Dinosaurs Fanfic: Scavenging Pangaea (PG-13)

[RedPiggy]

I don't think she's supposed to be one. I don't recall her having any ball of bone at the end of her tail. She's like a lot of dinos on the show who have spikes or rounded little knobs going down the back and along the tail. But, it's always possible that she can grown one in later.

I WAS going to have an intense three-page battle. I wanted Spike and BP's battle to be epic. However, I was afraid I'd get into trouble ... plus, the show wouldn't have been able to show that kind of a fight anyway. All their epic battles happen off camera due to the technical challenges (and probably censors). It's a shame too: Spike is always characterized as someone completely in control of a fight, while BP is known to eat/kill anyone he wants. I REALLY REALLY wanted to give their battle the space it deserved.

But I haven't even described Spike's fight with Andre yet. Sigh. I'm getting behind.

I like Wendy because her reputation for violence is given to her only because of who her father is. However, I can't believe she wouldn't be capable of surviving on her own if she had to. In the episode she appears, she IS able to stand up to her father and prevent Robbie from getting eaten. Only someone who can hold their own against BP would be able to do that without getting instantly eaten. That's partly why she was so upset with Spike. She doesn't want to get rescued because her father was always so overprotective that she feels no one respects her as an individual. However, she also doesn't want to be seen as a typical "Richfield" (bloodthirsty), so she's torn.

We're probably one or two chapters til the end of Arc one, btw.

 

[The Count]

Mmm... No worries. Just thought Wendy was that based on your description of her. The character sounds more interesting with your take on her. She should prove to be a good addition to this band of survivors. Kinda thought the battle between Spike and BP was fierce. You mentioned that Spike was afterwards clutching the upper portion of his right arm. And if I recall correctly, you previously told us that Spike didn't use his right arm/hand in a fight unless he really needed to. It's coming together rully wonderful... More please?

 

[RedPiggy]

Hard to tell, since I never wrote it (though it is in my head). He might have used his right arm to fight ... then again, he may have just turned and got struck on his arm because he didn't pull it out of his pocket willingly or accidentally, especially now that he has his mother's ring back. I realize why certain characters such as Spike and Big Bird never use one of their arms ... but I've always wondered if kids pick up on it. I mean, it looks like some characters have had strokes that go unexplained.

 

[RedPiggy]

End of Arc One

Chapter 8: I’ll Burst If I Don’t Write This

They were due to find Sinclair City at any time, having traveled in B. P. Richfield’s stretch SUV for forty-eight hours straight. At least it had a working heater, CD player (though the Howlin’ J band shuddered at what passed for Lizard music these days), television set with VCR, and mini-fridge. Bare necessities, really, for a long road trip. Robbie drove numbly, his eyes never straying. What was there to avoid except the odd large carcass or broken house? However, they thought, deep in the distance, they could see a tree line near the horizon. He headed for that.

While the band played their own tunes, Charlene cautiously stepped over behind Robbie’s seat and tapped him on his shoulder, her eyebrows upturned in a show of concern. Her voice was quiet and almost motherly. “Rob? You haven’t spoken for hours. You want to talk?”

Rob shook his head slightly without answering verbally.

Charlene patted him on the shoulder and shrugged. “We’re here, you know,” she replied softly. “One great big happy family.” She noticed her big brother bite his lower lip, gritting his teeth, his brows furrowing. He still didn’t respond, so she sat back down on a blue-tinged leather chair.

Rob kept driving. Driving was comfortable … almost hypnotic, a welcome respite from the massive amount of stimuli in the back. The sounds of Baby griping at Sonny over participating in one of the songs made him relive what had happened last night in the dark cold wasteland around them….

<><><><><><>

There wasn’t a moon. Spike lay outside in the snow, covered with the very large leather and carbon-fiber coat worn by his defeated opponent, though Spike had had to rip out some holes down the spine for his large back spikes. He would replace his Scavenger arm patch later, when they reached this so-called paradise. It would also need some major tailoring, as he was about half Richfield’s diameter. He stared at the gale-blown clouds, barely discernible against the black void of sky. Everyone else decided to sleep in the car, which was just fine with him. He didn’t like not being to stretch out in the SUV … and the snow helped numb his wounds. He could hear faint footsteps crunching from around the vehicle, approaching him.

“Go to bed, Scooter.”

