Not Like You (The Simian Forest Saga: Vol. I)

The Dawn [VIII]

Slate had given up on sleep long ago. He simply sat in the entrance of his hut, listening to the sound of the wind whistle through the valley and buffet the side of the mountain. Crickets serenaded those awake and asleep, a wolf's harrowing call drawing him inside once more with a deep sigh. The interior of his home was warm and dark, Poppy's soft scent like a gentle, familiar hug. The dark chimp climbed up into his nest and tucked the leaves around himself before laying back and staring up at the black. Eventually his lids became heavy and he allowed them to fall shut, rolling onto his back. Everything seemed to be falling into place, Slate slowly drifting into a coma, when suddenly his nose caught a trace of kindling burning. The room was washed in golden light, causing him to rumble in frustration. The bed shifted beside him and soon he could hear Poppy's breathing. Initially there was only silence. Something jabbed his side, and thus the chimp shot up and turned to his sister. A gentle pant escaped her, her lips pursed and her ashen eyes were soft.

'Can you believe how Pine acted today?' Poppy gestured. 'Dragging a human into our camp. Acting like he was part of the ape council...'

Suddenly Slate had been transported back to their younger days. "Go back to sleep," rasped the larger sibling, rolling back over. He wasn't interested in gossiping. Slate now knew what it felt like to be in Pine's shoes way back when.

'I want to meet mother! They say she was a hunter, like dad.'

'Would be awesome!'

"Shut up! Need to... sleep! Stop!"

Poppy stirred next to him and then curled up against his back. "It's.. cold in my .. nest," she murmured softly, her warm breath tickling his thick fur. Slate grunted in response, saying nothing else and shutting his eyes. No matter how old Poppy would get, it seemed as though she would always stay stuck as a white-tail... at least, that's what she would always be to him. His little sister. The chirrup of crickets that rang within his ears began to grate within his skull. With a deep sigh, he rolled over onto his back, feeling Poppy curl even closer, wrapping her arms around his own appendage. "Slate.." His eyes fell and he studied her wide pools of greyish-umber. 'Pine scared me today.' Her dark lashes fluttered.

Turning his head back to the side, he huffed heavily. 'He scared me too,' admitted Slate. For a while his eyes trailed and studied the bark of the interior wall. Worms had bustled their way through, leaving little perfect tracks in their wake. Life was so simple for the worms. Rolling his head to point skyward, he sat up, Poppy following. Her curious oculars examined his face intensely, making him feel a bit uncomfortable. Slate curled his lip, earning a chuff of disapproval from his sister, her own expression souring. 'Don't act like that around me,' Poppy scolded. 'You make me feel small. I'm your sister.'

Slate's eyes flashed, caught off guard by her sudden spitfire demeanor. 'Sorry,' he reluctantly apologized. The siblings stared each other down for a while longer. She had been hanging around Lake too often. 

'That human,' she began, her hardened expression melting. Her signs were slow and hesitant, as if she were trying to choose her words carefully. 'Do you think she's really bad?' Again, more staring. Slate felt his gut telling him to keep his trap shut, but as she looked upon her with those trusting brown eyes, he knew that he could rely on her. Right? Pine and she had drifted apart too.. His stomach felt uneasy when he thought of this. Slate's attention fell to no place in particular.

'They killed Caesar- Cornelia, Blue Eyes... Luca. Spear..'

'But Barley and Chester said they met one, and that he played with them,' Poppy signed, perplexed.