Preface
This story takes place in the late 1970's in an alternate timeline where an event known as "The Bridge" took place. The Bridge happened in the year 1889, where suddenly a myriad of colorful gateways opened up around the globe, and out of them arrived monster-folk. These monster-folk looked like regular humans, except they possessed certain characteristics of animals, such as defining features, certain behaviors, and a wide arrange of heights. Met with distrust and fear at first, it took a while before these new people integrated into society. Treated harshly during their first 50 years in human society, they slowly got more rights as more people began to put their bigoted hatred aside and new inclusive laws were enforced, although it isn't close to equal yet, with hatred and distrust very much remaining throughout the world. Named 'faelums', the monster-folk have gotten to live mostly regular lives, with the world as a whole having started to change to accustom the variety faelums. There has also been a push for different initiatives to get as much use out of the faelums as possible.
One of the initiatives taken by the government of the US is to adapt certain willing farms to become government sponsored living arrangements, where faelums are to live and work at these large farms, with certain kinds of faelums, such as cattle-folk, being both regular workers and used to collect their produce, such as milk from cattle-folk. The faelums, and certain other humans, live at these farms rent free, with a small wage. These have started to grow in numbers, as the US, and most of the world, has to adjust to the increase in demand for food.
At one of these farms, is where this story takes place.
Chapter 1
"The papers are signed. It's time to move out," Alc Thompson said, showing the short boy the papers. Rain could be heard hitting the window like bullets, as the young man sat on his small bed, the imposing Mr. Thompson standing in front of him. "It's time to get you packed up boy." The young man didn't respond, he only stared out through the speckled window. "You're 19 now Belle. You knew this was coming. We can't keep stragglers around here on the farm, loitering around. This year you got to prove yourself, and you couldn't keep up. It was always the outcome. You knew that." Waiting for an answer, Mr. Thompson shook his head, ran his fingers through the hair at the temple, before sighing. "Ms. Day will come and pick you up in 20 minutes. Farewell Belle." Walking out of the small room, Belle was left alone.
Belle didn't have much. A few changes of clothes, a small collection of books on the one shelf which he had gathered during his upbringing, and his mother's locket. Just sitting in silence for a few minutes, he began to pack up his things. He'd gotten an old briefcase from Mrs. Thompson to use, which he put the books and clothes into. Staying in his room until Mr. Thompson called his name, Belle took one final look at the flower adorned wallpaper and his desk, before walking downstairs, the heavy briefcase in hand, which he almost had to drag behind him.
"Alright 'Cowboy', heh, on your way. Ms. Day should be here any minute," Mr. Thompson said, opening the front door to the roof-covered porch, the gravel driveway showing no signs of a car yet.
"But she isn't here," Belle said, looking up at Mr. Thompson.
"She should be. Any minute now. You can wait outside." Practically shoving Belle out the door, Mr. Thompson easily picks up the briefcase and places it outside, before firmly shutting the door and locking it. Looking a bit bewildered back at the door, Belle dragged the briefcase closer to the steps, before sitting himself down on the ground, looking out onto the large gravel covered yard, a shed along with a couple of trees blocking sight to the driveway from where he sat. Listening to the deafening downpour, Belle blankly stared out, his stomach feeling a little uneasy, a mixture of nervousness and excitement fighting a war inside of him. About five minutes later, Belle's ears perked up. The movement of gravel and the low humming of a car could be heard slowly approaching. Rolling into the front yard, was a large, deep red pickup truck, stopping in front of the porch. Through the car window, you could see a bit of movement as a woman pulled her hood up, before stepping out of the car.
"Why hi there cutie! My name's Megan Day! I'm here to pick up a smaller bull-boy. Could you bring me to him?" the woman shouted over the deafening rain. Taking long strides towards the porch, Belle began to stand up to meet Ms. Day. "Oh my! You really are a cutie sweetie! Could you please take me to the bull known as 'Belle'?" Ms. Day towered over the small boy, a bit more than a head taller than him. Her frame is obscured by her deep green raincoat, but there was definitely a curvaceous body underneath.
"I-I... Uhh..." Belle stammered, staggering back a little flustered as his knees grew weak.
"You don't have to be afraid, little girl. I'm not gonna hurt you. I am a little tall and all, but I'm really sweet, I promise!" Looking down at Belle with kind eyes, Belle began stuttering again.
"I-I... I'm n-not... I'm n-n-" Belle blushed fiercely, squirming in his spot. "Oh gosh... She thinks I'm a girl! I feel so flustered. I'm probably beet red..." he thought to himself.
"You seem a little flustered. I'll just head inside. I'm so sorry for bothering you sweetie," Ms. Day said, beginning to walk past the squirming androgynous boy. As she is about to knock, Belle pipes up.
"I'm B-Belle!"
"What?" The woman turns around to look down at him. "That can't be..." she said. Megan had been instructed by her parents to come to the Thompson Farm to pick up a smaller bull-boy. But the apparent boy in front of her had very few of the normal bull-boy features. He was so small, and slender, unlike the large and muscular bulls back at the farm. His ears were more flat, and his horns were small and cute. His rounded face lacked any hard edges, and his eyes were so big, glistening with a beautiful green color. It was obvious he was a cattle-folk, but he lined up much more with an underdeveloped cow-girl than with a bull-boy. "B-but... You're so small!" she exclaimed, before clasping her hands over her mouth. "I'm sorry sweetie for saying that. I didn't mean to insult you!"
"It's uh... Okay. I'm not i-insulted," Belle replied, growing redder in the face.
"My oh my... When I drove here I didn't expect... Well this! Are you sure you're Belle?" she asked, inspecting him up and down. He was dressed in baggy, newly washed clothes, obscuring most of his body's shape, aiding in his androgynous look.
"Y-yeah..." Belle answered, starting to gather himself.