I'll Be Back

Lost

As streaks of sunlight shot through the bars of the small, single window that was carved into the cell the astronaut lay in. Leo woke up feeling slightly dizzy. He was laying on a carpet of drenched straw, which wasn't surprising. Everything was damp here.

He was surrounded by pitch black darkness, the only light coming from the small semicircular window lined with vicious bars. At  first he could not remember anything. All he knew was that he was hungry. After inspecting the entirety of the cave, the astronaut found a large metal bowl filled with thick oatmeal. It wasn't great. Reminded him of something his mother would make though.

"Who am I?" the astronaut wondered. It was a valid question, and he knew the answer was hidden somewhere in his mind. He was wearing some sort of baggy uniform. Almost like an astronaut. The man felt around until he found a patch. By straining his eyes he could barely make out the letters printed on it.

" USAF"

Than something in his mind clicked. He was captain Leo Davidson, he had worked on the largest manmade object ever sent into space. The Oberon. He searched his mind a bit more, then it all came back...what had gone wrong?
The answer came.
He had disobeyed the procedure, the rules. If he had never gone after Pericles...never went into the storm...maybe he would be home. It was a lonely hope. Right before the electro-magnetic storm had shut off all the digital devices on the ship, had been the last time he had seen his family and friends. It had been at eight months since he had left earth, and he never had a chance to say goodbye.
Leo chuckled halfheartedly, at least Mike had enjoyed his apartment.

Leo knew the reason why he really went into the storm. Or at least his reasons. It was selfish Leo thought bitterly, he had wanted to do his job, actually do something not with an ape. Then there was Pericles. Probably the only....being on the Oberon that he enjoyed being with. If he lost Pericles then he lost his only friend. And Leo couldn't have let that happen. And by saving Pericles he killed everyone else.

Honestly, he had felt lonely ever since he had left his hometown of Austin and joined the Air Force. Then left earth. Then left society. He had always been entirely alone. But wait, that wasn't entirely true; For some reason he had a few good memories from Ashlar.
Ari.

From the first time he saw her she made an impression, stopping a troop of young gorillas that were tormenting caged humans with stones. She had saved him from even more brutality by buying him. The more Leo thought about it, the more Leo realized how amazing she was; how she never gave up even when she could get away Scott clean. She had chosen him over her family and species.

And Leo Davidson? He had only wanted to get home, never thinking of anyone else. If not for Ari, he would have left without helping anyone.
But her sacrifice inspired him. And he defeated a whole army of apes. Because of Ari, and that kissed they shared before he left. It was honest to God the best kiss he had ever had. When he had been with Ari, he had felt complete. Whole. Only he ignored that feeling to get back to a home that didn't even exist anymore. Still, she helped him.

Why?...But Leo knew why. It had been obvious. She had liked him. Maybe even romantically. She was so cute, so beautiful-Wait! Leo shook his head in disbelief, was he really thinking about a monkey like this? Yes, he was. He hadn't given himself the chance to show any interest back before then, except for the kiss. All of a sudden he realized that for the brief time Ari was in his life he had felt really felt something. And she liked him. Loved, Leo was sure, loved. She had given enough subtle hints. But now he would never see her again.

He knew he should have stayed on Ashlar. He had actually made friends, maybe even a love. But he couldn't go back, could he?

Leo made up his mind.
Right now she was his only hope for being happy. And he decided that somehow, he was going to escape this dammed 'Earth' and find her.

These were the thoughts that went through Leo's mind as the previously unseen door at the end of the room opened.

Hello all, thanks for reading on. Sorry, this chapter took slightly longer than expected. See you next time...

-LopEar