FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The mid-day rush of people frantically making their way to or from lunch swarmed around Kelly as she dodged along the wide, hot sidewalk. Her muted apologies (Sorry!, Excuse me!, I'm so sorry!) were smothered by the buzzing of conversations, traffic and the sound of the world around her. At a little over five feet tall and a tiny bit under 110 pounds, she felt like a (Duck? Water bug? Hamster in a hamster ball thing?) fighting the raging current of a monstrous river. She grinned at the thought of a hamster furiously scrambling in a floating ball before apologizing to a faceless stranger that accidentally elbowed her.

The crowd thinned a few blocks later as she neared her favorite little diner. As was her habit, she glanced at herself in the large windows of the Macy storefront to see if anything was out-of-place. Skirt still where it should be? Check. No under-the-boob sweat spots on my blouse? Check. No toilet paper trailing on my flats- Kelly stopped and turned to look across the street.

An old woman sat in a pile of clothes on the sidewalk across from where she stood. The woman looked proud with her straight back and gray hair pulled into a tight ponytail, slightly lined face staring impassively straight ahead. A small sign written in meticulous letters proclaimed, "I need no money - simply a little food, please." The lady sat cross-legged with her hands folded in the faded red fabric of her dress. Her eyes were a calm reflection of the few clouds that passed overhead.

Kelly bit her lip while watching. Nobody looked at the woman and the woman watched nothing but the space in front of her. She turned back and continued down the block, turning a the small building squeezed between two skyscrapers. The little ding! ding! of the bell over the door greeted her. A large black man behind the small kitchen window yelled out to her, "Kelly, ma chere! Sit down, honey, and I'll bring you your sandwich."

Kelly stood by the register in the front, relishing the sudden quiet and familiar smells. The world felt slow here. Looking through the old, dusty large front windows made the city outside seem like a movie playing at a drive-in theater on a warm summer night. Even the tiny motes of dust floating in the buttery yellow sunlight seemed lazy. "Make it two, Papa Joe. With soup, please? To go."

An older, slim black woman in a crisp, pristine yellow dress looked up from the table she was waiting on. "That for that new man of yours, girl? I told you to bring him 'round so we can meet him. You hidin' him from us?"

Papa Joe's deep chuckle echoed from the back. "Now, Mama, you leave her alone. You know I'm the only man for her." The men (all men today, she noticed) sitting around the small room laughed and Kelly blushed. Papa Joe winked at her from his little kitchen in the back.

"Joseph Keller! You get back to your grill and mind your own business. No woman could stand you no matter how much you wink and croon or I'd have grandchildren by now. Couldn't even fit through the church doors for your own wedding even if you did fool some poor girl into marryin' you." The woman's bony hands flicked imaginary specks of nothing off of the tiny white flowers dotting her dress. A man at the table to her side raised his empty water glass up to her and she turned to him, slapping his hand. "Mr. Stockwell, if you think I'm gonna carry that glass over to fill it up, you have another thought coming to you. You wait till I come around with the pitcher like everyone else." The man took his glass back, momentarily chagrined at the rebuttal. He grinned, though, and his friends made fun of him while Mama walked to the next table.

From the back, Papa Joe raised his voice in song, "Welllll, I remember the sound of the wind through the tree as I sat so young on papa's knee! Mama in her dress and..."

Kelly turned away to look through the stained windows. She could see the old lady at the corner of the street, still in the same position. She wondered if she should've brought the woman into the diner. You couldn't be mad here, or unhappy, and she thought the other woman could use some relaxing in her life. Or something. But, another part of her worried that the old woman would fracture the idyllic peace of the place. There was a hardness around her that Kelly could see even from a distance. No, better to bring food to the woman. She closed her eyes, taking in the murmuring conversations dotted with Mama's sharp interjections and Papa Joe's fine, deep voice. Her body relaxed in increments as it always did when she was here.

A gentle voice at her side woke her from her revelry. "Here y'are, child. Careful with the soup so they don't spill. And you don't mind me askin' after your business. I'm just an old woman that don't know no better and I just worry after all of y'all. Bring that man of yours in whenever you want and we'll cook up something for the both of you. And you watch yourself with that drifter 'cross the way. I don't like her. On with you now." The old woman turned her body slightly while keeping her eyes on Kelly's face. "I heard that remark, young Mr. Green! You can forget yourself having another glass of Coke. Callin' a woman like myself old. I'm addin' to your bill for that one, you better believe it and I'll be wantin' an apology, too."

The little bell rang again as Kelly opened the door, the sudden flood of noise drowning out Mr. Green's "Awwww, Mama..." behind her. Everything was sudden too bright, too loud and too fast around her. She held the paper bag close to her chest while she watched and waited for a chance to cross the street. A bicyclist in advertisement-laden white Speedo and a large curved bike helmet zipped past in the bike lane, tires whirring as he passed.

With the light changed to red and no cars turning right, the street was empty and Kelly scrambled across to the other sidewalk. She approached the old woman cautiously, unsure of what to do; she'd never met a homeless person quite like her. As she neared, the old woman spoke, her voice slow and gravelly, "I thought it might be you. Sit with me, little one. Will you share your food with an old woman?"

Kelly paused, heart in her throat. She didn't sound crazy. Well, her words sounded a little off but they were put together. And that accent, she wondered, European? Russian? No, that's not right, nothing is just Russian any more, was it? It's all Bulgarian or Czechoslovakian or something, right? Now the woman finally turned to look at her. "Well?" She asked.

"I... yes. Yes I'll sit with you." Up close she could see the woman's eyes and they were a mixture of green and brown and hidden golden flecks. Kelly sat a few feet away, facing the woman. "I bought some soup and a sandwich. You don't have any food allergies, do you?"

The woman watched her closely. She sat as if she'd never move again, perfectly still. Nearly predatory. Kelly found herself having to remember to breathe now and again. The pressure of the woman's gaze was intense and she never seemed to blink. "No. I have no such things. Do you know? I have sat here since dawn. Here in this cluttered, noisy place. Never once did anyone offer their sympathy or their food. This food, it is not yours but I will accept it."

