Hide Away

Chapter Three: Escape

Her ripped jeans were snug against her body and her combat boots began to slip braced against the tree branch.
Her arrow was aimed and ready.
The feathery back was made with the feathers of the prey she killed previously.
Her mind was blank as she focused on the doe grazing among the brush.
She pulled the string until it grew taught.
Her aim was perfect as she took down the female.
A shot right between the eyes.
Lori quickly gathered the momentum she needed to swing down from the tree and land in a crouch as to not break her legs.
She yanked the arrow from the deers head and wiped it on the bottom of her combat boots.
She sighed through her nose as she put the arrow back into it's holster.
She grabbed the doe and hauled it into her scarred arms.
She walked miles to her shack and slammed the deer on her worktable.
She immediately started to skin and gut the doe.

§§§§§§§

She washed her hands in the nearby stream and rubbed her neck and face with the cool water.
It was cold out and she wore a black tank top.
The reason she did this was to remind herself that deep inside, she was cold.
She was broken and alone and the cold that seeped into her bones was a permanent reminder of that.
Her blonde hair was thrown back into a messy long ponytail.
And though it was winter, her skin was tan and always seemed to glow regardless of her scars.
She let herself breathe for a moment before turning on her heel and walking into the shack.

§§§§§

It'd been seven years. Seven tears since she'd left Will to kill himself.
It'd been nine since she'd watched Charles die of his dimensia and eight since she witnessed Caroline on her death bed.
She was now seventeen as she graced her hands against the work table.
The letter tucked inside of her coat pocket burned.
It'd been years of punishing herself for the terrible things she'd let happen.
Years of punishing herself for letting Will die.
Years of punishing herself for not being able to find Ceasar.
The One thing Will asked her to do.
She couldn't even do that one thing for him.
She took the cold air into her lungs and debated stabbing herself in her gut with knife she'd used to skin the doe now frozen outside on another work table.
She wondered what it would be like to bleed out and die.
Would her life flash before her eyes like people said- or would she be forced to watch the ceiling as she took her final breath?
She cursed and shoved the knife aside.
She grabbed her now and arrows before stalking back off into the woods.
It was misty and dreadful- good, Lori deserved to feel dreadful.
She stalked the woods. Further and further she went each time.
This time she made no intentions of stopping.
Endless walking in the woods until her legs burned in pain.
Endless walking until her feet were beyond blistered and bleeding.
Until her heart pumped faster and faster and she was wheezing.
Her mind was blank and her heart scarred.
Muir woods.
She hated it here.
'Good', She heard, 'You deserve every sliver of pain that you feel'. That dark voice that had been her only company for the past seven years reminded her.
She trudged onward.
The trees began to shake and leaves began to fall.
Lori paused but didn't turned her head towards the oncoming apes.
She stared at the ground.
A 'thud' sounded in front of her.

§§§§§§§§§

Her knees barked in protest as they hit the sodden earth.
She saw sparks ingnite in her vision and her teeth sing as her face slammed against the ground.
She pushed herself up not bothering to wipe the mud from her face.
She didn't even bother to lift her head when the annoying god-damned apes shut the hell up due to a certain apes appearance.
But her head was yanked up and-
He'd grown.
God how he'd grown.
She growled.
Ceasar examined her from head to toe, not a glint of recognition.
With a jut of his furry chin, his apes began to search her.
The letter was discovered in her pocket and she snarled and nipped at their hands with protectiveness of that letter.
"No!" She screamed. "Don't touch that!" yanked and yanked at the hands holding her.
Ceasar was handed the letter.
He unfolded the paper and began to read.
His head snapped up.
Lori glared at the ground.
Let her go. He signed.
Lori ripped her arms from the apes grasp.
Ceasar jumped down from the large rock and landed in front of Lori.
She backed away and Ceasar paused.
He told you to find me Lori. He reminded her.
"And I have. Now I'm leaving." She snatched her bow and arrows from a muscular ape and growled at him.
Lori- but she didn't let him finish.
She began to walk away.
"Lori." She paused.
What on gods great fucking earth?!
She turned on her heel slowly.
Did he just speak?!
"Stay." he spoke again and it took every ounce of strength she owned not to pass out.
She cocked her head.
"Why? What's the point?" She snapped.
Ceasar frowned.
He found no light in her eyes..just a deep empty void.
Lori watched a female ,with a rather large swollen stomach, walk up to gently rest her hand against Ceasar's back.
He turned his head to rest it against her own.
She hooted gently to him. He grunted and she turned away to walk back to the largest hut around.
'I know you love him..' The words in the letter burned her heart.
She snarled before turning.
She wasn't angry ,or maybe She was, at him. It'd been seven years.
Of course he'd find a pretty ape to be his queen.
She stalked through brush and grass and didn't pause even as He silently followed her.
She snapped.
She whirled on him.
"Ceasar. Go. Home." She shooed him.
Why are you acting like this? The graceful movement of his hands proved that he'd gotten better with sign.
"Just..- Just go home Ceasar!" Lori snapped. "Go to your pregnant mate."
She turned then and cursed when her bow string snapped at her sudden movement and snapped against her face.
A deep cut from her cheek to her neck bled profusely.
"Damn thing!" Of course she just had to make it out of fishing line!
She hissed as she touched it and shook the blood from her fingers.
Ceasar appeared in front of her just then.
She refused to make eye contact with him and that didn't sit well with him.
Lori averted her gaze to her broken bow.
Ceasar prodded her wound but she batted his hand away.
"Leave me alone." she snapped.
"Lori." He huffed.
"What?" she demanded.
"Let me help you.." He said slowly feeling out the words.
"No." Lori snapped.
"Why?" Ceasar asked.
"Because I don't need help." the grass crunched beneath her boots as she stomped away.
A growl sounded behind her.
If there was one way Ceasar could get her attention, it would be fighting.
Lori barely had time to react before the king ape tackled her.
Both of them rolled down a hill before coming to a stop.
"Sto-" she grunted as he pushed to get her arms by her side.
God he was strong..
He'd definitely grown.
"Ceasar!" Lori snapped.
He growled and pinned her arms by her side.
She struggled to get free.
"Enough!" Ceasar snapped.
"Make me!!" she shrieked and struggled more.
He huffed and searched for something to say.
"Tell..me...why." he demanded.
"Because...Because I want to be alone." a lie. And Ceasar knew it.
He got off of her.
Come, or die. He said referring to her being alone and all by herself.
She have him a look.
Apparently Ceasar had master the action of rolling his eyes.
Apes stronger together. He signed.
"I'm not an ape." she said her voice cool and exaggerated.
"Lori." He warned.
It was Lori's turn to roll her eyes.
She trudged along after him.
"For tonight." was her rough response.
Ceasar gave her a look.
"That's it." she said hardly.
Ceasar huffed.
They returned to the ape village which Lori now had the chance to examine.
Huts built with sticks as their roof.
Some were built atop one another.
Ceasar studied her face expression.
Cool, calm, collected.
Neutral.
She was showing no surprise or praise for his hard work.
He sighed and lead her to her own hut.
She walked in.
No way in hell would she make this easy.
She stood in the middle of the but before walking right back out.
"Lori." Ceasar said running after her retreating form.
This time Ceasar carried her kicking and screaming over his shoulder.
He had grown up too.
He was taller than her.
More muscular than her too.
He guarded the door so that she couldn't run.
She sat against the wall and glared at him.

