Strange New Shores
1
By SpiritNSoulGenesis
I am kind of nervous
in posting this. I suppose this is one of the most trying times of a
writer is opening himself up to the critiques. My work is inspired by
the work of James Gurney, Dinotopia, published by Turner Publishing,
Inc. The book not the media based TV series. I am going to try to be
here for the long haul though I do not know how fast I will type the
chapters up. I have a vague idea of the direction things will go, but
nothing is set in stone. At the moment I should be able to get a new
part every other week but no promises.
This story may contain
displays of love between two boys of equal age in a fictional land so
if this offends you or for whatever reason it is illegal to read such
works I urge you not to continue reading it.
Sex is not the focus
of this story, it may play a role latter on but not immediately so if
you want something to just wank to please read one of the thousands
of wonderful works here that suit your needs more adequately.
This is one of my
first works so please be kind but I will accept all constructive criticisms.
Thanks
Email me at:
ResurectedPhoenix@hotmail.com
Journal of Matthew
Denison
November 29th, 1995
I really don't know what I should put in here.
Well today is my birthday and neither of my parents were able to spend
it with me, I just became a teenager. Yeah 13 big year, or at least
that is what everyone tells me. Jimmy came over today and we were able
to go to the movies. My guardian Mrs. Smith, part time guardian, gave
me money to take a few friends with me. I have always been kinda a loner,
Jimmy just barely falling in the category of friend, in fact he was
probably more like a person that would not tease me. I like to read.
And to some one entering their teens makes me appear antisocial, or
just makes me a geek.
Same result, I am on the edge of their world not apart from it, but
not really part of it.
OK let me make this straight forward right here, I am going to be honest
as I can be in here.
Jimmy is five years my senior.
The books I read are Asimov, Hawkings, Hemmingway, Shakespear, not Dahl.
I am in the middle of the 10th grade.
Another reason why I am on the outside.
Sometimes I wish I was not so smart but there was no real point.
I just am.
My mom is an international child psychology wonder.
She taught me real well.
At least no one knew how old I am.
I heard that there was a betting pool some where in the highschool.
My father was an archeologist. Worked with ancient civilizations.
He and my mom love each other, though they spend less time with each
other than they do with me.
Well this journal was the first birthday gift, the second was some childrens
book my mom thought I would enjoy, I also got a discman with some classical
CDs (dad's idea obviously), and a few new gameboy games. But the best
present came in the card. I get to fly out to see my dad!
And my mom will be there 2 days latter!
Even though I have school both agreed that I would have a better experience
at my dad's site.
Thanks for listening to me, but I gotta pack
Matty
I had flown commercial airlines
before but every time I was in a plane I felt like I was a little kid
again on my first flight.
"Matt stop bouncing around and sit still!" Mrs. Smith tried
to calm me with a harsh whisper.
Even though we were flying commercial now I knew the fun bit was going
to be in the little plane once we landed.
My favorite part was take off and landing so it explained why I was
jumping around.
Funny thing is once the wheels left the ground I wanted to get up and
walk around.
Mrs. Smith held my hand. I laughed at my self, I forgot how afraid of
flying she was. I honestly tried to console her but fore some reason
no matter what I said she kept getting tenser until I swear she was
cutting the circulation off in my fingers. So I finally let go of her
hand (ie. Pried her nails out of my skin with the least possible damage.
I went to the toilet and when I came out I saw that the cockpits door
was open.
I did not mean to stare like that honest.
The captain caught me and smiled, "Hey kid would you like to sit
in the copilot seat for a little bit? Get a chance to see the real thing
up close?" My eyes popped out of my head and I just nodded.
He guided to the seat and I just stared around at the controls.
He started to explain what each did but I already knew, ten seconds
into the tour I started answering his finger pointing with the names
of all the controls and their intents, I could have named who invented
them and how they worked, well most of them but I thought that was a
bit much. I looked at the weather radar and asked him about the readings.
He shook his head and smiled "Don't worry about that sonny it is
a storm a few hundred clicks away, we should be well on the ground before
it hits."
I stayed in the cockpit for another hour, the co pilot was taking a
nap so as that they could head straight back out if needed. The storm
was probably going to get them some time off so the pilot was grateful.
The pilot even let me change the heading once by readjusting the autopilot
controls. I did a good job, he said that I should study to be a real
one if I wanted to do this for a living.
When I was about to respond the pilot got a call from a stuartess that
was trying to call some lady that was telling something about her charge
being sucked out the bottom of the toilet. The captain was hard pressed
to keep a straight face and I told him to tell the stuartess that Mrs.