Kelly tilted her head. "But, it is mine. I paid for it."

"Yes, you've paid for it. It is not made by your hand nor from grains you've reaped or animals you've hunted. I will not fault you for it, child of the city. Thank you for the food you're sharing." The hands that reached for the wrapped sandwich were weathered but strong. Long, slightly stained fingernails tipped each finger. They weren't blackened by the grime of the city or... whatever homeless people seem to get on their hands - it was as if she'd spent the day working the ground. The woman herself had an earthy smell about her. But, deeper than that in some way. Things stirred in the shadows of Kelly's dreams and she shifted uncomfortably against the feeling.

"You're welcome," she told the older woman. "May I ask? What's your name? I'm Kelly."

"I'm-" the woman paused briefly. "It doesn't matter. The sandwich is very good, even if the woman in the store dislikes me. It is well made. Tell me of yourself, Kelly. Sit and talk with an old woman."

"I... what do you want to know?" The old woman made an ambiguous hand gesture while her sharp teeth bit into the thick sandwich. Kelly swallowed and continued. "Okay. I'm 23 and I work at a bookstore a few blocks away. I like to paint - that's what my degree is in. Art. Basically. It's, well, basically art. I also sketch and draw and I get commissioned sometimes. Online, mostly. That's, I mean, the Internet. Where I get commissions. Sometimes. If I could bring myself to draw naked women, I'd be able to do a lot more commissions but I can't seem to do it. Wow. Wow, I'm just babbling, aren't I? I'm so sorry. I just kind of-"

"Stop apologizing, child." The woman's voice was sudden and stern. "And? Is there a man in your life? Someone keeping you warm at night?"

Kelly blushed. "There's... there's... yes. But, no. He doesn't live with me. We only recently decided to be exclusive. After four months. He asked but I wasn't seeing anyone else anyway. He's... he's a very nice man. I like him a lot. I've known him four months now. Wow, the time flies. Four months. Um. Um. We're going slow with things. Like... but... not... augh!" Kelly hid her face against her knees. Her voice was slightly muffled when she continued. "I'm shy. Sometimes I worry I'm too slow and dumb for him. My family was strict and I worry I don't know what to do. He's... he's my second boyfriend. And the first one dumped me after a month when I said I wouldn't sleep with him yet. Why am I telling you this? I'm so sorry."

The old woman reached her hand out to place it on Kelly's small shoulder. "Because I asked you to tell me. And so you have. I would take you and teach you purpose and confidence but our paths lie separate. I will go now, young woman. You have my thanks and my blessing. May it give you strength." Kelly felt the woman's hand against her own and then something pressed into her palm. She peeked with one eye to see what it was and gasped to see a large, heavy gold coin shining brightly.

Kelly gasped, eyes wide. "I can't ta-!" The woman was gone. There was an empty sandwich wrapper rocking slightly in the wind but no trace of the woman. Not a single sign that she was here and nowhere for her to go so quickly.

A sudden searing pain bloomed in her hand and Kelly screamed, dropping the coin. Except, no coin fell to the ground. She grabbed her right wrist, feeling the hand pulse with pain but, when she turned her hand over, nothing was there. The palm of her hand was reddened but there was no burn and she could already feel the pain lessening. She clenched her fist over and over again as the nerves in her hand slowly stopped screaming. Opening her hand completely, Kelly caught faint white lines traced in a vague shape amongst the many creases crisscrossing her palm. Like a fancy optical illusion, the lines seemed to vanish into the wrinkles of her flesh.

Kelly stood and immediately fell against the cold marble of the building next to her. Bright pins of light exploded in her eyes and the world darkened around her. The back of her neck broke into a cold sweat and for a brief, terrible moment, she wasn't sure whether she was still standing or not. Her ears rang with a loud screeching sound while she tried to tell if the surface against her side was the building or the sidewalk. Slowly, lights and sounds returned to her. She was standing and gasping for air, arms hugged around her slight form. The cold sweat ran from her neck to her legs and then turned warm before passing. She spent several minutes just breathing before she dared to move.

The old woman left no mark, no disturbed dirt or trash or any trace of her existence other than the discarded paper from her sandwich. Kelly bent, careful of her balance, and cleaned up. Her own stomach roiled at the thought of eating her food so she took her the diner's paper bag with her as she threw away the bits of trash in the nearby bin. Her earlier good mood was gone, replaced with a strain behind her eyes and a dull ache near her ears. She caught herself nearly yelling at someone as they bumped into her and, instead, focused on her feet and controlling her temper. Once back at the book store where she worked, she gave muted assurances to her coworker's worries.

It took her manager gently telling her to go home before she realized she was simply staring at the books rather than reshelving them. Her stomach was in knots and the pounding in her head was getting worse. Her coworker gave her a ride back to her apartment and she spent nearly the entire trip huddled into a small ball, gripping the seat belt. She couldn't remember if she said anything or embarrassed herself or simply said nothing and the walk from the car to her bedroom was dream-like. She finally collapsed into her bed, still dressed in her work clothes. Bright sunlight filtered through her cheap blinds, covering her in curving bands of light and shadows until sleep finally, mercifully took her.

Kelly startled awake, gasping for air and then wincing at the pain behind her eyes. She was completely covered in blankets and it was dark outside. Silvery moonlight glowed around the edges of her closed blinds. Someone was sitting at the edge of the bed but she was having a hard time focusing her eyes. When she spoke, the words caught in her throat. Her mouth was completely dry - lips stuck to teeth and tongue clung to the roof of her mouth.

The form stirred and reached for her. "Hey, you."

David, her mind told her. She relaxed, sighing, both pleased he was there and wishing he wasn't seeing her like this. His voice sounded warm and careful. "Hey," she whispered back to him.

