Chapter 6 - Dinosaur Birds

Michael stared up at the object before him, unsure of what it was. A loud screech came from the head of the creature. Michael then discovered Mcayla hanging on to the side of the bird like creature.

“HELP!” Mcayla screamed. Michael now feeling helpless, looked around and saw there were multiple giant birds surrounding him.

 “What are you creatures?” Michael questioned softly.

“MICHAEL!” Mcayla screamed as her grip of the feather started to slip. Fortunately, the giant bird took his column leg and picked her off his side and rested her safely on the ground. Michael ran to her in hope there was no harm done. Michael kneeled next to her with his hands on her shoulders,

“Are you alright?” Mcayla nodded while breathing heavily.

“YEE-HAA!” Both Mcayla and Michael looked up to see Jerrin falling from the cliff he was lifted up on, and landed on one of the birds. “GIDDIE-UP!” The bird started running in panic. “That’s right! I’m the king of the world!” Michael worried that his brother’s immaturity would get himself killed. Another loud screech came, but this time from all the birds. Michael and Mcayla covered their ears in pain. “AAHHH!” They turn to see Jerrin being thrown around as the bird ran in multiple directions.

“I swear…that kid doesn’t know when to stop.”  Mcayla took Michael’s arm in desire to comfort him.

“I don’t think these birds want to hurt us Mike.”

“Mike?” Michael thought. Pushing that off, Michael turned to her urging her to continue.

“The bird made sure I ended up on the ground safe.” Michael smiled at Mcayla, then looked worried again as he watched Jerrin recklessly ride the giant creature. The bird slowed down and screeched loudly as if he were replying to the rest. The bird stopped when he reached the group of others, and started shaking his feathers.

“whoa…what are you--” Jerrin started to lose his grip. “doing!?” Jerrin started to fall off when the bird caught him in midair with his column leg. Mcayla looked at Michael.

“Told you so.” Michael chuckled, then ran to Jerrin to check up on him.

“Yeah yeah yeah, I’m fine dude. Chill.” Jerrin confronted Mcayla. “That was sick! You should totally try it.”

“I’ve been up there already, and I’m perfectly fine here on the ground.”

“Afraid of heights are we?” Jerrin teased.

“As a matter of fact, I am.” Mcayla admitted.

“Oh. Well, you’re missing out.” Jerrin folded his arms acting tough. Michael walked over to them, and asked the golden question,

“Where’s Courtney?” Everyone came to realization and started calling out her name, and searching everywhere. Mcayla started to lose hope.

“Court fell into the floor. Jerrin’s eyebrows raised.

“Fell into the floor…” Jerrin repeated. “Is that even possible?” Mcayla put her hands on her hips,

“Anything is possible here Dumbo.” Mcayla looked up at the large birds and screamed, “Why did you even come here?! My sister is gone! Do you hear me?! Gone! Because of you guys!”

“Now Mcayla, we don’t know that,” Michael insisted.

“The birds came out of the cracks Courtney fell into,” Mcayla explained. All of sudden, Mcayla froze. “What’s on the back of my neck? What is it?!”

“CHRIS!!!” Jerrin exclaimed. Mcayla’s shoulders relaxed as she saw Jerrin get Chris from the back of her neck.

“Everyone, I’d like to introduce you to my friends, Dino Birds.”

“These are your friends?!” Mcayla asked.

“Dude…you have some sick friends!”

“They’re not sick. They’re quite healthy actually. They--”

“He means they’re cool,” Michael clarified. Chris shrugged with a smile. Mcayla came up to Jerrin and Chris and with a shaky voice asked,

“You haven’t seen Courtney, have you?” Chris’ smile faded. Mcayla sighed and softly shook her head, tears slowly started to fill her eyes. Everyone bowed their heads. Another loud screech came from one of the birds as it came from the back of the crowd. Everyone looked up with a ringing in their ears. The bird came towards them and squatted down beside them. From his feathers came a loud snoring. “Courtney?” Mcayla asked in hope with tears cracking her voice. The bird scratched his back with this beak, to find a young lady snoring loudly in her sleep. “COURTNEY!” Mcayla ran to the bird to find it was too high for her reach, and too slippery for her to climb. “Bird get her down!” Mcayla demanded.

