Fossil Fools

Chapter 36. Gran's gone Eco

I gazed out, watching the rain and countryside streak horizontally along the train window at 100 mph. My WhatsApp pinged.

'WTF!! You let Trex escape, you idiot. She's dead. Have you seen this?!'

The video attached shocked me.

Someone had filmed a chicken, I guess Trex, running down Kentish Town High street, shoppers jumping around to avoid it, or pointing and laughing.

Another clip showed what seemed to be the inside of the Nandos, with people screaming and jumping about as Trex flew at people, claws forward. Children were screaming. Someone in a Nandos hat was trying to shoo Trex out of the restaurant with a broom. It was crazy.

A final clip showed the high street covered in feathers and a dead Trex on the road.

I knew Adam loved Trex and all, but honestly this was comedy gold. I forwarded it immediately to Ambar.

I sent Adam the video I had taken of Trex in the garden.

'So sorry bro. That's so sad. Trex must have got some kind of mental health problem. Her brains were scrambled, or poached. Her nerves must have been fried.I didn't let Trex escape. She must have got out herself. The Nandos thing is hilarious, you have to admit. Trex was awesome Adam, an Extra Spicy chicken. Way to go!'

Then another ping; ' I loved that chicken. Maybe it was for the best. No worries. I'll have to rescue another. Hug Gran from me Adam X'

Got me thinking though. What had the Allosaurus done to Trex? Running into a Nandos Chicken restaurant? That was no coincidence.

The next train from Exeter to Axminster was less bullet train, more cattle truck, jolting around, stopping, starting. But it wouldn't be long now. I felt kind of excited to be out of the flat. I'd been cooped up for too long. It was all way too intense.

A group of girls kept looking at me, giggling and doing girl type things. Can't be a lot happening in the far South West. One waved at me, and I didn't know what to do, so I ignored them and gazed out of the window. I took a deep breath, in on the count of four and released it with a long sigh. Not a sad sigh, more one of relief. I felt seriously exhausted and needed rest. I'd been through a lot.

Ambar sent me a message. 'Everything OK Jasper?' I reassured her and told her that coming down to Gran's felt like the right thing to do.

And, sure enough there she was in her blue coat, waving as the train pulled in. The girls got off too, still looking and giggling. One waved again, and I raised my hand embarrassed. They walked off.

"Made some new friends, have we handsome?" Gran mocked as she locked me in a wrestlers hug. She stepped back and looked me up and down .

"Oh my goodness Jasper!" she said. "You look totally different. Your hair!! In the blink of an eye, you've become a man!" Gran got all teary of course, and I felt a lump in my throat seeing her again.

"Isn't that a very small bag for all your things Jasper?" Gran said as we walked to the car. "If I'd known I would have brought the motorbike!" we laughed.

"Well Gran, it's not easy to take your time packing when you've got an Allosaurus breathing down your neck, and a psycho chicken trying to break down your back door. Choosing the right threads and sorting my toiletries didn't seem a priority at the time."

We both laughed nervously. "Psycho Chicken?" she said.

Before we drove off, I showed her the video's of Trex and explained what had happened.