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I had just moved into a new neighborhood with my parents. My dad had been transferred for work, so we had to pack up everything and travel halfway across the country to this out of the way rural town.

I had begged my parents to let me stay behind so I could finish out the year in my old college, but they didn't want to have to keep up with two houses, so I had to come with them. Luckily they were able to wait until the spring semester was over at least.

I spent most of the week moving boxes and stuff around in the new home. We got most everything unpacked in a couple of days. I guess that's an advantage to moving from a smaller house into a larger one. Not as much stuff to deal with.

I must admit I had a fairly nice room. In fact it was almost a suite, with a separate bed area and my own bathroom. I had most of my stuff arranged how I wanted it, and was feeling a little bit of cabin fever from being inside all week, so I decided to take a quick walk around the neighborhood and see if there was anything good in this town.

As I passed my mother on the way out, she gave me a kiss, and told me dinner would be ready in an hour. I nodded in confirmation and headed out. The first part of the walk was fairly uneventful. Most of the houses on the street looked fairly well kept, but had clearly been designed ages ago. Most had huge porches and turrets, like older Victorian houses. The whole neighborhood seemed trapped in the past.

As I walked, I decided on a whim to head down a street that looked a little more modern than the one I was on. Strangely enough, while the buildings looked like they had been designed and built more recently, they looked much more run down and neglected. I wondered why that would be?

As I got to a corner, I found what looked like a large open space. As I got a little closer, I could see the remnants of a fence surrounding the property. I stopped in front, and could see that there was a long building set about halfway back on the property, with doors at regular intervals.

By adding together all the fragments of fences, I could make out that there must have been individual enclosures, accessed via the doors in the building. My suspicions were confirmed when I got a little closer and found a worn old sign hanging lopsided near the building. I could just make out "The Dog House Kennels".

For some reason I was drawn to the place. The longer I stood and stared at it, the more I could imagine the happy dogs. I could almost see them running around, playing, enjoying the sun and having a good time. I could even almost hear the happy barks they made.

The next thing I knew, my phone was beeping to remind me that I had to head back for dinner. I couldn't believe how much time I had spent just standing there. I hope no one saw me. That would have been embarrassing.

I made me way home just in time for dinner. We had a nice dinner of spaghetti. Mom promised something a little more elaborate tomorrow, after she had the chance to go to the store and pick up some fresh vegetables, fruits, and other groceries.

After helping with the dishes, I retired to my room to see if I could find which channels all my favorite shows were on. Thankfully my parents had opted for a nice cable package that had all the major channels I liked, but it would take me a while to get used to the new channel numbers and times things were on.

I must have been more exhausted than I thought because I started drifting off shortly after I started watching tv. After a few minutes of fighting to keep my eyes open, I decided to give in and head to bed.

I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I started dreaming that I was out walking around the neighborhood. I could tell it was some time in the past, even thought things didn't look much different to what I had just seen.

I made my way down the same street I had been on this afternoon. Everything was new and fresh. All the dilapidated buildings I had passed were in their full glory. As I walked down the street, I seemed to have a destination in mind.

It became obvious as I got to the corner of the street and headed to the Kennel. I must admit it was a quite impressive building. Painted all kinds of bright colors with the logo of a dog coming out of its doghouse and smiling.

All of it's runs were occupied by dogs that were frolicking around. As I approached, all the dogs started wagging their tails and running towards me. I caught a glimpse of myself in one of the chromed doors as I approached, and saw that I had what was clearly the employee uniform on. There was even a nametag. I couldn't quite make out the name.

My dream continued along with me doing the usual chores of looking after the dogs, feeding them, cleaning up after them, taking them for walks. Each run had a beautiful dog that was always happy to see me. I must admit I had never really been a dog person, but as I worked my way down the line, I was really enjoying myself.

As I got to the last run, something seemed off. It was too quiet. As I walked by it, I saw that it was empty. I could tell that the dream me was disappointed by this. As he went to shut the door, I got a good look at the nametag on the run. It was the same as my name.

For some reason this startled me and I jerked awake. I looked over at my clock, and realized I had slept through the night and had gotten up just minutes before my alarm was set to go off.

I flicked the alarm off, and headed into the bathroom for my morning routine. Coming back into my room, I grabbed the first "clean" clothes I could find and got dressed for the day.

Coming down to the dining room, I saw my parents had already gotten up and were eating breakfast. I decided to grab a bowl of cereal and join them. As we ate, mom asked if I wanted to go to the store with her to stock the kitchen. Since I didn't have anything else planned, I agreed.

