Husky Tf

Husky TF
“I can’t believe how insensitive Chance can be,” Ashley told her friend from across the table.  “He knows how important it is that I train for this race, and yet he doesn’t seem to care that Yakone ran off three weeks ago.”  The young woman was close to crying as she continued.
Melissa tried to comfort her friend.  “It’ll be okay, Ashley.  I’m sure he doesn’t mean it.  By the way, does the sheriff have any idea what happened to your dog?”
“No, but he thinks it’s possible that someone took him, but why would anyone want to take Yakone?”  Ashley finally broke down at this point, and began to sob quietly into the tissue Melissa handed her.   Sunlight fell through the window onto the small table of the diner the two women were sitting in.  Mellissa had insisted they have a girl’s day out to help Ashley relax – at least for a few hours.  They lived in a small Alaskan town, however, and there wasn’t a whole lot to do to forget their stress.  It seemed to help a little, but Ashley just couldn’t seem to get over her problems-namely, her dog and boyfriend.  Not that Mellissa could blame Ashley.  Yakone was one of Ashley’s sled dogs, the lead dog in fact, and they had to train for the big race this coming winter.  The top racers would go on to the Iditarod next year.  But Yakone had gone missing, and Chance, Ashley’s boyfriend, didn’t seem too bothered by it.  Mellissa didn’t know what her friend saw in him.  In fact, Mellissa had suspected that Chance had something to do with the dogs “mysterious” disappearance, but couldn’t prove anything.
“I just, I don’t know what to do anymore!” Ashley finally broke down and began sobbing.  Mellissa did her best to consul her crying friend, but there wasn’t much for her to say.   All she ended up doing was putting her arm on Ashley’s shoulder and say “It’s going to be alright.”  Neither one noticed the stranger walk up to them until he was standing right behind them.
“Excuse me, perhaps you could help me,” he said, causing the two women to whirl around in their chairs to see him.  “You see, I’m visiting, and I’m a little lost.  I can’t seem to find the hotel.”  
The man was older, probably in his 30’s or 40’s, and was well dressed in a black pinstriped suit with a plain black tie.  There was a silver pin shaped like a griffin in the right lapel of the jacket.  The griffin was curled around a sapphire clutched in its claws, the wings and tail curled and resting comfortably on the gem and body of the creature.  The gem itself was a deep blue color that brought to mind the ocean.  His well-combed hair was black, with a few strands of grey showing throughout.  It gave him the appearance of someone kind and trustworthy, like a grandfather or a favorite uncle.
The three looked at each other for only a few seconds, long enough for them to get a look at each other.  It was all the time needed for the stranger to see Ashley striving to keep the tears in.
“Oh, my dear, what seems to be the trouble?”  The well-dressed man sat down at the table, opposite Mellissa.  The concern was evident as he spoke with an accent that was difficult to place.
“I’m not so sure about telling someone we just met about it….” Mellissa began to object.
“Oh, poppycock,” He cut her off.  “If you tell me about it, I may be able to help.  The two girls looked at each other; before Ashley began to tell her story to the strange man they just met.  He never once interrupted her, allowing her to finish.
After hearing what Ashley had to say, the man sat there for a few minutes, pondering.   Finally, the man turned to Ashley.  “I think I may be able to help you with your predicament.”  The two friends looked at each other in surprise.  Mellissa was the one who voiced what they were both thinking.
“How are going to help?  Ashley only has this summer to train, and finding a trained dog would take too long.  Besides, even if you did manage to get her another dog, the others on her team might not accept the dog.”
“Don’t worry about any of that,” The man told her.  “I will take care of everything.  All you have to do is sit back, and wait.  You will know when I’m done.”  There was a strange twinkle in the man’s eye as he said this.  Mellissa wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, but she thought she saw the sapphire in the pin flash slightly before the man got up and left.

