DINO KING

Twenty years had passed since Speckles became the king of his valley. Beside him stood Roseclaw, his beautiful dark-purple mate with pale lavender stripes and bright turquoise eyes. Together, they had raised three little Tarbosauruses: Fern, a green baby with amber eyes; Violet, a purple baby with turquoise eyes; and Silver, a silver baby with icy blue eyes. For three weeks, the family lived happily in their sheltered home among the rocky hills. Fern chased butterflies through the grass. Violet playfully pounced on her brother's tail. Silver nestled beneath Roseclaw's protective body, watching his siblings with curious eyes. Speckles watched his family from a nearby ledge, his amber eyes filled with pride. Then, one stormy afternoon, the mountain began to tremble. A crack split the rocky cliffs above the valley. Birds scattered from the trees, and smaller stones tumbled down the slope. Speckles turned toward the sound. A gigantic boulder broke free. It crashed down the mountainside, gathering smaller rocks as it rolled toward the family shelter. Roseclaw hurried toward her babies. Speckles charged forward, trying to reach Fern and Violet, while Silver scrambled beneath a thick tree root. The enormous boulder struck the clearing. The enormous boulder struck the clearing. Dust swallowed the valley. When the dust settled, Silver emerged from beneath the tree root, frightened but unharmed. Speckles searched desperately around the fallen boulder. Roseclaw joined him, both of them hoping to find their missing children. But Fern and Violet had been caught beneath the massive rock. Neither survived. Speckles stood motionless, his head lowered. Roseclaw pressed herself against him, and the two parents remained together beside the place where their children had fallen. That evening, they buried Fern and Violet beneath a small tree. Silver slept between his parents while the stars appeared overhead. Far beyond the valley, a scarred Tyrannosaurus watched from the shadows.