The Contest

Back at the Palace, Scott put down his dinner tray on the bedside table, picked up a cup, swallowed a mouthful of coffee then reached for his lap-tab to open his messages.

Confident that things were going well with Eemay, he felt relaxed and happy. They had already developed a special bond, and he had every reason to be optimistic about their future together.

He yawned, loud and long, then clicked open his inbox.

Among the list of unopened messages, he noticed one from Eemay entitled ‘It’s a dog’s life’. She must have taken some more photos of Nettie, he thought clicking open the message. That’s odd! There’s no message or attachment!

What’s that smell?

He stood up, and like a hound on a scent, began to sniff at the air. He then had to fight the urge to crouch down on all fours, to take the scraps from his plate with his teeth!

His nose was then drawn to a pair of dirty old trainers thrown into the corner of his room, sniffing in the aroma with relish, and a pair of sweaty, cheesy socks, sent him into a spasm of sheer ecstasy!

What’s wrong with my tongue?

He then began to experience the most bizarre sensation. His tongue felt strange, as if it was too long to fit into his mouth, and he found himself panting rapidly.

What on earth is happening to me?

His teeth began to spontaneously lengthen into sharp fangs and his fingers now had claws, instead of nails at their tips. But more worryingly, there was something dreadfully wrong with his bottom, he could feel something long and furry beginning to sprout from between his buttocks, with a life of its own.

The next second he found himself shrinking at an alarming pace, his skull creaking and snapping as the bones contracted. Although he tried, he could not resist a powerful and compelling urge to kneel down on all fours, noticing with alarm that his legs were covered in fur.

Is it possible I’m turning into a dog?

Floppy ears sprang from either side of his head and when he tried to speak, found he could only release a shrill bark. Catching sight of his reflection in the full length mirror, what he saw looking back at him, was a cute little brown and white Spaniel, with a button nose and floppy ears The clothes he had been wearing lay in an untidy heap on the floor.

Although he was now physically a small dog, his mind and thought processes had not been affected and he carefully considered his options. He looked frantically around the room for an escape route.

The door and window were firmly closed and there was no way he could reach up to open them. I’m trapped, he thought hopelessly, as he jumped on to the bed and curled up.

A few moments later, a gentle tap on the door, sent him into a fit of panic. What am I going to do? I could bark, but that will only attract attention to my situation, so he jumped from the bed and hid, as the door slowly opened.

Thinking he was out, Zilla entered, and proceeded to collect his dinner tray and cup and saucer. She noticed some of his clothes lying in a heap on the floor, so she picked them up, and began to put them away neatly in the wardrobe. With her back to him, Scott seized the opportunity and ran unnoticed, as fast as he could, through the open door, and bounded down the back staircase. The speed at which he could move on his four little legs impressed him, and he was amazed at just how much spring they had.

I need to be careful no-one sees me, as they might think I’m a stray and turn me out into the night alone. But there are benefits, I am small enough to hide behind chairs and cupboards, fast enough to move without being noticed and, what really gives me a distinct advantage, is my sharpened hearing. I can actually hear people approaching long before I can see them, giving me plenty of time to run out of the way unnoticed.

But what am I going to do, and more importantly, how did I become a dog?

Finally, he decided to lay low until the early hours of the morning, then make his way down to the palace kitchen to join Nettie in her basket by the fireplace. There was nothing he could do, but wait for fate to take its course.