We tossed the dishes into the sink, and headed out to the car with a long list of items. This was going to take some time. All through the long car ride and the trips up and down the aisle of the surprisingly modern grocery store, I couldn't help but think about me dream. How could it have been so detailed? I had only spent a few minutes on the street yesterday. And my name on that run? Was it just a coincidence? Was my mind playing tricks? My name, Bryce, wasn't that common for a human, much less for a dog.

After we got home, I helped my mom drag everything in from the car, then left her with the task of finding a place to put it all away. I just couldn't resist any longer and had to go back and check the kennel out. I gave a quick "Bye" and slipped out the door before mom could object.

I walked as fast as I could back to the street the kennel was on. As I made my way up the street, I paid close attention to the buildings on each side, matching them to what I had seen in my dream. Each one fit perfectly.

As I came to the kennel, as wave of feelings washed over me. Again, I stood there a few minutes, and tried to visualize it as I had seen it in my dream. It wasn't long before I was standing in front of the building seeing it as it had been in its prime.

As I moved forward, the spell was broken, and I was again looking at the run down building before me. I had an uneasy feeling as I approached. The place looked like it was about to fall down, but something kept urging me forward. As I approached I could almost hear the barking of the dogs that had once been housed here.

When I came up to the door, I expected to find it locked. I give it an experimental push and it swung open. I looked around, and not seeing anyone, made my way inside.

The interior of the kennel was dark, with a few patches of light from holes in the ceiling. I took out my phone and used the flashlight app. As I scanned the room, I was amazed at how much it looked like it did in my dream. How could I have known? I had never been here before, so there was no way I could have known what it would look like.

I ran my fingers along the counters as I moved through the room, finding a thick layer of dust. Clearly no one had been here for quite some time. The main room was filled with all the usual office things- pens, appointment books, phones, etc.

I opened a door at the end of the room that led into the main hallway with the runs. Running the light over the walls, I could see various leashes, collars, bowls, and other dog accessories strewn around.

As I made my way down the hall I could have sworn I heard a bark hear or there, and could feel a lick on my hands as I passed the runs, but they were empty and I was sure I was alone in the Kennel. My imagination must be in overdrive.

I continued down the hall until I came to the last run. The one I had seen in my dream. I held my breath and lifted my light to the door where I had seen the name. If there had been a nameplate there, it had degraded so much that I couldn't make out anything. I was a little disappointed.

I spent the next hour going through everything I could, trying to find out what had happened here. I couldn't find any clues. It just looked like for some reason everyone just decided to up and leave and never come back.

I flipped through the appointment book hoping to find the names of the animals that had stayed there, but a roof leak had made most it illegible. Though I could tell they had been extremely popular and busy when they were open.

Satisfied, for now, with what I had found, and starting to feel a little creeped out, I decided to head for home. As I walked home I couldn't shake the feeling I was being watched until I finally turned the corner and back onto my street.

I was kind of glad when I got home and found a note from my parents saying they had gone out and would be back in a few hours. That gave me plenty of time to grab a snack and do a little searching online to see what I could find without being interrupted.

I grabbed some leftovers and a soda from the fridge and headed back into my room. I spent the next few hours trying everything I could think of to find information. There were a few mentions here and there in the local papers, and ads for their services, but not much else.

I couldn't find a web site or an e-mail or any other web presence. They must have closed before the web caught on. I was about to give up when I finally found a article referencing some incident that happened at one of the labs in the area.

Tracking the address, I found that it was just a few lots away from the kennel. The article was vague, but mentioned that there was an emergency evacuation of the area. That explained why things were strewn around and personal belongings had been left behind.

I guess that they had managed to contain whatever happened to that section of the town, but why hadn't they redeveloped the area? I tried a few more links, but found nothing of interest. I was ready to give up when I heard the front door open and my parents come home.

I put my computer to sleep and came out to meet them. They seemed a little distracted at first, and almost walked past me. "Oh, Hi Bryce. Didn't see you there" Dad said. I just shook my head and followed them into the kitchen.

Mom asked me to set the table, as they had picked up dinner on the way home. Fried chicken. I quickly set out the dishes and we talked as we ate. It was the usual small talk -"what did you do today?" "Nothing?" "That's nice." That kind of thing.

As the weekend was ending and my parents had to go to work in the morning they decided to head to bed early. I cleared the table, then headed back to my room to chill. I Flipped through the channels and couldn't find anything worth watching, so I decided to head to bed too.

I thought it would take me a while to fall asleep, but I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow again. When I started dreaming, I was back in the kennel. This time as I moved down the runs I could see that there was an animal in the last run. Dream me made his way down the line taking care of the other dogs. Finally he got to the last run. He looked at the nameplate on the door. Again it was my name. This time he felt happy. He opened the door and entered the run. Inside was a large yellow lab. The dog jumped up against him and started liking him all over.

