Jack looked out the window.
He looked down at the picture in the book.
He looked back out the window.
The world outside and the world in the picture
—
they were exactly the same.
The Pteranodon was soaring through the sky. The ground was
covered with ferns and tall grass.
There was a winding stream. A sloping hill. And volcanoes in the distance.
“Wh-where are we?” stammered Jack.
The Pteranodon glided down to the base of their tree. The creature coasted to a stop. And stood very still.
“What happened to us?” said Annie. She looked at Jack. He looked at her.
“I don’t know,” said Jack. “I was looking at the picture in the book
—
”
“And you said, ‘Wow, I wish I could see a Pteranodon for real,’ ”
said Annie.
“Yeah. And then we saw one. In the Frog Creek woods,” said Jack.
“Yeah. And then the wind got loud. And the tree house started
spinning,” said Annie.
“And we landed here,” said Jack.
“And we landed here,” said Annie.
“So that means
…
” said Jack.
“So that means
…
what?” said Annie.
“Nothing,” said Jack. He shook his head. “None of this can be real.”
Annie looked out the window again. “But
he
’s real,” she said. “He’s
very
real.”
Jack looked out the window with her. The Pteranodon was
standing at the base of the oak tree.
Like a guard. His giant wings were spread out on either side of him.
“Hi!” Annie shouted.
“Shush!” said Jack. “We’re not supposed to be here.”
“But where is
here?
” said Annie.
“I don’t know,” said Jack.
“Hi!” Annie called again to the creature.
The Pteranodon looked up at them.
“Where is
here?
” Annie called down.
“You’re nuts. He can’t talk,” said Jack. “But maybe the book can
tell us.”
Jack looked down at the book. He read the words under the
picture:
This flying reptile lived in the Cretaceous period. It vanished 65
million years ago.
No. Impossible. They couldn’t have landed in a time 65 million
years ago.
“Jack,” said Annie. “He’s nice.”
“Nice?”
“Yeah, I can tell. Let’s go down and talk to him.”
“Talk to him?”
Annie started down the rope ladder.
“Hey!” shouted Jack.
But Annie kept going.
“Are you crazy?” Jack called.
Annie dropped to the ground. She stepped boldly up to the ancient creature.
1-4
Jack gasped as Annie held out her hand.
Oh, brother. She was always trying to make friends with animals.
But this was going too far.
“Don’t get too close to him, Annie!” Jack shouted.
But Annie touched the Pteranodon’s crest. She stroked his neck. She was talking to him.
