Gregory was an Apatosaurus. He was a nice green color, with a long neck and an even longer tail. Gregory was very old, even for a dinosaur. He lived in the middle of a huge forest called Insulato, where he ran a school for little dinos. But it was now summer vacation, and the Gods had brought droughts which had forced his students to leave for the cool pools of far away lands. Gregory was alone.

 

 

 

One day, while Gregory was getting a drink at what was left of the watering hole, he heard two dinosaurs walking through the thick forest. He raised up his long neck, but he saw only forest. Green, endless forest. Then the noises stopped. Gregory wanted to drink more, but he knew he had to save the water for the rest of the hot summer, so he put a little in a bottle. Then the noises started again, and off in the distance, Gregory saw his old friend Herman, a Tyrannosaurus Rex. On Herman’s back was a saber-cat, bound in ropes and fast asleep.

 

 

When Herman reached the clearing around the water hole, Gregory called out to him, “Herman! Where are you headed? And what is that thing on your back?”

“It's a prisoner. It's for you,” Herman said. "I was told to bring him to you."

“A prisoner? What did he do?” asked Gregory

“He stole from the King of Dinotropolis."

"And what am I supposed to do with a thieving prisoner? I'm a teacher."

"You have to take him to the top of the Holy Mountain so the Sun Gods will bring back the rains."

"And then what?"

"Leave him there."

"No way!"

"Fine," said Herman. "But I'm leaving him here. You decide what to do."

Then Herman shook the prisoner off of his back and walked away into the forest.

 

 

Gregory picked up the saber-cat in his mouth and took him back to the school. He dropped the prisoner onto the ground and nudged him with his foot until he woke up.

"Good evening, prisoner," Gregory said.

The saber-cat awoke quickly and tried to get up, but the ropes were tied tightly. "Good evening," it purred calmly.

"Are you thirsty?" asked Gregory.

"Yes. Terribly thirsty," said the saber-cat.

Gregory got the bottle, drank some, and offered it to the saber-cat.

"Why are you drinking with me?" asked the prisoner.

"I'm thirsty," said Gregory, "And so are you. We're not that different, you and I."

 

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When they had both drank their fill of water, leaving some for the days ahead, Gregory announced that it was time for bed. He pointed to a spot of bare dirt where the saber-cat could sleep, and then he cut his ropes off.

Gregory lay down in his spot, not too far from the prisoner, and wriggled until he was comfortable. But the ground seemed harder than usual, and he couldn't fall asleep. Gregory heard the saber-cat yawn and stretch out, and then he thought he saw him get up and walk to the edge of the clearing. Gregory wanted him to escape, to be free, but he also didn't want his new friend to leave. He didn't know what to do.

 

 

 

Gregory woke up early. The saber-cat was still there, fast asleep. While the prisoner slept, Gregory tore off a piece of a Zebra that he had killed a few days earlier and went back to the watering hole to refill the bottle. When he got back, the saber-cat was awake and waiting.

"Let's go," said Gregory.

"Where?" asked the cat, slightly worried.

"I don't know," admitted Gregory. "Away from here."

The cat looked worried, but he didn't say anything.

 

 

 

They took the meat and the water and started off through the jungle. Gregory strode quickly, and the cat walked ten feet behind him, struggling to keep up. As they went on, the jungle thinned out and turned into empty plains. The sun beat down around them. Gregory carried no map, but the saber-cat could tell that he knew where they were going.

 

After a few hours, the saber-cat stopped.

"Come on," said Gregory.

"I'm thirsty," said the saber-cat, "And there's only enough water and meat for one of us."

"You'll need it more than I will," said Gregory. "Drink up."

The saber-cat took a few sips, but he made sure to leave plenty for later.

 

 

 

Before long, the sun began to set and the sky turned into all sorts of colors you can barely imagine. They had been walking all day. Gregory stopped and put down the food and water. He pointed at a line in the sand.

"Listen," he said. "This is the border of Dinotropolis. If you walk straight from here for another day, you will reach your people and be free." Then Gregory turned to his left and pointed across the plains. "If you follow this line, you will reach the prison. They are expecting you. Now, I'm leaving you. The food and water are yours."

 

 

 

Gregory left the cat there, thinking, and started to walk back the way he had come. Once in a while, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure that the cat wasn't following him. It wasn't. In fact, it didn't look like it was moving at all. Once, he thought he saw the figure moving toward the prison, but he couldn't be sure that it wasn't a mirage.

 

 

When Gregory reached home, there were paw prints in the dirt. He was alone again, and he was scared.