Colossus

The start and The end

Possibilities are never-ending but the truth remains singular. But the human mind never actually stops working, does it? So, we're often introduced with a 'what if' question.

Our world is a result of a mix of coincidences. But what if something went terribly wrong and the situations were reversed? What if nothing happened the way it was supposed to?

What if the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs never actually happened?

-X-X-X-X-

Sunlight seemed, more or less, like a foreign concept. This stony, solemn and dark inhabitancy is what my family and I called a home. But I can't actually complain when surviving is more of a chore and less of a fact.

We're surrounded by creatures that we could hardly understand. They say that these creatures have been around for millions of years. Rising at a height of ten or twenty of us put together with menacing teeth and claws that could end one of us with a mere touch, it wasn't exactly a surprise that they were dominant on Earth. And, no surprise, all we can do is try to hide from them and scrounge about in search of information and knowledge.

My dad had explained the concept of evolution to us. According to him, none of us were what we used to be. He told me that we changed with time but when I asked him that if we changed, why were we still hiding from these creatures, he mitigated that the Colossuses, like us, had evolved and considering that they've survived for such a long time, their evolution was not only physical but changed their cerebral aspects as well, while we had just reached the physical milestone.

All these thoughts ran through my mind as I reached for my first venture. It's a sort of 'coming of age' thing that when one completes sixteen seasons, he or she is allowed to venture outside. I'll be going with y parents in search of vivers. For a long time, we had figured it out that this transparent fluid and this thing we called vivers, both were vital for nutrition and prime for survival, they've been our main goal. Hiding and cowering, we try to find these things as quickly as possible and return to the cave safely.

As I finally stepped outside, the glowing sunlight slapped my face and I had to squint in order to see until my eyes adjusted. My father motioned to stay behind him and I obliged readily. Keeping a hand on his sharpee, a pointed horn like structure made of the newly found material called metal, the sharpee was sharp enough to cut through the Colossuses' skin. But even I knew that it would be a joke if we were ever actually in front of one.

When the coast was clear, we started running through the green and brown pillars that my dad told me were known as trees. Whenever we heard even a sliver of noise, we darted around a tree to hide and therefore, we were finally able to reach the exchange centre. Out of his pocket, my dad took out small writing devices that the Colossuses called a pen. My dad exchanged a bunch of these for vivers that would sustain us for some time. As we made our way back, out of nowhere, dad lunged and flattened both of us on the ground. It was then that I noticed a giant foot just a few trees away. I shook my head. Whatever it was, this wasn't what I had imagined.

Looking down on a pad like thing, the Colossus walked on two feet. The scaly skin of theirs glistened in the sun as if covered in some sort of lubrication. The creature seemed too absorbed in the light emitting pad to pay us any attention. I looked over at his feet to see two giant flat surfaced structures below them. Surveying this, his teeth, height and claws were the least bit surprising.

My eyes wandered to my father who indicated me to follow him quietly. Finally, we reached the cave and I was readily able to collapse on the floor. Closing my eyes, I was only able to think of one thing; those big eyes that gleamed with the knowledge that we'll never know of.