Contamination

“Fired? Why?! What did I do?!”

Ms. Johnson shuffled the papers in front of her, searching for the correct page. “We received reports of you taking more than your allotted serum. In addition, you deliberately gave another employee a mermaid serum.”

“It was meant to be a joke!”

“She wasn’t laughing when she changed in public and was nowhere near water. You know the serums take time to work, and the mermaid takes the longest!”

The scientist sighed. “In retrospect, it wasn’t very well thought out. Come on though, it was meant to be funny!”

Looking over her glasses, Ms. Johnson frowned. “Antics like these aren’t anyone’s idea of funny. Even sitting here now, I can see a smile on your face. I’m sorry, but today is your last day.”

Grumbling, the employee got up and left the room. “Well then I guess I’ll just have to leave a parting gift.”

He had very little time before security would catch up to him. Pulling a syringe out of his lab coat, the man plunged it into a water jug, sending the contents into the nearly empty container. It was unfortunate that the jug was going to affect only a few people, but at the same time, the man chuckled to himself, knowing that the concentration of this serum, combined with the alterations he made, would make for an interesting ride! Seeing the security guard approaching, he hurriedly stuffed the syringe into his pocket, avoiding detection. He was ushered out of the building, then thrown onto the street.

Back in the building, a long, boring Friday meeting had just let out. Everyone returned to their respective offices just to gather their things, ready for a relaxing weekend. The four women in the accounting department, which was right next to human resources, each stopped to fill their water bottles up. A year ago, the four had taken a pledge to get themselves in shape, holding each other accountable since they spent so much time together. The pact has worked brilliantly, as all four had lost significant weight, while cleaning up their eating and drinking. Of course, that meant having a full bottle for the commute home! They all left at the same time, using the stairs rather than the elevator, before splitting off to their respective cars and driving home.

Friday 5:42 pm- Hanson Residence

“Honey? Are you sure you don’t need any help in there?”

Dawn shook her head as she cooked up a storm. While she had committed to eating healthier, her husband and two children didn’t quite share her newfound love of kale and quinoa. Due to that, she would have to cook two dinners at the same time, so they could all sit down together. Running around the kitchen had caused Dawn to drain her water bottle very quickly. Granted, half of it had already been consumed on the way home. Working furiously, she filled her water bottle up again, as it felt hotter than normal in the kitchen. In fact, it was so hot, Dawn had kicked off her shoes and socks, choosing to work on dinner barefoot.

Friday 5:48 pm- Jacobs Residence

“Come on Tina, get your sexy butt in the tub!”

Tina Jacobs giggled and finished off her bottle of water while dipping a foot into the hot tub, splashing her girlfriend with water. “Such a bossy woman! Lucky for you I happen to like that.”

Lowering herself into the tub, Tina snuggled up next to her curvaceous partner. “Dang Tina, I still can’t get over how good you look in a bikini. I mean you looked good when I met you, but now you are dynamite!”

Friday 5:56 pm- Lee Residence

Cho Lee looked at her reflection in the mirror one more time, ensuring her makeup was perfect. At thirty-eight years old, getting a date seemed to be an impossibility, but tonight, she was fortunate to be connecting with a really good man. They’d exchanged emails for months, trying to get their schedules to match up. The date was set for six thirty at a really nice steakhouse, so she wanted to ensure she was looking her best. Downing the last bit of her water bottle, Cho grabbed her purse and walked to the restaurant, which was only a quarter mile away.

Friday 6:01 pm- Garcia Residence

“Maria? The show is starting! Dinner’s on the coffee table!”

Hurriedly, Maria ran out to the living room, sitting down next to her husband on the couch. Friday nights were the one night where she allowed a bit of a cheat dinner. Her husband, who was trained as a chef, was instrumental in her weight loss success. “Where’s your water bottle sweetie? You always have it with you.”

“Oh shoot! I drank it all on the way home and left it in the car. It’s okay, I’ll grab it sometime tonight.”

