Hi all and just to let you know; same as “Here and There” – Book Two, this science fiction novel is mostly in progress. Plus, I probably won’t be done with either of them ‘til next autumn-earliest. Anyway, since the novel is tailored to reach the Young Adult audience, the next question arises; will anyone who is older even bother to read it? Ruthie and I would really like to know, so we’d greatly appreciate your comments – whether yea or nay – following each of the novel’s posted excerpts. That said, here’s the first one. Enjoy.

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Bessie Howard’s Amazing Adventures

Traveling Through Time and Space!

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Prologue- Something Odd a Long Time Ago

          The torrential downpour had let up but another oncoming mass of dark thunderheads promised more rain that might last for days or even weeks. During this brief interlude the clouds had parted enough for a few slanted rays of Earth’s young sun to beat down on a Triassic beach of red-colored sand. Momentarily calmed, the sea rolled in on slow swells lapping the shoreline. Beyond it, palm-like cycads with slim woody trunks stood amid giant rain-soaked ferns bent way down.         

High overhead a winged red-crested reptile, its long narrow beak lined with sharp teeth, spotted a small amphibian scuttling across the sand. Eyes instantly locked on its prey the pterosaur banked into a turn and dropped in lowering circles.

          Its tiny mind perhaps suddenly sensing danger, the amphibian broke back toward the water in a side to side scurry. Splashing into the shallows, it dove to safer depths half a second before the predator could snatch it up.        

          Foiled and vaguely annoyed, the pterosaur angled its six foot wingspan to glide in a wide turn back to the beach. Landing atop a dune, it folded its wings and slumped into an ungainly crouch. Darting bird-like glances from side to side, it saw something glint nearby. Waddling clumsily over to the object, it looked down at it.

          An outwash of sand from the earlier heavy rain partly obscured a clear plastic bottle with a white cap. A portion of the exposed label read “250 coated aspirin tablets…caffeine free…325 mg”. The reptile gave it an experimental tap with the tip of its beak.

There came a flash and a loud “Pop!” Jerking up, the startled pterosaur moved back a few steps. Staring uncomprehendingly at what had materialized, it saw nothing the least familiar, neither the strange creature in the chair nor the computer monitor in front of it. As it reached down for the bottle, the reptile warily backed up another couple of steps.

          Holding up the bottle and looking back at the pterosaur, the odd-looking intruder wagged a finger as it spoke. The mouthed words could not be heard nor could the eyes be seen behind the tinted visor on its head-piece. Next clutching the bottle to its chest, it leaned back in the chair. After another bright flash and a resounding “Ker-rack!”…nothing was there!

           The incident soon forgotten and aloft once more, the pterosaur was again  looking for something down there to eat.