"With every sun comes a new day, A new beginning"
"A hope that things will be better today than they were yesterday"
"But not for me"
A cave painting appears showing a teen cave girl with H/C hair, and E/C eyes wearing a grey and black tiger pelt.
"My names Y/N and this is my family the croods"
More paintings appear showing Y/N'S whole family.
"if you weren't clued in already by the animal skins and sloping foreheads we're cave men"
the sound of what seemed to be a larger predator growling made the leader and father of their family push them all inside their crowded cave.
"Most days we spend in our cave in the dark, night after night, day after day"
Days and night past as they are all squished together in the cave.
"Yep home sweet home when we did go out we struggled to find food in our harsh and hostile world"
They all split up as they ran away from large predators.
"And me and eep struggled to survive our family"
The H/C and red headed cave painted girls run up a tree their family following after causing the limb to break.
"We were the last ones around. There used
to be neighbors. The Gorts, smashed by amammoth"
"The Horks, swallowed by a sand snake the refs mosquito bite thorns common cold. "
"And, the Croods. That's us The Croods made it.."
Grug protects his family from a large bear owl.
"Because of my Dad. He was strong... and he followed the rules"
He threw a giant rock at the bear owl causing it to race back at them. Grug quickly ushered him family inside
"... the ones painted on the cave walls Anything new is bad, curiosity is bad, going out at night is bad. Basically, anything fun is bad. Welcome to my world."
Red hand prints slap over everything fun the crowd children wanted to do. The red hands hill the cave wall but it soon started to break in half.
" But this is a story about how all that changed in an instant."
" Because what we didn't know, was that our world was about to come to an end. And there were no rules on our cave walls to prepare us for that."
☀︎☀︎☀︎
Caveman hands press against the rock wall. They push. A blinding light floods into the cave A huge caveman, rushes forward, screaming, growling, and throwing handfuls of dirt in a threat display. he blinks in the bright morning light. He then lifts and hurls a large boulder. scaring the Liyotes that layed near their cave entrance.
"Raaaaar grooooOOOOoooowwwll ERF ERF Glaaaaaabbbbllllllllthhhh!" As suddenly as he began, Grug stops. Panting, he waits for the echoes of his outburst to fade. Grug turns to the cave entrance, he prepares to bellow a signal, but before any sound escapes his lips. Two cave girl's, Y/N and eep, bursts from the cave.
"You're supposed to wait for my signal Y/N, Eep?" Y/N scares a pack of nearby Liyotes away. They pounce on Grug briefly before scampering off. Eep and Y/N spread out on an overhanging rock. Both basking in the sun.
"We've been in that cave forever." Y/N claims laying next to her sister
"Three days is not forever." Grug claims
"It is with this family." Giving Eep an agreeing nod
"Y/N, Eep would you come down here? You two are being so dramatic." Climbing up on the rock trying to get the girls to come down. Soon their little sister sandy comes out of the cave bearing her teeth while snarling. "No, no, no Sandy, come back here remember the signal, good girls wait for the signal." drug said to the little girl as she runs around his feet.
Ugga scrambles out next. mostly focused on catching Sandy and bringing her back inside. "Ugga" drug groaned out now that more of his family weren't listening to his instructions. "As soon as I get Sandy, I'll go back in, and you can give the signal." she snapped at him picking up sandy who flailed around in her arms. "No I mean you're already out now!" he complained.
A voice form inside the caved called out to him. "I am waiting for the signal, dad." thunk reassured his dad wanting to please him. "Never mind, Thunk. Just, come out." Drug called him out, throwing one of his arms up gesturing him to come out of the cave.
Thunk thinks about it before speaking again. "Uhh, but if you don't give the signal, how do I know you're my dad?" the nine year old cave boy questioned. Y/N'S dad rolls his eyes "The signal isn't so you know it's me, it's so you know I wasn't eaten by an animal." he explained it over again to thunk. "Then why is the signal an animal noise? I mean, doesn't that just confuse things?" He rants.
Drug lets out an annoyed sigh. "I don't know... I'm still waiting for the signal." wanting to make sure that it was actually his dad. "Hoo hooooo! Hoo hooooo!" Thunk comes out growling, and barrels into Grug. Thunk picks up a boulder and throws it. It ricochets off the cliff wall and careens into Grug. causing him to gets plowed over by the boulder.
Ugga walks closer to the cave. "Mom, we're ready to leave." she called out for the last member of their family. "Mom!" Grug sits up and smiles. Gran then walks out holding her large walking stick. "Still alive!" Grug's face drops. "it's still early" he tells himself in a low whisper.
"And you're still fat!!" gran yelled hearing what he said. The buff caveman stands up and gets on all fours. "Breakfast formation!" The Croods form up in a flying wedge shape. "I want to see some real caveman action out there, We do this fast, We do this loud, we do this as a family, and never not be afraid! Go!"
"YAY, BREAKFAST!!!!" thunk yells out as they all being too run to find food.
