A Bad Day

by Twyla Jane

Alternate Universe: Land of the Lost

A little white rafting was supposed to be good for the soul. A group had set off in rafts together earlier that morning they were together by the luck of the draw seven individual men backgrounds and personalities were as diverse as their reasons to be on this adventure. The kid JD Dunne still in college had come to try something new, a break from the halls of academia. Vin Tanner was a drifter who done a bit of everything from bronco busting to bounty hunting lived on pure adrenalin this added to that rush. Nathan Jackson from the big city was a free clinic doctor in dire need of a vacation what better way that to get away from it all. Josiah, a lay minister had signed up to get in touch with life and nature. Wilmington and Larabee had come on the trip together it had been Buck's idea a change of scenery was needed for Chris who after three years still had dealt with the tragic loss of his family. The last minute member to the group was Ezra Standish, an enigma obviously sorely out of his element when he showed up the night before in an Armani suit and three hundred dollar shoes. Some how he had managed to properly outfit himself in the wee hours of the morning. The itinerary had them setting out on the water at 6 a.m. They would set up a campsite 5 miles down river with the gear they had carefully loaded aboard. The four rafts set off down the river.

The canyon they were paddling down was beautiful, the morning was warming up as the sun made a steady climb over the horizon. For the most part the trip had been devoid of conversation each man wrapped up in his own thoughts. A single rock fell from a sheer stonewall and quickly followed by another and another as the earth trembled. A magnitude six quake shook the canyon as the rafts were propelled down the rapids. The first three rafts made it through the white water before the ground seized a crevasse cracked open under the rapids causing the water and ultimately the raft with the seven aboard to plunge a thousand feet below. Another massive jolt deep within the earth's crust had caused the gaping crevasse to close up.

Tanner was the first to come up and he did so spitting up vile combination of sand and water frantically scanning his surroundings for the others. The man in black, Larabee was just off to his left face down in the water. Vin slogged through the water, quickly turned the man rewarded for his effort when Chris spat out as he coughed up what he has swallowed.

"Y'alright Cowboy?"

The sodden blond just nodded as he tried to catch his breath in between bouts of coughing. He sucked in a wheezy breath before he asked.

"Buck?"

"Dunno, you okay cause might be best if we start looking for him … all of them…"

Larabee nodded and accepted Tanner's outstretched hand. Together the pair waded out of the river for the first time noticing their surroundings this wasn't the canyon. They were standing amongst an odd combination of tropical trees. Hell even the sky looked strange. The others were nowhere in sight as they scanned the sandy bank a terrifying loud roar filled the air the ground shook with increasing intensity. The trees rattled then parted revealing a very large pissed off…DINOSAUR charging right at them.

Chris and Vin did the only thing they could do given their situation they ran for the nearest cover they could find a stone pylon. Well within its dark confines as the beast roared outside Larabee ran a shaky hand over his face.

"That was a god damned T-Rex… "

"Sure the hell was no pregnant Texas size jack-a-lope…" The Texan smiled at his companion and introduced himself. "Vin Tanner…"

"Chris Larabee…"

As suddenly as it began the angry bellows stopped as the hungry creature stalked off in search of an easier meal. The occasional distant shriek would echo through the air. Once the Grumpy T-Rex departed the two looked around the strange room. A lit pedestal with an assortment of colorful crystals stood in the middle. From the way it was set up looked like a bizarre chess game. Although intrigued by this discovery they had more pressing matters like finding out where the other five men that had been in the raft with them were.

His feet were flying barely touching the rocky ground as he fled his pursuer. Dunne was almost out of breath, his lungs burned but fear kept his lean legs churning underneath him. He took another quick peek over his shoulder he hadn't lost the creature. JD really wished he had paid more attention in science and history class since he hadn't now wasn't the time to find out if that thing would eat people. A split second later he plowed into a large warm movable object when he slammed full force into an unsuspecting Buck Wilmington.

"Whoa Kid…"

The dark haired youth was beyond hearing at the point. He frantically struggled against Buck's hold on him managing to get a few good kicks before Nate Jackson stepped in to help. The dark skinned man almost lay bodily atop Dunne as he and Buck fought to restrain him. Reality slowly dawned in JD's mind and he stopped fighting allowing himself to slump down.

