Free Pteranodon Mall by Ian Woodhead

time with some gloves, same thing happened.” He shook his head. “And that’s when I started to see the dinosaurs. Jeffdude, I think we may be in a bit of trouble here.”
    Janine laughed. “That’s the first sensible thing you have said.”
    Jefferson looked up, he saw the reflection of himself and Janine holding hands, while David wouldn’t stop plucking at his trouser pockets. He only did that when he was nervous, and he didn’t think it was just because a member of the opposite sex was talking to him. What concerned him was what exactly was above that mirrored mosaic? It’s the only place where the shoppers and the remaining staff could have gone, and from David’s description of the events he saw, they weren’t exactly fleeing from any dinosaurs.
    “I think we’ve gone back in time,” murmured David.
    He looked straight at Jefferson and saw the terror in his mate’s face. David really did believe this. Jefferson’s stomach rolled, and thought that perhaps his mate hadn’t thought that he’d found himself in paradise after all.
    “It fits with the energy shield around the shopping mall, it obviously fits with the dinosaurs. As for the reason why there’s no large ones, my guess is that the hole inside is only big enough to allow the smaller ones inside.”
    Jefferson nodded. “Is that your final answer or do you want to phone a friend? Oh wait, you can’t cos your phone doesn’t work. David, you dork. There isn’t any prehistoric jungle beyond those walls, just our shitty town. Where do you think I went at lunchtime? I got back in through the furniture store.” He squeezed the woman’s hand. “It’s how I rescued Janine.” Jefferson grinned like an idiot when she smiled at him. He decided to leave out the bit where he threw up and hid under that bed. He picked up the cricket bat, noting the spots of blood on the end. He rested it on his shoulder. He had the girl, he had a weapon, he had his trusty sidekick, all was well.
    “Are you going to stop smiling, Jeffdude? You look like you’ve been snorting coke, or in your case, frigging tea leaves. Look, if we can get out, then let’s do it. We need the police. No, fuck them. We need the army and lots and lots of guns.”
    “Wait on, no. What about Alan and Sandy, man? We can’t leave them in here.”
    “What other choice do we have? I mean. We’re not fucking superheroes. There’s me, some woman, and a guy with a cricket bat against some of the most efficient killers ever to walk the Earth. It doesn’t take a genius to see that we’re fucked if we stay.”
    David’s fidgeting grew worse, that wasn’t his only concern either. Janine was shaking, really shaking, like she was about to have a fit.
    “Oh, and let’s not forget the one obvious flaw in this!” he yelled. “It’s still fucking time travel, and if we haven’t gone back, then someone or something has come here!” He grabbed the front of Jefferson’s shirt. “And they’re still here, waiting for us on the next fucking level.”
    Jefferson felt the woman’s legs go. It took most of his strength to stop Janine from smashing the back of her head on the floor tiles. He spun to face her, grabbed Janine’s other arm, and eased her down on the floor. David had quietened down, but Jefferson could still hear the lad rattling on in the background. “For the love of God, will you shut your gob for a second?”
    He slipped out of his jacket, scrunched it up and placed it under her head, and stroked the back of her hand with his forefinger. Jefferson didn’t have a clue what else to do.
    “My sister has epilepsy, you know,” said David. “Don’t worry. Your new girlfriend will be out of it soon. You just need to make sure she doesn’t swallow her tongue. Tip her head to the side. She’ll probably want a drink once she’s done. That’s what our Debbie asks for.”
    The woman tilted her head towards Jefferson and slowly opened her eyes.
    “Are you all right?”
    “I think