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Snow Way Out (Sorry for the stupid pun): A WildWorld tf Story



“Hey Josh, any ideas who you’re gonna ask out to the prom?” Josh’s face turned beet red as he turned to face Ethan staring at him like an idiot.

“We’ve been friends since forever, what do you think?” Josh replied dejectedly. “Of course I’m not going.” Sure, there was a girl he really liked, but he was never going to work up the courage to ask her out. Besides, Abigail probably had a least a dozen offers by now from far more eligible bachelors. There’s no way she’d go out with a complete dork like him. But it appeared that Ethan wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“ That’s the wrong choice, my dude.” Ethan responded, ruffing Josh’s messy hair. “It’s now or never for the experience of a lifetime.”

“ Yeah, the experience of utter rejection.” Josh replied sullenly. “ Having your heart wrenched from your soul to the tune of top-40 pop music. My cup floweth over.”

Ethan cheekily punched him in the shoulder. “This class trip to the zoo is as good a chance as ever. Make your dreams come true.”

“ Yeah, says the man wearing a League of Legends t-shirt and pink flip-flops.” Josh said mockingly. “Everyone wants to date the class D&D master.”

Ethan flashed a fake “you hurt my feelings” look before pointing towards the cluster of students fawning over the Cougar exhibit. The 2 big cats were sleeping peacefully under the shade of big cat mountain, slumped over one another like a melted lump of tawny fur. And they were about to be featured on at least a dozen instagram pages, based on the flashes from all the phone cameras.

“Bro, just go up and get her alone. I’ll help if you want.” The mischievous glint in his eye unnerved Josh slightly, and he politely refused.

“I’ll buy you something from Tyler’s Trading Post.” Ethan nudged Josh playfully. “I’ll even throw in a free slushie. In one of those fancy souvenir cups.” Josh groaned loudly and stood up from the railing, briefly debating it in his mind.

“How much you got with you?”

“About 150 bucks,” Ethan replied.

“ I want all of it. And if this ends up online, you owe me new park tickets. For a year.” It was asking a lot but Josh knew Ethan’s family worked at the park. They got free goodies all the time. Josh’s family worked at a gas station, he was lucky to get Mcdonald’s once a month. Ethan sighed, a pouty look on his face. Josh knew he was pushing it, but he wasn’t going to risk his dignity for nothing. Finally Ethan gave a defeated look.

“All right, fine. You win. Just do it before lunch or the deal’s off.” He paused for a moment.

“ No, scratch that. Do it right now.” He pushed a surprised Josh right into the middle of the group of camera-waving, slushie-slurping students. Josh found himself surrounded by a gaggle of 7th graders pushing their way to the front of the exhibit. His entire school seemed to be jostling their way for the perfect view, and Josh found himself getting pushed and shoved through the throngs of matching yellow t-shirts. Combined with the other desperate photo-mad tourists, it was like a raging sea, and Josh was a helpless sailboat riding the waves trying not to sink.

Josh grunted as he felt somebody pushing into his shoulder. To his surprise, it was Mr. Hopkins, the lead chaperone, jovially shoving him aside, camera in hand. Sweat was dripping off his flabby body as he barreled through the students like a charging rhinoceros. So much for chaperones keeping the peace. It was like a war zone as Josh frantically made his advance through the swarms of sweaty park goers. He didn’t even care about the animals, he was just trying to find a certain human amongst the throngs. And after what felt like hours of jostling, squirming, and blunt force trauma, Josh finally found her, right at the perfect vantage point into the enclosure.

Josh groaned as he noticed the swarms of good-looking guys buzzing about like bees seeking their queen’s approval. The mob was especially thick here, and Josh had a hard time keeping his place as he inched towards his prize. He thought he’d lost her for a second, but with an abrupt nudge from an obese man in a Hawaiian shirt he suddenly found himself right next to her.

Time itself seemed to slow down as Josh’s heart hurdled his chest and went right into his throat. She was beautiful in the hallways of school, but outside in the warm autumn air she was breathtaking. Josh felt himself slowly hypnotized as he watched her beautiful jade colored eyes melt into a sparkling lake, her irises resembling a magnificent waterfall of color. All other noises promptly faded into nothing as Josh sized her up like a sculptor admiring his masterpiece. She was like a magnificent sculpture of an ancient goddess, every proportion and cuve styled perfectly by a master hand. Of course, she was entirely unaware of his presence. As a matter of fact, her eyes seemed to be transfixed against the glass, staring not at the gaggle of guys around her but rather into the cage. They were filled with an endless wonder and curiosity, and Josh suddenly was filled with a sense of envy as his eyes traced hers to the sleeping pair of Cougars. He wished she looked at him like she looked at those animals. He wished he could make her that happy. “Oh well. Genetics is a lottery, after all.” he thought. A mortal could never date a goddess. It was simply evolution, after all.

