short story: monkey man

The monkey men munched on the last of the rabbits. The crackling sound of rabbit against teeth dissipating into silence signalled the end of the food. The four men were sat on a hillside by a large rock formation. Silence covered the air like a blanket, not even a bird call ringing out. Kai smoothed his hand through some of the smaller rocks. He listened to the subtle tics and taps they made when reaching the ground. Kai was a man of middling age and a tough build, with winding ginger hair and beard; the rags he wore felt as weathered as he felt sometimes, but they still stuck strong to his body just as he did. He grasped his hand around Hoke's shoulder and said “come, this way”. It was time for the men to leave. Kai and Hoke began to walk further into the rocks down to where a clearing lead into a path. Ruin and Veil soon began to follow behind them.

It was a week now since Kai had seen his woman or his mother. They now rested at camp on the other side of the valley. He pictured her, Sail, among the greenery of the Earth, picking fruits from the plants, raising up the camp's children into her arms. She was a caring woman, Kai thought, a giver of life, although she was yet to birth a life of her own. That was all still to come. He would see her again once he and the others returned with food. The tribe had grown but the neighbouring animals had grown scarce. They now walked into unknown territory, risky as that was, as the lands surrounding them lay bare. But the only animals they had killed were small vermin, enough to keep the hunters going but not to feed a camp, and now even that had run out.

The land was dry and the sight of water was distant in the men's memories. The plants and trees had begun to wither. The trees must pray daily for rain, Kai thought. Sand swanned across the ground propelled by the gentle breeze.

The men walked until the sun had moved part way across the sky; the heat had been felt on the men's backs as they had begun the day's journey but it now shone into their eyes. Kai lead the way. He had always been good at sniffing out food and tracking animals. As he walked, a distant sight came to him: Kai, alone with his father among the trees, the life of the land a lot more rife than it was now, his father very angry, angry from hunger. But Kai understood the tracks in front of him, and he stealthily followed them long til his father was out of sight, until he came to a deer, the first he'd ever seen. He'd killed it then returned to his father to lead him to the carcass. Kai had filled with pride at his father's reaction. And from then on his life had revolved around these skills, to track and kill, and around his strength and build which he had trained long to attain. But this memory was old, from a long time ago, and doubt at his own abilities circled Kai's mind.

The men found themselves walking onto higher ground, the path leading to a clearing that looked out upon a wide valley. The path got thinner and the men held their feet tighter to the ground as not to fall. Eventually the path gave way to cliff so the men climbed up to the highest point in sight. They took a moment to stop and rest. Kai and Ruin looked out over the valley. There was not a living thing in sight.

- “We take the wrong path” said Ruin.

- “Where be the right path, brother?” said Kai.

- “We are to starve before we next see a beast” replied Ruin.
- “And the tribe will starve if we don't return with a beast. If we starve then be it”.
- “If we starve then the tribe will starve. You know this to be so. I say we head back”.
- “These lands are dying. The Earth is thirsty. We know there is no life the way we have come. The land is bare between us and the tribe. The only chance of food is to venture further into these lands. We must try”.

Kai looked at the other two, who were sitting with eyes closed, praying maybe.

- “what about you two? Are you ready to venture on? Or do you agree with Ruin that we must head back?”
- “We'll venture on brother” said Veil, tapping Hoke's side.
- “That we will” said Hoke. “We've seen no tribes, no dead animals, none in all these lands. There must be animals around here. There has been no one here to kill them”.

Ruin looked down at the ground so that his expression was unreadable to Kai. The four men caught a quick rest then continued on in the direction the sun had placed itself in.

* * *

The four men walked and walked until they found ground that was more fertile. Green had begun to appear. Branches and vines wrapped over the Earth. Hoke stopped and knelt on the floor. He admired the plant in front of him. It was purple and yellow; the colours radiated life among the desert land around them. Hoke touched the petals gently. He recognized this plant, remembered one just like it from a long time ago. From when he was a boy. But it had not looked as beautiful to him then as it did now.

- “Can we eat it?” said Ruin.
- “It's a plant, Ruin. Not food.” replied Hoke.
- “Then let's move forward. It is of no good to us”.

