The Lost World in Ice Age 3, also known as the Dinosaur World, was a vast hidden tropical environment below the ice, housing dinosaurs - originally thought to have been extinct many years prior. This vast world was one of the highlights of the third film, and various aspects of it, including Momma Dino, were some of the best scenes of the Ice Age franchise. What if this vast world was discovered, in its exact same structure and formation, in the real world?
Channel 4 news was plastered with the following headline - 'sinkhole that formed 3 days ago discovered to contain a skeleton bridge of sorts, according to well known archaeologists'.
This was a story that wasn't just isolated to Channel 4, it was spread across not just all of Britain's television programs but most channel programs across the world, from America and so on. I hadn't even paid attention to this story when it first popped up on my news feed the other day, but given the strong attention and significance the story was now receiving I decided to flick the television on and switch to Channel 4, to follow the coverage.
This seemed to be growing into a worldwide curiosity that had occurred in my country, Britain. This sinkhole was inevitably going to grab my attention - because my home was in the exact same vicinity that it formed within just 3 days ago!
My name is Nathan James, I'm 23 years old and at the moment I'm currently working as a shop floor assistant in a lousy retail store. Whatever it takes to pay my monthly rent to my mum who I still live with, is enough of a job for me. I have a keen taste of music and I'll listen to anything and anyone. I'm 5'10 in height, I'm relatively fit and I'm also a gamer. I also like watching animated films.
I know what you're thinking, I sound like every other young fellow my age. You're probably right to be honest. But I suppose the difference with me is that I could probably recall the lines of most characters from quite a lot of movies, the extent to which I study and love animation films is that high and prominent. Ice Age being one of them - I always thought that franchise was underrated, although admittedly the fourth and fifth films let it down entirely.
To me, the first three films were and are Ice Age. Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs was the most memorable due to the vast world the animators had created, the 'what if' factor taken into account by making it so dinosaurs all that time were hiding under the ground of all the ice age animals, and characters like Sid throughout the films I could often relate to given I haven't got anyone like a girlfriend. Not that I'm desperate anyways.
But the arc in the third film which explores Sid's loneliness, by having him be kidnapped by Momma Dino, the big T-rex, to having her protect him and taking him up to that cave so he could sleep with her babies and to be protected from Rudy, was a heartwarming arc that made the third film stand out for me.
This vicious thought to be extinct beast suddenly taking you up as one of her own, giving you protection all night so you could rest in safety from a dangerous dinosaur, I felt like the animators and writers of Ice Age 3 were at their best.
Enough of all of that - Channel 4 was starting to provide some extra coverage of the sinkhole near my house. Police cars, all sorts of helicopters, police tape and numerous tractors had surrounded the streets our house was on. I could barely sleep anyways given the hundreds of journalists, cameras, and flashing police sirens I could hear. But that applied to my neighbors too, many of whom just didn't understand the commotion, and why this story was gradually being watched by the rest of the world.
I turned the volume up on my television as Channel 4 had some new information. The journalist stood in front of the camera with a microphone and earbuds - it was winter at the moment and it was absolutely freezing outside, like ice cold, with thick gloves.
"Simon Mark, prominent figure of the Ministry of Defence, joins us now to report on the latest findings," said the journalist, as he turned to the soldier as the army was evidently called in to investigate the sinkhole alongside archaeologists.
"Mr Mark, there's reports that this sinkhole is something more than just a sinkhole. What're the experts and yourselves saying?" the journalist asked, swiftly moving his microphone to the soldier.
"Well what I can reveal is that we've deployed some troops into the sinkhole, they've come upon the fairly decently sized skeleton bridge that connects from our side to a descended side of what appears to be a widened out, fairly prominent cave, and we managed to reach that other side. The men inside then reported a gigantic ray of light, akin to sunlight, coming from an open gap ahead. Reported roaring sounds were heard, and some of the men went as far as going forwards and into the apparent sunlight."
The soldier continued on as numerous helicopter propellers roared their movements into the sky as they roamed the atmosphere above.
"Upon inspection of the bridge from the lower other side, which takes half an hour to cross each time due to the unstable nature, we've determined the skeleton itself to be that...of a dinosaur. And beyond the sunlight there appears to be, amid reports from the men who've stepped in, a vast open world which has temperatures equivalent to Spain, tropical, a pink sky, almost like a whole new world...with dinosaurs."
Upon hearing that, I gasped audibly and could only watch the screen even more. Dinosaurs...underground...skeleton bridge? all of this sounded similar to a very well known animated film.
"We didn't risk going further inside due to the dangerous nature of these animals which we assumed to be dinosaurs, but some of the men compared the world they saw in there to the one...comically enough depending on your viewpoint, that the film 'Ice Age 3' has - a famous kids movie from 2009 made by the now closed down Blue Sky studios."
"What?" the journalist, stunned, replied.
"Well that's just it, it sounds false but this is what the men have reported. They reported seeing a perfectly preserved jungle surrounded by what looked like pink skies with gigantic rocky pillars, and vast swathes of palm-looking trees with the shiniest green. The weather was said to be just as hot if not more so than being on holiday in Spain. Brachiosaurus dinosaurs were reportedly seen grazing away at the leaves of the trees and the world looked like it extended very much beyond its own horizon, and it climbed down to a lower level from where we entered. That's all we can disclose at the moment until the investigation carries on, we're currently in contact with the government in relation to this," the soldier added.
"So you're saying this movie...has come to life? are there really dinosaurs down there?"
"I'm not going to disclose anything much further but yes, the men reported seeing dinosaurs...to have called them extinct animals all this time was a mistake. But as I say, we're maintaining contact with the government on this and we will determine the next way forwards."
"Okay uh, Simon Mark, thanks for sharing that with us, we'll keep following this story."
Upon hearing all of that, I switched the television off and looked outside the window of my room. Flashing lights, red and white and blue, and helicopters flying above the house, was all I could see. But it was true - that 'sinkhole' sounded like it was actually a passage way into the dinosaur world from Ice Age 3 - how mad is that? the dinosaur world from that film was below my feet this entire time, below ALL of our feet this entire time, and we didn't even know it!
I knew it'd be stupidly dangerous to go in there. As excited and as energetic I was about any prospect of somehow sneaking into the heavily guarded sinkhole into the Dinosaur World, I knew I'd pretty much be making myself a meal. But I was curious to know - if it's true - is Rudy real? is Buck real? is Momma Dino real? is all of that what's just been said on the news real?
Luckily for me, I only lived five minutes away from the scene that the whole world was now beaming its eye on, unsurprisingly due to the discovery of living dinosaurs.
My plan was to, in the morning, wake up and visit the scene with the police and military soldiers of the Ministry of Defence who were guarding the sinkhole amid reports of dinosaurs in there. I knew I wouldn't have a chance of going in there, the army wasn't going to let anyone except soldiers and well equipped fighters enter there. I had no idea what the government had in mind for it for when they were fed back the detailed reports from the military.
But the thought of the dinosaur world being real and under my feet and the feet of millions of people in Britain, my country, was exciting but also somewhat overwhelming with a lightheaded sensation. The chance to go in there was slim to none for me, but nonetheless I was still excited.