FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I put down my laptop and sighed with frustration. Classes had ended for the semester and I still hadn't found a job. I had spent days staring at the classified ads, hoping something would come along with reasonable pay and no crazy requirements. But it seemed like the harder I looked the more scams I ran into: people wanting me to work for free, to do jobs that jeopardized my safety or do things that were just awful and humiliating. At this point I was ready to give up.

My instant messenger blinked for attention. A friend of mine who had the best intentions was also looking on the classifieds ads for me. I had told him many times that it was a waste, and that either I wouldn't be qualified or it would be something that I didn't want to do, but he kept looking anyways. At least the job he sent me this time looked interesting enough:

"Farm Helper Wanted - No Experience Required"

I wasn't exactly the type to do manual labour but at this point I could settle for anything that wasn't making sandwiches for whiny patrons. I clicked on the ad and scrolled down despite doubting that it would be what I was looking for.

The ad read: Hobby farm needs a helper for the summer. The pay is $150 per day, room and board included. This job will help you get in shape and learn a few things about how a farm works. It can change your life!

I sighed a little bit and picked up my phone. Farm work could be a good opportunity for me to get out of the house but I doubted I had the physical capability to do it. Regardless, it was worth following up on.

"Hi, my name is Mark, I'm calling about the farm job?" A male voice responded, calm and smooth. "Oh hi Mark. Yes the position is still available." "What sort of things will it entail?" "Oh a little bit of lifting, a little bit of operating machinery, some general maintenance around the area. It's hard work and almost anyone can do it, but I'm looking for someone special."

I sighed a little bit. I didn't exactly consider myself special in any way and how he used the word was a bit disheartening.

My paused must have made him uncomfortable because he continued, "why don't you come on down here tomorrow and we can chat. I'll show you around the place and we can decide whether you're right for the job. "

"Sure," I said and let out a deep breath. "When do you wanna meet?"

"How about just after lunch. One P.M."

"Sounds good," I said. I gave him my contact details and hung up. I still didn't exactly believe I had it in me and the whole stuff about living on the farm had be a little bit concerned, but I figured hey why not. I've got nothing to lose.

* * *

The next day came quicker than I could've imagined. I forced myself out of bed, had a shower and dressed up in my nice clothes. My mind was racing and I was so tense with stress that I completely forgot about breakfast. The bus ride to the farm felt like it took forever, even though it was maybe only an hour from home.

I got off the bus and stood in front of the tall wrought-iron gates. Large spikes lined the top of the gate warning trespassers off. The driveway wound into the forest beyond the gate and disappeared among the trees. It looked more like the entrance to a haunted mansion than a farm, with high shrubs blocking the view of the property from the street. Even through the fence I couldn't see much of the property, as a thick lush and natural forest with bright green undergrowth blocked my view.

After standing at the gate for what seemed like forever, I got a hold of myself and pressed the chime button. The male voice answered again, and I gulped. "Hi- this is Mark? I'm here for the farm job?"

The deep and smooth voice crackled through the speaker, "come in."

The gate slowly swung open, revealing the long curved driveway that disappeared among the trees. I slowly followed the drive, unable to hide my anxiety. Something about this whole situation felt a little bit strange, and I couldn't help but feel uneasy as the gate swung shut and loudly locked behind me. I turned around the corner and my jaw dropped. The thick forest opened up into a wide expanse of golden wheat fields completely hidden from the road by tall trees. A ways down the driveway was a farm house, and beside that a red barn, with a few other buildings in the distance. It was picturesque and almost too good to be true.

I walked up to the front door, held my breath, then knocked. The door was big, and as it swung open I felt small and insignificant. What I saw then only made me recoil in shock.

"You're a dragon!"

"Yes, and you're Mark. Thank you for pointing out the obvious. Now give me moment to put on my boots and I'll meet you out front."

"B-but you-" I stammered, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn't know whether to run or stay, and the dragon seemed to sense my anxiety. I had heard stories of creatures that were like humans, but well, not human. Meeting one in real life was hard to process. I watched his dark scales shimmer as he smiled warmly at me. All he was wearing was his thick leather boots over his paws and a farmers hat. The look emphasized his muscled physique and his fangs showing in his smile made him look almost sinister.