* * * * * * * *
Chance wandered into the kitchen of the house he lived in just on the outskirts of town.  Wearing nothing more than a white sleeveless undershirt and some grey sweatpants, he walked over to the fridge, feeling rather good about himself.  Feeling that his girlfriend Ashley was spending more time with her dogs than with him, Chance had arranged for Yakone to become “lost.”  For the past three weeks, Ashley had been distraught over her missing sled dog, but Chance wasn’t worried.  Eventually, she’d get over it, and they’d be spending more time together without worrying about races or anything silly.  Heck, maybe she’d decide to move in!  This house was rather large for just one person to live in.
Opening the fridge, Chance glanced in to find something to drink.  There was the usual stock of milk and a few bottles of beer, but there was also something new.  Reaching in, he grabbed the strange new bottle and pulled it out to look at it.  It looked like any other bottle of beer he usually had stocked up, but the label was different.  It was silver, with the picture of a blue griffin on it.  There didn’t appear to be a name printed on the label, so Chance wasn’t able to tell where it may have come from.  Chance just shrugged and pushed it to the back of his mind.  He’d at least try it, and if he liked it, he’d find out what is was later.
Twisting the cap off, Chance turned the light off and took a swig as he made his way to the living room to watch it on TV.  As he swallowed the beer, there was a slight tingling throughout his body. It was so small and slight, Chance didn’t even notice.  He was thinking more about the interesting taste the beer had.  It was a bit sweet, but it wasn’t overpowering.  There was also a woody under taste.  He found it rather pleasant.  He’d definitely have to find out what brand it was and get more.  
Shuffling into the living room, Chance turned the light on and wound his way to the couch and plopped down.  Drinking more of the beer, his thoughts wandered back to Yakone.  It had cost him quite a bit of money to have someone take the dog.  He didn’t know where they had taken the mutt, or what they had done with him, and honestly didn’t care.  The dog was gone, and that was all that mattered.   Taking another swig, Chance grabbed the remote from off the table and switched the TV on.  
Switching through the channels, and lost in his own thoughts, Chance never noticed the thin layer of hair starting to grow all over his body.  As he continued drinking the beer, the hair got thicker and thicker.  It spread from his hands up his arms, meeting with the thick hair growing from his shoulders and chest.  Already, there was a soft, creamy-white tuft poking over the top of his shirt.  His feet were already covered with what was now black fur, the black and white fur growing up his legs under the sweats.  Slowly, the nails on his hands and feet blackened, becoming longer and thicker.
Starting to feel warm and uncomfortable, Chance began to squirm on the couch, trying to get comfortable again.  Finally, unable to stand it any longer, he threw the remote on the couch and began rubbing and scratching the skin under his shirt.  It was then that he realized something wasn’t right.  The shirt felt strange against his skin, and it felt like there was something on his hands.  Looking down, Chance was shocked to see his hands-they were covered in black fur that went up his arms, with splashes of white under his arms.   Bringing them up, he saw the dark, thick nails curling from his fingers-they were really more like claws now.  The palms of his hands were thick and dark, pads forming as he watched, horrified.  
Panicking, Chance sat up and lifted his shirt off to reveal thick, creamy-white fur stretching from his waist up his chest.  It met with the black growing on his sides and back.  As he sat staring at his now-furry torso, the changes continued, beginning to speed up to keep time with his rapidly-beating heart.  The white fur grew up his neck and onto his face, covering his mouth and nose, as well as part of his forehead.  His ears moved to the top of his head, covered in black fur and pointed.  The dark fur swept down and covered the rest of his face, while his nose became dark and moist.  As his face began to push out into a muzzle, there was a stretching feeling coming from his lower back.   Chance stood up, leaning forward so he could reach back with his increasingly paw-like hands.  Shaking with fear, Chance lowered his sweats and boxers low enough to free his growing tail.  Looking back, he gasped when he saw the extension of his spine covered in fluffy black and white fur.  Chance made a canine-like whine as he watched his new tail get caught in his pants as it tried to curl between his fluffy legs.  
It was then that Chance had a startling revelation: He was standing entirely on his toes.  Reaching down, he tried to pull the now-baggy cuffs up, but his hands were almost completely paws now.  His pants then fell to the floor, too big for his shrinking waist.  Chance startled himself when he howled with shock, seeing what had happened to his feet.  The heels had lifted up from the floor, and would no longer touch the floor.  In fact, he looked almost completely like a dog, except for the fact that he was still standing on two legs.  The fur looked rather familiar, but Chance was too frightened to think of where he had seen it, what breed he was becoming.
“This can’t be happening,” Chance struggled to scream out as his humanity slowly left.  “Its imposs-“His final words were cut off as his first barks came out.  Before he could think about it, he pitched forward, losing his balance on his legs.  He fell forward, landing on his new front paws.  Chance barked and howled, tail tucked firmly between his legs as he struggled to regain standing on two feet, but it was too late.  Whatever force was changing him made a few final adjustments to his body before it was finished.  Chance wasn’t able to see the last change as his brown eyes became icy blue.  Physically, Chance was no different from any other Alaskan Husky.  
Panting, Chance hunkered down close to the floor, scared and unsure about what to do.  People didn’t just spontaneously turn into animals.  That was something that only happened in movies and bad TV shows.  And yet, somehow, he had become a husky.  His new nose could smell the fear still lingering in the air.  There was something else, though, mingling with his fear.  He had been so scared, and focused on what was happening with his body, he hadn’t noticed it before.  Chance knew it came from the couch.  Jumping up, he sniffed around until he found the source: the now-empty beer bottle.  Pawing at it, he managed to move the bottle so he could see it.  On the back, there was writing that he hadn’t seen before:
WARNING:
Consumption of the contents of this bottle may induce a change in consumer’s life.  Use with extreme caution.

