Colleen unlocks the door that squeaks under the PIGEON FORGE DIN-O-RAMA FUNLAND sign at the far end of the mall. A pterodactyl swoops over the letters, eggs cracking under trees, a brontosaurus nibbling leaves, and a T-rex’s silhouette. She flicks on the lights; dodges fabric, metal, and plastic scattered on the floor and hanging off shelves; and loads refuse and recycling bins. Joyleen pops open the breaker box. The adjoining office and front counter clank on, but the room labeled SMOKEY jiggles.
William Auten – “The Last Dinosaur Room”
“The Last Dinosaur Room,” a short story now on Substack.
And if you’re on Goodreads, enter your chance to one of ten free Kindle versions of Cloudbreak available 19 September 2025. “A life inside yourself isn’t a life.”
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