User:Erastus/The Effect of Spotted Clothes
This story is set in the Barken, Texas universe. The Barken, Texas story archive can be found here.
Warning: This story is based on a gay relationship and may not be of interest to all readers.
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{{#ifeq: User |User| The Effect of Spotted Clothes | The Effect of Spotted Clothes}}[[Title::{{#ifeq: User |User| The Effect of Spotted Clothes | The Effect of Spotted Clothes}}| ]]
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Author: [[User:{{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus | Erastus}}|{{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus | Erastus}}]] [[Author::{{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus | Erastus}}| ]]
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Author: {{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus Centaur | Erastus Centaur}} |
Author: [[User:{{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus | Erastus}}|{{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus Centaur | Erastus Centaur}}]] [[Author::{{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus Centaur | Erastus Centaur}}| ]]
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{{#ifeq: {{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus | Erastus}} | | Authors: ' |
Authors: [[User:{{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus | Erastus}}|{{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus | Erastus}}]]
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Authors: {{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus Centaur | Erastus Centaur}} |
Author: [[User:{{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus | Erastus}}|{{#ifeq: User |User| Erastus Centaur | Erastus Centaur}}]]
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}} {{#if:| — see [[:Category:{{{category}}}|other works by this author]]}}
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 | Barken story universe |
Chapter 1
I don't show up at the Gay-Straight Alliance at Wayne State University in Detroit very often, though I do try to make it two to three times at the start of the school year to check out the fresh meat. I guess the rest of the time I don't worry much what the straights think of me. Fortunately, there were many new faces--and bods--to check out. I'm not into notching my belt, mind you, but there are few places on campus where I can meet potential boyfriends without straights getting nervous.
So there I sat in a circle of about 40 people, half of them men. I was checking out potential boyfriend material and paying only enough attention to the conversation to determine if a particular guy was gay or just a friendly straight. With some guys it was obvious--a touch of makeup, way too much fashion style for a college campus, or a t-shirt slogan that left no doubt. Other guys were able to blend into the straight world until they started complaining about being misunderstood.
I had only checked out about half the circle when the conversation rose in volume and I thought I should pay attention to it.
A chick was saying, "... can't argue against the Bible! I'm telling ya it's right there in black and white! If you don't give you your sinning ways, you all will burn in Hell!"
A dude--with perhaps more volume--shot back, "You don't know what you're talking about! You preach love and all you do is hate! Your piety is a sham and then you claim that we're the ones who will burn!"
I could see the chick was steamed and about to storm out. The moderator was making calming noises to no effect when another guy rose to speak, one that I hadn't checked out yet. "Please," he said. He had an air of confidence in conflict which caused the combatants to yield the floor.
He turned to the man. "You're not helping. I can appreciate your anger--I've felt it myself many times--but ridiculing her faith isn't going to get us where we want to be. It only makes our opponents more combative." He glanced to the woman and back to the man. "Besides, there are many good features about her religion. Our society would be poorer without them." I could see a slight smile on her face.
Before the man could object, the speaker turned to the woman. "Don't think for a moment that I'm on your side. I'm just as gay as he is." He paused for emphasis. "First of all, I'm glad you came." The expression on the dude's face clearly said, I'm not. The speaker continued, "You are right. The Bible says some harsh things about us in Leviticus. But it isn't so cut and dried. Do you have a bank account that pays interest?" She hesitated, clearly flustered by the change in topic and certain it was a trap, but nodded. "Do you keep a Kosher diet?" Her frown deepened; she shook her head. "Well, then. Since you personally don't follow every single word of Leviticus, you had better have a good reason why you insist the two verses about gays must be followed and not the ones about diet and money." She looked daggers at both the dude and the speaker and but stayed quiet.
He glanced back and forth between the two. "We came to understand each other, not start a shouting match. Let's get back to that." He turned to the dude, "And that means making as much of an effort to understand her as you expect her to make for you." He sat.
I studied the peacemaker as he talked and after he sat down. I wanted to get to know someone who could both calm someone and put them in their place. He was quite slim, not very tall (about a match for my 5-9, a plus) nor very muscular. His dark hair was short (a plus) and he was clean-shaven (alas, a point against him) though if he did let his beard grow, it looked like it would be full. He wore a white t-shirt under a black leather vest with black jeans and a black leather cap. I was surprised at the last touch to his fashion statement--he wore what looked to be a dog collar loosely around his neck as some guys would wear a chain. It was black leather and rather wide with polished metal disks almost as wide as the collar regularly spaced all the way around.
The moderator looked relieved that a messy situation had been resolved for him. He said, "Any other comments?" When no one said anything he went on, "I guess that concludes tonight's meeting."
Everyone stood and gathered up backpacks. I snagged my pack and made my way to the peacemaker. I stuck my hand out. "Hi, I'm Troy Palmer. I was impressed with the way you handled the battle. May I buy you a drink?"
"Jim Cooper." He smiled and shook my hand. "Sorry, but I don't drink. I hate what happens when I do."
"Coffee?"
Up close I could see the disk in the dog collar directly under his Adam's apple was inscribed with his first name.
"I don't care for coffee and it's too late in the day for tea."
I fell back on the last gun in my arsenal, hoping he really didn't drink and wasn't trying to brush me off. "Dessert at TJ's?" That was the nickname for a place called Traffic Jam and Snug that was a few blocks from campus and well known for eccentric fare.
"Sounds good." That was so good to hear as I was beginning to develop a crush on him. "I'll meet you there in, oh," he glanced at his watch, "fifteen minutes?"
"I'll meet you just inside the door."
I didn't risk taking my books back to my car though that made me early. It did give me time to see what kind of flowers were planted in the urinal mounted high on the wall on the front of the building. As I said, the place is eccentric.
Jim arrived when he said he would and we were soon seated. I was going to get the cheesecake, so didn't bother perusing the menu. Jim took only a moment before setting the menu aside. A moment later he also ordered the cheesecake.
"So," I said, once the waiter left, "I can't say I've been to the GSA meetings very often, but I haven't seen you there before. Are you a freshman?"
