Twelve Upon A Time.... Edward Galluzzi

that could hold water. For food, they would have to go beyond the tree line and hope they did not encounter other creatures of the earth.

      Don and Jane led the way into the small forest. As hoped, they encountered various berry bushes and fruit trees. They picked what they could and what their daughters’ backpacks would hold. The noises of the forest grew louder and the earth shook under their feet. Friend or foe they did not know. Nobody had to tell anybody that it was time to retreat to the safety of the cave. Amanda, Donja and their parents ran back to the safety of the cave.

      As Donja’s parents put away the collected supplies, her sister and she sat at the cave entrance. The unknown noises in the distance were both scary and intriguing. Reading about things present and past in textbooks is one thing. Living and interacting with the experience is quite another.

      As Amanda and Donja talked at the cavern entrance, they spotted Bronto in the distance heading toward them. They yelled, “Mom! Dad! Bronto is here!” The girls ran out of the cave to meet Bronto. Bronto stopped short of the girls not wanting to frightened them. After a moment, it extended its neck down as far as it would stretch. The girls patted Bronto’s head as they had done before. A bonding of sorts between past and present was developing, a bonding between the herbivorous and the girls.

      Their parents looked on believing that their daughters could tame just about anything. As that thought hung in the air, a loud, angry, screeching cry was heard coming from the lake by the trees. Even Bronto appeared unnerved by the wail. Amanda, Donja and their parents headed toward the safety of the cave.

      Once in the cave, Amanda and her family peered out of the opening. Although the screeching cries grew louder, they did not see anything. They expected that something quite large was heading their way. Yet, they heard everything and saw nothing.

      The cries grew louder. Donja and Amanda soon spotted a small lizard-like dinosaur coming toward them. It was no taller than their knees, but it sure was loud. It was a rather silly looking dinosaur. It had large green eyes, a bump in the middle of its forehead, two noses, wide floppy ears and long thin tail. Bronto returned near the cave entrance to see what all the fuss was about. The lizard-like dinosaur stopped near the entrance of the cave, but kept screeching like a pig squealing in the mud.

      Amanda and Donja did not know how to talk to Screecher (that’s what they named it). It just kept walking in a circle and screeching. Then Donja noticed a limp in its walk. She moved slowly toward Screecher, stopping for a few minutes after each step so as not to scare the little dinosaur away. Amanda looked on as Donja stopped right in front of Screecher. The dinosaur seemed calmed by Donja’s presence and gradually stopped its chatter. Donja sat on the ground and was now eyeball-to-eyeball with Screecher. It stared at Donja for a moment; then, as if satisfied that she was no threat, lifted its right leg. Now Donja knew why Screecher was screeching for in its foot lodged deeply was a splintered bone from another animal.

      Donja yelled, “Amanda, get mom and dad! Quick!” Amanda disappeared in the cave and returned shortly with her parents. Donja said to her father, “Dad, Screecher has a bone buried in its foot. What can we do?” Her dad replied, “So you named it already?” Amanda and Donja yelled, “Dad!” Their father called out, “OK! OK!” He walked slowly toward Screecher. He asked his daughters to get their backpacks. Their father saw that the bone embedded itself further into Screecher’s foot with each step that it took.

      Amanda and Donja returned with their backpacks and walked slowly near their father. Their father took hold of the bone, but was unable to dislodge it from Screecher’s foot. Screecher started screeching once again.

      Amanda and Donja’s father started rummaging through their backpacks. He marveled at how much stuff his daughters had accumulated and packed away. As their father sorted through the tightly packed packs, Donja and Amanda did what they could to comfort Screecher. At least Screecher was not screeching for the moment.

      Donja’s father called out, “Ah Hah!” He pulled out a big toenail clipper. He laughed and asked his daughters, “OK, which one of you has big feet?” Amanda and Donja smiled somewhat although they did not quite see the humor in the remark as did their father.

      Amanda’s father used the back end of the clippers like a pair of pliers. He told the girls to hold on and distract Screecher. Their father then clamped down on the splintered bone. With a yank from their father and a screech from Screecher, the bone was out. Everybody seemed relieved although nobody was more at ease than the little dinosaur.

      As Amanda and Donja played with Bronto and Screecher, their parents made their daily trip to get water and food. Each time the trip was made, they also stopped near their point of entry to this past world. Donja and Amanda’s parents knew that the passage way to 65 million years in the future had to be here. But where? But how?

      Ten months had now passed. Donja and Amanda enjoyed their time with Bronto, Screecher and Puffy. Puffy joined the group a couple of months ago. The girls named it Puffy because it puffs out its cheeks and turns different colors when threatened.

      Late one evening as Amanda and Donja slept, their parents talked about the portal somewhere out there. Wherever it was, it would project them into the future and back home. As they shared ideas with each other, it dawned on them that they always checked for the passageway during the day; yet, they arrived here in the past exactly at midnight. Could the portal only function at midnight?

      With their daughters fast asleep, Don and Jane decided to find out. Midnight was about one hour away. They left the safety of the cave and ventured into the still of darkness. Donja’s parents traveled the path that they took many times before. The moon provided a dim light that helped them stay on course.

      Amanda’s parents arrived near their believed entry several minutes before midnight. They decided to stand back-to-back and then slowly walk forward at midnight. As midnight arrived, they began their slow walk feeling around with their outstretched hands. They hoped to contact anything that might suggest a passage way back to their future, their present.

      As Amanda’s parents walked, her mother felt the same gel-like stuff that marked their way to prehistoric past. She quickly withdrew her hand and called to her husband. There was no doubt that this was the portal that would return them home. Don asked his wife to remain at the site while he gathered wood and stones to mark the portal. They returned to the safety of the cave. They were tired and drifted off for some needed sleep.

      Donja and Amanda arose early the next morning as Screecher, Puffy and Bronto were making their familiar chatter. The girls greeted them and played with them as their parents rested. Amanda’s parents were awakened by the comforting sounds of creatures and children at play. They knew what their daughters did not know: this was to be their last day in long ago past. Their girls would be happy to return to their present in the future, but saddened by the loss of their friendships with Bronto, Screecher and Puffy. They decided not to tell their daughters until lunch so that they could enjoy their morning play with their friends.

      As their midday mealtime approached, Amanda and Donja were told of the portal and its passage at midnight. The sisters shrieked with happiness, hugging each other and their parents. Sometime during all that hugging, Donja and Amanda realized that going home meant leaving their friends Bronto, Puffy and Screecher. This tempered the girls’ jubilation and they went off by themselves.

      Donja and Amanda wondered how they would communicate to their dinosaur friends that they would be leaving this very night. They really did not know. Amanda and Donja walked out of the cave and greeted Bronto, Screecher and Puffy. In an instant, the three friends sensed something was different; something was not quite right. The girls sat tearfully quiet as they