A Dinosaur named Crush
Darkness. Everything is dark and I have to get out. I’m struggling to breathe and I can hardly move. I beat on the walls of my prison trying to GET. OUT! I frantically rock back and forth pressing my head, my claws, my tail against the slick floor, ceiling, and walls. Striking hard upward with my head something gives. Stunned I try again. Success! A small bit of blindingly bright white pierces my eyes causing me to blink. That light is my salvation. I cry out putting all of my strength to the task. With a cracking sound I’m free!
I tumble from my egg into the nest around me. Covered in clear goo, I cry out my surprise at the sudden freedom my hatching brings. In front of me, a large head crests the edge of the nest. Mostly green in color, she has a strikingly red head topped by tough looking dome of bone. She leans down to lick the goo from all over my body, cooing reassurance to calm me. The familiar noise instantly calms me and I lean into the gently embrace of her tongue.
Weeks later Mother and I are out in the rocks and caverns of a great mountain desert. She is teaching me all of the skills I will need to survive in my new world. She runs around scraggly trees and jumps over wilted and dead looking bushes. She shows a life time of confidence in herself and the skills she has earned throughout her life. I follow much more timidly. Judging each obstacle before attempting to replicate what she has shown me. We explore the harsh wasteland and she teaches me what plants I can eat and which to avoid. Eventually our path leads us from the rocks, caverns, and dust to an open plain filled with cracked earth and tough roots that clawed their way out of the ground. It is a desolate place. I can see traces of a lake, salt rings baked into the rocks around it by the harsh and unforgiving sun. I raise my head sniffing but the smell of water doesn’t come along the current of the wind.
Mother barks at me, demanding my attention. I scramble to here and she shows me that I can get water from the roots. It is a measly amount and tastes bitter. I spit it out. Mother growls her disapproval and I take more of the root snorting at the bitterness of it. Another week leads us from the barren hellscape to a lush green valley. I bound ahead of mother marveling at all of the vibrant colors around me. The greens, blues, and whites just to name a few! Instead of the dull browns, greys, and reds. It’s almost too much. I hear the sound of splashing and follow it to where a river gently deposits water over some rocks. The spray causes a kaleidoscope of color and I bounce through it trying to catch the colors. Licking at it I taste clear, cool water. I turn back making an excited squeal when a shadow passes over me.
Looking up I see a silhouette against the sun. Squinting at it I hear my mother bark a warning. The silhouette dives towards me. As it comes closer its demonic, leathery visage emerges. It’s a monster that makes my darkest nightmares seem like a pleasant dream. It’s easily 3 times the size of mother, with a wicked beak protruding from its head. As it nears the ground the wings fly open and the monster utters a sound that chills my blood. I dash for cover behind a rock attempting to lose it and then hide in the reeds. The monster passes by barely inches from my body. A snapping sound reveals its mouth snapping shut in the spot where I used to be.
It flaps its wings, cutting through the air as it rights itself to come for me again. Mother bounds forward slashing at the air with her taloned feet. The monster stops itself flapping furiously and snaps its mouth at my mother. The clacking is the only way I know that mother has narrowly escaped its clutches. I run from the reeds towards mother. She yowls, stopping me in my tracks. The monster snaps again at her and she ducks underneath it at the last second. She barks at me and its then I notice what I had failed to see before. The demon wasn’t alone. It has a mate…
I rush back to my cover and cower there for an eternity. The demonic screams punctuated by mother’s barks and growls. I close my eyes a futile hope against the inevitable demise of mother and me. It’s a long time before I reopen my eyes. Mother is gone. The two hell-spawn are gone. I’m alone. Cautiously I crept from the reeds sniffing the air. I the only trace of mother I find is a few foot prints next to the river. They lead north. Following the little river where this all began I cautiously follow the footprints. The river winds and gurgles for many, many long hours. A few hours into the journey the foot prints cease to exist as the ground becomes too hard to be indented by mother’s weight. I continue forward emboldened by the fact that mother was able to make it this far. She must still be alive! More hours into the journey my confidence fades into despair.
Scratch marks surrounded by blood. Deeply carved into the rock, these marks show the horror was able to strike my mother. I search for signs of her escape but find nothing. I sniff at the blood, despair and self-loathing threatening to consume me. Why was I so stupid?! I should never have gone so far ahead of mother! I should have been more observant! Had I seen the danger earlier we could have both escaped together! I gave in to these black feelings and growled my anguish to the heavens.
A bark breaks me out of this mental cage. I look up at the top of the rock walls to see my mother! She is whole! And unscathed! I bark back rushing further up river as she makes her way to a small path allowing me to climb. I jump from rock to rock tripping as I do so but not caring about the injury is causes in the slightest. As I crest the top I dig my toes into the rock and launch myself at my mother. She tries to slow herself but I bounce off her anyway. Immediately she begins inspecting me for injuries, sniffing all over and growling if I move. After she is satisfied I’m all in one piece she licks the side of my head affectionately. We venture further into the emerald grass, and happen upon a narrow cave. We squeeze inside and it’s there that we both lay down, close our eyes, and let out a content chuff. For now we are safe.
Thanks for reading this. if you liked it and or have constructive feed back to help me improve please let me know .
-Three Claw
submitted by /u/Three-Claw
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