“They call them,” said Kat.
This was news. “Who are they calling?” I glanced at the female ape, seeing a heavily pregnant creature.
“It’s a custom. They gather, and the new leader will be chosen soon.”
“Isn’t that Leonard? He’s the oldest now.”
Zelda nodded. “I’m assuming he’ll be next.”
“Then why do they need to gather?”
“It’s just the way they do it.”
The cannabis had begun to affect me, leaving me slightly fuzzyheaded and utterly relaxed. I leaned into Leslie, who put her arm around my shoulders. “Let’s smoke this stuff and fuck it all,” she said. “If they want to rampage, let them. Stupid apes.”
I giggled in response.
An hour later, as the fire had begun to die down, there was movement in the trees, and the shadows of creatures emerged. There were multiple shapes, dark and tall, the fluorescence of their eyes gleaming.
I sat up, slightly alarmed. “Oh, hell. Look at that.”
Leslie was on her back on a blanket. “What?”
“A shitload of apes are coming.”
She rolled to a sitting position. “Where?”
“The tree line.”
Kat had perked up, her nose sniffing the air. “They come.”
“Who are they?” asked Leslie.
“Other tribes.”
“Are we safe?” The thought that a dozen or more Sasquatches would be upon us in a matter of minutes had me mildly concerned. “I’m not fucking all those apes.” I didn’t mean to, but I began to laugh.
Leslie giggled; the cannabis had made us both loopy. “Oh, hell no!” She stumbled to her feet. “I ain’t no Sasquatch whore!”
“All right,” said Zelda. “Not so loud. Calm down now. I’d sit and be quiet, if I were you. Don’t draw attention to yourself.”
Zelda’s warning worried me. “Great,” I muttered. “Sit, Leslie.” I grabbed her ankle. “Get down here now!”
“Fine.”
The creatures approached, led by Leonard and Pooky, who were followed by Dale. There were others behind them who eyed us with interest, their nostrils flaring, our human scent filling their lungs.
The newcomers looked far too hearty, as the outlines of muscles moved beneath their pelts. Their grizzled faces were eager…lustful.
Oh, crap.
Chapter Five
One of the newcomers had a drum under his arm, which was a carved piece of wood with a calfskin head. Two others carried similar items.
Leslie grasped my hand; her expression was cautious, yet interested. “These boys came to party.”
Leonard waved to us. “Make us food. We hungry.”
Zelda got to her feet. “There’s plenty of venison left over. Let’s get a pan out.”
It was late at night, and I was groggy from the cannabis, but we had been summoned to work, all under many sets of watchful black eyes. I didn’t want to have to provide a feast for a bunch of horny apes, but it seemed as if I did not have a choice in the matter. While we began the preparations, the Bigfoots lingered near Bubba’s grave, staring at the once great Sasquatch. The drums began to sound.
There was talking and gesturing, punctuated by grunts.
We cut up the meat and fried it with garlic and onions, to reduce the gamey quality. Leslie prepared a stew, but it wasn’t clear how soon the creatures wanted to eat. The stew would take hours.
Zelda worked on the campfire biscuits. The aroma was delicious, but I wasn’t hungry in the least, having already had dinner. When we were done, we sat together on a pelt with a blanket around us, listening to the drums and the strange, archaic speech of the Sasquatches. They were far more interested in tribal matters than an orgy, which was a relief.
“I’m going to bed.” I got to my feet. “Will they be able to serve themselves?” There were wooden bowls and spoons stacked neatly nearby.
“I got it, hon. Go to sleep.”
“How about you?”
Leslie yawned. “I guess that’s it. Exciting party.” She joined me. “See ya in the morning.”
Our departure was noted, as several interested eyes glanced in our direction, but their discussion was more important, as they huddled together in a circle on the grass. It shouldn’t have surprised me that they were peaceful and orderly.
Leonard glanced at me, nodding. I waved to him. After I had brushed my teeth and relieved myself in the woods, I unzipped the tent and crawled inside, lying close to Daisy, who was sound asleep.
Wolfie had his arm around her. I closed my eyes, listening to the gentle refrains of his snores.
“Wake up, sleepyhead.” Leslie had poked her head inside the tent.
“Aw…go away.”
“They buried Bubba. Leonard is our new leader.”
“Fantastic.” I reached out to touch Daisy, finding nothing but air. “Where’s my kid?” I sat up, suddenly panicked. “Where’s Wolfie?”
“Relax. They’re by the fire.”
“How long did I sleep?”
“A while. Quit freaking out. Everything’s fine.”
“Are all those apes still here?”
“Yeah. They went hunting. They ate everything last night.”
“Are they staying with us?”
“I don’t think so. They’re just here for the funeral.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“You still thinking of leaving?”
“I don’t know. It’s too early to worry about that now.”
“I gotta pee.”
“I wouldn’t do it here.” She smiled.
“No kidding.” I slid my shoes on. “Is there any coffee?”
“Yep.”
“Thank God.”
The camp was oddly deserted. Wolfie and Daisy played by the fire on a blanket. They had an assortment of toys: wooden building blocks, dolls, cars, and odds and ends. Daisy’s room at home was filled with toys. I missed Mike in that instant, wondering what he was doing. He’d gotten a job working as a park ranger for the summer season. In the off-season we subsisted off several significant pieces of gold that Leonard had given me. The Sasquatches cared little for the precious material, and there was more hidden in various places. We sold the nuggets to cover expenses, but we lied about the origins. The last thing we needed was a gold rush with a stampede of greedy miners. The Bigfoot hunters had been bad enough.
As I drank coffee and stared at the little ones, several apes neared, and none of them looked familiar. They eyed me, noting the long, blonde hair hanging down my back. They smelled a bit of wet dog, as they had been in the river and their fur had yet to dry. A tall, thinner-looking Sasquatch sat near me, and I thought to move, but I didn’t want to appear frightened. I wasn’t frightened, was I? He reached out, touching my hair. He appraised my face, his nostrils flaring. Daisy cooed then, distracting him. His expression softened when he stared at her. The toddler was slightly pudgy, with fair hair and pale features. Wolfie was nearly always by her side, as they were the same age and the best of friends.
“That’s my daughter.” Would he understand me?
“She pretty,” he rasped.
I hadn’t expected him to talk. “You speak English?”
“A little.”
“You speak it really well.” This praise pleased him, and he grinned, flashing strong-looking teeth.
“Did you have a human mother?” He nodded. “Where is she?”
“She died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It was long ago.”
“What’s your name?”
“Harry.”
“How appropriate,” I giggled. It was always mildly astounding to meet a Bigfoot who I could communicate with. “Are you the leader of your tribe?”
“No. Thoron is.”
“Which one is he?”
He glanced in the distance, pointing. “Him.” The ape in question was tall and broad with a thick, unruly pelt.
“Where do you live?”
“North.”
“You heard our Bigfoots calling?”
He nodded. “We were close.”
Leslie strolled over carrying several dishes. She set them down and began to organize the cooking utensils. “Hey, come meet Harry.”