FSE

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I wake up with a splitting headache. I find myself lying on a cold concrete floor. I must be naked as I can feel my body heat seeping into the floor with every inch of my body. As my vision begins to clear, I can see an odd shape in front of my face. Beyond that I can see a chain link wall.

As my brain begins to function again, I realize that shape in front of my face is my muzzle. It all starts coming back to me. I am a dog. A mutt. A mix of Shepard and Lab as best as I can tell. It seems kind of fitting, since I had been fairly mixed ethnically as a human. My fur is mostly black, with brown paws and little areas above my eyes that look like eyebrows. The fur on my stomach and neck is more of a white color.

I lift my self to a standing position and take stock of my situation. I am in what appears to be a fairly large cage. The floor is bare concrete, and is empty except for myself and a couple of bowls. Looking through the chain link door, I can see a row of similar cages, each containing another dog like me. No, not like me - they were probably never human.

As my brain fully returns to consciousness I remember that I am in the pound. I remember trying to run from an animal control officer, and not being vary successful because I was still getting used to being on all fours. I was loaded into his truck, and brought here for holding. I was given a very through, and uncomfortable, exam and locked away like a common animal. One small blessing what that they didn't decide to neuter me. At least not yet.

How I got into this situation, I am not quite sure. It had seemed like any other night. I was out with my boyfriend, Ethan, enjoying myself. Suddenly I was hit with what I can only describe as a searing pain. Next thing I know, I collapsed to the street. I must have lost consciousness, because when I came to, I was alone and in this dog's body. I'm not sure if I was transformed or transferred.

What I do know is that I can feel the dogs instincts in my mind. They are knocking at the door of my mind, trying to come inside. I am doing my best to hold them at bay. It would be so easy to give in and become a dog fully, but then I would never get to see my boyfriend and family again. I'm not sure how long I can keep it at bay, but I will hold out as long as I can.

The day passed slowly, with only a few people coming in and out looking for a new pet to adopt. I was afraid I wouldn't have much chance since I wasn't a puppy. I didn't think I was old by any means, but most people aren't looking for an older dog with bad habits. They want a puppy they can teach their own bad habits to.

I was giving up hope when nearly a week passed and only 2 or 3 people had even looked at me. It was becoming harder to keep my thoughts clear and human. The lack of toys in the cage didn't help. The only things that kept me together was the occasional walks from the attendant and the sound from the TV he left on all the time he was there. I found that imagining the scenes to go with the voices and sound effects I heard to be a fairly good way to keep my mind focused, and hold the onslaught of the dog's instincts at bay. At least for now.

One morning, I had just about decided that it wasn't worth it to try and keep my humanity anymore. I knew what happened when a dog is at the pound for too long. It wasn't a pleasant prospect, and I didn't see any way that I could avoid it. I was just about to give in and let go when something happened.

I could hear voices approaching my cage. The Attendant was describing how I was a good dog, and more sedate than some of the other ones were. He was also going on and on about how well trained I was, and how I seemed to be particularly intelligent. If only he knew.

I walked to the front of my cage, just in time to see a good looking man and his young teenage son, probably around 13 or so I estimated, come right up to the cage. I did my best to look cute and friendly. I made my tail wag as fast as I could, and cocked my head. The boy stuck his hand through the cage door, and I gave it a good lick, making him smile.

Obviously the man was pleased, and asked his son, Ben, what he thought. Ben nodded his head vigorously and said "I like this one". They asked the attendant to bring me out. The door was opened, and I was leashed and led to an open area where clients could play with and get to know the dogs and see if they were a good match.

I spent the next hour doing every trick I could think of and trying my best to ingratiate my self with the man and his son. It was hard to tell what the father was thinking, but I could tell that I was definitely bonding with the Ben.

After the hour was up, the attendant returned and asked what the verdict was. I didn't realize that I was holding my breath until I almost passed out. I started to pant to catch my breath. Ben hugged me around the neck and started petting me. The father looked down at his son, then at me, and a smile formed on his face. "We'll take him," he said.

I could barely contain myself as the father filled out all the paperwork needed to adopt me. I found myself idly wondering how binding the papers were, and if I would become his son if I ever managed to get back to being human. Probably not.