The Croods run out of what they call Crood canyon, across the wide expanses of desert dust following behind in their tracks. Grug and the Croods come to a stop at the hunting grounds. stopping and taking a breath from all the running. "Yeah... breakfast..." this time falling over onto the ground. The Croods take shelter behind a rock. Grug PEERS over the top of said rock.
"Who's up?". The two teenage girls hands shoot up. Thunk raising his less enthusiastically. "We'll flip for it" Lifting up Gran on his hand and flipping her up in the air. "Call her in the air." "Heads! they both call out having done this may times before.
Gran face plants into the sandy ground, her head buried in the sand, Only her tail is showing. "Tails. Thunk's in" the three groan thunk not wanting to do it while Y/N and Eep willing to do it.
The family split up getting into their positions. "Ok Thunk Go Come on Thunk." drug pushes his son out from behind the rock. A scared look on his face he dashes into the open, and snatches the egg from the ramu nest. "Hah! Way to go. Take it to the cave!" Thunk passes his dad and makes a bee-line towards their cave.
A Gerf bird (Ramu) smashes Thunk and steals the egg back. Seeing this drug turns to his wife and youngest daughter. "Release the baby!!!" ugga lets go of sandy letting her nip at its heels while she climbs up onto its head.
She pulls the egg from its beak. Down range, trip gerbils surface. They stretch their shared tail across the Ramu's path making it trip. Ugga tries to throw the egg to grug only to have the gerbils take it. "Get um Mom!!" she yells for gran as sandy leaps onto her head and giggles.
Gran's cane hooks the gerbils in the middle of their tail and whips them up and over her shoulder. moving the egg down-range with her cane litotes pop up from behind hoodoos. They come in behind her. The Liyotes trip Gran and steal the egg.
"Old lady down! Y/N Eep!, avenge me!!" she relied on the two oldest children. Crouched in the shade of a scrubby bush, they have the Liyotes in their sights. Both nodding at each other Y/N runs after the Liyote with the egg, while Eep runs farther ahead.
Y/N cuts him off in his tracks he slams into a cactus launching the egg into the air. She leaps into the air taking back the egg for the croods. "Thanks!" A bunch of Jackrobats see Y/N and swarm around her. She loses her footing and throws the egg to Eep who was now next to grug.
"Y/N!!" Eep calls out for her sister. "Heads Up!" Eep catches the egg and passes it to grug who was farther up ahead. He runs by the entrance of a small cave. Thunk following close behind accidentally trips over the tail of a sleeping Bear Owl knocking Grug to the ground and fumbling the egg once again.
Thunk catches the egg just as the Girelephant bears down on him from behind and lifts him onto one of its tusks. The family members meet up as they begin their long run back to the cave. An entire swarm of animals chase the Croods as they head back to their cave. The Bear Owl is awakened and goes after everyone on the chase.
Grug protecting his family from the Bear Owl. He tosses each family member onto the Girelephant's back. Dodging the Bear Owl's attack and uses him as a launching pad to get himself safely on the Girelephant with his family.
Mostly all happy to see he was safe. "Oh hey dad can we eat now?" thunk asked wanting to eat after their hard work. "Just wait till we get home Y/N put on the brakes." Y/N hangs off the edge of one of its tusks as Grug takes over the other. Together they dig their heels into the ground, slowing down the Girelephant.
The Bear owl continues the chase. They both maneuver the Girelephant to fend off the Bear owl. The Girelephant moving way too fast readies for the crash. It crashes into the entrance of the canyon, sending the Croods flying in. They all tumble off and onto the ground . Grug makes an extraordinary football catch.
He holds tight to what they call their breakfast as he slams into a rock. Grug holds up the egg showing it was ok. "Who's hungry?" they all cheer and rush over. "Alright good one dad!!" Thunk cheered. "Here you go, Thunk Drink up" Grug tosses the egg to his son, who Thunk it and drops it cracking it open.
Thunk looks back up at his dad an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry, dad"
"Looks like fast food tonight!" Ugga said smiling at the egg. The family passes the leaky egg around quickly, each one at least a bit of the egg. Thunk is the last Crood to get a mouthful, he hands it over to Grug who only get a drop of yolk the egg was now empty.
The rest of the family look at grug sorry that he didn't get much at all "That's alright I ate last week" he said trying to make his family feel better.
A shadow rises and retches Grug's feet. He looks up to see the sun is setting behind the canyon wall. He holds up his hand to gauge how much daylight is left. "Two knuckle warning!!!!" gran yells in his ear.
"Come on Croods. Go, go, go" ugga rushes the family inside their cave. "Come on, come on. Darkness brings death!" grug says wanting them to get inside. "The moon is full. Bath night." Gran grumbles and tries to run away "You too, Mom."
"Run for your lives!!!" Ugga grabs gran by her cane. " i don't wanna lose my protective layer!", "Mom, you've got ants" she said hanging up sandy. Ugga smacks Sandy hard with the stick dusting her off. "See? Sandy doesn't fuss" comparing the two.
Ugga claps her hands together and Sandy knows to let go. She hits the floor and scampers away. "Aaaaaaaaaah" gran complains. Grug enters and looks around the cave. "Is she still out there?" referring to Y/N. "You know she hates the cave, Grug"
"i also hate the cave i just don't like the dark" Eep admitted sitting on her's and Y/N ledge.
