Characters: Elena Gabriella Vega, Rory, Blue Eyes, Malcolm, Ellie, Julia Matthews, Hope El' Chaidez, Caesar, Alexander, Delia Truth, Tanner Gore, Maurice, Lydia
Rating: PG-13
Romance, Humor, Violence, Suspense
Chapter 3: Lock the door
"Lena, what did you see out there?" The ape Caesar asked, as I sat next to him. I looked down sheepishly, of course everyone heard my blood, curdling screams. Right now I wanted to talk to Caesar and Malcolm who were both leaders of the ape and human societies in San Francisco. To find out why everything the way it is.
"Just...a corpse" I stated, and Malcolm tipped his head at me as he sat in front of us.
"Ape or human?"
"Human...".
It was kept quiet, until I broke the silence "I saw something else before the corpse, an ape".
"An ape? We had no apes patrolling that far beyond the village last night" An ape, named Augustine stated out clear, his emerald-light flecked eyes staring at me sternly.
"What does the ape look like" He then signed, and I thought back to the limping ape from last night.
"Around Caesar's age, maybe older. Green eyes of course, and...god so many scar's all over him. The poor thing was even limping, and before he limped off, his leg had this big bloody wound. Also, his left eye was a milky, white with a scar as well" I finished as I looked up, seeing a bunch of shocked eyes.
"No way..." Blue Eyes' spoke out, "That's impossible".
"What is?" I asked, and I felt Tanner who tapped my shoulder, he smirked lightly in a joking manner.
"Let me put it this way, who you saw was Koba. Local ape almost ruined everything, almost put us in a war with the apes, and almost killed Caesar, plus he threw Ash off a balcony" He added with a deadpan face.
"We thought he was dead" Augustine added with a bitter tone.
"Oh..." Was all I could get out.
"Are you sure what you saw Lena" Caesar signed and I nodded my head firmly.
"Of course! I wasn't delusional of what I saw, and if I was I wouldn't have saw the fresh footprints I followed" I claimed, Caesar leaned over to whisper something in Augustine's ear who nodded firmly and made his way out of what was called 'The home tree'.
"So Lena...anything you want to know?" Malcolm questioned and I looked at him as I rubbed the throbbing pain on my forehead, feeling light material as I soon discovered it was a bandage.
"Anything?" I declared and he nodded.
"Yes anything".
"I-um..." I started as I started to dig out the dirt that was caked into my finger nails, again many questions ran through my mind, and the throbbing pain in my head was intense which made it harder to focus.
"Why is the world like this?" I suddenly asked, and felt all eye's on me.
"Ten years ago" Malcolm started "A scientist named Will Rodman created a drug to help humans with Alzheimer's, he used apes as test subjects, but he began the project in 2008. In 2008 he adopted a baby chimpanzee, Caesar" My eye's widened in a surprised manner as I glanced at Caesar.
"Along with Caesar, many apes were introduced to the drug along with his mother..." Malcolm trailed off looking at Caesar.
"Bright Eyes" Was all Caesar spoke, and Malcolm nodded.
"Anyways, when Caesar was I guess a teenager he sparked a rebellion of some sort against our species. He led them here to the Redwoods park, and somehow made it to where every ape in San Francisco was affected by the drug, to make them smart".
"What does that have to do with the low population of humans" I brought in, as I cocked my head. Malcolm looked up at me as he chuckled.
"Don't worry I'm getting to that. In 2016, I guess you were probably around seven years-old, the drug got out and it affected humans like it didn't to apes. It made apes smarter, but it made humans get sick, and die of the virus it was called 'The Simian Flu'. The first year many people were put in hospitals" Malcolm then glanced at Hope and Ellie.
Ellie began as she shook her head "Just so many died. The symptoms were; Sneezing blood, weight loss, bleeding of the eyes, blindness, sensitivity to the sun, it was horrific and terrible" Ellie finished.
"It spread to almost every country around the world, it was an air-born flu, but a lucky amount of people became immune to the flu. Ten years later, 2026 now, America and many other countries have become wastelands, post-apocalyptic" Hope explained as she tucked her ebony hair behind her hair.
"And as you said one time Lena, this is the 21st century of the black plaque" Tanner commented, and I glanced at him.
"This sounds like something a scientist would let out" I commented "Did people blame the apes or the scientists".
"The apes" Tanner declared and I made a look at him.
