The Nines

Story by ben243 on SoFurry

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an accident at a genetic manipulation facility causes some changes among a small towns boys


Introduction:

My family had lived in a small town for many generations. It had always been a quiet and secluded area where nothing much happened until about 30 years ago. The government came in and raided what we all thought was just a kitty litter factory, but turned out to be a clandestine lab experimenting in genetic engineering. The people of my town were not told anything about this of course, and we went about our daily business until we finally saw the results of the labs tampering.

There had been some breeches in their containment protocols and some of the viruses they were working on were allowed to escape. I always wondered if anyone was ever punished for it. For years it invaded our ecosystem, and was soon present in everything we ate and drank, and even the air we were breathing. It sat dormant for a long time before it hit critical mass and the changes became evident.

After a few generations some babies were born that were not like the others. They appeared normal at first, but as they approached the age of 6, things began to change. There were small changes in their appearance that often continued as they got older and went through puberty. They all began to take on features that were more characteristic of dogs than humans. Sometimes they would only have some mild changes, and could still mainly pass as humans, other times they would end up looking almost completely canine.

Surprisingly, unlike most genetic abnormalities, this one didn't seem to have an effect on the intelligence of the afflicted, but it could make them more docile and obedient, exhibiting more and more canine like behaviors, though there original human personality always remained dominant. It also had a major effect of making them all refuse to wear any clothing except a collar and occasionally sandals as soon as the changes started to take effect.

It was not surprising to walk down the street and see someone who had been afflicted with the virus, after the shock of seeing naked kids and adolescents walking down the street on leashes subsided, most people were polite enough not to stare, but you could tell they felt sympathy for the family.

Somehow the government got wind of the changes, and started to quarantine the area, and study everyone they could find that had been affected. They turned the town upside down and terrorized everyone they could find, but could only come up with one discovery- the virus only affected boys. No girls ever seemed to show signs, and they were never able to figure out how it was spread, or how to stop it.

Though the percentages of infection were small, there were enough concerned people to make sure that the rights of the infected were preserved. They were allowed to receive their education up to finishing high school. But due to the quarantine on the town were unable to attend a college. Most were happiest when they could find someone willing to own them and keep them as pets. Adoption agencies were set up, but most were sold by their parents to friends they had made while they were in school. Most of the infected seemed to be happy with this arrangement, and went on to live long full lives.

As the years past, the infection seemed to peak, and started to decline. Now the number of infected births is fairly small, but most people in town know of at least one family that has been affected.

My story:

My name is Sam. I am one of the lucky ones to be infected with the virus. It has some long scientific name that no one can pronounce, so we all just call it the "nines" as it makes us more like dogs, or rather Canines. I have a fairly mild case, having a slightly elongated mouth, with a very dog like nose, and puppy dog eyes, but otherwise appear mostly human.

Sometimes when I talk, my mouth can make it difficult to form the words, but I have been doing well in school otherwise, and find it easy to make friends. Sometimes it's too easy. I am often eager to please and have to work hard to avoid doing anything I am asked to do. Most people just pretend to be my friend while they try to take advantage of my nature.

Kevin has been my friend since we were born. He lived in the house next to mine, and we grew up together. He liked me before I started to show signs of the "nines" and he has stuck by me, never trying to take advantage of me, and trying to keep me out of trouble. It was hard when I first started changing, but we got through it, and he has stuck by me ever since.

Kevin and I would walk to school together, and often spend hours just talking and playing video games. We would talk about the infection, and he would ask me how far the changes would go. I was the only one in my family to ever get it, and it could take many courses. I didn't know of I would stay mostly human, or end up mostly dog at some point. He asked which I would prefer, and I honestly didn't know.

All I did know was that the compulsion to walk around completely naked was strange at first, as all my friends were wearing clothes that showed off their favorite shows and characters, but I never had any modesty, and hated the way the clothes felt on my body. I would shed anything I had on after a few seconds, and my parents finally gave up.

School was interesting at first, but the kids got used to me things quieted down, and I was pretty good at science and reading. I got pretty good grades, and enjoyed my classes, but was disappointed knowing that I would never have the chance to go to college. I hear that some of the "nines" do online courses, but I don't know if any of them ever get a degree. Maybe I could try that.

It was now summer and Kevin and I had just graduated from high school. I knew Kevin would be going off to college, but I didn't know what was going to happen to me. My parents hadn't been supportive of the idea of taking online courses, and my enhanced obedience and eagerness to please made it all but impossible for me to push the issue.

I could tell my parents were disappointed about the way I had turned out, but they always tried to stay positive, and not let me see how they felt. They did their best with me, and I couldn't have wished for anything more from them, except some more certainty about my future.

As the summer progressed, I started feeling the effects of the "nines" more and more, and stared to love being taken for long walks by my father, and he would often take me to the park so we could play fetch. I loved our time together, and would often forget about my other worries while we played.

The more we visited the park, the more I noticed I started having feelings towards some of the female dogs there. I had never show much interest in the human girls. Catching a glimpse of some of the prettier dogs would cause me to have an erection, which would make my father giggle. It was a little off putting at first, but I quickly accepted it as part of the "nines".

Midway into the summer, I looked into the mirror, and though I could see some changes to the tips of my ears, and maybe my face was a little longer. I asked my mother about it, but she told me it was all just my imagination. I wasn't so sure, and started trying to imagine what I would look like If I went all the way. I had heard about a boy just a few years older than me, who had transformed completely into a dog. He had become a German Shepard and was supposedly indistinguishable from a real dog. He kept his mind, mostly, but couldn't talk anymore because of the change.

