Three weeks later.
Chad woke up on that weekend, and slammed his fist into his alarm to get it to fucking quit it.
The young man pulled himself up out of bed, and bit his lip. His dreams had of course been fitful, strange and frightening - brought on by his experiences with Victor and that damned zoo. More and more, he found himself starting to remember what went on when he was "Curious the Chimp". And it wasn't like he wanted to. If he had his way, he would've forgotten everything, forgotten Victor, forgotten seeing Trevor sink his fangs into the warm, supple throat of his abductor. Forgotten the quick, frenzied run from the zoo, and on to the highway.
There were no physical scars. In fact, Chad had if anything applied himself even more to the gym than he ever had before. Throwing himself at the weights like a madman, enough that Coach Brenner had to warn him that he might just get too big and too brawny if he kept training like a freaking bodybuilder. Not that Chad cared. He just kept training, kept working out, kept trying to do whatever he figured would work...to get his mind off of it.
His body was in peak condition if not moreso. His abs had a light bit of hair trailing up the middle, accentuating his tone and shape. Chad had some stubble on his jawline he just hadn't cared recently to shave off. It left him looking rakish and handsome rather than unkempt and disorderly. Thankfully. He was always glad to hear Karen Sinclair tell him she thought he was handsome. Just these...these random little compliments and moments made him feel...so good.
After all that happened? They were a blessing.
He looked at himself in the mirror. Pulled his lip up. Saw his sharp incisors, and remembered when they were longer and thicker. Like blades mounted on his jaw. Made for sinking into the flesh of smaller monkeys and fruits alike. Chad grit his teeth, and flexed his arms. He was strong. He was a good looking guy.
Strong, good looking guys like Chad didn't have therapists they had to see every Monday / Wednesday.
Strong, good looking guys like Chad didn't cry when they drove past the zoo, and have to explain it as light in his eyes.
And strong, good looking guys like Chad certainly didn't experience the oddities he was right now. As he pulled on a white tank top, a grey pair of short shorts, and socks, Chad found himself drawn downstairs by the sweet smell of bacon. He bit his lip and grinned at the thought. His mom and his dad were out - they were enjoying their time together now, on top of needing to make some reports about the case. As far as they knew, Chad had "merely" been almost trafficked.
Made into a breeding stud for some twisted cult or something.
In a way, he had. But in a way none of them knew. Chad had been carted around the country. Shown off in front of a million pairs of gawking eyes and giggling maws. Shoved into a circuit and pressed to perform. Trotted around and squealed over and made to act cute and cuddly. Every day that went by, the more he remembered of his time as Curious the Chimp - and the more nightmares he had of the studio audiences and the tours to rich women.
And he could never say a word of it, to anybody.
After all, the truth was simply...too unbelievable. Chad breathed in the smell again and found himself stopping short of thumping his fist against his chest. Fuck. Some things really were trickling back in despite the fact he had transformed back fully to a human man. He awkwardly took a seat - sometimes he sat down properly to eat or hang out like a normal guy, like any other. But sometimes, he would settle but not really feel secure. Sitting there felt unnatural - as if he wasn't meant to be sitting in a chair like that.
As he looked at his food - bacon, biscuits and eggs - Chad found himself thanking his mom mentally. She had of course went ahead and made him breakfast before heading out with his dad. Caleb Jones had been a largely absentee dad. Spending more time trying to advance in the corporate hierarchy and relive his glory days all in one than be a family man and be present in his son's life. But then, Chad went missing and that was a wake-up call for dear ol' dad.
He came home, at long last.
He tried his hardest to help the wife he barely saw find their son.
And apparently, the two would cry themselves to sleep at night thinking their beloved little boy was dead.
Victor you fucking monster. Chad ate his bacon at first in a usual, measured way. Keeping himself up, like a human guy. Sitting there, chewing it, looking occasionally at the TV and wondering what might be on...and then. And then it came over him again. It only really happened with meat or other such items at present. And Chad found himself chomping and gnashing his teeth and tearing into his bacon - and then his eggs in short order. Feeling the yolk trailing down his lips - licking it up.
He bit into it, and he tore, and he let out a brief grunt of pleasure at the taste. Almost a hooting call. Chad bit his lip suddenly, hard enough to stop himself. He breathed harshly, and sat there for a moment. Letting his mood regulate. He didn't know what was happening. Didn't know why this all was going on now. But he hoped it would fade with time. Hoped it would just...all be gone. So he could go on to make it in college football and be a fraternity brother and---wait.
He felt his phone ringing. Telling him he had a text message.
From Karen Sinclair, he saw as he checked his message.
Hey lover boy. Would you be down to have a date today at your place? I've got nothing going on. We could get a movie and maybe something else. Followed by a winky face. For her part, Karen tried her hardest to be as normal as possible. To treat Chad as if nothing happened. To give him that normalcy he craved. That he couldn't get, for so long as whatever this was persisted. Maybe it was all trauma. maybe it was a lingering effect of the spell put on him, still mingling with him.
But he knew it...it just COULDN'T go on forever, could it?
Chad breathed.
He picked up his phone again and started typing - awkwardly at first, as if his fingers weren't used to typing, but then he acclimated to it again. Sure, babe, whatever you're down with, I'm down for.
Be right over in an hour, big boy.
And with that, it was set.
Chad finished off his biscuits in short order and with less drama. He leaned back in his seat as he thought about Karen Sinclair. One way or another, the whole thing taught him not to get led around by his dick. He had made sure she was actually who she said she was, made sure that was her number, made sure of everything. He wasn't so reckless any more.
For now, Chad got up and slipped on some shoes, and headed outside. Taking a look around the suburban neighborhood. Around at the long, paved streets and white / gray sidewalks that framed the paths up to each individual house. There was a bit of shrubbery and trees along long white walls - either fences or marble walls. Some of the grass was real, others had fake grass installed due to neighborhood dogs. Chad found himself looking at the finely trimmed trees, and a sense of curiosity hit him as he sat there, waiting for Karen Sinclair.
Wondered about climbing those trees, handling the branches and the trunk with his expert hands. He breathed, denying himself those instincts. He crossed his arms and tried to just sit there. Sit there and wait for Karen. Like a normal, human guy. Fuck, why was it this difficult? The jock found himself gritting his teeth. Thinking about the neighborhood dogs again.
Sometimes he would have to restrain himself from reacting with hostility when he heard them come by.
That this was his territory. This was his turf. He lived here, and they weren't welcome. Chad always managed to retain control of himself. But he wondered if there might come a day when that control might lapse. And he groaned as he cupped his chin in his hand. The idea of making a fool---no, an animal of himself with Karen was mortifying. He just hoped he would be able to tell. Able to keep himself from any unfortunate incidents.
"Just...don't be a fucking---a fucking chimp, Chad." He muttered to himself, "You're a man, not an animal."