She cuddled up next to him while they ate and watched their favorite sitcom. Maria’s bare feet rubbed against the carpet while she ate, as they felt a little itchy.

Friday 6:20 pm- Hanson Residence

“Dinner’s ready!”

The four sat down at the table, digging into the meal while Dawn caught up with the kids and husband about their day. While her daughter told her the story regarding the missing piece of candy in class, Dawn smiled while wiggling her toes under the table. Meals were the one time the whole family came together, so Dawn had a habit of making it last as long as possible. The son divulged a girl he liked in class, drawing oohs and aahs from everyone. “When are we going to meet this girl?”

While the boy blushed, Dawn nibbled on her chicken breast while under the table, her feet had grown paw pads, while light golden fur began to creep up her legs.

Friday 6:25 pm- Near the Steakhouse

Wincing, Cho cursed her footwear as the steakhouse came into view. Every fiber of her body wanted to throw her shoes into the garbage can, but she wanted to make a good first impression. The last block of walking felt as though she was nearing the end of a marathon, but she made it with a minute to spare. She smiled warmly as her date stood up to greet her. “They have our table ready Cho. May I escort you?”

As soon as she started walking again, Cho put on a brave face as her feet were throbbing. The moment they were seated in the booth, she slid her shoes off, sighing happily as the soles of her feet rubbed against the carpet.

Friday 6:40 pm- Jacobs Residence

“Oh wow! That feels so amazing!”

Tina moaned softly as her girlfriend massaged her feet. They were still in the hot tub, sipping wine and enjoying each other’s company. Tina kept her feet under the water, pressing one foot into her girlfriend’s thigh while she worked on the other foot. Seeing how happy the foot rub was making Tina, her lover rubbed harder, stopping only when she yelped out. “Ow Tina! I think you need to get a pedicure or something tomorrow. Your toenails are sharp!”

“Sharp? What? I got them done just last week!”

Tina lifted her foot out of the hot tub. Both the women gasped at what they saw. Her foot was thick, as were her toes. Instead of well-trimmed nails, Tina found them long and indeed, sharper. Her girlfriend finally broke the silence between the two of them. “Tina? What’s going on here?”

Friday 6:55 pm- Garcia Residence

“I knew that lady was the killer! Hey Maria? Are you okay? You’ve been really quiet for the last twenty minutes or so.”

Maria shifted, sitting up and looking at her husband. “Sorry love. I’m feeling kind of strange, but I can’t put my finger on it. Plus, I desperately need to go and shave.”

“Aww honey don’t even worry about that. Why don’t you bring those sexy feet over here so I can give them a proper rub.”

Giving a sly half-smile, Maria shifted to her side, placing her feet in her husband’s lap. It was no secret that he had a bit of a foot fetish, though Maria never confronted him about it. The way she figured, it was a guaranteed foot rub just about any time she wanted one! His thumbs pushed into her arches eliciting a low moan from Maria. His foot rubs were always nice however, this one felt even more amazing! His hands moved up her soles, stopping momentarily to look at the bottom of her feet. “Hey sweetie? You’ve got some really tough skin down here. How about I treat you to a pedicure tomorrow?”

Grinning from ear to ear, Maria nodded. “I think that’s a wonderful idea! In fact, why don’t I show you how much I love that plan.”

Standing up, Maria giggled and straddled her husband, making out with him on the couch. Despite the additional hair, her husband ran his hands up and down her legs. With their eyes closed, the session continued for a solid ten minutes. When they finally opened their eyes again, Maria’s husband’s eyes widened. “Love? I think you might be having a reaction to dinner or something. Your face is kind of… swollen.”

Friday 7:00 pm- Hanson Residence

“Mom, can we be excused?”

Dawn nodded and her two kids got up and left the table. Her husband leaned over, kissing her softly on the cheek. Before he could shift back to his seat, Dawn turned and licked his lips. Her tongue was longer than he remembered. “That was different sweetie. I don’t remember you licking me before!”