Dream me began to pet the dog and praise it, calling it by my name. Something about the dog seemed odd to me but I couldn't quit put my finger on it. Then it hit me- the dog had my eyes. Could I be the dog? I felt a sudden wave of emotions flow over me and jolt me awake.

I sat up and looked around realizing that it was still dark outside. I looked over at the clock and saw that it was only 2:30. I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't. There was something strange going on and I had to find out what.

I threw on some clothes and quietly made my way out the door. I walked down the dark streets until I came to the kennel. It looked even creepier in the dark than it had this afternoon. Still I had to know what was going on so I made myself continue on.

I entered the building and turned on my flashlight. Something drew me right to the runs. I walked slowly down them shining my light into each run. Everything looked just the same as it did before. Until I got to the end.

On the last run, I brought my light up to the door, and shined it on the nameplate. This time I could make out the name. It was mine. Just like in the dream. I took a few steps back and ran into the wall.

Gathering up my nerves, I looked around and decided to step into the run. I shined my light over the interior. There on the ground was a collar. I took a closer look. It was just like the one the dog in my dream was wearing. Not really sure why, I reached down and picked it up.

Once I had the collar in my hand I felt oddly secure and happy. Before I knew what I was doing, I had fastened the collar around my neck. Having the collar there felt right, as if it had always been there. I felt the urge to drop to all fours. I fought it back, and ripped the collar from my neck, and threw it to the floor.

I ran as fast as I could from the kennel and back into my home. I locked the bedroom door and got back into bed. Somehow I managed to fall back to sleep. I was awakened the next morning by light streaming through my window.

I got up and looked at the clock. Almost 11. I threw on some boxers and went out into the dining room. I didn't see my parents, but they were probably at work already. I made myself a bowl of cereal and ate it in my room watching tv. Around 2 I decided to shower and get dressed.

I was freaked out by what had happened last night, and decided I had to do something about it. I went to a couple of stores in town and picked up a few things here and a few things there so no one would get suspicious of what I was about to do.

What was I about to do you may ask? Well I was going to burn that place to the ground. That would stop these weird dreams and hopefully banish whatever is possessing the place. Hopefully. I didn't have much experience with this kind of thing.

Dinner that night was oddly quiet. I would try to start a conversation, but most of what I said was ignored. Oh well, I just figured they were too tired to talk. We finished the meal in silence, and my parents went off to watch tv in the living room. 10 minuets later, they were both asleep on the couch. Not unusual.

I waited until dark, then packed the supplies I had bought into my backpack. I made my way to the kennel as stealthily as I could. I stood outside for a few minutes to make sure no one had seen me and to deal with my nerves.

As soon as I stepped inside, I could feel a different energy to the place. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. I made my way to the last run. My name was still on the door. I looked inside and saw the collar still on the floor. Good I thought.

As I was staring, I felt a sudden push on my back. It made me stumble into the run, while dropping my bag. I heard a clink and turned around. The door had closed, separating me from my supplies.

My mouth dropped open as a spectral version of the me from my dream walked through the door. He said "Bad Dog" and picked up the collar. I was too scared to move as he placed the collar around my neck and fastened it in place.

Again I felt a wave of happiness wash over me, and my mind started to go blank. I tried to pull off the collar, but my fingers wouldn't work. Instead I found them drifting down and with the help of the specter, started removing my clothing.

Before long I was completely naked, and something in my mind told me that was the way things should be. I soon found myself dropping to all fours. I could feel all the instincts of a dog trying to take over my mind. It was hard to resist, and I found there was little I could do to prevent myself from acting like a dog.

The Specter looked me over and praised me. I started to crave his praise, and this further reinforced the dog like behavior. I don't know how long I was like this, but eventually the specter moved on, presumably to look in on his other charges.

I remained in my dog like state for a time after that, but was finally able to wrestle my mind free. I got up, removed the collar, and after some considerable effort, was able to get the run open.

I was in terror, so I just ran for the door, ignoring the fact that I was still completely naked. Luckily it was still dark outside. For once I was glad this place was stuck in the past and didn't have many streetlights. I managed to get home without any one seeing me.

I tried the door, but it was locked. Of course I didn't have my key. I went around back and found the window in my room unlocked. I climbed in and fell to the floor of my room. Whew. Safe. Or so I thought.

I looked around and found the room empty. All of my stuff had disappeared. I moved quietly through the house. There was nothing to suggest I had ever lived there. All the photos were only of my parents. Two sets of dishes in the sink. My room turned into some kind of den. What was happening? I peered into my parents' room, and they were there. Clearly I wasn't in the wrong house.

Just as I was closing the door to my parents' room, their alarm started going off. Shoot. Remembering I was still naked, and ostensibly a stranger, I decided being caught wouldn't be a good plan. I ran back into my former room and hid in the closet.