He brought his hand to her face, brushing a loose strand hair away from her eyes. She tried to shrink away from him but her body felt incredibly heavy. Instead, she closed her eyes and pushed slightly against his hand. His touch was comforting. "I went to your work to give you a ride home and they told me you were sick so I came here. I hope it's okay? I used the key you gave me last week. Oh, and Sally said you forgot your lunch in her car so I brought it. It's in the fridge. Can I make you anything? Or bring you anything?"

She shook her head slightly. "No," she rasped. "Yes. Water. Please." Her small bed shifted slightly as he stood and she heard him clinking around in her kitchen - still a stranger to how she arranged her kitchenware. Eventually she heard her faucet run and then he returned, kneeling by her bed. When she tried and failed to sit up, she felt his hand work its way under her head and then slowly and carefully lift her. She could feel her own sweat against his cool hand. He tipped the water glass against her lips and she nearly choked on the first sip. With small gulps, she finished the entire glass. "Thank you," she told him. Her throat hurt. Her head hurt. He whole body ached.

David brushed more hairs away from her face and she smiled at him. Or tried to. "Do you want me to stay? I could sleep on the couch and make you breakfast. Or hold your hair back if you have to throw up. Although, I charge extra for the clean-up afterwards." He chuckled lightly, tracing his finger along the side of her face. She rubbed back against him again.

Yes, she thought, please stay. "No. I'll be fine. Just. Just need rest." Her breathing came in gasps. The effort of an actual conversation made her heart rate speed up.

"You're surprisingly stubborn, Kel. But I'm the same way some times. I put your phone on your night stand in case you need to call and it's plugged in. Your left overs are in the fridge and I'll refill your glass and put it by your phone. Promise you'll call if you need anything?" She watched him stand and wished she could see the way his forehead creased when he was worried about something. She liked to count his wrinkles when he did that. She'd always tell him that he was like a tree, adding new wrinkles for every worry in his life and he'd soon look like one of those funny little dogs with too much skin for their own good.

"Yes," she told him simply and even that took effort. "I will." She closed her eyes again and listened as he moved around to pick up and refill her glass. She heard the deadbolt click loudly before he spoke again.

"Good night, Kelly. Call me? When you're better or if you need anything. You promised."

She nodded even though she knew he couldn't see her. The door opened and then closed again and her body relaxed when David locked the deadbolt. Her lower back ached as if she'd been lying for too long and she couldn't seem to find a comfortable position. The blankets were too heavy and hot but she worried she'd freeze without them. Her short, auburn hair lay in sweaty clumps on the pillow around her. The pale light permeating the room blinked out as a cloud slowly obscured the face of the full moon. Kelly tittled her head to look over at the window, small, delicate cheekbones dotted with small beads of sweat. She held her breath as her eyes focused on the window. Mesmerized. Slowly, moonlight dawned again and her breath rattled out of her through suddenly clenched teeth.

---

David stared at his phone for the millionth time. Three days and I haven't heard a thing. Do I call? Is that too needy? I hate this stuff. Why can't it be more simple? If I want to call, I should just call. Right? Dammit. But I told her to call me if she needs something. What if she's dead? I should just- His phone rang to sudden, heart-stopping life as his hand hovered over it. "Jesus fucking Christ!" David yelled. He answered the call with a frantic swipe when he saw who it was.

"Kelly?" He could feel his heart hammering against his chest.

"David! Hi! It's Kelly! Oh, but you already said that. Hello! I'm all better!" Kelly's voice was a raging torrent of enthusiasm in David's ear. He held the little phone out from his face but grinned while doing it. "Do you want to come over tonight for a little I'm-Not-Dying celebration?"

"That sounds like a great idea, Kel. Is 7 a good time? I'm really glad you're doing better. I'll bring some cheesecake, yeah? And a movie?" Shit. Romantic comedy? Action? Drama? Maybe a romantic comedy. She likes them. I can suffer through some with her. Oh, right. The one. With the guy from Star Trek and Inception. Ummm... This Is War or something. That looked funny as hell and she'll like it.

Kelly's laugh trickled through the phone and David felt a warm emotional rush from it. He loved the way she laughed - her face made little dimples and she hid her mouth while she did it. It was one of the most adorable things he'd ever seen. He'd always wondered what writers meant when they said someone's eyes sparkled and it took Kelly to show him.

"That, sir, is a date but make it 6, okay? I may even give you a little kiss for your efforts. And the cheesecake. But, just a little one. See you in a few hours!" The connection clicked off and David cocked his head to the side slightly. He'd yet to see this playful side of her but he liked it because usually she was quite reticent towards sex and even intimacy. Still, his pulse quickened at the thought of a quiet evening with Kelly and a simple kiss at the end.

---

David stood at the door in his faded blue jeans and simple brown t-shirt. Ignoring the doorbell (he always thought it was rude or lazy to use a doorbell first) he knocked three times and waited. He held a grocery bag in this left hand with two plastic containers of a cherry cheesecake and a plastic container with the movie "This Means War" inside.

There was a muffled "Just a min-ow!" from inside the apartment followed by muttered, low grumbling. The plain white door (apartment 12, with the number '2' slightly crooked) rattled for a second. David heard Kelly mumble something under her breath before the deadlock clicked open and the door swung wide.

He nearly dropped the bag he was carrying.

Kelly, the shy and unassuming young woman he was slowly falling in love with, stood before him in a low cut, green top and a loose skirt. He could smell the subtle hint of some perfume from where he stood and he caught himself sniffing to try to catch more of it. She'd made herself up with light touches of coloring around her eyes and cheeks and a dark lipstick. Her small, nearly pearl white teeth seemed to flash brilliantly through the deep velvet redness of her lips. His eyes strayed to her breasts before shooting back up to her eyes. She was blushing and it only added to the effect. It took an enormous amount of effort for David to restrain himself from staring at how beautiful she was. The urge to take her in his arms, press his lips against hers and hold her against the wall was sudden and fierce.

"I," he started, swallowing again to continue, "I didn't dress up. I. You look amazing." He'd known she was pretty but she hid herself well - something forced on her from her childhood. Something she was still struggling with.

