The Same as Every Other Day

The day began the same as every day before.  The sun broke free from the edge of the world, light racing down the mountains, chasing away the shadows of night.  The rays spread through the valley, calling forth all the colours  into the day.  When it reached the aqueous surfaces it shone out in  bursts of sparkling stars.  The wind was the same as it has always been, following the sun’s rays, an ever obedient second act.  Rousing from its slumber, the breeze built up, causing a rippling dance of vegetation.  As the whispers built to howls, grumblings from dormant inhabitants grew as the land stirred in the new day.  It started the same as every other day, yet it would be thrown from its regular rhythms.  This day would drive an era down to its knees, soaking it in flickering orange heat; triggering events fated to an annihilation.

The mountains to the east reached for the sky with all their might, leaving harsh jagged sides jutting down.  Floating, fluffy white masses in the sky fought against the mountains as the air currents pushed them up the sides, trying to continue their journey.  Incapable of overcoming the mountainous heights, tears of sorrow were released to barrel down the slopes, cascading along the rocks.  As the streams built in size and force, the fall that once propelled them came to a slow incline, comforting the rage to a smooth lull.  Green became the dominant colour, spreading out from the banks, blanketing the greys and browns.  With the green came movement alongside the river, creatures venturing to its borders, giving the water deep bows as they drank.  

As the water moved further down, a sea of colours erupted.  The wider the water grew, the more life called on it by land and water creatures.  The tall trees spread out in all directions, plants of all shapes and colours sprang up, striving for survival.  Creatures of all kinds and sizes were flying and crawling along the land, the same as every other day.  A creature soaring high above saw the dots below shuffling along together to the water's edge for a morning drink or to forage for a meal, just like every other day.  Down on the ground, a sea of chatter rose up, swirling with the wind.  

The youngling was roused by the bright rays reaching his face, bringing a vision of glaring red and orange to the previous dark underside of eyelids.  Head searching for a shaded area, he cracked his eyes open.  As an ant would look up to a tree, the boy beheld his mother.  Her rousing had disturbed his shaded, peaceful sleep.  Movement prickling his ears, he saw others walking off to the area flush with several varieties of their favorite fruit.  He rose up, stretched his sore limbs out, and joined his mother on the quest for nourishment .  The small red fruit from the bushes at the edge of the trees were his favorite.  Biting in, a sweet syrup blanketed his tongue, drowning the grumbling complaints from within.

  One activity flowing to the next, the group eased over to the edge of the river.  Those with more years drank and spread out on the banks, absorbing the rays of the cloudless sky.  The daring young ones dashed along the frigid shallow edges, showering each other in icy drops.  The youngling was barreled into by another and suddenly submerged.  His body convulsed as he struggled back up, the cold of the water wrapping around his chest, forbidding air to return to his lungs.  A strong vice gripped him on the back of his long neck, lifting him high into the air to safety.  The fiery rays of the sun swaddled  him pleasantly as his lungs revived.  His mother brought him down on the bank and he cuddled in for much appreciated warmth.

As with every other day, the sun blazed along it’s destined trail through the sky.  This day however, it would not be alone.  As the youngling watched birds flying through the trees, he saw a new light and watched as it streaked across the sky.  It reminded him of the tiny lights in the sky when all was dark, the rare times they shot across the sky painting lines on the black.  As the youngling  watched, the light got bigger and the sky turned red as it does with a sunset.  He squinted his eyes before giving in to the growing intensity of light and turned his head away.  He let out a small cry as his eyes burned, vision fuzzy.  His mother next to him pulled him close, he could feel her heart racing.

The light flew across the sky for just moments, so fast for something so catastrophic.  The blazing light burned into the valley and, just as quickly, flew below the hills to the south.  As the youngling realized the light had disappeared, a sudden crack reverberated throughout the air.  A wave of tremendous power accelerated out, flooring everything in its path.  The youngling was thrown into his mother as they both pelted to the ground.  Frantically sucking in a breath, his body electrified in shock, couldn’t yet feel anything.  He frantically tried to suck in a breath.  Unbearable roaring flooded his senses as his heart ferociously fought to break free.  His vision hopelessly blurry as his senses fought to understand.  The only thing he could feel was his mother next to him, sprawled on the ground, helpless to act.

Fast expanding dark clouds, a thick cloak of death, pulled over the land.  He watched in terror as darkness flew towards him.  A charge in the air could be felt as the growing darkness came closer, revealing sudden blue streaks of lightning.  The cloud brought unbearable heat.  The young dinosaur curled up with his mother, desperate for any comfort as the ash and debris in the cloud filled his mouth and nose as he pulled in a desperate breath.  The heat rose to a painful level, filling his lungs with fire and blistering his skin.  The young alamosaurus lay his head down next to his mother’s; on a day that started the same as every other.