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Take a Dip

"Alex, you're feeding the river otters today." Mr. Williams said, looking me directly in the eyes.

I groaned. Not again.

"Really? You know I don't like feeding them. Sure, they're cute and all, but they just stop and stare at me when I pass." I protested. Creepy little things. Their eyes were so expressive, and you could almost see the gears turning behind them.

Mr. Williams shook his head. "It can't be that bad. I'm sure you're just overthinking it." The head zookeeper said.

I crossed my arms, shaking my head back at him. He didn't understand. "It's not just the staring. They swarm me every time I walk into the enclosure. I think they're trying to trip me into the pool."

He shook his head again, handing me the key to the river otter storage room. I took it reluctantly. I didn't want to do it, but I needed the job and couldn't complain.

"Fine, but if I come in here soaking wet and smelling like fish, the zoo is paying to have my uniform cleaned." I said, walking out of the room.

Mr. Williams laughed behind me as I shut the door, heading across the park. The aquatic animals were kept on their own man-made island, and the river otters were right in the back. Bad placement if you ask me, since they were pretty popular.

The bridge leading to the island was packed with people. Park patrons had been flooding in since early that morning, excited about the new wolf exhibit on the other side of the park. Wolves and big cats were the most popular animals at the park, so we tried to keep the guests entertained with special events. Involving them.

I squeezed past a mother with her two kids, trying to get to the metal door that lead to the storage room. Some people are just rude and refuse to move, even if you're in a uniform.

Finally getting the door open, I head inside the dark, cold room. I flipped on the lights, revealing a small room filled with fridges. A series of tunnels lead around the island, and this room acted as a central hub for feeding the animals.

I walked over to a fridge marked 'L. Canadensis', and pulled the heavy door open. Inside were small packages of frozen fish, and a few containers of already defrosted ones. The stench was overwhelming, and I struggled not to gag.

I grabbed a pack of frozen salmon and tossed it onto a metal counter. I'd put it back in the fridge after it had defrosted in a few hours. I grabbed one of the already defrosted containers of fish -minnows I think- and emptied it out into a bucket.

There was a box of latex gloves by the door, and I pulled a pair on before leaving the room. I hated touching fish, and the smell of it on my fingers irritated me to no end. A low concrete tunnel led away from the room and to the river otter enclosure. I stooped as I entered the passageway. It ran under and between the exhibits, so it wasn't made for easy access. I didn't care. It meant I didn't have to interact with any of the guests.

It's not that I minded interacting with them. There were times when I genuinely enjoyed talking with patrons. You meet so many interesting people working here. I was just in a sour mood, and didn't need to be seen snapping at a guest. My emotions sometimes got ahead of me, and I was still working on getting them under control.

My head scraped against the low stone ceiling of the access tunnels. I grumbled, but could see the light at the other end of the hallway. Just a few more feet, and then I'd have to deal with another problem. I shuddered at the though of falling face first into the frigid waters of the otter enclosure. It was a warm day outside, but I didn't want to take a dip in my uniform.

The same type of metal door the lead into the tunnels greeted me as I reached the end of the tunnel. I grabbed my keys from the ring with one hand, and while balancing the bucket of raw fish on my hip with the other, I unlocked it. It swung forward, and the bright sunlight shone on my face.

That musky, damp scent that you'd find around most mustelids wafted into the hallway. My nose scrunched up as I tried hard not to breath in with it too much. It wasn't the worst scent. Much better than some other wet animals, but still disagreeable.

As expected, I was immediately swarmed by the small oily creatures as soon as I stepped out of the tunnel. I quickly shut the door, making sure not to let any of them slip into the tunnels. If even a single one of them got out, it could mean chaos for me and the rest of the other keepers. Those low stone halls ran for miles, and one could very easily get lost if they didn't have a map, or the knowledge of exactly where they were heading. I didn't want to imagine a small fuzzy creature roaming around in the dark, lost, cold, and hungry.

Just cause I thought these specific otters were a little creepy, didn't mean I didn't disliked the species in general. In fact, I thought they were actually quite sweet.

"Ok little guys, calm down. Theres plenty for everyone." I said, moving away from the door and closer to the center of the enclosure.