I listened to them as they got ready for work, and everything seemed normal. Once I was sure they had left, I decided to search the rest of the house. It seems my initial assessment last night had been right. Somehow I had been erased from the family. There was no evidence I had ever existed.

My stomach started rumbling, and I wandered in to the kitchen to decide what to do next. I grabbed some cold cuts and made myself a sandwich. After cleaning up after myself, I felt some other urges, and made my way to the bathroom. All the time I was using the toilet, I kept having the feeling that I should be doing my business outside. I shook my head in an effort to clear the thoughts.

Carefully I searched through my father's dresser to find some clothes I could wear. I found an old pair of boxer briefs and t-shirt that fit. He'd never miss them. Most of his other clothes didn't fit me, and he might notice they were gone. The last thing I wanted was the police searching for me.

With most of my basic needs taken care of, I retreated back to my former room to think. I found a comfy looking place to sit down, and before I knew it I was asleep. I started dreaming. This time, I was in the kennel looking at the door to a run. It didn't take me long to come to the conclusion that I was seeing through the dogs eyes this time. When the attendant came to my run, I started to get incredibly happy. I jumped up and down and started licking him. We played, he fed me and took me for a walk. All the time I felt the most intense happiness and contentment I had ever felt. The attendant looked down at me and said, "isn't this great? Why wont you let me give this to you? I just want you to be happy." I could tell he really meant it. Something in me knew he was telling the truth. I felt the irresistible urge to him and become the dog in my dream.

I was awakened by the sound of the front door opening. My parents were returning from work. I stayed close to the closet in case I needed to hide again, but Dad went into the living room, and Mom started making dinner. I listened to their conversation. Just dull work stuff. No mention of me at all.

I could barely resist the smell as my mom, former mom?, Cooked. I always loved it. Still I didn't want to have to try to explain myself to them. Hi- yeah I'm your son. You forgot about me because of some kind of spell, and there's a weird dead guy in the deserted kennel that thinks I'm a dog. Yeah, That would go over well. I'd end up in an asylum if the cops didn't shoot me first.

I hid and waited until dark, then slipped out the window. Not sure what else to do, I decided to head to the kennel and finish this one way or another.

The walk over was uneventful. I was scared, but also part of me was pushing me on. Telling me that I belonged there. I thought that was crazy, but the closer I got the more convinced I was that it was right. By the time I was standing outside the kennel, I had decided that I would stay. Where else would I go? I didn't have a family or home anymore.

I walked into the kennel, and as I did, I felt a tingling on my skin. The old decayed building faded away, to be replaced with a new looking interior. It was bustling with people.

I stood and looked around as people made their way to and from the counter, dropping off and picking up their pets. No one seemed to notice me, or the strange way I was dressed.

I felt a presence behind me. I turned and saw the man from my dreams. He looked solid this time. His nametag read "Ian". "There you are Bryce! Lets get you situated." He said. He whipped out the collar and fastened it around my neck. Then he attached a leash to the collar. He started to lead me into the back. As soon as we passed through the doors leading to the runs, I felt another tingle on my skin.

The hallway lit up and was again just like it had been in my dream. The other runs we passed were full of dogs that ran to the doors to happily bark at Ian as he walked by. It sounded just like the noises I thought I had imagined.

When we got to the last run, Ian helped me out of my underwear and led me into the run. "What a good boy you are. I knew you would come back." With that I felt that strong feeling of happiness and contentment again.

I dropped to all fours. Canine thoughts and instincts started to flood my mind. "Just one thing left to take care of" Ian said. I looked at him a little confused, when suddenly I started feeling an itch on my skin.

I looked at my arms as blonde fur started to spread up and down them. As it reached my hands, they began to reshape into paws. As the fur spread back along my body, the reshaping continued.

My chest changed shape and my shoulders moved. As the fur got to my, now hind legs, they got shorter and my feed reshaped into paws, my hips shifting. I was now standing on four feet. I felt a weird sensation as a tail pushed it's way out of the base of my spine.

Last but certainly not least as the fur spread to my head, my nose started to turn black, and flatten out. My mouth pushed out from my face to form a muzzle, and my ears became floppy. I caught a look at myself and to my amazement found myself staring at the reflection of a young Yellow lab. Just like in my dream.

New memories started to flow into my head replacing my human ones. This is where I was supposed to be. My humans left me here every summer. Ian was my best friend and I loved spending time with him. I never wanted to leave, and now I would never have to.

I never did find out what had caused the "incident" in the first place, but now I no longer cared. What little of my human mind that was left faded over the next couple of days. As the dog mind completed it's take over I knew I had made the right decision and this is where I belonged. A Permanent resident of the Dog House Kennels.