"Actually, I'm a senior." I winced to show I had caught my gaffe. "And I attend the GSA meetings frequently. You must have come the few times I haven't."
"I"m certainly starting off on the wrong foot. Perhaps I can ask a question without stepping on toes. What's your major?"
"Music Education. Yours?"
"Physics with as many electives in the other sciences as I can manage. Which, now that I'm a senior, has been quite a few."
"Where do you live?" he asked.
"With my parents out in Garden City."
"Far from here?" Hmm. Most natives knew where the smaller suburbs were.
"Fifteen miles due west. You?"
"I live in University Towers."
"Can't stand to live with Mom and Dad? They throw you out when they learned you're gay?"
He smiled. "No, nothing like that. I get along great with my parents. But it is hard to commute from Texas."
"Texas? You don't sound like a Texan."
"Ah shore cain if Ah wount tew," he drawled. He continued without it, "Studying music forced me to listen to sounds, including speech. When I came here three years ago, I concentrated on speaking like the locals so I didn't sound like a hick."
"Why leave Texas to come to Detroit?"
"I wanted to see something quite different from home and Detroit is about as different from Barken as you can get."
Our cheesecake came. I took a bite, then said, "Never heard of Barken. How big is it?"
"Few people have, even in Texas. It's pretty small."
"Can't you get a big city in Houston or Dallas."
"Sure can, but I also wanted to experience a northern climate before I settled down."
"And you have plans for that already?"
"Once I'm done here I'll go back to Barken to be the music teacher."
"You say that as if there will be only one."
"That's right. While I was growing up, we were bussed into Cherry, the closest town, for school. Cherry and Barken do not get along and the town council finally decided to open a school in town. I'll be the music teacher for the whole school, Kay through Twelve. Course, that's maybe seventy students altogether."
"You sound so sure that you'll get the job."
"Yup. Not many people want to come to a desert town such as Barken. But I grew up there. I couldn't live anywhere else for long. I gotta go back. You might say it's in my blood." He gave a wink when he said that. Whatever he meant was lost on me.
He continued, "What do you have planned for next year?"
"With my overall science major, I figure getting a job in one of the research labs of the Big Three." Around Detroit, Big Three meant the car companies. A research job meant a pretty good living.
"Sounds good." He didn't look like it sounded good. We were both quiet for a couple bites.
"The reason I invited you here," I said, "was because I was impressed with the way you handled yourself in the GSA meeting."
"Thank you. Unfortunately, I had a lot of practice going to school in Cherry."
"Oh?"
"The residents of Cherry practice a very fundamentalist form of Christianity."
I groaned. "And you're gay." I had run into many a fundamentalist myself and had campaigned against some of their screwy ballot initiatives--as in what laws can we pass to screw the queer?
"Worse than that. Everyone from Barken was considered to be... heathen." It was an odd sort of hesitation.
"And that gave you a double hit."
"Yeah. I learned the fine art calmly skewering my opponents pretty quick." He scraped the last of the cheesecake off his plate and licked the fork. "It got so bad in my case that it was enough for the Barken city council to decide to open their own school. It actually works well all the way around. Cherry is sufficiently glad to get rid of us they didn't mind the loss of tax revenue. They even agreed not to tell the state what we were going to do. Since the state won't be poking around, Barken won't have to worry about teacher certification, which is good as we wouldn't be able to attract many certified teachers anyway."
"Aren't they concerned about teacher quality?"
"Heh. If someone wants to teach in Barken, they'll do it because they want to, and that's a good indication of quality right there."
"Won't you be certified when you're done here?"
"I'll have a degree with an education major. Whether or not I sit for the Texas certification exam probably won't make any difference."
The waiter came by with the bill, which I paid.
Jim said, "I can tell from your expression that you hope this little meeting will lead to something more." He was reading me right. "I will warn you right now that I am reluctant to get involved with you, as sweet and sexy as you appear to be. I want a relationship that will last and next May I'm going back to Barken and you're staying here. We could be friends, but I'm sure you've heard how hard it is for two gay men to be just friends."
"Couldn't you get a job teaching music around here?"
"Couldn't you teach science in Barken?" he countered. He saw my look of dismay. "Barken really does need a science teacher."
"Sorry. No. I'd rather go into research."
"Then we'll have to settle for friendship."
Too late. That crush had already developed into love. The human heart is so fickle, falling for what it can't have.
As we left TJ's I said, "I'll walk with you to your dorm. It's on the way to my car." Actually, it wasn't, but I would only be walking an extra block.
Along the way I said, "I have to ask. Why the dog collar?"
He chuckled as he fingered it. "You might say it is a declaration of my individuality." With a practiced motion, he felt for the disk with his name and centered it under his Adam's apple. "I'm also a dog lover and you might say I wear it in solidarity with all dogs everywhere." He winked again.
I studiously attended GSA meetings after that, even participating in the discussions. I began to understand why the straights were afraid of us and the more I heard, the more I believed that the religious argument was simply a cover for that fear.
I always sat as close to Jim as I could. I almost always invited him out for dessert afterward. He almost always declined. "It seems too much like a date," he said.
By the end of the month I gave up on going out for dessert and asked him to join me for lunch. After all, we both had to eat. To this he was more agreeable as long as he paid for his own. Though he didn't want a lover, he did need a friend and could put up with a bit of sexual tension to get that friendship.
I invited Jim out to my place (well, my parent's) one Friday evening to watch the DVD of Big Eden, a movie of a gay guy afraid to reveal his feelings to the one he loved, though his feelings obvious to the rest of the town. Jim responded in a teasing voice, "I hope you're not trying to get me to change my mind." I was, but played innocent.
Jim proposed his favorite movie for the following Friday evening. He brought me up to his tiny dorm room so he could pop the DVD disc into his computer and we could watch it on the small screen. Jim must be well off, I decided, if he could afford a single room. There was only one bed in the 12-by-12 space instead of the usual two. The walls held several posters of dogs, the largest of Dalmatians. He had placed several photos on his desks, one set obviously of his parents and younger brother, another set of the family's pet dogs-- a large malamute, a poodle, and a Husky puppy. Near the foot of the bed was a circular rug, which seemed to have accumulate a great deal of dog hair. That surprised me as the rest of the room was fairly neat and clean (we are talking about a guy's room here) and I was sure pets weren't allowed. There certainly was no dog there now.
