It was early afternoon on a Thursday, just after work. I was just walking down the street from where I’d parked my Honda civic. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, just exploring a part of town I hadn’t before and there it was; no one seemed to notice the little brick front shop as they passed. The sign out front said, “The Ointment Store” and I just had to know, especially since it was also written in Chinese characters.
The little store was extremely well ordered and surprisingly dust free. I expected this kind of shop to be dusty with age; it looked like it had been around since at least the early 1800s. It had shelf upon shelf full of jars of herbs and spices, bottles of potions, dried things, some vegetable and some not and pots of ointments. There was a pleasant, spicy smell to the air.
I’d heard about the miracles that traditional Chinese medicine could perform and somehow, I knew I’d find a miracle in this odd little shop. I needed a miracle.
I approached the front counter, but no one seemed to be in the store. It was eerily quiet.
A stick of incense burned next to a large bronze statue of Ho Tai. There was a small, countertop fountain that gurgled pleasantly over pebbles arranged in a conical shape. I stood for two or three minutes, listening to the incredible silence. The only things I could hear were my own breathing, the gurgling of the fountain and the growling of my belly. I had skipped lunch.
I strained my hearing and couldn’t even hear the sound of distant traffic from the outside world. I waiting around and decided to leave. I decided to go and as I made up my mind to walk out of the shop, a voice asked from behind me…
“What brings you to my shop?”
I almost jumped out of my skin. I Spun around, my back to the counter, and stared into the clear, jade green eyes of an old, but very vital Chinese man. His English was absolutely perfect. He had a long silver white goatee and moustache, was bald on top and he wore a very stately blue Chinese jacket, embroidered with white dragons, and it hung down to just below his knees. His pants and shoes matched the jacket. His hands were nimble, but properly wrinkled.
“What brings you to my shop, young man?” the elderly shopkeeper asked again in a voice that spoke of his age, but was vital, not feeble. His voice sounded like the one wisdom would use if wisdom were a corporeal being.
“I, uh… I don’t know.” I said.
“Mr. Walker, no one has ever come to my pharmacopoeia unless they were meant to be here and something was meant for them.” The old man said.
“How did you know my name?” I said.
“I know many things and how I know them is my secret. You may call me Mr. Tao.” he said and smiled pleasantly.
“Well, then, if you know these things, why did you ask why I was here.” I said.
“Words, Mister Walker, shaped existence. I have a good idea of what you want, but until you say the words, your remedy cannot come into being, it’s as simple as that!” Mr. Tao said with a wry laugh.
“Oh, until I tell you what I want, you can’t mix whatever it is I need, right?” I said.
“Something like that, yes, but not exactly, but no matter. What brings you here?” Mr. Tao said without any trace of irritation, as though he could ask the question infinitely and wait infinitely for an answer.
“Well, I… this is kind of embarrassing, I want to be bigger.” I said.
“I see; Sumo wrestler or Elephant?” the old man said looking at me, his piercing green eyes searching my own. “There’s more, isn’t there? I sense your yearning has not yet been fully voiced.” Mr. Tao said in a kindly way.
In talking with him, I’d let my guard down. For some reason, I felt I could be completely frank with this old man.
“It’s like this,” I began, “I like bears.” I said for the first time, to a complete stranger, without a single ounce of embarrassment.
“So you want to have claws and fangs, is that it?” Mr. Tao said with just the slightest bit of humor.
“No, I like bears… I’m attracted to them. I like big, hairy men and I want to be one.” I said. “I’m thirty years old and I can’t even grow a good goatee. I shave once a week and have absolutely no hair on my body, except under my arms and in the pubic area and I’m not very well endowed either… I’m average.”
“So you are not happy with the way the universe made you? Why?” Mr. Tao asked.
“Because I really would like to be a tall, hairy, well hung, husky guy, that’s why.” I said. “I feel that I was put in the wrong body. Even as a teenager, I looked forward to being big and hairy and have been hoping since I was fifteen that it would happen. Well, it’s not going to happen, unless I do something about it.”
“Was that so hard to say, Mr. Joseph Walker?” he said, “You have framed your thoughts well and there is a remedy for you. The universe does act in random ways at times; it is the way of things, and those that were supposed to be one thing end up being another… that is why my shop exists; to tidy up the loose ends. However, I must tell you, there are trade offs for what you want. The universe cannot just re-make you the way you want to be with out those trade offs and as with any medicine, there are always side effects. What I sell in my shop will not kill you, but perhaps it may be embarrassing or hard to explain away at times. Do not worry about telling people about this shop. If they are meant to come here, then they will find it. If not, they won’t bother to enter even if you lead them to it.”
