The camera was shaking a lot, mostly because it was in the hands of a young boy. Also the raging Amazon River wasn't helping, throwing the deck he stood on into turmoil. The picture was on good quality digital film, catching images of bright birds and lush foliage for which the rain forest was well known. Dazzling sunlight pierced through the thick ensemble of branches wherever it could, illuminating the scene. The boy's voice could clearly be heard over the noise of the engine and occasional squawk of a chattering monkey.
"Hey Dad- I mean, Professor!" The boy laughed at the inside joke. "We're rolling."
A man appeared in the frame as the boy rapidly tweaked the focus. He was in traditional safari garb: light green wide-brim hat with a matching long-sleeved cotton shirt, and khakis tucked into sensible hiking boots. He was a bespectacled young man, pacing the prow of the motor boat as he made sure all his equipment was in order. The professor had a huge grin which was framed by a bushy brown mustache.
"Yes, thank you," he said, fumbling with several large maps of South America. He addressed the camera the best he could. "This is Professor Lloyd Holly, on the sixth day of my exploration. We are currently tracking the trail left by the mystery animal by following the Amazon River to where we believe the tracks may have originated. Comparing this to the locals' witness accounts, it feels as though we may finally get to the bottom of-"
He was cut short as a tremendous roar broke through the normal array of jungle sounds. It was an alien sound, as if it came from a monstrous dragon maw. Sensing danger, all the other creatures became silent, including Professor Holly and his son.
The footage shook as the boy attempted to regain his nerves. "W-What was that?"
"I-I don't know… Let's head for the shore and see what we can find."
The video skips ahead to the professor deep in the rain forest, crouching next to an indent about the size of a manhole cover. He scribbled notes onto a pad, all the while inspecting the track with a large magnifying glass.
"It appears to be fresh," started Professor Holly, "but definitely different than the tracks we found at the village. From what I can gauge this creature is a quadruped…but the footprints are just too big to be anything natural. Just look at the distance between the feet. Whatever it is, it must be absolutely massive!"
Suddenly a thunderous sound shook the ground, rustling the trees overhead. The situation becoming very real, the professor shouted, "Get to the boat!" But before either of them could move, a couple of monstrous shapes broke through into the clearing. The camera desperately focused on the two warring creatures: a blue-and-red draconian monster being attacked by what looked at first glance to be the forest itself, but more brontosauri in shape. An unreal turf war had stumbled into the full view of the camera.
Professor Holly, who had been tossed to the side, shook himself out of his shock and dashed out in front of the camera. All that could be seen was his shirt as the father hoisted his son into his arms and ran. The man could be heard breathing heavily as the battle raged on behind them. The boy was still rendered speechless, but was eventually let down to run on his own.
They finally came to a stop, deeper in the forest than they had originally intended to go. Neither could say anything at first, not wanting to confirm what they had just seen to be real. Eventually the professor remarked, "Did…did you get all that?"
"I think so…"
"Good." Professor Holly forced a smile, but even his son could see the wild fear in his eyes. The man grabbed the small camcorder and directed it up at himself, the sky acting as a vivid backdrop behind him. "When we show them what we've seen today…the world will never be the same again."
He moves his hand to turn the camera off and as the digital film begins to distort to first grey then black, a small fast movement is seen behind the professor's head…