Regret filled his mind as he started to doubt his decision. Suddenly staying home and binging netflix seemed like a great idea. He was about to let the throngs of tourists whisk him away when suddenly he was elbowed from behind, and went flying. Right into Abigail.

All he was aware of at first was that his face was in someone else’s butt. Then the exotic fragrance of oriental spice washed over him like a waterfall. Next thing he knew, he was laying on the ground in a sort of daze. No, he was in a puddle. He could feel the lapping of water against his clothes. As he tried to clear his head he heard a distant voice furiously apologizing.

“OMG I’m so sorry I didn’t see you there OMG are you okay?” Josh could barely make out the string of words but as the cloud of perfume dematerialized in his brain his mind grew more focused. He could detect someone materializing out of the blurry blobs filling his vision.

“OMG Jacob is it? I’m so so sorry.” The voice was clear now, and Josh’s face turned beet red as he finally realized what had happened.

“I-It’s Josh.” was all he could stammer out as he felt his brain grow frozen. Abigail was standing right in front of him. Her face was also red with embarrassment, but it was obvious she was trying to repress a chuckle. There was a crowd of people clustered around him, but Josh was hardly aware of them as he was helped back up onto his feet. It was just a minor fall, but he felt like he had been hit by a dump truck. And of course everyone was watching. As he shook the caked mud off of his t-shirt he could feel the cluster of people surrounding them, and at least a dozen had their phones out.

Josh swallowed to himself, trying to retain any scrap of dignity he may have had. He finally got a good look at the people surrounding him, and gulped as he saw about half of the varsity football team making their way towards him. Davante Q., a bull of a man with the IQ to match led the pack as he stormed his way towards the pair. Finally he had pushed his way up to where Josh was standing, sheepishly trying to blend in with the ground.

“You tryin’ to hit on my girl?” he bellowed, huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf from the Three Little Pigs. The funny thing was, Davante and Abigail were not an item, but Davante seemed to believe they were the next Romeo and Juliet. And he wiped the floor with anyone who disagreed. Josh certainly wasn’t about to.

“N-no! It was an accident!” Josh stammered, sweating like a sprinkler.

“I saw what you did. You ain’t stealin’ my girl in front of me.”

“ Josh was paralyzed, his heart pounding in his throat. “ Look man, I can explain.” He glimpsed around and noticed that their little tirade had completely stolen the crowd’s attention. Even the cougars seemed interested, watching intently from within their exhibit. He saw the murderous glare in his eyes and knew he was about to get pounded. He just hoped his death would be quick-

“ I’m not your girl, Davante.”

The voice shattered the silence and Davante immediately veered towards her, his eyes a mix of fury and betrayal. He made his way towards her but she stopped him short. She was the only one at the high school who could calm him down when the jock was on one of his many rampages. She started chewing him out in front of the now eager onlookers, like hyenas about to feast on a meal of drama.

Josh took this opportunity and slithered back into the crowds and away from the cluster of people. He could hear them both yelling at each other as he turned tail, fighting the rising emotions rising within him. He should go back. He should fight. He should run. Josh listened to the latter voice in his head as he knew he couldn’t tango with the captain of the football team. So he ran, as far away from the cluster of people as he could get, trying to hold back the tears that were just now beginning to surface. He cursed at himself for thinking this could have ever gone well. That asking out the most beautiful girl at his school would result in anything but humiliation.

He didn’t know how long he’d run for but it wasn’t long before he ran out of breath and stopped to compose himself. Gasping and wheezing, he looked up to find himself in front of what looked to be a re-creation of a bhuddist temple, except it quite evidently wasn’t open yet. The husks of marble pillars and dried up zen fountains contrasted sharply with the power tools and cement buckets signaling ongoing construction work. The glass wall facing the exhibit had been boarded up, with a sign featuring an enthusiastic looking Snow Leopard. The googly-eyed cat was proclaiming “We’ll be here soon!” in comic sans.

Josh sighed. He couldn’t wait until the snow leopards arrived, they were his favorite animals. They were strong and beautiful creatures, but they lived high away in the mountains of one of the most remote locations on Earth. It was like everything he wanted but could never have without at least a dozen plastic surgeries and a plane ticket to Nepal. He’d walked past this enclosure several times when visiting the zoo with Ethan. Unfortunately, it seemed that nothing had changed, and the exhibit wouldn’t be opening anytime soon. At least there were far less tourists here for Josh to embarrass himself in front of.

“Ah, I’d thought I’d find you here! “ Josh froze, his daydream vanishing in a puff of smoke as his friend’s voice rang through his ears. He turned, frantically trying to dust off the evidence of his encounter earlier. Unfortunately, his clothes still had wet spots from the puddle. And Ethan had brought a certain someone with him.

“What the heck is she doing here?” Josh stammered, noticing Abigail standing besides him with an apologetic look on her face.

“I just want to say I’m sorry for what happened back there. It was a total accident.” she said, her voice like cream and melted butter. He tried to say something, but couldn’t get his mouth open. Abigail didn’t seem to notice, flashing a mischievous smile beneath her kind eyes.