"I banged my elbow on the wall and forgot to unlock the door. Hi! And, oh, don't worry about dressing up! I- well, I wanted to try and we're not going out so I thought it would be safe. Don't tell anyone but I had to watch some Youtube videos on how to do my makeup." Her blush fled from her checks to the top of her chest and David's eyes followed its retreat, pausing to wonder at the way her shirt exposed the tops of her breasts.

"I won't tell anyone. I promise. But why in the world, Kel? I mean, holy cow look wonderful but what's the occasion?"

Her eyes flicked up to his and then down again. "A date with a handsome man." Looking down, he saw she was digging her toe into the carpet. "Am I pretty, David?"

His throat was suddenly dry and his answer came out as a rasp. Thirsty, dying of thirst but not for water. "Yes. Very pretty. You've always been pretty to me, Kelly." He stood close, resting his hand on her side. She looked up and their eyes met. Such simple brown eyes, he thought. But, I could drown in them tonight. Hungry and wary and scared eyes.

Kelly's lips parted slowly as her eyes closed. David leaned in, hesitating for only a moment before touching his lips to hers. He very carefully brought his hands around to her lower back and shoulders - safe areas for her at the moment. When he felt the tentative touch of her tongue against his lips, he almost pulled back but Kelly's arms were suddenly around him, holding him tightly. He opened his own mouth and their tongues met. Kelly moaned softly as her mouth opened wider for him. David mentally cursed himself - his hand was groping her ass and she writhed against the touch. He pulled his hand up and around her back, gripping her side. Her own fingers were gripping his short, curly hair.

She turned and he followed, her back pressed against the doorframe. She moaned again as her body pressed slightly against him. Kelly reached up with her right hand, gripping the doorframe, arched her back. Before he could stop himself, David bent down to her neck, kissing her roughly, reaching down again to grab her ass through the soft fabric of her skirt. Her body shook against him and his teeth were suddenly on her neck, biting her only somewhat gently. Kelly's leg wrapped around his own leg and she used it to pull him even closer.

"Yes," she moaned above him. "Yes, please." Her own fingers clawed at his back and hair, holding him hard against her. "David, please." Her voice was breathless. Needy. He could feel the heat from her chest, from the blood rushing like mad through her body.

It took every ounce of willpower to push himself away and Kelly whined in frustration when he did. David stood in the hallway, panting, staring at Kelly. Her shirt was half off and he could see her plain white bra. Her lipstick had smeared at some point. She looked frantic but a cloud of doubt passed over her face.

"Oh," she said. "Oh. I'm. I'm right here in the hallway, aren't I? We were- Oh." He'd thought she was blushing before but Kelly's face turned an incredible shade of crimson as she worked through what happened. "David, I'm... I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"No, hey, no. It wasn't anything you did." Tears were forming in the corner of her eye. "It was, hey, no. It wasn't anything wrong. I just had to stop it. It's too soon, Kelly. God knows I want it but, Kelly, it's too soon for you." He reached for her and she came to him, so small now against his chest. "Hey, it's okay." David kissed the top of her head as he held her. Feeling her hot tears.

Time passed before she could talk. "Thank you," she told him. "Thank you. I don't know what happened. I think... I think I should be alone tonight. I'm sorry. I ruined our evening. I wanted. I wanted a nice night with you. You don't hate me, do you?"

David sighed against the top of her head. "Of course not, Kel. I know it'll take time. You'll call when you're okay to talk?" He felt her nod against him. "Good. I'm sorry about tonight, Kelly but I'm there if you need to talk." She nodded again and David decided it was time to go. Sometimes he hated her parents deeply for what they did. He pulled away from her and gathered up the grocery bag. "Here, I'll leave you the cheesecake like I promised. Be good." He touched the side of her face, feeling the warmth and the wetness of the tears. She closed her eyes and rubbed against his hand. With a last kiss on her forehead, he turned and left.

Only when she texted later that night did David relax and the worry of whether he'd broken something left him. I'm all right, she wrote. I miss you and our evening together. I'll call in a few days. Sweet dreams, David.

---

Over the next few weeks, David and Kelly restarted their relationship. Slowly. Carefully. On the third date after that night, Kelly wore the same outfit - outside of her apartment. At first, she refused to look at anyone around her but as the night wore on, she raised her head and started smiling again. When an older couple remarked on what a handsome couple they were, Kelly grinned with her teeth and pressed up against David, laying her head against him briefly.

After every date, David walked Kelly to her apartment and stood carefully in front of her door. Some nights Kelly would blush and very clearly not look at the doorframe and other times she blush and wink at him as he kissed her (mostly) chastely good night.

They talked a lot - a good bit about her parents and the near cult they were involved in that started with a group of born again Christians. She was sixteen years old when she worked up the nerve to ask a classmate for help. A government investigation was eventually launched and her classmate's parents took her in. Two years later, Kelly's family and the whole group moved to Arizona and set up a compound. She never heard from them again but she bore the scars still. The fact that she was still a virgin with intimacy issues was just one of the many lingering struggles she had to deal with.

Nearly a month after the night of their canceled date, Kelly opened her door and then turned to look at David. She wore a long red summer dress with a pattern of white tropical flowers. Her lips were a new shade of red and she had her short hair held back, showing her neck and ears clearly in the bright overhead light. David's eyes traced the gentle curve of her neck and then up to her slight jawline.

She smiled for him. "I think I could fall in love with you, David." And, with that, she closed the door.

David barely remembered the walk home. All he saw in his mind's eye was the figure of her standing in her doorway as if she were a particularly sultry dame in a 1950's pulp crime novel. Her voice was husky as the hallway filled with a mysterious smoke. "I love you, David," she told him in his daydream, one hand on her thigh, slowly revealing more and more leg through the cut of her dress. Over and over. But, when he dreamed that night, it was just Kelly - just her smiling for him.

His heart soared.

David woke to a small flashing light on his cellphone. A short text from Kelly greeted him: G'morning handsome! Dinner at my place tonight? 7? David's finger hesitated over the virtual keyboard. A small part of him wondered whether it was too soon still, whether she was trying to push herself for him. In the end, he decided they would work through it like adults, and he would just try to restrain himself if they moved too fast. Gladly, he answered back.

