FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

“Aaron Hindlemire?" A nicely dressed woman with a suit opened the door, calling my name. I didn't recognize her despite working for the company upwards of 12 years now. This must be the new CEO I had heard so much about. Claire was a serious looking woman, and though I had worn a tie and a button up shirt for the meeting, I looked like a hobo compared to how upper crust her outfit and demeanor was.

Her face a professional composed mask she seemed to wear at all times. I sat down in front of the fancy new desk with a gold plaque on it, which read “Claire Belgrave".

“I am sure you know why I have asked you here today?" She sauntered over to her chair, sitting down and crossing her legs. Her fingers steepled in front of her face. I'm sure she must have seen the confusion on my face because she continued talking.

“We are downsizing to just keep some of our most efficient workers. You have been here a very long time, but I am sorry to say we just cannot afford to keep everyone on the team. We will be letting you go, but if you want to use us as a reference for your resume, we would be happy to provide it." The rest of what she said barely registered. I stood up from the desk, hardly saying much. I remember murmuring something along the lines of “Thanks for the opportunity" before collecting my personal effects from my desk and heading out to my car.

It was a Friday, and an uncharacteristically cool 60 degrees and overcast. It was early spring, and that sort of temperature was just rare in general for Florida. The weather was as gloomy as I felt, heading into the weekend which was normally cause for celebration at the local bar. Now I felt more like drowning my sorrows. I was one of the programmers for a larger company, I had just finished a round of training for some of the middle positioned coders, and little did I know they would be my replacements. Younger, which meant they didn't need to pay them as much. Still, I knew with my experience I wouldn't have too much trouble finding a job with my credentials. Still it sucked because I didn't know how long it would take. after placing the cardboard box full of the contents of my desk in the back seat I slammed the door. I loosened my tie, throwing it into the empty passenger seat. This job had consumed most of my adult life from when I started straight out of college as a prodigy. So much so that I had not really had time for relationships, or family, or friends. I sat in the parking lot, wanting someone to talk to and not having anyone to call. I picked up the phone, scrolled through my contacts, and then just placed it in the empty seat. I turned the volume up on the radio to drown out my thoughts and just started driving, as I found myself a whole day of nothing to do.

“Screw it." I stopped the car outside the bar I frequented on Friday nights. It was still too early, and it was practically abandoned except for a car I assumed was for the cleaning staff. I let the engine rumble to a stop as I turned the key and removed it. I took a framed photo out of the box in the back seat. It was a picture of myself and a few coworkers I enjoyed the company of but didn't really know.

Crack.

I realized I was squeezing it a little too hard, and a splinter of glass cut open my palm. Cursing under my breath I started the car again, driving home. There was nothing for me there. Not this early. I knew I wouldn't be able to be productive for the rest of the day so I mostly just lay in bed feeling sorry for myself instead of looking for a new job. I wasn't sad. I was just angry at the world.

Finally 5pm came, and I drove back to the bar, getting there as soon as it opened for dinner. I ordered a rum and coke and the regular bartender seemed surprised at seeing me there so early. A man about my age with a well groomed beard, short spiky brown hair and brown eyes named Rodger who often gave me a drink on the house occasionally. (I only realized later he was buying me the occasional drink from his own pocket because he was into me.) “You look like crap." He said sympathetically. His usual dry humor, paired nicely with his british accent.

“I feel like crap." I agreed, already downing my second drink. At this rate I knew this statement would be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“Do ya want to talk about it?" He stood behind the counter, polishing a glass. I realized I was the only one really up at the bar. Most of the patrons were seated in the restaurant section enjoying dinner first. I realized I hadn't eaten all day and I wasn't really hungry either. The drink settled nicely into my stomach making me not really feel much of anything. I sighed dramatically.

“They let me go today. Now I got to find a new job. Today just kind of sucks."

“I'm sorry to hear that, mate." He did look genuinely concerned as he poured me a third round when I raised my empty cup.

“If it wasn't for that new fancy CEO with her big new ideas and her perfect little desk." I'm sure I wasn't making a whole lot of sense at this point, but I continued. “Moved here for the job, and now I've got nothing left here."