Chances eyes went as wide as a dog’s eyes could go in shock.  The beer had done this to him!  Why hadn’t he looked closer at the bottle before drinking it?  And what was that enticing aroma……
Chance shook his head.  He had to keep it clear if he was going to find a way to change back.  Back to what?  Hadn’t he always been a dog?  Slowly, through the fog clouding his mind, Chance realized his mind was changing, being overtaken by the dog he now was. “No!” He shouted mentally.  “I’m not a dog! I’m a human! I won’t give in! I’m a hum….A hu……”  Chance fought back bravely, but it was useless.  The dog mind took over, and his human life was over.  Jumping off the couch, Chance the husky scratched an itch behind his ear with his hind leg before shaking himself and loping into the kitchen to find food.  Panting, his nails clacked on the wood floor as he sniffed and knocked over the garbage can in his search for something to eat.  Too busy sniffing the spilled garbage, he never noticed the collar appear around his neck with a shiny golden tag engraved with his name on it.
It wasn’t until the next morning, when Ashley came to visit, that anyone realized anything had happened.  She had tried calling him last night and during the morning, but he had never picked up.  Worried that something was wrong, she decided to check up on Chance.
“Chance?” She called out as she opened the back door and walked in.  “Are you all right?  Honey?”  Looking around, Ashley saw the handsome husky trot in, panting, to look at her.
“Hi there, cutie,” Ashley said to the dog.  The dog just tilted its head at her inquiringly.  “Where did you come from?  I didn’t think Chance was much of an animal person.  I was actually….” She cut off as the dog came over to her.  Reaching down, Ashley began to pet and rub the dog as it tried to sniff her and lick her hands.  Finding the color, she brought the name tag up to where she could see what was written there.  
“Chance…..That’s strange, you have the same name as my boyfriend.”  She said to the dog.  “I didn’t think he was an animal person.  Well, let’s see if we can’t find him together!”  Standing up, Ashley began to search through the house, Chance the dog staying close by her side.  
Finding the switch to the kitchen, she flipped the lights on to find it a mess.  Trash was strewn everywhere.  Picking her way through the garbage, Ashley managed to make her way to the living room.  The lights were still on, as was the TV.  She quickly walked to the couch and grabbed the remote to turn it off.  Rubbing her forehead with one hand, Ashley looked around the room, pausing when she saw her boyfriend’s clothes sitting on the floor in piles.  Picking them up, she looked around the room some more and found the empty beer bottle lying on the couch.  She grabbed it and began to study it.
After searching the whole house and finding no trace of Chance, Ashley went back to the kitchen and began to clean up the mess.  Once she was through, she sat down at the table and contemplated calling the police.  It was then that she saw the note on the table.  Pulling it towards her, she read:


Ashley,
I know this all may be a shock, but there is no need to be alarmed.  What you are about to read may seem impossible, but I assure you it is all true.  As you may have seen, your boyfriend Chance is not at home, but somehow there is a rather handsome husky there instead.  The truth is that the dog IS Chance.  Last night, I used my power to transform him into the replacement you need for your team.  He is already trained, so no need to worry.  You could call this his second chance to prove himself to you.  Whether he remains a dog or becomes human again will be up to you. You will know when that time comes.  And don’t worry about trying to explain his disappearance.  The only ones who will know will be yourself, and your lovely friend Mellissa.

There was no signature on the note, but a crest of a silver griffin clutching something blue in its claws.  Ashley had to re-read the note to fully understand what was written.  It was impossible, and yet, somehow, it made sense.  She seemed to know that it was true, and that the stranger she had met the other day had something to do with it.  
Looking down at the dog, she slowly began to smile.  Chance was finally going to see how much it actually took to race dogsleds.  And since he was going to help pull it, he would have to care.  
After a final run through of the house to make sure everything was in order, Ashley opened the kitchen door and turned off the light.  Ushering Chance into her car, Ashley drove off to her house.  After all, they had a lot of training to do this summer.