Planet of the Apes: Broken Chain
Ch.7
Law of Magnetism
Pov: Robert
Making use of the surprise I gave Green, I decided that it was better to grapple her instead of a ranged fight of her full kicks and punches. This only worked to a degree. She had one arm free and started to beat across my back with medium force. And that wasn't an improvement in the slightest. Her heavy hits already did so much damage, surely enough for breaking bones. I would be lucky just to have bruises the size of my back. I already felt my strength leaving with each hit. Something needed to change once more. I let go to jump behind her.
My instincts told me to try a grapple from behind. She jumped and slammed me to the floor, but I held on. It wasn't as bad as her hits, maybe it was the hay she landed in that cushioned the fall. Wasn't going to take a gift horse to the mouth and rolled with it. Literally.
The woman now started to roll on the ground with me along for the ride. Pain was starting to grow. The solution? Stop her now, or die.
I let go of one side, and allowed her to roll out.
She paused at the change and I took well advantage of it.
I put myself in front of her once more, pinning her legs and arms, however smaller compared to hers. She struggled, howling, trying to escape. All my strength was into this. If she escaped now, I would die by her hands.
I held on for who knows how long. My eyes were closed for most of it. Only to open them in confusion when the struggle stopped.
Crying, the girl had a tear fall down her right eye. It was then I got a better look at her face, it was marred by the sun with a simple tan to show for it. Dirt still showed on her face and her green hair spread across her face. All of this revealed in the little bit of light from outside.
Also, at this moment, I noticed the awkward position I was in.
On top of a woman, both of us in rags. Alone…
My instincts wanted me to get off right away, and apologize… Only being held back by the memory of the fight we just had. Plus the language barrier didn't help.
Instead, I waited for her to act. It never happened. After a while, I let go in a show of good faith.
A sigh of relief left me as she relaxed herself. In place of the anger I saw apprehension, surrender. She started to remove her armor.
Long ago, I remembered reading in school about the ancient Greeks. Specifically, Spartans. According to the textbooks, when it came to marriage, a spartan man would fight with the woman he wanted and win to be able to get the woman. If he loses, no woman.
This was the only comparison that ran through my mind to what was happening.
What? No. No!
I backed away from this, and startled the green haired woman with my reproach. I soon found myself backed up against the wall opposite of her.
What am I gonna do? I can't scream for help. And what would happen?
I did nothing except put a hand across my eyes, shaking from the stress this brought. Flashes from all that I knew before coming to this world came to mind.
"What's the matter! Afraid of women!"
"Who cares, everyone else is doing it! Keep your opinions to yourself!"
"Hey, watch where you're looking, Creepo!"
"What are you looking at?! Don't make me get the teacher!"
"Remember, wait till marriage. Then you will be happy."
That last one was a saving grace… My Cousin… Born out of wedlock, he had a hard life. Dealing with the divorce of his parents, custody battle, and both moving out of state. Being left behind by the ones who could care for him. And despite all of that, he overcame it. He separated himself from both his parents and their problems and ended up finding a way to live. Being ten years older than me, and already had a wife and two kids. And one day, I told him my troubles. Pressures of the new school era, and the divide between man and woman in society. I could do nothing right. He didn't go and give me advice on how to score women, or any advice for the present. Only now did I know what it was for. This moment.
Right… wait.
I removed my eyes to see the woman staring at my face, about an inch length from my face.
My body jumped, but she did not. Instead she touched my face in a cradling way.
Any thinking I had came to a sudden halt. This was the first time anyone outside my family had done something like that. Infact, I don't remember any time like that.
"Uhh.. Hey, uhhh, I think we got off on the wrong foot."
Her eyes went wide, and she then reached for my mouth. Confused, she said one word.
"Ape?"
Huh? Did she mean I was an ape?... No… something else… Wait? She can talk?!
The green giant reached up with her hands and she massaged my lips with her fingers. even going so far as to give a tug on my small beard. I would have recoiled back, but her actions were out of curiosity.
"Ape?"
"No, I'm human. Same as you. Do you understand me?"
The head on her shoulder turning to the side confused gave me my answer.
"I guess we got a language barrier, go figure. And you're not out to kill me, which is good. Well, I'm gonna go ahead and sleep now. If you'll let me."
I moved further down the wall to where my body laid fully down on the hay. I didn't try to make a pillow out of the straw, so my eyes just closed. Only to open again when I found myself being moved. Finding that the woman now held me in a hug…
I felt my cheeks warm a little at this. She now too took a sleeping position on the ground while aligning me with her in her arms. My face was now across from her's. Locked in place, she closed her eyes and pulled me closer. Her chest acted like a pillow for my head soon enough. Soon enough, I found sleep returning once more. Thinking to myself, this wasn't all that bad.
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"Breakfast time."
We're the words that awoke me from my slumber, as well as my new, "Companion"
Across the room at the entryway, a sliding door close to the ground opened up to reveal a tray of food being slid in. The meal of the day? Corn, on the side? Corn. And dessert? Corn.
Joy.
I was about to get up, but stopped. Her arms were still tight around me, and she was staring intently at the food.
"Ummm, you want me to get it?"
She looked back at me, lost as to what I was saying.
But she said ape yesterday, I heard it.
"Uhh, parlez-vous France?"
…
"Nothing?"
…
"Espanol?"
…
"Uhh, japanese… Uh, I don't know any words except Ohaio or Konnichiwa."
She let go. But not because anything I was saying, nothing was reaching her. Instead, she just wanted a better look at me.