"But why though? Why would they blame the apes and not the scientists?" I asked again.
"We're human, but most people just wanted someone to blame that wasn't their species" Hope said, and then I thought of something.
"Where are my parents? Did they die from the flu?" I asked, feeling a bit hopeful. As soon as I said that a cocoa light skinned woman popped into my head. Her eye's bleeding, and coughing blood, who kept on mocking me with a weak smile.
"Yes and no, your mother Marisol died from the flu when you were seven. Your father died in an explosion on the way to the Colony when you were thirteen" Hope said as she glanced to the floor, and I let my eyelids lower to the side as I glanced at the outside, seeing pellets of rain hitting the soft snow like shattered diamonds.
Later on, Malcolm and Caesar explained to me about the chaos that occurred four or five days ago. When the ape I saw last night named 'Koba' shot Caesar and took a army of apes to avenge his so called death, and all this started from Malcolm and a group of people he brought to fix a dam to bring power into the Colony.
This time I wanted to know about who I am exactly, what I'm like.
"First off!" Tanner began, as I rolled my eyes at him.
"Your a danger magnet!" He grinned and I laughed "How so?".
"You broke your leg" Julia started followed along by Delia.
"You got a black eye".
"Attacked by a lion" Blue Eyes commented in a husky deep voice that I felt my flesh creep in an electric vibe, I shivered.
"Now you have Amnesia" Hope stated last.
"Anything else" I asked putting on a deadpan face.
"Oh that's all!" Julia began, and I joined in.
"What's my full name? and how old am I exactly" I asked a little flustered.
"Elena Gabriella Vega, and your seventeen, but you'll be eighteen in a few weeks December fourteenth" Hope explained.
At this point it was all I wanted to know for now. I thanked the people about giving me detail of who I was, and why everything is the way it was. I even discovered that both Malcolm and Caesar were on the works of creating a peace treaty between both species.
I gazed outside to the snow pellets that replaced the rain. I wanted to be alone to think for awhile. To my side I heard a few 'imps' and saw a small baby chimpanzee. Her eye's along with Blue Eyes, Caesar, and Rory were the most remarkable I've seen yet.
The young chimpanzee's eye's were a blueish, light gray. She could easily fit in my arms, her fur was glossy and pushed back, containing amber/brown along with specks of ashen gray and light tan skin. On her head was beads woven into her fur, and feathers. Along with a fur pelt around her shoulders of light gray, and black speckles. She was beautiful and a cute little thing.
"Uh hello?" I spoke quietly to the young ape, who began grabbing onto on light colored scarf.
"I guess you wouldn't remember Lydia" The same husky voice spoke and I grinned shyly again "No, sorry...".
"She is a pretty little thing though" I commented as Blue Eyes sat next to me "She's my sister".
I knitted my eyebrows together as I turned to the blue eyed prince in surprise "You sure?..." He puffed out a chuckle as he fangs poked out slightly.
"My mother and father adopted her" I let out an 'oh' that explained a lot actually.
"So Blue Eyes, how did we meet" I questioned and he made the same crooked smile that made butterflies burst in my stomach.
"You and Julia were on a camping trip, Ash and I saw the fire you two made. We investigated and it was near the area we fish, you ran out I caught you then Julia hit me in the face with a stick, she apologized of course. You and I we got off to a bad start that night, but the next few days got better, had to keep an eye on you and Julia anyways. Then, you got attacked by the mountain, I felt such...a feeling I never had when I heard you scream in such pain. I stabbed the mountain lion and saved you" Blue Eyes explained and I smirked as I gave him a light hug.
"Oh my hero" I joked, and he rolled his eyes playfully at me.
"Then-" Blue Eyes was interrupted by Augustine who gave a calling hoot, and Blue Eyes quickly grabbed a bow and arrow that was hooked to the side of the entrance of the Home Tree.
"Where you going?" I asked, feeling bummed out that he was already leaving to my surprise.
"I have to go on patrol, then we usually have to form a hunting band, help with the burned huts, teach the younger apes of the village, then help my mother with the injured apes" He explained and I let out a whistle.
"Got a lot on your plate then" I commented as he nodded slightly.
"Well this is one of the 'lucky' days I only do patrolling, so I won't take long Lena".
"Well...see ya!" I gave him a small wave as he descended off with Augustine on his horse leaving fresh tracks in the snow.