Giggling, Dawn reached for her fork but found it difficult to pick it up. Looking down, she gasped as her fingers looked swollen while her nails were longer, thicker, and slightly pointed. “Honey, I think something is wrong with me!”

Friday 7:07 pm- Jacobs Residence

“What should I do Tina? Call an ambulance?”

The two had gotten out of the hot tub and were in the living room, still in their bikinis. Tina shook her head as she stared at her hands. A thin layer of fur had covered her entire body over the past ten minutes and now, her hands had developed pads on them as well. “A hospital isn’t going to be able to do anything for me. I think you need to call my workplace. I remember hearing Ms. Johnson mention the orientation program for new recruits but that was implemented after I’d been hired. I didn’t drink anything though!”

“Tina, it’s not just fur either. Your bikini is falling off your body!”

Looking down, Tina gasped as she brought her hands up to her chest. “Oh my god, they are barely there!”

Indeed, her breasts had shrunk down to A-cups, if that even. With all the fur covering, her chest looked nearly flat.

Friday 7:10 pm- The Steakhouse

“I’ll have the porterhouse please. Rare.”

Normally Cho wouldn’t eat such a large meal, especially on a first date but her stomach was growling painfully. “Make that two. I’ll take mine medium rare please.”

The waiter nodded and left while the man slid his hand across the table, holding Cho’s hand. “You know, I’ve never had a date where the woman was so honest with their food choice. Usually they order a small salad or something. I really like that about you Cho.”

The compliment felt really good to her. So good that she found her backside wiggling in her seat. Just above the top of her skirt, her spine had lengthened, the end of it sprouting black fur. “Well I… guess I’m a bit hungrier than I thought.”

Cho continued rubbing her feet against the carpet under the table. Across the dining area, a child tugged on her mother’s sleeve. “Mommy look! That lady has paws for feet! Isn’t that cool?”

Friday 7:15 pm- Garcia Residence

Maria stared at her reflection in the mirror in horror. It wasn’t just her lips that were swollen. Her nose also looked larger, and longer as well. Holding her hands up, a thin layer of grey fur coated them, and was spreading up her arms as well. Maria heard her husband doing the dishes and turned toward the door. She’d never been able to hear anything kitchen related when in the bathroom before. Trembling slightly, Maria brought her hands up to her hair. When she pulled her hair back, her scream was ear piercing. Maria’s husband ran to the door, bursting through it. “What’s wrong? Are you…”

His eyes widened as Maria turned towards him, shaking uncontrollably. Her feet were covered in grey fur and would not be mistaken for human feet. They were, unmistakably, large canine paws. “Honey… something isn’t r-right with m-me.”

Friday 7:24 pm- Hanson Residence

Dawn’s children had come back to the table having heard their mother cry out. With their eyes glued to her hands, one of them began singing, “mommy’s got paws, mommy’s got paws…”

The other child looked under the table and gasped. “Mommy’s feet are paws too! How did you do that mommy? It’s so cool!!!”

While her kids were enamored with her new paws, her husband had a concerned look on his face. “Dawn? Do you have any idea what’s going on right now?”

“Maybe? I know the company I work for has this kind of technology. I’ve seen new interns get changed into dogs but I’m not an intern! Oh my god I’m sprouting golden brown fur now! Honey, you need to get the kids up to bed! I don’t feel like I can walk on these paws!”

Friday 7:30 pm- Jacobs Residence

“Jesus Tina, you’re shrinking!”

With all the changes, the two had gotten out of the hot tub and were now sitting on the floor in the living room. Tina had been hired just before the orientation program had been implemented so she wasn’t subjected to it. In addition, her desk was far enough away from human resources to where she never really heard anything about what was going on. Her girlfriend held Tina tight as she quivered in fear. “I don’t understand what… is h-happening. Don’t let go of me, please?”

“I won’t sweetie, no matter what.”

Tears began to fall from Tina’s eyes as black and white fur covered her hands and pawed feet. Not the tallest woman in the first place, Tina could tell she was at least six inches shorter and her perspective wasn’t seeming to get any better as time passed.