The otters actually had a pretty sweet habitat. Unlike their more marine cousins the sea otters, river otters spend the majority of their time on land. They only enter the water to hunt or play. As such, the majority of the enclosure was made up of grassy hills, and a few small artificially holts.

The creatures continued to wrap around my ankles, some of them standing up and grabbing at my legs. Their little paws and whiskers tickled, and I regretted wearing shorts that day. Just ignore it. I told myself. Just feed them and get out.

And no matter what; Avoid the pool on the other side of the enclosure.

I grimaced as I stuck my hand into the bucket. I gagged; the smell was repulsive. Slimy bits of fish stuck to the glove as I pulled out a handful of minnows and tossed them towards the grass. Immediately, a wave of brown fur left me, rushing towards the smelly treats just a few feet away. As soon as the fish had been devoured, they ran back towards me and started rotating around.

This pattern continued for a while. I tossed a handful of fish, they ran and ate it, before coming back. I stopped really paying attention, and just people watched for a bit.

Strange. Where were all the guests? It wasn't that late. What time was it? Only just after 1. I read. The otters were a pretty popular attraction, and usually had a pretty big crowd. Where were they?

I shook my head, and tried not to be unnerved. The bucket was low, and I'd be out quickly.

A noise drew my attention away from the small cluster of otters that were still around my legs. Over by the edge of the pool was an otter, squeaking frantically and looking out over the water. I set the bucket down -making sure it was nearly empty, and tilting it over first- and walked over.

I could barely make out a small figure near the other side of the pool, gripping tightly to the rocks that lined the other side of the enclosure, a few feet below the walkway where patrons would stand and observe the otters swimming. The pup looked like it was struggling to keep afloat. Weren't otter babies taught to swim as soon as they could walk?

The same otter that had drawn me over -likely the pup's mother- twisted around my feet, squeaking and trying to guide me closer to the edge of the water. It was a little annoying, but I was worried about the pup. Could it swim? How had it gotten so far over there, only to panic now? Why wasn't the mother helping?

My boots were right on the edge of the water now. The pool wasn't made of dirt or anything, but was instead a concrete slope leading down to a glass wall at the bottom of the habitat. Guests could stand on the other side and watch the otters swim around.

What could I do? The pup didn't look like it could hold on much longer, the mother was just swarming around my feet and crying, and the other otters were distracted with the fish. I looked around for something, anything I could use to reach out and give the otter pup something to grab onto.

The mother stopped squeaking suddenly, and looked up at me. What? Why wasn't she concerned anymore? I looked across the water to the rocks, and saw that the pup had gone missing in the few seconds I'd looked away. I started to panic. Had it slipped beneath the water?

I felt something against my back. Had someone walked into the enclosure while I was distracted? Maybe they'd seen what had happened to the pup.

The pressure increased, and I found myself falling forward towards the pool. My balance was off because of the otters running between my legs, and my frantic search for the otter pup.

As I tumbled towards the water, I flipped over and saw what was behind me. Nothing more than the entire collection of otters, silently watching my fall.

...

The water was much colder than I expected. A frigid shock that worked it's way into my uniform as bubbles of air escaped and floated to the surface. I might have just been disoriented, but I could have sworn -just for a moment- that some of the bubble were glowing and floating the wrong way.

I started sinking to the bottom, confused at what had just happened. There was no one behind me, as I'd seen just before crashing into the water with a splash. Could the otters have done it? No, that was ridiculous. At least there hadn't been any guests around to see that.

Holding my breath, I started to realign myself with surface of the water, and swim up and out. Mr. Williams was going to be pissed I'd ruined a uniform. I was a bit annoyed myself, knowing I'd need to pay for it myself.

That was strange. I couldn't move. It was almost like something was holding me tight, keeping me from moving towards the surface above.

Panic rose in me, as I struggled to move. My lungs began to burn as I flailed wildly. I was a good swimmer! There was no way I was going to let myself drown in an animal enclosure!

"Be calm, and cease moving." A voice said in my head. I immediately stopped, confused. Had that really-

"We are sorry for doing this, but sacrifices must be made. Know and gain solace in the knowledge that you were not targeted."