I was surprised by Jim's choice of movie--"101 Dalmatians," the live-action version with Jeff Daniels and Glenn Close. I didn't think that someone like Jim with his air of sophistication would claim a Disney movie as his favorite using the reverential tones that meant no other movie could come close.
I was even more surprised at his reaction to it. He seemed to completely ignore the humans and concentrate solely on the dogs. He didn't just watch them, he empathized with them--cheering them on and wincing when they banged into something. He commented on his favorite puppy and why its markings were prettier than the others. He remarked about the handsomeness of the papa dog. I had the crazy impression he wanted to jump into the scene for a romp.
Jim's antics inspired a fabulously weird idea, though I was torn between encouraging this obsession and using it to my advantage. After the movie while he was in the bathroom, I checked his clothing sizes - medium shirt,30 waist/31 inseam for jeans, 7D shoes. Over the following week, I bought a turtleneck shirt, briefs, and socks, all in white. I couldn't find white jeans, so subjected a pair to a lot of bleach. I even found white gloves (which I hoped would fit) and a white scarf and cap. Using a bottle of India ink and an eyedropper, I put Dalmatian spots on everything, taking care the spots were small so they wouldn't give the impression of a Holstein cow.
I met him in his room Friday evening and handed him the paper bag with the clothing inside. He was reluctant to take it, saying, "Troy, dear boy, giving me gifts tends to imply more than friendship. We've already talked about why that won't work." He probably saw the determination in my expression and sighed. "Well, at least I can take a look at what you brought." He accepted the bag and glanced inside.
I was completely unprepared for his reaction.
"Oh!" he said, his voice rising into a squeal. He dumped the contents onto his bed, saying, "This is so wonderful! It's fabulous! I"m surprised I didn't think of it myself!" He held up each article and exclaimed again. "Even briefs!" he said as he held them up. He plopped the cap onto his head, tweaking its position as he admired it in the mirror, then taking it off to adjust the fit. He checked the shirt-tag, "A medium! Just right." He pulled off the shirt he was wearing and pulled on the turtleneck. The size-tag in the jeans had been bleached blank, so he held them up to his waist, then soon had the briefs and the jeans on. A moment later, he was wearing the socks, scarf, and gloves and admiring the complete ensemble in the mirror, exclaiming, "This is so wonderful!"
He came over to me and gave me a hug. "Troy, dear boy, I have no idea how your brain came up with this marvelous surprise, but I like it very much. These threads mean more to me than I could possibly explain." He kissed me, first a quick one, then a long sensual one, followed by another hug. I eagerly participated, pressing myself against him.
When he finally released me, a tear had spilled from his eye, which he wiped with his sleeve. "Oh, drat!" he said quietly, hugging me again and whispering in my ear. "I do believe I've broken one of my personal vows and fallen in love with you." He sighed. "That is either going to mess up your future or make next May quite painful."
"Aren't you forgetting the option of you changing your future?" I asked.
"Troy, dear boy, you haven't been listening." He kissed me. "I am going back to Barken next May." He kissed again. "You are either coming with me or you're not." Another kiss. "Though life would be so much nicer if you did."
I felt a bit of anger that he wouldn't budge, blaming me for the eventual breakup. Couldn't we rationally discuss what would be best for both of us?
Jim was oblivious to my feelings. He said, "So where should we go tonight? Perhaps it is my turn to treat you to dessert at TJ's." He grabbed his jacket.
"You're going out dressed in that!"
"Of course." He came over and patted my cheek. "Troy, dear boy, if you didn't want me to be seen in public wearing these clothes, you would have given me pajamas." There was an unmistakable meaning in his grin. "Though perhaps we can do something about that later." He kissed me. "Now let's go have some fun."
Jim somehow managed to give the impression of ignoring all the stares in the restaurant and at the same time glory in each eye that was on him, as if to say, of course, I'm the one to watch tonight. Why would you look anywhere else? And drat it, if that didn't make me feel all the more special in his presence. He was the center of attention, yet I was the center of his attention.
After dinner, we returned to Jim's room and spent a wonderful evening in his narrow bed. I decided that two guys in a twin-size bed added to the enjoyment. There wasn't much room for snuggling side by side.
I was about to drift off to sleep, hopefully for the night, when Jim shook my shoulder, "Troy, dear boy, it's time you went home to bed."
"Can't I sleep here and wake up in your arms?" I didn't want to open my eyes fearing sleep might slip away.
He chuckled, then kissed me. "This bed is hardly big enough for both of us to get a good night's sleep."
"So what if we don't get out of bed until noon. Tomorrow is Saturday, after all."
"As tempting as that might be, it won't work. Sorry, Troy."
"We could go to my place. I have a much bigger bed."
He sighed heavily and sat up, then put his hand back on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked at him in the dim light. "Troy, dear boy, I would be happy to repeat this evening as often as you may want, but I sleep alone. At least for now."
I wasn't going to get to sleep quickly now. I was wide awake. "Well if you are going to change your mind in the future, why not change it now?"
"Sorry, Troy."
"Can't you at least explain why? If it is because you snore, I can buy earplugs."
"No, I can't explain. Not yet. If you come with me to Barken, I'll explain then."
I felt anger flash through me. "Barken! Always you and Barken!" I scrambled out of bed. "You insist you have to live in Barken, then you start keeping secrets, telling me I have to go to Barken to find out." I found it is hard to get dressed when you're both in a hurry and mad. "What about my half of the relationship? Why do we always have to do it your way?"
I turned and walked to the door. I heard a heavy sigh as I closed it.
Chapter 2
I was miserable for the entire next week and quite aware that my classwork was suffering. I kept thinking about Jim, about how much I loved him, how I enjoyed being with him, how much I missed him. I also thought about his insistence that he returned to Barken, that he almost seemed obsessed with the place. I had to do something.
