The Greek Ape

Prologue to my novel (A million years ago):


Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. (JOB)

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The moist green leaves from hundreds of thick trees glisten in the light wind as they briskly dance with the breeze. The shimmering leaves allow and disallow rays of light from the warm sun to dart down to the soft green grass below. Small snakes and other reptiles bathe in the sun’s glow as small felines gaze up through the leaves at the apes swinging from the branches. In a delightful mood, the apes play and frolic with one another, seemingly smiling while shouting loud guttural sounds to gain attention.
A lone blue-eyed ape hangs by one hairy arm from a thick branch, gleefully staring at his brothers and sisters enjoying this wonderful day. He loudly calls out to them rousing several of the small feathered creatures to dart into the beautiful blue sky. The ape pauses to ardently stare at the winged ones as they flee. It must be wonderful to fly and have the whole world as your home. In their entire lives, most of his kind never journeyed more than a mile from the dense trees… the risk became greater than the reward.
Upon hearing his fellow apes call out to him, he decides to take part in the fun so he begins his swing from one tree to a branch of a neighboring tree. Suddenly an excessive deafening blast catapults down from the now disturbed blue sky. Stranded and shaken in mid air, the ape falls to the soft grass below, but still manages to land on his hairy feet. From a crouched position, he immediately casts a cautious eye up and through the trees to the roaring blaze above! Flickering red and blue takes over the sky! The intense heat bellows through the thick trees and comes to rest upon the blue-eyed one’s shaking hairy body.
The colorful flames emanate from a huge object above which seems to be descending into the clearing amidst the hills, just one hundred yards away from the frightened ape and his brethren. The deafening noise now begins to pierce the ears of the ape. The other animals run for cover and the remaining winged ones search for an escape route in the sky. The apes in the trees clamor with disapproval over the rude interruption to their joyous day!
The huge, noisy object slowly descends into the hills, but just before it lands, it silently launches hundreds of much smaller objects for miles in every direction. The ominous objects quickly explode in mid air just above the trees, releasing a strange green substance. Soon after, apes begin to fall out of the trees slamming into the grass with heavy thuds inducing various cracked bones, broken limbs… and even death! Unable to help, the blue-eyed one searches in vain for an escape path but the green substance entraps him. He gasps for air as the indistinct substance overwhelms him in its unseen grip and forces itself upon him.
Through tearing eyes, he slowly turns his trembling head left then right and notices that only his kind is affected by the curious colored air. He turns once again and witnesses the huge fiery object land in the hills with one last deafening roar. The loud rumbling sound rapidly dissipates leaving behind the quiescence from before its tragic arrival. But his failing senses still recognize that this quiescence is different from before, it has a cruel and heinously horrific taste. It seems to be the beginning… of the end!
The blue-eyed one falls hard to the soft forgiving grass!