Secret Valley

I looked at the family sitting around the table, and my heart sank. They were all looking at me with kind eyes, but I felt a sense of dread. I didn't know these people. I didn't know who I was.

But I knew I had to trust them. They were my only chance.

I took a deep breath and walked over to the rabbit man. He smiled at me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Come here, son," he said. "I know you don't remember anything. But don't worry, we're your family. I'm your uncle, and this is your aunt, and these are our children."

I looked at the other people around the table. They all smiled and waved at me.

"It's okay," said the rabbit woman. "We're here for you."

I sat down at the table, and they all welcomed me into their family. I didn't know if I could trust them, but I knew I had to try.

The table was laden with all sorts of food, from fruits and vegetables to grains and nuts. The dishes were arranged in a large circle, and the food was overflowing from each one.

The man who called himself my uncle was named Ramez. He was a giant of a man, with muscles that bulged from his shirt. His face was stern and imposing, but his eyes shone with intelligence and compassion.

The woman had long, golden hair that fell to her waist. Her ears were hidden beneath her hair, but her eyes were a deep blue. She was a kind and gentle woman, with a smile that could light up a room.

The children were a boy and a girl. The boy was about 12 years old, with a tall, lanky frame. He had a mischievous smile and a twinkle in his eye. The girl was about 10 years old, with a small, delicate frame. She had a shy smile and a timid manner.

I sat down hesitantly, unsure of what to expect. The father spoke, his mouth full of food. "I know you're confused," he said. "So I'll explain everything to you. First, let me tell you the story of the world we live in."

He paused to chew his food, then continued. "Humans have controlled this world for centuries. They took everything from us, the monsters, because they thought we were inferior. They destroyed our forests, polluted our air, and poisoned our water. But then, something changed."

He looked at me with a serious expression. "The monsters began to wake up," he said. "We started to realize that we were not just animals. We had minds and souls, just like humans. And we were tired of being treated like second-class citizens."

He took a deep breath. "So we rose up," he said. "We fought for our freedom, and we won."

He smiled. "But it wasn't easy," he said. "The humans fought back, and many monsters died. But in the end, we prevailed."

The woman, who was sitting across the table, spoke up. "Ramez," she said, "you should speak with your mouth closed. It's not polite to speak with food in your mouth."

Ramez looked up at her, his face red with anger. "Shut up woman!!! " 

Ramez's gaze met mine, his expression grave. "There is something that happens to all conscious monsters," he said slowly. "It is called awakening. It happened to the first generation of monsters, and it may happen to some of those that live in the forest now, the ones that have become conscious. There is another condition, rarer still, known as resurrection. And childbirth."

His words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. I could sense the rabbit woman's tension, her small body coiled like a spring. She knew what Ramez was implying, and she did not like it.

Ramez looked up at me, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he greedily devoured his food.

 "It seems that you are one of those rare monsters with the ability to rebirth," he said. "In the stories we tell, when this happens, the monster's soul merges with the soul of another being, whose origins are unknown.

 The monster loses its memory entirely, but gains great strength in the process. We don't know much about rebirth, but I can tell you one thing: you have a promising future ahead of you."

I looked at Ramez, my thoughts swirling like a tempest. "What about my human friends?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

The rabbit boy, who had been sitting silent until now, scoffed. "Are you defending humans?!" he demanded, his eyes flashing with anger. "Are you defending war criminals?!"

I met his gaze unflinchingly. "I'm defending my friends," I said coldly.

The rabbit boy's expression hardened. "Your friends are traitors," he spat. "They deserve to die."

I felt a surge of fury rise within me. "You don't know anything about them!" I shouted. "They're good people. They've never done anything to hurt anyone."

The rabbit boy laughed bitterly. "Good people? Don't be naive," he said. "All humans are the same. They're all selfish and cruel. They don't care about anyone but themselves."

I shook my head in disbelief. "That's not true," I said. "There are good humans out there. Humans who are kind and compassionate. Humans who care about others."

The rabbit boy scoffed again. "You're living in a dream world," he said. "Wake up and smell the roses. Humans are the enemy. They're the ones who started this war. They're the ones who have been killing our people for centuries."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. "I know what humans have done," I said. "But I also know that there are good humans out there. Humans who want to live in peace with us. Humans who want to end this war."

Fahd, the rabbit boy, narrowed his eyes at me. "Did you learn all this from spending a few hours with humans?" he demanded.

Ramez raised his hand to silence his son. "Don't worry," he said to me. "Your friends are safe. We are taking care of them."

But before I could breathe a sigh of relief, he added, "But before you meet them, you need to know that our tribe lives in a secret valley whose location is known to no one. We have lived here since beasts first knew consciousness. No one knows where we are, so we have to be very careful."

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn't believe that I was finally going to meet my human friends again. But I also knew that I had to be careful. This secret valley was the only place where I was safe.

"I understand," I said. "I won't do anything to put your people at risk."

Ramez nodded in approval. "our people " he said.