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

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚇𝙸𝚇

The woods were calm, and quiet. A stark contrast to the bustling of apes in the village. You were grateful Soona invited you along, as you lazily stroll through the forest, enjoying the serene tranquility washing over you. You never once feared the forest, or being alone in it. It's your home, it looked after you and always gave you all the resources you needed to survive.

You brush your hand along every tree you pass, taking delight in the feeling of the rough texture under your skin. Each tree having its own pattern of twisted and winding bark, almost like a fingerprint.

Playful hoots sound from beside you and you turn to see Soona chasing after Anaya with a smile on her face. "Come on! This way." She says to you, before resuming running after Anaya. You turn to Noa, who was already looking at you, and he nods in the direction of his friends, encouraging you to follow them, as he pretends he wasn't just staring at you the whole time.

You run after the two playful apes as Noa just watches you. Humans confuse him, you were the only one he's ever met but he didn't understand you one bit. You seemed so resilient, being injured but still wanting to help rebuild a place that wasn't even your home.

Not to mention, having your family taken from you. If Noa's family was killed by humans, and he suddenly had to live with them, well...he wouldn't know how to do it. So far, everything he learned about humans seemed to be wrong. His father was killed by other apes, and the only human he's met has only been nice to him, even if you were a bit scared at first.

"Noa, come on!" Soona's voice calls after him as she sees him lagging behind the group. "Tired, already?" Anaya teases him as he playfully swats at his arm. "Never." Noa responds stubbornly. He catches up with the three apes, using his arms to gain more speed until the four of you stop at a clearing, looking down at a small stream winding around large rocks below.

Anaya is the first to jump down onto a rock, using them as stepping stones through the stream. "Come, on!" Soona says to you and Noa before following after him. You glance at Noa, who's looking at you curiously. You take a deep breath and back up a bit, before running and leaping with all your might onto a rock, landing not so gracefully on all fours and wincing a bit at the sharp pain in your side. You hear a thud next to you and see Noa landing beside you, standing tall as his form towers over you.

~

After playing and jumping on the rocks and in the stream for what was probably a couple hours, the four of you start to get tired. Soona and Anaya lay side by side, poking each other and teasing while they enjoy each other's company.

You and Noa sit up on a rock, enjoying the feel of the warm sun on your skin. You glance at the two apes flirting with each other and you find a smile on your face. Noa glances at you and at the other two and rolls his eyes as you turn to him. "It seems like they make each other happy." You say, nodding to the two apes.

Noa scoffs and turns away, climbing down the rock to sit by the stream and you follow him. "Do you not think so?" You ask as you crouch next to him, watching him dip his fingers in the water and poking at the crabs burrowing in the wet sand.

"It was fun to tease them at first, but now they are always touching and holding hands...it is gross!" He says with his face scrunched up, almost sounding offended. You laugh a bit, not noticing the glance Noa sends your way. "Not a fan of public affection?" You ask teasingly, a soft smirk still on your face. "Not when they do it all...the...time." He says, drawing out his words to emphasize his annoyance.

"Hey." The soft voice of Soona comes from above the two of you and you look up to see her and Anaya peering down at you from atop the rock. "We were going to walk some more, are you two okay to walk back?" Soona asks, and you notice her hand still locked with Anaya's and you smirk, glancing at Noa.

Noa rolls his eyes and huffs, waving his hand to say 'whatever'. You look up at them and nod, giving them a warm smile. Anaya nods to you and they both let out a few hoots as they walk off. You smile and look at Noa, who looks more annoyed than ever. You just laugh and run your hand through the stream. "They're in love, can you blame them?"

"Yes." Noa huffs and you just laugh. You lean back and look up at the sky, enjoying the peacefulness when suddenly your stomach growls bitterly. You glance at Noa, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry, i guess i'm getting hungry again." The ape stands and waits for you to follow him. "Let us, go back."

~

The walk back is mostly silent, the only sounds being the dirt crunching under your feet and the occasional bird tweeting or squirrel scurrying through the bushes. Noa watches as you leisurely stroll through the forest, a content expression on your face.

You turn to him to find him already looking at you and you stop for a second. "Why did you want me to come back to the village with you?" You ask quietly, not sure if you really want the answer. Noa pauses for a moment, his brow furrowing in thought. "You were alone, had nowhere to go. It was the right thing to do." He says calmly, his face holding a softer expression.

"Thank you," You mutter out. "for showing me kindness." You sigh and continue walking, Noa following alongside you and keeping a respectful distance. "It's just, i think some of the apes are nervous with me being here. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable, maybe leaving would be better..." You begin when Noa interrupts you.

"No," He says quickly. "i want you here, i mean, Soona and Anaya want you here..." He trails off, focusing his gaze on the ground. "The other apes will get used to you. At least stay until, you are healed." He glances at your ribs and you sigh. "Okay."

word count: 1096