I sighed. Tonight was a long night at the Burger-Hut. It was midnight and I was driving home after closing for the night. Despite working at a fast food place for a living, the pay wasn't bad due to me being a manager. In fact, being the head-manager of the building actually allowed me to live rather comfortably.
I was also the youngest manager in the company's history. I joined Burger-Hut's staff when I was sixteen and here I am, still working for the place at the age of twenty-five. I stayed because during my time there, the place grew on me. Nine years of hard work led me to the point of where I am now.
My home was in a wooded part of town where there were few neighbors. The house was rundown when I first bought it, but my grandfather had raised me well. He taught me early-on that the hands-on method is the best method, and how to turn the shoddiest of materials into durable works of art. I called him up and after a few short weeks, we made the home both livable, and beautiful. For five years, I have been proud to call this place home.
I was driving down the heavily wooded road that led to my street. I couldn't wait for tomorrow. It was the start of my week long fishing trip with my grandfather. I love my job, I just need a vacation every now and then.
As I was driving home, a black tabby cat fell from the overhead branches. Due to both our paths, it hit my windshield while I was going at forty miles an hour. I couldn't see, my windshield spidered and covered by the remains of the poor animal. I panicked and instinctively rose my hands to protect my face, even though I logically knew the windshield wouldn't shatter. My fear only rose as I felt my car leave the road. Before I knew it, I hit a tree and felt the unimaginable pain of a branch piercing my heart before ultimately feeling my body fail.
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I gasped and pushed myself up off my back as consciousness rushed back to me. How am I alive? The crash... Somehow I survived. I put my hand over my heart to calm myself and noticed something odd. Fur? Looking down, I saw my work outfit. It was a pair of black pants with a purple shirt. Where the burger logo used to sit, was a hole where the branch pierced my chest. But through that hole wasn't a wound, but black and gray striped fur. This fur seemed to cover my arms and, by my guess, everything. I heard a rustle in the grass behind me, but along with the rustling, I also felt the grass with my... tail?
Turning my head around to look behind me, I saw that I did indeed have a tail. The tail looked like that of a black tabby's. Did... did me and that cat become one and the same?
No... let's not think about that. That route only leads to madness. The only way is forward. Standing up, I note that my legs, just like my arms, are still like those of a human. They feel more powerful though, like the actual legs of a cat. As I stretched to loosen myself up a bit and work out the kinks, I found that I was much more flexible. I had just as much flexibility, if not more, than a house cat. That seems pretty normal, considering I used to do gymnastics and the fact that I kind of am a cat now. Looking around, I noted that these trees don't look like the ones around my home-town. The air here even felt different. It felt saturated in something foreign. Something I never felt before.
Nothing bad, just different.
I noticed that I just passively more aware of my surroundings. My eyes allowed me to spot a mouse among the underbrush. I could smell and hear the creatures around me, some very familiar, while others completely foreign. Among the sounds, I heard a river nearby. Figuring that it was as good a direction as any, I began to walk to it.
When I got to the river, I was expecting a cloudy looking stream. What I got was actually crystal clear water that actually looked safe to drink, Which I was thankful for as I was getting thirsty. It also gave me a good look at myself.
I looked like a some furries OC. Except without all of the edginess. All jokes aside, I looked like an anthromorphic black and dark gray striped cat with blue eyes. I opened my mouth and found that my teeth were just like a cats. I assumed that meant I was now a carnivore instead of an omnivore. That might cause some problems in the future.
I'm trying not to think about the loss of my humanity, or the loss of everything I knew and loved; including my life. The best way to do that is to have a goal in mind. I'll find civilization, and maybe even from there find my way home. Right now, the best way for me to do that is to follow this river. But which way?
Almost as soon as I thought of that, I spotted something flowing downstream. Walking over, I picked up what appeared to be a little gray horse doll wearing spotted blue underwear. Whatever was in the air was absolutely saturating this doll. I felt a small... need, to own this doll. As I examined it, the urge grew stronger; as if this doll was more valuable than gold. My head began to hurt and I urged myself to resist it, telling myself that it was just a soggy doll that some little girl probably lost.
Just like that, the pain was gone. and so was the urge to own it. In fact, the doll just felt like a normal doll. Nothing odd, just a toy. Shrugging it off, I began to head upstream to where the toy came from. Sure, my appearance would most likely be startling to anyone that sees me. I'm hoping that returning this doll will show that I'm not bad though.
Without further ado, I began my quest for civilization.
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The forest felt a little eerie, like something was always watching me. When ever I look behind me, I would just see nothing but trees and bushes. Not even my heightened senses told me that I was being hunted. There was just a sense of danger in the air. I was happy when the trees thinned and the forest ended. The river continued to run under a little bridge next to a house that looked like it was made of stone with a grass roof. The building was surrounded by trees and bird houses and animals.
There were so many! Animals of all sizes congregated around this house, as though they were all pets. Animals that normally would be unable to live together were here in perfect harmony. One looked out of place, however. It looked like butter yellow pony with long pink hair. What was even weirder was the fact that it had wings and the image of three butterflies on it's rear. It's features were out of proportion. It's head looked bigger than it should, same with the eyes. Rather than making it hideous, it instead made it look adorable. A man is never afraid to admit cuteness. It appeared to be entering the house.
I guess I should approach and look for the owner. Maybe they can give me some information about where I am.