Rodger looked slightly offended. “No friends in the area?"

“Aside from you all at the bar and my coworkers who conveniently forget I exist the moment I leave… not really."

I chatted with Rodger for the next few hours, mostly complaining on my end, and his attempts to cheer me up, brushed off by my surly attitude.

“-And I woulda punched 'er if she weren't a lady…" I leaned heavily on the table, extending my empty cup for another refill. Rodger had given me weaker drinks as the night drug on, and this time he sat across from me at my table by the bar.

“I really think you should go home and get some rest. You're bound to feel better tomorrow, right?" He suggested, smiling at me. “I'll call a cab for you, if you'd like? Put it on your tab?"

“No.. only a few blocks away." I managed, standing up from the table. The whole world lilted a little, spinning beneath me. I adjusted my gate to counter balance the spinning, walking a little awkwardly, but still not falling over.

“Alright.. Maybe call me when you get home so I know you arrived safe?" He scrawled his number on my receipt, then tucked it into my breast pocket.

“Mm'k." I went to gather my work laptop, only to realize it wasn't there. Confusion for a moment graced my face before my expression was once again irritation. “Thanks, Rodger."

I made my way to the door, nearly running into a strange man leaning against the side of the building. He made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. He was wearing a hoodie that concealed most of his features in the quickly growing twilight. Odd clothing for this time of year.. something about his eyes, wild and watching everywhere made me nervous. I started walking towards the parking lot, coming up to my car. I reached into my pocket, realizing I had left my key with Rodger which was admittedly the best choice. I started the walk home, the cool night air and quiet was comforting and at the same time gave me a paranoid feeling like things were a little too quiet. I could see the moon starting to peek over the horizon, large and full with a month's time. I was well into the park between my house and the bar, a lovely little wooded area that any other night would have been a beautiful sight in the full moon's light. I noticed out of the corner of my eye a silhouette behind me. It was that creep from the bar. I cursed myself under my breath for not being more observant. Something wasn't quite right about that guy.. he seemed taller than before. He walked funny.. a graceful gliding across the ground. He was getting closer. “Go away." I called over my shoulder, “I don't have anything you would want." Indeed I had left my wallet in my car, knowing I'd be putting it on my tab. All I really had on me was my house key. But this information didn't really deter him. There was this strange crunching squishing sound. Like punching a side of beef. I looked behind me, he finally had stopped advancing. Frozen in place, hunched over in pain I almost went back to check on him. My hesitation was long enough for him to look up and see me. Sticking out of the hood was a face that was entirely not human. Long toothy snout, yellow eyes reflecting the light of the moon haunting twin orbs of light in an otherwise black figure. The mouth twisted into a savage smile, I could hear his rumbly voice a mix between growl and croon as he addressed me. “So.. Delicious." The voice said. Drool dripping from his maw. There was a ripping sound as his now ill-fitting clothing burst at the seams as it struggled to contain the mass increase. His body had easily doubled in size and was still growing. His remaining clothing was torn away with his jaws, freeing his strange animal like legs. The creature fell forwards, easily standing on his four newly formed paws. There were still human aspects.. his fingers a little too long for a wolf. His eyes a little too intelligent. His smile unlike that which an animal was capable of.

At this point I was full on running. The world heaved below me as the sharp jerky movement of taking off from standing still caused my off balanced self to face-plant in the grass. I cursed at my drunken state fighting to get up but I was entirely too slow. He, the creature, with the speed of a wild animal easily caught up to me. He leapt at me, his immense weight pressing down on my back. His teeth coming close to my face, I thought I was about to be eaten. But the teeth tore only at my clothing. Ripping my nice shirt, shredding my pants. I could feel his heavy furry body hot on my back, pressing me firmly into the dirt like a prize he had caught. Something wet drooled onto my lower back, and at first I thought it was drool dripping all the way down there. I risked a look over my shoulder, partly to get my face out of the dirt to breath, partly to see if anyone was around to help. The night was utterly silent. The trees providing enough cover for this thing to do what it wanted with me. I screamed, but no reply came.

“That's it.. I like it when they struggle." The voice cooed in my ear, deep and rumbling.

