The entire hike back to the village was one of the most unpleasant I had ever experienced. I've trekked through howling winds, sleeting rain, blinding snow, sweltering heat waves, bruising hail, you name it. All of these were external blunders I could take shelter from, elements I could protect myself against. But this…this storm was completely internal. My mind felt like it was full of swarming wasps, buzzing and humming angrily with thoughts and questions shooting a thousand miles a second.

Who were those people?

Where did they come from?

Why did they hurt Ash?

Were there more of them in hiding?

My blood was racing hot in my veins, pulsating under my flushed and molted skin. Walking proved to be a bit difficult after the tussle with the armed stranger, knuckles bruised and scabbed cuts on both sides of my hand, and a deep purple splotch on my right hip where he kicked me off of him. Both bipedal and quadrupedal gaits hurt, leaving me limping most of the way home. My body was tender to say the least, the fact he managed to hurt me only angering me more. The side of my jaw ached where he landed that one decent punch, and I knew I was going to be eating soft foods for a while. Hopefully nothing was broken.

I smeared a handful of cool mud on my bruises to deal with the painful swelling, wincing upon touching the sensitive flesh. I used my spear as a walking stick to support my weight, the bag of berries tossed over my shoulder and back, which were thankfully untouched.

I could see wisps of smoke from the top of the mountain just ahead, the painful haze in my eyes making it feel like the village was miles away. I looked to the sky, the hours had ticked by so amorously that it was past midday. My mind was so full, and I was so frustrated. I had to do something to calm down or I risked snapping at the first poor primate to talk to me. I was in no shape to be surrounded by the villagers, and I was filthy. Something had to be done, and the village was another hour walk at least. I needed to rest.

Taking a detour down another familiar path, I knew of a small spring that was secluded from view. Not many apes knew about its existence, so it was my go-to sanctuary when I was angered or troubled. In this instance, it was both.

I hung my bag of berries into the nearest tree and stripped down out of my soggy, filthy garments. The semi deep water was cool for this time of year, almost numbing, but it was my preferred temperature. The aches plaguing my body at first contact with the frigid water felt like an additional kick in the gut, but the pain shortly numbed thereafter, and the mud caking the bruise on my hip slowly dissolved and dissipated into the clear freshwater, sinking and settling to the bottom. I waded in deeper till the water was up to my ribs, and I sunk down to my knees till the water reached my chin. I let the water cover my lips till just half of my head was exposed, the mud on my jaw washing off as well. I waited till the ripples on the water's surface stilled, and I stayed as still as possible, relishing in the content, glassy pool. Closing my eyes, I sighed blissfully through my nose, preparing to calm my nerves and ease my mind. In and out I told myself…in…and out.

The stagnant air and blissful silence this oasis provided was essential, not a single bird or scurrying rodent to disturb my peace. At last, I could start to hear myself think through the deafening internal hum, and tame the raging emotions that were bottled up. Like the thick, white mist that clouded the forest early morning, its blinding intensity could be felt thinning and dissipating into the air, clearing the way for insight and collective thoughts.

I could slowly start to hear the gentle beating of my own heart in my ears…feel every ligament and muscle in my lungs expand and contract with every breath...the gentle, light ripples blown onto the surface of the water with each slow exhale. I could feel the world begin to still, a slow buildup of energy wafting through the woods, freezing everything peacefully in place. Like placing the final, anticipated piece of a jigsaw in place, I felt still, but whole.

Balanced, as all things should be.

When I reopened my eyes, I felt much better. My hand crept up to my shoulder, gently washing away a smudge of dark, greasy grime where the violent man had touched me. It reeked of something toxic and unnatural, no doubt polluting the water. To my surprise, the residue that washed into the spring left behind a thin, floating substance that rippled with color. Like someone had taken a rainbow, and melted it down. As beautiful and entrancing as it was, I couldn't stand the smell, and I splashed the foul matter out of the pure spring. I didn't need his filth contaminating my haven.

I thought back to the pack on intruders, trying to picture each of them in my head. What they looked like, and what they would look like with their heads on a spike. I vowed to protect my people, and by any means necessary, I was prepared to carry out that vow. That man, he was extremely lucky his pack came to his aid when they did. The next time however, he wouldn't be.

The face of the woman flashed in my mind, almost like a slap in the face. Something irked me about her, rubbing me the wrong way. I tried to think of one of the other trespassers, like the young boy they had, or the alpha who tried to connect with me. Every attempt was blocked by something external that I couldn't control, and their identities were whitewashed from view, replaced with her cursed image.

