The Nibiru Effect

Memory 67

AAAAAAHHH!!!"

The cry is high-pitched but surprisingly pain-free. Against all odds, the Velociraptor's teeth have missed my foot, but they have dug deep into the shoe the korrigans designed for me, and the weight of the beast nearly yanks me from my mount. I hold on as best as I can, but the scaly predator is heavy, and my arms are weak. It's only a matter of time before I lose my grip and go tumbling down to ground and certain death.

I focus on my fingers. They desperately squeeze the lip of the snail's shell, but each passing second sees them turn a lighter shade of white. It's only a matter of time before every last drop of blood is drained from them, and when that happens, my chances of survival will be nil.

I hold on for all I've got, but I feel my strength leaving me. A few seconds. That's all I've got left. I peer up at Kara, only to find her staring down at me from high above. I can barely make out her face through the tears of desperation that fill my eyes, but I can tell she's horrified. Somehow, knowing she cares what happens to me makes my inevitable demise bearable. I hold on for a few more seconds before the last of my strength leaves me.

A split second before my grip fails, something miraculous happens. The sole of my shoe rips and, with a resounding tear, the fabric keeping it in place snaps. The Velociraptor plummets. I don't see it hit the ground, but I hear it. I'm not sure if it survived, but I can tell it will think twice about attacking another human.

I'm now safe from the dinosaurs, but my situation is still quite perilous. I'm hanging from the shell of a giant snail, and I'm about to run out of strength. I struggle to pull myself up and onto my mount's shell, but my arms are too weak. I can't believe I survived a Velociraptor attack, only to die because of a lack of upper-body strength.

"You can do it!" calls Kara from up above. "I believe in you."

Hearing her voice acts as a catalyst for my adrenaline. One moment I'm on the verge of exhaustion, and the next I'm groaning and grunting as I pull myself up. I slip a few times, but I eventually make it to the apex of the snail's shell. Once there, I collapse.

It takes a while, but my racing heart eventually slows, and my ragged breathing returns to normal. My strength comes back, and I find the courage to open my eyes.

Bad idea.

One look at my surroundings reminds me I have only traded in one danger for another. I may now be safe from the Velociraptors, but the snail atop which I'm perched transports me farther and farther from the ground. We're already ten metres up and each passing second adds a few centimetres to that number.

"Oh no!" I groan as my head starts spinning. My vision blurs, and my balance is compromised. I barely have time to grab hold of the giant snail's tentacles before I completely disconnect from reality.

I'm not sure how long it takes, but my vision eventually returns. My balance has been restored, but the fear that grips me remains. In fact, I'm now more terrified than ever before.

I hold on for dear life as I do my best to avoid thinking of the plummet that awaits me should I lose my grip. Eyes closed once more, I remain petrified for what feels like an eternity. It takes a while, but I finally manage to speak.

"M-make it s-stop!" I beg. "P-please m-make it stop!"

Against all odds, my snail complies. At first, I'm relieved, but then I'm confused.

Why did it stop?

I open my eyes and glance around. Every last snail has come to a standstill. Even Kara's mount has halted, now mere metres from the top of the cliff.

"What's going on?" I ask, doing my best to avoid staring at anything that could remind me of the precariousness of my situation.

Kara doesn't answer. At least not with words. She points to something in the distance. I don't understand what she's showing me until I see a flock of large birds soaring toward us. At least I think they're birds until I notice the scales and the claws. That alone is enough to reveal the true nature of these "birds."

Pterodactyls.

They're small—at least by dinosaur standards—but that doesn't mean they're harmless. They make up for their two-metre wingspan with vicious-looking claws and long, serrated beaks.

There are dozens. Hundreds. They fill the entire sky, blotting out the sun.

The flock grows nearer, like a tidal wave nearing the shore. I try to get away, but there's nowhere for me to run. All I can do is sit there and wait. I do, my heart hammering against my ribcage. I keep my eyes open for as long as I can, but they slam shut by themselves moments before the Pterodactyls reach the cliff.

Air. It hits me with full force, flattening me against the stone wall. I struggle to break free from its powerful grip, but the flapping of hundreds of powerful wings is too much for a puny human like me to handle. I remain pinned for what feels like an eternity. It's not until the cacophony of beating wings fades to a mere whisper that the air finally releases me. I slump down onto my snail, only barely avoiding a plummet to certain death.

It takes a moment, but I finally find the courage to open my eyes. The sight that greets me is both beautiful and terrifying.

Hundreds of Pterodactyls flutter along the face of the cliff. Half a dozen orso are gathered around each one of the snails that were unlucky enough to stillbe scaling the wall. I'm not sure what they're planning, but I suspect I won'tenjoy it. Sure enough, they start pecking moments after the thought occurs tome.