Dinosaur Breakout Read Free Page B

strong wind to topple them over, many covered with wide streamers of lichen, giving a ghostly feeling in the darkening forest. Small meadows appeared less frequently, and the gashes in trees were deeper and far longer and higher than anything he’d ever seen before. Occasional whistling calls ricocheted through the treetops.
    Every once in a while, small mammals scurried across his path. He stopped in his tracks and waited for everything to be still and quiet again before venturing forward. Mostly he ignored the butterflies and moths, but kept a wary eye for bees and the possibility of spiders. He didn’t even want to think about poisonous snakes!
    After several more minutes of following a bend in the path, he saw large marshy areas speckled with rushes and floating yellow flowers. He bent to take a closer look at the water lilies, and then stepped around a particularly large tree. Suddenly, an opossum-like mammal darted into his path. Startled, they both stared at one another for a split second, before the unsuspecting creature gave a long piercing shriek that echoed through the forest and then bounded away. It seemed to be hunting insects.
    Daniel gasped and leaned against the tree trunk, his legs feeling abruptly weak. This was almost more than he could take! He waited for a reaction to the call, but nothing else rushed out at him. His stomach gurgled with hunger. Softly, he retrieved a water bottle and took a long swig. But he was afraid to remove any of the food, in case the noise and smells brought danger his way. He’d better find a place to hide soon. The pale sun was beginning to sink down to the treetops, casting an eerie glow over the landscape. If only he could find a safe place to rest before nightfall.
    As if in sudden answer to his prayers, when he rounded the next curve, he saw a clearing and, a few yards in the distance, a forest of towering trees. They looked like the giant redwoods he’d seen in photos of the forest in California. If he could reach them and climb one of them, he might be able to see a panoramic view of the scene below. He scanned the area quickly and determined the best way to proceed.
    The day’s last piercing rays of sun warmed his back, and the undergrowth was dense and slippery from the moist air. Sometimes his feet slid off the mossy path, leaving him mired in weedy muck. Small rivulets of sweat trickled down his face from the humidity. His body felt clammy and his hands sticky, making progress slow. Besides this, his head throbbed from the original accident when he hit his head.
    He sure wished he were home in bed with his mom taking care of him. Being a nurse, she’d know just what to do and what medicine to prescribe to make the pain go away. Right now, it was all he could do to keep his footing and move onwards without succumbing to certain death all around him. Soupy swamp and wet patches of grassy hummocks made walking difficult.
    By the time he reached the edge of the redwoods, Daniel’s legs were scraped and his runner-clad feet sore and soaking wet. He was too weak to go any further. When he spied a huge hollow tree trunk that seemed unoccupied, with a small opening in front, he made his way over to it. The space was just big enough for him to sit inside. Little pellets like mouse droppings, bits of branches, and dead leaves were strewn on the musty dirt floor, which angled upwards slightly from the opening.
    As he peered about, he realized that all he could see was more swampy forest. Along the way, he hadn’t seen any well-known predators, but then he wasn’t thinking straight and couldn’t recall which of the Cretaceous creatures might search for food where he sat. He hoped this would be a safe place to stay, at least for a bit.
    No longer able to ignore his hunger, he slowly unzipped his backpack and slipped out a sandwich, furtively watching the scene around him. From this particular spot, he couldn’t see much below, but maybe that meant nothing could see him