Y/N is clinging to the side of the sheer rock face above the cave. She raises to hand to 'catch' a few more moments of sun. "Please come back tomorrow" she begs watches as the sun went about her hand and out of her reach.
Inside the cave grug holds onto the caves roof getting ready for his 'bath.' "How can you to not like the cave? It's so cozy" Grug asked his daughter. "It is a little, dark, Grug" ugga said agreeing with Eep's previous statement.
"It's not that dark." he claimed hopping down from the ceiling. The longer she stayed out there he started to lose his patients. "Y/N! Y/N?" he called out her name looking around for her. Y/N begins to climb down the wall outside when she hears a sound in the distance.
Curious, she begins to climb even higher. Grug leaves the cave, searching his other daughter. "Come on, I gotta close the cave..." Gesturing his arms to the opened cave. exiting the cave Grug sees that Y/N is at the very top of the rock wall.
"Y/N!"
Y/N continues to climb. "okay, okay!" she yelled looking down at him. "Come on!!!" Behind Grug, the Bear Owl appears up the canyon and spots Grug and the open cave and it then races to attack. Hearing the bear owl's screech he sees the Bear Owl in full attack mode.
"Y/N! COME DOWN!!" Throwing a rock which momentarily stuns the creature, allowing Y/N to JUMP DOWN and DART into the cave. Grug barely gets in the cave. letting out a sigh as h quickly closed the cave.
The Bear Owl pushes his paw through the narrow opening at the cave door and feels around for any of the croods.
"That was too close!"
"I was watching. I was fine!"
"What were you doing up there, Y/N?"
"I don't know."
"What were you looking for?" Annoying her. "Nothing!" She yelled back pushing his arms away. "Well then why did you go up there?" Wanting an actual answer. "I don't know." she said annoyed with his persistent questions.
"Why don't you know? Stop looking for things Fear keeps us alive Y/N Never not be afraid" Y/N climbs up on a ledge with her sister and curls up in the corner where a tiny spot of light seeps in.
Eep joins her sister in the corner. "What's the point of all this?" the red head asked in a whisper. "Hmmm? What was that?" She then talks a bit louder. "I mean, why are we here? What are we doing this for? you always yell at me and Y/N because we want to do our own stuff!!"
The rest of the family groans."No one said survival was fun" He tried to explain to them. "Nothing is fun" Y/N agreed with her sister as she sat up next to her. "Hmm? Would you come down here. you two?"
Getting no answer he begins to climb onto their ledge. Ugga pulls Grug back down. "Grug Off!" Holding his hands up in defeat then trying to climb back up. "Yes"
"Off!"
"I just don't see why they need their own ledge. That's all That's what this is about"
"Their working through some things and need their own space and they share one because they are basically the only ones who can help each other through things!!" Ugga yelled at her husband.
"What things? How long is this going to take? Really? I mean they already don't listen to me."
Two pebbles hit Grug in the head. rubbing his head he turns around seeing the two twins glaring at him. "Hey!" Ugga throws her arms at them. "See? they're listening."
"If they wants to survive, they has to follow our rules"
"How about a story? they love those."
Grug earns a brighten look on his face. "That's a good idea ... How about a story, huh?" He announces to the others. "Oh yeah, tell us a story" Thunk yells out 'running' over to his parents.
The Croods minus Y/N and Eep gather in a semi-circle on the ground. Grug retrieves Sandy Krispy Bear, and bone bear from a bone-crib. "Ok. Can I borrow that? Thank you. Eep, Y/N! Your old favorites?" Looking over their shoulders at the two bears. "we haven't played with those things in years"
"Tonight we'll hear the story of Krispy Bear and bone bear
Grug sits and waits for Eep and Y/N to join, but they stays on their ledge and whisper to each other.
As Grug talks, he gestures at a rough sketch on the wall of the cave.
A long time ago, these little bears were
alive. they were alive because they
listened to their father and lived their life
in routine and darkness and terror. So
they were happy. But Krispy and bone had one,
terrible problem. they were filled with...
curiosity!
"Grug!" Ugga scolds and covers Sandy's ears.
Yes. And one day, while they were in a tree,
the curious little bears wanted to
climb to the top.
"Wha?" thunk whispers out worried for the now dead bears.
And no sooner than she climbed to the
top, she saw something new and died.
Grug slams his hand against the painting leaving a red hand print. "Just like that!" the nine-year old screams out. "Yes! their last moments of terror still frozen on their face."
Grug holds out Krispy Bear and bone bear. "Oh same ending every time" gran complains. 'I get it, dad. I get it. I will never do anything new or different" thunk says trying to make his dad proud of him. "Good man, Thunk."
"Alright, everyone sharpen your teeth and let's pile up" ugga orders everyone.
The Croods snuggle into one big heap, warm and comfy. Grug casts a glance to the twins ledge. They don't move and continue to whisper. "Night Y/N" Eep says to her sister and moves to her side of the ledge.
"Night Eep"