“Don’t worry, I told Davante to go back to the hippo exhibit.” she winked. “Where he belongs, I might add.” Ethan let out a snort, which he quickly muffled with his hand. “But I'm sorry you had to go through all that. “ Abigail smiled, and Josh knew he wasn’t going to get mad at her. It wasn’t even her fault, anyways. He was about to say something when Ethan pulled out his phone.

“Hey look, you’re trending on the internet.” he said nonchalantly, although he had a sly smirk on his face. He showed Josh his screen, which showed a Youtube video replaying today’s events in full, horrific 4k. There were even wonky sound effects and a grab bag of instagram filters. Worst part of all, it already had 10k views. The main focus was on Abigail’s confrontation with Davante, but the damage was done. Josh wanted to throw up and crawl into a dumpster.

“Oh look, your video has more views than the new giraffe birth last month. Guess you’re more popular than our giraffes now.”

“What the hell?” Josh fumed, growing angrier by the second.

“Josh-” Ethan started sympathetically.

“Shut up! This was your idea in the first place!” Josh snarled, reaching out to grab the phone before he remembered Abigail was there and thought better of it. Too late.

“What idea?” Abigail asked. A big smile appeared on Ethan’s face and Josh knew he had to do something fast.His anger vanished into panic as his mind went into slow-motion. He interjected right as Ethan opened his mouth.

“I - uh, he wanted me to get a photo with the teacher. Thought it would get me on his good side.” Josh stammered. It was a terrible excuse but it was the first thing he thought of. Both Abigail and Ethan stared at him like he had just proclaimed the Earth was flat and Elvis was ruling it from the pentagon.

“ So, hey! Who’s excited for the snow leopards?” he asked, desperately trying to change the subject. To his surprise, it worked.

“ Oooh, I am! Sneppies are my favorite.” Abigail squealed like a girl who just won backstage passes at her favorite boy band’s concert. “They’re so graceful and demure! I can’t wait until I see them in person! It’s always been my dream! “ Her eyes filled with the same sense of wonder from earlier and Josh couldn’t help but notice. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out:

“ Uh… Would you like to see them with me sometime? You know, once they’ve arrived?” The shock he glimpsed on Ethan’s face mirrored that of his own. But his friend’s surprise quickly became an eager thumbs up and enthusiastic grin. Josh turned back to Abigail, an unreadable expression on her face. Great. He closed his eyes, preparing for the worst. But instead he heard the words he’d never thought he’d hear in his entire life.

“Sure! I’d love to!” Josh’s heart leapt into his brain and started boxing with it as the blood rushed to his brain. Did she say…. Yes? By the way Ethan was nodding like a bobblehead, Josh would take that as a yes.

“I can do you one better. You can see them right now.” That voice was new. Had someone been eavesdropping on their conversation? Face flush with embarrassment, Ash turned to look at the newcomer, a middle aged woman dressed in the blue shirt and khakis worn by park employees. Apart from that, everything about her screamed wacky science professor except for two golden leopard earrings that sparkled in the sunlight.

“I’m totally serious,” she laughed as they stared back at her. “ I need two people to help me out with some work that needs to get done. I’d happily give you a sneak peek of the enclosure if you help me out.”

“Josh and Abigail will do it,” Ethan eagerly volunteered before Josh could get a word in. Josh quickly leaned in, whispering out of earshot of the strange employee.

“ What the hell are you doing?” he hissed. “ I’m not going with this quack. She’ll sell me on ebay for crack money!”

“I’m totally hooking you up bro,” Ethan whispered energetically. “Just help her out and you’ll have some “alone time” with Abigail if you know what I mean.”

“Are you kidding?! I’m not doing that! We could get in major trouble!”

“Bro, I know her. She’s legit. And if you make the right moves you’ll be going steady before the bus even leaves. C’mon bro. It’s the chance of a lifetime…”

“I don’t know…” Josh felt a pit in his stomach as he weighed his options. On the one hand, this was almost certainly a scam. But as he looked over he could see Abigail jumping up and down with anticipation.

“Don’t forget, you already landed a date. So you know she’s into you…” Ethan whispered. “Besides, when you come back I’ll buy you those souvenirs I promised. But you gotta take the chance…”

“Argh, fine!” Josh muttered, before turning back towards where Abigail and the employee were waiting. As Josh walked up Ethan’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out and saw that Josh had sent him a message.

“If I don’t come back I’ll never forgive you lol.”


