What Lies Beneath

In the summer of 1972, Pam and Barb were planning a road trip to Frisco Bay, Georgia. They bought a '58 VW van, Old Orange, which had been previously owned by someone else. However, they realized that the air hose needed to cool the engine, so they turned right towards Dallas. The van had minor quirks, such as the radio only working in third and fourth gear and windshield wipers only going one way. Pam was the designated pusher for the starter, which showed remarkable good taste for a starter.

They spent a week in a tiny village on Lake Superior shore, where the main entertainment was going to the dump and watching bears feed. They planned to bypass Denver and go to Aspen, but Orange was unable to keep the minimum speed of 40 mph while climbing up I-70. They headed north into Wyoming before turning west again.

Two days later, they left Jackson Hole after breakfast and entered the Grand Tetons with their raw, relatively young peaks. They pulled in at a rest stop next to a small lake, where they saw a rumble in the ground and animals running eastward. Pam was a city girl, but even she thought this was strange. None of the animals paid any attention to her or each other.

Worried, Pam returned to the van, and Barb shrugged, saying it was nothing. She suggested that if there was a fire, they would have closed the park. Pam took her word for it. They drove on, admiring the breathtaking majesty of the Tetons. By early afternoon, they had entered the visitor's center of Yellowstone Park, right on time, which meant they had too late to get front row seats.

As the summer intern gave a play-by-play, Old Faithful spewed sulfuric steam, which Pam was shocked to see. The steam erupted again, and people dared to exhale in relief. Pam dragged her friend away, and Barb jumped in the driver's seat while Pam pushed the old relic off. As soon as Barb was able to turn the engine over, Pam ran and jumped in the passenger seat. People were screaming, running, elbowing, pushing, and stumbling over each other.

Pam and Barb find a massive pile of prehistoric creatures in boiling water, ready to claim their heritage. They wonder how many eggs had survived the long winter following the meteor impact. As they back up, another creature crawls out, fully grown and ready to claim its heritage. The lake, once a popular tourist attraction, becomes a cauldron with prehistoric creatures clambering ashore, crushing anything in their paths.

Pam begs Barb to go, but she can't make herself drive over anyone. She points out that the creatures will eventually take over. Barb's good driving skills turn into an excellent demolition derby driver, driving around people, forcing them into ditches, and forcing them off the side of the mountain.

They grumble about the gas station in Jackon Hole, where they were charged forty-two cents per gallon for the privilege of using a full tank. However, they have a full tank and are going downhill, which is a plus in their little old van. The flying creatures may be colorblind and couldn't see orange, but Barb weaves and bobs and evades them.

It takes just a few millennia to make it to Shoshone Ice Caves, where they huddle with hundreds of other refugees until the National Guard tells them it's safe to leave the cave. Pam and Barb never make it to San Francisco, as Old Orange throws a rod the next day.

In Thay And, Pam and Barb Dekdid To Lawe Thay Park And Return To Tahir Homes In Georgia.