Friday 7:40 pm- The Steakhouse

“Cho? Are you… okay?”

“Of course I am. I’ve never felt better! You’ve been more than I could imagine for a first date.”

The waiter did a double-take as he brought the steaks out, placing them down on the table. The woman’s hands had a very thin black and white fur on them, but it was very noticeable. “Is there... anything else I can get for you?”

Turning to the waiter, the man asked for another bottle of wine. When he turned back to Cho, both he and the waiter stared. Cho was eating the massive Porterhouse however; the knife and fork were still sitting on the table. Cho had her face in the plate, tearing at the meat with her teeth, which were sharper, and larger as well. Within minutes, the steak had been completely consumed. Cho’s date cleared her throat, alerting her to the fact that she was being watched. Sitting up, her cheeks beet red with embarrassment, Cho looked into her date’s eyes and opened her mouth to speak. When she did, her tongue fell out of her mouth, now several inches longer than it should be.

Friday 7:45 pm- Garcia Residence

Maria laid down on the bed with her husband at her side. “Is there someone we can call at your work? Maybe someone can fix this.”

Looking up over her elongated nose, Maria whimpered. “There’s no one there. After the company meeting, the president wanted everyone to enjoy a full weekend and demanded everyone go home. All that will be there would be the night guard and they can’t help me.”

“Don’t worry Maria, I’m here for you. We will get through this.”

The fur had spread all across Maria’s body while her breasts began to shrink. At this point, she looked more dog than human. Her hands were full paws now and a tail had pushed out of her spine. If there was one positive to the transformation, most of the fat Maria was still carrying had disappeared, giving her an athletic looking body. “Sweetie, if I’m correct in what’s happening to me I need a favor from you. Can you drop me off at work on Monday? I’m not going to be able to drive and it would be a long run to get there.”

Friday 8:00 pm- Jacobs Residence

Now more than a foot shorter, Tina was held tightly by her girlfriend while staring into her eyes. The transformation seemed to be accelerating, as her arms and legs were shrinking down faster than the rest of her body. Tina’s ears had grown significantly, resting closer to the top of her head. “Sweetie? Do you know what kind of dog I’m turning into? My limbs are so short!”

“I’ve never been very good with dog breeds but…”

Tina shrunk another foot in the blink of an eye. While still sitting in her lap, she felt Tina’s backside get a bit larger and wider. At three feet tall, the black and white fur was thickening. “Oh my God Tina, I think you are turning into a Corgi!”

“That’s one of those little dogs, isn’t it?”

“Yeah… but they are freaking adorable too!”

Tina licked her teeth with a tongue much longer than it should have been. “You think I’m cute still?”

“Of course I do! It’s just a different kind of cute!”

Friday 8:10 pm- Hanson Residence

It took a lot of effort for Dawn’s husband to get the kids to lay down. They were so excited to see their mother becoming a dog, they didn’t want to go upstairs! When the husband returned to the living room, he found Dawn on her hands and knees, panting. Golden fur now covered her entire body and was on full display, as Dawn had wiggled out of her clothing. She looked up, her eyes as wide as saucers. “I can’t stand up. I can’t… my hips won’t let me stand up!”

Though on her knees, he could see her legs were becoming shorter as each minute passed. Eventually, Dawn sat back onto her feet and the sight was enough to make her husband cover his mouth. She looked exactly like a dog, begging for something. “Honey… I can’t believe I’m asking this… can you maybe come sit down on the couch and… pet me?”

He started to protest, but the look in her eyes melted his heart. Nodding, he sat down and Dawn jumped up onto the couch, landing on all fours. She laid down with her head in his lap. As soon as he started scratching behind her ears, Dawn felt herself relaxing, her tail wagging behind her. “That feels so wonderful sweetie! Don’t worry, I know that this is strange, but I’ll get it sorted out on Monday.”

“What is it Dawn? Is something wrong? Are you hurt?”