I couldn't understand it. She was like a puzzle that was missing a handful of pieces, something in my head trying its hardest to make a precise image so my internal quarrel would be satisfied. So close I could almost touch her, but at the same time far and incomplete. Yet the more I tried to fight her, the stronger she seemed to become. She was like a walking plague, infecting my mind.

I could feel my hands clench into fists beneath the water, fingers and toes curling into the silt. My own jigsaw was crumbling away, the pieces of my sanity spreading further and further away from each other, falling over the edge of the table. I could hear her faint, soft voice swell into existence, breathy like a whisper in my ear. Her words were fuzzy and jumbled, but I could recognize her sweet and cautious tone.

"Sarah…" she uttered, hollow and distant like she was calling to me from a deep, empty cavern. The sound of my name rolling off her tongue send grave chills down my spine. "Come home…"

It awoke something in me that I hadn't felt in almost a decade…and I shattered.

I could feel the scar on the back of my head start to flare with a deep, stabbing pain. It hadn't acted up since I was young, and it swiftly grew, pushing my pain tolerance to its limits. Usually they wouldn't last long, and would die down once I focused on something else. But this time, it felt like someone was burning me with a hot iron rod! I ground my teeth together to keep from crying out, groaning through waves of torture. I clawed at the back of my head like a colony of fire ants were burrowing into my flesh, and the burn grew so much I dunked the rest of my body beneath the water in a feat of desperation. I was hoping the icy cold of the spring would quell the flames, but it only seemed to amplify them! I could see this damned woman's face clear as my own reflection in a mirror, my frenzied nails nearly scratching my head raw. Her gentle voice felt like screeching metal to my ears, so sweet and caring.

Just like a mother's.

A scream tore through my whole body as the searing reaction rose to a new level of agony, rattling my bones and sending a flurry of bubbles cascading to the surface. I felt something inside me snap and break at that moment, reality and this cruel hallucination melding together so cleanly I couldn't decipher which from which. I could feel her arms snake around my torso from and drag me down further and further into a freezing, dark abyss, her broken voice screaming my name. Her constricting grip rivaled that of an anaconda, a deathly embrace that squeezed the air from my body. She was crying out to me like I was dying in her arms, or she had lost her grip as I dangled over the edge of a cliff.

I wriggled in her grasp with every ounce of fight I had to give, but she was way too strong, and wouldn't let go! I could feel the bruising force of her arms imprint into my flesh, strengthening her hold on me tighter and tighter the more I fought. She was strangling me at this point, and I could feel my muscles grow weary as my vision started to swim. I was losing.

I was in too deep in this dark and violent psychosis I had barely noticed the water that had entered my body, or my empty lungs screaming in agony. I twisted and contorted beneath the water like an eel suffering from toxic shock, and my oasis was a brine pool. I honestly thought I was going to die at this point… but, it was only when I heard the distant cry of another voice that brought me back. Papa was calling for me. He sounded so close, his powerful bass voice pumping life back into my weary limbs. I could feel her phantom grip on me begin to loosen, and I regained control of my body. Her face and voice started to crack, straining for power over me, fading away into the dark void. Remnants of her melting form lagged behind, still attempting to reach out to me only to weakly coil around my shaking limbs, slither and sinking down into the empty depths with the rest of her. Weirdly enough, her final seconds of contact with my skin almost felt like a gentle caress, the soothing touch of a warm hand stroking stinging flesh. She disappeared beneath me with little more than a whisper to her banshee wails.

I had to come up for air, completely out of time and oxygen. Bursting forth immediately out of the water with the explosive force of a desperate animal, standing fully upright with water splashing all around me. My muscles felt like they were on fire as I fought to stay on my feet, my weak legs struggling to support my weight. The water felt thick like quicksand as I stumbled to the edge of the spring, propping myself up on my elbows on the solid mossy shore ground. My lungs fought for any ounce of oxygen I could muster through the violent hacking and coughing up water, every heaving breath feeling like a kick in the ribs. I gripped the grass by the fistfuls for extra support, helping me not to slip back under. My knees buckled and shook under my weight, and I couldn't fight anymore. I succumbed and my body gave way, torso slump over the edge of the spring, left side of my face smushed in cool spring mud, panting heavily as the coughing eventually subsided. I looked like I had just survived a colossal shipwreck in the middle of a raging ocean storm, but I was far from anything like it.