I felt the wetness glide along my back, lower. I realized what it was. My scrabbling weak human hands clawed fruitlessly against the tough hide of the beast. I felt it move lower, squishing the bright red fully feral tip between my butt cheeks and humping against me a few times.

My fists slammed against the pillars of the hairy arms pinning me, feeling as if I punched a tree with how dense the muscle was. Then I felt it, the tip pushing against my clenched hole. It's claws dug into my arm, and I screamed in pain both at the wounds and the growing pressure. I could feel something give, and an immense pain as the creature forced his large shaft inside. Complete pain enveloped me as my fighting started to grow weaker. My vision swam, cloudy and unfocused. I vomited the contents of my stomach at the growing sickening feeling of being violated. Bile rose in the back of my mouth, and I swallowed it back, not having anything more to do but try and endure. The creature now had forced itself inside, I looked back only to realize it wasn't even half way in. It continued to ruthlessly pound away, and I felt as I would be split in two as I felt a large push against my backside. It felt like someone trying to force a bowling ball into my bowels as finally the creature above me lay fully on top of me panting. His entire frame shivered, he whimpered contently in my ear. I must have passed out at some point.

I stirred awake, naked in the park. The sun was just starting to rise. I wasn't sure where I was at first, even as I looked around I did not know this part of the woods. I stood up, noticing I was naked. I looked around, finding a left behind picnic blanket. Forgotten and stiff from the rain. Still it was better than going home naked. I felt.. fine.. I briefly remembered a bad dream I had about being attacked by a drifter.. but my body was fine. No cuts on my arms, no outward damage. I found my shredded clothing, retrieving my house key, phone, and last night's receipt before carefully picking my way through alleys, avoiding people successfully for the most part due to how early in the morning it was. I opened the door to my apartment, it was undisturbed. There was a strange feeling of how everything here seemed unchanged despite how my life was turned upside down and losing my job. I texted the number on the receipt, just saying “made it home".

The reply came pretty quick despite being like 4 in the morning.. although I guess Rodger was there pretty late due to it being a bar, he was probably just getting home.

“Glad to hear, I was worried for you, man."

I threw the phone on my bed, heading for the shower. I felt.. dirty.. I guess I had fallen asleep in the dirt and somehow torn my own clothes off.

I navigated my own house fine in the dark, not turning on any lights. It was strange, but I feel somehow fully awake despite having been drunk and sleeping in the dirt for about 6 hours. I didn't even feel hung over.. although perhaps I vomited most of it up before I fell asleep.

I decided, while in the shower, I would call Rodger at a proper time tomorrow maybe hang out. I had some of my best ideas in the shower so I decided it was a good idea before starting to look for a job. I applied for a few digital programming jobs I could do from home. Today was going quite well.

I fixed myself some breakfast, then went to go for a walk only to find my shoes weren't quite big enough. I stood looking perplexed at the same pair of casual shoes I had worn for the last three years. I opted for a pair of sandals, much more forgiving in size than close toed shoes. I went for a walk, saying hi to people I passed, which was strange for me. I wasn't sure why I felt so good, but I did. Maybe all the moping yesterday got it all out of my system.

Finally at about noon I decided it was safe to call Rodger without waking him up. The phone rang a few times and I worried he might still be asleep, but I finally heard him pick up followed by an excited, “Hey! How you feeling this morning?"

“Actually surprisingly well. Did you want to grab some lunch or something?"

“Breakfast for me, but sure!"

We settled on a café within walking distance of the bar, I decided I would pick up my car while we were out.

I pulled up a chair next to Rodger who had already arrived. He plunked my keys down in front of me. “How was your walk home?"

“Sobering." I felt embarrassed to admit that I had fallen asleep in the park.. I didn't want to be the irresponsible kind of drunk.. that I knew I probably actually was, but I didn't want to admit it.

“I'm surprised you're not home with a splitting headache about now."

“Me too actually… Hey I was wondering, do you want to hang out sometime? You're kinda cute.. am I being too forward?" I smiled warmly at him, blushing a bit. I was worried about how he would react if he were straight.. but I think we could still be friends as long as he wasn't weirded out by me asking.