Robbie rubbed his hands briskly, inhaled and closed his eyes to prepare for the cold, and sat down in the snow. He glanced at his friend uncomfortably. “Spike….”

“Sorry I hit the kid,” Spike blurted out in a low melancholic voice. “It was uncalled for.”

Robbie’s eyes blinked and widened. He hesitated, and then he cheerfully patted his friend on the shoulder. “I think he likes the attent--.”

Spike glared at him suddenly. “What did I tell you about --?”

Robbie smirked. “You told me I couldn’t touch your jacket.” He nodded. “That’s Mr. Richfield’s jacket. I get a free pass!” he added, chuckling.

Spike stared at him for a few moments, smirked slightly, and turned away. “Alright, I won’t rip your spine out this time. Just don’t let it happen again,” he teased. After a few silent moments, Spike sighed and began to look at the sky again. “Do you know why she hates me?” he asked his friend out of the blue. His tone suggested less like he wanted an answer and more like he wanted to educate Robbie about it.

“Uh,” Robbie began slowly, “you killed her father, even though he’s responsible for destroying the entire planet and eating her boyfriends and selfishly using his corporation to bilk dinosaurs out of billions?”

Spike grinned a bit more widely. “Don’t try to make me feel better, Scooter.” He took a long pause. “She used to be one o’ us.”

Robbie shifted his weight and gulped. “She … she used to be a Scavenger?” he asked timidly.

Spike shot a glance at Robbie. “Why d’you think she wore that black leather vest when you two love birds met at the pet shop?”

“Girls are into leather?”

Spike snickered and shook his head. “Nah, Scooter … she was one o’ Andre’s flings. Her ol’ man never found out about it. That homin’ signal t’ing he placed on her got lousy reception in the swamp. That’s why she liked takin’ boys there.” He smiled warmly. “That’s what I liked about her … that little rebellious streak. I figured Andre to be real brave or real dumb – even I wouldn’t date a Richfield.”

“So, she’s mad at you because you thought she’d eat you?”

Spike scoffed and bumped Robbie with his shoulder, grunting and wincing as he suddenly remembered the pain in his right arm. “Don’t make me laugh, Scooter. I didn’t know about DAT particular rumor ‘til YOU started datin’ her.” He shook his head. “Nah … she knows my rep.”

“Scourge of the Swamp?” Robbie asked, trying to hide his amazement. Spike wasn’t the kind of dinosaur to open up to anyone. He still couldn’t figure out where his friend was going with this.

“Connoisseur of Fine Females,” Spike corrected. “I was fully booked with slender tails and dainty claws since before you entered high school.”

Robbie nodded. “So I recall.”

Spike lost his nostalgic grin. He stared at the ground. “You remember how I got transferred to La Brea ‘cause I ate the principal?”

“That DOES seem to ring a bell,” Robbie replied. He hoped that this conversation would continue in earnest. Spike was notorious in their friendship for starting a tear-jerking story and then twisting it to something juvenile and amusing … well, amusing for teenage male dinosaurs, anyway.

There was a long, almost frustrating pause. “I ate him ‘cause he threatened to make certain … personal problems … public.” He sighed. “I had been in a great relationship with a tall athletic fem lizard with aquamarine scales with golden highlights and a jaw that could break rocks and a tail that wouldn’t quit.” He smiled briefly. “I was almost sixteen. I guess dat woulda made you about thirteen at the time. Anyways, she was the furthest I evah got to havin’ a real adult relationship, wit’ all the trappin’s.” Outside of Robbie’s view, Spike wistfully rubbed the ring in his pocket with his fingers.

Robbie stayed dead silent. He was terrified that if he said anything more, Spike would clam up. Whatever was wrong with arguably his best friend, it was bubbling and boiling within him … and maybe he was finally letting Robbie in on this secret after getting his tail handed to him by Richfield, barely winning except by stroke of sheer luck.

<><><><><><>

Baby flung tape after videotape in disgust. “Hostile Takeover on the Corporation … Sarcastic Convenience Store Employees … Crouching Raptor, Hidden Swamp Monster ….” He stared at one in wide-eyed wonder, caressing it tenderly in his chubby pink hands. “Little Underwater Girl?”

