"I'm not calling you a liar,
Just don't lie to me.
I'm not calling you a thief,
Just don't steal from me,"
-Florence and the Machine, "I'm Not Calling You a Liar"

Day 1. Dusk.

The sun was setting over the lush forest, creating a red glow across the river. The sound of the water brushing against the sand was such a familiar sound the girl. The sounds of nature make her realize how thankful she is for her ability to hear. If the doctors took her ability to hear then life would almost be pointless. She was one of the lucky ones in the lab: if you can call her lucky.

Mute walked down the river bed to Blue Eyes and Ash. Her hiking boots pushing rocks out of her way. Thankfully, it has not rained or she may have slipped on the wet rocks. The two apes were standing in the water looking for fish. The girl stopped walking and just watched them. The two have not noticed her yet, and they were signing to each other. Well, the one called Blue Eyes was signing because Ash has the spear in his hand.

'He say human bad' Blue Eyes signed to his friend. Ash looked at him and put the spear under his arm so he could sign back.

'He not know everything' He signed with anger, because his movements were forceful. 'He not….your dad'.

The girl only watched as the two 'talked'. What were they arguing about? She wanted to know, but it would be best if she kept her curiosity at bay.

She kept walking over to them and the two finally noticed her due to the sounds of rocks being shifted due to her movements. Blue Eyes flinched out of her way, but Ash stayed still with his spear in his hand. Mute did not look over at Blue Eyes, but kept her attention to Ash.

"Fishing?" She signed to the ape, and he nodded.

The girl looked around on the shore to see where they put the fish they caught, but there was none. Well, they aren't very good fishers because they have not caught anything. It is getting late, and soon the fish will not bite because they will be further down the river.

"Need help," she signed to Ash, but this time Blue Eyes signed to her. He knuckled over to her causing the girl to take a step back.

"NO" he signed aggressively to her.

Mute only glared at Blue Eyes. Their blue eyes met, and she could feel her heart start to race under her tank top. She was always told to never stare into the eyes of an ape, ever. Yet, here she is staring at one who has been aggressive with her before. The girl shook her head at him. She can't be scared of him. She can't show weakness to him. He's just an ape, and he can't fish. The girl took a step closer to him to break the invisible wall they created in their fit of tension.

"You suck at fishing…." She signed to him and then pointed to the empty shore. "no fish"

Blue Eyes looked at the shore and then back to her. He raised his hands to sign, but then paused. His bright colored hues gazed around the rocky shore, but then back to her dark colored blue eyes. "We just started", but this time his signing wasn't as aggressive: maybe because he knew she was right.

Ash just watched the two argue, and soon he knuckled over to the pair.

"Help us….dark soon."Ash signed to the girl, and she nodded at Ash: ignoring Blue Eyes. She walked over to the shore line and just stared at the rushing water. When she lived on her own, she had to find food in the forest, just like this. However, the water is moving so fast that she can't spot any fish, and the sun is starting to set as well. It will be difficult to find fish at this hour, but not impossible.

She turned her attention back to Ash, and pointed at the spear in his hand. She has to have the spear to catch the fish. She has tried to catch fish with her bare hands, and sometimes it works, and sometimes you just land on your butt in the water. "Let me have…." She signed, but Blue Eyes shook his head and patted Ash on the shoulder.

"No, cannot trust her. She kill us," Blue Eyes signed to Ash. His bright hues stared at the other ape, almost begging.

Ash looked at the wooden spear and then to the human. Mute kept her hand out stretched for the weapon. Her dark blue hues looking into his hazel colored ones. The ape slowly put the spear in the girl's hand. Her mouth dropped and her eyes lowered down the spear: she was shocked.

She was positive they would not let her have the spear, because all she had to do was throw it into their chests and they would be dead. She cannot lie, the thought rushed in her mind. If she just killed them, she could run away and go back to the human compound: she would be free.

