Countdown ✓

Shadow (4 days after)

I found a watering hole. And all of life's possibilities finally came into place. It didn't seem out of the ordinary in a way, but it relieved me when I spotted it in the darkness of the world. I coughed a bit, inhaling some toxins as I walked, until I entered a clearing. The ground rumbled as I walked, which could exhibit my presence to some other dinosaurs, if they were there. And they were. As the dust cleared in the darkness, I spotted a bunch of herbivores outside the watering hole. Triceratops, Brontosaurs, and a few ankylosaurs. Not that many though. It's been 4 days since everything went to hell. And 4 days since I last saw Thunder: my dad. 4 days since I've grown too. I got a bit bigger after eating so many corpses. So I did look almost like a young adult, yet, being 17 didn't really make a difference. I trudged through the darkness, when suddenly, they spotted me. Triceratops first. They stared at me, in first surprise, then as a defense mechanism. I froze up, bending my knees as I stared at them. One of the Triceratops was on the ground, injured perhaps, while two others patrolled, and another guarding; the one staring at me defensively. I remembered something else too; Dad never really taught me to hunt properly. Sure, I could sink my teeth into flesh, but to dodge and attack was a challenge that I could accept, at least not yet. So I avoided moving prey for now. Slowly, I backed up a bit from the group, seeing the Triceratops approach me in my same speed, if not, faster. My heart thumped wildly as I stared at its three pointed horns, two on its frills, one on its nose, threatening me. I let out a small roar, not in a threat, but as a warning. But why should I warn, I know nothing about fighting! The Triceratops responded with a grunting growl, which lifted my fear level up a notch. I began moving sideways, breathing calmly, edging towards the watering hole. The Triceratops finally realized what I was doing, and began to back down. My heartbeat finally decreased, and I stumbled over to the medium sized lake. I was in dire need of a drink, more than anything. My last few days were mostly picking up the scraps of meat from the dead dinosaurs from the impact. That didn't really consume all of my needs, so I had to move on. I had to believe that dad was alive the entire journey. He had to be. I just hoped that he stays that way, especially with all these volcanic eruptions going on. And the darkness. The ongoing darkness. As time passed, the trees and forest began to slowly die. They all needed sunlight. And I bet the sun needed them. But it's gone. And soon enough, they'll disappear too. I dipped my large jaws into the lake, sucking in the cool refreshing taste of water, which traveled through my body comfortably. I lifted my eyes up a bit, catching a glimpse of the herbivores around me. I felt so alone and endangered around them, because I'm at a risk of attack. The Triceratops glared at me darkly from the other side of the lake, waiting for me to do something deadly. The brontosaur sat, drinking on the right of me, looking at me too. I looked up at the ankylosaur, logging trees with its club to check for healthy leaves. At least he seemed normal unlike the others. I drank a little more water, until my stomach finally went full, and I lifted my head back. They just kept staring at me, WHY are they staring at me, STOP STARING! Hooray, you see a carnivore, congrats! I angrily thought to myself, staring back at the herbivores. I spotted the brontosaur bring out its little one to the watering hole to get a drink as well. As I glanced, its parent shot a threat at me, and I backed up a bit. This isn't going to work, I thought, I'm going to die from this madness. Then I spotted a little area, not to far from my position, that hopefully nobody took yet. A little shade below a cherry blossom tree. But shade won't work. I'm freezing, and cold-blooded. Then I saw the dinosaurs, and reconsidered my regret, and decided to go to the tree, and thus avoid any attacks. I stomped over, shaking the ground a bit, carefully not turning my head to face them. And thankfully, they left me alone, allowing me to settle down below the tree. The trees fluttered in the wind through the darkness, like windmills, dancing in their own way. I laid my large bony skull onto the ground after a while of looking around, and rested my eyes. As I shifted my head around, a thought rumbled into my mind. Dad used to tell me this.