Wendy smiled. “My father played that for me all the time when I was younger.” She shot a deadly glance at Spike. As though her anger vanished instantly, she patted Baby warmly on the back. “You can go ahead and play that, if you want.” She laughed cheerfully. “I loved the song, ‘Under the Water’ … I’d sing it all the time.”

Howlin’ J buried his head in his arms. “Please … please … no,” he whimpered. “I’m an old mammal … let me spend my last few years in peace and dignity,” he added, making everyone chuckle … except for Baby.

“It’s a classic!” he retorted angrily, sheltering it in his arms.

Howlin’ laughed. “Yeah … a classic waste of time!” He pointed at it like it was possessed by evil demons. “Rebellious little fish-lizard hybrid wants to leave her posh underwater crib, moanin’ about how just awful and unfair her life is ….”

“Go ahead and put it on,” Spike told the Sinclair youngest, egging him on. “She sounds like my type o’ girl,” he added, laughing towards Wendy Richfield, who rolled her eyes in disgust. Spike gulped and turned his eyes back on the kid.

Baby stared at Spike in amazement. “You never watched the Little Underwater Girl? Or Pretty Gallimimus Girl and the Ugly Caveman?”

Spike grinned warmly, leaning forward. “I had ta make up my own entertainment when I was a kid, Kid,” he replied. He briefly pouted teasingly. “We didn’t have the money to buy electronics back when I was your age. And stealin’ it made less sense since we couldn’t eat the stuff.”

Baby perked up. “It’s real good! I’ll show you!” he added, plopping in the tape.

<><><><><><>

Spike ground his teeth, staring off into space. “The Queens of the Pack weren’t like us, Scooter,” he continued. “They were just there as a favor ta Andre, if you get my meanin’. They could leave or stay. They weren’t bound to the Pack.”

“So Wendy left Andre?”

Spike grimaced. “Stop talkin’ ‘bout Wendy, Scooter. I just mentioned it to transition into my story,” he told his friend bitterly, pulling the leather coat closer to him. “Anyway, Andre found out about my girlfriend and got jealous.”

Robbie nodded. “Because having a girlfriend threatened his authority within the Pack?”

Spike stared at Robbie. “You gonna let me tell it, Scooter?”

Robbie lowered his head. “Yeah. Sorry to interrupt. It was rude of me.”

Spike leaned back against the vehicle. “I thought so. You’re excused.” He licked his lips. “Havin’ girls wasn’t the problem. We ALL had girls on da side. No,” he continued, inhaling deeply, “he was mad because … because ….”

Robbie stared at him expectantly, nearly bouncing up and down with anticipation. “She was pregnant,” Spike finally muttered. “I was gonna be a father. For the first time in my life, I was gonna raise a kid better’n my ol’ man raised me. It was too late for me, but I could help the kid become everything he or she deserved to be.” Robbie sat silently, mulling over this information. Spike continued, without a single tear being shed or his voice wavering, “He gut her and ate the egg right outta her, in front o’ everybody, Scooter.” He turned to stare at Robbie. “Someone in the Pack told Wendy when she was wit’ Andre.” He returned his gaze to the cloudy night sky. “Andre liked destroyin’ families. I just got tired of it eventually.”

<><><><><><>

Robbie continued to drive (as he was the only one with a license, though it really didn’t matter what with the destruction of the government and all), obsessing over his conversation with Spike. So, their friendship began to make sense. Spike had lost his family, so Robbie and his family were like surrogates to help ease his pain. He had known Spike for a few years and had never figured it out. After all, Spike considered the Scavengers his family. He always thought Spike befriended him literally for the food at his mother’s house. Now he realized Spike felt guilty about not being able to raise his own offspring. Spike really cared about Robbie’s academic and social success because it gave him a chance to take on the paternal role he had wanted almost four years ago for his own family.

“Hey!” Sonny yelled from the front passenger seat, jumping up and down in excitement, pointing to the windshield. “Look, everybody … a forest!”

Just ahead, a tree line several miles wide came into sharp focus. There was ash on the leaves … but they had leaves.

It was about time.

They were running out of gas.

 

[The Count]

Well, well, well... Applause is in order for this ending. Transitioning between past and present... Laying the foundation for character relationships... There's even a shot at one of my fave Disney movies in there. *Wonders what a fish lizard hybrid teenage girl would look like. So sad what happened to that athletic aquamarine fem lizard's egg... Was she also killed? And then you present the hope for a better tomorrow, stopping just short of arriving at Sinclaire City. If there's more to this, then I hope it gets posted soon because I've thoroughly enjoyed what's come so far.