Josh put his phone away before tepidly approaching where the woman and Abigail were waiting. As he got closer he could make out her name tag, which read “Hi, my name is Ash!” in bright red letters. He made a mental note of it as he reached the pair, which was standing by a service door that led within big cat mountain. Both of them greeted him with a smile as Ash unlocked the service door, which opened up into a long, dark passageway lined with various cleaning supplies. Numerous doors were built into the side but Josh couldn’t make out what they were. Josh could feel his heart beat faster in his chest as he apprehensively followed Ash into the depths of big cat mountain. He knew it was a terrible idea, but Ethan’s parents worked at the zoo. If he vouched for her, maybe he had just stumbled onto the offer of a lifetime. Abigail apparently didn’t share Josh’s concerns, eagerly looking around at the service equipment without a care in the world.

“Our top notch breeding program nestled within the mountain ensures each endangered species we host here will continue to live on for many generations. “ Ash narrated as they continued their journey. Even Josh had to be fascinated as she explained the park’s innermost workings. Ethan had never told him about these things. Finally they reached a thick metal door marked “snow leopard” in dull black lettering, like an old Russian prison. Josh was confused as she typed the number and the door opened with a hiss.

“Isn’t there a job you needed help with?” Josh asked quizzically. Why were they going right to the exhibit?

“ The job’s inside.” Ash explained curtly as she creaked open the heavy door. To both of their surprise, it appeared that Ash had been expecting them, or at least two individuals. Two sets of refreshments were set up on a folding table with styrofoam cups filled with a clear white liquid. Napkins and cheap pastries were set up as well, shaped like pouncing snow leopards. Ash motioned towards the table, and Abigail went to the table and grabbed one of the pastries.

“Don’t worry, they’re on the house.” Ash beamed. “ As a special thanks for volunteering.” Josh sighed. He was still sure this was some sort of prank, and at any moment a camera crew would flood in and reveal how gullible he was. Until then, however, he wasn’t going to turn down free food.

He went over and took a bite of a snow-leopard shaped cookie, washing it down with the beverage. The cookie was surprisingly delicious in a cheap store-bought way, and the drink tasted like a crispier version of lemonade. He turned and saw that Abigail had already scarfed down five of the pastries and was well working her way on a sixth. Upon noticing Josh staring at her, she blushed.

“Baked goods are my weakness,” she explained half-heartedly. this made Josh laugh.

“What?” she glowered, mouth full of frosting. “Is that funny?” He knew he shouldn’t , but he started laughing harder.

“I’m sorry,” he managed to say, “ It’s just that stupid face when your mouth is full. You’re like a chipmunk.” This resulted in Abigail’s throwing her half-eaten drink at Josh, the liquid soaking him yet again. Josh grumbled half-heartedly and brushed off his shirt to no avail.

“Well you’re like a - like a-” Abigail struggled as she tried to come up with something. “Well you’re like one of those baboons with the big red butts”. She started making crazy monkey noises as she danced around scratching her scalp and armpits. The tension within Josh vanished, and he felt happy for the first time today.

Half an hour later of animal-based insults later, the two of them slumped up together against a rock, utterly exhausted. Josh felt a wave of heat envelop his body from the exertion. It originated in his chest but soon spread out to his limbs and head. He dismissed it for now however, as he panted trying to catch his breath.

“Whoosh, that was exhausting!” Abigail giggled, repressing her laughter. She wiped the wave of sweat off of her forehead.

“ You’re sweating like a boiled goose egg.” Josh quipped, even though he was just as sweaty. This earned him a playful slap across the face from Abigail.

“Seriously though, this was a lot of fun.” Abigail mused. “My Dad would kill me if he saw me like this.”

Josh perked his head up. “Why?” he asked.

She waved her hand in dismissal. “He hates anything fun. He calls it “degenerate.” He’d yell at me to start studying right now. Gotta get the
4.0 you know.”

“Huh”, was all Josh could say. So her life wasn’t as perfect as everyone thought it was. Abigail sighed and looked at her Rolex.

“Isn’t Ash supposed to be back by now?” she asked nobody in particular. Josh did notice that she had disappeared at some point and not returned. If he was going to do some work, it would have to be soon. He was burning up by now and his stomach was starting to ache. He wiped the sweat off his face again and moved closer into the shade.
It had been several long minutes, and Ash still hadn’t appeared. By now the waves of heat had become an inferno, and his sweat-logged shirt was starting to feel itchy . Josh was wondering if he was sick when he heard Abigail beside him.

“ Screw it, I’m taking it off. “ He heard the shuffling of fabric and instantly turned away, embarrassed. He was hot but this was an extreme measure. He heard the soft whump of cloth hitting the floor than a flurry of furious scratching.

“Oh yeah… that hits the spot.” Abigail moaned as Josh began to feel incredibly uncomfortable. Some back part of his mind was already telling him to take his own t-shirt off. Some sort of impulse or instinct… Josh couldn’t be sure if it was the heat scrambling his mind or something else. He pushed those dirty thoughts aside and decided to go check the door. He grunted as he stood up and meandered over to the heavy metal door. From this side, the door had been painted to look like part of the rocks that made up the exhibit, and there was no handle from the inside. Thus, it took him several agonizingly long moments before he felt cold metal underneath his fingers. He pushed hard with all his might. Nothing. He pushed it again, his muscles straining from the exertion. The door refused to budge. They were locked inside.

