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

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙸𝚅

The smell of smoke fills your nose as you slowly blink awake. Sitting up you look around, remembering the cave you decided to sleep in. You could tell by the position of the stars that the sun wasn't supposed to come up for at least a few hours and you wonder why you woke up so early.

You walk out of the cave and look up at the sky. Dark grey pillowy plumes of smoke rise up from the direction of the ape village. You grab the fish that you were curing in salt and place it in your bag, scaling the cliff and running to the colony.

Once there you're met with fire and blood everywhere. Apes slaughtering other apes, and shocking them with long metal sticks, the masked apes that attacked your group now attacking this village. You sink back further into the bushes, unable to do anything but watch and wait for it to be over.

~

"Take it, sweetheart. Take it and run." Your mother signs to you frantically, her panic evident in her trembling hands. You shake your head, not wanting to leave her.

"You know where you need to go, follow this map and the directions and everything will work out. The last of humanity is depending on this." She shoves the folded up paper further into your hands, the human screams near you ringing in your ears.

"i love you, y/n." Your mother's hands sign lovingly before she shoves you hard, making you fall back into the brush. Tears stream down your face as you look up at her, a large ape coming up behind her and plunging his spear square into her back and protruding through her chest.

Your hands cup your mouth to suppress a cry and you curl further into the bush, the sight of dark syrupy blood leaking from her pale lips as she collapses to the ground.

Your body wakes with a jolt, your nightmares plagued by fire and death. Panting heavily as you sit up, your brain recalls the events of last night and the destruction you witnessed. Getting up on shaky legs you make your way to the tree line, crouching behind a bush.

You walk cautiously into the clearing, your bare feet padding over the soft ash covered grass. Your eyes take in the remnants of the once thriving village around you.

Charred logs and toppled huts bear testament to the violence that occurred here just a few hours ago. The air is thick with the acrid smell of burnt flesh and a strange, uneasy silence pervades the area.

You head over to what used to be the fish tent and poke at its ash covered remains sadly. All the fish had been burnt to a crisp, like charred wood, no longer edible.

Your ears perk up at the sound of rustling and you dash back into the tree line. You peer out at a lone ape, wandering through the burnt remains. He encounters the body of another ape and grief overtakes him as he crumbles to the ground. Quiet sobs escape him, his shoulders shuddering with unvoiced cries as he hugs his knees to his chest.

Your heart aches for him, you didn't know him or the dead ape, but you know you were in his position not too long ago. After crying for a bit he pulls himself up and buries the body with large rocks, silent tears streaming down his cheeks the whole time. As he places the final stone, you observe him utter words that don't reach your ears, but instinctively, you understand that he is saying his final farewells.

The ape moves towards the horses, carefully loading one with essential supplies and mounting the back of another. He pauses momentarily, taking in one final, somber glance of his devastated homeland. With a heavy heart he spurs his horse into motion, disappearing into the depths of the surrounding forest.

~

Despite your lack of a plan or destination, an inexplicable instinct urged you to trail the ape as he departed into the forest. However, his relentless speed on horseback proved tiring, and you wished he would slow his pace. Eventually sensing the horse's fatigue, he loosens the reins, allowing the animals to move at a leisurely walk instead of a punishing trot.

Following their tracks for most of the day you eventually catch up with them walking along a beaten path. You sneak up a hill to the side so he won't see you, preferring to stay hidden from the primate. Unfortunately, your stomach chooses this inopportune moment to let out a loud growl, causing you to duck quickly, worried he may have overheard.

To your dismay, it becomes apparent that the ape has indeed noticed your rumbling stomach, as he brings his horses to a halt and gazes up at the trees where you are concealed. With a swift, agile motion, he dismounts his horse, picks up a nearby rock, and launches it in your direction. A pained grunt escapes you as you topple from your hidden perch. You hear him exhale, clearly not surprised by your presence.

"Go away!" He yells at you, causing you to run off further into the woods. You hide behind a tree as he remounts his horse and continues on his path. Deciding you don't want any more surprises from your stomach, you take out your half eaten fish and tear into it as you cautiously follow him.

Hours pass as your journey continues, until the sky unleashes a downpour of rain and wind, forcing the ape to pitch camp for the night, you settling yourself not far from him. He rummages through his supplies, retrieving some fresh fruit he had brought with him. Meanwhile, you reach into your own provisions and consume your sole remaining fish before succumbing to sleep.

~

With a sense of satisfaction, you rise earlier than the ape, relishing the small victory. His slumbering form, breathing deeply and displaying slightly damp fur, provides an opportunity. Quietly, you tiptoe towards his horses and begin to search their saddlebags, silently yearning for something of worth. However, your exploration is cut short when you hear the ape stirring behind you.

You scurry off and hide behind a tree as he wakes up. Walking over to his horse he sees your footprints in the dirt and a growl emits from deep within him, scanning through his belongings to make sure you didn't steal anything.

"I said to go away! I know you are following me, i want you to stop." He yells, looking in all directions. Even if you wanted to stop now, you had no more food left, and you don't have a bow to hunt, only a knife. He was your only chance of survival now.

~

You follow on your pursuit, only to notice yourself falling behind, especially since the ape picked up the speed on his horses to try and outpace you. Following the horse tracks imprinted in the earth, you finally catch up with him once more. Nightfall is already enveloping the area, the trees casting long slender shadows against the forest floor.

Your focus turns to the sight of the lone ape laying beside a faintly flickering fire, his form curled up and facing away from you. Beside him, lay an open bag of apples within tantalizing reach, stirring your hungry stomach. Hesitation washes over you before silently deciding to try and get your hands on one of the plump fruits.

Stealthily, you approach the slumbering primate, treading softly as not to rouse him. Pausing for any signs of awakening, you stay vigilant, your muscles tense as you glance from his large fur covered back to the bag of fruit. Sensing no movement, you cautiously extend your hand towards the open bag, your fingertips brushing against a succulent, red apple.

Your attempt to seize an apple was met with unexpected speed, as the ape abruptly spins around and grabs your wrist, his large hand encircling your forearm. A startled cry escapes your lips, and you topple backwards, furiously kicking your legs in the dirt, seeking to dislodge yourself from him, but the ape's grip remains unyielding.

You writhe as Noa holds onto you, the knife behind his back held firmly in his hand. He doesn't know if he had planned to kill you once he caught you, but now that he was here he hesitates.

He sees the genuine fear and panic in your eyes as you look up at him pleadingly, your expression mirroring that of prey caught in a trap. Noa sighs and releases you arm, causing you to fall onto your back before crawling away into a bush.

Noa's gaze fixates on the pair of fallen apples, which you had managed to get your hands on before he grabbed you. His face registers a mix of frustration and disappointment, as he ponders his own rash actions. With a heavy sigh, he grasps the fruit, softly tossing them in your direction.

word count: 1478