Smith's charge would be right back.
I waved good bye to the captain and headed back to calm her down.
Long and short of it, the in flight movie sucked and I did not get to
take my seat belt off until we touched down.
The airport was busy and we were greeted by a guy that was holding a
sign with my name on it.
We walked towards him and he looked at a picture in his hand and grinned.
But when he saw Mrs. Smith he frowned.
"Hey Matt. I am Jose one of your dad's assistants, I was only expecting
you?"
"Well this is my legal guardian Mrs.Smith, my dad probably forgot
to mention her. Will it be a problem?" I replied and saw that I
hit the nail on the head.
"Well this was a supplies mission, and I only have room for one
person in the plane, I suppose I could send you both in the boat but
that will take another few days to get there."
It only took me a second to come up with the answer. "Mrs. Smith
can go by boat and meet us at the site in a few days." I turned
to look at her. "That is unless you want to take the plane Mrs.
Smith with one of my dad's assistants piloting?" She turned green
on the spot I swear.
Jose was smiling it was settled.
"Come on lets get going I want to see my dad!" I called over
my shoulder heading to the baggage check.
Grabbing my suit cases we were off.
The plane was sitting on the run way, as it had clearance for all day.
It was the companies that supported my dad private strip.
Jose put my bags in a compartment underneath as we climbed in. I kept
my pack in my lap, it contained my presents, a few science mags, some
CDs I bought and school work for the next three weeks I had yet to do.
Namely a rolled up family tree and a few photocopies of registered records
of my ancestors. I was proud of the back pack for apparently it was
waterproof (testing in the bathroom proved it was indeed, though it
only lasted while the zippers were sealed.)
"Hear mate can you keep a hold of these? They are satellite resource
maps and show the terrain above and below the sea for this entire area.
The company finally came through on the request."
I started to bounce in my seat, I am going up in a plane and the controls
are right in front of me!
I was so excited that I forgot to ask about the storm, tower still cleared
us though it was sort of garbled.
"The speakers need to be replaced to get it to work properly. It
is supposed to be overhauled in February, so lets hope it holds out."
Jose told me in a voice that was sincere and honest. Jose was in his
mid fifties, his hands were those of a man who had to work his whole
life to get what he wanted. His hair was almost completely gray and
his face was that of a man who smiled more than frowned. It was one
with character as my mom would say.
Half an hour into the flight and the plane falls rapidly, only to pull
up at the last second.
"Only a bit of turbulence, nothing to worry about." Jose said
more to himself than to me.
The sky grew darker.
The air stilled expectantly.
A rumble of thunder is heard in the distance.
Rain gently patters against the window.
"Just a winter storm." Jose whispers as he struggles to hold
the controls steady. He drops low as the wind picks up to a steady howl.
The sheen of sweat barely visible in the dim false twilight created
by the storm.
A flash of lightening, followed a few seconds latter by the roaring
thunder.
Then hail starts to fall.
Looking at the instruments I realize Jose is headed back to the airport,
yet the storm has other plans.
Lightening strikes the plane, as the last thing I remember is the windshield
breaking from the golf ball sized hail balls.
Water.
Pain.
Cold.
Fear.
My bag.
One of the survival kits.
Rain.
So tired.
Must fight sleep.
God please help me.
Am I awake or asleep?
Am I even alive?
The wind has calmed down.
The water is warmer but still cold.
I am just drifting along.
I must fight the sleep.
I want to live.
Light.
Dawn light shines in my eyes, it is so beautiful.
Before I slip into sleep again I feel something move under my left arm,
where the strap of the emergency pack is wrapped around.
I think I can see land but it is hard to tell what is dream and reality.
Darkness takes me.
I hear the breakers against a shore as water washes over me. I feel
the fine sand beneath me. The sun is warm against my back but I am still
soaked. I cough up water and salt but still am to weak to do anything.
Just as I succumb to darkness one more time I swear I hear a shout.
But then it might be a hopeful imagination.
Next time I wake up I am dry.
I am still tired but not to tired to stop me from sitting up.
I am lying in a bowl shaped bed covered to the waist in the softest
blanket I have ever felt.
I can't remember the last time I was in a bed this comfortable.
I can feel a slight burning sensation on my chest as I look down and
see a green pulpice in the center of it. It is giving me strength and
helping me breath even though I was sure there was water still in my
lungs.
As I start to wonder about my surroundings a boy in a bright tunic and
baggy trousers walks in with a bowl of something steaming and some bread.