I did a websearch on both Barken and Cherry, though it took me a while to remember the name of the neighboring town. I came up with a complete blank. Mapquest could find the two towns, but that told me only that both towns had streets with a regular grid and a park or a town square in the center. None of the citizens of either town seemed to be Internet literate. No webpages described either place.
Though it took me a week to swallow my pride, I spent much of the next Friday evening camped outside his door, studying as I waited. Love had won out over pride--I had bought a half-dozen roses, each a different color because I had heard the colors had meaning and I didn't want to leave anything out.
It was nearly eleven before Jim showed up, shouting, "Troy!" before I had heard his approach. He ran to me as I scrambled to my feet and soon enfolded me in a hug, followed by a long kiss.
While he fumbled with is keys and got the door open, I located the roses on the floor. I presented them, saying, "I'm sorry," which earned me another kiss.
"I'm sorry, too, Troy, dear boy" he said. "I'm very aware that I am placing all kinds of conditions on this relationship. But those conditions must be as they are a part of who I am. I know that isn't fair to you, and for that, I'm sorry."
We hugged each other, then helped each other undress.
Afterward, as I reached for my briefs, Jim said, "Since May might break us apart, let's try to maximize the time we have before then. I want to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break with you."
"Don't you want to spend the holidays with your family?"
"I'll see a lot of my family after graduation. I may not see you then."
"I love you," I said and kissed him. "So where should we go?"
"I've put too many restrictions on you already. It is entirely your choice."
"Don't you want to show me around Barken?"
"Yeah, I do, but only if you want to go."
I thought about it while I finished dressing. "At the moment, I'm too angry at Barken and its secrets."
"Fair enough."
"So before you go hide yourself in Barken for the rest of your life, let me show you a bit of the country."
"A cross country trip in winter?"
"We don't have to go cross country. But some places are at their best in winter."
We kissed. And hugged. Then I said, "Good night, Jim," and left.
"Doctor Shishido's office."
"Hi. This is Jim Cooper. May I speak to the doctor?"
"Sure Jim. Just a moment. He's almost done with a patient."
A minute later, "Hi, Jim. This is Doctor Shishido. How are you today?"
"Doc, when asked that by a member of the medical profession I always wonder if it is a greeting or an inquiry into the state of my health."
Dr. Shishido chuckled. "Both."
"Well, to answer both of your queries, I'm fine."
"So if you're in good health, there must be some other reason why you called."
"Yeah, there is. I have an important question for you. Once someone leaves Barken, how long do its effects last?"
"Oh, golly." A pause. "That depends."
"Depends on what?"
"Usually on how long between the time they arrive in Barken and their first shift. If their first shift happens in five days, the effects may linger for up to three years. If we go to the other extreme when the first shift doesn't happen for a month, the effects may last only a month."
"What about someone born in Barken?"
"Such as yourself?"
"Yeah."
"It's hard to tell when the clock starts. I've had some cases where it was obvious the first--and maybe even the second or third--shift was in utero. In other cases it wasn't."
"And in my case?"
"You're going to make me remember back that far? Heh. Jim Cooper... Jim Cooper... Ah. If I remember right--and I can't say that I do-- the ultrasounds I did on your mother always showed you as human. You might have changed. Then again, you might not. There's no way to tell. Now I think you need to tell me why this prompted you to call."
"I'm in love."
"Is he a nice guy?"
"He gave me a set of white clothes decorated with Dalmatian spots."
Doctor Shishido laughed for several seconds. "Does he know?"
"I'm positive he doesn't. He gave the clothes to me after he saw how involved I got watching 101 Dalmatians."
"Ooh, that's rich. So how does your love life prompt your question?"
"We got into an argument when I insisted I had to come back to Barken after graduation. To maintain peace I agreed to spend all my breaks between now and graduation with him and he doesn't want to visit Barken just yet."
"Your mom know you won't be back?"
"Yeah, I already called her."
"Hmm." A pause. "You'll be away for a total of nine months."
"About that."
"I must warn you, then, you might be cutting it close."
"Are you sure."
"Not at all. There's no way to tell. Not that many people leave Barken and those that do rarely call me up and tell me how long the effects last. Jim, do you shift?
"Every night. I sleep so much better that way."
"Many people do. Any trouble shifting?"
"No."
"At the first signs of it, you had better give it up so you aren't stuck. We've lost contact with a few of our youth and suspect that's what happened. We don't want to lose you too."
"I'll be careful."
"It may not be that simple. Some people had no trouble shifting then found they couldn't shift back. You need to take some precautions in case that should happen. Make sure you have a backup plan."
"What kind of plan?"
"Whatever will get you back to Barken if you can't communicate. One thing you might do is to tell your parents to come looking for you if they don't get an email within so many days of the last one. The main thing is to have that plan."
"I will, Doc. Thanks so much. Goodbye."
"Bye, Jim."
Jim became very conscientious about two additions to his bedtime routine. He always made sure a particular piece of paper was prominently displayed on his desk before he went to sleep and hidden away after waking. He moved his sleeping rug to just inside the door and made sure the door was unlocked while he slept.
Jim appeared frequently on campus wearing his Dalmatian clothes, complete with the collar. He usually did it on Friday so he would be seen wearing them on our dates to Detroit's many cultural institutions. It wasn't long before he picked up a nickname. He strongly objected to the name Mutt, saying a Dalmatian is a purebred, not a mongrel. But he happily answered to the name Bowser when someone jokingly used it.
Jim and I had four wonderful days at Thanksgiving. He spent nearly all day, every day, with me and my family, even accompanying us to the big dinner Aunt Jane and Uncle Tom's house. My family is a small one so it was easy for Jim to keep track of names. Long days together almost made up for nights apart. Just as well--I did have some studying to do.
The two and a half weeks at Christmas were even better. We had time between exams and Christmas to do our Christmas shopping, including forays to outlet malls and to Bronner's Christmas Store in Frankenmuth. Both the gaudy extravagance of the store and the fake Bavarian setting of the town delighted Jim.
After Christmas, we had time to try some cross-country skiing as we visited Traverse City, Mackinac Island, and Sault Ste. Marie. We had a grand time on the Agawa Canyon Snow Train out of the Canadian side of the Soo. I said nothing when Jim insisted we get separate rooms in each motel.