"Wait" I turned my head at the baby ape who was staring at me with her big eyes "What am I supposed to do with a baby chimp..." Hesitant I picked up the ape and looked around as I tried to find Cornelia. No where to be seen.
"I'll take her Lena" A voice called, and I turned to see Rory.
"Thank you" I informed her and she laughed.
Rory gave me a smirk, and I felt awkward once again as she gave me the certain smile.
"You don't have to isolate yourself from everything as well, look around" She signed one last time, and Rory was right. I didn't want to be stuck here all day, I'll unlock my un-sureness and let the door open to what this snow fallen, woods can introduce to me.
The group of humans i've met er-knew. Had to go back to the city, but a few stayed behind, the younger humans around my age. I wanted to be alone right now, I walked through the frozen floor of the village. Following with glances from other apes that were doing their daily routine. I hugged my arms together as I caught sight of one of the humans named Alexander.
He was near an old orangutan going through a book, I did want to be alone, but I was curious.
"Oh hey Lena" Alexander greeted, and I smiled in a friendly manner as I took a glance at the book. It was a thick, graphic novel and it did catch my interest.
"How are you feeling Lena" The orangutan signed as he purred slightly, and my eye's followed his sign gestures and I exhaled as I licked my cracked lips.
"My head is still pounding, but I guess i'll be fine..." I glimpsed at Alexander who mouthed 'Maurice' and I grinned to the old orangutan "Maurice!'.
I discovered awhile hanging out with Alexander, that Maurice taught the very young apes here, an adviser, and Caesar's third-in-command. I first met him the day after I was attacked by a lion, along with Ash's father Rocket. With Alexander he explained that I met him around the time I started school when I was thirteen, and Julia was twelve, he even slipped out that I used to date Tanner when I was fifteen, but we broke up when I was sixteen.
To put it down lightly, I honestly can't imagine dating Tanner he seemed like an older brother-like figure right away.
Getting up, I decided to leave Maurice and Alexander return to the book they were both reading. Following down the frozen path, the snowflakes fluttered my long, dark eyelashes, but fell as I glanced up to the gray sky.
I stood up straight, and turned around. The entrance to the village, which was heavily guarded by gorilla's and a few chimpanzee's. I didn't want to be cooped up in the village for awhile, my eyes followed a loose piece of wood that stuck out.
I grinned sneakily as I jogged to the wood. More like a log actually, with no problem I pushed it aside. There was a hole, bigger than my own body frame actually. Glancing around to where no one was looking I slipped out.
Home free! Yes! I would be back before anyone noticed, or would they?
Spotlight lock the door...
Feeling up to it I ran off, the snow was deep, and it made the low trunks of the tree's easy to climb over. Feeling the urge to do so, I dug my fingers into the old bark of the tree's and climbed up, pulling myself onto a tree branch I looked ahead at the quiet atmosphere. I looked up.
Don't look back...
The sun peeked out from the clouds, hazy and colorless as it just showed light. The leaves were weathered away falling from the harsh wind that was present which caused me to pull up the hoodie of my jacket. There were rocks everywhere, flattened boulders actually that were possibly covered in moss, or grass. Now covered with shattered looks of ice, and the leaves that laid on the ground were weathered and frozen as well. Taking a risk, I jumped to the ground as I rolled perfectly in the snow onto my feet.
Undress in the dark...
I perched my self up as I brushed the snow off my shoulders. Glancing at the sky again it suddenly darkened, the sun was gone. Something snapped as I turned my head right away, seeing a dark figure disappear into the dense woods, not an ape. The twig that was snapped echoed throughout the dense woods. I stood perfectly still, it wasn't fear, just an instinct that made me freeze.
And hide from you...
Do I call after it?
All of you...
Follow it?
You'll never know the way your words...have haunted me
Or do I just say here?
I can't believe you'd ask these things...of me
I tried to steady my panicked breaths. Why in hell was I panicking? I was answered right away as I felt the instinct of don't trust it. Time to go back. I felt as if my beating heart was drumming against my ribs as I gripped my fists tightly.
You don't know me
I was about to open my mouth to release an exhale, that was until a hand laid on my shoulder as I was so focused on the moving figure. I screamed, I didn't let out a shout. As soon as I did that the figure suddenly vanished.
Now or never, You belong to me!
Did I imagine it?
Stay tuned for Chapter 4!
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Song belongs to Evanescence