 

[RedPiggy]

I would take it she was also killed, since her egg was carved right out of her. I have been wanting to write this for like a year ... but I never could come up with a Secret big enough for Spike, which would explain his paternal/big brother attitude towards Robbie. So, I just started watching eps with Spike in them over and over until inspiration struck. I wanted Spike's reputation to be involved with his personal tragedy, his nurturing attitude explained, and a really good reason besides protecting Robbie and his family for him to kill Andre in the Leader of the Pack episode.

I'm probaby going to write less on this story for a little while. I want to focus a little more on my Comeback sequel.

 

[RedPiggy]

Chapter 9: And Now Back to Our Story….

“Doc” Jerome Christian, a very elderly man in his early nineties, perhaps (birthdays could be fun to celebrate so long as one didn’t pay close attention to the number of them you’ve had), sat in his brown pajamas at the pale oak computer desk in his motel room. He stared, hunched over, at the letter that came with the package marked “Return to Sender”, sighing.

Jerome,

I found your package the other day. Unfortunately, that “tenant” is no longer reachable from that particular location. You see, the Water Department investigated the numerous complaints about the water supply in the building and … well … how can I put it?

There IS no wall access anymore, Jerome. Whatever she did, it made that particular location unrecognizable. She said it was for the safety of “endangered species”. I’m sorry, Jerome. If I could forward this to your friend, I would. There’s no one to give it to, I’m afraid. That’s why I sent it back to you. I thought maybe you should have the opportunity to come up with another plan.

I still miss our “business meetings” along the seashore. Watching the sun rise over the Atlantic with you lightened my heart in ways you’d never understand.

Summer’s almost here. I’m glad you managed to get away from Arizona. You’re in Oregon, now? It must be beautiful there. You need to be away from Arizona in the summer, Jerome. We’ll always miss our friends but life must go on, you know?

I’m … I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to minimize what this time of the year means to you.

There are days I wish you’d come back. I know you won’t, but watching over your friend here helped ease the pain of your departure. Now I don’t even have that anymore. I just stay up late working on the Inn, meeting investors, working with the accountants, etc.

I guess we both bury ourselves in our work, huh?

Good luck with your research.

Sincerely,

Betty Ardath

Doc put the letter down, his hands trembling from old age. He stared at the package. Inside was a book he had made for his friend, with pictures captured from the video he and Sir David Tushingham had found in Montana a few weeks ago. His friend had told him of his winter holiday celebrations, including various legends associated with them. The centipede-like creatures in the screenshots seemed so close to his description of a mythical beast that protected his homeland from destruction.

All Doc had wanted to do was supply his friend with possible confirmation of the legend. It seemed harmless enough. Now, for reasons that eluded him, he couldn’t mail it.

His friend was a magical subterranean mammal named Gobo Fraggle. He had appeared to Doc when Doc was depressed about his friend Ned’s failing health. Later, when he and Ned moved to Arizona, a mystical hole had appeared in the wall to his living room. Gobo Fraggle had re-appeared, bringing with him his friends.

“You can not leave the magic,” the little creature had told him.

“Perhaps, Gobo, perhaps,” Doc noted sadly, closing his eyes. “Yet … those who made me feel that magic have left me.”

<><><><><><>

Charlene Sinclair stared at her reflection in the lake, twisting and turning as she observed how the fur tunic fit around her green scaly frame. She, her siblings, the Scavenger Pack, and the Howlin’ J band had arrived week before last in the barely spoiled land that would have been known as Sinclair City had her father had his way. The valley was several hundred miles long, complete with rivers and forests and caves high above the bordering mountains where cavemen stayed. Although ash covered the edges of the valley, the innermost land was largely untouched … except for a road here and there and some abandoned buildings. Wesayso had wanted to denude the forest for sports arenas and other economic havens, despite the cavemen’s presence.

In a couple of months, they would celebrate the New Year in 59,999,999 BC (which stood for “Backwards Counting” or something like that). She was sure there was some sort of logic to counting time backwards … she just didn’t know what it was.

