You are in the forests of North America, 77 million years ago.

The air in the coniferous forest was thick, damp, and smelled of rotting vegetation. It is now night, but you should have stayed in camp.

The flashlight beam cut a fragile path through the absolute blackness, the battery already flickering. That’s when the noise started—a low, rhythmic clicking sound, like stones being tapped together.

You stopped breathing. The light wavered, highlighting the sleek, feathery form of a Troodon perched on a rotting log about thirty feet away.

It wasn't moving, just staring. The eyes were huge, disproportionate, and reflected your flashlight beam with a terrifying, nocturnal orange glow, much like a cat in the dark. It seemed to be studying you, analyzing... Its head tilted, bird-like and intelligent. Too intelligent…