Jennifer could feel her skin becoming itchy. It was an odd sensation. She knew that she had washed properly; maybe she was having an allergic reaction to something. It was then that a sharp pain erupted at the base of her spine. She felt it grow as she stopped moving. Her friends were all a little too drunk and a little too preoccupied to notice, but Jenny wasn’t. She spun round and saw the source of the problem. A tail.
She gasped, panicking as she darted off the dance floor. It was all she could do not to scream. Thankfully the ladies toilets were quiet as she burst through the door. She could feel the tail swaying behind her, brushing against her dress and rubbing the back of her legs. Fur had begun to grow on it and she was more than a little freaked out by this.
Was she hallucinating? Was it a virus? Some weird magic? All these thoughts darted about her head as she sought the cause, but her attention was pinned to the mirror as something new began. Fur, light at first, but more the longer she stared, was growing up her arms. This time she did squeal, and darted into one of the cubicles, scared that someone would see her. It was as she rummaged desperately through her handbag for a mirror that she saw the business card. Was it him? It had to be? Something about it just made sense?
Dialing the number she gulped down some deep breathes trying to get a grip. “Hello?” a thick British accent called over the phone.
“Oh my god! Did you do this? Tell me what you did? How do I stop it?!” The rapid fire of question perhaps wasn’t the best approach but Jenny was not really thinking straight by this point.
“Ahh, the girl at the bar? I wondered how long before you phoned.”
Jenny’s heart was caught in her throat. “Oh My God You Dick!” She began, “What is this? How do I make it stop?”
“Easy there puppy, if you don’t want to be a real bitch by the end of the evening you’ll do exactly as I say.” The words were cold, evil almost, and Jenny just held her breath, desperate for a cure. She was turning into a dog? How could he do this?
“I left a bag of pills with the bartender. I said they were your medication. Go retrieve them and drug your three girlfriends. Once they all have taken a pill then bring them out to the van round the back. I’ll take some pictures, give you the cure and you’ll be on your way. Don’t tell them what’s happening though. If they catch on and don’t arrive then I might have to call animal services.”
The phone hung up with an ominous click. It was terrifying, but Jenny now had a choice. She could either run away and hope for the best, or trick her friends, and hope this British guy was a man of his word. Neither option seemed brilliant but as the fur slowly thickened on her arm, she knew she was running out of time.