Maurice followed Cornelia's orders and delivered the boys home as quickly as he could. Sarah was alright as far as he could tell if not a little shaken. He had a pit in his gut the size of a pumpkin, weighed like one too. A whirlwind of thoughts was attacking his mind, throwing him off and making him unsteady as he scaled the ramp to the tree. His eyes and throat felt like they were drizzled with salt. Dry, enflamed, and raw.

What if she had told someone? What if she had told Caesar? Oh, he couldn't bear the thought of her even hinting Sarah's existence to Zoren! That entitled jackass…

The orangutan stood outside her door, feeling an icy serpent constrict around his lungs and chest, hissing horrible and despairing assumptions in his ears. The great ape swallowed his fears, feeling a shivering backlash rise up his spine, and peeled back the hide drape. On the other side of the room, Cornelia was just tucking Blue Eyes into his nest. She raised her head when she saw his bulky shadow cast over the wall, and a solemn expression fell over her eyes. The matriarch motioned to the willow divider to her left, and lead the orangutan into the infirmary for privacy. The moment the soft foliage fell behind Maurice, she sighed.

"How long?" she asked, wasting no time.

Maurice didn't understand at first, but the logic slowly came to him. She was asking about her. "Almost 3 months."

The number seemed to surprise the lady, but she didn't press about it or show much expression. "I have to give you credit, Maurice. You had us fooled" she commented, "But not at all awarded."

He knew it wouldn't be. "I took no pleasure in doing it, my friend. But, it was a necessary evil to preserve a young life. Which bring up the question…" he looked up from his lowered gaze. "How did you find us?"

"I followed you" she replied. "You weren't making much sense when you last visited. I knew you wouldn't give me any more details after that night, so I decided to follow your trail with the boys to find my own answers. I never anticipated something like this would happen. What were you thinking, Maurice? She's a child!"

"I know!" he reacted back. "I wanted to give her a special day. She had grown in strength and confidence, I wanted to leave her with a special gift. An unforgettable, personal memory. Maybe once she gets home, the humans will see we're not evil, and truly leave us in peace."

"Or will have proof that we're all alive and have the girl know where we are. You better tell her to keep our kind a secret!" Cornelia sighed, rubbing the bridge of her snout as she felt a mild migraine growing behind her eyes. "How long did you intend on keeping her here?"

"Before the first snowfall. I was planning on taking her back by the end of the week. But…I needed to be absolutely sure that she was healthy enough to make the journey home!"

Cornelia thought over the orangutan's words. His logic was sound, but from the brief look over she was provided today, she could tell from a glance that Maurice had been stalling. "You seem to have forgotten who you're talking to, dear friend. Not only am I queen, but also head medicinal chimp. I could tell from today that she's been healthy for a long time. You could've taken her home at any point this week, yet chose to prolong the inevitable, and put her at risk."

Maurice's eyes widened as the words felt like a gust of heavy, smoky air. What was Cornelia talking about? Could she really tell from a look over that Sarah was OK? Did he only see what he wanted to this whole time? Maurice felt an avalanche of cold sweat shock his backside, and the realization hit him like a slap upside the head. She was right. If Sarah had been strong enough to play with the boys so rough and agile, she would've been fine for at least four or five days. Maybe a week.

Maurice was keeping her here for his own sake after all…

The comprehension of his own unconscious selfishness threw him into a state of shock, leaving the poor angel staring though the ground as Cornelia sauntered around him.

"Cornelia…what do you think?" he asked her, slowly raising his head, tears visible in his eyes. The chimp's expression softened, and she knelt before the orangutan. "Are you asking me my opinion, or instruct you what you should do next?"

The giant rubbed his snout, giving more of a questionable grumble than a response. The lady dragged her gaze across the ground before standing with a grunt. "What I think you see her as is another soul you feel viable and responsible for."

Maurice curtly nodded, feeling like a student getting a disciplinary lecture, keeping his gaze low to the ground.

Cornelia continued. "But, she's not a pet, Maurice. She probably came from the city, and has a family who's worried about her."