As we walked out of the pound, I smiled both inside and out when I felt the sun on my body. I was glad to be out of that place, and thought if I ever saw it again it would be too soon. I was quickly loaded in the car, and taken to what was to be my new home.

About 20 minutes later we pulled up to a nice looking single family home in a neighborhood not too far from where the human me lived. I was brought inside and shown where the food bowls were, and where I would be sleeping. I was then let off the leash and Ben took me out to the backyard to play.

Once we were outside, I glanced around the yard hoping for a way to escape so that I could get back to my real home and find out how I had become a dog and maybe find someway to turn back. Unfortunately the yard was surrounded by a 6 foot chain link fence that would be hard to climb in my current form. Maybe I could dig under if I got the chance.

Ben and I played outside for a while. I tried to formulate an escape plan, but the urge to chase the ball and bring it back was overwhelming. It wasn't long before I gave up and just enjoyed being out of the cage.

I had been so caught up in my own thoughts that I hadn't noticed that Ben's father had come out to watch us play. When we took a break, he called Ben over and asked him if he had decided on a name for me. I half expected some kind of weird name, Barky McFuzzypants or something. Instead Ben looked up at his father and said "Fangs". Okay- not what I was expecting, but I could live with that.

After a few more minutes of play, Ben's father came out and leashed me up. He took Ben and I to the local pet store. I had been in plenty as a human, but this was the first time as a pet. The store looked totally different from this point of view. As we cruised up and down the aisles picking up bags or dry food, and a variety of canned food, I spent my time sniffing everything I could.

As we neared the checkout line, Ben's dad stopped by the automated engraver and had my name and new address engraved onto a bone shaped tag. When it was attached to my collar, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride that I now officially belonged to my new masters. After a moment, I realized what I was thinking, and shook my head trying not to let myself slip too much.

For whatever reason, the path home took us right by the house I lived in with my boyfriend. I was completely astounded by what I saw. He was walking up the driveway with another man. I'm not even gone two weeks and he's already found someone else. As we got closer, I got the shock of my life when I got a good look at the other man, and realized it was me!

Not to sound vain, yeah right, but after staring at myself for a few seconds, I realized I was better looking from the outside than I thought, and found myself getting aroused by my own body. Gosh, I never thought I would be saying that.

As the car continued on down the street, I strained against the leash to get the best views I could of "myself" and Ethan until they were out of sight. From what I could see, the other me was perfect in every way. He even moved like me. I couldn't smell them from here, and couldn't tell if it was really my body or just a really good copy.

My mind started working harder than ever. I had to find someway to get out and figure out what was going on. The thought of my doppelganger spending time with, and probably making out with my boyfriend sent shudders down my spine.

I couldn't do much the next couple of days except get used to the coming and goings of my new family. They would take me out to do my business in the morning, then feed me, and head off to work and school. Then I was alone for most of the day until Ben got home from school, and let me out again. I spent most of the alone time trying to find a way out of the house.

My lucky break came late in the week. It was warm, so I was left outside to enjoy the weather for the day. As soon as the coast was clear, I set to work digging a hole under the fence. I found a good spot near a bush that wouldn't be easy for the humans to find. By the time I had dug out enough dirt to make it under the fence, I didn't have much time left. I had to be back in the yard before Ben got home.

I wiggled through the hole. It was a tight fit, but I didn't have any time to make it bigger. I quickly shook off the dirt clinging to my fur, and made my way to my old home. It took longer to get there then I was hoping, and I didn't have much of a plan of what I was going to do once I got there.

I tried to open the door with my paws, but between the locks and lack of dexterity, I wasn't able to get inside. I just ended up looking in every window I could. Every thing looked the way I remembered it. I don't know what I was expecting- maybe a giant alter somewhere or a foreboding spell book, or something, but everything looked normal.

I spent as long as I thought was safe searching the outside of the house, even tipping the trashcans. I found nothing of interest, except a few scraps from dinner that were pretty tasty. Ugh- need to watch that, can't let the dog take too much control.

