After I was taken away by my brother from the disasterous and violent killing among victims of the same horrible kidnapping, we could only sit in silence. We both clearly needed some time to think, but even if we wanted to, we couldn't speak to each other. He was a gorilla and I was a monkey with wings. We travelled together for days, through the complex organic maze of trees, but we might as well have been walking in circles.
Despite our lack of communication, we were able to support and encourage each other. I remember how he grabbed my arm, as I had just slipped and he held me up. Shortly after, he fell himself, but, rather than getting crushed, I jumped out the way. We shared many laughs at night, as we reenacted silly events like that, next to the fireplace.
When it was still just the two of us, the worst times were when we lost sight of each other. First time it happened: I was waking up that morning, I usually wake up before him, but this time he was gone. The panic was immediate, I feared the worst. My mind was thinking of every possible horrible scenario. Maybe he had left me, I thought he would leave me because I was just a burden. I called out for him, but heard nothing back, I eventually found him, yet seeing him didn't calm me down. All I saw was a terrifying gorilla, I couldn't help it. My mind was filled with the imagery of the person who got beaten into a pulp at the dumping ground. I ran away from him, as I tried to escape the horrors in my head. He quickly caught up to me and thank god it was him. He hugged me, gently and with that I was reassured; my brother would never leave me.
After the first scare, we spend time daily to create our own sign language. I am pretty proud of what we have accomplished! We are only able to communicate the most basic of needs, like if we want food, water or privacy, you know, for taking a leak or a shower. After all this time living as animals in the wild, we still keep some civilities close.
Those days were liberating for me. It was my first time experiencing freedom, a sense of right to choose my own destiny. I was finally involved in where my life was going. The inner peace this experience has given me is certainly a thing I am forever grateful for. I am certain now that once we find a way to return home, I will see my brother off and stay behind.
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We aimlessly traversed the forest for many days, we attempted to use the sun as our guide, but it was often difficult to locate it in the deep thicks, as it would at times be fully obscured. It was difficult to keep track of time, I wonder if we sometimes may have been walking backwards, not knowing it was afternoon. There were no straight path to follow and it proved too difficult to forcefully wander through the overgrown bushes and plantlife, that occupied the forest floor whereever the trees let light in.
Desperate to make some meaningful progress. We spend some days camping in one area, but one day as we were looking around we found it too difficult to relocate and never found back to it. The forest is a huge organic maze and our footprints vanishes in little time. Eventually the paths we have walked will shift or even have any trace disappear into the growing flora.
The days we spend the time we attempted to make a more permanent camp weren't in vain. We spend the days practicing and experimenting with making ropes, setting up more of an abode with rocks around it and huge leaves for the roof. My brother encouraged me to practice using my wings and daringly leaped from tree to tree himself, despite not having wings. He fell down many times, some times at deadly heights. On many occasions, I thought he had surely died, but he always quickly got up, broke a smile and gave me a thumbs up.
After the big camp attempt we had learned to travel much more efficiently, as we utilized the trees and leapt between them confidently. This was when we began to notice, how we weren't all alone, as the forest flooring may have been void of creatures, the trees had many occupants in their crowns. I started noticing intelligible voices and found other soaring monkeys were around.
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Strange birds were sitting among the branches, I thought they could make a good meal and tried sharpening long sticks into primitive spears. When I climbed up and attempted to throw them, my aim failed me and worse, my throw wouldn't reach in the first place. My brother had also chipped away and made spears of his own, but his craftmanship was terrible. His spears were already broken down the middle from his unregulated strength pushing down with too much pressure as he had attempted to sharpen and remove any branches.
He held out an open palm and I provided him with one of my spears. He missed, but his throw went far beyond the bird he had in his sight. Our roles became clear and since then I was responsible for making the spears and he would be throwing them. It's rare for us to successfully puncture a bird, but those rare moments were always the high point of the day and the roasts were with celebrating cheers and laughter at the campfire.
While our lack of proper communcation often have made things difficult, it has made for a tranquil peace. I do miss being able to talk with my brother, I want to ask how he feels, what he thinks and what he would like to do. Before this whole ordeal, he would always lead us to victory with his expertise. It was only video games, but I am sure he will find a way to succeed in this realization of a fantasy world. I'll back him up in whatever way possible and do what he wants me to do without hesitation. I just hope our inability to converse won't hinder him on executing on his ideas.
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At some point, the soaring monkey tribe must have issued a search and rescue for me. They tried multiple times to get to me and approached me whenever my brother wasn't within reach, at one point the desperately tried to kidnap me. I spoke with them several times before my brother convinced me to follow them willingly. They often called out to me by calling me "Prio", it was at that time I learned of Prio, the soaring monkey's body I possess.
My brother promised to keep near, I didn't truely believe him, I was convinced he was only saying it to make me go with them, as he semed certain the tribe could protect me and provide a safe haven for me. Every night I sneaked out of the camp set up by the soaring monkeys, who were escorting me, and I called out to my brother, who, without fail, would show up before me. I never got used to the initial sight of a gorilla. It was only when he gave me the hand signs we had agreed upon, that I could feel at ease.
The monkeys escorting me we all very friendly towards me. They treated me with much care and did not get upset when I repeatedly would fall behind. They even guided me and taught me how to leap between the trees faster and safer. They furthermore helped me improve my gliding skills and I had grown quite efficient, at the end of the trip.
It was curious, they didn't seem to question my identity and believed I was Prio, despite my lack of motor skills. They did ask me about what had happened to me and the others I was supposedly with. I mostly remained silent and only told little about the faith of the others. I kept to only telling that the others had been killed. They seemed very understanding and let me stay mostly silent without challenging my answers.
As I was escorted to the village, I tried several times to convince them to let the gorilla they had seen me with join the tribe. They never gave in, they seemed disturbed whenever I asked, it was likely an absurd request. I've learned since how crazy I appeared from there perspective. Gorillas are to them terrifying beasts roaming the forest. If they ever discovered my brother, who would remain roaming near their village, they would have launched a search party to seek him out and take him down, as the threat he posed.
I was worried for my brother's safety and often brought goods from the village when I went out to check up on him, but one day he stopped showing up. There were no reports in the village of gorilla encounters, so there were hope he was still alive. I searched the outskirts of the village and looked for any signs of him. I occasionally found markings on the tree trunks left for me by him, but he stopped visiting me. I suspect something must have happend and he decided it would be too dangerous to meet directly anymore. I just wish he had a way to give me signs I knew would be fresh. The markings could be many days old. I always worried villagers one day would report finding a gorilla's corpse in the forest.
They only grew to trust my brother the day he saved their tribesmen from a violent threat, which had attacked the outpost I perchance was in.