Arthur did a double take when the construction yard disappeared from his virw, doubling back to see if he saw correctly.
There, back by the main building, two huge shirtless men loading tanks of gas into containers.
One, a pig, ham arms and a whale's belly, working with completely undefined muscles, it's body rippling with each step. The other, a giant ape, hair swirling in currents across his body while muscles seam under the skin, it's shoulders the shoulders the width of a boat.
Arthur watched closely, one covered in fat, the other in hair. He wanted to see this every time he walked through before classes. He slipped his camera out of his backpack and snaked through the yard, sneaking up to the beast's as a hunter in the forest.
Finally, he was close enough. A click and loud flash caught the men in mid motion, both turning and squinting at the camera.
Bingo. The camera flashed again, both men's heads now cleared. Another flash and both men were captive, unable to justify looking away from the source.
"You're both amazing at labor" He said, now in audible range. A glimpse of appreciation showed for a moment on their faces before another flash, minds fading to the feeling. "Flex boys" He said, their arms raised instinctively, brains unable to fight obedience, a new flash resetting any possible ideas.
Arthur was ecstatic. There was nothing more he loved than turning men's minds to dough, molding them how he saw fit. Especially to those who seemed to have everything he didn't. Taller. Bigger. Stronger. Everyone around him showing off their size, cocky like these two men with their shirts off. That’s when the plan formed in Arthur’s head, him grinning, watching the two heaps in front of him through his camera.
If these two men liked showing off their bodies so much, why not humiliate them for it. One a fat dough boy, the other a dumb ape. Right then and there he laid the groundwork, before leaving the two dazed and confused.
Arthur came back the next day when the sun was high and yard busy. Deep men’s laughter echoed through the air, a crowd of them over a hole in the ground. “You’re right where you belong!” One shouted.
Arthur peer through the men, eyes settling on the giant mound that was in the hole, occasionally a slob of dirt making it’s way up from below. It was the huge pig, shoveling out slop from the pit, his torso exposed and blackened with dirt. His face was clearly red, unable to hide the amount his body jiggled with every heave of the spade. Arthur smiled, enjoying it much more than the workers, his seeds clearly working. Anytime doing any form of labor, they would work shirtless, no matter how dirty, demeaning, or humiliating it was.
Where was the ape though, Arthur wondered, before spotting the monkey slightly separate from the group, top still on. He was like a splinter standing our there, caught in Arthur’s skin. Irked, Arthur knew he’d come back later to fix it, when both would stay late as programmed.
The two of them were there when Arthur arrived. The pig with his shirt on, but still covered in mud. The ape, clearly thinking, but unable to figure out what was wrong. Arthur announced himself with the flash of his camera, both men immediately relaxed and docile. He needed to take it a step further if he wanted to humiliate both of them, which would be no problem.
Arthur arrived back at the scene, fresh start of the day, hurrying to see his prospects. He tried to look casual at the fence, just glancing through until he saw his targets. The pig was already shirtless, Arthur laughed, it probably considered just walking around as labor. But the pig was moving closer to the ape, closer, and finally the ape looked up. A quizzical look entered its face but it was too late, his arms had already started moving, removing his covering revealing the forest that lay hidden. But right after, the ape moved his arms to his chest, almost trying to cover, looking around if anyone saw him.
Arthur shook his head. The man shouldn’t have been this aware of it, just like the pig. Or rather aware, but too stupid to do anything about it. Some men rounded the corner just as the pig left, the ape quickly pawing his shirt, but just after the men saw. The workers approached laughing, clearly from some suggestive comments, but the ape just shook its head and moved on.
Arthur twitched, anger building up inside him. Why wasn’t it working on the dumb ape? He left, the thought not leaving his head for the entire day. Finally he came back to the yard, watching the two men loiter on command. The dumb pig didn’t even have its shirt anymore, as if it had given up even trying to hide its glut. But the ape was there, aware.
After enough time passed the two got up in almost unison, heading separate ways. Arthur stayed close behind the ape, following its huge strides, the stench of work sweat in a trail trail, left by the fur soaked in it. Following the ape up to a train stop, he hopped in the same car as the subject. They were alone.
As the train rumbled to life, Arthur grabbed his camera and turned to face the monkey- their eyes locking instantly. Recognition flashed in his eyes right before the camera lit up. Arthur stared down the man, now standing, no clear effect on him.
Then Arthur realized it- the man wore glasses. The light from the camera was being reflected off of it, not accomplishing the full effect. “Who are...” The man began. With decisiveness, Arthur raised the camera and pulled the ignition again.
Again, the man finally sealed to his fate as Arthur’s camera clicked a few more times for good measure. “Shirt off. Pants off.” Arthur commanded, the ape not thinking as he did it, fur standing up in the air of the car for anyone to see.
Arthur trembled. He approached the placid man, sitting down across from him. The man who was tall. Manly. Had everything.
Arthur brought up his camera, right to the man’s face. He pasued for a moment, before finally holding his finger down on the trigger. There was lightning in the car as flashes went off one after another in succession, unrelenting. Arthur held his finger down hard, harder, each flash rippling through the car, blind spots starting to form in Arthur’s eyes as his finger started to hurt. His hand released, now shaking, as he brought down the camera, ready to witness the destruction.
The man was slumped, head supported by the window. Its eyes were empty pools frozen over, no spark of light behind them, nothing permeating beyond their surface. A small puddle formed on the seat as drool dribbled down from the corner of his mouth like a small current, dripping from his cheek. Arthur looked around, grabbing a discarded mask on the floor, placing it over the man’s mouth to contain the drool, sitting the man up.
Arthur couldn’t tell if anything was left in the ape’s brain. But now here he was, sitting, not a thought in his mind, just an exhibition for all to see. It just sat there, huge shoulders broad two chairs, arms of an ape, body covered with a pelt only an animal could have, body splayed across the seats for anyone to gawk at as it had no capacity to pay the world any mind.
Arthur left at the next stop. Whether the ape would get off on its own or be lead away under dominance, he didn’t know.