I got home just in time to squeeze under the fence, shake off the dirt, and conceal the hole before Ben got home. He came out to see me with a smile on his face. After a few minuets of petting me, he grabbed a toy and tossed it out into the yard. I ran after it, and scooped it up in my mouth. I brought it back to him and he tossed it again.

We played like this for about half an hour before Ben led us inside. I headed to the water dish to cool down, and he headed off to his room to start on his homework. I suspect he was really going to watch TV or goof off, but that was his business. I had other things to worry about.

Clearly I wasn't going to learn much from the outside of the house. I had to find a way to get inside. I suddenly remembered the key we had hidden incase one of us got locked out. It was hidden in one of those cheap plastic stones. It looked authentic enough that I could never remember which one it was. I'm not sure even if I found the right one that I would be able to get the key out with my paws. Using it to unlock the door was another obstacle. If I was going to get inside I would need an accomplice.

I walked towards Ben's bedroom. Much to my surprise he was actually at his desk working on his homework. As I got closer, I saw that he had a worksheet in front of him, and had a confused look on his face. Maybe I can show him that I not just a normal dog, and get him to help me. I put my front paws on the desk so I could see what he was working on.

Ben tried to push me back onto the floor, but I did my best to resist. By the time he succeeded I had gotten a good look at his paper. He was working on his science homework. Perfect. When I was in college, I had gotten a degree in biology. This would be a piece of cake. I jumped back up on the desk, deliberately knocking the worksheet and a pen off the desk.

I grabbed the pen in my mouth, and carefully marked the proper answers. Ben looked panicked, and started to grab the paper from me. When he noticed that I was filling in the answers rather than tearing the paper up, he paused, and a confused look came over his face.

After a few minuets, I was done and sat back on my haunches. Ben, still looking a little like he had just been punked, picked up the worksheet. He looked it over and finding the answers to be correct, a look of astonishment crossed his face. "Good dog" he said. I could detect a hint of nervousness in his voice.

After looking around for a few seconds to confirm that this was real, and not a hallucination or prank, Ben took his math homework out of his backpack and placed it in front of me. I wasn't as good in math as I was in science, and it was a little harder to make the numbers than mark the right choice, so it took me a little longer to finish. When I was done, Ben double checked the answers and looked down at me.

He hesitated for a moment, and then asked if I could understand him. I barked and shook my head. He spent the next 20 minuets firing off any questions he could think of. I tried my best to answer him, but I had always been lousy at charades. Thankfully he realized yes and no questions were more productive and stuck mainly with those.

I'm not sure he got the whole story that I used to be human, but he was definitely convinced I was more than just your average dog. I tried writing him a note, but it just wasn't legible enough for him to read. I found I could see the words in my mind, but getting them down on the paper was another thing. A word here and there was okay, but a whole sentence was more than I could handle.

I chalked it up to the constant pressure on my mind from the dog's instinct. Why writing and not math or science? I couldn't say. This was all new to me, and there didn't seem to be an instruction manual. I just knew that I had to move quickly before I lost more of myself. The prospect of spending the rest of my life as nothing more than a common dog frightened me, but knowing that Ben would be my owner was somehow reassuring and made the possibility seem a little more tolerable. Not ideal, but at least livable.

Seeing as it was still a few hours before dinner would be ready, and his homework was finished, Ben suggested we go for a walk. I could barely contain myself as he clipped the leash to my collar.

As we walked the streets, I did my best to makes sure we walked up the street my old home was on. As it was still mid afternoon, no one was home. I tired to lead Ben up close to the house, but he didn't want to trespass. I gave him my best sad puppy look, and pulled as hard as I could. He looked around to makes sure no one saw us, and finally relented. We made our way up the driveway to the side of the house.

Finding the key rock was easier than I thought. My dog nose was able to recognize the difference in smell between it and the normal rocks with ease. Once I pushed it out of place, Ben noticed the door on the bottom, and retrieved the key.

I drug Ben to the door and looked between him and the keyhole. He hesitated, and for a moment I thought he would refuse. He took a step away, then turned with a determined look on his face, and slid the key into the lock. He looked down at me and asked if I was sure about this. I shook my head in the affirmative, and he turned the key.