Targeted? Targeted for what?

"The process will be swift, and painless. And in time, you will adapt." The voice said, before fading away.

Warmth washed over me, banishing the chill from before. I stopped panicking, and just floated there in a daze, unable to move. What was going on?

The warmth moved inward. Through my uniform, and into my veins. It spread through me like fire, making my muscles and flesh burn. Like the voice had promised, it wasn't painful. Just- Uncomfortable.

I could feel myself begin to change, starting with my hair. The dark brown strands on top of my head began to fall out and float away, being replaced with the soft pelt of-

An otter? I though, still unmoving. The burning in my lungs had gone away, as I felt them shift and change in my chest. It felt like one was growing larger, while the other stay the same size.

The fur on top of my head began to spread downwards, covering my face and head. It continued down my neck, as my ears twisted and slid up to the tops and sides of my head, shrinking and bending as they went, the flesh like putty.

My hands went next, the fingers lengthening. My nails turned hard and sharp, as that little bit of flesh between the digits stretched upwards. I could feel the same thing happening to my feet, still in my boots.

But not for long. All the while, as my hands and feet changed, and the soft layer of fur spread across me, I had started to shrink, my uniform becoming more and more loose with each second that passed.

My nose and upper jaw began to press out, the sharp canines growing longer. I felt the tip of my nose turn black, and long whiskers sprouted from the sides of it. Every so often, a bit of terror sprung up in me, but it was quickly pushed down, replaced by an intense curiosity as to what was happening.

Slowly but surely, I grew smaller, my feet- No, paws slipping out of my boots. My torso stretched out longer at the same time, and I started to slip out of my uniform. I caught a glimpse of my arms, and was stunned, but not surprised to see that the fur had spread all the way over the limbs.

A sharp pain, much more than I had felt so far, started at the base of my spine. I felt the flesh and bone stretch downwards as a tail grew out of my tailbone. Guess it was well named, at least in my case. The new limb grew longer as I finally slipped fully out of my clothes, and into the water.

A thin translucent eyelid slipped over my eyeballs, and I sensed that the transformation was finished. I twisted in the water, trying to get used to this new mode of locomotion. The slightest flick of my paws sent me shooting through the water, and my tail automatically adjusted to help me steer.

It felt incredible.

"The process is now complete. We apologize once again for this, but it was out of our control. Enjoy your new form little one, and the instincts that go with it."

The voice faded one final time, and I was at long last allowed to breach the surface of the water. I just floated there on my belly for a while, before slowly drifting towards the shore. Towards the rest of the otters, still watching, and waiting for me.

...

Sally walked into the office, her clipboard in hard, her previously neat bun coming undone. She'd rushed over to the main building at the front of the park as quickly as possible.

Mr. Williams sat at the front desk, his back hunched over the old pc that he used to run the park. He looked worn out, and Sally pitied him. He'd been working at the zoo as long as she could remember. He looked up and at her as she entered, quietly shutting the door behind her.

"What is it my dear?" He asked, his voice filled with concern. "You look positively frazzled!"

She nodded, and took a seat across from him, placing the clipboard face up on the desk. "We lost another one. It happened again."

The look of concern for Sally dropped from Mr. Williams' face, replaced with one of shock, but resignation.

"Who, and where?"

"Alex. Working over at the otter enclosure. I watched them push him in." She said, struggling to catch her breath after her mad dash over here.

"And you followed procedure? Dealt with the after material?"

She nodded. Standard procedure for a transformation was to recover the clothes and personal effects of the- Um. Victim, and prepare a cover story for the person's family, if they had any.

"Good, good. I knew you could handle this Sally." He said, standing up from his desk, and walking towards the window that looked out into the central plaza at the entrance to the park.

"Something is happening, sir." Sally started to speak. "This is the third transformation in as many months. If we don't-"

Mr. Williams cut her off. "I'm working on it, ok? Just avoid the enclosures, and be very careful with who you assign to clean them."

Sally nodded again. They'd both been dealing with for a long time. Her by choice, and him through circumstances he refused to share.

They'd get through this, one way or another. Something was coming, and Sally was scared at what it might be.