Anthony stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly looked down and noticed something that he had never seen in his life. They were footprints left at the bottom of the riverbed by something large. But what animal could have left them?
Just as Anthony’s initial shock calmed, he heard something behind that made him snap around. But nothing had ever prepared Anthony for what he was about to face.
The Texas sun beat down on his neighborhood. It was one of the year’s hottest days, and temperatures were reaching record-breaking highs. Anthony’s air conditioner had to work twice as hard just to keep him cool.
But that wasn’t the only side effect of the heat. Dallas was facing a drought that hadn’t been seen in ages. And that drought would lead to consequences Anthony could never have expected.
Anthony Jones was grateful for his air conditioning. He loved living in Dallas, his hometown. But right now, he wished it wasn’t so hot. Droughts can often cause unexpected problems that make life a little bit harder.
One example was the water supply. In extreme cases of drought, water reservoirs can often dry up and spell trouble for citizens. But that wasn’t what Anthony should have been worried about.
One thing that Anthony loved more than anything else was hiking. There were numerous hiking trials south of Dallas that he absolutely loved. This was another reason why he hated the heat.
Hiking in scorching weather was a pet peeve of Anthony’s. He’d get dehydrated faster, tire faster, and have to wear more revealing clothes than he was used to.
His passion for hiking originated from his father. From a young age, the two would go hiking on trails close to Dallas. His father always lived an active lifestyle and wanted to teach it to his son.
But sadly, at the age of just 50, his father passed away from a heart attack. This taught Anthony that no matter how healthy you try to live, it doesn’t guarantee a long life.
While it took years for Anthony to accept his father’s death, he decided to hike on in his memory. It was a therapeutic process that helped him get over his struggles.
But if he had known about what had happened to his favorite hiking spot in the drought, he would have stayed far away and never gone back.
His favorite spot was south of Dallas. It was a beautiful place with a river running right through it. There were trees on either side of the river and hiking trails cutting through and around it.
It was the perfect spot for Anthony to meditate and clear his mind. He had no idea what he would stumble upon when he got deep into the trail. It would be a reminder of the region’s dark history.
One Saturday morning, Anthony decided to meditate on his favorite trail. He packed his bag full of everything he needed. He packed a lot of water because of the heat wave and a few energy bars in case he got hungry.
He was all set to head out. It was a short drive that would only take him 15 minutes. But Anthony had no idea he was getting closer to danger with every mile.
After he arrived, he parked his car and headed to the gates. After a few minutes of walking, he felt at peace. The air was fresh, and he was surrounded by nature. He was excited to keep walking the trails and get to his favorite spot.
It would take another 20 minutes of walking to get to the river. But when Anthony would finally get there, he couldn’t believe what he saw.
Once Anthony got to the river, he couldn’t believe that it was all dried up. There was barely any water, and parts of the river bed normally at the bottom of the river were accessible to him.
Anthony stepped down into the river and walked along it. It felt exciting to have a new path to explore. But then he saw something that made his blood run cold.
Anthony stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly looked down and noticed something that he had never seen in his life. They were footprints left at the bottom of the riverbed by something large. But what animal could have left them?
Just as Anthony’s initial shock calmed, he heard something behind that made him snap around. But nothing had ever prepared Anthony for what he was about to face.
Anthony snapped around and saw a man standing behind him. He was too well-dressed to be a hiker. It was clear he could see his confusion and introduced himself. He was a professor at the University of Texas and was just as interested in the footprints as Anthony.
Anthony was still confused as ever and asked the professor what had left the footprints. It was a burning question that stabbed at the back of his mind. But he wasn’t ready for the answer.
The professor told him that it was an Acrocanthosaurus. A dinosaur that inhabited the region over one hundred million years ago. Fascinated by this discovery, Anthony was keen to learn more about the large extinct lizard.
He asked for more information about the dinosaur and was willing to learn as much as he could. The professor smiled and taught him a few new things that he didn’t know before.
Anthony learned that the Acrocanthosaurus was an ancient giant. An adult weighed over seven tonnes and looked down at many other dinosaurs at 60 feet tall. Uniquely, the Acrocanthosaurus is only made up of one species.
The large lizard was a predatory one and would hunt other dinosaurs and other animals to eat. But that didn’t explain the prints.
The professor also offered up an explanation for the prints being there, “Due to the excessive drought conditions this past summer, the river dried up completely in most locations, allowing for more tracks to be uncovered here in the park.”
“Under normal river conditions, these newer tracks are underwater and are commonly filled in with sediment, making them buried and not as visible,” he further explained. Anthony was satisfied with the explanation, and now his favorite spot had an even greater meaning for him.” In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
