Grug finished up his story and the rest of his family looked at Guy expectantly. The boy had been daydreaming until now and he jumped when Grug cleared his throat.
"Oh, it's my turn?"
He asked and Eep nodded, snuggling up to him. Guy smiled softly and began.
"Well I actually wasn't planning on telling a story tonight but here it goes..."
Guy shook his head to stop the memories from flowing but that only made his voice stiff as he began. Grug it seemed, was the only one who noticed this and he raised an eyebrow at the boy.
"Okay, Once a long time ago, there was a little cave-boy. He had a very big family. He had a mother named Gur, a very strong father named Artetezz, a pair of older brothers named Conk and Tob, and a little sister named Ro."
Guy stumbled over the little girl's name and Grug frowned, What kind of story was he telling them?
"But you see the little cave-boy wasn't like his family. He had odd ideas about how to make new things, most of his family were scared of his inventions, everybody accept for Ro. She wanted to be just like her older brother, sometimes she would follow him into the forest. That's where she met a little monkey that would follow her everywhere. Both of them would sit for hours just to watch the little cave-boy invent."
Guy smiled fondly as he said this and Grug noticed that most of his families eyes were filled with wonder. But he did notice that Belt undid himself from Guy and buried his face in the boy's stomach.
"But one day the little cave-boy left before his family could go hunting, Ro had to go with them, but she left her little monkey with the cave-boy for safe keeping. So he went to invent and he didn't notice how much time had passed. He finally went home as he sun began to set but his family wasn't there. He waited for them before going to search. Thats when he heard Ro screaming. He had run through the forest as fast as he could to find her. He found her dangling off the side of a steep cliff, a stick in her hands as she tried to push it down low enough. He ran over there as fast as he could, but she slipped and plummeted down."
Guy whispered softly and Grug could see the expressions of concern and horror all over his family's faces.
"He looked down and saw what remained of his family. They had gotten stuck in the tar pits and Ro had been trying to reach them, she had died when she'd fallen so she was just sinking into the tar, a small lifeless body. In fact, Conk was the only one who hadn't be submerged. His eyes narrowed as he saw him. He screamed at him to run. And the terrified little cave-boy obeyed, he didn't realize it would be the last time he would ever see them."
Guy finished and just curled into a ball rolling onto his side. Thunk spoke softly.
"Is that the end? I thought your stories were supposed to end happy."
He whispered and Guy shot back up, eyes filled with tears.
"Well it didn't, okay?! He was alone! Life doesn't always end happy!"
He cried, rolling back over into his ball. Later that night he would try to sleep but would be haunted by Ro's face as she fell, Conk's voice as he screamed. He could even remember the way his older brother's voice had cracked as he screamed.
"Run, Guy! Get away from here!"
He had screamed, why had Guy obeyed?! He could have saved them. He could have found a way, invented something! What good were his inventions if he couldn't save the ones he loved? He cried softly into his dirt incrusted arm. Belt snuggled up to him.
"You miss her too, huh Belt?"
He rasped, burying his face in the small monkey's soft fur. Then he felt an arm snaking around him and all of a sudden, both him and Belt were incased in a pair of strong hairy arms.
"There's water coming from your eyes. Don't do that anymore."
Grug whispered as he hugged Guy, Eep wrapped her arms around him as well, Sandy hopped up and into his lap, Thunk held his other side, Gran hugged his neck, and Ugga kissed him on the forehead.
Guy smiled, he may have lost his family once, but he sure wasn't going to lose this one.
