The Farm - 2
#2 of The Farm
The first to be changed.
In the morning, they are awakened by the rising sun shining through the open windows. Mistress Elizabeth marches into the compound.
"Now," she says loudly. "Let's see if you actually listened to your lessons. Assemble in front of the building. Now!"
"Yes, Mistress," they answer as one almost instinctively.
Alan moves as fast as he can to make his bed, dress himself in the orange jumpsuit and work boots. They rush out of the building and into the morning sun, quickly forming a line in front of the building. One by one they get on their knees, arms stretched behind them and eyes fixed on the ground as they wait for the next order.
"This morning your job is to pick apples," she says. The way she words the statement makes clear that it will not be a pleasant situation.
Mistress Elizabeth makes a simple gesture with her hand and they get up on their feet in a moment as if by instinct, following her down the road, walking towards a nearby orchard. Even from this distance, Alan can see the trees branches full with succulent, ripe apples.
The mare keeps the pace of the work, not particularly fast, but after ten minutes, most of the group is already panting, groaning and coughing as they continue to pick the fruits of the trees, put them in boxes, and carry them into a carriage stationed nearby.
After thirty minutes, Allan is staggering, forcing himself to keep moving box after box of apples.
"Come here," Mistress Elizabeth calls for him. "Put the box down, you have a new function."
Before the fox can say anything, the mare jabs him in the tight with a pneumatic needle. The fox drops to the ground as he senses the strange fluid rushing through his veins, his bones cracking painlessly as they are remade. His fur grows and darkens, going from red to a mottled brown around his tights with the fur from his knees to his feet grows white.
With surprise he sees the Mistress removing his boots even as his feet grows into shinning black cloven hooves. With quick movements of a knife she cuts the legs out of his jumpsuit, revealing his changed legs.
"Lesson learned, I trust," Mistress Elizabeth says, without any humor.
The next to stagger in his work is Jacob, he trips overs himself and fall to the ground, the Mistress don't hesitate for a moment before jabbing him with the needle. Alan watches in a mixture of awe and fear as he sees the lion's feet turning into hooves just like him. The Mistress is quick to help him out of his boots and to cut free the legs of his jumpsuit.
"Now that we have two draft animals, it's time to carry the apples to the warehouse."
Elizabeth commands Alan and Jacob to take their places in front of the carriage, tying both of them to it. The fox feels the sting of leather around his chest as the harness is closed tightly, next comes the bridle over his muzzle.
The four remaining Contributors stand watching as their two colleagues are made into draft animals, the Mistress is fast to make them move with a quick strike of the whip to their rumps.
"The rest of you can follow behind," the Mistress says without even looking at them.
Alan shares a look of fear with Jacob, but soon enough a quick whip forces them to move forward. Their new hooves feel weird to them, the first steps are faltering and ungracious, but the constant prodding and whipping encourages them to learn fast how to move their new members.
Strangely enough his legs seem filled with energy, every step comes almost effortless. There is force flooding his body, making the weight of the carriage seem like nothing as he takes step after step without even thinking about it.
At the warehouse he and Jacob are allowed to rest while the others are made to unload the carriage in a quick pace. He watches with morbid curiosity as Kevin drops a box and the Mistress injects him with a red fluid.
The hyena weeps as his hands change in front of his eyes, orange fur with black stripes growing and sharp claws coming out of his fingers.
By the time they are released from work, Charlie has received one injection, his eyes color turning into a golden hue.
The aroma of roasted chicken greets them as they get to the dining hall for lunch. Alan looks to his new friends, seeing the ways they have been changed so soon. He had known that they would end up using him for experiments and alter him in some way, but he had hoped it would take longer. The sounds of his and Jacob's hoof resonates loudly on the floor, they look at each other with guilty looks. The growling in the fox stomach reminds him that he hadn't eaten since yesterday.
Andre smiles as he put his plate down. "It seems our little group has lost its virginity today, a cheer for our first changed."
Alan smiles coyly, blushing under the eyes of his companions.
"So, are you guys thinking about, like, quitting?" Kevin asks timidly.
Alan swallows dry, looking at the hyena's new hands and thinking what else they could do to him if he was to remain in this place. There was only one true question in all of this: Was this worse than living with his family?
No.