The day passed quickly for David. He answered emails from clients, negotiated a new software agreement with a school district and narrowly avoided being forced to have dinner with his boss to congratulate him on closing the sale. There was no humanly possible way he was missing his date tonight.

Near 6 pm, David stood in front of the mirror, trimming his short beard and humming some random song from the radio. When his phone buzzed, he woke it and frowned at the text from Kelly: sick again don't come.

David set the razor down, thinking. Kelly wasn't the type to make up an excuse and if she changed her mind, she'd just ask that they meet at a restaurant for drinks. She wouldn't just completely cancel for no good reason. Another debate waged war as he struggled with whether he would go to check on her or leave her alone for the night. Finally, he remembered how out of it she was and decided to go. With a quick stop at the store a few ingredients, he made his way to Kelly's apartment.

The street lamp across from Kelly's apartment complex flickered weakly over David's car. He sat for over fifteen minutes doubting himself. Wondering whether it was right to go in to check on her. The moon hung fat and low in the sky, turning the nearby playground into a wasteland. A small child's swing creaked slowly as the wind pushed it back and forth. He watched it for a moment, mesmerized by the movement and the sound as shadows played across the old equipment. Solidifying his resolve, David got out, locked the car and made his way to Kelly's apartment. He shivered briefly in the chill night air and then entered the apartment complex, winding towards the back area where Kelly lived.

David stood in front of Kelly's door with her spare key in his hand. When he pressed the key into the lock, a sudden noise came from within Kelly's apartment, followed by a crash and a door slamming. David paused. "Kelly?" He asked loudly. "Kelly? I'm coming in. Are you all right?" David turned the key and then opened the door carefully.

All of the lights were out in the apartment and there was a strange musky smell in the air - a combination of sweat (as if from hard labor), a scent reminding him of the forest floor and other things. The bathroom door was closed ahead of him. He could hear a coarse, low sound coming from somewhere in the apartment. "Kelly?" He half-whispered, cursing himself for the pang of fear that shot through him.

The voice that answered him was wrong. Muffled. He could tell it was Kelly but it was off. "David?" She sounded confused. "I said don't come. I'm sick. Just. Just go. Please. Oh god. Please. Go."

David walked carefully to the bathroom door. "It's okay, Kelly. I had to help raise my little brother. I've seen all kinds of sick. I'm coming in, okay? You're... decent, right? I'll help you back to bed and get some hot ginger tea going. And maybe some chicken soup?" He opened the door carefully, watching the dark floor for vomit but was instead hit with a sudden intense wave of the musky scent from earlier. David peeked around the corner and saw the vague form of Kelly curled into a ball by the sink. "Kel? I'm turning on the light okay, sweetheart?"

The world changed for David Williams the moment he flipped the light switch. He froze, unable to process what his eyes were telling him.

Kelly sat naked on the floor in front of the sink, knees covering her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. She had her head tucked down against her chest, hiding her face from David, and he could only see part of her front, the left side of her body and her back. He instinctively looked for her face and saw the slight tip to her ears - points she'd never had before. There was a light growth of dark hair on the tops of her shoulders that trailed down in a line to her forearms. Her entire body was soaked in sweat. The hair covering her shoulders lined her spine and down her lower back and up to the point of a stub of a tail slowly wriggling above her ass.

David's mind screamed at him. It was wrong. It was all wrong. It was Kelly - her pale light skin and auburn hair. Her arms were more defined and her legs were thicker than he remembered seeing in the brief glances he stole when she wore a dress or skirt.

As he watched, dark, nearly black hairs grew from her calf muscles. Kelly shifted, moaning in pain or pleasure, shoulders working as if she were releasing stress, back and down, muscles she'd never had in her back flexing around her shoulder blades.

When she looked at him, her eyes were the color of sunshine filtering through a drop of honey. David sat hard on his ass in the hallway, blinking in confusion as his mouth worked to form a sentence. Her lips were dark black and split slightly at the top, showing her canine teeth and an expression of pain and confusion. Her jaw, so delicate before, was thicker. Her face looked slightly longer, a quarter of a muzzle.

"Wha... wha.... Kelly... wha..." David sputtered, trying to form rational thought. The fingers of her left hand were larger, her whole hand bigger and tipped in thick black claws except for her thumb.

"David. I told you not to come. I told you. I- What... what is that?" Kelly's voice was slightly muffled but still recognizably hers. She stopped, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. Small auburn and black hairs pushed through the skin of her cheeks and along her chin as David watched. He couldn't look away from her mouth. Beautiful white teeth against dead black lips. Her canine teeth were longer - she couldn't close her mouth all the way. Four of the teeth near her canines were nearly as long and as sharp as her canines were now. And, now that he noticed, he saw a bloody tooth on the ground near her sweaty body.

Kelly sat up to her knees, still sniffing the air with her eyes closed. David couldn't help but look at her nakedness. Her hips were wider - he'd felt the curve of her body and there wasn't much there before. Now, the swoop from the side of her chest to her hips was noticeable. Her stomach was completely flat and muscular, leading down to thighs nearly as thick as his own now, larger than they were just minutes ago. Her vagina was completely covered by a thick tuft of fur that lead up to a line of hair leading to her belly button - a "happy trail." Her breasts were as small as he'd imagined, a small handful but perky with large, rock hard nipples that dented in slightly at the tip. The line of hair growing down from her chin ran to her neck, little hairs dotting out and around and then down the front of her chest and between her breasts, meeting the hair around her belly button.

With another moan, one sounding nearly close to sexual, Kelly licked around her lips with a tongue too large for her mouth. "David..." She opened her beautiful eyes to stare at him. Her right hand was nearly as large as her left but there were no claws. She rubbed herself down her right breast, rocking slightly on her hips at the touch to her nipple and then down the new growth of fur on her stomach and into the thick hair around her pussy. David could smell her wetness mixed in with the other smells. It was intoxicating and his head swam from it all.

