Having seen Haley disappear into one of the silent corners of the giant hollow, no one had spoken to her since Ash's arrival. And on the other end, the young chimp still craved to ask if his assumption was correct: if he was right in thinking that Haley accepting Koba as her mate wasn't so "accepting" after all. Then again, it might've been her distance that stopped him, or it could've been the story Blue Eyes had told him which frightened Ash into silence. In the hand-speech Blue Eyes and him were taught as children, he was told that, a few hours ago, in a fit of sorrow and rage, Haley had leapt through the trees after the other humans and tried to stop them from escaping. Allegedly, one of those very humans had killed Caesar, their king, and as their leader's closest friend, Haley reacted with a taboo towards her own species. After all, "ape no kill apes" is one of the apes' most treasured laws, right alongside "knowledge is power" and "apes together strong." So, imagining a human chasing after another and bludgering him to death was haunting. But that's what Haley did, splodges of crimson still stuck to her cheeks from bashing against Kemp's face, and her fingers still a faint shade of red, even after she tried cleaning them with the freezing water that dripped from the hollow's roof.
Ash was no stranger to death - in fact, no one in their village was - but what happened the previous night was different. He could recall the young apes that didn't make it through their first night of life and the elders who always had to sit down to rest but just couldn't get up one day. But never did any ape kill another living creature with their own hands if it wasn't for food, like what the human, Carver, did to Caesar, or like what Haley did to Kemp. He wondered what this change would bring them as he curled up into a tighter ball against the dirt wall in trepidation and shuddered at the memory of Koba's warrior cry. Like the rest of the troop, Ash was ready to follow Koba's demands without question, but after the strange wave of determined force dwindled inside him, his senses cleared and he calmed, growing more and more hesitant to leave their hiding spot and to do as asked, like a mindless animal. And the possible truth between Haley and Koba only made his hesitance grow.
She was his friend.
Suddenly, as if purposefully snuffing out the silence, the ground shook the three troop members into action. The walls, the floor, and the roof all rumbled viciously, dislodging small lumps of damp dirt from the ceiling. Foster gave an annoyed groan when he was woken by one of those very lumps crashing onto his head, but as soon as the warning sound reached his ears, he quickly padded down his shaved head and sat up the best he could, grabbing his clip knife from his pocket for protection. Despite their apish instincts, Blue Eyes and Ash kept as quiet as forest mice and glued their startled gazes to the morning sunlight shining through the entrance, praying it wasn't the troop looking for Foster, or maybe even looking for Haley. The fact that they knew apes wouldn't make such a sound didn't seem to matter to their anxiety.
Haley actually reacted in a combination of the three's. Slowly, carefully, silently, she pulled her arrow from its quiver and aimed it into the unknown ahead, her heart thundering loudly. It was the same arrow she had tried to shoot Foster with, and she was relieved she had taken a moment to retrieve it. Having finally calmed down, Haley managed to push her pain and anger aside for now, and so, she didn't feel the familiar crave for blood bubble in her throat when she recognized the man-made rumble. All she could think about was the fact that her deceased friend's son was with her, in danger, and maybe even stalked by the very person who shot his father. "Stay here." she whispered, glaring at each one of them in warning, and stealthily crouch-walked outside. Trying as best she could, she dodged the long roots that poked out of every surface, afraid it will somehow sound like an air horn if touched.
Haley couldn't recall a single time when she had ever creeped as silently as then, other than when she and Caesar used to play hide and scare, their own little invention. But of course, she cut her train of memory short, knowing no good would come of reminiscing. Left and right, Haley peeked outside to see if the rumbling was as close to them as it felt inside, but, for a moment, she got lost in the morning sunlight that peeked out from behind the tall trees. Last night, she hadn't even realized how far she chased the men, but in the daylight, she clearly recognized the area: it was close to the city. But other than that, she sighed in slight relief, the danger still a ways off. She crawled out.
"Haley?"
The sound of her name immediately set the hairs on Haley's neck on edge and compelled her to turn, dangerously close to letting the arrow fly in between the eyes of her doctor - Ellie. The woman was filthy, her face covered in sweat and dirt, and it almost perfectly camouflaged her between the redwood, but her clothing gave her away. Still, it took her revealing herself completely from behind the vegetation before Haley was entirely sure it was her. Immediately, Haley gasped and lowered her weapon, scared by the fact that she almost shot Ellie, but just as Ellie relaxed from the unsuspecting fright, Haley realized exactly why she was on edge and raised her bow once more, anger wrinkling her face. She couldn't trust their group right now - none of them.