"They will have to do worse than that with me if they want me to quit," Alan said after an uncomfortable silence.
"It's weird, but it is still better then working on the Kingsize," Charlie says. "My mother had these horrible scars on her hands because of the work, close to that having golden eyes and picking fruits is heaven."
"Also," Jacob says. "Back in the city they don't have food that smells this good."
They all murmur in agreement, as bad as things could get here they would still be much better than in the city.
Finished with their meals they are taken back to the fields, for the afternoon the work would be to clean a field for later planting.
The work seems simple enough at first and Alan is confident enough that a lifetime of running up and down the staircases back home would have prepared him for this kind of work.
After an hour, he's not so confident about his stamina anymore. The hooves help him to move around the field, but still the work is hard on his hands.
One particular stubborn weed, however manages to draw blood. He tries to pull the annoying vegetal out of the ground, pulling it with both hands with all his strength, but it slips from his grasp and end up injuring his hands.
"Show me your hands, Contributor Alan!" Mistress Elizabeth exclaims as she sees his injured hands.
The fox still tries to hide his hands, but it takes her only a simple gesture for him to get on his knees and show her his hands.
He barely feels the touch of the needle, but there's suddenly a cold sensation rushing through his palms and forearms, as if she had injected him with liquid ice. The fur falls in clumps, the skin underneath revealing blue scales like those of a snake, his nails grow darker and long until they are more like claws.
"Now, go back to work," she says already turning around.
Charlie and Jacob are the next to receive their injections, their hands turning just like Alan's.
With the sunset on their backs they march back to their living quarters for a quick shower before dinner.
Alan briefly consider standing up and walking over to Mistress Elizabeth to announce that he wants to quit, before he ends up turned into some weird monstrosity without anything to show for the all the work. They had already altered his hands and legs, what would be next?
Then Alan recall the apartment complex. The smell of piss and puke in the hallways and staircases, the garbage everywhere, his family abusing him out of meanness and boredom, and the fox banish the thought. As much as Alan hates the idea of being changed in such a way, having to take a bus back to that place would be much worse.
Back in the showers, Alan allows the water to washes over his body with a tired sigh. The tepid water runs through his fur, caress his tired muscles. He closes his eyes for a moment and try to forget about everything that has happened, he is still the same person even if his arms and legs are changed.
The others have rushed through bath to go grab dinner, but Alan stays a moment more to enjoy the silence and the precious moment of solitude. Growing up on the cities has taught him to enjoy the silence and peace of being alone.
Alan turns around to grab the soap to find himself looking into the deep blue eyes of the quiet hare.
"Hi," Alan says awkwardly, the hare takes a step towards the fox. His blue eyes going over Alan's body, for a moment almost as if they could pierce his soul.
"I hope we can be friends," the hare says with a gleaming smile.
The fox nods, looking over the hare he notices in surprise that he has been changed.
Or rather, _she_has been changed.
"Mistress asked me to make you aroused."
Alan simply nods, looking over the hare's body. The breasts are small and perky, her waist is better defined, and her butt is round and tempting. He barely notices the horns on her head, like those of a deer.
"She is watching us, she asked you to give her a show."
Alan don't know how to respond. So, he doesn't, he simply obeys. the hare reaches for his hand and laces her fingers through his.
"What's your name?" He asks.
She pulls them into the long row of showers on the far wall.
"I'm... I was Ryan, but I guess this name don't work anymore," the hare pulls her body against his, pressing her perky breasts against his naked chest. She kisses him deeply, passionately.
"Fuck!" Alan groan as the hare thrust her tongue deep into his mouth, curling around his as she pressed her lips against his. Honey and spice. Female heat and need. It poured into him as his hands gripped her head, her fingers tangling into his fur as he groaned into her kiss. Adrenaline, lust and fear combine to dazzle his mind, entice his senses. Lips and tongues twist together, fractured moans echoing through the bathroom.
Alan feels the heat inside of him growing, the lust and desire for more clawing at his conscious mind. It was a heat that surpasses any desire he had felt before. He closes his new paws around the hare's arms, his breath is ragged.
"That will be all for now," the hare whispers to him. "Mistress will want to see you."
And just like that the hare leaves him alone in the bathroom, slipping out with surprising ease.
***