From Simian Eyes *Being edited*

The Actress

When Keena regained consciousness, she noticed that she was in a completely different room. It was barren but -unlike the shed- it was clean and had a couple of beds. Light was shining through the large window and onto the white walls. Groaning, she sat up, blinking dumbly. Her head was pounding and everything was blurry and disoriented. What happened? Why was she here? She stood up, leaning on the wall for support, feeling sick and her stomach felt turbulent, making it worse.

As her vision cleared, she suddenly noticed a figure sitting on one of the beds, facing the window. It was covered in thick black fur and was sitting up right. Patch?

Keena grunted loudly, hoping she was right.

"Hm?" The figure jumped slightly before turning to look at her. ...No, it wasn't Patch. Keena sighed miserably, desperately wishing that the big male was here to comfort her. But she still had no idea what had happened to him...

She looked back up towards the figure. She looked like a chimpanzee. But... she couldn't be. She looked taller, her limbs were slimmer and her face was much softer with a feminine look. Tufts of fur surrounded her cheeks like a small mane and she had a smaller head. She had the loveliest brown eyes and her whole face was gentle and kind. But Keena still did not know what she was. She was too slender and lanky to be a chimpanzee. Keena herself was only seven years old but her frame was already broader with wide shoulders and thick wrists. This creature did look a few years older, but she looked small for her age. Under her thick fur, Keena could see she was rather thin.

Seeing that Keena was uncomfortable, the creature took a few steps towards her, holding a hand out. Keena froze at the sensation of being touched and she suddenly felt that she was being gently groomed. She let out a small sigh, beginning to relax. It felt nice and made her less tense. She still felt unwell from the drug. She lied down on one of the beds, face first on the covers. It was soft and comfortable. She curled up on her side and sighed softly, falling asleep within seconds.

An hour later, she opened her eyes again and sat up. The sickness had worn off but her headache remained, making her groan. She sat up to notice the creature sitting the opposite bed, curled up with her knees to her chest and her arms folded over them. She must have stayed awake to watch her. Patch never did that. She remembered that she once suffered from a stomach bug (probably picked up from a foreign holiday maker) and Patch slept the entire night while she was awake and screaming from the pain. But he did comfort her when he was awake... where was he?

Suddenly the door opened, startling the two apes. The female squeaked and stood upright, her eyes locked on who just came in. Keena blinked at the person. He was a lanky and skinny man with flaming red hair and a slightly noticeable overbite. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a flowery shirt. Something about his appearance and the way he held himself at the door made her wary. Despite his exterior, he held himself like a pompous stork during the mating season. He looked down at the female and glowered at her as she approached him, squeaking.

"What do you want, Milly?" he grunts. His voice was rough and unsettling and it did not match his appearance at all. It made her uncomfortable. The female -who Keena now knew as Milly- whimpered and put both of her hands on her abdominal area. Keena blinked with confusion, what did that mean?

"You'll eat later. You have to work first!" The stranger snapped and -to Keena's horror- slapped Milly right in the face, causing her to cry and back away, her lip quivering.

"Oh stop that, you'll get your food soon enough!" He reached up to smack her again, Milly shied away, showing her teeth fearfully and hugging herself for comfort. Keena glances at the man worryingly. She already knew that this man was going to be as bad as Mario. She glared at the man darkly. She wasn't going to let this man abuse her like she did with Mario. The images of a bleeding, starving and suffering Patch were still clear in her mind. She was not going to let that happen to her. Not after what men had done to Patch... wherever he was.