Kelly made a slow circuit of her black lips with her dog-like tongue again, rubbing herself as she stared at David. And then, she leaned forward to fall to her hands and knees. "David," she moaned again. Her small breasts hung lightly in front of her as she held the position, again closing her eyes to sniff the air. The skin of her philtrum darkened and turned black above her lips. Kelly shook her head slowly side to side and whined slightly. The stub of her tail was longer now and completely covered in black fur. She arched her back up and then down, raising her ass in the air as hairs erupted around her back.

She crawled to him, swaying her hips as she did. David was transfixed. One hand (clawed) and one knee, ass swishing and then the other hand (no claws) and other knee. Closer and closer until her head was inches away. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up at him. His heart was racing. The smell was intense. The smell of her wetness. The smell of her sweat. The other smells of her - the smells that made him think of the rich earth on the floor of a forest and exotic spices in a foreign market. Kelly lowered her head to his crotch, nearly purring as she nuzzled against him.

Despite the scene in front of him, David was completely hard. He wanted to touch her but his hands wouldn't move. He watched as the little black and brown and honey colored hairs lengthened on her back, darkening as they did, growing down to cover her ass. She moaned, shuddering and nipping at his dick through his pants. She reached for his thighs with her right hand and he felt the tips of her claws cut into him. Looking down, he saw her already deadly looking nails turn black. It hurt where she cut into him but he still couldn't move.

"Kelly," he said, uncertain. "Kelly, come back to me." Her heart shaped ass wriggled at the mention of her name and the tail flexed, growing longer. Finally, he reached down, gently holding her face and guiding it up. She closed her eyes and pushed against it, nuzzling his hand over and over. The heat from her body was intense and he could feel her jaw changing under his hand. She was so soft. With fur. He could feel the hairs that he couldn't see yet, just there at the surface and covering her cheek. "Kelly, no. This isn't right. This isn't right." He pushed back from her and her eyes cracked open again, watching him. David stood and grabbed a towel hanging near the bathroom door and reached for her. She stood for him and he was glad because he wasn't sure he could lift her.

David wrapped Kelly in the towel. She was nearly as tall as he was now and the towel barely covered her body. When he gently pulled her hand, she followed and he led her to the couch in the living room. "Sit with me Kelly. I don't understand any of this but I can't just leave you like this. Sit with me." David sat at the end of the couch and pulled Kelly with him. She sat at his side in the middle of the couch and her eyes never left his face. She moved and the towel fell away, showing her sweat-soaked body. The fur lining her was matted with it and the smell was stronger than ever. He couldn't understand why it wasn't a bad smell. He'd had a dog as a child and wet dog smell was terrible.

He reached for the towel to try to cover her again but she reached a thick-muscled right hand out to stop him. "No, David. It doesn't feel right any more. I don't want it." Her hand went to his thigh again, kneading at his flesh, scratching and massaging. David jerked under the pressure and strength and pain of it all. Her claws were like needles and he knew he had to be bleeding.

"Kelly, this isn't right. This isn't you. Please. Please stop. I can't do this." She reached for his wrist and tugged him towards her leg, placing it there. His hand automatically rubbed along the smooth, hard surface of her thigh, reveling in the feel of the soft down of fur. She purred again, pulling his hand higher up her leg to her pussy but he yanked it away. "I can't. I can't, Kelly. I can't."

She sighed and then moved, reaching her left leg around to straddle David's lap. "It's okay, David. It's me in here. It's me. Oh. Yes." Kelly's hips moved and he marveled at the weight of her - he was stuck while she grinded against him. David gripped his hands on the couch around him, trying to deny how incredibly turned on he was. "It's okay to touch me, David. You don't know what it's like. You don't know what this is like. Oh god. It feels so incredible, David. It makes everything so alive. Uh. Uh." She was pushing harder against him and he felt the cuts in his leg sting from the sweat coming from her body. Her breasts were directly in front of his face. Her small breasts on a nearly fur-less chest. He watched while her body rocked back and forth, muscles flexing as they grew and moved.

The fur along her thighs grew even thicker but the sight of four black patches of skin along the sides of her completely hard stomach drew his attention. The skin puckered and twisted while he watched and tiny nipples sprouted out of her stomach. Kelly yelped and dug into the couch behind him, tearing and kneading at the cheap leather. The nipples doubled in size while the skin around toughened and turned into little areola and then out into small breasts. She pressed herself against his body, rubbing the new breasts against him. He felt the drag of all six nipples on his shirt and body. He couldn't breathe any more. She wasn't suffocating him but the smell and the sensations were too much.

Time fractured around him. When David was younger, he dated a girl that smoke a lot of pot. He'd indulge every so often but he never liked how it messed with his short term memory loss. And, now, he was experiencing it again. He lived in chunks of time. His hands were on her ass now, large and so soft. Fingertips digging into her furry ass, spreading the cheeks and releasing the strong scent of her wet pussy every time he did it. Making it worse. Making time worse. (blink) Now his mouth was on one of her middle breasts and she was mewling as he sucked at it, ignoring the fur slowly growing in around it. Not caring how the hair got in his mouth as he licked and sucked at the slippery, salty nipple. (blink) Now she was panting and laying against him. So heavy. The room smelled heavily of sex and she was twitching. Her tail, longer and thicker now, lay against his leg. His shirt was off and he didn't remember taking it off. She was incredibly warm and soft against his chest. His hands explored the bumps and ridges of her strong back, taking tufts of fur in his fingers and twisting them gently. (blink) She was kneeling in front of him, tugging at his pants. Her four other breasts were half the size of her ... original? Tits. He laughed at the thought and then grimaced at the pain in his legs. The cuts burned. His hands were somehow on his buttons, trying to undo them for her. She smiled at him and her nose was black and pebbled, glistening wet in the light. Her teeth were nearly all sharp.