Dawn looked up at him, tilting her head. “What do you mean? I just said…”

The confused and concerned look on his face made Dawn stop talking. In fact, it finally occurred to her that she was no longer talking at all. Everything coming out of her mouth sounded normal to her, but all her husband could hear were a combination of barks and whines.

Friday 8:20 pm- The Steakhouse

“Mommy? Why couldn’t we bring Fluffy with us to dinner? That man got to bring his doggie!”

Cho seemed frozen in the booth. Ever since she’d been caught wolfing her steak down, everything felt like it was going in slow motion. The fur covered every part of her body and her muzzle has now fully formed. Her date was equally frozen in place, having just watched his first date in nearly a year, literally turn into a dog right in front of his eyes. The waiter dropped the check off and looked at the Cho, then to her date. “Sir, I don’t understand what’s going on here or how you started the night with a woman and are now sitting with a Dalmatian, but I have to ask you to leave. Animals are not allowed in this establishment.”

Turning to another table, the waiter flinched as he heard a low growl come from Cho. Her date picked up the pen to sign for the bill but Cho used her teeth to pull the pen out of his hand. He watched in amazement as Cho began scribbling something out on the paper. It wasn’t easy to read due to how scribbled the pen marks were, but he was able to make out most of it. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. Please don’t think less of me.”

Looking up, Cho jumped out of the booth, landing on all fours. It wasn’t exactly her idea of a good first date, but she was drawing some looks from customers that commented on how beautiful her coat was. Shame that they weren’t referring to the one she came in and was laying in the booth still. Cho turned back to the booth and grabbed her purse in her maw, before turning towards the door, running out as quickly as humanly possible.

Friday 8:30 pm- Garcia Residence

“You’re sure you want me to do this Maria? It feels so weird.”

Maria nodded, pushing her nose against the collar in her husband’s hand. It previously belonged to a Great Dane they had raised from a puppy. The Dane passed away from old age three months prior and, ironically, was named Mari due to the resemblance to Maria in attitude. Maria knew it was better to have some form of identification on her. It wasn’t like anyone would believe the greyhound standing in the living room was actually a human. Her husband slipped the collar around her neck and tightened it snugly. Maria licked his face and trotted over to the door, scraping her paw on it. “What, you want to go outside? You think that’s a good idea?”

Maria rolled her eyes and jumped up, resting her front paws on the kitchen counter where the leftover food still sat. She then went back to the door, scratched at it, and looked at her husband, who finally figured it out. “Oh! You have to go to the bathroom! Do I need to put a leash on you?”

The response was a loud, low growl which sort of resembled the sound Maria the human made when she was unhappy. “Okay, okay! Sorry I said that!”

Friday 8:45 pm- Jacobs Residence

Tina’s girlfriend giggled as her love, turned Corgi, rolled around on the ground. Corgi’s are known for frapping, or frantic rapid acts of play and after her transformation, Tina certainly had plenty of energy to burn. Granted, it was nervous energy but at the same time, rolling around was bringing a smile to her girlfriend’s face. “I never thought I was a dog person Tina, but you are so freaking adorable!”

Tina responded by licking the thigh of her lover while her backside wiggled back and forth wildly. Inside her long, furry, thick body Tina had a million questions running through her mind and wanted answers, but knew that at this point in time, all she could do was wait until Monday. It wasn’t all bad though. Surprisingly, Tina’s girlfriend was taking the craziness over the past three hours much better than she would have thought. “Come on Tina, let’s go watch some television. I’ll give you lots of belly rubs!”

Tina’s big ears perked up and ran alongside her girlfriend. She sat down on the couch as Tina tried to jump up. Her stubby legs made it far more difficult, causing Tina to fail a few times. Her girlfriend was just about to help her up when Tina made another leap, clearing the cushion and rolling up on the couch, exposing her white, furry belly. 

Friday 10:10 pm- Hanson Residence

Dawn began barking as she heard Cho barking outside. Her husband woke up and stumbled downstairs with Dawn leading the way. When he opened the door, a large Dalmatian bounded through immediately barking to the golden retriever. “Dawn! It’s Cho! What is going on?! Why are we dogs?”

