It was a rainy Saturday afternoon, and Kyri was bored. He’d already built a rocket out of cushions, done some colouring, and watched the raindrops race down the window.
“Why don’t you go explore the attic?” Auntie Mel suggested. “You never know what treasures you’ll find.”
Kyri’s eyes lit up. The attic! He’d never been allowed up there alone before.
Mum helped him pull down the ladder, and up he went. The attic was dark and dusty, filled with old boxes, trunks, and wobbly piles of books. But tucked in the far corner, half-hidden beneath an old blanket, Kyri spotted something special: a small wooden door he’d never seen before.
“What’s this?” Kyri whispered.
He pushed it open, and there, glowing faintly, was a hidden library.
The Magic Library
The room was enormous—far bigger than the attic itself—and lined with towering bookshelves that stretched up, up, up into the darkness. Books floated gently past, pages fluttering as if they were alive. A golden chandelier, shaped like a tree, hung overhead, lighting the room with a warm glow.
Kyri stepped inside, awestruck. “It’s magic!”
Just then, a book floated down in front of him. It was old and heavy, with a green cover and golden letters that read:
“The Land of the Dinosaurs—Open to Travel.”
Kyri’s heart thudded with excitement. “Dinosaurs?” He’d always wanted to see a real dinosaur.
Reef appeared in the doorway, looking curious (and a bit out of breath from climbing the attic stairs). “What have you found this time?”
“A magic book!” Kyri held it up. “It says I can travel to the land of the dinosaurs.”
Reef raised an eyebrow. “That sounds… dangerous.”
Kyri grinned. “It’ll be fine. You’re coming too.”
Through the Book
Kyri opened the book, and the room began to shake. The chandelier flickered, and a whirlwind of pages spun around them. Reef grabbed Kyri’s hand as the floor seemed to drop away beneath them.
“Hold on tight!” Reef shouted.
Before they knew it, they landed with a soft thud on a patch of warm, squishy ground. Kyri sat up, brushing leaves off his knees, and gasped.
They were surrounded by giant ferns taller than houses. The air buzzed with strange sounds—chirps, roars, and rustling leaves. In the distance, a mountain of smoke rose from a volcano.
“We’re really here,” Kyri whispered. “The time of the dinosaurs!”
The Dinosaur Adventure
Reef helped Kyri to his feet and scanned the jungle. “Alright, let’s stick together. We don’t want to end up as a snack.”
They set off through the ferns, carefully stepping over massive roots and ducking under vines. Suddenly, a shadow fell across them. Kyri looked up and froze.
A giant Diplodocus—its long neck stretching high into the sky—was munching leaves right above them. It blinked slowly and gave a low, rumbling sound, like a deep hum.
“It’s huge!” Kyri whispered.
“Friendly, though,” Reef said, grinning. “Let’s move before it steps on us.”
Trouble in the Jungle
They wandered further, spotting Triceratops grazing in a clearing and tiny Compsognathus darting between trees like chickens.
But as they climbed a rocky hill, Reef suddenly stopped. “Do you hear that?”
Kyri listened. A deep, distant thud… thud… thud echoed through the jungle.
Reef’s face turned serious. “That’s not good.”
At that moment, a tree shook and fell with a crash. A massive, green Tyrannosaurus Rex stomped into view, its yellow eyes gleaming and teeth as big as Kyri’s arms.
“Run!” Reef shouted.
They scrambled back down the hill, ducking under branches and jumping over roots. The T-Rex let out a deafening ROAR and chased after them, its footsteps shaking the ground.
“This way!” Reef yelled, pulling Kyri toward a narrow gap between two giant rocks.
They squeezed through just in time. The T-Rex tried to follow but got stuck, roaring in frustration.
“We made it!” Kyri panted.
“Let’s get out of here before he finds another way around,” Reef said.
Finding the Way Back
Kyri opened the book, which he’d held tightly the whole time. “The book brought us here. Maybe it can take us back?”
Reef nodded. “Let’s give it a try.”
Kyri held the book open, and it began to glow. The wind picked up again, swirling leaves and dust all around them. Reef held onto Kyri as the jungle began to blur and spin.
Suddenly, they landed with a soft thump—back in the attic, surrounded by old trunks and dusty books.
“We’re back!” Kyri said, grinning from ear to ear.
Reef sat back against a box, looking relieved. “No more dinosaur adventures for a while, alright? That T-Rex nearly had us for dinner.”
Kyri laughed. “Okay, maybe next time we’ll find a dragon instead.”
A Secret Kept
When Kyri went back downstairs, Mum and Dad were still tidying up. Auntie Mel gave him a knowing look.
“Find anything interesting up there?” she asked.
Kyri grinned but shook his head. “Just some old books.”
That night, Kyri tucked the magic book under his bed, just in case he wanted to visit the land of the dinosaurs again. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought of giant ferns, friendly dinosaurs, and how Reef was the best person to have around when things got a little too dangerous.