"A mother…"

Slowly but surely, the burning eventually seized. I could feel its intensity settle with each hearty breath, her ghostly voice leaving me at last. The heat of the scar was gone, but now it was replaced by a different sort of pain. Gingerly touching the back of my head, I looked down at my hands with a wince. Fresh blood dotted the tips of my fingers, and dark clumps of hair stuck to the chips in my nails. Skinny streams of red droplets ran down my neck, making their way down my arms and chest. I sighed, looking away from the mess I had made. Great, I had scratched myself bloody. I pulled myself out of the water and sat with my feet dangling in the spring, throwing a splash of water and pressing a handful of moss on the fresh wound. Gathering my thoughts and strength, I prepared myself for the rest of the hike home. It was dangerous for me to be alone now with how I am, nearly drowning in about 5ft of water.

Running my hand through my tender scalp, I couldn't get one annoying question out of my head.

Who was that woman?

I brewed myself a hot cup of mint raspberry tea to calm down. It's been a few hours since I've been back, and the village was chattier than usual. Word spread quickly of strange humans in our forest, some families taking extra safety precautions by sharpening their weapons and storing an extra bit of food in their homes. I was cleaning and bandaging my wound alone in my nest, the smell of fresh blood and raw flesh crinkling my nose. I hid the covering beneath my hair as I let the adhesive sap dry the leaves to my skin, sipping my steaming cup in silent content. Flash glimpses of the woman came from time to time, my bloody scar feeling like a stray ember had caught my skin, but nothing near the traumatic agony I experienced earlier. I finished my cup by the gentle crackling fires when I heard the clamoring of voices and the flurry of hoof beats enter through the gates.

Sounded like Koba had returned.

I scaled down the roots of my cliff-side abode, finding a seat beside Papa who was rummaging through the boy's bag we recovered. He had spread out the contents before him on his school stage, all foreign and strange.

Sharp and colorful wooden sticks, some were made of metal that contained an odd black liquid. The liquid smelled metallic and unnatural, just like the grime I washed off in the spring.

There was a small cube of something that was a bright pink that felt rubbery, and was easily bendable. It looked like a portion of it was rubbed off, and had silver smears around where it was damaged.

Then, something large that caught my most unprecedented attention. A thick brick of a thing that portrayed abstract monochrome designs, and pictures of equally abstract looking people. Three sides of it looked like the inner rings of a young tree. The layers were made up of thin pieces of flexible, white material, canvases that beheld something even more eye opening. Opening the front cover, I understood its purpose. This object held inside it thousands of other panels of people with words bubbled over or across their bodies. I couldn't understand most of what was written, but I could sound out a handful of words with every few pages from their short construction, not really knowing their meaning.

"Wa-ter…hole" I sounded out, scanning the first page carefully. Papa looked to me with interest, peering over my shoulder, finding my place on the page. "Ke…Kag-gear?"

He smiled, shaking his head. "Kegger" he corrected me. He could read and pronounce words much better than I could, regardless if he knew what they meant or not.

These were awfully strange words, and the lack of good lighting made me strain my eyes to try and read more. I brought the object closer to a bonfire nearby, holding it directly next to the sizable blaze. The flames gleamed off the material of the object's thin, internal layers, like sunlight on a sheet of ice. It was smooth and synthetic, nearly mirroring the flame's light. I could see the artistic aspect of the images much clearer now, admiring the designs and effort that went into the pictures. The serene environments, surreal and alien to me. There were barely any trees or animals to speak of, structures of what looked like to be made of stone or metal covered a majority of the scenes. They reached high to the sky, panes of ice that didn't melt in the sun giving a peek inside the structures. It looked much too warm for winter since there were fields of grass and flowers in some scenes, so why wouldn't the ice melt? Were they frozen in time? Is that what these pictures really were, snippets of their lives captured and trapped forever in this object? The layers were cool to the touch, some giving way under some rubbing. Maybe if I heated the object up, more would be revealed?

As I held the object closer and above the bonfire, Papa warned me not to put the "book" too close to the blaze, and the word he used caught my attention.

"A book?" I asked, pointing to the object in my hand.

He nodded. "It'll catch fire much quicker than wood", and then lifted another book of his own. My curiosity spiked, and I clamored over to his side. Placing my book down beside me, I leaned over his shoulder, noticing several differences in design and structure. This book didn't have a colorful or abstract cover, just a solid brown surface that must've been some sort of leather.

