Unexpected Surprise in the Grass

Serena gently clasped the small hand intertwined with hers. Birds cheerfully chirped their songs as a gentle breeze caressed their faces. Warm sunshine blanketed the landscape of vibrant reds, stunning oranges, and vivid yellows. Fall was in the air, and it was a gorgeous afternoon.

Alice, her four-year-old cousin, merrily skipped alongside her, giggling at all the leaves as they danced in their descent through the air. The atmosphere was jovial and bright. It was as if nothing could sour the mood and bring them down. The pair was on their way to what Alice dubbed “the baby park.” Contrary to what one might think, the park wasn’t for babies. Alice’s line of thought was centered around the park’s relative small size compared to others. Nevertheless, it was Alice’s favorite park. It was quaint with its hills, picnic tables, and modest playground equipment. It didn’t hurt that it was down the street from her house, either.

Leaping over a crack in the sidewalk, Alice beamed in delight as her pigtails bobbed up and down. The world was much simpler for a child. Suddenly, Serena was halted mid-step. Curious as to why Alice abruptly stopped, Serena peered at her small cousin. Eyes aglow in wonder, Alice was ensnared in rapture by the grassy ground beside the sidewalk.

“It’s a dinosaur egg,” Alice whispered in complete awe.

Crouching beside Alice to take a closer look at what her cousin believed to be a dinosaur egg, Serena found a massive, round mushroom. It was speckled and certainly resembled a dinosaur egg. Serena could understand why Alice mistook it for a dinosaur egg—based off its appearance, it wasn’t a far stretch.

“Hmm, it certainly appears to be,” Serena commented, not wanting to put a damper on her cousin’s imagination of squash her wonder of the world.

“It must have gotten lost and come from the zoo,” Alice concluded, “because that’s where all the other animals are.” Her breath hitched. “It’ll probably hatch soon!” exclaimed Alice.

“Maybe,” Serena supplied. “What do you think will hatch if it does?”

“Hmm… A dinosaur… Maybe a T-Rex!” her cousin declared with confidence.

With a soft smile Serena considered Alice’s answer. Reflecting on The Land Before Time: The Great Valley Adventure, Serena surmised that the mushroom was roughly the size of Chomper’s egg. Alice adored that movie and little Chomper, the baby “Sharp Tooth.” If the movie was anything to go by, the mushroom-egg could house a baby T-Rex. Granted, in the creative realm of imagination anything was possible.

Alice’s brow furrowed as she was deep in thought. “Don’t get too close, Rini! If it is a baby T-Rex that hatches, it could bite you with its sharp teeth!” she cautioned ardently.

Stifling the chuckle that threated to escape, Serena smiled at her cousin and thanked her, “Very wise words of advice, Alice. I’d hate to lose a finger or hand to a hungry, baby dinosaur. I’d best keep my distance.”

Alice nodded vigorously. “Chomper may be friendly, but many of the T-Rexes want to fill their bellies!” she seriously warned. “Don’t become their food! I’d miss you too much!”

Serena enveloped her cousin in a warm embrace, touched by her sincere concern. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep my distance from T-Rexes, hungry or otherwise, okay? I promise,” she assured whole-heartedly. “Why don’t we go play at the park instead of tempting fate with hatching dinosaurs?”

“Okay! I love the park!” Alice enthusiastically exclaimed, completely forgetting her earlier concern of dinosaurs with sharp teeth and empty stomachs. She began bouncing up and down, incessantly pulling on Serena’s arm to get her to pick up the pace. “Let’s go! Let’s go!” Alice urged.

“Alright, alright. I’m coming,” Serena returned with a chuckle and a smile. What an unusual day it turned out to be. It’s not every day you stumble upon a potential dinosaur egg, after all, Serena mused.