Eyes glanced between the four men but no words were spoken. They continued on. The men found themselves at the top of a hill which lead down to a small path between another hillside. The terrain was harsh and rocky. At the bottom of the hill stood a horse. The men froze when they saw it.

Kai looked the beast up and down. It was a fine creature, blessed with mud brown hair and a long fluffy tail. It had blood splattered over its back and face but appeared unharmed. Kai put a hand into his rags and pulled out a blade. He motioned to the men to halt where they stood and he started to walk towards the beast. His hands no longer shook as they used to before such an act. The horse looked startled. It turned its head bluntly and the sound of its breath travelled to the men.

- “Wait” said Hoke. “You'll scare the beast away. My feet are lighter. And I have a way with the horses. I'll calm it. Wait for my call”.

Hoke started slowly down the hillside. It was true his feet made little sound, like two feathers rustling against the ground. And the horse seemed to take more kindly to him; Hoke motioned his hands towards the horse, grabbing the air, and made tutting noises with his mouth. The horse eased up. Hoke made it to the bottom of the hillside and made the small walk over to the horse. Hoke's hand stroked the horse's head to little reaction. He ran his hand through the horse's hair; it was smooth and well kept. Someone had looked after this horse. He took a minute to feel the horse's sides, patting and stroking it, until his presence had little more importance to the horse than the surrounding rocks and patches of grass. Hoke whispered a prayer for the horse, wishing it luck in the next life. Hoke then bent his knees, alerted the horse to what he was about to do using his hands and leaped to the horse's back. The horse rocked its head left and right and stood straighter than before but only moved to trot its legs backwards a few steps. Hoke signalled to the others.

- “I’ll go” said Veil, taking the blade from Kai's hands. The blade felt warm from the sun.

Veil started his descent down the hillside while Ruin rested himself against some rocks. Kai had begun to feel uneasy. The sun was beginning to set and the sky glowed bright red. It was a nice sight, Kai thought, but something had changed in the air. The feeling of the Earth was different. It filled him with a dread that bubbled just beneath the surface.

Veil reached the horse. Unlike Kai's, Veil's hands had started to shake. Veil was the youngest of the four men, the youngest of all his siblings too. He had been the baby of the tribe for many years, and even when the next generation of young were born this feeling had not been relieved, for he felt too old to be a part of this young but too inexperienced to be an elder to them. He had never killed a horse before but he had pictured the act many times. His eyes would sometimes forget the world around him and he'd get lost in these images of he, Veil, battling great beasts and opposing tribesmen, saving others from danger. But now a moment of action was upon him things felt different. He stood staring into the horse's eyes, the blade drawn. Hoke, still sat upon the horse, looked down to Veil.

- “Do you know what to do, boy?”
- “Slit the throat”. Veil's voice broke a little.
- “I'll bring the horse's head to look up at the sky.” said Hoke. “Then, you push the knife deep into the edge of the throat. Hard as you can. Then quickly bring the blade across the neck. You must do all of this very fast”.
- “Okay” replied Veil with renewed confidence.

Veil stared at the horse for a moment. Then another moment, and another. Hoke could see the sweat falling from Veil's face.

- “Shall I take the knife?” said Hoke softly as not to offend the boy.
- “No, I can do it. Give me a moment”.

Hoke nodded.

Kai and Ruin had still not said a word to one another. Ruin slumped against the rocks, his eyes closed, the world ignored, only occasionally opening his eyes to glance over and see if the horse was dead yet. Kai now sat on the ground, the heat having a bigger effect on him that it usually did.

- Ruin broke the silence: “We'll need more than the meat of one horse. The women will want to feed the children first. And we will have to feed the women before we feed ourselves”.
- “It's a start” said Kai. “The horse must have come from somewhere. There will be more”.
- “Maybe. Maybe not”.
- “Quiet. Listen”.

A sound was rumbling towards them in the distance. Kai turned his head out towards the open land again. There was a dark formation at the edges of his view quickly approaching, growing in size. It looked like a stampede, likely of Buffalo, all heading towards the small path where the others were still with the horse.