"Oh my god…"

The words were gasped out as he gazed at his rescuers.

"Don't worry Kid that's a brontosaurus, a definite plant eater."

"I'm okay… I'm okay..."

The young man sagged a little more under Wilmington's grip as he tried desperately to calm his breathing.

"You sure, Kid? "

"Yeah not its every day I get see overgrown reptiles."

"Well, I'm sure that's not the only one so we best get moving."

The calm voice came from Nate Jackson as he was scanning their surroundings for any more surprises. JD allowed himself to be pulled to his feet by Buck and the trio headed back towards the river in some hope of finding the others.

A lone gray haired man was slowly treading across the forest floor. The trees were tropical, which didn't seem possible because this morning he had started out rafting through a canyon in the Southwest, nowhere near a jungle. Yet Josiah Sanchez was standing sweating amidst a tropical rain forest. A strange cry filled the air it was like no bird he had ever heard before when Josiah looked up he was surprised to see…

No it wasn't possible

A pterodactyl soared on the thermals above him.

I've stepped back in time.

Shaking his head at the revelation he trudged on.

A still sodden figure on the shore had caught the interest of the one the local inhabitants. The hairy brown long-coated bipedal simian-like creature was intrigued by his find. The pakuni although young had already been taught to fear reptiles, this beast was not like anything he had ever encountered before. Not sleestak, but not pakuni either, for it wrapped itself in strange skins and only had hair on its skull. The pale skinned beast was neither dead nor alive it lay unmoving as young Cha-ka poked at it with a stick. The earth trembled slightly under the young pakuni's feet. The big hunter reptile was in the area, so with strength that dwarfed his three-foot height Cha-ka dragged the limp body towards the safety of a burrow.

The disoriented feeling of being pulling along the rocky ground greeted Standish as he drifted towards consciousness. His dazed green eyes cracked open, unable to focus on the strange little being that dragged him into the earthen den before passing out again.

The ground shook as a lone Tyrannosaurus began picking its pace, as it smelled prey in the vicinity. Sanchez had felt the thunderous approach and headed for the nearest shelter he could find. Scaling a large tree with surprising agility for a man of his size. Josiah moved until found a comfortable perch out of reach of the large reptile. Watching the scene play out below him as the beast stalked after easier prey, a small hairy creature and its desperate plight to drag a human form into the rocky crevasse. The T-Rex let out a frustrated bellow unable to reach the food.

The sight that greeted them up ahead caused a smile spread across Tanner's face as he trudged along the riverbank next to Larabee. Three figures laden down with wet camping gear were walking towards them. A rare grin tugged at the older man's face as he too saw the men. No one uttered a sound instead they warily made up the distance between them. No need to draw attention to themselves when they were unprotected and out in the open.

"Hey Stud."

Buck whispered when they were close enough.

"Hey yourself…ya see the others?"

"No not since we went over the falls and… hell where are we?"

"And when are we? There are some unusual critters here…"

Vin's easy Texas drawl brought a smile to more than one face.

"Got that right, I dunno about ya'll but there's an old stone temple back through the trees a bit… may want to set up camp there 'til we figure out what's going on."

Buck squinted up at the sun as he spoke while wiping the sweat from his face.

"Sounds like a plan…"

The five headed off towards the tree line.

The call of a lone pterodactyl echoed through the evening sky, a man sat high in a tree his muscles had cramped up painfully hours earlier. Sanchez had waited patiently for the Rex to leave. Only after tentatively stretching out one leg then the other did he slowly climb down. Listening carefully to his surroundings he descended to the forest floor, his eyes never truly leaving the small out cropping of rocks. The creature hadn't re-emerged neither had the human. Once on solid footing Josiah jogged towards the small opening and looked in. Huddled tightly in a corner was the wary little being gently petting the unconscious man. Standish, if he recalled correctly, was bleeding from a nasty gash on his head. Crawling forward the big man startled the pakuni and it clutched the limp man tighter.

"No need to fear…" Josiah's voice was calm and steady as he spoke trying to reassure the frightened creature. "I need to tend to him…" He motioned towards the lax form. Unable to understand the meaning of the words Cha-ka did recognize the intention and relaxed his grip. Josiah inched farther into the tight space gently grasping Ezra's chin with his hand. The younger man face was pale and cool to the touch. Touching two fingers from his other hand to the damp neck was Sanchez reassured by a steady pulse. When he released the hold Standish's head lolled back against Cha-ka while he reached back and tore off several pieces of his shirt. Taking the strips of cloth Josiah tightly wrapped and bound the jagged wound.