He didn't say anything, feeling her words pile on his back like heavy quilts.

"A mother looking for her daughter…"

He couldn't fight her. He knew in his heart now that he was the one keeping Sarah here, that she was ready to leave the nest and fly. Being the mother hen that he was, he couldn't prevent her from going home. He shouldn't. He felt a hand placed on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Cornelia leaned in over his shoulder. A wave of grief washed over his body, and he leaned into her embrace. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as best as she could, patting and rubbing his hunched spine with love and compassion. She knew it was hard to give up something you loved, he wouldn't be having this much heartache if he didn't.

This was proof that she wasn't some plaything to him.

"Have you told anyone?" he asked, praying to some kind of higher power he heard what he needed to.

Thankfully, Cornelia shook her head. "I wouldn't do that to you."

He let out a deep sigh of relief, feeling the constricting serpent unravel from his chest. "Thank you…So what happens now?"

"You were planning on taking her back next week?" Cornelia asked, receiving a simple nod in response. If he was going to drag it out for that long, it would just make their goodbye harder. As much as she loved Maurice, she knew this had to be done. Quickly, and painlessly. "That's much too long, my friend…I'll allow a single night to clear the air with the girl and straighten your affairs, alone. But then, she must leave. You'll bring her back to the place you found her the day after tomorrow.

Maurice's head snapped up. "Day after tomorrow?! Back to the river?!"

"If she was washed up on the beach, all she has to do is follow the river upstream back to the bay. It'll take her straight back to the bridge; back home."

"Can't…can't I just take her all the way?" he prodded.

"It's too far. You'll be needed back here before breakfast. If you're not back by the time school starts, apes will suspect something's wrong. It's the only way you'll be protected, and the girl will find her way home…"

Maurice tried to come up with a retort, something to argue her point…but it was a good plan. If she stuck to the banks and kept on walking, she would make it back home by the end of the day if not a little later. It was straight, it was simple, and she was a smart girl. But…something just didn't feel right. It…it still felt too soon. What if something happened to her? Who would be there to protect her? What if those men came back? What if a wild animal caught her scent? What if she fell in the river? What if…what if?

"I…I don't know about this…" he finally replied. "Isn't there another way?"

"Unless you want to have an armed escort to accompany you to the bridge in the middle of the night, I'm afraid not."

Maurice cursed under his breath, searching the depths of his mind for some other solution. Guards loved to gossip, he would've been exposed for sure. Peeling back layers of confusion and fear till his head felt raw and empty, leaving him hopeless and hollow. There was nothing he could do now…he was alone on this one.

He heavily sighed, raising his head from Cornelia's arms. "So…where do we start?"

That night, Maurice got little sleep. He stared blankly at his straw ceiling with contemplation and grief till he saw the stars begin to fade. He was given a basket of goods to deliver to Sarah on Cornelia's behalf and generosity. It was getting chillier every passing day, even worse at night now. Getting through the day was one of the hardest things he had to do, knowing that every hour that passed brought him closer to the inevitable heartbreak.

He sat there, slumped in his home. He dismissed his class several hours ago, and was just waiting for the time to leave. Cornelia had instructed the guards at the gate to let him pass once the sun started to set earlier today. She came up with a story of a pseudo herb that only bloomed under moonlight, and instructed him to retrieve it. He didn't have to sneak out like he usually did, which he was thankful for at least. It made the trip just a little simpler, thus made the task a little easier to get over and done with. He couldn't say the same for the pain that was certain to follow him like a lost spirit. He secured the final knot on a complimentary and generous basket from Cornelia, sliding it beside his doorway. It was filled with supplies to get through the cold, dreaded night, and food for Sarah's the journey home. Berries, nuts, and even wrapped bundles of smoked squirrel.

