Brothers

Prologue: Brothers

My story starts where most stories do, at the beginning. I was the only hatchling of my parents, and I was a small runt to boot. But they loved me dearly, even though I was half the size I should've been. My family lived where most spinosaurs do, beside a lake. Where we could feast on all the fish we pleased. We were at peace. But peace doesn't exist when you're a dinosaur. Even if you are one of the largest carnivores out there.

It was night and I was sleeping peacefully, snug tight between my parents. I dreamed of all the things a young dino did. The day my parents finally let me fish, the day they showed me the forest beyond, the day I would have a family of my own. But my sweet dreams were interrupted by a loud roar echoing from the forest. My parents were instantly standing and alert, my mother keeping me under her for safety.

"What do you think it is?" my mother asked my father.

"I have no idea, but I fear it's something big." he replied.

I said nothing. I was too busy cowering under my mother. Footsteps made themselves known soon after the roar. Loud footsteps, and from more than one pair of feet. The trees of the forest began to shudder as something large moved through them.

That was when Mother pushed me out from the safety of under her large body. She looked at me straight in the eyes, I could see Father moving closer to the sound and turning his body to protect Mother and me. I could see the terror in Mother's eyes, but her voice was steady and calm.

"Spiny, you listen to me now. I'm going to need you to be brave." she began. "You see the forest to your right?"

I nodded. Too afraid to speak.

"I'm going to need you to run into those woods. Don't stop running, and don't you dare look back."

"B-but, what about you and Father?"

"We'll find you once this is over. Just call for us, and we'll come running. Now go, okay?" Tears began to well up in her eyes.

The footsteps were growing louder.

"Listen to your mother, son!" my father yelled. "Go! Now!"

I couldn't move, I was frozen in my fear. Noticing this, Mother gave me a swift push in the direction she asked me to run with her snout. Tears were now flooding out of her eyes.

"Go Spiny! NOW!" she yelled at me.

Her roar alone was enough to get me moving, but what gave me more encouragement to get moving was the two tyrannosaurs that burst out of the trees, heading right towards my parents. My mother and father let out with a loud roar and I started to run.

I ran as fast as I could. And I didn't look back. I obeyed my mother. The noises I heard tempted me to look back, but I didn't. Roars of terror and pain echoed behind me. I heard bones crunch. I began to cry, thinking the worst. But I didn't stop running. Fear kept me going as I entered the forest. Leaping over the various obstacles in my way. The noises behind me came to a stop, but I didn't stop running.

I ran until the sun rose, that was when the fatigue kicked in. I noticed a hollowed out tree trunk and dove in there to catch my breath. I didn't even check if it was occupied. Once safe and snug in the hole, I started to catch my breath, and think about what just happened. I started to cry once more. My worst fear came to mind. My parents were dead, and I was now an orphan.

Spinosaurs may have been larger than tyrannosaurs, but we were piscivors, and they were carnivores. My parents had been overpowered by the stronger predators. That was why Mother told me to run. She knew Father and her weren't going to make it, but they wanted to give me the best chance at survival.