After a few awkward attempts the big man managed to extract Standish from the burrow, they couldn't stay here just wasn't safe but the question was where to go. The small hairy being tugged on his arm and pointed towards a direction in the west. After a moment's contemplation Sanchez hefted the oblivious man over his shoulder and followed the ape-like being.

The sun had just set and the moons were hanging low in the twilight over the horizon. A blazing fire brightly burned at the entrance of the ancient temple the men talked quietly savoring a light meal of campfire fare around its warmth and security. Agreeing on one thing that this sure as hell wasn't earth. The three crescent moon glowing overhead confirmed that much. But where exactly they were couldn't be discerned that easy, it was almost like they fell victim to a plot of a bad movie.

"This is like that flick you know the one…Island on top of the world."

A bleary eyed JD said just before he popped a charred marshmallow in his mouth.

"Nah there was cute cave babes in that… and I ain't seen neither hide nor hair one of them."

In the flickering light Buck smiled over his tip cup of coffee.

"Still was on earth though 'sides kid, didn't those folk like go to that place in a sub... we just fell through a water fall and ended up here…"

The quiet words came from Vin as he sat next to Chris grinning like a cat. That smile disappeared quickly when a loud rustling came from the trees and all five men were on their feet in an instant just in time to see a lumbering form burst through the brush. The large definitely human form was running all out heading straight for the temple straining under the weight of the man had slung over his shoulder and close at his heels was a small hairy creature. A moment later only twenty yards behind Sanchez following in a predatory pack were a pack of bi-pedal lizard like beings. The bounding creatures were closing the distance as the unlikely trio bounded up the stairs. The shrieking pakuni was knocked down only a second before Josiah was. The big man lost his grip on Ezra and the dazed man tumbled down the stone steps.

Tanner and Wilmington lit torchs and charged towards the hissing creatures swinging the flames at the stalking creatures scaring them off the fallen men. The effect was brief and the sleestaks circled around again before they charged at the Texan. A sudden flash from above Vin sent them howling away as a flare grazed one of them. Only after the pack had disappeared into the trees did Vin look back to see Larabee standing on the top step with a smoking flare gun in his hand.

Cha-ka had taken refuge behind an exhausted Josiah who had slumped down to a seat on the steps. Nathan was nearby checking on a bewildered Ezra. Buck and JD were busy stoking the flames of the fire even higher.

"What the hell was that?"

"Those were sleestak…"

"How do you know that?"

"This little being behind me Cha-ka… called them that. Saved Standish from being lunch…and led me here." rumbled Sanchez and the pakuni chattered at the mention of his name. Larabee frowned it was bad enough they had to deal with dinosaurs by daylight. Seems that they wouldn't be safe no matter what time it was.

A loud "Aw hell" broke the relative quiet as Jackson shoved smelling salts under Ezra's nose. His eyelids snapped open, his green eyes roving around before he tightly scrunched them close against the painful throbbing that had settled behind them completely ignoring Nate's questions and muttered. "Am I dreaming?"

"Afraid not…" The low chuckle next him had him cracking his eyelids open again. A broad smile was plastered across the dark man's face as he quietly spoke. "That's it…want to answer my questions now?"

"No…" The softly drawled word was barely audible.

"Okay you get some rest…" The confused eyes were closed before Nate had even finished saying the words.

"He okay?" Larabee tipped his head in Standish direction.

"Gotta concussion and a nasty wound in his scalp which I'd like to stitch up in the morning… as far as being okay we are a long way from a hospital so only time will tell…"

Not the answer he had wanted but Chris had to accept it for now. A glance to his left revealed the young pakuni curled up next to the slumbering Josiah. Beyond them his old friend was having a in depth conversation with JD about whether or not brontosaurus were living in the hidden depths African jungles as portrayed in the movie 'Baby'. Vin was off to his left smirking.

"Feeling like yer in the Land of the Lost, Cowboy?"

"More like the Valley of the Gwangi…"

"We'll figure out what ta do in the morning…"

"Yep that we will."

End