The orangutan sat by his doorway, crossing his legs and embracing the solitude. The sky was just starting to shift in color, hints of orange and yellow creeping across the east mountain range. He could see the canopies burning with autumn reds and yellows, reminding him of yesterday afternoon. A pit sunk into his stomach as Sarah's horrified face and heart wrenching cries for help rung in his ears like cursed banshee bells. His fists clenched tight around his abdomen, feeling the pain radiate in his belly like bad indigestion, and the nightmarish image flashed in his mind. His eyes shut tight, forcing back the tears he felt rising beneath his lids.

He wasn't going to let himself cry, not this time.

Not anymore.

He had allowed his emotions to get in the way of his sense of judgment, and in turn, hurting the one thing he truly loved in this world. Without even noticing, he had curled his arms around his own chest and stomach in the same fashion he would cradle his child, burying his face into his biceps. He could still smell her on his fur, her tears staining a scent patch on his shoulder. It smelled raw, and felt like cindering coals under his touch. Just knowing that he had terrorized her to the point of crying had hurt him more than anything. He saw the dried tears as a bullet wound, and it would leave a scar to torment him forever.

He just hoped she knew how deeply and sincerely sorry he was. He was going to show her that tonight. Hopefully tomorrow morning…she would forgive him.

Suddenly, there came a rustling of foliage and the groaning of a stretched vine from his right. Turning his head, Maurice saw a familiar crowned cranium with a child on her backside climbing over the side of his shelf. The orangutan straightened his posture as Cornelia came sauntering almost hesitantly towards him. She motioned for permission if she could join him, to which he curtly nodded. The matriarch scooped her blue-eyed son from her shoulders before she took a seat beside him, staring out onto the horizon parallel to his gaze.

"How are you feeling?" she signed concerned, keeping her eyes on the setting sun.

Maurice didn't know how to respond right away, feeling the words rise and fall out of his reach like a drifting raft riding a foggy ocean's waves. "Like I'm back in the sanctuary…Like I'm about to give up the sun and stars...I can't describe it. Like…"

"Like you're making a mistake?"

Maurice turned his head to Cornelia once she said that, slightly surprised. Lowering his lids half over his eyes, he nodded with a light purr before turning back to the scenery. Unaware of his spur, the kind old ape felt a shift of weight and movement under his chin as a tired, compassionate prince crawled from his mother's arms and into his uncle's lap. He sat contently between his friend's crossed legs, placing his hand gently on one of his muscular, relaxed thighs. Maurice looked down into his endless gaze, studying its beauty. The lethargic, swirling gold specks every ape possessed with their virally enhanced intelligence transformed this boy's already hypnotic stare into a kaleidoscopic, oceanic galaxy of stars and ice. Maurice gave a weak smile to his nephew, and cupped his backside in his larger palm.

"Blue Eyes explained everything to me. About how you three found her, how you took care of her…what you did was commendable, and very, very brave. That poor girl owes you her life…but I can see in your heart you don't want that debt for her."

Maurice shook his huge, heavy head. "By this time tomorrow, I'll feel as hollow as a shell. It'll take me some time before I can feel like myself again. I just…hope for the best in life for her, you know?"

Cornelia gave a nod of understanding, placing her hand over Blue Eyes'. "As do I, old friend." She paused, debating if she should continue her train of thought. "Blue Eyes…also told me that she was his actual savior that day. When he nearly drowned. He told me…Sarah was her name?"

He orangutan felt himself smile at hearing her name, and gently nodded to his queen. "Beautiful" she commented.

"It was by accident too, you know." He admitted, chuckling to himself. "To be honest, she was absolutely terrified of us when she came to her senses. Delusional. We didn't understand why she saved him until much later when we found out she was visually impaired. Temporarily blinded from the freezing waters."

"Even while blind, and going through the wild rapids the night prior, she still had the courage to jump back in for a boy she didn't even know?" Cornelia asked, astonished and amazed by her character.

Maurice nodded once more, seeing the emotion and impression of Sarah gradually shift behind her eyes. He could tell from the outside her mind was working out the details and connecting the dots of why Maurice had such a fascination for this little girl.

"She's my friend, Mother!" Blue Eyes suddenly chimed in, chittering to get the grownups attention. "Nothing bad will happen to her, right?"

