Sophia and the Dinosaurs

Sample story

The ground trembles beneath Sophia's sneakers, and she freezes. The air smells different here — like warm rain and wet stone and something ancient she can't quite name. Ferns as tall as houses curl around her, their fronds dripping with mist, and somewhere beyond the tree line, something enormous breathes. Sophia clutches the glowing fossil she found buried in her backyard — the one that cracked open the shimmering portal between the oak tree's roots. Its light pulses in her palm like a tiny heartbeat, warm and steady. Then she sees it. A young triceratops, no bigger than a pony, stands in a clearing of crushed branches and scattered stones. Its nest — a wide circle of carefully stacked rocks and bones — lies in ruins, toppled across the mossy ground. The little dinosaur lets out a low, rumbling cry that Sophia feels deep in her chest. Above the distant mountains, the sky flickers orange. Thunder rolls, but it isn't thunder. It's the volcano. Sophia takes a deep breath, squares her shoulders, and steps forward. "Okay," she whispers. "I can figure this out."