Josh swore and turned back around, catching a glimpse of Abigail out of the corner of his eye, now rubbing her back against the rock like a bear. Her clothes were laying in a pile besides her, but she was far from naked.

“What the hell?” Josh asked, rubbing his eyes. Was that… fur? It was sprouting up out from her shoulders, chest, and crotch, thankfully concealing most of the naughty bits under a coat of white, fluffy hairs. It wasn’t natural, and possibly not even human. Was his mind playing tricks on him? The heat certainly felt like it was messing with his mind. She definitely didn’t seem to notice her hairy situation as she finally noticed him staring at her.

“ What’s up?” She asked quizzically, making Josh blush with embarrassment. He wasn’t supposed to be seeing her like this. And the fur…

“N-nothing, that’s all,” he stammered, giving a cheeky smile before quickly turning away. This wasn’t right. First the feverish heat and now hallucinations? What the hell was in that stuff he ate?

It had to be some sort of prank. It had to be. No doubt there was a hidden camera crew somewhere, recording his discomfort to display on the TV screens of millions of families. It made him sick, or maybe that was just the cramps in his lower abdomen. He groaned as he made his way towards Abigail, who looked all the worse as the white fur spread over her stomach and thighs.

“Get up.” he said, dragging her to her feet. “We’re getting out of here.” She looked at him, her eyes dazed and confused.

“Why? I’m so hoooot,” she complained, dragging her feet against the soft earth. She scratched her chest absentmindedly.

“Can’t you see what’s happening?” Josh, barked, his voice rising with a sense of urgency. “This has gotta be some kind of prank show. They drugged us or something… the pastries-”


“ I don’t really feel so good.” she moaned, still out of it. “I’d rather just wait here and wait for Ash to come back…” Josh gulped, a block of lead in his stomach. Whatever was in Josh’s system clearly had affected hers as well, possibly even worse than Josh himself.

“Can’t you see what is happening?!” he yelled, snapping her out of whatever fog that had clouded her mind. She quickly held up her arms, which were beginning to succumb to the waves of fur enveloping her body. Gray with dark spots, with a white belly and chest. The signature pelt of a snow leopard.

“ Oh f**K” she exclaimed, her eyes growing large as she immediately stood up. Realizing she was naked, she quickly reached down and wrapped her t-shirt around her fuzzy chest. It was pointless, however, as it was already covered in thick, luxurious fur. Her face was fire-engine red, and Josh felt the same way.

“Don’t worry, it’s all an illusion.” he quickly stated as she ran a hand through the lucious hairs on her arm. “Whatever drugs or LSDs they put in those pastries are causing this. But we need to escape before something bad happens.” It was hard to think through the haze in his mind but he saw the helplessness in her eyes and knew he had to be the one to get them out of this.

“I’m so scared,” she whimpered, running her hands again in disbelief. “This feels so real.” Suddenly she looked up at Josh, eyes wide.

“Josh! You have it too!” Josh put a hand where she pointed and flinched as he felt the rustling on his own body. The pulling on nerves, the sensations, they felt so real- he had hoped beyond hope that whatever was afflicting Abigail had managed to elude him, but this confirmed his darkest fears. He felt like his body was an anchor and every motion was a strenuous effort to make it budge.

“Come on, we need to get out of here,” he repeated even more urgently. “If we can make it back to Ethan and the others, we should be able to get out of here.” She nodded silently, her eyes wavering with a newfound trust. She slowly began to follow him as Josh searched the exhibit for an exit.

The going was tough, as the enclosure was styled to resemble the mountainous terrain of the snow leopard’s habitat, filled with boulders and cliffs that were difficult for bipedal feet to manage. At the highest point in the exhibit, atop a miniature mountain decorated with lush moss and lichen was a ladder to a construction door that led out of the exhibit. If it could be reached, there was a chance of escape.

The heat was unbearable by that point, and Josh had finally given in and ditched his bright yellow t-shirt, throwing it onto the bare soil. He recoiled at the sight of fur several inches thick already sprouting on his chest and back, capturing his natural body heat to form a fuzzy protective blanket. He could feel each individual hair as it whispered new signals to his brain, sending his mind into a state of panic. Not because it was bad. No, it was the exact opposite. Ditching his shirt had an almost instant relief, it felt amazing to feel the wind brushing up against his spotted coat, almost liberating in a way. And that was what panicked him. It was so new, and already he was used to it. How long before he was naked and on all fours, peeing on rocks and licking his crotch without a second thought?

He shuddered, and with newfound resolve scaled the rocks to where the ladder was waiting. It became tougher and tougher as his body felt more and more like molasses with every step. His entire body except for his face and neck was covered in thick spotted fur before he finally reached the bottom of the ladder.