A twig snapped behind her. She gasped and turned to find a small brunette pale-skinned caveling, with unruly locks of hair cascading from a tiny hairband. The little creature was nearly half Charlene’s height and had bright pink spandex leggings under its fur tunic. Charlene smiled and posed for it. “Look, kid, this looks good, don’t you think?” The child smiled and clapped. Charlene’s own smile grew bigger. “Well, we’ll have to thank your parent for giving me this, won’t we?” she added cheerfully. Suddenly, her face fell slightly. “We should always thank our parents when they do something nice for us,” she told the human child sadly. The child jumped up and did a somersault. Charlene smiled weakly. “Hey, you remembered….”

<><><><><><>

Baby and Sonny stared at the drawing for several minutes with their heads tilted to the right as they contemplated its meaning, their tails swaying back and forth slowly. Sketched onto the face of a large boulder deep in the forest was a small rodent-like creature with a mischievous grin.

“Oh, don’t tell me he’s doing it here, too,” a female voice whined behind them. They turned to find a small brown-furred bulbous-nosed mammal with closely-spaced eyes and crossed arms and a snarl on her lips.

Baby and Sonny looked at each other quizzically. “What do you mean by that?” Sonny asked in his high-pitched gravelly voice.

The female mammal shook her head and pointed at the drawing. “Some arrogant little rat thinks he’s better than everyone else. He paints his picture all over cave walls in the mountains. I guess this means he’s been here too.” She paused and stared at them. “Uh, why aren’t you two fighting to the death?”

Sonny shrugged. “Me an’ the kid here are tight, hon,” he announced to Baby’s cheers. “We’re a part of the new generation!”

Baby nodded. “Yeah! Tight!” he barked happily in an even higher squeaky voice. “Clothes too small! No tailor!”

The two mammals stared blankly at the lone Lizard.

The brown-furred female shook her head slowly. “Uh, look: while I applaud this general sense of harmony between species … it kinda creeps me out. Later,” she said, waving dismissively as she strolled away.

Sonny watched her leave and shrugged. He turned to his saurian friend. “Huh … I wonder what got her fur matted into knots?”

<><><><><><>

“C’mon, Spike! Why can’t I get a jacket?” Robbie asked his friend angrily as they sat fishing by the side of a crystal clear river with a branch and some twine.

Spike glared at him. “Because I ain’t holdin’ auditions for any more pack positions, alright?” he snarled.

Robbie huffed and threw down his improvised rod. Standing up, he angrily pointed at the Leader of the Scavengers. “Look, Spike … this isn’t like before. I’m not coming to you begging for help. I’m asking as an equal.”

Spike flashed a smirk. “Well, that’s funny, Scooter … since even Crazy Lou can take you wit’ one arm tied around his back … and blindfolded,” he shot back, chuckling.

Robbie growled, clenching his fists. He kicked some rocks into the river.

“Hey, you’ll scare da fish!” Spike protested. “Let it go, Scooter … you’re not Scavenger material.”

Robbie glared at his friend, who continued to concentrate on fishing, even to the point of humming a cheerful tune to himself. “How many creatures do I have to kill in order for you to trust me?” he demanded. “I’m the alpha male of my family now, Spike … I’m not the victimized teenager anymore.”

Spike shook his head. “No, now you’re the deranged idiot who confuses drivin’ a stolen car wit’ bein’ hardcore.” Rob started to yell again, but Spike cut him off with an icy glare. “Drop it,” he said in a deadly tone, making Robbie kick his fishing rod into the river and stomping off.

Spike smirked and patted the ground next to him. “He’s gone … you can stop skulking around the treeline, sis,” he announced without looking back.

A brown female dinosaur with tiny spikes all over her scalp and wearing a fur tunic silently sat down beside him, staring at the river. “How … how do you see me?” she said in a broken accent. Her voice was deep and low-key.

Spike smiled, tugging casually on his fishing rod. “I make it my business to know who’s stalkin’ me, toots.”

The female glanced at him, her head bowed as a sign of respect. “Please … I am to be called Thighs of Thunder. ‘Toots’ is derogatory.”

Spike cocked an eyebrow and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “You let playful male banter upset you like that, cinnamon bun?” he asked, unable to hide a wide grin.

She lunged forward, her snout splashing wildly into the river. When she pulled it out, a wriggling fish at least a couple of feet long struggled against her sharp teeth. She took it out of her mouth and offered it to Spike. Just when he was about to take it, she snatched it away, stood, and turned to leave, smiling teasingly. “Fish more nutritious, Oh Spiky One,” she told him. “Pastries bad for digestion.”