The thought was still fresh in her mind as she looked down at the weapon, but the thought faded away as her long eyelashes lowered over her dark blue eyes. This ape trusted her enough with a weapon: a deadly weapon. If the leaders of his village knew he gave her a spear she can only imagine how mad they would be with him. This ape could be killed because he trusted her enough with a weapon.

It was obvious what she must do: she must prove herself to these apes.

Mute gripped the spear in her hand, and turned her body toward the river. She stepped into the cold rushing water and her body shivered as the water brushed against her bare skin. The temperature has dropped quickly. She stood knee deep in the water and looked around for fish. It was still hard to see them in the water due to the rushing movement, and the shade of red lighting up the water. Yet, she stood perfectly still and started to feel fish brush against her leg.

"She catch no fish" Blue Eye signed to Ash.

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe….I think you wrong"

Mute stood completely still and then she quickly drove the spear into the water. She brought it up and a fish was flopping insanely in the sharp end. A satisfied smirk was on her lips as she walked to the shore and placed the fish onto the sand. The fish was flipping on side to side as she walked back into the water. She continued her fishing until she caught five fish. The apes collected the fish as she brought the fish to them: one by one.

The sun set behind the trees creating a purple overcast. It was difficult to see at this point of dusk, and it was time to head back. Mute walked back to the shore and handed Ash his spear. The ape nodded at her.

"Walk home…" Ash signed to her.

Mute did not notice the sign 'home' at first, because she does not use it often. Home. She does not have a home. She has lived many places, but nowhere has been her home. The girl shrugged her shoulders. Her pants were dripping wet due to fishing, but they were starting to dry. She will have to dry them in the compound when they return: hopefully she packed an extra pair of pants with her.

"Lead" she signed back to him.

Ash had the bag of fish over his shoulder. Mute let him walk past her and she made eye contact with the ape names Blue Eyes. She proved him wrong, and it felt good to make someone feel stupid (typical teenager thinking). The corner of her lips curved upward and she placed her hands on her hips before signing to him.

"Are you going to thank me…" she signed toward him.

The ape tilted his head to the side, as if to ignore her, and walked toward her on all fours. He stopped an inch from her and signed, "no" to her.

Mute glared at him and walked beside him. "You catch no fish" she signed to him. His brow less forehead burrowed into the crease of his forehead.

"I not feel like it" he signed back her, pausing his movement to sign back to her.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Liar" she signed back to him. "You no fish. You bad fisher".

Blue Eyes glared up at her, but did not sign back to her. The girl smiled to herself and felt the gloat set into her skin. Ash kept a head of them on their walk back to the camp. The girl's pants were drying, but were very stiff. She started to walk a bit awkwardly, trying to break the stiffness of her pants. Blue Eyes noticed and signed "you look stupid" to her.

Mute glared at him, and stopped walking. The ape stopped as well. Mute threw her hands down in defeat but brought them back up to sign, "You stupid. You no fish."

Blue Eyes and her just stared at each other: neither one of them backing down to the other. The feeling of fear has disappointed from earlier today. She can look him in the eye and no longer feels fear. No, he is just like every other boy back in the compound. Boys always try to look and sound tougher, but they are just little boys. He may not be a human boy, but he is an ape boy. Blue Eyes was the first to break their eye contact and she just smiled to herself: she has won two battles against him now. Mute looked at his back but her lashes covered half of her dark blue eyes. She just noticed he is the only ape she has seen with blue eyes. Why? Everyone else has green hues or a lite hazel color. Why is he so special?

Mute crossed her arms but released her arms to sign, "why you have blue eyes. No one does who ape"

Blue Eyes looked over to her with wide eyes. Mute almost rolled her eyes at his expression. She may not be able to speak, but that does not mean she is blind.

"Dad….is smartest of all apes. I am son. I am special" he signed back her.

Mute opened her mouth for a chuckle to escape, but no sound escaped her lips. "If dad smart….you should fish better" she signed and then walked past him. The girl walked up to Ash who had stopped for the two to have their conversation.

Blue Eyes glared at her, but his expression softened as the two disappeared over the hill. He rushed over to catch up with the pair.