Sighing, he felt a renewed sense of hope. However embarrassing it may be, he had to find help, get them out of this hell they had found themselves in. If this really was a TV show, no doubt they would find a camera crew on the other side, and perhaps an ambulance waiting to take them to a hospital or even mental institution based on how things looked right now. He gave a last look to make sure Abigail was following behind him before placing his hands on the ladder.

He knew something was wrong as soon as his feet touched the metal and a shockwave of pain rippled through his body. His feet felt swollen and contorted, as if they were about to burst out of his shoes. His legs felt like they were being separated from his hips, joints popping and cracking. He swore, his voice sounding more like a growl than human words.

It took every ounce of willpower he had to not cry out in pain every time he inched up the ladder. His body threatened to rebel against his mind with every movement, but one glance at Abigail standing beneath him and he knew he had to keep moving forwards at all costs. By now he knew that whatever this was was not an illusion, the pain far too great to be a simple hallucination. The zoo intended to keep him here, and escape was his only option.


He finally reached the door and banged on it with all his might. Nothing. Panic rising in his mind, he pounded on the door in sheer desperation, pounding his fists into a bloody mess. At this point he was numb to the pain. He was still pounding when he saw someone appear through the bars of the door, and his heart fluttered. It was the last person he expected to see.

“Ethan?!” Josh cried out, his heart bursting with relief. He had never been so thrilled to see that dopey face in his life. They were going to make it, find some help, and sue the zoo into bankruptcy for putting them through this. “Let us the heck out of here!” He continued slamming his hands against the door, trying to get his attention. He looked up, a surprised look on his face, and started walking towards him. Josh was nearly in tears as Ethan reached the door.

“Holy Crap, man, I’m so frickin’ glad you’re here! Get me out of here so we can-” Ethan cut him short.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Josh.”

“What,?” Josh asked, his voice lined with confusion and a hint of panic. “Why the hell not? That lady put us in here and is trying to mutate us into some science-freaks or something, we can’t let her get away!”

“I can.” Ethan was expressionless as he spoke. What the hell was wrong with him?

“Why? What the hell has she done to you?!” Josh couldn’t believe what was going on. His own best friend was betraying him for some crazy zoo lady…

Ethan blushed, fidgeting slightly. “Um, that crazy lady is kinda… my mom.” Josh was floored, more shocked than anything. He knew his parents worked at the zoo, but like that?

“What the hell man?” was all he could stutter out, his words becoming choked up. He reached through the bars, trying to reach the lock himself, but his thickening arms wedged between the bars, stopping his progress. Ethan let out a long, drawn out sigh, and Josh could see his eyes water up.

“Look, man,” he began, “We’ve been friends since elementary school. I’ve been by your side through everything, from your science project fiasco in 5th grade to getting destroyed by the popular kids in P.E. dodgeball. I know a lot about you.”

“What’s your point?” Josh asked, almost choking on the words. Ethan hung his head, a look of remorse and indecision in his eyes. But soon he picked himself back up, walking so that he was directly in front of Josh.

“ I think this is for the best,” he stuttered before clearing his throat. “ Do you remember how every time at lunch you’d always sit in the corner and never talk with anyone? You never went to social events or clubs apart from a couple D&D meets and soccer practices. You always complained about being a wimp. And every time we visited the zoo, you kept rattling on about how you couldn’t wait for the snow leopard exhibit to open. So when mom told me about this opportunity, you were the first person I thought of. I’m sorry if…” He broke off his statement, rubbing his arm shamefully. Josh could see that there were welling tears in his eyes as well, and felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Sure, he hated him, he hated this, but Ethan had his best interests in mind. His short, furring tail instinctually hung between his legs even as it transformed. However Josh was blind to the pain at this point. He fumbled for the lock one last time, to no avail.

“Ethan…” he started, “ The world has to know what you’re doing here. This… isn't right. Let us out and we can try to make things better for all of us.” His body felt like it was ripping itself apart, his legs barely even holding him up against the door. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could stay on the ladder, even with his new tail helping keep balance. He winced in pain as he felt his shoes finally rip apart, exposing fuzzy feline paws hooked with sharp dagger-like claws. Leathery pads scraped against the metal as he fought to maintain his footing. To his surprise, Ethan chuckled softly, pulling out his phone.

“Would you rather come back to this?” he asked, pulling up the video from earlier. Josh swallowed as he remembered the incidents from earlier, the shame and embarrassment he’d felt. He felt his grip on the ladder loosen as Ethan spoke again, this time mournfully as if Josh was already gone.

“ You’ll have your every need met here at the park. You’ll want for nothing here. But this issue is no longer your concern. Just … enjoy your new life, okay?” Ethan turned his back to him just as Josh lost his grip on the ladder.