"Come on now, don't be shy. I'll show you around."

"But you're a dragon... who lives on a farm!"

He smiled wider and nodded. "Yes, we've already established this. No need to gawk at me like I'm something special."

I quickly snapped out of my state of shock and resumed my posture in an attempt to hide my embarrassed blush. "No, I guess there's no need."

"Now, if you're done staring at me let's go. If you want the job I've at least gotta show you around."

"Yes, I'm coming!" I yelled. I walked faster to keep pace with the dragons long strides and followed at his heel.

"Every summer I take on an individual with certain special characteristics," he stopped walking for a moment and observed me with his golden eyes. "They help me out with farm duties. It's hard work but I'm sure you'll be able to do it. Most of them find that they really enjoy it. For some, it will change their lives forever."

"Hmm," I agreed. I could certainly see the appeal of living on the farm. Everything with life had been so busy and stressful and here was work without all the drama.

The dragon gestured towards the barn and said, "here's where you'll be sleeping." Upon seeing my confused expression he continued, "don't worry! There's a loft. You won't have to sleep with all the animals unless you want to."

"Wait, I've got the job?"

He smiled slyly and replied, "the moment I laid eyes on you I knew you were just what I was looking for."

I gulped and nodded, "oh- okay."

"Before you agree to this, you must know there are some conditions to working for me," the dragon said. "First, due to our rigid daily schedule you will not get much, if any time to leave the farm until September."

I nodded and looked at some of the horses and donkeys hanging out in their stalls. One of them was running around and braying loudly as if it was upset. I frowned a little bit and went to say something, but the dragon was still talking and leading me away from the barn.

"You'll like it here Mark. This job will change your life."

We were back at the house. I signed a contract consenting to my employment for the summer then I headed home to grab a few things of mine. Before I knew it, all my affairs were in order and I was ready to spend the summer on the farm. And then I was back on the farm with the evening sun streaming through the window in the loft of the barn. The smell of hay was nice, not overpowering, and the animals making their animal noises below me was reassuring. Tomorrow would be the first day of work for the next three months and I needed to be ready to go by 6 AM. After crawling into bed all nervousness disappeared and I slept easily.

* * *

When I awoke that morning the sun was already shining through the cracks in the barn walls. I blinked a few times and put on my glasses, then got up, got dressed and made my way into the house. I was greeted with the lovely scent of breakfast. The dragon was sitting at the table and a place was already made for me.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied, with a mouth full of food. "The loft is quite comfortable."

"Great."

We finished eating in silence and he took away the dishes. I felt a little bad for not offering to help out, but by the time I had stood up and put my shoes back on he was already back in the dining room. "So we've gotta pull in some bales of hay today. It's truly the fastest way to get fit. But first, you need a little bit of prep."

"Oh?"

"Yes," he replied. "Now I've left some work clothes in your size back in the barn. Go put them on then meet me out in the field."

I walked back in to the barn and found the clothing. I got dressed, starting with the pants, pulling them tight over my boxers. I put on the plaid shirt and then tackled the boots. They were strange and tight too, made from a very thick leather. They were certainly an odd design: they looked like they had hooves where the foot should be. They looked too small to fit on my feet, but they certainly felt comfortable even if a little bit tight and they seemed to have very good traction on the ground.

With a skip in my step I walked out of the barn and towards the field where the dragon had told me to meet him. The sun had already risen high and the day was quite warm. The dragon stood beside a large cart and waved me over.

"Hey, Mark, come here. We've gotta move these bales from the field into the barn so they don't get rained on. Just toss them on the cart like this while I go get the baler running and make some more. Forecast says we're going to have a storm soon so we've gotta get as much of this stuff in as we can."

I nodded and wrapped my gloved hand around the twine and held the bale.

"Nah, it's best if you pick it up from underneath and lean into it, then just toss it. Don't worry, it won't break." The dragon demonstrated for me. "They're heavy buy you'll get the hang of it quick. Trust me."

I picked up my first bale and groaned. The thing must've weight like 30 Kilos! I threw it onto the cart. Just the first bale had made my body stiffen up and my heart pound. I took a few deep breaths and did another, my muscles groaning at the strain of it. Beads of sweat ran down my face. I tossed it into the cart and pulled the cart forward. I had no idea how he expected me to do this for the entire field! I looked up across the golden rows of ground at all the rectangular bales of hay and shook my head. The dragon was counting on me to do it so I couldn't let him down.

