Short Fiction

Nov 09.

There was a baby gorilla and I could interact with it. I was given this permission, presumably by its keepers, and the gorilla took to me. It explored me and cuddled me and I could sense the great power it possessed and was both scared and exalted by it. The gorilla could somehow intuit its thoughts to me and I saw that it operated on a very primitive level of emotion.

It asked me what I thought of other gorillas in the same place and I said I loved them. Immediately it wrapped me in its arms and began to hug me tight, but in a threatening way to show its jealousy. I had been warned not to upset it and to act submissive. Even though young, it was a very powerful animal and I never lost the sense of that. I was scared in its presence yet attracted and proud and privileged to be part of it and wanting to impart some learning.

I quickly learned to communicate my thoughts to it in terms of what it wanted to hear, and it would soften if I did that. I had to behave on its terms and I realised how hard it was, how suddenly and tragically a wrong move could cause harm to me or even death. I was constantly on edge the whole time, my mortality teetering at this powerful creature's whim.