They Called Her Fay Wray

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

They were all in Muir Woods. Charles dozed on a blanket in the shade of one of the huge red wood trees. Will and Caroline were off somewhere, probably practicing their human mating rituals. And Caesar was, in all appearances, on his own for the moment.

He loved his family, though he was getting a little impatient, waiting for Will and Caroline to start having babies. Caesar wanted a little brother or sister. But he also loved these rare times when his family was occupied and he could explore the woods without them.

After checking that Charles was sleeping peacefully, he bounded off in to the trees. He climbed and swung and jumped, reveling in his freedom.

As usual, the young Ape lost all track of time. It was just occurring to him that he had better go back and check on Charles when sounds of raucous human laughter from up ahead drew his attention. There was something about this laughter that unnerved him

Caesar decided to follow the sounds. It didn't take him long to come upon the disturbing scene. As he watched from the top of the trees, several human boys and a girl were twirling another smaller girl around and around just off the ground. They'd set the girl down and laugh as she staggered about, then snatch her up again just as she seemed to be finding her footing and whirl her around again.

Caesar was seething with rage, gripping the tree so hard that he left marks in the wood. If this was some human game, it was a very cruel one. And the girl at its center certainly wasn't laughing and having a good time. When the other girl pushed the smaller one roughly to the ground and stood over her, Caesar had had enough. He opened his mouth, ready to let loose a roar that would echo all over Muir Woods.

At the last second, he thought better of that. He dropped down out of the trees amid the human children. Placing himself squarely between the tormented girl and the others, Caesar opened his mouth and gave a soft growl..

With terrified shrieks, Amanda Grace King listened as her tormentors ran away. Still feeling quite dizzy, she stayed where she was crouched on the ground.

She had heard the loud thud of something coming down from the trees, then the screams of her bullying schoolmates as they ran off in all directions.

Great! My so-called friends have left me here to be eaten by something, Amanda thought fearfully as she stayed on the ground, too afraid to move. Not that she could move very well yet anyway. The ground still seemed to be sliding beneath her, and she now had no idea where she was in this whole wood.

And she also had no idea what had come down from those trees, either.

Her first thought was snake, but that didn't feel or sound right to her. For one thing, she did not hear any slithering noises nearby or any hissing

or the sound of scales rubbing on scales. And if it were a snake, it would have to be a monster one to cause that thud, a big monster one.

Oh, very nice thought Amanda!

Amanda shivered. Her fevered imagination began to picture what it would be like to either be eaten or squeezed to death by a monstrously large Boa, or