Instead of heading south for spring break as college students normally do, we stayed in the north, exploring Niagara, Toronto, and Montreal in our brief respite from class.
That trip had an air of urgency. There were only seven weeks until graduation and our future together after that was still uncertain. Bless his heart, Jim didn't remind me that his decision was set and it was up to me to decide to follow him to Barken or to look for a research job in the Detroit area. I wasn't sure if it was a help that the car companies had a hiring freeze and didn't even come on campus for interviews.
Chapter 3
I had switched parking lots to one by University Towers so that Jim and I could walk to class together. It was a bit farther for me, but the few moments with Jim in the morning made it worthwhile.
It was the first day of May, which I knew was the date of Jim's last exam. I had one that day and one more the day after before I was done. The thought of being free soon sometimes made it hard to concentrate on the pesky impediments, such as exams.
But when I knocked on the door, I got no answer. "Jim?" I called out. I thought I heard noises. "Jim?" I said as I knocked. This wasn't like him. He was usually up well before I got there. Had he been up too late studying or packing? I knocked again. "Come on, Jim." Had he left without me? He knew what time I was coming. If he had gone, who was making that noise?
I tried the handle and was surprised to find it unlocked. I opened it to find a large Dalmatian standing there, its tail wagging. "Jim?" From the door, a person can see the entire room. Jim wasn't there. I stepped to the bathroom door and knocked. No answer, so I opened the door and flipped on the light. No Jim.
I turned to the dog. "Have you seen Jim?" The dog whuffed in response, its tail still wagging. "By the way, what are you doing here? Dogs aren't allowed. I didn't think Jim had a dog."
The dog came over and stuck its head under my fingers. I idly petted it as I scanned the room for clues of Jim. My fingers found the dog's collar, so I squatted down for a closer look. It was Jim's collar! Complete with the disk with his name. I turned it around, examining it closely, which the dog patiently endured. I had been seeing that collar around my lover's neck every day for six months now. There was no mistaking it. What was it doing on the dog?
I stood and walked around the room for clues of where Jim might be. I could see he had done quite a bit of packing, with only a few things left to put into boxes and more boxes lined up along the wall. On the desk, I found a note addressed to me:
Troy, I got called away in the middle of the night and didn't want to wake you. It was urgent but not serious. I will tell you all about it when we next meet.
A friend at the Humane Society brought the dog over last night, knowing how much I like Dalmatians. Isn't he a beaut? Do you think you might stop in a couple times over the next few days to make sure he is fed, or perhaps even take him for a walk?
Troy, my love, I have a big favor to ask. This business may keep me beyond the end of the semester. Would you be so kind as to take my stuff and my dog back to Barken? If you do, you can stay with Mrs. Brumfield in the Barken Motel. Either way, please call my parents and let them know what you plan to do. I hope with all my heart I will see you in Barken in a few days.
With much love, Jim
I sighed, and felt the dog watching me. Not having anyone else to talk to, I turned to the dog. "Do you know how annoying your owner is being right now? Take you and all this stuff to Barken for him! What could be so urgent that he'd miss his last exam and yet not be serious?" The dog lowered his head a bit. "I don't know if you like me or if you're willing to put up with being in a car with me for three days. Since Jim has had you for such a short time, I doubt he knows either." To my surprise, the dog came over and licked my fingers. I could only scratch his head in reply.
"This is so presumptuous of Jim, just like his insistence that he will spend the rest of his days in Barken and it is my fault the relationship is over if I don't follow him." I sighed. The dog whined and stuck his nose into my hand.
"But as secretive and demanding as he is, I love him. Oh, how I love him!" I kept my hands busy petting the dog as we looked into each other's eyes. "From his crazy collar and spotted clothes, to the tips of his toes. Heh." I grimaced. "I"m subjecting a strange dog to bad poetry. Surely that is criminal somewhere.
"Oh, hell!" I dabbed my eyes and blew my nose. "Why not do it?" The dog barked, a rather quiet ruff sound. "You agree? I certainly don't have a job that I need to get to. Now don't you think I deserve a vacation after four years of school and working summers before I start looking for a job?" To my delight, the dog barked quietly again and bobbed his head.
"Yeah, Jim was so insistent that Barken was the place for him that I do owe it to him to at least see the place before I decide. You do agree, don't you?" The dog bobbed his head, then pranced around the room a bit before putting his forelegs in my lap and licking my face. I guess it's decided.
"Do you have a name?" The dog lifted his head and looked at me. "It looks like we are going to be together for a while and I can't just call you 'Dog,' now can I?" The dog bobbed its head. "Let's see." I pondered it for a moment. "Heh. Jim acquired the name Bowser when I gave him those Dalmatian clothes. It seems so appropriate I call Jim's Dalmatian the same name. May I name you Bowser?"
The dog bobbed his head and barked once. "That sounded like a yes to me," I said, patting his head.
I had some time before my exam, so decided I might as well call right then. Nearby, Jim had posted his parent's phone number so I would find it easily. I called.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Mrs. Cooper?"
"Yes."
"This is Jim's friend Troy."
"Oh, Troy, you don't have to play word games with me. Jim has told me all about you."
"Oh, that's good. I'm calling as I found a note from Jim saying he had to leave suddenly. Do you know what it's about? Jim was quite vague."
"I think I had better let Jim tell you."
"Ah. He wrote that it was urgent but not serious. Is he all right?"
"I'm sure he is."
"Did you know Jim got a Dalmatian yesterday?"
"I'm not surprised. Jim loves dogs, especially Dalmatians."
I chuckled. "That he does. Well, Jim wanted me to tell you that I've decided I would come to Barken with Jim's stuff and the dog."
"Oh, thank you, Troy! That would be most helpful and save us a trip. I'm so glad you can come. I'll call the motel right away and reserve a room."
"Thanks," I said.
"Troy, I know this is going to sound weird, but could you hold the phone out for the dog?"
"Yeah, it does sound weird. Just a second." I held out the phone, saying, "It's for you," smirking as I did so.