Dawn’s husband could only stare as his wife and the Dalmatian barked back and forth for several minutes. When they stopped, Dawn nuzzled her husband’s hand while Cho jumped up on the couch, laying down and whimpering. The golden retriever jumped up as well and laid alongside the Dalmatian. Chuckling softly, Dawn’s husband walked over, placing a blanket over the top of the two. “A friend of yours, I assume?”

Dawn wagged her tail and nodded before nuzzling the Dalmatian.

Monday 9:00 am- The Office

Ms. Johnson walked down the hallway greeting fellow employees along that way. When she reached the accounting department, she stopped dead in her tracks. Sitting beside the four desks were a Corgi, a Dalmatian, a Greyhound, and a Golden Retriever. Standing next to the desks were two men and a woman. All four dogs whined at the same time, prompting Ms. Johnson to call the genetics department. Moments later, the head of the genetics department arrived in Human Resources. “Anna! Thank you for coming up here so quickly. It seems out accounting department has been altered. Can you help with this situation?”

Anna ran several tests on the four, analyzing the data. With Ms. Johnson, as well as the husbands of Dawn and Maria, and the girlfriend of Tina, Anna took a deep breath. “This strain of the genetic alteration program isn’t like the ones we normally use. It’s going to take some time for me to be able to make an antidote, as whomever did this intended for the subjects to be permanently changed. Don’t worry though! I’m certain I will be able to fix all four of you. In the meantime, though, I’m sorry to say that you’ll have to remain dogs. Ms. Johnson will ensure that each of you get collars and identification. Ms. Lee, since there’s no one to watch over you, Ms. Johnson will arrange accommodations for you.”

Dawn’s husband cleared his throat. “I’ll take care of her. Dawn could use some company, and someone to talk with.”

Maria’s husband stepped forward. “So wait, you mean this is permanent? I’m married to a dog now?”

The Greyhound snarled, making her husband apologize immediately. “Sorry sweetie, I didn’t mean to sound callous. I’m just freaked out is all. I can’t even understand you anymore honey.”

Tina’s girlfriend echoed the same sentiment. Anna thought for a moment and pulled Ms. Johnson to the side. Ms. Johnson then asked Dawn’s husband to come over to them. “We have an idea for Maria’s husband and Tina’s girlfriend, but we need your help. Would you be open to…”

Monday 12:00 pm- The Office

“You have my number right? If you need anything, just let me know!”

Dawn’s husband nodded and waved as he walked outside and opened up the back of his SUV. Dawn and Cho jumped in first, barking happily. He then turned to the two Greyhounds and two Corgis. “Hop on up! Our kids always wanted a dog, and at least for a little while, there are going to be plenty around!”

Maria and her husband both jumped up while Tina and her girlfriend whined, as they were too short to get up there. Chuckling, he lifted them both up, putting them in the back as well. Anna had given Tina and Maria’s significant others with a three-day serum. Now, everyone except for Dawn’s husband would be able to talk with each other. Furthermore, no one would be alone, and unable to communicate.

Monday 3:30 pm- An Apartment Across Town

“Dammit! How could I have been so stupid?!”

The man paced around his apartment on two very large canine paws. When he had been thrown out of the company, the syringe in his pocket had punctured his skin, injecting a trace amount of the serum he had worked to perfect. The problem was, there was enough serum in it to alter the scientist, but not enough to induce a full transformation. Staring in the mirror, the man cursed under his breath while stroking the muzzle protruding from his face. Neither his paws, nor his face had any fur. His face however, showed the stubble of a man who hadn’t shaved in a few days. 

To make matters worse, once he had gotten home, the ex-employee tossed the syringe and had taken out the trash. There was nothing left of the serum to work from, not that he had the equipment to do anything anyway. After infecting others, he couldn’t go back to his old job either, as that would incriminate him! Other than a dog’s face and paws for feet, the rest of him was unchanged. 

“What am I supposed to do now?”