My Little Bird | Blue Eyes (Under minor grammatical editing)

Chapter 8

I buried my face into my arms as I tucked my knees closer to my chest. I was in the hollow I've been staying in, trying to pull myself out of this cloud of misery that's been floating over me. I only have the lamps on the ceiling lit, so I was bathed in half light. Suddenly, I felt a weight on my legs, and lifted my head to see little Haze hugging my shins. Dear god this child is adorable. I felt a small smile ghost my face as I watched the baby make his baby noises as he nuzzled my legs with his little head. Haze turned his light eyes on me and let out a squeak and smile when we made eye contact.

"Hello." I whispered to the child. He panted and clambered up and I lowered my knees so he could drop into my lap. He reached up for my hair and started running it through his fingers, still making his baby noises. Haze tied a few strands in a knot, and held it up to me, squeaking triumphantly. I looked down at it and made an "oh" noise when I made eye contact with the child.

I heard a shuffle at the hollow mouth and looked up to see Blue Eyes standing just inside the vine curtain. His shoulders jumped a bit when we made eye contact, like a child getting caught doing something naughty. I nodded to him, inviting him in. He hesitated before slowly coming forward and crouching in front of me, watching Haze play.

It was a while before Blue Eyes looked up, making eye contact. "Would you like to pick a place to lay your brother to rest?" He slowly signed. My face dropped. I completely forgotten about a burial. It's only been a day, and Dax is still laying in the Obas medical hut.

I nodded slowly. "Thank you." I whispered.

He stayed silent, searching my face with that sky colored gaze. The longer he looked at me the warmer I got, and that fact made me blush even more as I looked down. Why was he looking at me like that? I wanted to tell him to stop, but I couldn't open my mouth, the words caught in my throat. I couldn't raise my hands to sign, so they kept rubbing the smooth floor below me. I chewed on my lip as I felt Blue Eyes still gazing at me, burning a hole into my soul. What was he even thinking? I wanted to study the expression on his face, but my neck was locked in place.

Haze seemed to have picked up on the change in the air, and looked from his brother to me over again. He let out a confused mumble and started using my knees as bongos. I had to smile at the child's antics as he leaped from my legs onto Blue Eyes, clambered all over him before hopping back onto me. I giggled when the chimp held his hands over his head in a 'ta-da!' manner. Blue Eyes chuckled too and we locked eyes again, this time less awkward. We shared an amused look before directing our attention back to Haze. The little ankle biter seemed very pleased with himself for lifting the mood.

I stood up, taking Haze into my arms as I did so. He laughed and started looking around at this new height. Blue Eyes stood and I looked up at him, waiting for his next move. He gestured for us to leave and I followed him outside, getting a pleasant surprise when Blue Eyes held the vines open for me to walk through. I nodded and mouthed 'thank you' to him. He lead me to the base of the Tree to where Caesar and Cornelia were waiting. I handed Haze to his mother and she put her hand on my shoulder sympathetically.

"You ready?" Caesar signed to me. I took a deep breath and nodded. With that, Caesar, Blue Eyes, Luca and three other bonobos led me out of the village. Where did they expect me to pick? How did they put their dead to rest? What would Dax want? The happiness Haze had sparked in me wore off, and I was again lost in depressed thought.

Loneliness ached inside my rib cage. I'm the last of my family. Who would have thought the runt would be the only one to survive? I gazed at the forest around me, saw the greenery and life. I wished Dax were here to see it too. I felt like I was in the wrong time. I should be hiking through a place like this with my mom and Dax, taking pictures of everything I saw. Not wandering around looking for a place to bury my brother.