FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A TF based story that I did for Fakeman 's #TF1000 contest. I think it turned out pretty well.

This is a repost from my furaffinity account.

Solid Oak Frames

Jimmy awoke with a sudden start. His head was reeling from the blow he suffered just moments before. He cursed under his breath as he rubbed the irritated back of his skull. He had survived his encounter with the shifty character in robes he found at the back of an alleyway. He wasn't sure what connection the stranger had with the case he was working, but the tip he received pointed him towards the stranger. Jimmy was a detective and while he was decent at his job, this was the first time his occupation had caused him misfortune. While unscathed, he still had no idea where he was.

Standing up slowly, he surveyed his surroundings. The room he was in was quite peculiar. It was pitch black save for a few sparse sources of light. As Jimmy walked around, he noticed that the room was circular and that the sources of light were coming from the bottom of large doors, each positioned equidistant from each other. Upon closer inspection Jimmy could make out that each door had a solid oak frame. Still slightly confused about his current predicament, Jimmy made his way to the center of the room and took notice of a symbol on the floor.

The symbol was written in a bright red. It consisted of a swooping line that curled at the end, intersected at the top with an S shape that curled into what seemed to be two pointed horns. Jimmy was in the middle of trying to decipher exactly what the symbol might mean when he heard a familiar voice echo throughout the room's chamber.

"Ah! You're awake. Good." the voice rasped.

"What do you know about the murder of Ashley Higgins?"

"Frighteningly little, I'm afraid. I wasn't present for the last ceremony. Had errands to run out of town. She didn't take our blessing very well."

"Your blessing?"

"Yes, our blessing is unique and rare. From what I heard, this Ashley was less than thrilled with the results."

"I'm sorry, sir. But I'm going to need to take you in for questioning."

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere. Neither are you" the voice growled.

"Is that so?"

"I'm afraid you're quite trapped, Jimmy."

"Really? I can see at least twelve different ways to leave this room. I don't think you understand the meaning of trapped..."

Jimmy hesitated, a sudden realization hitting him.

"How do you know my name?"

Jimmy didn't wait for an answer. He tried to leave the center platform where the symbol was placed but he found he couldn't move his body. Suddenly the platform began to glow a sickly red as a new pale light started to emanate from the symbol on the platform. Jimmy fell to his knees and felt a wave of heat pass through his body.

"What have you done to me!?" Jimmy roared in a foreign voice.

"Given you a gift, I hope you enjoy the results" the voice hissed.

Jimmy got up and bolted from the room. He chose the first door that he came to, flung it open, and ran. He could feel that something was off about his body, but he couldn't put his finger on it. As he ran down the long corridor, tawny colored fur started to sprout on his chest and move down his torso. After a few minutes of running he came to another door and ran through it. His upper body began to put on more muscle and soon his shirt was straining at his new girth. By the time he reached the next door, his shirt had ripped off of his chest, exposing a large patch of fur that was slowly creeping up his neck. Jimmy was too busy running to take notice. Fear gripped his heart and it drove him to run faster. He needed to find the next door. He needed to escape.

Sprint, door, open, his hands grow claws. Sprint, door, open, his legs start to bulk up. Sprint, door, open, a tail begins to wriggle its way from his spine. Sprint, door, open, his pants and underwear rip from the pressure. Sprint, door, open, his bottom half becomes covered in sparkling green scales. Sprint, door, open...

Jimmy had to stop. There was an immense pain radiating from his skull. As he grabbed his head he could feel his head reshape and form itself into the muzzle of a lion. The fur on his neck grew out and filled in until it was a long lion's mane. His canine teeth grew out until they were the size of a saber-tooth tiger. Each tipped with a deadly poison. He shook off the pain and started to run again. He fell down a trap door and as he was sliding, his feet reshaped themselves into goat's hooves. Jimmy felt one last prick at his scalp as two horns emerged from the top of his skull.

Jimmy fell with a thud back in the room he started in. Now wholly changed into a chimeric creature. He had the tail of a snake, body of a lion with snake scale legs, and the horns and hooves of a goat. His stance was still bipedal, the one saving grace from this ordeal.

"My, you turned out excellently" the figure said.

Jimmy could see the cloaked figure at last and without hesitation struck him with one of his clawed hands.

"A gift, huh? I'd hate to not repay the favor." Jimmy growled.

The figure disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Jimmy once again alone in the room. Much to his surprise though, all of the doors in the room were open. Each one slowly creaked shut until only one remained.

"Guess that's my only way out."

Jimmy stepped through the door, unsure what was going to happen to him. He didn't want to stick around and find out if the shadowy figure would return. As Jimmy left the room, the door slowly creaked shut behind him.