It was his turn to be a little awkward for once, as he politely smiled at the waitress who arrived at exactly this time with his coffee. The normally strong pleasant scent of coffee was a little overbearing. “Thanks." Before turning his sheepish grin back to me. “Actually that sounds like fun." He put his hand on top of mine on the table. He looked down at my hand, “Nice nails by the way. Didn't pin you as the gothic type, but they look good."

My brow furrowed in confusion as I looked down, my nails looked filed to a point at the tip, a slightly dark grey tone to them. “I… don't.. I didn't.."

“It's fine, I think it's a nice subtle color."

I dropped the subject, putting my hands in my lap self-consciously.

I mostly did the bare minimum for conversation, trying not to be rude but at the same time distracted by thoughts. Distracted by the enticing aroma of the food. After we parted ways, agreeing to meet later that night, since he had it off; I drove home in my newly retrieved car.

Sitting in my bed I stared at my finger nails, before I looked down at my feet. They also had the same grey colored nails. As I was contemplating them they changed back to normal. I began pacing the apartment, wondering what was wrong with me. First this strange dream.. next my shoes are too small, now my nails look weird. What next?

I began researching but could not really find anything aside from joking articles about how I might be a vampire or something dumb like that. I decided to go work out, I felt restless. The apartment had a weight room that I almost never used. I lifted one weight before adding more on. And more. I noticed I was easily up to four times what I would normally lift when I was in the mood. I placed the weights back, heading back up. What was wrong with me?

After a while of getting nowhere I heard a knock at my door. Crap, I didn't realize what time it was. I opened the door for Rodger, inviting him in. We watched a movie, one of those super hero ones. I felt him hold my hand during it at some point. I blushed a little, it was silly and childish to get hot and bothered over holding someone's hand.. and yet, we were alone in my apartment with all the blinds drawn for a dark movie experience. I could make out all the details of his smiling face despite this. After the movie ended I turned the lights back on to a comfortable low. We went from holding hands his hand resting on my leg.. to his hand running over my clothed chest. I shucked my T-shirt, revealing abs I was proud of.. nevermind that they weren't really this defined before.. Maybe they always had been and I just had not noticed because I was so busy with work.. maybe my shoes were always a little small.

Rodger's hand played with my chest hair before he pressed his lips against mine. I could feel the rising heat. Suddenly Rodger was out of his seat, a few steps away from me. Just staring.

“What?" I said, I tried to keep the hurt off my face. Had I done something wrong?

“Uh.. D.. Dude, your face.." Was all he said.

I got up and went to the bathroom to look in the mirror. My eyes were a bright yellow, I had a beard which I almost never let grow in. My ears were pointed at the tip. My nails now fully grown into claws on the tips of my fingers.

“Not going to lie.. I'm a little freaked out. What's happening to you, Aaron?"

“I.. wish I knew." I said, sitting in a chair across the way. I had accidentally ruined the mood, I could feel the tension in the air. My features must have started to turn back, because he pursed his lips, looking quite concerned as my body changed back.

I looked down at my once again human nails again. “I think it happens when you're.. uh.. excited." Rodger offered.

“You might be right.. but.. this has never happened to me before.."

“Did something change recently?"

“Well I feel asleep in the park last night.. had a weird dream about being attacked by a wolf in the park, but I don't have any marks from it so.."

“Normally I'd be pretty quick to dismiss the paranormal but your eyes were yellow a second ago."

“I'm so sorry if me kissing you makes you like this too." I gestured to my fading wolfy traits. "Wait.. so that.. man-wolf was real.. He.. forced himself on me. I thought it was a dream but.. I feel so.. violated now." I closed my eyes and sighed. I could smell Rodger from here. He didn't smell afraid, just.. worried. How did I know that… I smelled another smell on what little ribbons of my clothing I brought back from the park to not litter. It smelled.. of him. “Maybe I can track him down. Though I don't know what I'd do when I find him. He's too strong and I'm not the violent type anyway."

“How are you going to find him? Did you even see him in human form?"

“I can smell him. I don't know how to explain it, but everything and everyone has a distinct smell."

“You have dog powers.. my boyfriend has super powers.." He murmured under his breath, way too low for me to normally hear it and yet..