(blink) Focus. (blink) Focus. (blink) FOCUS! He screamed at himself. And, he did. Time snapped back. He was completely naked on the couch and Kelly was still kneeling in front of him. His hands were in her hair, just running through the heavy strands over and over. Her ears crunched and grew around his fingers, lengthen to an even sharper point. She had a half muzzle now, and a full face of fur. His dick was in her hands. Paws. Thick black padding covered the bottoms of her furred paws and she was gently stroking his shaft, watching it as if hypnotized.

"I neverrrr touched," Kelly rumbled at him. "I neeeverrrr touched one. Soft and small." She leaned forward and stuck her nose into the fold of his thigh and crotch. David jumped at the coldness of her nose. "You smell good. So good." Kelly's tongue rolled out of her muzzle and touched the bottom of his dick. Slowly, she ran her tongue up the length of him and around the tip of his cock. And then, almost nervously, she looked up at him. "Is that all rrrrright?" She asked. "Is it good?"

David jumped at the feeling of her rough tongue sliding along the head of his dick but nodded, gripping her hair tightly. Pulling her back down. She went eagerly and her tongue nearly enveloped his dick, folding around his thickness. David reached down to idly scratch at the cuts in his leg but then he stopped. Hair. Fur. He looked down. Fur was growing along the cuts in his leg. Where Kelly had dug into his leg. Fur. On him. His fur. His - "Oh Jesus!" He screamed. Kelly had taken his entire dick into her mouth. She was incredibly warm and soft. She didn't even have to swallow to take all of him. Gently, she moved back and forth, sucking on his dick while David grabbed the side of her head, long wolf-like ears, hair and fur between his fingers. "Ah! Kelly! Oh fuck!"

She stopped and looked at David anxiously again. "Is it good? Is it good, David?" He nodded, afraid to talk. He'd never experienced a blow job like it - it was a step away from the best sex he'd ever had. Her mouth was completely wet and soft and warm and she was so gently with her tongue. It rubbed and moved against him like it was alive. His leg flared up and brought him back again. It ached but not terribly.

"I'm so hot, Kelly. I'm. Oh fuck, it's so hot in here. I'm burning up, Kelly. The window. Open the window. Please." He shook, panting to try to cool off.

"David. Oh my beautiful David. You'rrrrre changing too. Look. Look at you, David." He looked. His dick was growing. Veins stood out and throbbed. The base of his dick above his balls ballooned out as his shaft grew and thickened. To either side of his cock, his legs had nearly double in size and his feet were cracking under the strain of his own change. He marveled at the lack of pain. Kelly whined and he looked up at her. She was rubbing herself hard while watching his dick grow up. "What... what is it, David? Seeing it like that... oh god. Seeing yourrrrrr... yourrrrrrrr dick. That knot. A dog's knot. A wolf's knot. Oh god, I want it. I want yourrrrr knot in me. I want it bad. Oh god. Oh god. I want you to fill me up. I want you to fuck me, David. I want... I want you to mount me. Rrrrrrrr." His dick was ludicrously large now. He didn't even know what size it was but if he bent over far enough, he could take it into his mouth. The knot at the base of his dick was the size of a tennis ball and, as he watched, fur grew in waves from his thighs to the base of his dick and around the thick skin under the knot. The head of his dick grew to a final, large point.

Kelly was frantic, thick arms and padded fingers rubbing against her clit fiercely. He could smell her even more strongly now. Her need. "I... rrrr... Daarrrrrr... rrrrr...." Her mouth crunched and grew longer until it was a full wolf's muzzle, speckled with thick, short whiskers and auburn fur. His dick throbbed in front of her and she whined for it. David stood, unstead on his new legs. Looking down on Kelly. She arched her back, chest heaving and the skin around her top breasts grew, d-cups. More. Black fur grew from the new skin until all but her nipples were covered. She fondled herself as she rubbed her clit, pussy fur slick from sweat and her own orgasms.

Two of his teeth fell to the ground but he didn't even notice as new fangs replaced them. "Show me yourrrrr ass, Kelly. I want to fuck you. I want to mount you." His jaw cracked around the words. She turned immediately and presented herself, spreading her thighs to show how wet she was. David stroked himself while he watched. The skin on the palms of his hands was rougher now but it felt good against his massive erection. He went to his knees behind Kelly and shoved his nose against her pussy, she was so warm against his wet, cold nose. His tongue, longer now, lashed out, tasting the thick wetness between her checks. He gripped her ass, pulling her cheeks farther apart as he sucked on her pussy, feeling her hips jerk and push back against him. He twisted his claws into her thick fur, feeling the way her proud tail swished against the tips of his ears. She moaned, growling low as his tongue penetrated her. She tasted like no other woman he'd ever had. He worked his tongue as deep into her as he could, feeling how soaked his face became from her juices. Feeling the wet, soaked fur around her cunt as she grunted from the way his tongue felt.

He could take it no more. He stood again. Four tiny nipples stood at attention on his flat stomach, barely there until a wave of fur marched down his chest, covering all six of his small nipples. The sensation of the fur growing was as if someone was scratching deep into his body. It was almost sensual and he moaned quietly. Kelly knelt below him, completely covered in black and auburn fur, her human hair short and nearly lost on her wolf's head. Her ass was at least twice as large or more than when she was a human. Her entire body was far larger than when she was a human. Her long feet made for walking on the tips of her toes dig sharp claws into the carpet as she arched for him. Her heavy breasts rested against the floor and she turned her beautiful eyes to watch him.

He knelt behind her. With his left hand, he held her ass cheeks open to him. With his right, he guided his massive cock to the jet black lips of her pussy. The clear, thick liquid around them gave off an intense, intoxicating smell that was now driving him mad. He pressed the head of his dick against those burning lips and they opened for him with a wet sucking sound. Kelly moaned, wanting to push back but waiting for him. She screamed when he pressed in, muscles never befire used for penetration now opening for her mate. He pressed deeper and she was nearly weeping from the pain but pushing back in need. David entered Kelly until his knot pressed against her pussy lips.