Mr. Tao went behind the counter and started mixing herbs, extracts, powders and animal parts. When he was done he handed me a quart sized bottle of a green-brown liquid.
Take this home, Mr. Walker, and drink it all before you sleep. In the morning, you will be everything you have dreamed of being. However, I will tell you this; this potion contains the powdered testicles of a great grizzly bear and also one of his claws and his left upper fang, both powdered as well.”
I guess the sadness registered on my face. Some poor bear died to make me into a fur-ball.
“Do not mourn for him, Mr. Walker, he lived a very full and happy life and sired many cubs. The parts I’ve used in your potion he willed to me and it was indeed his wish that he could help some other kindred being in some way. You are that kindred being.”
I briefly wondered how a bear could will anything to anyone, but put it aside in my mind considering the strangeness of the shop, its owner and its very being.
“You will become the great virile hairy bear you’ve wished to be, but there are the side effects I mentioned. Once every two weeks, you will become the very image of the bear that gave me those precious ingredients, for the rest of your life. I urge you to keep track of the days you change, lest you get into trouble. You can reveal this to others, but I also urge you to choose well those to whom you reveal your… handicap. Undoubtedly, those who discover your change will seek this shop and perhaps some will find it. Do you have any questions?”
“Yes, will it hurt?” I asked.
“Yes, it will be most painful when you first change, after that; it will simply be stimulating, especially sexually.” Mr. Tao said with a small laugh.
“Will having sex with others or biting them change them into bears too?” I asked.
“Mr. Walker, you aren’t becoming a Werebear, the formulation is all wrong for changing you into a Werebear. Besides, it takes a man of incredible restraint to receive that formulation and you are not such a man. A ‘Were’ must be able to keep from ‘infecting’ everyone with which he comes into contact or the world would be filled with werebeasts.” Mr. Tao said.
“Won’t everyone realize I’m not wimpy, hairless, five foot-seven Joe anymore?” I asked.
Mr Tao laughed then said,
“The universe has granted your request; did you not consider that that was already part of the pattern of things when you framed your thoughts on this matter? Things will be as if they had always been that way, even to you, at times. The only thing that is not covered by this is the change from man to bear, but that would even be overlooked as long as no one saw you change. It may be odd that a full grown male Grizzly is found in your apartment, but unless the change is witnessed, no one will be able to tell that you are not a natural grizzly, for in fact, you will be. You will even be able to sire cubs in that form.”
“I sense one more question, though I know you will be back in my shop to ask more.”
“I do have just one more question. What does this cost?” I said, expecting some spooky answer like blood or my soul or my first born.
“Exactly what you have in the pockets of your jacket.” Mr. Tao said.
I emptied the contents of all my pockets on the counter. I had $5.78, a scrap of paper I’d written a grocery list on, a Swiss Army knife and a little dark green stone that had been carved into the shape of a bear.
Mr. Tao immediately pocketed the knife, “Never know when one of those things will come in handy.” He said and laughed.
He put the money in a cash drawer that noted had currency from around the world in it, but it all was neat and well sorted. Finally, he took the carved bear and placed it in a drawer.
“That bear is a very potent item indeed, it was given to you for luck and I believe the giver said to pass it on when the time was right. It seems that the time was right, indeed.” Mr. Tao said. I nodded; it was given just as he had said. “Now, go home and drink your potion before you sleep tonight. You must drink it all before dawn.”
With that, Mr. Tao ushered me out of his store. When I turned back, I noticed him turning the open sign around and locking the door.
I couldn’t wait to get home. I drank directly from the bottle and didn’t spill a drop. It tasted awful, but I didn’t care.
I became drowsy and immediately fell into a deep sleep. I dreamt strange dreams of winter dens, of catching fish, of bear sex all mixed in with my ordinary life.
When I woke in the morning, and as soon as I saw myself in the mirror, called into work sick. “When ‘The Universe’ grants your request, it doesn’t mess around!” I said in a deep gravely voice to myself while conducting my self examination. I was furry front and back!
I was the biggest, tallest, muscled out, bear-bellied, furriest, best hung, fullest bearded, slightly balding, flannel wearing bear of a man I’d ever seen. If I were two of me, we’d never leave the bedroom! My huge balls were aching for relief and I was so turned on by how I looked that I spent most of the day jacking off my mammoth cock in front of a mirror.
By evening, I was sated enough that I didn’t have a constant erection when I ran my fingers through my chestnut brown beard. I decided I’d try out my new body, though others wouldn’t see it as new, down at ‘The General Store’; a local bear bar I frequented to get my fur fix. I didn’t shower; I wanted to smell of sweat, semen and cologne.
I dressed in my jeans, plaid shirt and suspenders, leather vest and leather Harley ball cap, black biker boots and headed out for the bar.
This was going to be so damned good!