To my surprise, Bowser moved his head to position an ear by the receiver and barked. A few moments later, he barked again and stepped away. What in the world had I just witnessed?
I put the phone back to my own ear and said, "Mrs. Cooper?"
"Yes, Troy."
"I have a couple exams yet so it will be a few days before I come."
"We look forward to your visit whenever you get here. Bye Troy."
"Bye."
I glanced at my watch. "Sorry, doggie. I have to go. I'll be back for you later."
After my exam that day and with permission of my parents, I cleaned out Jim's dorm room and took his stuff and Bowser to their house.
I got a shock when I went through the clothes he was wearing the day before he disappeared and found Jim's wallet. Of course, I looked through it. There was $47 in bills and 82 cents in coin. His student ID card, his Detroit Public Library card, his driver's license, and a couple credit cards were all still there. This was a mystery. How had Jim been able to get anywhere without money or proving who he was? His car was still in the student lot; I saw it on the way in. One needed money to take a cab. One needed identification to take a train or plane. Was he traveling under an alias? Had he been coerced into joining a crime organization? Now I was worried.
It was rather nice having Bowser with me that evening as I studied for the last exam. He was companionable, sitting beside my chair as I worked and following me through the house during breaks.
I appreciated the chance to stretch my muscles when Mom thought I should take him for a walk. This crazy dog pulled another surprise when, on the way through the garage, he pawed at my bicycle. Taking the hint, I mounted up, the dog willingly scampering along beside me, even when I picked up speed. Perhaps I had been missing out by not having a dog in my youth.
My last exam went well. The graduation ceremony actually did give the feeling that one phase of my life was over and another was beginning. I felt bad that I couldn't share the experience with Jim. I wondered again why he had left so suddenly.
The day after graduation I loaded up Jim's car with clothes for myself, all of Jim's stuff, and Bowser. The dog was quite intent in overseeing the loading process. Once loaded, I opened the passenger door and he hopped in. I settled myself behind the wheel and we were off.
May is a beautiful time to drive across the country. The problem is that it's a big country. It was close to fifteen hundred miles from Detroit to Barken. And it was going to take two and a half days to cover that distance.
I talked to Bowser. I sang along with the radio and was amused when Bowser did too. It was spooky how well he could match pitch. But mostly, we just sat, letting the scenery flash by while the radio filled the silence.
The only incident was the drive through Cherry. I had the windows up and the air conditioner on, which turned out to be a good thing. Just after crossing the city boundary, Bowser, who had put his forepaws on the dashboard for better viewing, lay down in the seat. Even so, I hadn't gotten very far into town before I heard shouting and saw people pointing to him. A moment later a tomato splattered against the passenger side window and another on the windshield in front of the dog. I picked up my speed both to get through the town faster and to attract the attention of police. The police stayed hidden and a few more tomatoes struck home before we were back into open desert.
What was that all about? Jim had said he had a bad time in Cherry, but what did they have against me? Was it that I was driving Jim's car? This was another mystery to discuss with Jim when I found him.
The wipers and washer fluid got most of the tomato gunk off the windshield. I'd have to find a car-wash for the rest.
Bowser soon had his paws back on the dashboard and when we passed the sign for the Barken city limits, he let out a bark and then wiggled in anticipation. This was another mystery as this dog was from the Humane Society in Detroit. What would he know about Barken?
The first thing about Barken that caught my eye was the large number of dogs wandering the street. And none of them had collars. The dogs seemed to be moving with a definite purpose, as a human would, not wandering from one distraction to another as I had seen dogs do.
It didn't take long to find Jim's home as Barken isn't very big and the map Jim had left was a good one.
No sooner had I gotten out of the car than Bowser jumped over my seat and out the door and dashed into the yard, barking the whole way. Coming just as fast from the house was the small Husky I had seen in photos in Jim's room, being just as noisy. I would have expected the Husky to be grown now, but this one wasn't.
I feared a grand territorial battle between the dog from Detroit and the local pet. It was nothing of the sort. The two dogs greeted each other like old friends, playfully romping together. The noise soon brought out who I assumed were Jim's parents. With cries of, "You're here!" they came down the porch steps while Bowser broke away from his games to give each an enthusiastic face licking. Stranger and stranger. Only then did Jim's parents come over to greet me, which they did warmly, insisting I call them Walt and Amanda.
As they did so, many of the other dogs in town came pouring into the yard, each of them giving Bowser an enthusiastic greeting. There were so many that it was difficult to hear the humans speak.
I asked, "I wouldn't expect such a welcome for a strange dog."
"We all like dogs so much that there's no such thing as a strange dog around here," said Walt.
"Even the dogs welcome a strange one," I said.
"Isn't that nice?" said Amanda.
"Is Jim here? Has he finished with his mysterious errand?" I asked.
I saw Walt turn around and begin to point at something, but Amanda grabbed his hand. She turned to me. "No, dear. He'll find you soon enough. Come, let's get the car unloaded."
I can tell a deliberate change of subject when I hear one. Mystery piled onto mystery, but there was nothing to do with my curiosity until Jim turned up.
Once the stuff was stashed in the basement--Jim's old room having been converted to a sewing room--Amanda said, "I'm sorry we don't have space for you to stay here, but the Barken Motel is a good place and Mrs. Brumfield is a wonderful cook. Perhaps you should go check in now." She took my arm and guided me to the car. "Since Jim considers you his partner, that makes us your in-laws. We need to get to know each other, so please stop by for supper each evening or even just to hang out."
When I opened the door to Jim's car, Bowser broke from the pack and bounded over. "Don't you want to play with your friends?" I asked. Apparently not, as he stepped over my seat to the passenger side.
When I walked into the motel, Bowser had insisted in coming with me. I was afraid the woman behind the small reception desk would demand I keep him outside. Much to my surprise, they greeted each other as old friends. "Jim! It is so good to see you again!" she kept saying.
When she finally turned to me, I'm sure I had a puzzled expression, but she ignored it completely. "Hi. You must be Troy Palmer. The Coopers reserved a room for you." She went behind the desk and opened the guest book for me to sign and handed me a key. "I have room three all set up for you."
