Until Daybreak

In The Woods Somewhere

It had been a few days since we left Markus for dead. I sit with Apache next to me and Hamilton on my shoulder. We had waited out the previous night in a makeshift camp. My ape daughter hadn't seemed to mind too much. In fact she was much happier than she had been in Markus' cabin. My spirit had already felt lighter, both of my family members already seemed to be less stressed out. The woods were quite today though. It put me a bit on edge.

I start working on getting our things packed back into the backpack I had grabbed as Apache is playing in a tree. I look up to watch her being herself for once. It made me pretty happy to see her starting to come out of her shell. After a while I stand up and put my backpack on. I feel we should move just a bit farther, get away from this particular area. I knew that the ape colony was near and I am doing my best to avoid it. 

Things are different now since the simian flu outbreak. Apes are getting smarter and humans are beginning to die out. I would probably trust an ape more than my own kind. I guess I already do anyway. Apache notices me watching her and she drops down, making her way over to me. I've been teaching her some sign language over the months and to my pleasant surprise she's picking it up fast. I know that she can talk. I learned of it back when the simian flu was still new to us. Still she didn't like to use her new ability all that much.

'Are we going?' She signs to me when she's beside me. She makes some hooting noises as she waits for a reply.

"Yes, I think just a little further and we can see about settling down for a while. I want to be safe." I tell her softly. She listens to me better than most people in my life has. It must be because I am basically her mother. When I begin walking she follows with me, Hamilton's wings flapping as he moves the way that he's standing on my shoulder. 

The walk through the forest wasn't the worst experience I had, but it certainly made my little hairs stand on end. It continued to be eerily quiet. While silence was a asylum of sorts for a while at this moment it was becoming disturbing. Generally the forest falls silent when it notices a predator in the midst of the hunt. I keep an eye on the tree line as we walk because of this. Better to be safe than sorry.

It wasn't until I heard a rustle in the tree tops did I stop and cautiously look upwards. My eyes didn't fall upon anything but I stared for a little while longer. When I can't cant sight of anything I continue on the path. Apache walks closer to me. She was looking around the tree line too. I was wondering if it was those apes that attacked Markus. At the same time it could just be the wind or something. 

After a few more steps we find out that it is not in fact the wind. An ape hits the ground in front of us with a heavy thump. In a matter of seconds, Hamilton is shrieking at the apes that have surrounded us and Apache is hiding behind me. I take a good look at the one who hit the ground first. He's rather large but that's probably due to the rabid evolution brought on by the simian flu. I do believe he is a bonobo or perhaps something close. He's covered in scars and one of his eyes are a pearlescent white.

I rest my hand on Apaches head in a protective manner, but I'm not entirely convinced that these apes would hurt her. When the scared bonobo sneers and comes closer I'm pushed back closer to the growling apes. They begin to rally as my anxiety spikes. It's not long until another ape surfaces from the crowd. His eyes I notice are an unusual green, when he straightens his back he's as tall as me. This makes my stomach twist in fear even more so.

He regards me and Apache for a while before he silences the other apes around us with the wave of his hand. He seems to be their leader, because the action has them silent in seconds. "Why you here?" He asks me slowly. It surprises me. I had heard Apache speak a few words but this one seemed almost eloquent. 

"I... I lived in the forest since the outbreak. Something happened and we have to find a new home." I respond back, my voice coming out more timid than I had intended for it to. He mulls my response over for a while.