Maurice first looked down to the child, and then back up to his mother for an answer. He knew she wouldn't lie to her son, he knew his lady too well. Cornelia gave the prince a warm, assuring smile. Shaking her head, she scooped him up into her arms, cradling him against her breasts. "I promise you, little one. No harm will come to her. Now, I think it's time we got some dinner into you. The sun is almost behind the mountains."

The matriarch stood with her boy in hand, and started making her way back to the edge of the shelf. However, before she descended the vine to the stage below, she turned back to Maurice, who was just about to wash up and rest for the long night ahead in his home, she called out to him. "Maurice!"

Catching his attention just before his whole body was through the open door, he leaned back to face his friend. With a confident, compassionate smile, she raised her free hand. "Good luck."

Maurice returned the royal blessing with a heartfelt smile, and gave her a grateful across-the-chest salute before retiring to his nest. He could get a few hours of lost sleep before he had to go…he was going to need it.

It was so cold that night. Coldest it's ever been this month. Sarah huddled in her nest, wrapped in her leather jacket like a burrito. The fleece felt soft and comforting, smelling like the river and of the forest soil. Conifer sap, earth, and the air right before it started to rain. It enveloped her body and mind, calming her trembling body as her backside braced against the autumn chill. She tried her hardest to try to get some sleep, but the memories of yesterday plagued her like a shadow. She could still feel the cool rush of the air beneath her, the tree trunks around her skyrocketing towards the heavens like a giant's legs, and the anticipation of the deathly shock that would take her body and force the world to go black once she hit the ground and shattered like a porcelain doll. It rattled her bones and made her clench her arms around herself. She was enjoying herself throughout the whole hike. She loved the feeling of being in the air, watching the world fly past you in a flurry of warm autumn hues and feeling the wind in her hair.

How she'd give anything to relive the feeling without the constant possibility of death at the first slip. She knew that it wasn't Papa's fault, or Ash's. She wasn't angry or upset with anyone, she knew that it wasn't anyone's fault. Things just…happened. Got out of hand and one thing lead to another. Before she knew it…she…

Sarah buried her head into her arms as the anxiety grew too strong for her to contain, and the fear overflowed as tears down her face. She tightened herself into her ball, trembling like a leaf in a storm. She could feel her fingers curl into her jacket, the crinkling of the leather masking her whimpers and turning into whines. Her jaw was locked in a vice grip, grinding her molars together like a hydraulic press. If her brows were knit any closer together they'd fuse. As her emotions rose like a building tsunami wave, she felt the wind outside grow exponentially outside from a soft whine to a deep, strong howl. The rustling of the trees sounded like thunder from indoors, only worsening her meltdown. She hated thunder. What brought her out of her armadillo shell was the sudden gust that entered the room. Leaves that were inside blew all around the lobby till they collided with the back wall of dead coolers, empty coolers. Her head pried from her grip, eyes watery and squinted. With the rush of wind, she saw that the gust came with a hulking shadow in the doorway. Thinking that she was seeing things in her panic attack, Sarah rubbed the blurriness from her sight. The shadowy figure remained, and shut the door behind him, stopping the wild wind in its invasive tracks.

Her eyes widened when she recognised the crimson sheen the moonlight silhouetted off his body. "Papa?" she exclaimed, surprised and confused. "What are you doing here so late?"

Maurice sauntered down the handicap ramp into the show room, hauling his basket of supplies over his shoulder. He placed it beside the nest, and opened his arms to his little girl. Sarah wasted no time in crawling into his warm, inviting embrace. The purr emitting from his throat sac felt like a calming quilt over her body. The slight vibrations from his throaty rumbles tingled over her arms and traveled down to the pit of her stomach, feeling like a bass amp was pulsating in her core. He held her firm against him, feeling her chilled skin over his pot belly. Her cheeks were wet with tears, and her heart fluttered like a hummingbird on his chest. She had been crying again, and he drew out the length and intensity of his purrs, feeling her tremors calm and her tensed muscles relax within a few minutes.