Josh was vaguely aware that he was falling, his life flashing before his eyes as he plummeted towards the soft green earth where his destiny waited. First the events from earlier sped across his mind, then all the times Davante and the other jocks had beaten him up in front of Abigail, or simply anywhere they pleased. He remembered all the times his classmates had laughed at him in the classrooms and hallways of Dwight. D. Eisenhower High school. He saw when Mr. Hopkins scoffed at his complaints, always telling him to “man up”. The imagery of him crying to his father after getting in yet another beatdown pulsed inside his head, and he helplessly watched as he simply laughed and went back to drowning himself in alcohol. He saw his mother slumped in a corner with bruises on her face from one of their many fights, sobbing relentlessly into a towel. In that moment, it felt like humans were the monsters, the animals. And he felt that part being slowly ripped out of him, like a deep cleaning of the soul. In that moment, he felt like he no longer identified as human.

He hit the ground and his spine snapped, but he barely felt it. He stared up at the door above him, his mind in a daze from trying to process everything that was happening. His friend’s betrayal, the reality of his situation was just starting to sink in and it was too much. He was broken.


Suddenly a female snow leopard filled his hazy vision, or rather a mix between a cat and a human even though her human features were rapidly disappearing. Her formerly long, lusciously blond hair that had been the envy of every girl in school had been reduced to thinning clumps that continued to fall out in bunches with every shake of her flattening head. Although one could argue that the spotted pelt that replaced it was even more enviable. Her eyes had shifted color to a radiant frozen blue, with the irises taking up her entire space. Oddly enough, Josh recognized Abigail more by scent than by sight. When she opened her muzzle to speak, it revealed a line of knifelike canines designed for slashing and cutting open prey.

“ I heard you up there” she murred, in a language not spoken by humans. “ I personally like this development.” She ran a rapidly shifting handpaw through Josh’s chest fur, causing a mixture of sensations to flood his brain. At least one of them came from his crotch as his scrotum shifted to feline proportions. Flush with embarrassment, Josh tried to shuffle backwards, only to realize that his legs wouldn’t cooperate the way he wanted them to. He glanced at his legs, and to his shock found that amongst the ruins of his khaki shorts were a pair of stocky, powerful feline hind legs, complete with digitigrade, snowshoe-like feet tipped with deadly, retractable claws. His new haunches were smothered in a breathtaking array of thick light gray and white fur splattered with stunning spots. A long, thick, and elegant tail spread out gracefully from his backside, almost reaching the length of his torso. He cried out in what could only be described as a yowl, causing Abigail to recoil instinctively.

“It’s ok”, she reassured him, which brought a confused look from Josh.

“What the hell do you mean? I don’t want to be some kind of animal!” Josh felt a pit in his stomach when he said that. He just couldn’t accept this, could he?

“Ever since I was young, I’d always loved snow leopards. The thought of becoming one, to share in its perspective on life, that would be a dream come true.”

“That’s stupid!” Josh cried out, flustered. “You’ve always lived a perfect life, how could you reject all that to be confined to a zoo, naked and eating and drinking out of a bowl?”

“I wouldn’t call myself naked.” she purred, motioning to the fur that had completely covered her body. She looked like an anthropomorphic snow leopard, although that was changing rapidly as her thumbs receded into her shifting handpaws and her chest began to barrel out. She laughed, to Josh’s confusion.

“Besides, I’d thought you’d be a lot happier right now. Ethan told me all about you on our way up, how you’d had a crush on me since you were little and thought you were too much of a wimp to ask me out.” Josh blushed before wincing as he felt the changes affect his torso and chest.

“I am a wimp,” he confessed, a bit flustered. “I mean, I’m not strong, rich, or good looking. Besides, you had your pick of boys, so there would’ve been no chance, right?” She pondered it for a bit, before smiling mischievously.

“Meh, you’re probably right.” she purred, a sultry look in her eyes. “But I’d take a big, handsome snow leopard over those baboons any day.” She nuzzled his face with her own, her whiskers rubbing up against Josh’s own newly sprouting pair. The sensation sent a dozen mismatched feelings towards Josh’s brain. A swarm of butterflies flew around in his stomach while his haunches tingled excitedly. It felt wrong and right at the same time. Why have a date for prom when you can have a mate for life?

His handpaws brushed up against her as he pushed himself away. He still wanted to think about this. With his brain. He padded to the other side of the exhibit on all fours, his spinal arrangement preventing him from bipedal movement. His back ached as he walked, muscles struggling to get used to the new arrangement. Surprisingly, it actually helped him navigate the enclosure much better than having two legs did. His body felt much more nimble and balanced, instinctively adjusting to the terrain beneath it.

As he walked he felt his hands stiffen and his shoulders receded into his body, moving closer together and swelling into a powerful pair of forelegs. He groaned every time he heard a bone or joint pop, as it only sealed him further into his fate. He whimpered as his beloved thumbs receded into his hands, and his fingers relinquished their dexterity forever as they grew and stiffened into paws. His palms swelled into leathery snowshoes, becoming the massive front paws befitting a snow leopard. He groaned and stretched as his torso and chest swelled with muscle, his organs reshifting and expanding to fit his needs. His bones grew heavy and dense to support the musculature of a big cat.