Veil wiped sweat from his long hair and then plunged the blade towards the horse's throat. It made a small cut, enough to make blood treacle out, but it hardly pierced the neck. The horse shot into action. Its front legs leaped into the air, knocking Veil to the floor, and sending Hoke flying off of its back. He hit against the rocks of the opposing hillside. It occurred so fast Hoke could hardly tell what was happening but somewhere in there he heard his bones cracking. The horse screamed out, squirmed its head around and dashed off in the direction of the mountains.

Kai and Ruin were now stood at the edge of the hillside shouting down to the two men telling them to hurry back up. The stampede was close. The sound of Buffalo feet was almost deafening. But Veil and Hoke didn't move from the floor. The situation became clear to the men on the hillside. Kai began to move down the hill but Ruin grabbed his arm.

- “There's no time. Leave them” said Ruin.
- Kai ripped his arm back. “We must try”.

But Kai hadn't reached the bottom of the hillside when he stopped. There really was no time. The Buffalo's charge was so close the smell of them filled Kai's nostrils. He had no choice but to return back up the hill.

Veil pulled himself off of the ground. Things were still muddled in his mind. His vision returned but his ears were filled with a horrible rumbling. The ground shook. Veil didn't understand what was happening. He ran over to Hoke who lay against the rocks, his body contorted in a mangled shape and his breathing heavy. Veil knelt by Hoke's side and caressed the older man's head. Blood was spilling from both of their bodies.

- “I'm sorry brother. So so sorry” pleaded Veil, but Hoke lacked the energy to respond.

At this moment Veil turned and saw the mighty stampede headed for them. For Veil the passing of time seemed to stop; this moment was the longest he had ever experienced. He held Hoke's hand tightly. Then darkness covered his vision.

* * *

It had taken a long time for the Buffalos to pass through or it had at least felt like a long time. The sky was turning black by the time they left. Kai and Ruin made their way down the hillside and observed what was left of their friends. Limbs had been detached and thrown metres from the bodies; blood and mushed innards coloured the Earth. Some body parts couldn't be found, likely stuck to the sides of Buffalo now miles away. Both men spoke little as they laid out the dead men's bodies. Kai searched for his blade but it was gone. He then knelt and began to whisper. Ruin walked to the opening between the hillsides and looked out onto the vast plains.

- “Are you not going to pray for them?” asked Kai.
- “I suppose I should” said Ruin.

Ruin returned to next to the bodies and knelt. The two whispered in unison – they banished any bad spirits from interfering with their souls and wished them luck in the next life.

- “May they now be at peace” said Kai. “Should we give them a burial?”
- “The gods do not look to be on our side, brother” said Ruin. “Let us not test our luck any further”.
- “I suppose so. This way”. Kai walked up the path into the mountains the way the Buffalos had charged and Ruin soon followed behind him.

The two men walked only a small distance before deciding to set up camp. They set down rags where they would sleep and constructed a small fire between where the two of them would lie. Few words were spoken.

Kai had never had trouble drifting his mind into sleep but this night he awoke while the sky was still black; whether it had been moments or hours he had slept for he didn't know. He stood and walked a little from where Ruin lay. The night sky was cloudless and covered in small dots of light. Kai stared out at the grand view of what was above him, enjoying the cold of the breeze. A white orb, bigger than the other lights, lay in the north of the sky. An image of his grandfather came to him. His grandfather, old and crippled by time, lying in a big hut, the hut where he would drift into his next life, sitting supported by long sticks of bark, the years audible in his voice. Kai, just a boy, had come to his grandfather late one night. He had so many questions for the old man. His grandfather had pointed up to the white orb in the sky and told Kai that it was an old, old soul of a weary traveller who had lost his love when she vanished on a dark night. And that his love was so strong that when the traveller died, instead of being reincarnated, his soul instead floated up into the sky and every night he appeared again to look over the Earth in search of his love. Now back to your hut, his grandfather had said. Kai had loved the story. He had returned the night after and made his grandfather tell it again. He now pictured himself as an old man, his ginger hair turned grey, telling the same tale to a grandson of his own. These years, here, now, were the years that would be heard in his voice.

Kai realised Ruin was awake and looking at him. Kai turned to face him then looked away. He took a last glance at the great mystery above him then made his way back to his rags and to sleep.

* * *

Kai and Ruin awoke early, as the light was only first appearing, and spent the day tracking the Buffalos. The more they walked the more the land changed. The ground took on a white colour that reminded Kai of the insides of a coconut.