“Spike,” he corrected in awe as the drops of water fell off her snout, glinting in the sunlight.

 

[The Count]

Mmm... Liked it all. Especially how you manage to keep seemlessly weaving the realms into one tapestry. Please, post more as I'm genuinely interested to find out how this continues it's tale.

 

[RedPiggy]

Chapter 10: Quiet Mountain, Part 1

“When was the last time you saw him?” asked Spike in a sleepy voice, massaging the back of his neck as he and Robbie marched through the forest just after dawn. He finished adjusting his newly tailored jacket as the sounds of branches snapping punctuated their otherwise silent walk over a tree-covered hill.

“Last night,” Robbie replied as though he had answered that question a dozen times already. Rob wore his black and white striped T-shirt and his Rampaging Trilobites red varsity jacket and his scuffed up red and white sneakers. He sighed, shaking his head. “I woke up just before dawn and saw this slip of paper.” He took out a crumpled sheet of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and showed it to Spike. The paper showed a crudely-drawn picture of two pink circles, one on top of each other, with the top one decorated with a smile and two purple eyes and the bottom one connected to a thick triangular tail. Little stick arms and legs stuck out from the bottom circle as well. Some trees and a lone mountain were to the left of the figure, as well as a green blob with a triangular wedge sticking out from the bottom.

Spike grunted and handed it back to Rob. “What’s the shapeless green thing?”

Robbie tried to wipe away a tear casually so Spike wouldn’t notice. He cleared his throat. “It’s how he draws Dad. He must be trying to get back to him.”

“But the SUV’s the uddah way,” Spike noted.

Robbie stopped cold and turned toward Spike with a look of confusion. “He’s a kid, Spike! What does he know?”

Spike couldn’t help but smirk. “He knows how to disappear,” he said jokingly.

A brisk wind from the east brought ash and soot from further towards the border of the valley, making their eyes sting. They tried to use their jackets to shelter their snouts from the sudden ash storm, but soon it got to be too much for them and they had to stop. After a few minutes, the winds died down and their surroundings were transformed into a gray parody of the lush green area.

Spike frowned. “This is gonna make trackin’ ‘im a little harder,” he said to himself bitterly.

<><><><><><>

Sir David Tushingham, a laughingstock of a paleontologist, dug into the soft earth just outside the rim to Crater Lake in Oregon, opposite the ridge from Wizard Island. Tired from poking around the dirt and rocks all morning long, he climbed over the ridge to gaze at the crystal clear lake. Near Wizard Island floated a rather large tree stump. He had heard of this tree before; “The Old Man of the Lake”, they called it. It floated forever and was rumored to create storms when bound.

Unable to stop himself for the sake of his curiosity, he approached the edge of the lake and found, to his amusement, that the tree approached the edge as well, floating remarkably fast for just some driftwood. Sir Tushingham’s pith helmet flew off behind him as a brisk wind appeared, apparently the same wind that drove the tree towards him.

He could see as it came close to the lake’s edge that there was a large crack near the top of the stump and something glinting within. He looked around and waded into the water to investigate. As the tree stump came to a rest, he tried to pry apart the crack a little and noted with more than a little interest that a small glass bottle was embedded deep into the tree. He could barely see, but it looked like there was the same crystal clear water in the bottle as there was in the lake (with the exception, of course, of the place where he was standing, having muddied up the water a bit when he walked into the cold crisp water).

<><><><><><>

After about an hour of walking down the hill towards some mountains on the edge of the valley, Spike and Robbie started to hear moaning and wheezing. They looked at each other, shrugged, and walked in the direction of the sound. Soon they came upon Sonny, the eager young blue mammal from Howlin’ J’s band, who leaned back against a tree and wheezed and coughed. He seemed to have some matted fur and some scrapes on his arms and snout. His new yellow T-shirt (he was going through about a T-shirt every month or so) was dusted with gray ash.

Robbie ran up to him and kneeled down, checking Sonny for wounds. “Who did this to you?” he interrogated the winded mammal.