By the time he plopped down next to the pristine brook that ran through the exhibit, only his head and neck remained human. He didn’t have much time to think as a splitting headache racked his skull. It felt like his nose and mouth were being sucked into a black hole as they began to reshape into a short muzzle. He smacked his lips. His mouth felt empty with all the extra space, but that was about to change. His gums felt like they were on fire as 8-inch long canines began to push their way into his jaws, filling his mouth with the hardware to take down a deer. He tried to cry out as he pawed his muzzle, but all that came out was a series of feline howls. His ears grew rounded and migrated to the top of his flattening head as his hair fell out and was replaced by spotted fur. He arched and stretched on the ground as his new body locked itself into place.

Finally, it was over. The pain had begun to subside at long last, replaced by a looming pit in his stomach. His body felt unnatural, foreign. The way his tail tickled the ground as it swished discharged declarations of wrongness to his brain. Walking around on four paws, flexible ears pivoting to detect sounds from a mile away, it all just felt wrong. He collapsed on the soft bed of moss, utterly exhausted. He felt like a lead pipe, unwilling or unable to move, the fur trapping him in a prison of warmth. His ears swiveled against his will as they detected something softly padding towards him.

“You look beautiful. “ Abigail purred, nuzzling her face against his. He growled in annoyance and flopped onto his back. Abigail had already completed the changes, and seemed to be adapting quite nicely.

“I look like an animal”, he retorted halfheartedly. He was too tired to argue at this point. He just wanted to close his eyes and forget everything that had just happened.

“It could be worse.” she said softly, grooming his neck to Josh’s chagrin. “You could be a naked mole rat or something.”
“Mmm, true.” Josh replied, closing his eyes. He was all ready for a nap. As soon as Abigail left him alone, that is. “I’m still pissed, though.”

“Understandable.” she plopped down next to him, smothering his nose with her scent. He smiled, he could never get enough of it to be honest. It was a heady musk that emanated feminine fertility, with just a hint of the strawberry perfume that she’d worn as a human. Her special scent. The warmth of her coat combined with his to create a toasty warm blanket of fur, and her thick tail made for a soft, fluffy pillow. Her head was snugly nestled atop his right hind leg, eyes closed in peaceful slumber.

“Oh, if Davante could see us now” Josh thought with a smirk as he drifted off into slumber, a purring rumble escaping his chest at the thought.


As the two new snow leopards snoozed peacefully on their mossy bed in the fading evening light, Ethan watched the pair from the construction door high above the enclosure. He turned back towards his phone, a pang of guilt washing over him as he stared at the line written on his screen, illuminated by the soft artificial glow.


“If I don’t come back I’ll never forgive you lol.”


“You did the right thing.” the woman stepped out of the shadows, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“It doesn't feel like it.” Ethan’s heart felt like glass, and watching his friend through the barred door shattered it into a million pieces. Josh’s eyes as he fell… they were filled with terrible fear, like when a gazelle knew it was about to be slaughtered by a lion and their eyes met. It was a feeling he’d never thought he'd see in his best friend.

“He will learn to embrace his new life. It is far better than the one he led as a human. You know that.”

“ He’ll never forgive me. I lied to him and stole his trust, friendship, and even his very self. How can I look at myself in the mirror and say I was right?” The woman sighed.

“ He will learn to forgive once he realizes what you’ve done for him. Once he sees the true nature of his former species.”

“What, the nature of kidnapping people and twisting their bodies for our sick purposes?! Ethan spat, his voice rising. He turned to face the woman who had approached him. “ The nature of erasing their whole lives and existence so society forgets they ever existed? Yeah, I can see why he might doubt human nature after this!”

“Ethan, my son... “ she responded, at a loss for words. Her usual charisma had faded, replaced by a look of weary concern. “I take people who need better lives, and give it to them. You see how happy they are in their new homes?”

“Yeah, because your science goons brainwash them into having no rational thoughts. Besides, it’s not like you can ask them how they’re doing. Cats can’t speak ******* English after all!” Ethan was shouting at this point, and Ash remained speechless, the energy sucked out of her.

“I was on board with your scheme, and my best friend paid the price. I thought it was best, but after seeing his face… “ he paused, brushing past Ash towards the exit. Just as he opened the door, he spoke, his voice soft but icy. “I’m done. I’m not doing any more of your little experiments.”

As he was leaving, Ash called out to him.

“Wait! I heard that there was a certain Jock who would make a great hippo.” Ethan rolled his eyes before giving a small smirk.

“Fine. I’ll do one more.” He slammed the door shut, leaving Ash alone in the brisk evening air.




Check Out Other Wildworld Stories Here! https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery.....dWorld-Stories

This is an ongoing series so if you like it feel free to watch for more stories in the future!

Special thanks to Arishipshape for editing help and coming up with the title