eyes of the forest - a kingdom of the planet of the apes story

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙸

As gentle sunlight warms your skin, cascading over your face, your eyes flutter open. Rubbing the remnants of sleep away, you sit up, the plush moss beneath you beckoning you to surrender to its soft embrace and indulge in a few more moments of slumber.

But the loud grumbles from your stomach demand attention, forcing you to set aside any further thoughts of sleep. You rummage through your bag in search of sustenance. Pulling out your rabbit skin pouch, you pour the remaining contents into your hand. As the few measly dried nuts land in your palm, a sigh escapes your lips.

Popping a piece into your mouth you stand up and stretch your tired limbs, already thinking about where you could find more food. Tossing your bag over your shoulder and adjusting your cloak around yourself you make your way through the dense greenery.

You kneel down to examine one of your snare traps, but disappointment washes over you as you find it empty. The scarcity of rabbits and squirrels in this area has been steadily rising, and the prospect of having to move on to find more game is becoming a dire reality, only hoping you won't encounter one of the nearby ape colonies.

Moving deeper into the forest, you stumble upon a grove of trees, where three unattended horses stand, their riders nowhere in sight. Wary of potential lurking threats, you pause, straining your senses to ensure you're alone.

Tiptoeing stealthily towards the horses, you gingerly approach the satchels attached to their backs, meticulously inspecting their contents. Your fingers gently extract a soft, neatly bundled blanket, its supple material inviting to the touch.

You drape the blanket around yourself, seeking some respite from the approaching cold of the seasons change. Just as you settle into its warmth, the sound of approaching footsteps catches your attention. Acting on instinct, you dart behind a nearby tree, heart racing.

Three apes draw closer, seemingly oblivious to your presence, their chatter filling the air. Curiosity draws your gaze back towards them, and before you can react, a rock hurtles towards you, striking your shoulder with a jarring impact.

A grunt of pain escapes your lips, and panic grips your heart as you stumble to your feet. The apes' shrieking voices echo behind you, quickly gaining momentum. Adrenaline fueling your every step, you dart through the forest with desperation and fear.

Your hope rises as you reach the entrance of the abandoned train tunnel, but just as you brace the threshold, the stolen blanket snags on a branch, yanking you backward and sprawling you onto the forest floor.

The clamor of the rampaging apes grows closer, their approach becoming a thunderous roar. In a mad scramble, you swiftly discard the idea of retrieving the snagged blanket, focusing instead on your escape.

Summoning every ounce of strength left within you, you push forward, lunging into the gaping maw of the eerie train tunnel. With each desperate footfall, you pray that the apes will cease their pursuit, aware that your tired body might not be able to endure much more running.

Your heart races as you cower in the shadows at the back of the tunnel, your labored breaths echoing against the cold stone walls. Gazing out, you see the menacing apes standing just outside the entrance, their figures outlined against the faint light streaming in from outside.

Their reluctance to venture further into the dim tunnel becomes evident as they hesitate. With bated breath, you watch as one of the apes notices the discarded blanket, extending its hand to grasp it. The ape holding the blanket smells it cautiously. "Not ape," it rasps out. "maybe, echo."

"Echos do not come, from the valley." One of the apes in the back says and points into the tunnel, making you shrink further into the shadows. They all stand stiff, looking at each other when suddenly, the entire group emits a collective shriek, their figures swiftly disappearing back into the dense foliage.