The Deadly Past by Christopher Pike Page A

after a long pause. “That’s much too big to be a bird.”
    Sally shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun. “How can you tell how big it is?” she asked. “It’s so far away.”
    â€œThat’s our point,” Adam said. “We shouldn’t be able to see it from here.”
    The brown bird appeared to see them.
    It turned in their direction. The peculiar sound grew louder.
    â€œWhatever it is, it’s definitely making the sound,” Watch said. “And look how fast it’s coming. Now it’s twice as big as it was a minute ago.”
    Sally was getting worried. “No bird can fly that fast.”
    â€œSo it can’t be a bird,” Cindy insisted.
    Adam began to back up. “Let’s argue about what it is later. Right now it’s coming our way at high speed and it’s big. I think we should take cover.”
    Sally slowly nodded. “It might be hungry.”
    Cindy giggled uneasily. “We’re going to feel stupid running from a bird.”
    Watch had also begun to back up. “I would rather feel stupid than dead.” He paused andsquinted. The bird—or whatever it was—let out a screeching cry. It pulled in its wings and seemed to go into free fall, plunging toward them like a missile. Even Watch, who seldom showed any sign of fear, stammered as he spoke next. “That looks like a pterodactyl.”
    â€œWhat’s that?” Cindy asked.
    Sally gasped. “A dinosaur!”
    Watch shook his head. “It’s not technically a dinosaur. But it lived at the time of dinosaurs, and was just as deadly.”
    â€œBut that’s impossible!” Cindy cried.
    â€œNothing is impossible in this town!” Adam yelled. He grabbed Cindy by the arm and began to pull her backward. “Let’s get out of here. Now!”
    They half-ran and half-slid down the bluff into a narrow valley. But then they became terribly confused. They each began to run in a separate direction, having no idea where to go. Adam stopped them.
    â€œWe have to find a cave!” he yelled.
    â€œWe passed one a few minutes ago,” Sally cried, stopping, pointing. “It was back that way!”
    Watch pointed in the opposite direction. “I thought it was that way. But we’ll never make it that far. We have to find something closer.”
    They searched the area anxiously.
    The pterodactyl screeched again. Now its leathery wings were clearly visible, as well as its huge mouth. The monster seemed to be coming at them at a hundred miles an hour. It would be on them in seconds. Already the creature was flexing its sharp claws. Adam knew they had to get out of the open.
    â€œIf we can find a rock overhang,” Adam said, “it could stop the pterodactyl from swooping in and snatching one of us.”
    â€œNo!” Sally protested. “We need a cave to be safe!”
    Watch grabbed her arm this time. “Adam is right! We’ll never make it back to that cave! There’s an overhang! Let’s go to it!”
    They took off for the far end of the narrow valley, which dead-ended at a wall with a sharp overhang that jutted twenty feet out from it. Unfortunately, the overhang would be at least twenty feet over their heads. So it afforded little protection. As a group they pressed themselves against the limestone wall.
    â€œI wish I had a hand laser,” Watch said, staring up at the approaching monster.
    â€œA strong stick might help,” Adam said, spyingone halfway up the side of the stone wall. He pointed. “I’ll try for it.”
    The pterodactyl screeched a third time.
    It was maybe five seconds away.
    Sally grabbed Adam’s arm and pulled him back against the wall. “Stay here, you nut!” she cried. “It’ll kill you!”
    Adam shook her off. “It will kill us all if we don’t frighten it away.” Glancing up at the pterodactyl once, he braced himself and then