The door swung open easily, and I half expected something to jump out and attack us. When nothing did after a few seconds Ben and I went inside. I sniffed the air, and I could smell my boyfriend as well as my own scent. I tried as hard as I could, but I couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary.

I looked at the clock on the wall, and knew that we had some time before anyone would be home, assuming, of course, that the other me hadn't changed his? My? Our? Whatever, plans.

Ben followed me as I went from room to room, sniffing, listening, looking at, and even licking as much as I could. Everything seemed to be just as it was when I left. I couldn't understand it. There had to be some clue. Something that would let me make sense of what was going on.

Once I was in the bedroom, I found a set of discarded clothes that I recognized as the one the other me was wearing the other day. I pulled them out and put my new nose to the test. I sniffed every inch of them. The scent was the same as the rest of the things I had smelled in the house. It was me. I couldn't detect anything that set it apart from any of the other clothes or items around the house.

I looked over at Ben, and could tell that he was very uncomfortable with being in the house. I checked the clock on the nightstand, and realized we had been here longer than I thought. I led Ben back through the house, and out the side door. Ben locked it back, and replaced the key and the stone.

We walked back to the sidewalk, and were only a few hundred yards away when my boyfriend's car pulled into the driveway. I watched as he got out and went into the house. It made me realize how much I missed him, and longed to get back to him.

As we walked home, I thought long and hard about what I had found at the house. This imposter had to be a very good copy if he smelled just like me. Nothing had been out of place. There were almost too normal. I was now at a loss as to what to do.

Dinner was good. Unfortunately that meant I was getting used to dog food. I scarfed it down in record time. I'm amazed I was able to taste it at all with how quickly I ate it. I found a nice place on the floor to curl up, and listened as Ben described his day to his father. I was happy he chose to leave out our little expedition. I didn't want him to get into any trouble.

After dinner Ben and I made our way into the living room for a little TV before he had to go bed. He beckoned me up onto the couch with him, and stared petting me. I felt wave after wave of pleasure going through my body. I had never felt so good, and my tail started wagging.

I looked up, and saw Ben looking back at me smiling, and felt something inside me. I was starting to have feelings towards him, in a master and pet sort of way, and knew he felt the same towards me. If I managed to become human again, that would mean leaving him. I knew that would devastate him. I didn't want to hurt him, but what else could I do?

Great. Now I had something else to think about. How could I get back to my old life and not hurt Ben? After all he had done for me he didn't deserve that. I considered my options, and didn't really like how any of them turned out. I didn't see any way out of this without hurting someone. I looked over at Ben, and noticed that he had fallen asleep. I curled up next to him, and dozed off myself.

As I slept, I started to dream. I found myself in the back yard. Ben was there with me. It was a warm summer day. As the dream progressed, Ben and I played several different games, rolled around in the grass, and chased each other around the yard. I had more fun than anything I could remember. I never wanted it to end. As the dream went on, I found myself acting more and more like a dog. I could feel myself giving in. letting the dog overtake me. The feeling was exhilarating. Being free from worry and stress had a lot of appeal. I didn't need to make any hard decisions.

Days passed in to weeks. I was a good happy dog. Ben and I spent every day with each other. We bonded in ways I wouldn't have though possible. I was completely happy. I had totally given up all of my humanity, and didn't miss it. This was where I was meant to be. I knew that know.

Ben must have shifted in his sleep, because the next thing I knew, I was rudely awakened when the floor leapt up and attacked me. Or maybe I fell on to it. Either way, I was jolted out of the dream. Reality came crashing down on me, and I spent the rest of the night contemplating the dream, and what I was going to do next.

The next morning came far too early. After breakfast and my morning outing, everyone went off to work and school. Luckily Ben had left the door slightly ajar for me. I made me way into the back yard, pulling the door closed behind me. I checked it to make sure it looked like it was shut. Wouldn't want anyone to break in.

I moved he dirt covering the hole, and wiggled out on to the street. If I had to that too many more times, I would have to make the hole bigger. No time to worry about that now. I quickly made my way to my old home, just in time to see myself drive away. I sat outside the back door and waited for Ethan to come out. I sat back a little so he wouldn't see me right away. I didn't want to scare him.