“His name is Sebation,” announced Jerrin.

“What?” Mcayla turned around confused.

“Chris said the bird that’s holding Courtney captive is named Sebation.”

“I don’t care. I want my annoying sister back.” Mcayla turned back around to the bird and took a deep breath. “Sebation…” Mcayla said over exaggerating. “May I please I have my sister back?” The bird looked on his back at the girl, and picked her up by the back of her shirt, and gently rested her on the desert sand with his beak. Courtney starts screaming and acting like she’s falling. “Courtney, you’re fine. I’m right here.” Courtney opened her eyes to see she was safely seated on the sandy ground with everyone, including the birds standing around her. Her cheeks turned a bright red in embarrassment. “Morning sleeping beauty.”

“I thought I fell into the ground,” Courtney said. Mcayla helped her up.

“You did. I guess you fell onto one of these creatures. They came out of the ground through the cracks. The cracks became large enough to be a lake,” Michael explained. As they all stood there staring up at the birds. “What are these creatures anyways?”

“Chris says they’re called Dinosaur birds,” Jerrin explained.

“You mean they’re from the time of the dinasours? I thought they were extinct!” Courtney exclaimed.

“Chris said it’s just because they’re as big as dinosaurs,” Jerrin answered. Courtney’s expression went from excited and interested, to bored and disappointed.

Chris yells from Jerrin’s hand,

“Want to ride them?” Everyone just stared at Jerrin like he was insane.

“No,” Michael replied. “Everyone has been put in enough danger thank to you. If there is anything I want to do, that’s get away from you, these birds, and find our way safely back home. We don’t need anyone making our life more complicated. We’re lucky nobody got hurt.” Chris was speechless, he didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt or scared.

“I’m sorry. I guess I just expected you would want a ride on your journey. It’s a lot of fun. We can make them decent size for you if that’s what you would like,” Chris apologized.

“Decent size?” Mcayla asked. Chris smirked and jumped off of Jerrin’s hand, slid down his clothes, then landed on the ground. When he stood on the ground, he faced the birds grinning from ear to ear. He clapped his hands, whistled a tune, and tippy-toed around in a mini circle to the song he was whistling. The girls started giggling watching Chris dance around. After doing this, he jumped hard on the ground, creating a dent large enough to fit an elephant and chanted “zoola coola chang!” Immediately, the birds started squealing, and the ground started shaking. As everyone worked hard on keeping their balance, they watched as the birds started shrinking. They weren’t the huge dinosaur birds they once were; they were the size of a Clydesdale horse.

“All right!” Jerrin screamed as he ran to one of the birds, and started petting one of their heads. Michael shook his head in embarrassment, then turned to Mcayla,

“Mcayla, I---”

“Can we ride them Mcayla?! Can we?! Can we?!” Courtney interrupted as she went in-between Michael and Mcayla. Mcayla tilted her head with a sigh, and looked to the ‘decent sized’ birds.

“Mcayla?” beckoned Michael. Mcayla looked at him, then at Courtney to see her child-like expression and asked,

“Can it wait Michael?” Michael sighed, yet kept a fake smile and said,

“Yeah.” Mcayla gave him a half smile, as Courtney smiled from ear to ear and too Mcayla’s hand to lead her to the birds. Michael just stood back watching the girls walk away. Michael bowed his head figuring out it was impossible to admit his feelings for Mcayla; as long as Courtney was anywhere around. Jerrin walked over to him smiling,

“Come on…girl problems can wait. Let’s ride some birds!” Michael smiled at him and nodded in agreement as they walked towards the birds.

After the boys helped the girls onto the birds, they got onto their own set of birds. Chris told them this is where he leaves them; they were on their own now.  As the four set off, said their goodbyes and journeyed North into the flaming hot desert.