After signing, I asked, "I'm a bit confused about this town. There are all these strange things going on, things that don't make sense. For instance, you called the dog by his owner's name."
She let out a musical laugh, then said, "I guess we do that a lot around here, though you can't really say a dog has an owner."
Another cryptic remark.
"But how did you know it was Jim's dog. He got it in Detroit."
"He did? I could have sworn I've seen this dog around here before. But don't mind an old lady like me." She smiled sweetly.
I guess Bowser had gotten attached to me during our car ride. As much as he liked playing with the other dogs and visiting with Jim's parents, he preferred my company. He went everywhere that I did, even into the mall. I would have thought dogs wouldn't be allowed in the mall, but there were as many dogs as humans inside.
On my third day in Barken Amanda suggested I take Bowser to visit the school superintendent and just see what a teaching job in Barken would be like. Though I didn't feel qualified to teach and didn't want to give the impression I was even remotely considering such a job, I didn't have anything better to do.
"Ah, you must be Troy," said Dottie Latour. She leaned over with her had out. "And it is good to see you, too." Bowser obliged by extending a paw and letting her shake it. My dog--uh, Jim's dog-- was just full of surprises. She turned back to me, "Let me show you around."
Mrs. Latour's small office was probably the only room actually finished on the school house site, though the rest if it was close. "We'll never have many students here, so our design is based on the old rural schools, though we'll have three classrooms instead of one."
The main part of the school was a hallway with two rooms on either side. She stopped just inside the first room on the left where I could see workers install light fixtures. "How's it going, Gordy?"
"Just fine, ma'am," sang out the worker that was the cleanest. My dad had said that meant he was the boss. He didn't do as much actual work so didn't get as dirty. "We'll have these babies in by the end of the week and get the drop-ceiling in next week. We'll be done long before Labor Day."
She turned to me. "This will be our elementary classroom, grades Kindergarten through Fifth." In turn, she indicated the second room on the left was for the middle school class and across from it on the right was for the high school. There wouldn't be more than 25 students in each room. The last room was a combination of gymnasium and lunchroom with a small stage across one end. We sat down in the gym using a couple of plastic chairs used by the workers for breaks.
"Mrs. Cooper told me you majored in Science."
"Well, my major was actually Physics, but I also took many classes in Chemistry, Biology, and Geology."
"We could use a general science teacher."
"But I didn't major in education and won't be certified," I said.
"I can't be that picky. Don't worry about it."
I looked at her strangely. "Not be picky? I don't get it. Don't you want the best for your children?"
"I suspect you've noticed that Barken isn't exactly in a prime location, ready to attract hordes of candidates." Ya think? "But our citizens just don't want to be anywhere else." Gee, I hadn't noticed. "So I have to staff my school with any warm body I can get my hands on."
"If your teaching staff will be so inferior, why bother with a school at all?"
"You're Jim's lover, aren't you?" I nodded. News travels fast in a small town. "Then I imagine Jim told you at least part of the story."
"Yeah, he did."
"Here it is from my point of view. Why bus fifty to seventy kids forty-five minutes each way to a town that is prejudiced against them? That far away in a town that hostile makes it dangerous for our kids and too far away for us to intervene effectively. If your kid doesn't feel safe, he's not going to learn. I'd rather have children feeling safe under uncertified teachers than feeling threatened under the best teachers in the state."
Bowser had been sitting attentively, seeming to listen to our conversation. He now got up and began to wander the room. I tried to keep an eye on him to keep him out of mischief. The superintendent ignored Bowser completely.
She said, "If you stay to teach with us, you'll spend part of your day in each room. Most high schools teach a year of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. You might as well teach one subject a year to all high school grades. We could even add a general science class for the fourth year of the cycle. We could work out a three year cycle for the middle school students. As for the elementary grades, it would be best, I think, to teach then in small groups as the other teachers will do."
"That's all very good, Mrs. Latour, but I don't intend to stay in Barken. This place is just too strange for me. I'm only sticking around until Jim shows up."
She glanced at Bowser, then looked at me strangely. I got the feeling there was something going on that was supposed to be obvious if only I had the wits to know what it was. The superintendent didn't provide any clues. She only said, "Well if you change your mind, just let me know."
By the fourth day I was worried about what had happened to Jim. Strangely, his parents weren't concerned at all, assuring me that Jim would show up in due time and I should just enjoy my vacation. I countered that a vacation wasn't so much fun when you couldn't share it with the one you love.
By the end of the first week, the combination of Jim's absence and this strange town was really freaking me out. If I didn't love Jim so much I would have jumped in his car and sped out of town.
Chapter 4
It was that night when I had the first dream. It was a strange one. The first image I remember was of Jim in his Dalmatian outfit standing before a doorway and beckoning me through. The world beyond the door was golden, radiating both the color and a golden mood, a sense of belonging and of well-being. I walked through the door thinking about after-death experiences and wondering what part of my life was dying.
Once through the door, I looked around for Jim, but didn't see him-- I could see back into the room where I had been, but he wasn't there either. At my side was Bowser, eager to play. I felt energetic enough that I was happy to accept his invitation. I noticed I was wearing no clothes, but that seemed natural and appropriate in this golden light. We dashed about the golden countryside, looking at this and sniffing at that, frolicking together and generally having a wonderful time. I very much wanted this experience to continue for as long as possible.
We had flopped onto the ground to rest and Bowser rolled onto his back. I dutifully and playfully rubbed his belly. He rewarded my efforts by licking my nose. I rolled over onto my own back and Jim returned the favor and rubbed the fur on my belly. I let my tongue hang out and stretched my paws in the air in satisfaction.
I rolled over and stood on my paws, able to greet Bowser nose to nose. He danced playfully away and I was struck by a thought that warmed me--Bowser was very sexy-looking. Such a handsome dog. Bowser was looking at me with the same kind of hunger.
Bowser pranced before me, posing to show off his muscles. He winked and tossed his head. He stepped up to me and kissed me, his muzzle against mine. His display was definitely having an effect on me. I again rolled onto the grass with my paws in the air. Bowser gently straddled me then lay atop me, belly to belly, licking my muzzle as he settled himself. He soon began to rock back and forth.