- “The Buffalo must stop soon” said Kai. “They will need water”.
- “Yes” replied Ruin.

Ruin had hardly spoken since they awoke. He only let out grunts and snarls in response to Kai's ruminations. Kai started to look at Ruin more and more through the day, watching his movements, letting his eyes observe his body like they never had before, not in the lifetime they had lived among one another. Ruin was a tall and muscly presence. His skin was dark as if a shadow always lay over him and his hair, also dark, was rough and tangled. This day Ruin was breathing heavily, pushing the air deep into the depths of his body before flushing it back out. These breaths seemed as if they controlled Ruin's whole body, as if there was an energy inside of him trying to break free. He was, and always had been, an agitated and somewhat unpredictable man. His body sometimes acted so fast it could be wondered if his soul had even had time to instruct the body to do so. Ruin's scars, long scratches over his skin accumulated over years, were more noticeable to Kai on this day than ever before.

The footprints of the stampede reappeared infrequently on their journey, enough to keep them on track. Midway through the sun's journey across the sky the men came across a small pool of water within the land. The men scooped water into their mouths then poured it over their faces. After, Ruin sat down by the pool while Kai sat staring at his reflection in the water. Since the land had started to dry how long had it been since he had seen his own reflection? Months? Years? He looked different from how he had been picturing himself. He liked the way the ginger hair now formed on his face.

- “We are soon to starve” said Ruin.
- “What do you say we do?” said Kai.
- “Return to the tribe. We still have food there”.
- “We have scraps. Not enough to feed everyone” said Kai.
- “Then we won't feed everyone” said Ruin. Kai could see Ruin's hands were shaking, which made him realise his own hands weren't steady either.
- “We can't choose that” said Kai.
- “Then you choose to starve?” said Ruin.
- “Propose we do return to the tribe and choose to not feed everyone, what makes you think you should be fed? The women and the young ones, they will be fed”.
- “And so it will be a tribe of whores and children and no hunters”. There was anger in Ruin's voice. “Without us you condemn them to death too”.

- Kai looked at him then back to the reflection, searching it for answers. “We'll circle back around the valley, the way we've already been heading. We will pray to find Buffalo on this path. Either way you will get your wish to return to camp. Then we'll decide what to do with the food”. 

The expression of Ruin's face gave no insight to his feelings on this. The two men waited here longer in silence before continuing on along their trail.

* * *

They continued walking the rest of the day and into the night. They set another camp and then left this camp early the next morning. Birds and plants were the only living things they spotted. Kai felt the hunger deep inside his body. It felt like his stomach was closing in on itself. Sweat dripped from his head. He thought he could taste blood in his mouth. Images flooded his mind at a speed he was not used to. His moods sprang from weakness to bursts of anger, but he kept this hidden from Ruin, locked away behind the face he had seen in the reflection.

Pathways and rocks and clouds and plants and sights and cliffs and footprints and hills and trees and sand. It all blurred into one. The heat the hunger the silence. The men heard noise behind them, a movement of rocks. Kai and Ruin darted round and stared upwards. A girl, young, stood atop a large sloping of Earth. Both men wondered if she was real. But why would their hunger make them see a girl and not a horse or a bull? The girl stepped forward. Her hair was long and as black as water at night. Her skin was red from the sun.

- “Tribe?” Kai shouted.

She gave no response.

- “Your name?”

Still no response, but she started down the slope. There were splatters of blood around her face and on her rags. The splatters were old and dried.

- “Do you have food?” shouted Ruin.

She looked but gave no response. Ruin ran up to the girl and grabbed her with both hands. He shook her whole body while he shouted:

- “Who are you? Bitch. Answer us”.

Kai pulled Ruin's arms off the girl.

- “Leave her, Ruin. She's been hurt. Attacked probably. Control yourself”.

Ruin moved away but stayed staring at the girl.

- “Are you to come with us? To our tribe? It's safe there” said Kai.

The girl gave no response, only looked with fear at Kai. He felt she would follow if she wanted to and began to walk on with Ruin. The girl slumped onward slowly behind them.

