This story is a foray into a hybrid of two categories I really enjoy reading and writing. I'd love to hear feedback on it! Its a fairly open ended storyline and I have some ideas already, but feel free to comment with your own.
Please do not repost or redistribute the story in any form. And do remember to vote and leave feedback.
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He stared down in curiosity at the large fur paw that seemed to be attached to his arm. Even more curious was the long furry arm attached to the paw. He tried shaking his head free of this strange vision, but only discovered that his vision was partially blocked by a wet, black nub that resembled a nose. Cautiously, he pushed himself up from the awkward curled stage that he found himself in. Laughing to himself at the silliness of his dream, he realized that his body stayed planted on four feet.
"What the hell," he thought out loud, only to hear a strange growl emerge from his throat. He tried shaking his head again, but with no better results than before. Instead, only a few twigs and other woodsy items dropped to the green grass beneath him.
Weird, he thought again. Weird, weird dream. Need to stop drinking so much caffeine before I go to bed.
Looking around, he spotted his house in front of him, the familiar scents of home drawing him closer. Awkwardly he paced towards the large white structure, the navy door, and azalea's his mother loved so much. His stomach growled hungrily, as he tried to conceptualize what his psychology professor would say about this dream.
It got even weirder when his mother and younger sister stepped out the back door, worried looks on their faces. Seeing him, both of their faces brightened.
"C'mere boy, c'mere Lucas," his mother whistled, watching him as he wandered closer and closer. His little sister Athena whistled repeatedly, and he found himself drawn inexorably towards the sound. Really fucking weird, he thought. The two familiar faces continued their little heckling calls, and if it weren't for the instinctive feeling to obey, he would have been insulted.
"That's my Lucas," she whispered as she knelt and scratched his head. This would be seriously insulting to any other twenty year old college student, but this dream made it seem natural. The gentle but firm brush of her fingers behind his ears put a shiver down his spine. Lucas thought for a moment that the sensation might be better than sex. "Let's go inside, shall we?"
He simply panted his happy reply, as long as her fingers remained behind his ears. When she rose to move into the house he let out a pained whimper. Please, he begged.
"C'mon. I'll scratch you more later. We need to get you inside before the neighbors see us playing with a big doggy," his mother answered his plaintive cry.
He would have thrown a fit if he were the full grown young man he normally was. But it was a dream, and he was curious what else it had in store for him.
The moment he passed over the threshold of the sliding glass door, a wave a familiar scents, sounds, and experiences assaulted him. His nose jerked this way and that, tracking cleaning products, perfume, sweat, dust, cooking, and so much more. His mind reeled as it tried to track all of the dozens of smells that filled the area. His sister and mother just laughed behind him as he put his nose to the floor and raced around the kitchen and dining nook.
Everything had a smell- half of them he could identify, and half of them he could discern made up larger more complex scents that was more familiar with. The smell of home was a bizarre combination of chemical, air, and lifestyle. It had him dizzy with interest.
He wouldn't stop until his sister grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pulled him away from the gap beneath the fridge.
"C'mon. You can investigate later," she said as he gave him a big tug on his hair. He responsively whirled, his large jaw snapping at a hand that quickly evaded his bite. "Bad brother, very bad brother." She swatted him across the nose and his eyes watered from the hit. He snapped again, but his mother had him by an ear and was pulling it painfully.
"Even if you are one, we won't behave like animals in this house. You got me?"
He tried to tell her he would obey but all he could manage was a sad sounding bark.
"Let's not have to do that again, huh Lucas?"
He nodded his head as best as possible.
"What are we going to do with him," Athena asked.