I watched as he came out of the house and started walking to his car. I started to walk towards him, doing my best to look harmless. I took in his smell as I got closer and felt a moment of euphoria. I let out a plaintive bark, and he jumped a little and turned around.

I thought I saw a moment of recognition flash across his face when he saw me. He walked over to me and kneeled down. He held out his hand for me to sniff. When I didn't bite him, he started to pet me. After a few seconds, he looked at my tags. He looked at me and said, "Hey, boy. Are you lost? I better take you home!" That's my boyfriend. Always looking out for the helpless.

How was I going to get him to recognize me? I should have thought this through a little better. Oh well, I never was much for planning. I usually just made things up as I went along. I looked around for something I could use. I didn't see anything. I tried using my nails to make marks on the driveway, but I wasn't able to make anything even remotely legible before I got frustrated and just gave up.

The next thing I knew, I was being grabbed by the collar and led to Ethan's car. He loaded me into the back seat, and took one last look at my tags before he got behind the wheel. The drive back to my new home was quick. Ethan went up to the front door and knocked. Unsurprisingly no one answered.

Not sure what to do next, Ethan walked towards the side of the house. There he found the gate was unlocked. Opening it, he returned to the car. Before he led me to the back yard, he copied the phone number off my tag so that he could call to check up on me later that after noon. That was one of the reasons I loved him so much- full of compassion and always thinking about others welfare.

Ethan led me into the yard, and stooped down to give me a vigorous petting. "Good boy. Now stay put this time." He told me. I looked into his eyes, focusing my mind. Trying to get him to recognize me or feel something. It was no use. He stood up and walked back to his car, closing the gate behind him. I watched longingly as he drove away.

I sat at the fence for a few moments in trying not to fell too dejected by my utter failure. I was only broken out of my thoughts by a sudden urge. I walked to the edge of the yard to take care of business. Once I found the right spot, I let nature take it's course. Once I was done, I found myself staring at the hole I had dug. Of course! I still had time to try again.

It would do no good to return to my old home, as I knew no one was there, but I had other options. I decided to return to the scene of the crime, so to speak. I wiggled my way back out of the yard, and carefully followed the route we had taken that faithful night.

There was nothing out of the ordinary on the streets. I used every sense I had, but came up empty. Ethan and I had been on our way to dinner, so I decided to check out the restaurant. Besides, I was getting hungry and there were sure to be some good scraps in the trashcans out back. (don't judge me until you've had to live on a diet of dog food!)

It wasn't quite lunchtime yet, so the restaurant was still quiet. I could see the staff inside moving around getting the tables ready for the rush of customers. I carefully followed my nose to the side of the building. Looking around carefully to make sure I wouldn't be seen I made my way to the trash cans.

That was when I found, or rather stumbled on, my first real clue. I found a large black charred area on the sidewalk. The mark was partially hidden behind one of the larger dumpsters, and easy to miss. It was jagged on the edges with a strangely shaped void in the center. I stared at the center for what seemed like an eternity before my mind finally resolved the shape.

It was a dog. I should have recognized it instantly. I guess I was doing worse in the battle for my mind than I thought. I wondered how long I had left before I lost myself completely.

Not only was it a dog, it was me. I walked over and lay down in the void. My body fit perfectly, there was even a spot for my tongue. I even got a whiff of a familiar smell. I must have had an accident when it happened. I bet you would have too.

I got up and looked at the spot. After moving to a slightly different angle, I could see the outline of shoe prints. They looked like the ones I normally wore. They continued from the spot off towards the restaurant.

I tried to remember why we had been in the alley. After a few seconds it came to me. There was some kind of truck blocking the path, so we decided to go around it. It wasn't long after that when I felt the pain and lost consciousness.

Based on what I could smell and see, It appeared that whatever hit me transformed me and created my doppelganger in an instant. I could smell my scent moving away with Ethan's as if nothing had happened. If Ethan had seen me, he never would have left me lying in the street like that. He must have been oblivious.