Sonny coughed and shook his head. “Nobody, Rob … I just got allergies, is all.” He blew his nose on his T-shirt and looked up. “I lost track o’ da kid before dawn.” He pointed all around him. “Some cavelings gave us some little white flowers. Da kid thought … well, I thought, too … that they were some human snack or somethin’. Then the kid gets all freaked out and starts goin’ on about ghosts and monsters, pushes me down that hill, and runs off … somewhere.” He coughed again. “I guess the Lizard ain’t supposed to eat that stuff. I mean, I didn’t see any ghosts or monsters.”

Spike stared at the little blue mammal. “Where d’ya think he’d go?”

Sonny spat on the ground and looked up at his large saurian friend. “Hey, how the heck should I know?” he screamed. “He ain’t no newborn, ain’t got no parents --.”

“Hey! He has me an’ Charlene!” Robbie protested angrily.

Sonny glanced at Robbie. “—an’ he can walk now and he can go where he wants to go.” He paused, glaring at Robbie. “You keep wantin’ to chain ‘im down like that an’ you’ll be cursed with a kid dat never grows up!”

Spike glanced warily at Robbie, who remained motionless, his eyes wide, breathing in short shallow breaths. Spike didn’t want to tell him that he thought Sonny had a point because he knew his friend wouldn’t take it very well, considering Spike had just yesterday forbidden him from re-joining the Scavengers. After all, what was Spike to do? Let him back in?

Rob was stuck to the lockers thanks to the large green spikes that had grown out of his back. He had tried to take a swipe at Spike, who nimbly twisted around and shoved his newly-bulky friend into the lockers of Bob LaBrea High School that one night at the dance.

“I’m gonna sit right here, an’ watch your muscles fall off,” Spike had told him matter-of-factly as he sat down on the opposite side of the hall.

They sat there for about forty-five minutes, the music from the dance dying down. Rob was starting to groan from withdrawal. Rob glared at this dinosaur who dared to oppose him. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?” he growled with a very deep voice, his eyes losing focus due to the growing migraine.

“I TOLD you dose t’ings were bad news, Scooter,” Spike retorted, crossing his arms defiantly, leaning against some lockers with a clang.

“DON’T CALL ME THAT!” Rob bellowed, struggling to break free, then cringing from the headache yelling caused. “You were the coolest dinosaur I had ever met. All I ever wanted was to be like you. Every time I get close – you shoot me down. Why can’t you make up your freakin’ mind, you pathetic “rebel without a cause” loser? Huh? You’re just like my father. You offer the carrot on the stick … and then you yank it away right when I get to the point I can reach it,” he continued to rant resentfully.

“I don’t talk ta thornoids, KID,” Spike muttered with a hiss.

Robbie scoffed. “You think I’m just sayin’ this stuff ‘cause of what I ate, huh, Spike? Let me tell you something … I’ve never felt less inhibited. I feel free.” He looked around at his predicament and sighed. “Emotionally, anyway,” he grumbled. “I finally have the courage to tell you off and like some pathetic little whiner, you can’t handle a frank assessment of your friendship.”

<><><><><><>

Wendy, wearing a pink T-shirt and a black leather vest, and Thighs of Thunder, wearing a fur tunic and bone earrings, finally tracked Charlene down by her whimpering. They caught up to her and told her to stop running. Charlene, still wearing the fur tunic the cavepeople had given her, turned, wiping her eyes, and blubbered, “I have to find Baby, Wendy! Mom told me to keep watch over him! What if he’s eaten?” Her face grew more and more horrified. “What if he’s fallen down a big random hole somewhere in the valley? What if he’s cut to ribbons by some creep in a large triangular paper hat and an apron and big carving knife?”

Wendy and Thighs of Thunder looked at each other and back at Charlene. Wendy spoke first, “Charlene, you’re letting your imagination get to you. Calm down, and we’ll handle this logically.”

Charlene sighed, exasperated. “Baby is the least logical dinosaur in all of Pangaea!” she screamed, bursting into tears.

Thighs of Thunder walked up to Charlene and patted her gently on the shoulder. “The pink one is chasing a large green shadow,” she offered quietly.

Charlene sniffled. She wiped her eyes. “A … a … large green shadow?” She paused. “How do you know?”

Thighs of Thunder shrugged. “Cavepeople have sophisticated communication abilities.”

Charlene cocked an eyebrow. “All they do is grunt,” she replied innocently.

The cavemen-reared saurian female squinted. “And yet … you with … superior … knowledge … cannot find a mere toddler.”

 

[The Count]

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