Papa turned the pages and we marveled at the images inside. The art style was similar to the kind found in my book; whoever this book belonged to must've taken inspiration from this one. They were colorful, and different than my black and white pictures. They portrayed what looked like characters fighting one another, or beings in elaborate and exaggerated clothing doing extraordinary and unnatural things. One man held a ball of fire in his hands, and he didn't seem to be in any pain. Another person was running across a great sea of water, yet he refused to sink or get tired. The more pages Papa turned, the better colored and more skilled the drawings became. They grew in detail and boldness, showing the owner's talent progress with practice.

"You think the boy drew these?" I asked, a bit in awe. Some of these pictures looked like I could reach into the paper and touch the subject with the amount of detail.

Papa hummed in approval, nodding his head as he turned the next page slowly and carefully, trying not to crease or rip the delicate, aged paper. "Possible. He's very talented."

I opened my mouth to say something, but stopped. Shrugging my shoulders, I leaned back in my seat. "Well, I mean…they're not that good" I nonchalantly replied, folding my arms over my chest. Papa gave a lighthearted chuckled, turning another page. "I see."

The next set of drawings were equally as impressive as the last, but I wouldn't acknowledge his skill. That would be a compliment, and I wouldn't endorse anything about him. Truth be told, I could see into this boy's mind through his craft. Seeing his creativity unfold without boundaries spoke to me about who he was as a person. He seemed eccentric and passionate. But if I was being honest, I wanted nothing more than to throw his entire bag into the fire, books and all. He was an outsider, a problem to deal with. If I was lucky, I would never have to see him again, or any of their infuriating faces.

Especially hers.

The book Papa was looking through was now being passed around a sizable circle of apes. Lots were chattering and signing amongst themselves about what should be done. Humans knew we were in the mountains now, but what on earth drove them here? The entire council was seated around a fire in the open air of the plaza, a meeting this crucial needed to be observed from the public eye, not secluded underground in the cave. If anyone had any ideas, council member or not, they were free to speak up. I sat beside Papa, feeling the tension weigh in the air like a humid musk.

"What did you see out there, Koba?" Cornelia asked, cradling her infant son against her side.

"Giant buildings, empty streets overgrown with vines and weeds, and high walls with smoke and sound coming from the other side." Koba replied, earning worried and nervous reactions. "We could smell their stench from the bridge. There are more, hundreds more."

"Are you sure?" Rocket added. "Did you see any aside from the people you followed?"

"They were lead through a check point with armed guards, and drove through a large gate leading into their fortress. I could see more humans inside, but it was too brief to get a good look before the gate doors closed."

"So we can't be too certain of their warrior numbers" Luca concluded, jotting down something on a slate of rock.

"What about defense? Aside from guns, what else do they possess?" Rocket added. "Armored machines of war?"

Koba grunted, sadly shaking his head. "Again, we couldn't get a good look. We couldn't get much closer without raising alarm."

"What are we going to do?!" Ari anxiously asked her mate. "Now that they know we exist, will they try and capture us again?"

Koba turned to his wife, taking her into his arms and tenderly stroking her pregnant stomach. Others shared Ari's worrisome notion, clinging to their families and loved ones. Some called out they should hide deeper in the forest, pack whatever they could carry and move away from the mountains. Their children should never have to know the cruelty the humans their parents and grandparents had suffered. Koba looked over his people, seeing the fear and distraught in their eyes. He had seen those looks before when he was locked away in the human facilities, and he vowed they would never know that fear again. But, what if the humans did return for them? Koba and his brethren had built so much over the years, and had too much to lose if humans went back to their cruel and greedy ways. Koba looked back to his council, training his gaze especially on Caesar. With a strong stance and loud voice, he announced his proposal for all to hear.

"We should attack them, before they attack us!"

I had a feeling he would say that, seemed like Caesar did as well. His face fell like he had expected this from Koba, and was disappointed. Guess he thought Koba was over his war-hungry, human hating ways. I guess I expected this from him as well. Usually, I wouldn't support violent or bloody courses of action against others.

But, for once in my life…I agreed with Koba.

Those trespassers shed first blood between ape and man, and I was fully behind his decision to strike back. Several other hunters stood behind his judgment, hooting and stamping their spears into the ground, hungry for a battle against their longest standing foe. I was ready to stand with them, feeling the buzz in the air, but a hand rose to silence them.

"You said it yourself, Koba." Papa interjected, "We can't be sure of their numbers, and that some of them were armed." This got everyone's attention, he was right. "We don't know how many there are, or how many guns they have…or even why they came up here."

