FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

At first, the news simply reported on the outbreak as if it were a distant concern. It was a problem located a million miles away, born from too-simple rural resources, poor education, superstitions and a lack of simple hygiene. These were things the developed world didn't have to worry about, right? The epicenter of infection was painted as a confined space, one that was easily contained. There was an appropriate response that would limit spread. It would never touch us, it would never reach us, it would never affect us.

Except it did.

Slowly but surely, it spread. It was a crawl at first: simply disregarded as minor breaks in quarantine, easily captured and managed. Eventually foreign governments and military became involved, not because it wasn't being handled, but because larger numbers were needed to help contain this simple, well-controlled outbreak. At this time, we still didn't know what "it" was, but we soon found out.

After the infection broke through the ranks of the military it began to skip borders and pass oceans. It did so with glee, moving much faster now as it rampaged in foreign countries. Still, we were safe and isolated from the threat, it had no hold over us, it put no pressure on our borders.

Then one day, it was upon us. There was a single case, one that had missed the logical borders and shown up in the middle of the country. It was a mystery to politicians, scientists, and law enforcement. The reaction was swift, deadly force that snuffed out the outlier with such a level of calculated certainty that we all felt safe again. Safety was short-lived and almost immediately after those event, the next confirmed case appeared three states away. Then it appeared in the south, the north, along the coast, and in the mountains.

The fear became real at this point. Hospitals couldn't control it, in fact, the close proximity took it toll. Physicians, surgeons, nurses, and staff were the first to go. They were infected with a speed we had never seen before, one that we couldn't control. Television and radio personalities urged social distancing and quarantine tactics. Stores were emptied in the span of a few days. Those of us that didn't react quickly enough missed out on the necessities. Old cans of food in the pantry and items that had been shelved and forgotten were all we had to eat. It was all that sustained us as we closed the blinds, locked the doors, and hid ourselves from the threat.

Days of casually monitoring the news became weeks of closely regarding the details. Weeks then became months of fear and hiding as the death toll rose at a steady pace. There was no "curve" in place that might signify a return to normal. A prediction for a decrease of cases didn't exist, and the charts and graphs that were being blasted on every screen, website, and paper showed a line. It was a straight line that dismissed any hope of a life without the infection.

We were warned of physical contact. That was the source. It could be passed by a simple cough, a simple sneeze, a drop of blood, saliva from a kiss, and even intimate fluids. The infection penetrated our cells in a way the scientific world had never seen and couldn't grasp. It became a part of our being, either destroying a person from within or running it's course and creating something other. There were reports that in most cases, even if you survived it took your sanity, but a few overcame it. A few were able to retain themselves, to go on living with the curse of that experience washed over them. They became something different.

The world fears 'different'. It always has.

18 months in and the world was irreversibly changed. The infection was among us. It was a part of life and society. Looting was commonplace, homes were protected not by the police but by your own weapons. Large groups were an extreme danger. You were only as safe as your own personal security.

Two years in and I began my walks.

The infection no longer scared me. It had taken it's toll on my life, my health, and my sanity, but in the end it could only take so much before I no longer cared. I walked to watch my neighbors, to keep an eye on their homes. I passed by a local grocer so I could check their windows, look inside, and make sure no one was causing trouble. I walked, keeping my eyes and ears open for signs of new infection.

Mostly my walks were a quiet, contemplative affair. Despite their frequency, I had never encountered a problem, so I still didn't know what I would do if one appeared. They became a way to ease the chaos in my mind after these last two years.

That day was different though. It was two weeks ago when I encountered something new, something wrong. I had turned into an alleyway to start my way back home. It was dirty, with puddles on the pavement that had a sheer, reflective hint of grease in them. A pungent dumpster was filled to overflowing.

In the darkness, a single form hunched over a man cowering in the grime. The victim had a white-knuckle grip on a rusty pipe that slithered it's way down the back of the building. He was wearing a collared shirt and nametag, meaning he was a nearby worker who had ventured into the wrong alley. I knew already what was happening. It was a transfer. An exchange of the infection from one person to another. I watched as the form standing over the man straightened and turned to me. Eyes glinted in the darkness, reflecting what little light shone into the darkened alley as they settled on me.

"Intentionally spreading the virus is a crime punishable by death." I said. The man took two steps toward me and cocked his head. A gash spread across his face revealing teeth that were sharper than they had any right to be. They were yellowed and his skin looked pale, dotted, and diseased. A cackle escaped his lips and rose in a crescendo until he finally tilted his head back in glee.

He spoke with a hoarse voice.

"What are you going to do about it, fleshbag? The infection, this… BLESSING. It's hungry. I was simply going to feed it! One man would have been enough, but two! TWO! This is my lucky day, oh how I will revel in this."

In the next instant, flesh exploded. The man bent double and began to roar in a mixture of pain and ecstasy. He moaned and panted, an erection rising between his legs a symbol of his pleasure despite his own tissue ripping and tearing from his body. Muscle was exposed and covered in the next instant as new skin protected it. Blood sprayed from the form and coated the walls, the dumpster, and the nameless man trapped in the alleyway with the beast. It dripped from the cracks and rips as he re-wove himself into the new being. His human limbs became deformed as the bones cracked and tendons strained, splitting and re-attaching. The monstrosity continued to grow as well, rising in size and shape as the body grew unnaturally in height. Finally, the being was covered in new flesh and fur began to sprout. It appeared from within, covering every inch of the man's body at the same time. Once complete, a new being stood in place of the old one. Saliva dripped from it's lips as it panted. Muscle's trembled and it raised it's head, letting out a raspy, haunting howl from new lips.

The beast stared out from under the fur. It eyes glistened with need, its muscles trembled, and it looked at me from across an elongated muscle. It opened it's maw and bared the glistening teeth that promised to rip and tear muscle from bone and devour succulent organs. It's tongue rolled out and licked it's lips.

"What say you, human. What do you intend to do?!" It roared in laughter, and reached for the poor man who was unable to stand. It was a pity really. He was likely already infected, his life forever changed if that life was even able to exist beyond the infection. The beast gripped him by the throat and I watched. The large paw wrapped around his neck and with a quick grip, there was a crunch and the life floated out of his eyes. The monster turned back to me with wild eyes. There was no humanity behind them, only those of an animal.

"I will rip out your throat and taste your blood. I will feast on your innards and use them to grow stronger. You will feed the infection and it will continue to spread. You are nothing but a snack. Humans were never more than a simple meal."

As the beast watched, I took off my shirt, removed my shoes and my shorts and stood before it. I spread my arms wide.

"I'm tired of just surviving." I said.

The beast cocked it's head again, flicking it's pointed ears forward in acknowledgement. It was uninterested in my sentiment, feral instincts unable to care. It dropped the limp body as if the man had never existed and began to move toward me. The face-splitting grin it wore never faltered until I offered it a grin of my own. It's pace faltered.

"Time to start living." I said.

My flesh erupted.