UNCHANGEABLE - FREENBECKY

the forest

"but you can't go there alone," says becky.

freen smirked. "guess what, i can..."

"not in that situation of yours, freen. you might encounter something in there that might trig--"

"i'll worry about that later, bec." freen pulls her hand away. "emily is way more urgent than that."

and before becky can protest further, freen jumps outside the marked trail and strides into the forest's depths.

---

her instincts are right. it didn't take her long to spot emily standing in the middle of the trees, holding a banana roti in one hand.

freen closes her distance only to find emily talking to a small baboon.

"you shouldn't go out here alone," says the kid. "don't you know that it's dangerous here in the forest?"

"where's your mom? you should be with your mom," adds emily, concerned. the baboon sits there in silence, eyes focussed on the kid.

"you should be with your mom too," says freen, startling emily. "you're jumpy like your mom, huh?" she chuckles. "what are you doing here? you'resupposed to stay on the trail, remember?"

emily points at the little baboon. "but i found him walking alone earlier. i thought he got lost. that's why i followed him out here."

freen stands beside the kid, placing an arm around emily's shoulders. "that's a noble act, emily. but your mom is crying now, do you know that? she's worried about you. they even sent men out here to search for you."

emily pouts. "i'm sorry."

"let's go back now, okay?" she pulls the kid, but emily won't budge.

"i don't want to go back yet..." emily's voice cracks.

"why?" freen crouches on the ground. "hey. what's wrong?"

there is a sniff this time. emily's tears are dripping onto the ground. "i don't want to be with them... they're... they're fighting again..."

freen's mouth opens but she can't make out a word.

"they're always fighting lately..." emily sobs. "they're trying to hide it from me... but i know it... i can feel it... i know when they're not okay... and mommy, i sometimes see her crying in her room..."

still not knowing what to say, freen wipes the kid's tears.

"i ran ahead of them because i know daddy's mad at mommy... and i don't want to see them ignoring each other again..."

freen eyes the ground, somewhat feeling guilty. it may have something to do with what happened on the bridge.

"they'll make up soon. don't worry." freen holds the kid in her arms, disregarding how painful it is to say something like that herself. "every marriage goes through struggles from time to time. i'm sure they'll fix it soon, for you."

emily shakes her head. "they've been fighting for a while now... dad always works late... mom always sleeps in my room..."

freen ruffles the kid's hair, trying to comfort her.

"can... can you take me with you instead...?" asks emily.

"hey... it'll be okay. trust me. they're going to--" freen's eyes widen when she sees an adult baboon now standing tall beside the baby baboon earlier, flashing its menacing canines at them.