Only about thirty feet separated Kat and Jet from Sophie and Cora, the girls huddled behind a small scrub brush, barely concealed and the others crouched behind a massive boulder. The low rumble from the tyrannosaurus continued, a bass sound so deep it seemed to vibrate their very bones. The massive, toothy head lifted, mouth only opening slightly as it called again, the sound was plaintive, almost sad, something like a blue whale’s call or the lonely howl of a wolf. Sophie shuddered and tried to push the thought away, focusing on her friends. Jet and Kat made come ahead gestures, trying to convince Sophie and Cora to cross those thirty feet.

Studying the giant dinosaur, Sophie shook her head and held up one finger to her lips for silence. It hadn’t noticed them. It was breathing heavily and moving slowly as it stepped away from the ripple, moving eastward. Again and again it emitted that rumble of sound, low and terrifying, felt more than heard. It was calling for something.

As it continued to move away, Sophie started carefully making her way toward the large boulder and the more secure hiding place. She was moving low to the ground, more slowly than she wanted to. She wanted to run, wanted to get the four of them all together. She had a deep, sick feeling in her stomach at being separated. She was nearly there, Cora not terribly far behind, emitted a small gasp, drawing Sophie’s attention away from the tyrannosaurus and back toward the ripple that had brought them here. Another massive reptile moved through, this one probably only about six feet tall at the shoulder, but much larger than any lizard Sophie had ever seen. It was running on all fours, a small bright yellow head on a long neck that faded to tan, dark brown stripes running back toward a long whiplike tail that brightened again to yellow. It stumbled, a few steps from the ripple and it was then that Sophie saw the red blood dripping to dry mud beneath it. It caught itself, slowing drastically, but not quite falling.

Behind it came a trio of other creatures, smaller only about three feet tall at the hip, running on two legs with one upticked claw. Raptors Sophie thought. Though she had never thought them covered in brown and white speckled feathers. One of them leapt, teeth sinking deeply into the back of the other creature. It tried to keep running, the other two raptors nipping at its heels. It made it perhaps three more steps before one of the still running raptors caught something in one of the four-legged reptile’s legs and it went down.

Cora nudged Sophie and it was only then that Sophie realized she had gone still and not moved on. She started moving again as the three raptors fell on their much larger prey, biting large chunks of skin out and swallowing it in a single gulp. Sophie shuddered as she scrambled forward, suddenly heedless of whatever noise she might make. The tyrannosaurus had turned, that bass rumble more sense than sound thundered out over the mudflats. The raptors looked up, higher pitched rumbles calling back to the larger theropod.

“What in the hell is going on?” Jet’s deep voice was more breath than whisper, barely heard over the noises of the DINOSAURS.

Sophie only shook her head, peering around the side of the massive boulder toward the ripple and the dinosaurs. The strange landscape aside, dinosaurs aside, there was a ripple in space and time that had brought to this hellscape, that had brought the dinosaurs. What was it unleashing back in Texas in the later part of 2020?

“We have to get back through.” It was Kat who spoke.

Sophie shook her head, her voice a whisper of sound when she responded. “No. We don’t know where going through will put us.”

The raptors scattered as the larger dinosaur descended upon their prey.

“It could put us with them.” Cora’s whisper was a little shaky. None of them were feeling exactly fearless as they watched a t-rex tear into dinner.

“We should stay away from there.” Sophie agreed. “We need to find someplace safe, we have our packs and gear. We can survive this place.”

She could hear the smile in Jet’s voice. “This place is going to be a challenge like nothing else.”

Kat’s expression was much less eager as she looked down on the predatory creatures. “We had better get away while they’re distracted with each other if we can’t go home.” She seemed more resigned to the idea than excited about it like her husband.

Cora, crouched on the eastern edge of the boulder, took stock of the three directions she could see into. “I don’t recommend we travel north.” She deadpanned.

Sophie just shook her head. “East looked foreboding when we were near the ripple.”

“It doesn’t look as bad now,” Cora said. “But south still feels like our best bet.”

“South then.” Sophie agreed.

“Let’s get as much distance as we can from that mess.” Kat said, reluctantly tearing her gaze away from the ripple.

Sophie looked back one last time as everyone filed past. I hope that we can get back to this place soon.