"I. Have something. For you." Maurice whispered, and motioned towards the basket with his eyes.

Sarah tilted her head to the side curiously, and crawled over towards it, the hard tile cold on her bare knees. She unwrapped the covering off the basket. Her puffy eyes lit up when she saw the banquet before her. She looked to Maurice with stars in her eyes and a smile brightening the room. The kind orangutan nodded and waved a single hand to it, giving her permission to eat. While she started to snack on the sweet, succulent fruits first, Maurice got to work. With his hike to the gas station, he also collected a load of tinder and dry logs that would easily burn. Placing them down in a teepee arrangement on the tile flooring, the great ape made sure there was a corner flap open from the window's hide-patch before he commenced striking two rocks together by the wood. The clacking noise caught Sarah's undivided attention from the food with her cheeks stuffed with blueberries, resembling a chipmunk covered in jam. Her eyes lit up as a spark caught the dry, vulnerable tinder in the center of the wood, and a line of smoke rose from the top, followed by a gentle glow that awoke within. The small glow grew in brightness and intensity before the light ate away at the grass, igniting a proper bonfire.

Sarah was taken aback at first, the fire sparking a buried memory in the back of her head. Flashes of smoke towers as tall as skyscrapers and intense heat burning the streets, flames devouring every building and toppling it to ash. She screamed loudly, surprising the collected and focused ape. She ran to the back of the room, and dove beneath the same office desk she used to hide from the scavengers. Maurice was puzzled at first. He knew that the tile flooring wouldn't catch fire, and the flames were far from any of the walls or shelves. Did Sarah have a fear of fire?

Then, he remembered something. One of the first nights he held her, he remembered she had a nightmare of something hot. Something burning maybe? She uttered it in her sleep. Then, when he asked her how she got to the forest, she had a PTSD breakdown. She described a bridge enveloped in smoke and flames.

Something horrible must've happened in the city! Maurice felt a ball form in his chest that plummeted to his gut at the sight of her in terror. He enacted a few low purrs, and approached her with watery emerald eyes full of worry, and an outstretched arm with a concerned open palm. He cooed once more. "There is nothing. To be. Scared of" he reassured in his low baritone song.

She sharply shook her head, and he could see her hand gripping the desk's leg tremble. "It never goes away!" she cried out. Maurice tilted his head in wonder, leaning his body closer to her as she started to sniffle. "Every night, it comes back! It won't leave me alone!"

She was having daily nightmares of the blaze that took her home.

Maurice scooped the trembling child from her hiding place, and held her against his soft, warm chest. She interlaced her fingers into his thick shoulder hair, holding her upright and as close as she could to him. The orangutan could feel her shuddering breath on his throat sac, encouraging him to utter soft coos while stroking her back.

"Fire can be. A dangerous. Weapon" he whispered, feeling her tense up in agreement and nod. "However" he continued, "When controlled. With the right. Safety measures," Maurice turned to face the fire, letting the toasty, gentle glow radiate it's warmth across her exposed lower back. "-It can be. A crucial tool. For. Survival…Turn around. It won't hurt you."

Sarah didn't want to…but she trusted Papa. It took her a few moments of thought and preparation to build the courage to face it again. With great hesitance, still keeping a firm, interlocked grip on his shoulders, Sarah glanced over her shoulder at the burning pile of grass and wood. She felt the intense heat illuminate in her eyes, and the brightness made her squint. Yet, with each passing second, she grew accustomed to the toasty warmth and quiet glow. Maurice could feel the vice grip she had on his soften and relax sending a cooling wave of relief to his strained hair follicles. He could feel her body slide down his front, her foot poking out from his lap for balance as she slipped into a crouching posture before the blaze. She cautiously inched herself closer to the light, but not close enough for her to reach out and burn herself. She stayed her distance knowing full well what this oxidized combustion was capable of from her dreams. The closer she got, the more comfortable she felt. The warmth melted away the chill of the night like snow from her skin. The light chased off the shadows that clung to her body and illuminated the dank, miserable store. She felt the heat cascaded over her front. But then, she felt a large, gentle hand pull her back to sit on her bottom, and she felt the entirety of her backside be embraced with another kind of assuring heat.