“I don't know that I consider contracting a weird dog disease to be super powers. Heh. Boyfriend, huh? I like the sound of that." I almost reached back over, arm pausing half way to him. “Sorry, I guess things are a little weird right now, huh?"

“You're fine. I guess you probably have a lot to think about.."

“I want to try and figure out how to.. do whatever it is I can do, but I don't want to hurt you in case I lose control or something."

“Ok. Keep me updated, alright?"

I waved to Rodger as he left, I was a little disappointed. If I hadn't been having wolf puberty maybe we would have done something more… I could feel the fur growing from on the backs of my hands at the thought of it. I really needed to get a handle on that before I did it in public.

I practiced thinking dirty thoughts and not having change occur. Once I got used to that I actually looked up some “material" on my computer, which proved more difficult to abstain from transforming.

It took several hours before I thought I would be good enough to pass for human again. That thought was strange.. I wasn't human anymore exactly.. now was I?

When darkness hit I decided to go for a walk. I breathed the scent of the stranger, memorizing it before going for a walk. I stopped by the bar and sniffed around where the stranger stood. I got a few weird looks from people on their way in, but they likely assumed I was drunk.

I followed the path to the park, then onwards into the night through side streets and alleys. He was smart enough to keep away from people on the way home and so his trail was not often muddied by overlapping with others. I followed it to a rather run down part of town that consisted of mainly trailers. I stopped outside of one. This one reeked with his scent, like he had been marking like a common dog. Maybe he had been, who knows. I did not want a repeat of last night, but I also wanted to talk to him, ask him questions. Many times I raised my hand about to knock and then stopped.

“Are you gonna knock sometime this century?" Came the sarcastic deep voice I recognized.

I jumped, not expecting him to notice me. “I recognize that lovely scent from anywhere. You were mighty fine last night." Panted the voice again. “Come in, make yerself at home." It had a thick southern drawl not uncommon for the area but also strangely contrasting to the actions from before. Normally the locals were pretty kind, so it was jarring hearing that voice coming from someone I knew was a predator.

I shakily opened the door. Right away the waft of alcohol enveloped me. This was not just “a beer or two" type of scent. It must take a lot for him to get drunk, because the air was thick with it and he barely seemed buzzed.

“Much as I enjoyed it, sorry about last night. Just imported some stuff strong enough to get me drunk.. and I really shouldn't be drinkin' on a full moon. Much as I don't mind bringin' the gift to new people, you were kind of an accident. Not often one of us births a full blood into being, most of us are pretty careful any more. So I guess congrats on that."

“Full blood?" my voice shook a little with fear at being close to such creature. Even now he lounged in the corner of the room, a large bipedal wolf man. His black fur melding into the shadows of his dirty little trailer. His yellow eyes the only thing that stood out.

He laughed, the stench of alcohol rolling over me. “Oh yeah. Get used to not getting' drunk ever again. Unless you buy the good stuff. Your body is too good at processin' it. Yeah a full blood is a lycan made on a full moon. That's you, hot shot. And me." He hiccupped, clearly still drinking “the good stuff".

“I'll give you a quick run down, I guess that's my 'sponsibility. Then you and I never met each other. Ya' got it?" He scratched at his face with his back foot.

“Uh.. alright." I stood awkwardly not having anywhere to sit in the tiny, cluttered trailer.

“So every moon you should lock yerself up. Whenever you get excited like you'll probably turn into a wolf, so either practice not getting excited or practice not turning. Or just stay out of site like me. If you uh.. have interactions with someone not on a full moon they'll be a half lycan. So just like don't have sex probably. Uh here. I'm not good at this." He wrote down something on a dirty piece of paper and pushed it into my hands. “Now git."

I exited the trailer, the fresh air outside further contrasting from the thick acrid stench of inside the guy's home.

I got a good mile down the road towards home, easily following my own scent before I was brave enough to look at the paper. It was a web address.. but not a normal one. When I got home and tried it, it did not work. I looked at the address confused. I did some digging and found an unlisted site that was linked to the site I was given.. but it was a dark web link.

I decided I would not be messing around with that half tired, and went to bed. I would worry about it tomorrow.