He looks at me and starts to talk in a language that sounds familiar
yet I can not grasp. I hear an occasional word that I recognize but
over all it makes little sense. He looks at me and tilts his head to
one side, realizing that I had no clue what he was saying. Instead he
sits on a padded bench beside me and holds the bowl up and goes through
the motions of drinking it. He then hands it to me. His deep green eyes
implore me to act.
The broth is warm and delicious, it is mostly vegetable in nature but
I think I found the occasional bits of pasta. I was about to gulp the
rest when he tipped the bowl down and indicated by moving his hand drinking
it slowly.
The bread was warm and he gave me honey to dip it in. As soon as I finished
he directed his hands to himself and said clearly 'Jacob', then he pointed
towards me.
"Oh I am Matt" the words croaked from my throat and I felt
like I insulted him with his musical voice.
"Matt, Dinotopia." His hands gestured to the area around him,
at first I thought it was the room and then I realized it was a greater
area.
He brushes some light brown hair out of his eyes and pulls the blanket
back over my chest.
The act of waking eating and meeting took what little energy I had out
of me. I settled down to a sleep whose dreams consisted of warm beds
and the smell of fresh baked bread.
The next time I woke up to the sound of a tune I had never heard being
played on a reed pipe. It was simple yet complex, seeming to beat with
a life of its own. My life.
It was like instead of the usual beat my heart gave, was replaced by
this tune so beautiful that I dared not move less the music would stop
and a part of me would die. But as it continued I knew that the whispers
of the wind and the heart beat of the earth would then on forever be
engraved on my soul. The song ended , or at least the reed pip drooped
out of the playing of it just as a tear slid down my cheek.
Looking up the same boy that was with me when I drifted off was standing
there.
His hands moved like he was trying to keep an invisible something from
moving, he then walked out of the door. I took this as to mean stay
here.
After waiting a quarter hour, going on forever, I started to sit up
to walk towards the door when the door opened and in came the boy from
before and a young child no more than six.
"I am Caleb Goldentounge, welcome to Dinotopia young master."
The six year old came in and spoke to me with and accent I had never
heard that my mind had to translate in order to understand.
"Hello can you understand me?" I spoke slower than I wanted
to but the child caught on quickly.
He grinned at me "Yes master Matthew I understand you entirely,
I was trained under Bix's granddaughter the linguist expert Tamyl. Though
I have to say I am really looking forward to a chance to speak to an
undiluted source of English. You are lucky that I was here from Waterfall
City or else you may have been forced into learning Dinotopian completely
by the hard way." He then proceeded to pull out a scroll and quill
from one of the many pockets in his tunic. "Lets go ahead and get
the registration details out of the way, you know the last dolphin back
we had come to shore here was in 1949?" His eyes locked with mine,
I could swear that there was something odd about his age. His eyes read
to be a lot older than his body.
"Then there are people from elsewhere?"
"Yes of course all the human population are descended from those
that washed up on our shore, I myself am 19 mothers French but that
matters not. Full name?"
"Matthew Arthur Denison." I replied which I got a queer look
in response.
"Is Denison a common name outside?"
"No not really, there are a few but it tends to be a rarity. In
my life I have only met another Denison besides my family." It
was really getting to me now those eyes. "How old are you?"
To this he grimaced. "It was an accident as a child, or I should
say a mistake, an herb so far only found here, arctium longevus, roots
are used to produce a drink that reverses aging in mature adults. It
is only given to those that have surpassed the age of 25. My mother
had a tendency to drink it in the evenings after slow brewing it. One
day she was running late and as most children do I wanted to be a grownup
so I drank a cup of her tea. Well I was sick for over a month and the
healer tried to correct the damage I did but it was a little to late
and now. Even though I can have kids, the rest of my life I will not
grow any larger height wise. And my body developed an allergy to the
extract so I may never take it myself. I am now 35 and my," he
searched the air for the words, "wife, she who loves me dearly
also loves tormenting me, would have me no other way. OK so what is
your history like as far as schooling? What subjects do you know well?"
I thought for a moment. I mean what do you say to that?
"I am good with physics and chemistry, literature, ancient civilizations,
modern history, some aeronautical engineering, computers. I am also
first aid qualified and dabble with a few other subjects."
His eyes were almost hungry looking.
"We have not had a scientist come ashore in over a hundred years.