Caesar admired Maurice's wisdom, and thought over his words carefully. The biggest factor was a population census. If we didn't know how many of there were of them, was it possible they knew how many there were of us? No more than 80 apes could've come to Ash's aid, so it wasn't even close to a quarter of our strength. I believed we would triumph over anything that came our way, ape was smarter and stronger!

Koba snorted. "Who cares why they came up here? Probably to hunt what's left of our food! Winter is coming soon, and nothing will grow. The herds will be moving once the snow falls, and they'll be wanting to hunt what's left in our territory before that happens."

"We haven't seen a human in the last 8 winters. I'm sure there's another reason." Cornelia suggested.

"Perhaps…" Papa replied scratching his chin, thinking over the possibilities.

Koba shook his head with a firm stiffness. He looked over his brothers, turning to Rocket. Surely he would see the reasoning in his proposition. "They shot your son!" he exclaimed to the silver general. "Don't you want revenge?" This made Ash turn to his father expectantly.

Surprisingly, but also unsurprisingly, Rocket shook his head without a thought. "I follow Caesar! I won't act without his orders!" Though he was extremely protective of his family and clan, he wasn't reckless and impulsive.

The bonobo made a sound like a scoff mixed with a growl, seeing almost every council member was against his idea so far. He was beginning to think he was the only ape among them who possessed a spine. Then, there came a mouthful of chatter from behind him however that made him second-guess that thought, and turned. Blue Eyes stood crouched behind his father, pounding his chest with a single fist. He tried to speak, but it came out in hearty, heaved pants that were barely coherent. He signed as well in case his voice wasn't clear. "Koba. Right!" Then, he turned to his injured friend. "They shot you, Ash!"

This caused a stir of hoots and signs to be thrown around, to the point where almost no one could be heard over the other. Eyes turned to Ash, expecting some kind of retaliation. He was anxious being put on the spot, staying silent and hearing the shouts of his father directed at Blue Eyes. "He's my son, he'll do as I will!"

Chaos was ensuing around us, a verbal hurricane surrounding me. I could barely think straight. However, if Blue Eyes had the courage to stand up and speak, then so did I. I stood suddenly from my seat, surprising and catching some voices in apes' throats, and I exclaimed my opinion.

"I say we fight back!"

Everyone's overlapping voices fell deathly silent all too suddenly. Koba locked eyes with me from across the crowd, bewilderment present in his gaze. I think he expected me to be the absolute last person to support him, but here we were. He and I may have had a few dozen quarrels and spats, but we shared one thing in common:

We'd do anything to protect the ones we love.

I was ready to go side-by-side with him to war. I wouldn't let another ape fall victim to their cruelty. Standing tall, feeling all eyes on us in the chilling silence, I extended a hand out to Koba.

"It was the men who shot Ash first. Humans have come into our lands, threaten our lives, and have spilt ape blood, unprovoked! I'm with Koba!"

It was deathly quiet for a few seconds, nothing but the autumn wind in the trees and the crackling of fires around us. My voice easily carried out to the edges of the plaza, broadcasting to everyone my political standpoint. Nobody said anything or made a single sound for what felt like an eternity, just staring at between me and the one-eyed general.

Suddenly, someone finally spoke up.

Slowly, like a rising tidal wave, there came a sound from the rear reaches of the crowd. It started out with a single ape, a veteran hunter ready to defend his land. Then, it spread to another on the opposite side of the crowd. A gorilla guard ready to flatten any man who got close to his family! The commotion and support spread like a contagious cough across the sea of apes. Fists pounding on chests, butts of spears hitting the ground, and rhythmic hoots almost like chants started to swell. Heads from the council scanned the plaza, seeing more and more apes join in the orchestra.

Hoot! Hoot! Hoot!

The sounds grew louder and more empowering, starting to feel like a bass beat from a concert speaker. Hunters and guards mostly made up of the building crescendo, pure muscle almost making the ground shake. Koba turned back to me, and dare I say it, I think he was impressed. He took a dignified step towards me, staring down at my open, outstretched palm. His eyes traveled up my arm back to my face, meeting my confident and determined gaze. I was fully committed to this offer, but was he willing to work alongside me? I was just about to get my answer, as he slowly raised his hand from his side.

"No!"

