Ice Age: The Misfit Herd

A Flash Of The Past

The walk from the cave had been silent. Sid wasn't being annoying, and Manny wasn't telling him to shut up. The only thing heard was the baby gurgling from Sid's arms was we walked in a cave filled with drawings. Animals from all different species and humans doing various activities decorated it. It was incredible to see all the different pictures, at least to me it was. The boys were gazing at them too, Sid having a dropped jaw.

"Look, look. Tigers!" He pointed to a drawing with sabertooth tigers chasing after some antelope. The sloth grimaced while the baby whined slightly. "No, it's okay, it's okay" Sid comforted him, "Look, the tigers are just playing tag with the antelope. . . . with their teeth" He grimaced the last part.

"Come on Sid," Diego said as the saber tooth came up behind the sloth, "Let's play tag. You're it." Sid just chuckled nervously in response.

"Sure," He said, moving to another wall.

"Play nice, Diego" I scolded him playfully, and he gave me a playful glare in return to which I just smirked.

"Okay, okay, where are the sloths?" Sid murmured, "You know you never see any sloth in these things." He told us, "Have you ever noticed?" Then he caught sight of a drawing and smiled, "Oh look, Manny!" He called to the mammoth, "A mammoth!"

"Ooh, somebody pinch me," Manny said, uninterested.

"Hey, hey, this fat one looks just like you" Sid pointed out, placing the baby down as Diego joined the sloth. "Oh, he's got a family." Sid cooed, and I noticed Manny stopped. Over time, I realized that family was a very touchy subject for the stubborn mammoth to discuss. And I had a feeling that right then and there would be the moment that we would find out why.

"And he's happy." Sid continued as Manny, and I joined the saber and sloth. "See, Manny that's your problem! THat's what mammoths supposed to do." Diego and I noticed that sadness lied within the mammoth's eyes.

Not taking his eyes off him, Diego murmured, "Sid" to hopefully stop the Sid from ranting on. However the sloth did not hear,

"Find a she-mmoth, have the little baby mammoth. . . " He continued, hitting one of his claws as he listed the items.

"Sid," I slightly raised my voice, somber in my tone and this time he listened,

"Wha--?"

"Shut up" Diego ordered him,

"But--" The sloth started to protest but then saw Manny's expression. "Oh," He whispered as the two boys looked up at the wide-eyed mammoth. Manny's eyes went wider, and they got a far-away look as if having a flash-back. I didn't know about Diego and Sid, but I could see the drawings move, seeing what Manny was seeing.

Manny's child first embraced the said mammoth before running around. Manny then embraced his wife. However, humans came making Manny's child run back to his parents. Seeing the humans, Manny pushed his wife and child, getting them to run while he tried to fend the humans off.

Then he turned around and tried to reach his wife and child but was trapped by a wall of humans. From where he stood, he saw more humans on the top of a cliff, but they had boulders. Manny called out to his family just as the rocks were thrown down below, killing them both.

Tears blurred my vision, and I blinked to keep them from falling. Sid and Diego had solemn expressions as well with the sloth having teary eyes too. The mammoth beside me reached out his trunk and touched the drawing of his child.

Still, in his trance, Manny moved his trunk down the picture till it reached the baby's hand. It broke the mammoth out of his trance as he blinked, tears clearing away. The child glanced up at him and went to walk towards him but stumbled, and Manny caught him.