Well, that explained why he never came looking for me. As far as he was concerned nothing had happened. Their scent led into the restaurant, where I assume they had a nice dinner, probably steak, and a nice dessert of peanut butter pie. My mouth was watering like crazy. I shook it off, and went to where the van was parked. I did my best to memorize the scent so I could find it again. Time had faded it, but it was unique enough I was sure I could recognize it if I smelled it again.

My investigations must have taken longer than I thought, because just as I was about to leave, one of the busboys came out with a fresh bag of garbage. He saw me and beckoned me over. I nervously walked over to him, not sure what to expect. Much to my delight, he ducked back into the door, and came back with a bowl full of meat scraps. I gobbled them down as quickly as I could, and licked the man before running back home.

I crawled under the fence, and nosed the back door open. Once I was inside, I jumped up on the door to close it. I was tired from my adventures, so I decided to curl up in my bed until Ben got home from school.

I dozed off quickly, and slept peacefully. If I had any dreams this time, I don't remember them. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. No time to worry about that now.

I was awakened by the phone ringing. I got up and walked into the living room just in time to see Ben pause his game so he could answer. Thanks to my canine hearing, I could tell it was Ethan. He was calling to make sure I was still here and okay. Ben looked over at me, and said I was. To my surprise, he went on to tell Ethan what a special dog I was, and how I was smarter than average.

Ethan humored Ben at first, but as the call went on Ethan started to take him more seriously. I must say even I found Ben incredibly convincing. Something about the tone of his voice, and the way he spoke had an authority well beyond his thirteen years. Before I knew it, Ethan had agreed to come over and see for himself how special I was.

This was the opportunity I had been waiting for! With Ben's help I could finally convince Ethan that I was his boyfriend, not that copy. Ben looked over at me, and told me he loved me, and wanted help me. Even knowing he might loose me in the process. He could tell how much Ethan meant to me. That stunned me. I had grown quite attached to him too. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it would be just as painful to leave him as it had been to loose Ethan. What was I going to do?

When Ethan arrived, Ben let him in and let him to the living room. I was there waiting. Ben told him everything he had learned from me earlier, and then invited Ethan to ask questions in yes or no format. I could tell Ethan felt a little silly, but he started asking me questions. I answered as best I could. After a few questions Ethan's attitude changed and a look of amazement crossed his face.

I tried to direct the questioning, and with some prompting from Ben, we finally got around to the things I needed to tell him. It wasn't quite as straightforward as I had hoped, but I finally got across to him that I was really a human, and had been his boyfriend. I could tell Ethan was skeptical about that but he went with it.

It was getting late by the time we were finished, and Ben's father would be home from work soon, as would my doppelganger. Ethan arranged to meet Ben the next day, Saturday, to walk to the restaurant with me and see where the transformation had happened, and hopefully find out what happened.

When Ben and I met up with Ethan, I was surprised to see my doppelganger with him. The human me bent down and petted me, and shook Ben's hand. I watched him carefully, and thought that each movement was exactly what I would have done if it were me. Even those little careless motions you make unconsciously when you aren't quite sure what to do with your body. That made me feel especially uneasy.

As we walked towards the restaurant, I split my time between watching Ethan, whom I hadn't spent much time with in the past couple of weeks, and my other self. After almost running into a telephone pole for the third time, I grudgingly decided that I needed to spend a little more time paying attention to where I was going.

As we neared the restaurant, I went into full detective mode. I used all my senses to find anything that might give me a clue to what had happened to me. Unfortunately it had rained the night before, so everything had been washed away. We went to look at the spot on the ground, but it had really faded and was almost unrecognizable. The other me bent down and touched it with his finger tips. I could tell by his expression that it was dredging up some memories.

Ethan had clearly noticed this too, and asked him what he was feeling. He had a hard time putting into words, but he managed to describe a weird feeling of being pulled apart and weightlessness. As he described it, I realized I knew exactly what he meant, and that I had experienced the same feeling. He also said that he had felt a little out of sorts for the last week or two.

After struggling for a few minuets to better understand what was going on, and describe what he was feeling, the other me gave up in frustration. Ethan suggested that we take a break and try to clear our heads. Ben thought a snack break was a good idea. Ethan and the other me headed into the restaurant to order some sodas and fries. Ben and I walked over to the outside seating and grabbed a table.