"Wait, Haley, you-"
"If you're actually trying to tell me that I don't understand, I would choose my words more carefully!" Haley interrupted in a snap, pulling the line tighter.
"Please… Haley…" Ellie started slowly after a minute of thought, seeming just as careful as the wild girl warned her to be. Despite having the arrow aimed at her, however, Ellie appeared calm, no fear in her eyes. It was only when rustling sliced at the silence that she tensed and shot a startled look behind Haley. Haley, on the other hand, didn't jump, and only growled in anger, and for good reason. She didn't need to look behind her to know what had caused the sudden sound, both her ape friends worming out of the hollow. Luckily for them, just as she glanced over her shoulder to yell at them, the wall of vegetation Ellie came through suddenly separated in a crash. Haley paled whiter than paper when the mechanical beast revealed itself with that familiar rumble. She was so distracted by Ellie that she didn't even notice it coming closer. That must be why that other two came: to warn her. Was this Ellie's plan?
She didn't take time to consider everything before she hastily spun around and made to dash in the opposite direction for safety; meanwhile, pulling Blue Eyes with her and somehow maneuvered her weapon back onto her back and shoulder at the same time. She prayed Ash knew to follow. "Run!" She demanded, the sight of Caesar's plummeting body flashing in her mind, triggering absolute terror in her heart, "Faster! Get out of here!" She couldn't lose either of them too, especially not to the same man.
"Wait!" She could hear Ellie scream before she got far, "Haley, wait!"
It must've been something about the woman's tone - it had to be - because Haley halted when asked, even against all odds. She silently screamed at her body to run again, to get Blue Eyes to safety, but when she felt herself turning to Ellie, she screamed for it to move the other way instead. It didn't work. Instead, with all the hatred that can possibly be contained in her small body, she sneered at Ellie for an immediate explanation, keeping her iron grasp on Blue Eyes' wrist. As if cowering under her gaze, the old jeep skidded to a stop almost as suddenly as it arrived and swerved to the side so the driver and the passenger behind him could see the scene through the side window, instead of struggling to use the muddy and cracked windshield. Before Ellie could explain, he yelled from the driver's seat, "Ellie! Thank God!"
Anger quickly melted into confusion when Haley heard Malcolm, just enough for her grip on Blue Eyes to loosen, which was a great gift for the young ape, it seemed. Hooting excitedly without warning, making Haley's entire body stiffen, Blue Eyes took this opportunity to blur away from her and towards the vehicle. Haley had no idea what excited him, but she instinctively reached out to grab him again; unfortunately, whatever made him jump to action seemed to be of more important to the universe. She wondered if he was going to attack Malcolm, but the untimely joy in his movements told her otherwise, confirmed when Blue Eyes, instead, change direction and limped around the back of the jeep, climbing inside. Haley glanced back to Ash for an explanation, but he seemed just as confused as she did. But she could still hear Blue Eyes gibber and hoot as if he found a plantation of fruit, something they've surely lacked in Muir Woods - she could see him shuffling around in the back of the jeep as if he was standing atop an ant hill. Maybe he was distracting himself with the vehicle? He's only seen such a thing twice.
But then Haley squinted, trying to watch him closer, and finally saw a single limb, an ape hand reaching up and grasping Blue Eyes' shoulder reassuringly. It took her mind almost no time at all before it clicked. In an instant, Haley's stomach dropped, her chin slacking into a gape and her eyes widening in disbelief. It couldn't be. Silence filled her ears, just the sight before her pounding in her senses. It couldn't be, but there's only one ape Blue Eyes would get so thrilled over. Ash, too, must have picked up on the familiar scent that Blue Eyes had recognized, because he, too, rushed pass Haley, accidentally brushing shoulders. She, however, didn't even notice him move and only wobbling briefly at the contact. No, it couldn't be.
Hesitantly, Haley stepped forward, careful not to let her numb legs give away. She couldn't let herself hope that she was right; having her hope crushed would be even worse than him actually being gone for good. So she swallowed the nervous bile in her throat and didn't allow herself to so much as breathe as she made her way around the back of the jeep - Ellie and Malcolm's eyes following her closely. Feeling Haley's presence behind him, Ash quickly stepped out of the way, and then Haley couldn't deny it anymore. A loud thunk vibrated around forest when she grasped at the frame of the jeep to keep her from falling over. Staring up at her with half-lidded and red eyes, Caesar laid, alive, between her and Blue Eyes, his dry lips curling into a faint smile when he saw her. Haley didn't even notice Alex peeking out behind Blue Eyes. "At least," He grunted weakly, just before her eyes wandered down to the wound on his lower left shoulder, "You are all safe." Just seeing the three of them alive helped to mend some of his heart, especially after Ellie told him that she had no idea where his family was.
