I’m a little scared to go out knowing there are creatures like the gorillas I encountered.

I do my usual routine collecting some firewood and some sticks every morning. Although I don’t need to, it’s necessary for me if I were to ever run out.

Now that I think about it, since the animals all have radiation mutating them. Wouldn’t that mean that they are inedible? Guess I’ll have to find something out. I went to look for a few branches, finding the strongest, sturdiest one. I made it into a spear by carving it with my small dagger.

Following a river stream I found I followed the path until I found the lake. Looking at the shallow water I see a few fish near the surface. Steadying my aim I stab the nearest one.

Shluck* a hit. Satisfied with the result I go for another stab.

Shluck*

Lucky me I actually found something to eat, maybe. I brought back the two fish, preparing my morning meal.

I grab some sticks I found and skewer the two fish and let it burn against the fire. Going back to the lake with a bucket I gather some sand and return to fetch more, I also gather water by the river before returning to camp. While the fish is nearly cooked I found some bottles and put them with sand holding them together. Putting in one bottle the water I start to connect both entrances. I gathered a few sticks and logs and put the fire on top of the sand, the one with the bottle filled with water. This would allow me to have a way to drink water without worrying about salt contents as the water vapors travel to the other side of the empty bottle.

I then filled water with my metal pot and boiled it. Hopefully I can quickly obtain salt before the fish is almost ready. If I had a lid I would gather more distilled water, sadly I don't have one.

The fish finished, so I skinned them off with the small dagger. They easily came right off. Looking back at the bottle I have some drinking water from my bottle. And some salt on the other bottle. Perfect the right amount too. Letting the pot continue to boil, I sprinkled some salt onto the fish and took a bite.

Om nom* “Wow, this is great!” Eating the fish I see a gorilla staring at me fixedly. Oh? A gorilla is in my camp. Wait…gorilla? Continually chewing, pretending as if it’s not there I continue to eat.

“Hey, are you a human?”

I just continue to chew on my food and swallow.

Coming closer to my face, “Can you hear me? Hello?”

I continue to chew faster and faster to block out the noise.

I heard a grumble by the gorilla. Looking at the gorilla, I offer my second fish to the gorilla.

“Thanks a bunch!” He chomps on the fish in one gulp.

This time the gorilla decided to wait for me to finish.

Finishing my food and drinking what water I had left available.

“So...are you a human?”

Hesitantly I spoke “y-yea what of it?”

“I knew it, I knew it!” A cheery cry of a gorilla noise was made when he repeatedly pounded his chest.

“Father tells me that humans don’t exist anymore? Why is that?”

“...” I pause for a moment before responding.

“Yeah, we were all wiped out…”

“If all the humans are gone then how are you still here?”

“I don’t know, I guess I was just lucky.”

“Oh…” he seemed disappointed after hearing my response.

“If you don’t mind...would you come meet my father, so I can prove to him that I did see a human yesterday?”

“Ugh” staring at the gorilla with the most preposterous look.

“Absolutely not…”

“Ehhh? Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to die.”

“Oh don’t worry we are mostly vegetarian only. We only eat meat like fish, crabs and sometimes rabbits, they usually feed the entire village for 10 days though, and you don’t look appetizing at all.”

Hearing this I consider the threat to possibly be low

“Uhh. How far is it from here?”

“Oh it's very far.” He points up.

“In the mountains?” I looked confused.

“No! In the trees, very high climbing. I’ll take you there.”

“ I don’t know, I’m very weak as you can see.” Pointing to my skinny flabby arms as I stretch one of my arms.

“It’s ok I will carry you on my back when we get there.”

“Oh ok...” Without any more excuses I didn’t have a choice.

We walked to where he was taking me, and he decided to ask me some questions.

“My name is Kiau, what’s yours human?”

“I don’t have one.”

“No way.”

“Yeah…”

“Mind if I give you one?” He looked so eagerly as if he just found a new friend.

“Uhh, what would you like to call me?”

“Twiggy”

I took offense to the name he gave me based on my physique, “Nah I don’t think I would like that one.”

“Why not? It matches you”.

“I just don’t like it…”

“Ok…” he looked disappointed. Sorry buddy I don’t want to be called that.

*Recalling back to the memory of the tree, Kiau's father broke in half.

My stomach started to rumble, guess I didn’t eat enough. Kiau hurriedly rushes to the bush and snaps the neck of a large rabbit.

“Here…”

Looking mortified at the thought of eating it raw I responded to him as nice as possible.

“Sorry I want to cook it before consuming it.”

“Why? That is such a waste of time.” As he grabbed the huge dead rabbit and gobbled it up.

I looked at him with disgust as blood dripped from his mouth.

“I know, I will give you some bananas. Wait here!” He climbs to some trees and quickly comes back, throwing it to the ground. I heard a loud thud.

“Here!!”

I looked at it, and was just in amazement as to how freakishly huge the banana is…

“Don’t tell me you need to cook that too?”

“No, no I can eat it like this.”

Peeling it was difficult, opening it for me, Kiau took a bite out of it without a second thought, then offered it back to me.

Looking at him with a grossed look, I grabbed the banana then broke a chunk off the part he bit from.

“Humans are weird, haha”

I ignore the ridiculing and just continue eating.

After finishing my food, we continued and made it there.

“Woah, phew, that's one large tree” this tree looked like it could house a million gorillas given their size.

“Right!” He offered his back to me.

“Hey I don’t think I’ll be able to hold on for long.”

“That’s ok I brought that rope you used.”

Looking at the rope it does make the chance of my falling off a lower chance.

I got on his back and tied myself securely on his back.

“Ok I think I’m ready.”

“Ok!” Taking his stance he pounced to the trees and climbed at an extremely Mach speed like pace.

My face is having a horrid expression from all this g force.

“Hold ittttt-tt-ttt—-t” crap I can barely speak properly with my lips weighing down on me.

At some point reaching a hole kiau takes a break when he goes in.

“You ok?” He asked me.

Gathering my breath

“Ack! Ack…ack! What the hell was that! I almost couldn’t breathe.”

“Man you're lucky I’m taking you there, all the adults can go even faster.”

Having the thought of me dangling on the back of the adult gorilla was not something I wanted to imagine.

Some time passed.

“It’s a good thing you didn’t eat all the bananas we can eat properly now.”

He slouches and eats the rest of the banana.

“I don’t think I would even be able to finish even one if you gave me a whole day…”

Making a gorilla noise while he has a banana in his mouth “groh huah hahaha yeah you are so tiny compared to me. Father usually needs to eat 10 of these together to be full”.

“I see…” not surprised one bit given the size his father was

“Ok all done.” as he swallows the huge banana chunks in his mouth.

Whoa! he finished already?

“We are almost there after that I have to climb into the hole.”

Making sure I’m tightly bound to his back, I reply “y-yeah.”

“Are you still worried that you’ll fall? Don’t worry you have me” he smiled innocently. A child he is indeed…well he managed to bring me this far, so I wouldn’t give him the benefit of the doubt.

Getting out of the hole, kiau got into the same stance again.

My body adjusted with his speed and velocity, so I no longer suffered the g force coming into my face. This trip is going to be simpler than I thought.

Chapter 3 End