As John started up the aisle to find Carrie, he fell forward on to his palms. He blinked. The soles of his feet were still planted on the ground, as were the palms of his hands, but his back was parallel to the floor. He was an anthropomorphic version of himself, no longer truly human, but a cartoon pet version of a human. He panicked and started to run on all fours up the aisle.
He ran straight into the bipedal husky dog owner, who grabbed him.
"Whoa, boy! How'd you get loose?"
"Blah, blah, blah!" shouted John incoherently. He blinked. He tried to say words, but only "Blah, blah, blah" came out. He was like the unseen voices of the adults in the Peanuts cartoons.
The husky ran his anthropomorphic paw over John's head in a soothing manner. John calmed down. He noticed that his cartoon hands now had only four fingers, and that the thumb no longer worked opposably. The husky set John down in the display window enclosure, and put a for sale sign in the window. It read "Special Only $499". John liked being special. He hoped someone nice would buy him. He squated in the window with his tongue hanging out and his two black dot eyes looking out for a new owner.
John shook his head. What was happening to him? His mind was changing too. He had to get Carrie's attention. He had to get out of the enclosure. He had to scratch his side with his left foot.
"Aaaah," sighed John as the itch was satisfied. Then he noticed he was in fact scratching himself with his toes. He forced himself to stand with his hands against the wall of the enclosure. His head peered over the top of the enclosure, and he shouted, "Blah! Blah! Blah!"
The bell rang and a cartoon fox with white eyes, a top coat, top hat, white gloves, and spats entered. He asked, "How much is that human in the window?"
The husky shop owner dashed over with his tongue hanging out, "It's on sale today for only $499! Would you like to buy him?"
The toon fox scratched its chin, and said, "Is it house broken?"
"Uh, most pets need to be retrained for new enviroments," began the husky.
"Oh, and has it been fixed?"
"Fixed?" the husky looked over at the anatomically neutral John, "As far as I can tell yes. But you may want the vet to check him out to be sure. Will that be cash or charge?"
"I haven't decided yet. I really came in to get a bird, but the human caught my eye."
"John? Where have you gotten off to?" Carrie asked from a few aisles away.
John began blahhing loudly in the hope that she would hear him and come over.
"I suppose I could have its voice box removed?" the cartoon fox said thoughtfully.
The door burst open and child like voices could be heard shouting, "I wanna human, mommy! I wanna human!"
"Now darlings, you remember what happened to your last human," came a petulant female voice.
John turned toward the door and his jaw dropped at what he saw.
"Puh-lease!" begged the children in unison.
"Maybe?" said the mother.
John turned back to the fox and then strained to see Carrie over the shelving. He looked with a begging expression at the fox. He'd rather be the fox's pet than be the latest human to owned by those little monsters.