Caesar's booming, abrupt voice broke through the near deafening chorus of chants and beats, shattering the tense moment between the bonobo and I. Our hands jerked away from each other, startled by our king's temperament. His intimidating glare surprised us, stunning the general and I into still silence. Caesar's glare turned more towards me, chilling me to my core. His lips were pursed into a thin line, nearly into a frown. With a firm cock of his head, he motioned for me to return to my seat. The sheer intensity of his gaze alone felt like gravity pressing down on me, forcing me to a submissive, obedient crouch. I creeped back towards Papa, who shared a similar expression. I raised my eyes hesitantly up to meet his, seeing the disappointment in his face.

Meanwhile, I could feel another set of eyes on me. Well, eye. Koba watched as I was silently disciplined for standing with him, not sure if he should enjoy my misery, or moved I stood with him. Koba merely crouched where he was standing, ready to listen.

Caesar rose slightly from his seat, making sure he was the center of attention. Though bloodshed and war was an option, a single, accidental bullet wound didn't seem like a warrant to risk hundreds of innocent lives to him.

"If we go to war, we could lose all that we've built. Home…Family…Future."

He said those last 3 words slowly, facing his councilmen and people. He had a gentle, compassionate tone that struck a chord with mostly everyone around him. There was a few moments of silence after he spoke, letting his words resonate and sit in everyone's mind. He sighed to himself, knowing a choice had to be made soon. "I'll decide in the morning."

With that, our lord stood from his seat, and took his leave towards his home, leaving everyone in suspense. I remained seated even as the colony began to slowly disperse from the plaza, staring hard into the ground. I wasn't alone in this contemplation, Koba wasn't too far away, mirroring my stance. However, after a few moments, he took off towards the spiraling ramp. I watched him run, catching Caesar halfway up to his tree. They were signing to one another, but I felt a hand on my back that tore my attention away. Father was peering down at me, a soft, solemn expression on his old face. His touch was gentle, but I could feel an emotional baggage weigh him down.

"Did you mean…what you said?" he asked me, his voice barely a whisper. His brow ridges were knitted together upon his head, a worrisome, baffled squint in his eyes. He sounded and looked disappointed. In my opinion, or in me? I took a small step back, leaning back onto my heels.

"What do you mean? Humans attacked your nephews, threatened our prince. Why wouldn't I?" I replied, shaking my head a little dumbfounded at the end of my sentence. Papa's eyes widened a fraction, hearing the honesty in my voice and observing the confidence in my eyes. He could feel his heart sink a little.

"You want to follow apes into war, apes with families and long lives ahead of them, risking everything we've built for an accidental encounter?"

He wasn't making sense. Accident? Risking everything? I shook my head. "No, father. I don't want to risk everything. But, I want to save it. What those people did today was no accident. Their man was completely willing to kill your nephews, I could see it in his eyes. He was lucky he got off with a handful of bruises. I'll kill him next time I see him, and any more men like him without a second thought!"

"Please stop, and think for a moment, Daughter! You're action irrational and impulsive. Humans are nothing like game you hunt. They have weapons and strength you can't comprehend. They'll kill you the moment you threaten them! We must believe in Caesar, he'll think of another solution! He knows the good in humans better than any of us, he'll make them see we're not dangerous."

I sighed. I wanted to believe in Caesar, I really did. He was kind and logical in all of his decisions. Violence was never an answer for him. But, would he ever consider it an option if it came down to it? Sometimes, I thought our leader had too soft of a heart. Then again, if he didn't, I'd be dead in a ditch somewhere deep in the forest. I was a single little girl back then, what was he ready to do with thousands of armed and dangerous men? Would kindness work against armor and grit?

Or, did he have something else up his sleeve? Whatever the case…I just prayed he was prepared.

"I do believe in him, Papa. But…will the humans give him another chance?"

Hoooly cow this has been collecting dust for a few months! Been SUPER busy with life, hardly have any time to myself anymore. When I do, I'm either sleeping, eating, or playing my PS4. (GT is SlasherFangirl btw! Stream on Youtube sometimes!) Had a huge writers block since late August, and have been more focused on work. I've recently started another farm job, and have been working at a sheep farm full-time now! SO, that means early mornings and late evenings. Plus, I muck a horse barn that takes an hour to do, more if the weather is nasty and wet. So on my rare day off today, I sat myself down and finished this half-done draft, and just wanted to get it out before the year was out. I'll try my best to have another one out before Christmas, but no guarantees!

LEAVE A REVIEW PLEASE! I'VE BEEN GONE SO LONG MY EMAIL IS LONELY!