Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Northern Trek

In order to escape the plague, Synca knows he must head north. The farther he goes, the colder it will get and the drier the air. The mosquitoes he has no idea how far he’s gone so far. It’s been about half a day since he left his home and he’s been travelling at a steady rate. Synca should be halfway through Texas by now. He’s already gotten past the worst of the plague. However, it appears to be “following” him. He can’t stop and rest for long. On the way, he stops at a lake every once and a while to quench his thirst.

After about another two hours, Synca decides to find something to eat. He’s too tired to hunt though. Luckily for him, he finds the carcass of a Triceratops. This animal did die naturally. It’s safe to eat. Synca dives in. It’s the first meat he’s eaten in almost a day and after all his walking and running, he’s been running on empty. After he stuffs himself, Synca curls up for the night. Tomorrow will be another big day.

As the sun rises, Synca wakes up to see a bright blue sky. He stretches his legs and yawns. He’s a little sore from all the moving he’s done, but overall, he feels pretty good. Synca takes one more bite from the Triceratops carcass and heads off. It’s not as hot as it has been, but it’s just as humid. He will have to go a long way before he reaches safety from the plague. Every once and a while he’ll see a herd of dinosaurs heading north too. At first, he considers following them. Even though they are different species, he could use a little company. But he decides against it. Herbivores attract other predators. Synca would rather not be around should a pack of raptors or a T.rex attack. He feels better about his decision after he watches a herd of Corythosaurus’ stampeding with a Tyrannosaurus following closely behind. Synca quickly turns and gives the larger predator a wide berth.

A few days have passed and Synca is now outside of Texas. He’s noticed the air is less humid. However, it’s still too humid for him to feel safe. He must keep going. Synca has also noticed the dinosaurs have changed. The species he’s familiar with are slightly different in build and color and some, he doesn’t recognize at all. Synca decides it’ll just take some getting used to. As he continues north, he also notices something new in the distance. The young, jagged peaks of the Rocky Mountains stand miles ahead of him. That’s where he must go. To the mountains, and if possible, beyond. The mosquitoes would never be able to get past that barrier. It’ll take many months to finally reach them, but he’ll make it.

The days have come and gone. It’s been two months since Synca left Texas. He has finally reached the mountains. Their snow covered peaks rise high before him. Now, he must make a choice. Keep going, past the mountains, or stay where he is. He may have gone far enough to escape the plague, but he’s not sure. Synca decides to be safe rather than sorry. He’ll continue.

As Synca makes his way through a large canyon between two cliff faces, he becomes aware of something. He’s not alone. He scans the area, searching for any sign of trouble. He soon realizes he’s looking in the wrong place. Synca’s gaze eventually turns skyward and then he sees him. Standing at the edge of the cliff, is Scarface. Synca has no idea why he’s here or where his parents are, but he doesn’t want to know. Scarface roars and Synca takes off. Scarface follows by running at the top of the cliff, parallel to Synca. As he runs, his weight causes the snow to give way. A massive avalanche ensues. Synca hears the thundering sound and looks back to see what it is. When he sees the wall of snow closing in on him, he picks up the pace. Scarface loses his footing and is engulfed in snow. His body tumbles in and out of the avalanche. Synca can see the edge of the canyon ahead of him. He needs to get out before he’s buried alive. Just a few more yards to go. He’s out. The wall of snow and ice exits the canyon and spreads out on the open plain. Synca glances at the pile of snow. He notices Scarface’s arm sticking out of the pile. Synca gets closer to get a better look. Then, the arm twitches. Synca bolts in the other direction. His trek is not over. It’s only just begun.

As the sun sets, Scarface finally regains consciousness. He heaves his legs up and pushes himself out of the snow. Scarface shakes his bruised and battered body to get rid of the snow. He’s sore and may have a few broken bones. But Scarface is relentless. He’ll keep going no matter what. He looks to the direction Synca went. A growl resonates from deep inside his chest. Then, he follows Synca north.