Body heat.

Maurice took a seat beside his little girl, wrapping a long, lanky arm around her backside, and pulled her to his side. While on the ground, she came no higher than to his mid torso, just below his armpit. She reminded him of a doll, so petite and precious it made him swoon. Maurice took his selfish gaze from her, scrunching his brows together with a solemn sigh. He couldn't keep silent any longer or he'd fear he'd neglect to say anything at all.

He cleared his throat, swallowing a knot. "Listen, Sarah…" he began. She raised her eyes from the fire, hypnotising the old ape. So full of life and love, the flames dancing in the reflection of her sapphire skies. They looked all too much like his young, troublesome prince's. He had to force himself to shake out of the daze. "I've…Been given. Strict instructions. To…Take you back."

She tilted her head in perplexion, the happiness filtering out from her gaze and replacing it with a mild, worrisome fear. "B-Back?" she asked. "Back where?"

Maurice sighed, feeling the world easing its full weight on his chest and shoulders, making it almost impossible to breathe or make out the words. He forced in a deep, cleansing breath. "Back to where. You came from. To the. Human city…"

Sarah wasn't sure what to make of his words. She didn't understand. "OK…? If that's what Papa wants me to do!"

Maurice felt the growing mass seemed to be thrown from his body, but it didn't make the task any easier for him. "But, I'll be sure to come back and visit you!" she finished.

That felt like a punch to the stomach. Shutting his eyes and holding back a wave of sorrow, he placed his hand on her thin thigh, and shook his head slowly. That fearful expression washed over Sarah's confused gaze once again, but it was much sadder than before. Like she had her heart yanked out and smashed into pieces. The reality of the decision was settling into her young mind, pushing her further to the edge of a tearful abyss when Maurice replied the awful truth.

"I'm afraid. You can't come back. To the forest…ever."

Sarah wasn't liking the words pouring from his quivering lips, feeling an icy serpent constrict around her mind and chest, poisoning the light that filled her youthful heart. The girl could feel her body grow numb to the fire's heat as the feeling settled into her core, extinguishing the childish spirit within and turning her blood to liquid nitrogen, freezing her body from the inside out. "No…" she whispered, anticipating the horrible, circumstantial fact that came next.

Maurice could feel the exact same thing happening to him, his body rejecting the comfort the fire offered and sinking into the shadows. It took everything he had to say the next sentence. And with the next few words that poured out his lips, so did his heart. Tears ran down his cheeks as he spoke.

"I'll…I'll never get to… see you…again…"

Sarah's outer shell shattered like glass, and she collapsed into her father's arms in a puddle of tears and sobs. Maurice curled his arm around her backside, scooping her back into his lap, feeling the salty, wet tears drip down his throat sac and onto his belly. Her sobs racked through her ribs, rattling them like a beast in a cage. She broke down and broke down hard.

For the short few months that she came to be here in the forest, with Maurice and the boys, to Sarah since her accident, they've all she's ever known. When she took that tumble after saving Blue Eyes, she was mentally reborn into the ape's world, remembering nothing of her past but vivid and brief glances of the horrors that took place.

"But Papa!" she cried out loudly, "I don't want to go back there! I don't want to leave! I want to stay here with you, forever!"

The high-pitched whines shadowing each word grew stronger with each and every heart wrenching plea. Her begs clawed at the ape's insides like a rabid rat starving for freedom, ripping through his gut and climbing out his chest. His expression tensed and contorted as he saw her eyes water and overflow with agony, carving deep wrinkles into his seemingly flat and smooth face. He hissed in a shaky breath through his clenched teeth, pulling his lips momentarily back to exert some unhealthy, pent up pain. His own white hot tears streamed down the lines of his face, soaking into his long goatee beard, staining the pure crimson shade.