Gently, David set his claws against the fur of Kelly's back and racked down her spine and off to her side. She shuddered, laying her head down on the ground. As changed as he was, as strong as he felt, he was still there. He still saw that shy little girl that kissed him goodnight. He looked down to his dick, buried inside of her. The way the knot split open her pussy lips even further. He pulled out and she yelped in pain. And then back in, slowly, stopping as the knot touched her. And then in again. Faster. She was panting now. Tearing pieces from the carpet with her nails. Grinding back against him as he pulled out, not wanting to let him go. The fur along her thighs lay flat and wet from her excitement. He pressed harder. Faster. The knot almost entered her. She was the tightest pussy he'd ever fucked and he felt the length of her against his cock. Out and she was moaning for more. In. Out.

And then he slammed into her, growling with his need and she howled in pain, feet and hands scrabbling at the floor as his knot completely spread her wet, black-lipped cunt wide open. Her pussy surrounded his knot, greedily sucking it in and settling around him until he could barely pull it out. She whined and begged and he fucked her hard and fast with small movements while his knot stretched her opening over and over again. All six of her black nipples rubbed against the carpet until she picked herself up to her hands, pushing back hard against David now, tail up and back and out of his way.

He gripped her waist and then changed his mind and raked hard down her back, drawing blood and making her growl and twist and shake from the feeling of it. She pushed harder and her breathing became erratic. David held her waist and used all of his new muscles to pound in and out of her as hard as he could. The knot slipped in and out several times as Kelly fell to the ground, unable to hold herself up from the onslaught. Her breath left her and the world went white from the firestorm in her belly as the orgasm rolled through her pussy, storming through her body and to the tips of her ears and toes. She couldn't breathe or scream or howl as every nerve in her body lit up. She tensed and then barely relaxed before tensing again. She wanted to beg David to stop. Beg him to fuck her harder. Plead with him to pull out because it was too much. He wouldn't. He didn't. His own breathing was ragged, growling, slamming into her now. Her wetness making sloppy sucking noises as he fucked her. Finally, he stopped, jerking to a halt. She felt the head of his dick swell. The knot of his dick swelled in time but refused to relax. She screamed now as another orgasm crashed through her - every ridge and bump and fold inside her tight cunt felt him swell and then the hot jet of his cum slammed into her cervix, filling every small space and then spurting out through the gaps of her pussy. And again. And again as David came inside of her. The smell of his cum made her delirious. The smell of their scents mixed made her want to bite and snap and rut like the fucking beast she was. She nearly lost her humanity to the electric storm in her lower stomach and the smell of them together.

David collapsed on top of Kelly, panting with his tongue out. Kelly felt his tail fall to her side, resting against her hip. She couldn't catch her breath so she rolled him to the side and he followed her, dick still pressed deep inside her soaking wet cunt. A massive wet spot lay under her thigh but she ignored it. Her mind was full of everything. Him. Herself. The world around them. The possibilities. David's hand reached around to rest on her lower stomach while she lay against his other arm. His fingers played gently with the tuft of fur on her lower stomach. Gently, David licked her ear and made a "haruff" sound. Kelly pressed her sweat and cum soaked ass against her mate and he pressed deeper into her.

David slowly pulled out of Kelly's pussy. He felt the way her pussy opened suddenly to allow his slightly shrunken knot to come out. Kelly jerked at the feeling, growling and moaning quietly. He licked her neck and air, burying his face in the thick fur on her neck. His dick stood thick and tall, throbbing in the air, still completely hard and covered in a thick white liquid. Kelly struggled up and pressed her cold black nose against his knot. His fingers found her hair and he stroked her gently as her long, thick tongue made a slow circle around the base of his cock. Slowly, she licked up, reaching a large paw to hold David carefully steady for her wet attention. She looked up, golden eyes meeting his own as her pink tongue worked around his dick, cleaning off both of their cum.

Once clean, she lay back, adjusting her body so her tail lay down and to the side. Her furry breasts flattened slightly, jet black nipples (they were pink before) still completely hard. The fur of her stomach, legs and pussy was a darker color than the surround fur - slick and wet from their cum. She spread her muscled thighs, going to claw-tipped toes, holding her knees apart for him.

David growled and went to his hands above her. The knot of his dick pressed against her hot pussy lips and he licked her face. Slowly, he worked down her body, stopping to work his tongue against all six nipples as she arched her back from the attention she received. And then, Kelly reached down, grabbing David's enormous cock. With her eyes on his face, she pressed the tip into her cunt and it spread eagerly for him. He entered her as a human. Slowly. Feeling the way her pussy gripped his cock, letting the knot settle against her lips before pulling back. And then again, rocking his hips back and forth as he leaned in to lick her neck, only barely wishing he could properly kiss her neck. She moaned, lifting herself in time to his rhythm, grunting and growling as the orgasm built in the pit of her stomach. Letting go of her knees, she brought a hand to her breasts, top and middle, tweaking and pulling at the nipples through her thick fur. Her muzzle worked, sharp teeth grinding as she growled and begged voicelessly for him. David gripped her suddenly tight and she felt his dick spasm. He came again, less than before but still his knotted dick swelled inside of her and her own orgasm followed. Her claws dug bloody ribbons under his shoulder blades and he roared from the pain and his orgasm until he collapsed on her shuddering form. Kelly bucked once, twice and then wrapped her arms tightly around her mate, gasping for air.

The two lovers finally fell asleep as dawn spread its deep red arms across the world. They'd made love like humans, her on her back and him above. She'd ridden him, tail thumping against the edge of the bed while his claws dug into her back and her teeth cut into his shoulders. She'd cleaned him off every single time he came in her when he was finally able to pull his knot out. Kelly would never forget the way they tasted together - it sent her into a blissful haze and flashes of electricity danced along her tongue.

---

When they woke mid-morning, they were human and soaked in sweat and cum and dried blood. Kelly lay against David's stomach, his arm across her small chest. She rubbed back against him, reveling in the way her naked flesh felt against his chest. "Are you hungry, love? I know this wonderful little diner that makes the best sandwiches."

David smiled and made lazy circles against her skin with his fingers. "Wherever you want to go, sweetheart. I'm there with you."