I spent most of the night trying to figure out what breed I would be, but couldn't come to any firm decision. My mother told me I was just being silly, and I started to believe her. She was my mother after all, why would she lie to me? I wanted so much to just make her happy.

I started to notice that time seemed to be passing more quickly than before, and tried to figure out why. It finally occurred to me that unless I was actively trying to stay in my human frame of mind, I would drift into the dog mind, and was spending more and more time just enjoying being and animal, going for walks, and playing outside and at the park. It became harder and harder to find a reason to pull my self back and sometimes would spend whole days in the dog mindset.

When Kevin returned home, I was almost uncontrollably excited to see him. He would come over and take me for walks and to the park, and play with me. I was always excited to see him come over, and would jump up on him and lick him when he came to the door. I think my dad was glad he didn't have to walk me everyday anymore.

One day my dad and Kevin were talking, as I came down for my walk. I wondered what they had been saying, but they didn't want to tell me. We spent the whole afternoon out wondering around the neighborhood, and when it was finally time to go home, I was surprised to see that we were heading towards Kevin's house.

As the summer wore on, I spent more and more time with Kevin and at his house, and less and less with my family. By late August, I was spending almost all my time at Kevin's house with only occasional visits to my parent's house.

Kevin and I had a great time together, and I loved being with him and started to feel like I was becoming his pet. I loved it and couldn't think of anything else I would rather have happen to me. I wondered if my parents had sold me off to Kevin, and while I knew that kind of thing was frowned upon, large parts of me hoped it was so.

As we walked one day, I couldn't help but notice my reflection in the store windows, and noticed that my head had definitely changed. My mouth and nose were now a long muzzle, and my ears were longer and started to flop. I tried to see any other changes in my body, but I couldn't get a good enough view. It was undeniable that I was still changing, and wondered how far it would go.

I could hardly talk any longer due to the changes, but Kevin knew could still understand everything he said to me, and he loved to talk and chat as we went about our day. I would woof in agreement occasionally, and tried to write him messages and notes, but my fingers had started to change now, making it hard to hold a pen and even type on the computer. Kevin didn't seem to care. In fact, as the changes progressed, he seemed to love me even more. I hoped he would still love me if I ended up fully transformed into a dog.

As the summer was drawing to a close, Kevin told me he had decided to do his first year or two at the local college a town over. That meant that he would be staying around here and commuting to classes. I thought that sounded wonderful, as we could spend more time together. By this time I was spending all of my time at his house anyway, and couldn't think about wanting to be anywhere but with him.

Some time during the first semester of college, I was able to get a look at myself in Kevin's mirror, and could see that my body had changed a great deal over the summer. My head was almost completely dog now , and my hands and feet had were a good way to becoming paws. I had also started growing a tail, but it looked really funny without any fur on it.

Everyday after class, Kevin would come home and take me out for a walk, and tell me about his day. I would listen intently, and try to bark or woof to let him know I understood what he was saying. He seemed happy with my responses, and I could tell that I was making him happy, and did everything I could to try and increase his happiness.

It wasn't long before I had changed enough that I could no longer walk up right. Walking on all fours took some getting used to, but Kevin was eager for me to learn, and I was feeling the compulsion to obey him and make him happy. I couldn't wait for the changes to continue so that my legs would be the right length to walk properly.

Soon I was eating out of bowls on the floor, and on all fours constantly. My tail had grown longer and was starting to get covered in a coat of blond fur. Kevin thought I was becoming a yellow lab. For some reason, that sounded great to me, and I couldn't wait for the transformation to finish.

One evening I could hear Kevin talking to my parents on the phone, and sending them photos of the dog I was becoming. My new ears helped me hear what they were saying, and I could tell they had hoped I would stay more human, but they were happy that Kevin was there to take care of me as I changed.

The compulsions I was feeling to obey and behave like a dog were almost overwhelming now. I found my self slipping into the dogs mindset more and more, especially when I was alone. I would sometimes become aware of Kevin talking to me, and he could tell by my demeanor that the human was in control again, and he would tell me that it had been days or week since the last time I had been in control.

Over the course of the semester, Kevin and I bonded on a way that I never could as a human. We both began to look forward to the completion of my changes so that I could spend the rest of my life as his dog. I didn't miss being human at all.

It was the next summer when the changes finally completed. I was now completely a yellow lab. Kevin took me to the vet to have me registered as his pet and get me vaccinated and licensed. I often let myself go, and embraced the dog mentality, and only returned to my human mind on rare occasions. I was a beautiful example of the breed, and very smart, and Kevin made a good deal of money from entering me in dog shows. I wasn't sure this was ethical, but I couldn't bring myself to object.

We found out that while the "nines" made substantial alterations to my body, It didn't change my human lifespan or intelligence. Kevin and I stayed together for many years. He had to change vets several times to avoid any suspicion that I was anything other than a normal dog, and I was careful not to let on.

I never saw my parents again. I hope they are well, and understand why they decided to give me to Kevin. They couldn't stand to see me become fully a dog, and knew how Kevin and I felt about each other, and that he would be a great master. I think it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I never worry about my life anymore, and am glad at the way my transformation went.

Every so often, I dream about my former human life, and wonder about the other kids that are growing up like I did and wondering how many there are, and if they will find happiness as I did.