Angel Of Mercy

Chapter 3

Karin was having the strangest dream of her entire life. She dreamed she had gone to the tree where she always left her package of dried foods for the Apes. But something waited there for her this time. And it spoke to her.

She did not ask who or why or what it wanted of her. She simply ran.

And that's when the dream really got strange.

She dreamed she was hit over the head. She lay on the cold forest floor while someone or something was fussing around her. It tried to wake her up, but her mind refused to give up the peace of unconsciousness. If she was going to finally die here, she was determined to die peacefully in her sleep. It was a better death than anyone in her family had been allowed.

Then, she was floating, cradled in the warmest most snug blanket she had ever felt. Her own magic carpet. It was a wonderful ride. For the first time since her world more or less came to an end after the Simian Flu, Karin felt completely safe and secure.

The carpet would not let her fall, she knew this somehow.

It was almost a shock to be returned to her own bed. But someone or something was still with her, still trying to bring her back to consciousness. Karin was a stubborn woman, though. She refused to wake up and face who or whatever this was.

If you're gonna kill me ... or something worse, please just do it now and leave me in peace, she thought.

Eventually, he, she or it went away. The pain in her head was also easing thanks to some cold water compresses applied, she assumed, by her supposed caretaker.

Then, Karin woke up with a start. She might have fallen out of her bed except that she was very nicely tucked in, and the old ragged blankets kept her from hitting the cold hard wood floor with her face.

I wasn't dreaming, she told herself. Something happened in the forest, and something carried me back here? But who?

She was dizzy. It was much easier just to lie in her bed and not try and unwrap herself from her warm cocoon. But as her mind cleared, her fear started to grow. Who or what brought her here? It now knew where her home was, and she was truly all alone, no family or friends left alive to be with her.

The last humans she had seen had been a violent Marauder, and she had had to kill him to save herself. It was the first time she had killed anyone in her life, and the fact it was self-defense did nothing to ease her mind about it.

It was an Ape!

That thought would not leave her head, that an Ape might have been the one who carried her to her home.

Karin had only met a few apes in her life, and she had barely survived that last meeting in the Forest. Was it this Ape who brought her home?

No, she could not wrap her head around the fact that this particular Ape might have been so merciful, let alone gentle.

Not being able to stand lying still for another moment, Karin began untangling her cocoon of blankets. She was still dizzy, however, and did end up falling out of her low bed onto the floor. She lay there for a long moment, her head throbbing again, and tried to catch her breath. Once her vision began to clear, she saw something.

Stretching out one hand, the woman carefully plucked a few hairs from the floor next to her bed. They were very long reddish hairs. At least she thought they were red. Karin was a bit color blind, and the room was dark.

Her mind screamed at her again, ape! But, another part of her mind was trying to tell her that the hairs were all wrong, the wrong color and the wrong length to belong to her former tormenter.

Not taking any chances, and feeling like a coward, the woman squeezed herself in to the narrow space beneath her bed. From a corner, she retrieved a long sharp knife. Then, she lay there, trembling, and waiting for it to come back. If it was that Ape, she was not going to let him play with her again. She would probably die in the process, but the woman was determined to leave her mark on him before she went.

A/N:

Again, big hugs and thanks to all my readers, particularly those who have followed and/or favorited the story. A special thanks to weezy815 who finally helped me settle on a name for the woman in this story, 100 points to anyone who guesses why she is named Karin. :)

More coming soon.