I wished I could have gone in with them, but I don't think the owner would have appreciated having a dog in the restaurant much, and there was probably some health regulation against it. I only hopped that they kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Ben pulled out a chair facing the parking lot and sat down. I got between him and the restaurant and tried to keep a low profile.

I watched as the customers came and went, trying to match their scents to what I had found before. Ben idly asked me some questions about Ethan and my other self. I had to admit that he wasn't exactly what I had expected. I had half convinced myself that he would be some kind of evil monster. Now I wasn't quite sure what to think.

It wasn't long before Ethan and the other me returned with the drinks and food. While we were enjoying our break, it seemed like this had all been for naught. We discussed what we should do next. No one had any idea, so we decided that we would continue our walk, and see if we could find anything else that jumped out at us. It was a long shot, but I didn't now what else to do.

After we finished eating we tossed our garbage into the nearest bin. Ben ran in to use the restroom, and I waited with Ethan and the other me. The other me decided to pet me, and I had to admit it felt really good. He praised me, calling me a good dog. I'm not sure if he knew I was more than just a dog or not, so I played along.

When Ben returned we got up to leave. As we were nearing the edge of the seating area, a large white van with odd markings pulled into the lot. Ethan stopped in his tracks. It was obvious that he recognized the van. One of the side doors opened, and a man stumbled out. The man began walking towards the restaurant. As he got near I recognized the smell on him. These were the people we had been looking for.

I watched the man enter the restaurant, and then started to bark and motion towards the van. Ben got the idea, and we moved towards the parking lot. We approached the back of the van and looked in the rear windows. It was filled with all kinds of strange looking electronic equipment.

Ethan walked over and pulled the side door open and jumped inside. The rest of us followed as quickly as possible. The driver, thinking Ethan was his friend, turned around and said, "That was quick..... wait who are you?!?!" Ethan pushed him back into his seat, and started asking him a bunch of questions in rapid succession. I'm not sure the drivers mind could process what was going on, so he babbled somewhat. We finally got a coherent answer after a few tries.

It turns out they were part of a team from a local lab. They had borrowed the van to come down and get lunch. They weren't supposed to use it for personal errands, but hey, everyone bends a few rules, right? The driver admitted that they came by almost every day, whenever they could get away.

By this time the other tech had returned, carrying several large bags of food. He was surprised to see us, and looked like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Ethan asked them if they had been here on the night of the accident. It took a little coaxing, okay, threating growling, from me to get them to admit that they were.

I scared the tech enough for him to admit that they had come off a late shift. Since he was hungry and the driver was using the restroom, he had had started eating in the van. Turns out he had spilled some of his food onto the equipment and caused it to short out.

He was so distracted dealing with his spill and the smoke from the control panel, he didn't even know that the machine had discharged. They repaired the damage as best they could and headed back to the lab.

After a little more friendly persuasion, we discovered that they had been working on some kind of matter teleportation experiment. The equipment would produce a field that would cause the selected object to move from its original location to it's target destination. That was the theory anyway.

Every time they had used it, something had gone wrong and the object had blown up, or disappeared never to be seen again, or in one case liquefied. Ethan asked if they had tried it on a living subject. They replied no, it hadn't been cleared for that. Ethan looked between me and the other me, and told them, "well you have now." They looked confused.

Ethan laid everything out for the men. As he was describing the events the other me was staring in disbelief. He looked at me and asked if I could understand him. I nodded. He asked if I was him. I nodded again. Clearly this was the first he was hearing about it, but he seemed to accept it, as if it wasn't a surprise to him.

The tech and driver looked at each other. The tech asked us to show him the spot on the ground. We took him too it. He knelt down and ran a few of his machines over it. He got a really worried look on his face. "You all need to come to the lab with us." He said.

Ethan walked home, and came back a few minuets later with his car. The rest of us loaded into it, and followed the van to the lab. It was an unassuming building on the outskirts of town. The van driver pulled up to the gate, and entered the code. The gate slid open and we drove inside.

