You Are Not Ape

Chapter 1 Orphaned

The young female ape carefully picked her way through the twisted metal at the base of the human's building. She knew there wasn't much time.

It did not take her long. She found his body, and bit back a feral scream of sheer grief. He lay broken and lifeless on the ground, his limbs tangled amongst twisted human wreckage, his side bloody.

"Father?" she whispered.

Mary reached out and touched Koba's throat then his cheek. He was gone, there was no response at all.

The young Ape girl flung herself across Koba's body and began to sob brokenly. She stayed there with him for as long as she could, then she heard the others. Someone had noticed she was missing, and they were coming for her.

It felt like she was leaving something vital in her being behind to leave him there, but the young female Ape ran, ran as if her life depended on it. She took herself as far away from the group as she could in this new strange human landscape.

Her Father had challenged Caesar, and now he was dead. Her possible future Mate was also dead, and by her Father's own hand. And young Mary, daughter of Koba, was terrified. She had never felt so alone.

From her hiding place, she could hear the long carrying call of Teacher, the old Orangutan, Maurice. The old darling was deliberately searching for her, and directing more than a few others to search for her as well. Mary knew he would find her eventually. But for now, she ignored his anxious summons. Even more than Caesar's potential wrath, which even Mary knew existed mostly in her imagination, she feared Maurice's kindness. She held good control of herself for now. Father had always taught her to control her emotions, to be strong no matter what, to never ever show weakness to anyone. But one kind word or gentle gesture from Maurice would do her in, completely.

You ... are ... not ... ape!

Those dreadful words still made her shiver. Caesar had proclaimed this of her Father. So Mary also assumed that this meant that she was no longer Ape, too. After all, she was Koba's daughter, by adoption if not by blood.

But then, if she was no longer ape, what was she?

Apes together strong.

This was probably the one thing that Caesar and her Father had totally agreed upon. So, in Mary's shocked mind, not being ape made her weak, easy prey now.

Mary clenched her fists and gave vent to an involuntary low growl deep in her throat. Her hair bristled all over her body. No, she would not be weak. She would not be easy prey for anyone or anything! She would not cower here and wait for Caesar's judgment on her. Even worse, she could not return to him and the others to suffer their pity.

But before she could move to run again, a strong firm hand came out of the darkness. It grasped her shoulder, and Mary shrieked in terror. She did not care who the hand belonged to, did not stop to look back. Tearing out of the grip, the young female ran yet again.

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The scream was so loud that it froze Rocket in place. For a few seconds, he stood staring numbly at his empty outstretched hand. He had not expected that reaction from Mary. Sweet little Mary, who he and many others hoped might be his daughter by mating someday.