Every bale I picked up made my heart pound in my chest. It certainly was hard work, but it seemed to get easier as I went along, getting a good rhythm to tossing the bales onto the cart.

A whistle snapped me out of my trance and I looked up towards the house. The dragon stood in the shadow and waved me over for lunch. I ran with an agility I didn't know I had, every step kicking up dirt from under my feet. He had brought me out a plate with a sandwich and some salad.

"So, how are you enjoying your first day?" The dragon asked, as a smile spread across his face.

"It's hard work but I'm loving it," I replied, before cramming more food into my mouth with a crazy hunger. "I think the farm life is for me."

"Oh that's good. I can see you're already adapting quite nicely."

"Yeah! I think I am too. Getting into the groove. My muscles are sore, but it feels good haw haw!" I looked away, wondering why I would laugh like that.

"You done eating?" The dragon didn't even flinch, if he noticed the strange noise at all. He nodded to my plate, where I'd left all the meat untouched.

"Yeah I guess I am," I said.

"Well, lets go get a few more hours in then you'll be free to roam around for the rest of the day. Maybe check out the lake on the other side of the property. Oh, and don't forget to bring that cart back to the barn so we can unload it in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan!"

We went out into the field and worked a little longer until the dragon called me back to the house. I turned and walked over and he greeted me with a sly smile.

"Well, you're free for the rest of the evening. Go on, get out of your clothes and do whatever you want to do."

The dragon turned and walked away, his tail swaying to and fro behind him. I went to the barn. A warm breeze blew through the cracks in the barn wall, swirling up a golden dust that blew around until it settled on the tools. After a few moments in bliss I started to remove my boots, but it didn't exactly work. I couldn't find the boot buckle. Instead, where the leather and metal clasp should be, I found thick fur. I twitched my foot and tried to shove my fingers between the edge of the boot and my leg, but there was no separation. In fact, it looked like the boot had grown in the meantime, all the way up into my pants. I pulled my pants up as far as they could go and gasped with surprise. The fur didn't end at my knees.

I pulled off my pants and my shirt and was greeted with a crazy sight. The fur had covered up to my waist, making me look like a minotaur, and it seemed to be spreading like an infection. The sensation was akin to getting tickled with a feather, but all over my body, making me giggle and laugh uncontrollably. "Hee- Heeheee! Haw?"

I scrambled down the stairs awkwardly and ran out towards the farm house, each step clopping against the ground. I ran from the barn, buck naked, towards the farm house, then pounded on the door with a fist. The dragon opened the door a moment later and gazed across my furred body with a raised eyeridge. "Yes?"

"What did you do to mee-heee?!"

He smiled a little and shrugged. "You're adapting to the farm life!"

"N-naww, not like this!" I screamed. "What are you turning me in to?"

"Think about it for a moment. You're getting everything you wanted from me. You're stronger, have better stamina and get to experience what it's really like to live and work on a farm!"

"Yeah, but I- hiii!" The strangest feeling came over my head, like someone was pulling on my ears. I twitched them and pulled away. It felt like someone had tugged on them hard and they had stretched out. My hearing became crisp- I could hear everything! From the fur growing across my body to the leaves blowing across the driveway outside in the breeze. Then suddenly I was distracted again by a sensation that felt like my nose was going to explode.

"HAW!" I cried out, as my nose filled my vision, swelling into a long rounded snout. My teeth became large and blunt and my nose had grown to an immense size. I fell forward onto my hands and knees. My muscles bunched up and my body shifted and changed.

"N-naah, not like this! I have friends, family, a life-"

"But it feels so good, doesn't it, giving in to your animalistic urges." His golden eyes trailed town to my groin the pleasure of the change made my body betray me. His smile widened as he watched, making me skid back and blush. The tickling sensation all over my body was rather nice actually. It felt invigorating, my muscles growing and my body shifting around. I reached to cover my shame with my hands, but something was very wrong. My fingers were stiffening and callousing over, and getting very hard to move. I tried to spread my fingers, but they were forced into a fist, balled up, as I lost feeling of the individual fingers. Soon they resembled nothing but equine hooves. My arms and legs were changing shape too and sitting like this was uncomfortable. I pushed myself to all fours and stood there for a moment.