The tech led us to a fairly nice waiting area. While we found seats, he picked up a phone on the desk and made a call to the lead scientist. He started to explain what had happened, but was constantly interrupted by profanity laced yelling from the other end. After a few minuets things seemed to calm down a little. I could tell the scientist wasn't happy, but he agreed to come talk to us.

A few moments later, a man in a white coat came into the room. He gave a nasty to the tech, who quickly averted his gaze. The scientist put on his best smile, and came over to us. He introduced himself as Dr. Peterson.

Dr. Peterson asked us a series of questions. We did our best to answer each one. While he had been skeptical before, as the questioning progressed he became more and more certain we were telling the truth. He had some of his staff separate me, and my doppelganger and ask us questions. Based on our answers he was convinced we were the same person.

Dr. Peterson went on to describe how the machine worked via some quantum something or other that I didn't understand. I didn't care how it worked I just wanted it fixed. It seemed that when the beam from the machine hit me, it had essentially torn me in two. Part of me remained as human, and the other part was somehow materialized as this dog.

Dr. Peterson asked if I had ever desired to be a dog. I was a little embarrassed to admit it, but nodded yes. Dr. Peterson took some notes, and explained that it was probably a result of the damage to the machine combined with Hinesburg uncertainty principal that caused part of me to break off and take on this form.

The trials were still in their early stages so they weren't quite sure how to reverse it. After a few tests it became apparent that the division had caused issues for both of me. Apparently it had affected the dog me more because of the difference in final form. The other me was still human, so wasn't as effected. Dr. Peterson looked at the readings, and warned him that he would probably start feeling the effects soon as well.

Dr. Peterson ran a few computer simulations, and a few trials. Nothing seemed to be able to reverse the effects. I started to get depressed. Ethan took Ben home so he wouldn't get into trouble, while I stayed through the night.

It was early the next morning when we were awakened. It seems that they hadn't had any luck reversing the effects, but appeared to find a way to stabilize us. The machine would irradiate us with its beam, and we would, supposedly, be locked into our forms. He couldn't guarantee it would be reversible but this would keep us from degrading further. He assured us that it would work. I wouldn't have to worry about losing myself mentally, and the other me could avoid most of the worst effects. This would give him the time to find a way to reverse the accident, and reintegrate us.

We thought it over and after much deliberation agreed. It seemed to be the only option we had. We were led to a room where we could undergo the procedure. After the door was sealed shut, a loud whirring noise began. After it reached the limit of even my hearing, a bright light shot out towards us. I looked over at my human self, and could see him shimmer before looking a little more solid. I assumed the same happened to me.

Once the blast was over, I immediately felt the pressure in my head begin to subside. Dr. Peterson came in to check on us. I let go a little and didn't feel anything. I was alone in my head. As time went on, I could feel my humanity returning. The doctor asked if I felt better, and I nodded yes. The other me looked over at him, and told the doctor that he felt more grounded.

By the time Ethan had returned the next day, I was feeling back to my old self. I soon noticed another benefit to the procedure. Somehow it had reconnected my two halves. If I concentrated enough, I could see things through the human me's eyes, and sense his thoughts. I could assert any control, but I could observe.

After signing a ton of forms promising not to sue, and getting reassurances that they would be working to find a cure, we were allowed to leave. On the ride home, we discussed how to handle things now.

I decided that I couldn't leave Ben after everything he had been through while I was still a dog, but I still wanted to spend time with Ethan. It was decided that I would spend most days with Ben, but Ethan would be my dog sitter whenever they were out of town. It wasn't an ideal situation, but we didn't know what else to do. Besides, if I really missed him, I could connect with my other half.

After a few weeks of trying, I managed to find a way to, temporarily switch places with my other self. It only lasted a short time, an hour or so at most, but it gave me some time to be human and spend a little time with my boyfriend, and relieve some urges.

Ben and I bonded in a way I never would have thought possible. It was like we were meant to be together. Thanks to my subtle help, his grades improved markedly, and he started to enjoy school and take on a more outgoing demeanor. His father never caught on to what was happening, but was pleased with the results.

I don't know if they will ever find a way to put me back together, but I am starting to think I got the better end of the deal. After all, being a dog is pretty nice. I can spend all day sleeping and eating and not have to worry about the stresses of work and life as a human.