However, Haley barely recognized his relief, while the rest of her consciously ignored it when she got preoccupied. When she saw Caesar alive, she had briefly thought he might not have been shot - he might have only been grazed - but the bloody hole peeking out from under his fur was as clear as day. 'The bullet barely missed his vital organs,' Haley thought despite herself, remembering the anatomy pictures she's seen plenty of times in the books she read as a child. 'No,' she noted disappointedly, 'those pictures were human.'
"Haley," Caesar said more harshly to grab her attention, his face pulled back to its usual frown, and to his relief, her worried, wide, and dark eyes tore away from his wound - he wondered if she even realized how her eyes had changed from just the previous night. "I am alright." He assured her, saying the exact same thing he had to tell his son moments before, but he could tell from her despaired silence that she didn't believe him. Of course, he always knew that his death would affect her severely - never has he been sure why. Stealing a bit more of his depleted strength, he beckoned her closer with his hand while also freeing his son from his hold to rest the other side of his body. Haley, of course, didn't even think about it and did as asked.
Haley was convinced that what she was seeing wasn't real, that she was dreaming. She told herself that the silence in the cave under the tree got to her and she passed out. Yes, she was just lying there, fast asleep, imagining her wish to come true. Him being alive is impossible; that wouldn't happen in real life. Ellie and Malcolm are probably both dead at the hands of Koba's troops, she hypothesized while she climbed into the vehicle on her knees. Caesar's corpse was still lying at the bottom of the cliff, food for the nature surrounding it. But then, rough, rubbery, cool skin grazed her neck and shocked her mind to reality, forcing her delusion to fall apart. Her ghosted eyes flickered back to life, her body gained feeling once more, and she stared back into Caesar's gold-flecked eyes with surprised solace. Wrapping his fingers around the back of Haley's neck, Caesar slowly pulled her down towards him, as if he was expecting her to collapse if he moved any faster, and lurched her heart by finally pressing her forehead to his, assuring her that he was truly there, alive and safe. Haley wasn't sure why, but she couldn't cry, not even out of the tremendous joy she was feeling - she simply squeezed her eyes shut and allowed her shoulders to shake in tearless sobs.
He was alive.
He really was alive.
"You're okay." She breathed breathlessly, and waited until he finally let go before she sat up and attempted to compose herself. Despite Caesar's attempt, Haley still couldn't take her eyes off of him, afraid he'd disappear and she'd find out she really was hallucinating. "What happened?" She asked, the memory of his limp body falling from the edge of the village replaying in her head, "I saw Carver shoot you - you were dead."
"No," Malcolm's voice interrupted once again and he appeared next to Ash. There was a pause before he tried to explain, a pause that somehow gave Haley a chill, "It was-"
Quickly, Caesar stopped him with a harsh and rushed grunt, and when Haley turned back to look towards him, she could see him glowering at Malcolm to stay quiet, making her eyes narrow suspiciously. What was that?
"We need to get out of here." Ellie interrupted as well, knocking on the back window behind Haley to grab everyone's attention, "I can't help Caesar out here: it's too dangerous."
"I know… a place." Caesar suggested to Malcolm, knowing he was too weak to yell over Haley and Malcolm so Ellie could hear. Nodding, Malcolm left to inform Ellie that they had a heading: just like before, she'll have to walk ahead to look for a path.
Even with everything happening, though, Haley's eyes stayed on Caesar, even if it was clear he was ignoring her. She wanted to ask him why he stopped Malcolm from explaining things to her - it was killing her to know what really happened - but as the ball started rolling for them to get to safety, she knew better than to ask and bit her tongue. After all, she would never hinder anyone from helping Caesar as soon as possible, even if she'll have to live in curious torture for the next few minutes.
So, one of my loved followers, megascopstrichopsis, pointed out how there were a couple of mistakes (I'm not mad, I love it when people give me pointers!), so I was curious and checked what she meant. Oh my daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayum. (OoO) There were too many to count! ANYWAYS! I proofread the chapter now and got most everything sorted... I think.
Also, if you're willing, go check out my YouTube Channel, Geeky Fanatics. You'd have my greatest gratitude.
Last thing, I promise. Someone pointed out that I was using "dismay" wrong and I just wanted to thank you! I'll try to fix the old ones and use it correctly in future chapters. Please, if you guys notice anything else like that, do tell me! Like I said, I love constructive criticism!