"Ape?"
"No I'm…"
It was then, I had a realization. Perhaps her language wasn't as expanded as my world's, or that of the ape. She was an outlier, from humans they came across. Like me, except she is from this world and her people were isolated. I needed to tone down my speech a little.
My now free hand pointed to myself, "Robert."
Again she seemed confused, so I tried once more.
"Robert."
For the first time, she said a word other than Ape. She tried sounding it out.
"R-rober?"
"No, RoberT."
I put emphasis on the T, and she was able to say it while pointing at me.
"Robert?"
I nodded my head confirming, "Yes, Robert."
I then pointed to her, waiting for a response… Nothing came out of her mouth. Instead, she pointed outside.
"Uhh, I don't know what you're pointing at exactly…"
She then pointed to my lips, wanting me to speak more.
"Robert."
"You want me to name you? Something Outside?"
Greeny probably didn't know what I was asking, but she nodded her head anyway.
I sat up to get a better look outside the one window we had. It was the same cage I saw out there, the same guards, and the same place we had fought…
But it was a good morning...
Morning…
I turned to look at the girl again, who was now standing up much taller than me.
"Morning?"
She turned her head to the side.
"No, that doesn't seem right… What's another word for that."
One word came to mind, one that I had said not long ago. Only spelled different. One that was also a name for a state.
I walked up to her and pointed at her abdomen
"Ohio?"
The woman's face brightened while straightening up, knowing the name I gave her.
"Guess that makes it official. Ohio. Let's go check on the food."
The more I moved, the more I felt the aftermath of the fight. My back and butt were the most affected. Eating took priority, as we may not get something for a long time.
As I neared the plate, I noticed that it was full of cobs, and a lot of them were already eaten from.
"Well, beggars can't be choosers. Or is it Prisoners?"
The plate was wide, but it wasn't all that heavy. Allowing me to bring it over to my new lady friend.
"Here, Ohio. I know it's not much but it's something to eat."
As I placed the tray down, I sat beside it cross legged and took a piece for myself. Carefully making sure to avoid the chewed bits. Ohio did the same, only she was hesitant to eat the corn. She sniffed it and tried a bite of it. Her face said it all, it wasn't her thing. She did however endure the bland taste.
"This is better cooked, and with butter. But that's asking for too much from our hosts… When is Malek gonna be back?"
…Wait, he's not gonna be here for a long while. That hunt may take the entire day. So what am I gonna do during that time?
"A whole day to ourselves…"
My eyes looked back at the woman, and I couldn't help but look at her figure. The unkempt hair actually suited her, long enough to flow across her back. Perfect skin tone, and toned body. Any single guy my age would clamor over her. And it took all my mind to express self control in this situation. Reminding myself I'm a man, not an animal.
With nothing to do but eat, I had my fill. Even That wasn't much to say, one can only have their fill of corn before one gets sick.
I decided to settle in by resting myself in the same place I slept before and closed my eyes. Seconds later, I found myself wrapped in arms once more. Only lower, and I felt a head rest along my chest. I peaked my eyes a little to see her move her cheeks across it. Alongside that, a free hand from her moved to my face. Ohio started stroking my red beard while letting it caress in her fingers.
I stayed this way for who knows how long.
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Before I knew it, it was dark. I hadn't left my spot except to pee in a bucket and eat corn. The rest of the time, Ohio was a comfort to me. If I had to choose a fresh made bed and her, Ohio would win every time. And all we did was lay in the hay in each other's arms… Both of us were fast asleep.
And soon only one reamined asleep, I could hear shouting behind the door that held us back. Then the door bursted open to reveal a sight of an old friend. Malek.
It took him a moment to process what he was seeing. When he did, the color drained from his face. The voice of Zira entered the air, timidly might I add. I decided to pretend to be asleep with an eyelid cracked open.
"What is it, Malek? Are any of them-."
Zira was at the door way as well, her jaw dropped. Soon the rest came in, Ebar's reaction was the funniest out of them. The smugness that he had the night before now disappeared.
Zira broke the silence, "Well, Ebar. I suppose I should say I'm sorry I've doubted your efforts to the study of the human race. Perhaps I should send a letter detailing this event to the Committee. They would love to keep you after learning this!"
Giggles escaped her words as she spoke to the criminal. All the while everyone else held back laughter of their own. Save for Ebar, the other ape who was with Ebar, Malek, and Drek.
"Please! Don't! I just got my position!"
Anger now was at her forefront, "Then leave! Don't ever come back here again! I'm gonna change the locks after today so don't expect to waltz back in here! As for the night guard yesterday, you're relieved of your position! The Committee will decide what to do with you."
Ebar looked like a deer in headlights at the yelling he received from the chimp doctor. The night guard was more upset about the whole thing, using his hands to cover his ears from the yelling.
Zeb now made his debut, "That means get out, in case you don't know."
Both of the former retainers looked at each other before walking out. One was more angry about it than the other.
"Good riddance!"
"Come on, everyone. Let's leave these two to their 'Business'."
As the two medical professionals left, I opened my eyes fully to the remaining gorillas. Derek waged his head at me before walking off, Malek stretched his hands sideways. The look on his face said it all, "What happened?"
I looked back down at the sleeping greenette holding to me. My answer to Malek was a simple wink as I continued to hold her in my arms.
Malek gave an un audible sigh and mimicked his uncle's head shake. A close of the door left me to my own devices. Sleep.
End Chapter