  As they looked more closely, they saw what appeared to be large, eel-like, fish swimming in and out of the stalagmites. They were chasing smaller fish. For a moment, they both forgot about the creature that was chasing them until—the breathing was right behind them.

  Kyle was so startled by what was standing in the entrance to the tunnel; he slipped and fell before he could tell his grandfather to watch out. Caleb responded to Kyle’s predicament, which, at that moment, was critical. He jumped in and grabbed hold
of Kyle around the waist.

  Kyle pushed his grandfather away startling him. With a mouth full of salty tasting water, Kyle tried to get his grandfather to look where he was pointing. It came out all muffled.

  “Nok…toooo! Where da ca…toooo!” Finally clearing his mouth he blurted out, “It was an ape! An ape, Grandpa. I saw it! You think I’m crazy. It was right there!”

  “Kyle, get out of the water! Something’s coming up behind you and it’s big and has a large fin!”

  Caleb swam to the shore, crawled up onto dry land, and positioned himself to grab Kyle, but he was gone. Caleb’s heart began to thud heavily in his chest. How was he going to explain any of this to his daughter? And his so-in-law? What could he say? I lost your little boy somewhere sixty-five million years in the past in a large cavern where he was eaten by an aquatic dinosaur while being chased, apparently, by an ape, which really didn’t exist sixty-five million years ago, but then again, I was the one that saw Big Foot, so I’m crazy and what did you expect?

  “Gramps! Over here!”

  Caleb looked up and got the shock of his life. This was more unbelievable than the story he was just concocting in his head. Out on the middle of the water, Kyle was riding on top of a water monster—the monster in the lake. Kyle found her again.

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  Kyle rode the animal over to where Caleb stood shaking as if the earth were trembling beneath his feet. In fact, it was. Shock waves shimmered through the water obscuring the beautiful clarity and colors below. Some of the stalactites fell from the ceiling. They would have pierced anyone or anything standing or swimming beneath them.

  “Gramps! Hop on. I hope you can hold your breath for a long time. I think I’m right back where I was after the comet struck. It’s not going to be pretty up on the surface right now and, it’s a good thing we fell down the hole when we did or we’d have been fried!”

  Despite misgivings, Caleb jumped onto the beast and grabbed a hold of Kyle. Up ahead they saw several creatures swimming on the surface. Then they all dove under water.