Oliver quickly ran off to bed upset about his parents decision. He flopped down in his
bed in a heap wondering what was going to happen to him with these retroviruses that
were now coursing through his veins altering his young DNA.
"Am I gonna become a dog, a cat, a bird like mom and dad said?" He started thinking about
all of the different odd behaviors he had witnessed the day before but could not pin
specific animals to any of them, but he had not seen most of the kids though as it was
only a half day. "Well I guess we will see what happens tomorrow" he sighed as he laid down.
When he managed to fall asleep about 30 minutes later he started to dream. He was in
school again and saw everything from a golden retriever to a jaguar, walking around
in the school, when he noticed he was walking on all fours as well. He looked down but
and tried to see what he was when he woke up covered in sweat.
He got up and did not feel as upset about what his parents had done to him. "They
are just trying to protect me."
He then remembered if this is happening to him that the other kids must be
going through the same thing. This whole town must be run by people like his parents,
wanting to "protect their kids from the dangers of global warming" by changing them
into animals. So he felt less alone. He asked his parents if it was a complete change.
They said "at first you start getting the urges and instincts of any animal and start
acting like it. Then you start to get some qualities of that animal, then by your senior
year in high school or so completely become that animal, still with your human mind
and memories."
"So that is why the school is so big?" Oliver asked his parents. "Yes son, its 6th grade
through 12th. And to accomodate all the kids and their traits they are developing, they
have facilities where they can do so in a healthy way so no one can get hurt." His father
explained. "So I have a long way to go being only 11?" "Yes dear its just like a special
type of puberty, everything will be ok we promise," His mother explained.
So Oliver felt a bit better he was just starting and from all the talks about puberty
he had it was gonna be interesting whether he was becoming a man or an animal. At
school he tried to make a friend. The boy who did become his friend was named Hunter
and had wolf qualities, mostly just the advanced senses and speed, but had some extra
hair. He said he has been there for a year and was the newest student until Oliver came.
"so you don't mind that your parents did this to you?" Oliver asked. "well I did at first,
but now I don't mind it, it's kinda cool" Hunter said. "when does it start?" Oliver asked.
"when did you get the retoviruses put in?" Hunter asked."about a week ago" replied Oliver.
"it will Probably start today or tomorrow" Hunter said.
They went to lunch where they saw many different lines. It was 6th grade lunch so there were
no full animals or many who had many changes there. He saw a few with tails, bigger, ears,
and extra hair though. There were three different lines the Carnivore, Herbivore, and Omnivore
lines. Oliver just followed hunter to the line he went to which was the carnivore line. "I love meat!"
Hunter said happily. "Yea i like it too" Oliver said while he started to think this could actually
be ok. Until he got to the meat where Hunter just picked a raw t-bone and put it on his tray.
"This... this isnt... *mmmmmm* Oliver started to say before he caught the scent coming from the meat
it smelled so good. "Yup one of first things to change is your sense of taste raw stuff is the best!"
His wolfy friend said.
After picking up his meaty meal the boys headed over to the table Hunter always sat at. At the table
sat 3 other boys. Two brothers Scotty and Jack both had small tails already and longer hair going down
their backs a bit. Ones taile was a bunch of blond hairs while one was solid brown with a black tassel
at the end. Scotty the blond haired one introduced himself and his brother. Hunter leaned over to Oliver
and explained to him thatScotty is becoming a horse and Jack a donkey. Mean while the third boy who was
quietly looking over Oliver. "Hi I'm Oliver, nice to meet you." The boy stops looking at Oliver and lifts
his hand in front of him and flexes it and claws come out. "I'm Eric its a pleasure to meet you he said
cooly." The boys all ate their meals and went their separate ways.
"Whats the deal with.." Hunter interrupted Oliver, "Eric? Yea he's like that with people he does not know
but hes really cool once you get to know him. Hes kind of the leader of our little pack we have so he is
protective of his pride." "You said pride... like a lion pride?" Oliver asked. "Yea he does the claw thing to everyone and you saw his dirty blonde brownish hair had a kind of little mohawk in the middle of it? Its how a lion cub first gets his mane." "So hes a lion?" "Yup he sure is and who knows you may be too," Hunter asked "we know you like raw meat now sow you gotta be a carnivore." "That would be really cool, but I have really brown hair kinda like Jack and lions don't have that color hair. Oliver commented. "Ever seen lion king with Kovu in it." He said smiling at his friend, "he had dark hair for a lion. "You never know, and every ones changes start differently so we will see how yours goes!"
Hunter came over to Ollivers to play in the yard. They had a lot of fun wrestling kicking a soccer ball and running around. Hunter was so fast and ran on all fours to avoid him. When they were both panting, Hunter was really panting and doing so with a longer tounge hanging out of his mouth. Suddenly Oliver started had the urge to lick his arm cleaning it. When he stopped he looked up to see Hunter watching him with grin. "What? Oliver asked and went to absent mindedly scratch himself, "OW! that hurt" he said holding up his hand to his face. He had a claw on his pointer finger that when he put it out in front of him retracted back into a normal looking nail. "See I told you, you could be a lion!" Hunter exclaimed happily jumping backwards into a playful stance on all fours. "Wow maybe I really could be!" Oliver said happily. Hunter had stood back up and said yup then you and Eric could both be in charge he will have to like you now that your a lion!" Afer all this excitement they decided they should call it a day and Hunter went home.
Oliver walked in with a huge smile on his face and brightly said hello to his parents and went up stairs to get ready for dinner. Oliver's parents looked at each other with smiles on their faces as they were happy he found a friend, thinking maybe he had accepted things, or at least was starting to.
(Used some info from other author so it would flow better thanks to Danny (who wrote other chapter))