"That's a good donkey," the dragon said. "Just a few more little changes then you'll be all mine. Embrace the transformation..."

"I-"

"Nah ahh, a donkey doesn't talk back!"

"Haw!" I replied. "HAW!"

"Don't fight it. That'll only make it hurt!"

I shuddered and rubbed my hooves together. Every time I tried talking, donkey noises were coming out. This wasn't right at all! I fell to my belly and sprawled out there, panting. The dragon towered over me and pulled me back to all fours.

"Come on now, you're almost there donkey. Just a little bit more!" He rubbed his big scaled claws down my shoulders, across my hips and to my spine. A pent up feeling focused there, like something was going to burst out of my spine. Suddenly there was a loud pop and a long thin furred tail exploded out of my rear, swishing naturally back and forth behind me. The feeling brought utter relief, and made me sigh. All my muscles began to relax as if all the tension in my body melted away.

The dragon grinned evilly down at me. "Now, you forgot to do something, donkey. Go fetch the cart and pull it back into the barn."

I hesitated for a moment and the dragon noticed. "I do have the power to change you back, and I will withhold that if you don't listen. Now go get the cart and pull it into the barn! There's a harness attached to it for you."

I ran, stumbling awkwardly on all fours, until I got to the cart. I put the harness over my head and started tugging it back to the barn. It was surprisingly easy, fulfilling, and when I got to the barn I was satisfied with the work I had done. It almost felt too good to pull like that. I brayed with excitement, until I noticed the dragon had snuck up behind me again.

"See, that wasn't so bad was it?"

I shook my head and looked around.

"The other animals here are like you. Perhaps you should go get to know them. All I need are few more animal helpers and I'll be all set for summer. If you work hard, I'll let you go home with substantial pay. If you don't, then well, I'll have to sell you to another farmer and they won't know that you're not a real donkey."

"Hee-haww!" I said. He wouldn't get away with this, he couldn't hide what he was doing- he.

The dragon seemed to read my mind and with a wide smile he interrupted my thoughts, "go ahead and tell all your friends what I've done to you. Go use your computer, tell the internet. Cause they'll totally believe you."

I nodded a little in defeat and was lead into a stall in the barn. The dragon wrapped a collar around my neck, presumably with my name on it, then smiled at me. "Now it's not all bad here. If you behave I may take the liberty to turn you into an anthro like me. It does get a little lonely talking to animals all the time."

I nodded to show I understood.

"Oh and here, the stalls open to a field in the back. If you keep going down there you'll find the lake where the rest of the animals are hanging out. Feel free to go join them there. See you tomorrow, Mark! I mean, donkey!"

I ran down to the field towards the lake, where I saw a few more donkeys, some horses and a few cows hanging out. Even the ducks swimming around looked like they didn't exactly know how to duck properly. I walked up beside another male donkey and made a noise. He looked up at me knowingly, shook his head and made a laughing noise, then went back to staring at the pond lazily.

I didn't exaclty come to terms with it right away. There was a small adapting period, where I learned how good it felt to do my duties. I was never in pain, I could lift a ton of weight and pull things I never could've before! After a couple weeks the dragon did turn me into an anthro so we could chat and I could help with more of the complex farm duties that required hands. I learned that a few of the other animals had been summer workers like me, but never wanted to leave!

I found myself loving the simplicity of the farm life, and when the end of the summer came I wondered if I really wanted to leave. In the end I had to go back to the city though, because I had school and real life to attend. But there was a token of the farm life that I wanted to keep.

At first people stared at me. Some teased me for my appearance and the barnyard smell that followed me, but they got used to it eventually. Some of the girls and some of the guys found me cute, and I even dated some of them. On many days I found myself lying in the football field beside the school staring at the clouds and wondering what life would be like if I had stayed back at the farm. But I knew that I had to strike out my own course in this world and get a good job so I could buy myself a farm and entice some more people to come join me in my simple donkey life- though I wouldn't transform people who unless they wanted to join me.