I am not sure who will want you first. When you get a chance I think
you should head towards Waterfall City. As a teen it was not expected
that you would have to much knowledge, we were sadly mistaken. But we
have time. After lunch I think we should work on your Dinotopian
Journal of Matthew
Denison
Date: End of December (I think)
Well it is so weird. I have no idea what date it is even and at first
this troubled me but after a long discussion with Caleb and latter with
Jacob I realized that it did not matter in the scheme of things.
I now can hold decent conversations with Jacob and as I have picked up
Dinotopian so has he picked up English. I think I have my first real friend
and it makes me happy.
Again the dork shines through.
I have taken a liking to wearing the Dinotopian apparel and gave my old
garments to the matron of the hut. I had no use for them and she showed
a keen interest in the materials.
The funny thing is that I have not left this hut since I arrived and besides
the three rooms and the porch on some nights have seen little of the rest
of this island.
I am apparently staying on the edge of a vast swamp.
Yesterday a small bird greeted me on the porch. But on closer inspection
I realized that it was more lizard than bird. "MESSAGE FOR CALEB
GOLDENTOUNGE!" It squawked. I of course jumped and ran in to get
him.
Apparently it was from his wife and he had to head back to Waterfall City
this morning. I wanted to stay with Jacob and told him I would meet him
another time there.
There are some things I don't know about here in Dinotopia. I was not
being stopped from learning but there was something they were not telling
me.
Write again soon,
Matty
"Hey Matt a convoy is passing this way on their way to Cornucopia.
They are staying to the western side of the Polongo River so it should
be safe. Please come with me? You can travel now the healer says that
there should be no troubles."
This was the first time that I realized that Jacob may need me as much
as I needed him. It made me feel safe and free at the same time. I missed
my father but there were going to be no easy ways out of here so I decided
to stay as long as it took. When I was with Jacob I actually had no
desire to leave.
"How much time do we have?"
"It passes by here tomorrow morning, in the winter the Rainy Basin
is particularly dangerous so they tend to go around it even though it
will take twice as long. So?"
I just smiled and nodded and his entire face lit up, "I can't wait
to introduce you to my mom in Treetown! I hope she is not upset that
I left in such a hurry..." He frowned thinking of his history.
From my chats with him I had learned that he caught a caravan to Waterfall
City over a year and a half ago when he wanted to 'break out of his
shell'. It was sorta spur of the moment but his mom wished him well.
His father was away at the time, but he was not sure where he would
turn up.
We talked long into the night, both of us sitting in my bed. I actually
considered this hut my home as much as anywhere else and including the
occasional chores I have been given recently I would miss it greatly.
I had already said my farewells to the matron and had left the shutters
open so as the sun would wake us up.
Both me and Jacob had bags packed and waiting by the door.
Somewhere in another attempt to explain commercial airplanes to Jacob
he fell asleep way beyond the middle of the night. I think I may have
nodded off soon after just listening to his breathing because the next
thing I heard were the cries of the morning birds.
When I opened my eyes I was greeted with his green eyes looking into
my blue with a smile on his face. I just pushed him over and started
to wrestle with him and it ended with both of us breaking out in fits
of laughter. After we washed up outside we were both dressed and heading
out to the path that lead to the caravan track. We each had a bag over
our shoulder as the morning sun greeted us.
I had yet to even be this far from the hut and was excited at the adventure
that was before me. Twenty minutes into the hike and we came to a track
almost three lanes wide. There was no sign of the caravan yet so we
started the walk on our own. The surprising thing to me is there were
deep wheel ruts in the middle of the road but it seemed as wide as a
sedan is long.
As we walked we started to play a game where we would finish stories
that the other started. Between me and Jacob we came up with stories
of valiant knights of old and friendly dragons evil spell casters and
kind medicine women, with the simple peasant boy the one to save the
day.
Both satisfied with the first story I started the beginning of the second,
then the earth started shaking, or rumbling. Jacob just looked over
my shoulder and told me it was the caravan coming this way.
I remember the feeling of curiosity, turning around...
...something was not right.
...the caravan was as large as the wheel ruts suggested.
...but the reason the road was so packed down, something I missed earlier,
was staring at me from a creature out of my imagination.
Jacob started to walk towards the caravan like nothing was out of the
ordinary but something was.
He turned around and spoke, "He wears the armor just to be safe,
this close to the Rainy Basin is still not quite safe."
Still not moving I just stared in wonder.
Because standing there against all odds and what scientist said was
long extinct was a full grown dinosaur!
The ground rushed up and I was greeted by darkness.
Las sight was Jacob rushing over to me, I think he caught me cause I
did not feel the impact.
Feel free to send a response to me at ResurectedPhoenix@hotmail.com |