Maurice pulled the child into his lap, embracing each other as they sobbed into one another's hair. Her arms wrapped around his thick neck, clasping her hands together at his nape. She inhaled his scent deeply with each hiccupping breath, filling her lungs and permeating every smell-related memory bank in her mind to retain it, never wanting to forget it if she would truly never see him again. She never wanted to forget the penetrating heat he gave off, soaking every degree into her skin. Running her hands over the long, coarse, shaggy fur down his back and arms, she detailed the texture to memory. And the sounds he made. Like the deep purring of a panther and a gentle hoot of an owl combined. It was intoxicating to the little girl's ears, and she never wanted to forget them. They calmed her deepest fears and relaxed her completely in moments. She didn't know if anything would have the same effect on her again.

Poor Maurice, he was no better off. He wanted to remember the shape and weight of her small, fragile form, feeling like he was holding air. The smoothness of her naked arms and legs, her skin felt like expensive silk under his callused, aged fingers. Her smile, her laugh, the very tone of her youthful voice. He never wished to forget them. If only there was some kind of existing human technology with them that could capture her essence for him to keep forever. A camera or tape recorder, not that he knew how to use them. But, if he could, he wouldn't have a need to do any of that.

If it was up to him, he would keep her here with him like she wanted.

Like he wanted.

Like Blue Eyes and Ash wanted.

Maurice tightened his hold on her body, sniffling back another wave of emotion building inside him, clearing his congested lungs and throat to prepare and still his stammering, shaky voice. "It's not. Up to. Me" he began. "There's a higher. Authority. In these woods. That. Would kill you. If they knew. You were here. I've been. Instructed. By. The merciful queen. Of my home. And. To take you where. You belong…Back home."

Sarah wasn't completely listening to him, and she only managed to get the last half of his sentence through the deafening white ring in her ears with the pressure of her sobs. She didn't want to go back. In her heart, she knew that there wasn't anything from where she came from. She saw it all burn down, and see's it on repeat night after night. She didn't even know what a city was, nor what lived in it. If the city was what she was seeing in her night terrors, then she'd do anything to avoid it.

"Please, Papa!" she continued to beg. "There's nothing there! I'll do anything to stay! Anything!"

Every sentence that came out of her mouth was like a knife to the belly, and Maurice couldn't take much of it anymore. He couldn't say anything else, nor could he think of anything to try and convince her. He'd have to drag her back to the beach if he had to, he didn't have much more than a few hours with her till he had to be back at the village. Maurice shook his head, and placed her head upon his bicep as a supporting headrest. She curled into his potbelly, quietly crying till her eyes couldn't cry anymore, leaving her to just dry heave pathetic and heartbreaking sobs. Maurice placed his brow upon her scalp, puckering his dry lips against her temple. Sarah sniffled, and turned her head into his armpit, clenching her eyes shut. The orangutan sighed, and held her close, staring dead-eyed into the crackling fire.

"Try to. Get some. Sleep" he whispered. "We have a. Long hike. Ahead of us. Tomorrow…"


So, So sorry for the lack of updates! The last 6-7 months have been insane. I dropped out of school, went through a huge depression and anxiety eposide that lasted a few weeks and I let myself go, moved back home, and got a full time job on a farm! I'm doing so much better now that I'm back in the countryside, and have about 300 animals to keep me sane and active haha. Spring weather up here in Canada has been on and off snow and slush, so power outages were a thing for about a week haha. Car got snowed in, hoses for the animals water froze, lambs and chickens dying, and we even had to put a sheep down who broke her back on a dropped gate. Mortality is rough, especially when you have to pull the trigger and bury the bloody corpse with a friend.

Buuut with warmer weather around the corner, things will look 1,000,000 times better! I'll have more time to write, and the farmhouse is so peaceful and quiet at night, so no distractions! I have a feeling I'll get alot more done this year than the last half of last. That was a messy downward slope haha.

PLEASE REVIEW! It's been so long since I've heard from you guys and I miss you to pieces!