Chapter 2

The First Transformation

As I sat upright for a minute or two until I felt the searing pain in my stomach. I clutched it and felt cloth on my shirtless torso. I looked down to see gauze wrapped around my stomach where I was injected. I got up easily not to cause myself too much pain as I walked myself to the mirror. I stared at the 20 year-old-soon-to-be college student in the mirror. I looked the same but with a slight beard, messy hair, and gauze around my stomach.

I walked back to bed and lied down when I heard the door open. I pretended to be asleep as Elliott walked over to me and put a strong hand on my shoulder and said.

"Please wake up man, it's been 6 days and everyone is really worried about you...including me. We miss you. *Sniffle* We all miss you. Please pull through." He moved his hand and walked out of the room. I got up and shut the door quietly. 6 days?! How?! I would have questioned it further until I felt a familiar coldness sweep over me.

I suddenly started having trouble breathing, I had to lean on the bedside table for support. The coldness left after a while but was replaced with a sharp pain everywhere. I felt weak and whimpered and fell to the ground. I was thrashing in pain and heard a few things fall and break, how could everyone not hear this? Are they deaf of just don't care? The pain settled into 2 points on my body, my head, and my lower back right over my bottom. The pain was incredible and wasn't like anything else I had ever experienced. I felt something going on inside my head as I was slowly losing my hearing. I went deaf for about 30 seconds until I felt that pain migrate to the top of my head. My hearing came back slowly but surely and that pain subsided. I felt the pain grow in my tailbone, but that wasn't the only thing that grew. I felt myself about to faint again from too much pain, I tried to hold out but couldn't. I lost the battle and drifted into a deep sleep.

I woke up the next morning back still on the floor. I slowly got up, each move movement torture. As I sat down I noticed something, I hear a lot better. I could hear the coffee machine making coffee downstairs, I could hear leaves rustling through a closed window. That confused me, I got startled by something moving by my ankle. I jumped up and looked around, there was nothing there. I was very perplexed as I went to put on a sweat shirt and some sweat pants to see everyone when I looked over in the mirror and nearly had a heart attack.

I saw my usual self but with some details changed. The first thing I noticed was my ears, I no longer had human ears on the side of my head but instead had black and silver floppy dog ears. To test them I maid them droop and rise to my command. Yep, they were real. The second and final thing (thank goodness) that I noticed was a black and silver dog tail that also moved when I intended it to (darn, that's real too). I started to freak out, I couldn't let anyone see me like this until I talk to a doctor or scientist I can trust. I took the very baggy sweat shirt and put it on. I pulled up the sweat pants and gave my predicament some thought. I had the idea to hide my tail in my pants curled up, and my ears under my hood.

I looked in the mirror to make sure no one would notice. It wasn't too noticeable but if I got too happy my tail would wag and my ears would stand up. So that means I can't get too happy too quickly.....which sadly isn't very hard to do. I walked downstairs and was immediately noticed. Marry rushed over and hugged me tightly, I gave her a warm hug back. Next was Mark as he was just silent also embracing me in a warm hug. Elliott was last and was the most emotional, we hugged for twice as long as Mark and Merry.

"I thought I lost you man" said Elliott in the shaky voice. He left the hug and I turned to Mark.

"Can I go see Jerry later?" As I said that Luna was rubbing up against my leg. I picked her up and scratched her behind the ear and she kicked her leg in response.

I talked with everyone for a bit but told them I was tired and migrated to my room. I spent most my time in my room afraid of my best friend and his family seeing my new appendages. Mark opened my door and startled me as I was about to pull my hood down.

"Sorry to scare you but are you ready to go to Jerry's?" he said in a happy tone.

"Mark I appreciate what you're doing but I think I can go to the neighbor's house by myself." I said in an appreciative tone.

"Ok well, be safe and call if need anything, okay?" I rolled my eyes at how protective he is.

"Got it"I walked out the door yelling 'see you in a bit' and rushed over to Jerry's house needing to know what these new appendages are, and if I can cure whatever's going on. I rang the doorbell to find a half awake Jerry in a house coat answer the door.

"Hello...Wait...Nick?!" He said groggily. He embraced me in a tight hug that knocked the wind out of me.

"Hey, can I come in?" I asked hastily.

"Sure" He opened the door and walked in. I walked in and went to sit down as my tail was cramping a bit from being curled up for so long.

"What can I do ya for?" he asked

"Well....." I couldn't figure out how to say it so I just stood up dropped my hood and pulled out my tail.

I stood there relieved that I could stretch my tail and ears but Jerry was on the verge of passing out. "H-H-How did this happen?" He managed to say. I explained the Russian guys, the serum, waking up, and the pain, oh the horrible, horrible pain. As I finished explaining Jerry's face went from "about to pass out", to interest, to curiosity. I saw him get up and run up stairs. When he came back down he had a laptop and was dressed. He grabbed his car keys and motioned me to the car.

"Where are we going?" I asked,

"To my lab, I think we can get some answers there." I called Mark and told him I'd be going to his lab and he reluctantly let me go. I got in the car and nervously played with the fur on my tail, I haven't been in public since the injection and didn't want anyone to see me like this. Luckily no one was outside at 2:24 PM because of work.

As we were driving along I was nervous about every person seeing me. At one point at a red light a girl about 5 looked over and her eyes got wide. She stood up and poked her parents trying to get them to look but they just ignored her and sat her down. We got back to the lab and I was reluctant to get out.

"Come on what's takin' so long?" I looked over at him annoyed and pointed to my tail and ears,

"ohhhhhh" he said stupidly. He grabbed his jacket and asked if I could wrap my tail around my waist. I willed my tail to do so and somehow it happened, he then tied the jacket around my waist to conceal the tail. I put on my hood and walked in slowly. Nobody paid too much attention and those who did just waved and went on. Thank the Lord.

We got to Jerry's lab and entered. His lab was my father's old lab before he died so I'm guessing Jerry inherited it. He pointed for me to sit down on one of his examination tables while he did something on his computer. I was messing with my tail trying to get the hang of it when Jerry startled me with a loud shout meaning being triumphant. Triumphant in what finding himself a girlfriend?

"A-HA!!" He jumped up and pulled me over and told me to read the article out loud.

"Scientists for years have worked on a serum that can morph or change the DNA of humans. Mainly to where the DNA would combine with animals to benefit mankind. The famous scientist Jonathon Arthur Robertson is the main man at work with the serum in the U.S. Other scientists have tried to recreate and even steal his hard work and the amazing scientist ended up dying from an attack from 2 Russian officials July 20, 2002."

That's all I wanted to read and all I needed to know. I looked over a Jerry hoping he had an explanation for this cause I didn't want to read an article about my dead father, it was too much.

"What is happening is a mutation process caused from the serum they injected into you." I couldn't believe it, I didn't want to believe it.

"Wait so you mean I'm turning into an...Animal?"

"Yes! And by the looks of it a canine as well!"

"Is it curable?"

"Well...It was never meant to be cured in the first place but I can try my hardest Nick. Anything for my partners son." I smiled and nodded.

"Thank you Jerry."

"No problem." We embraced each other in a warm hug and patted each other on the back. Now it's time to solve the real problem at hand. How am I going to tell this to Mark and Mary?