Drowned || Planet Of The Apes

015

Air seemed to escape from Calliope's lungs as soon as the Ape King confirmed. Her grey eyes wondered to his chest — that mark, similar to the shape of a star. Her brother, he had one just like it. When she saw the police shooting on the bridge in the news ... hope did not begin to cross her mind as it laid buried in her heart. Hope was always a dangerous thing - yet that mark was all she needed for proof.

With her arm outstretched, she ran the tips of her fingers on the mark on his chest. “The mark ...” her eyes lifts up to his, ever intelligent peridot eyes, “It’s really you?”

“Yes.” The Ape King breathes the long awaited answer out, his eyes as soft as they once were when he was but a little ape.

Calliope's eyes grew glassy with unshed tears, a pink hue covered her cheeks and ears, making them faster with emotions she'd buried long ago.

“Cal ...” Caesar struggled to speak, losing his confidence in front of the young woman - no more a girl he used to know ... A stranger. Tears fell freely down his cheeks only seeing now, how much the years have past - years stolen from them both. “I’m sorry.”

“Caesar, it's really you.” The woman ignored, only ever focusing that his brother was alive and okay. She still had him. “I’m sorry.” he cries on her shoulder, holding her as tight, never wanting to let her go. Fearing if he did, he would lose her.

“It’s not your fault.” Cal whispered to him in comfort. Her comfort was to know that he was okay ... and there was nothing in the world that could beat that for her. Her heart thundered with unshed emotions as tears began streaming down her flushed cheeks.
“It’s all right.”

“No.” Caesar pulled away, looking into her grey eyes. His hands pulled up, he signed frantically. ‘Could have done ... more.’ frustration evident in his eyes, ‘Could have save you.’

‘I let them take you.’ he looked down, recalling that dreadful, horrid night. Under the ever full moon, his senses came back to him tingling like a feather in his ear and he heard a piercing scream; calling out his name with fright in it's voice. In his line of vision, he saw a black car drive off and darkness took him before he made movements to stand up. ‘I lost you.’

She tenderly wipes his tears away, taking his hands in her firm yet gentle hands. Bending her head down to kiss him, something she always did whenever he cried or wasn't feeling like his usual goofy self. “It hurt .. to be away from you, too.”

The corners of her lips stretched out into a smile, “But I am here now, alive.” she tells him in hopes of comforting him. “But I cannot stay ...”

His eyes met hers almost instantly. Caesar secretly knew what made her want to leave - the fact that she was in human form and the hate between apes and humans. “Apes matter to me, Cal.” he smiles softly, “As much as you do. You ... are family.”

‘Cannot throw away family.’

“Caesar,” his name came out in a whisper as she shook her head, “I need to be with my own kind.”

When that declaration came about, a sting pierces it's way into his chest. So even if they met again .. it was impossible to stay together? “You found them?”

“No,” she shook her head, sighing out and looking over to the peacefully sleeping colony. Wondering how her colony must be doing - would they accept her as they accepted Caesar? An ape raised like humans, and a mermaid raised like them as well? She didn't know but could not possibly sit  and wait for glory to shine down on her “But I will ... On my my own.”

“Will you be safe?” the Ape King concerned, asking for his sister's well-being.

She felt his anxiety seeping through him like a lightning bot so she attempted to make him laugh to ease her older brother. Raising her brow, she remarked, “Did you see how many guns I threw into that river?”

And as always, Caesar laughed at Calliope's teasing and jokes. The mood lightened between them and the woman smiled a genuine smile for the first time in long time. “I've always been proud of you, big brother.”

Caesar's lips stretched into a smile. He never knew how much he needed to hear that - not from anyone but his sister. “No matter where you are, where we are.”

“Missed you.” his brows raised with contempt of having his long lost sister in his arms once more in an embrace as he breathes in her scent. “I missed you too.”