The appearance of the girl had caused Kai's body to forget its hunger but as they walked further the feelings soon returned. He freely stared at the girl, looking for signs of where she had come from. She looked well fed and her rags were somewhat new; she must have been from a neighbouring tribe. Blood had flowed from her ears – unlike the rest of the splattered blood which looked like it came from elsewhere this blood was clearly her own. It reminded Kai of the blood splatters that had been on the horse, her horse perhaps? She kept her eyes to the floor as she walked.

The sun was setting and the sky was red when something in Ruin seemed to change.

- “Girl, will you speak for us yet?”

The girl opened her mouth and tried to speak but her throat failed her and only a few gargles came out.

- “Can you hear us girl? Do you know what we say to you?”

The girl made a frightened nod but Ruin seemed to ignore this.

- “Kai, the girl can't speak or listen. Her head is wrong. She has meat on her bones, lets feast on her”.
- “Stop. There is no need. We are returning to the tribe”.
- “We are halfway through the valley. The vultures will pick our bones before we return”.
- “Stay strong brother. We can make it back”.
- “But we are no longer strong. The land is killing us. The girl is slowing us down. We must eat”.

Ruin grabbed the girl who did nothing but let out a whimper. Kai went to remove Ruin's hands once again but Ruin pushed him back. Kai's body was weak and the push sent him onto the floor, landing on his arse. Ruin gripped the girl's neck tight with both hands; her face began to go red. For the first time since the men had seen her she became animated: her arms flailed and her feet pushed hard into the ground. She whelped and chocked. Kai jumped to his feet and drove his fist hard into Ruin's face. Ruin let go of the girl and stammered back. Kai pushed Ruin back then punched his face again. Ruin fell to the floor; blood oozed from his face. There was stillness for a long time after this. Then Ruin stood up and began to wipe blood from his face but a lot had already dried. The three began to walk again. Kai kept turning to observe Ruin who walked ahead of the others, but he only walked and walked, his head not turning from the path in front of him.

* * *

The three set up camp at a high point in the valley on a cliff's edge. Kai looked into the distance and could see fires way off in his view.

- “Girl, come. See the fire. That is where we are headed. You can stay there if you choose”.
- “Thank you” said the girl.

The two shared a smile.

- “Girl, where are your people?”.
- “Dead”.
- “I'm sorry. I hope they find better things in the next life. We can talk more in the morning, if you want, for now get some rest”.

They laid out rags to sleep but Kai had decided to stay awake. He could not sleep only to wake to Ruin eating the girl. But Kai's body felt weak and his eyes felt heavy and ready to dream. Kai's body had started to twitch, spasms shot through his muscles. He felt older. He set up a small fire with the last of the bark he was carrying and sat watching the other two. How quiet the night was; how bright the lights. He must stay awake for the girl's sake, he thought. He must do.

Pain surged through Kai's chest. A piece of pointed bark that had been on fire stuck into him. It had burnt and tore through Kai's flesh. Kai let out the loudest scream he had ever made. It was Ruin. What was happening? He had fallen asleep and now his head was wrapped in confusion.

Ruin ran to the girl and grabbed her by the hair. She screamed. He flung her head off of a rock and then jumped on her as she lay on the floor and began to smack her. She hit his face and kicked him but his body dwarfed hers.

Kai pulled the bark from his chest; he was bleeding. He watched what was happening. He felt weak whereas Ruin seemed to have suppressed his weakness. He looked at the girl, at her flesh – he could share the girl with Ruin, end his hunger. He got to his feet and steadied himself. They were close to the cliff's edge. He could hear the girl's cries. The sound of her voice, it had been as smooth as the night time breeze, it flashed through his ears.

Kai ran full speed at Ruin. Both men lifted off the ground and went flying over the cliff's edge.

* * *

Kai now lay at the bottom of the drop. Pain covered his body. Ruin's body lay beside him; Ruin's head had exploded like a trampled water melon against the rocks. He looked up at the cliff and saw the girl looking down at him. She was bloody and sadness filled her eyes but she was okay. With all his remaining strength Kai pulled his arm up and pointed into the distance, to the fires. The girl nodded but did not move, instead just looked down at him for a long time. In these last moments, before everything faded to darkness, Kai saw the girl walk away in the direction of the camp. The monkey man had done good.