Kai and Sera versus the Megarex

The story

Kai and Sera were drawing chalk roads in the backyard when the ground began to RUMBLE. Their chalk rolled away. A giant grey shape with huge knobby tires pushed up against the fence, throwing dust into the air. Kai grabbed Sera’s hand. What WAS that?

The grey giant lifted a stubby dinosaur head. Two round headlights flicked on like glowing eyes — and it let out a ROAR so loud it ruffled their hair. Sera squeezed her eyes shut. Kai’s heart went BANG, BANG, BANG. It was a Megarex.

"I’m a little scared," Kai whispered. "Me too," said Sera. She tilted her head and pointed. "But Kai — look. It’s HIDING something behind its big back tire!"

The Megarex went very still. Something small and grey peeked out from behind its enormous wheel, then quickly ducked away. The kids really wanted to find out more about the big, strange giant. What should they do?

Hand in hand, Kai and Sera crept through the long grass and peeked around the giant tire. The Megarex’s headlight-eyes turned to watch them — not angry at all. Just careful… and a little bit SAD.

"HELLO, Megarex!" the kids called, waving from beside the big oak tree. The giant’s roar melted into a low, lonely rumble. Slowly, shyly, it turned — until they could ALMOST see what was behind its wheel.

The Megarex tried to roll closer. But its huge back wheel only spun in place — SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK — puffing sad little clouds of dust. "Oh!" said Kai. "It’s STUCK. That roar wasn’t ‘go away.’ It was ‘HELP me.’"

Sera gasped. "It’s not mean — it’s STUCK!" Kai felt his scared feeling turn into something braver. They could fix this. Sera pointed at the jammed, squeaky wheel, and the Megarex’s headlights went big and HOPEFUL.

The giant’s wheel was jammed tight and squeaking. Kai and Sera really wanted to help — but how? Both ways would work. The team just had to choose.

Kai dug in his sneakers and PUSHED the giant tire with all his might, while Sera yanked at a thick stick jammed deep in the tread. "One… two… THREE!" They pushed and pulled together, cheeks puffed and faces red.

Sera patted the warm grey metal. "Easy, big friend. We’ve got you." Little by little the Megarex stopped pushing so hard. Once it was calm, Kai dripped oil on the squeaky joint and wiggled the stuck stick loose.

With a happy POP, the giant wheel spun FREE! It kicked up a cheerful puff of dust, and the kids tumbled backward, laughing. "We DID it!" cried Sera. Kai felt PROUD all the way down to his sneakers.

The Megarex shook itself happily — and then its exhaust-stacks went A… A… A-CHOO! A giant engine-SNEEZE puffed three wobbly smoke-rings into the sky. Sera laughed so hard she snorted. The roar was just a VERY loud way of saying hello — and there was still one big secret left to find.

Now that it could move, the Megarex gently rolled aside. And THERE — tucked safe behind its huge tire — was the thing it had been hiding. A tiny, wobbly MINI-MEGAREX, with eyes as big as headlights, squeaking a shy little hello.

"Ohhh," Sera whispered. "You were guarding your BABY — and you were stuck. That’s why you seemed grumpy." The big Megarex’s headlights glowed soft and warm. It wasn’t a monster at all. It was just LONELY — and it needed a friend.

The mini-Megarex wobbled right up to Sera and HONK-squeaked, bonking its little nose on her knee like a happy puppy. Kai laughed as the giant lowered its enormous head to nuzzle them both. They weren’t strangers anymore. They were FRIENDS.

The Megarex rumbled a happy invitation and lowered its tail to the grass like a ramp. The whole team was friends now. How should they celebrate together?

Kai and Sera scrambled up the tail-ramp and held on TIGHT. The Megarex honked with joy and bounced them around the yard on its giant knobby tires, the mini-Megarex squeaking along behind. It was the best ride EVER — from the biggest, kindest friend in the whole world. THE END.

Together the whole team stacked branches and blankets into an ENORMOUS cozy fort under the oak tree. As the sun went down, the giant gave a sleepy good-night HONK and one last wobbly smoke-ring sneeze. Kai and Sera had made the biggest friend in the world — and given it a home. THE END.