Night fell, and Ceasar still didn't budge from his spot at the door.
Neither did Lori.
She stayed against the wall glaring and showed no signs of falling asleep anytime soon.
"You can't keep this up all night Ceasar. I, however, am an excellent night owl." Lori said determined to get under his fur.
She'd done this many times as a child And usually got her way.
Whether it was forcing him to teach her to swing from branch to branch or making him share food but now it was a simple battle of wits and patience.
Ceasar was just as determined.
"Well, guess you'd better settle in, we're gonna be here a while." Lori said getting comfortable.
She crossed her arms and settled.
Stop being bratty, Ceasar signed.
Lori leaned forward resting her elbow on her knees.
"Make me." she challenged.
I'm bigger, faster, and stronger now Lori. Don't make challenges you'll only loose. He signed.
Lori rolled her eyes.
"I can't wait to die." Lori groaned.
Of course that wasn't true.
She wanted to live, of only to punish herself some more.
She scratched at the dried cut on her cheek.
I stung as the scabs gave way and started bleeding again.
She sighed through her nose.
She stood up and paced around the hut that was about the size of a living room.
She examined it's every weakness and crack and every way to escape.
The door that Ceasar was blocking wasn't the only entrance.
She smiled as she found a loose spot in the roof.
Ceasar watched her every move.
Lori remained standing.
She fiddled with her hands and bounced her leg wanting so badly to run.
Not out of fear but eagerness.
Her hyperactive body wanted action.
She rotated her shoulders.
It was gonna be a long night..

§§§§§§§§§

The Sun began to rise and both Ceasar and Lori kept their eyes peeled.
They stared each other down for a few moments before another chimp waltzed towards the door carrying two bowls of fruit and meat.
Lori watched as Ceasar ate his share carefully.
Lori's mouth watered at the sight of the fruit and meat.
However, she pushed the food away with a sigh.
Her stomach grumbled.
Ceasar slammed his bowl down frustrated.
"Something wrong King Ceasar?" Lori asked sweetly.
Eat it or I shove it down your throat. Ceasar signed.
Lori gave a grin nothing short of feral and a look that clearly meant, You can certainly try.
With a snap of her teeth of course.
Ceasar grimaced.

§§§§§§§§§§

The chimp replacing Ceasar for a minute started to doze off
It was time.
Lori stood slowly without a sound before going to the spot that was loose on the roof.
She turned to see the bonobo's eyes closed.
She quickly and quietly began to rip the sticks aside until a clearing big enough for her to slip through was visible.
Hauling herself up into the roof, Lori made sure the Bonobo was still asleep.
He was.
Lori scouted the area before making a running leap to the wall surrounding the ape village.
The bonobo watching her must have woken up because a loud screech and hoot was heard alarming Ceasar.
She turned in time to see Ceasar gazing up at her.
He paused.
The sunlight rose, illuminating her blondish hair.
Her face was set in harsh determination.
Behind her was a river.
She couldn't go forward because she was surrounded.
Ceasar knew she was trapped.
Until-
He let out a horrible roar as she fell backwards....