I awoke with a record case of blue balls; the slightest touch would have set off a depth charge in my groin. I opened my eyes to see Bowser standing at the side of the bed, his head on the mattress near mine staring into my eyes. Apparently satisfied that I was awake, Bowser stepped sideways until his head was near my groin. He deliberately took a big sniff, then placed a paw on the mattress.
"Oh, no, you don't," I said clambering out of bed. I hurried to the shower and turned it on cold. As I stood under the spray, I thought over what I could remember of the dream. It was then that I realized some things about the dream that disturbed me. My companion in the dream was sometimes Jim and sometimes Bowser and the two seemed interchangeable. There were times that Bowser had done things only a human would do. And the most troublesome was that my perspective was sometimes that of a gay dog, complete with fur, paws, and muzzle. I expected the gay part. It was the dog part the sent my mind spinning.
Come on, Jim. I love you, but I've got to get out of this town.
It isn't often that images from my dreams persist long into the day. This one did, troubling me with its images and my reaction to them.
As I dressed, I realized it was still quite early. I knew I wasn't going to get any more sleep the way my body felt stretched tight. I wandered down to the dining area and was surprised that Mrs. Brumfield already had an egg casserole ready. It was delicious. It was uncanny how she anticipated my needs.
But I couldn't tolerate the town anymore, so walked into the surrounding hills, Bowser trailing beside me. It wasn't hot yet, but I knew it would be soon. I could at least avoid the town and its strangeness until the heat sent me in search of air conditioning.
I picked a hill and trudged up it, then plopped my butt onto the sand where I could overlook the town. Once I was seated, Bowser began pulling at my shoelaces in spite of my attempts to waive him off. It seemed a game to him, one that I was in no mood to play. I had promised to meet Jim in this town and would keep that promise. I hadn't promised anything beyond that.
Bowser succeeded in undoing one lace, then began to tug on the shoe itself. "You want the shoe? Fine. You can have it." I threw it at him and he neatly dodged it. He scampered after it and brought it back to me--and promptly began to pull off the sock. I let him have it, but once he did, he wasn't interested in it anymore. He dropped it on the shoe and went after the laces of the other shoe. I thought it best to cut the game short and pulled the shoe and sock off. "There. I've got bare feet. Happy? You had better make sure there are no rattlers, scorpions, or other desert nasties around." Bowser dutifully made a circuit around me as if to prove he was up to the task.
Then Bowser began to bury my feet in the sand by using a paw to brush sand over my toes. I swatted at him, but he dodged my hand. "What are you doing, dog?" I leaned back and Bowser returned. He watched me intently for a moment then started pushing sand over my feet again. I jumped to my feet and gave chase for a few steps, before I thought about my bare feet and what might be lurking in the sand. Bowser also stopped and took a stance that would allow him to resume running if I did. He barked softly at me, perhaps to say that he wanted the game to continue. I sat down and glared at the dog. He glared back, then deliberately came up to me and pushed sand over my toes.
I threw up my hands, which startled Bowser enough to take a step back. "Fine. You want sand over my feet. Go for it." He bobbed his head, turned around and started digging with his forepaws so that the sand landed on my feet.
When I had sand up to my ankles, Bowser turned his attention to my shirt, tugging at it as if he intended to pull it over my head. I took it off to protect it from damage and said, "No. I will not take off my shorts. Don't even try." He didn't.
Instead, he dug up more sand so that it covered my shorts. "Okay, dog. You want to bury me alive? You go right ahead." I stretched out on the sand and he proceeded to do just that, taking great care not to get sand on my face. Once I was quite covered from neck downward, Bowser came and stood by my head to shield it from the son. "You satisfied?" He bobbed his head. "Good."
I've never heard of a dog that thought it a good idea to bury a human in the sand, though I considered it possible. But a dog that knew how to keep the sun off my face? Another mystery. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep to make up for my early rising. Thankfully it was dreamless.
I wandered back to the motel just in time for lunch wearing only my shorts as I was too covered in sand. Mrs. Brumfield was out watering her flowers and took delight on turning the hose on me. It was hot enough that I took delight in it too. The whole time she had the hose on me she had this mysterious smile and kept winking at Bowser.
I spent the afternoon in the library researching companies that might look favorably on my resume. It appeared the Big Three weren't hiring, so I was concentrating my research on the first and second tier suppliers. These jobs may not pay as well and be as secure as similar ones in the car companies, but in an era when GM and such were turning over more and more design work to their suppliers, it would be a decent living.
Dinner was with the Coopers again. As we ate and talked, I slowly came to realize that while Walt Cooper tolerated his job about as much as my dad tolerated his own, Walt didn't have the cultural resources of a thriving metropolis to keep him and his family entertained. There was no Barken Theater, though the new school being built would have a stage. There was no concert hall. The small movie theater showed only one movie each week. The mall was small. There were no organized sports teams. When I contrasted his life to the one I had made sure Jim knew in Detroit--baseball, hockey, Pine Knob, Meadowbrook, Fox Theater, Second City, Orchestra Hall, Detroit Institute of Arts, and a Cineplex in every suburb--Barken came up woefully short. How did they stand the place?
That night I had another dream that stuck in my head. The overall direction and many of the details were the same as the night before. But in this dream Jim seemed to become a part of his Dalmatian clothes and Bowser seemed to walk around on two legs, acting quite human. My own perspective seemed to shift from human to dog and back again several times during the dream. As before, my mind accumulated an erotic charge from this shifting blend of human and dog that postured before me and then offered himself to me.
I didn't think I could have had a case of blue balls worse than the day before, but that I did when I awoke. I heard a familiar voice say, "Troy, dear boy, let me take care of that for you," as he wrapped his fingers around me.
My eyes opened to a wonderful looking face complete with dog collar. "Jim! It is so good to see you!" I wondered how he had slipped into bed beside me without waking me. Further talk had to wait while he met my need and I met his. We then had time to hug and kiss, then doze in the comfort of each other's arms. I had missed him terribly and being in his embrace again felt wonderful.
It was mid morning before I pulled my attention away from Jim and glanced around the room. "Where's Bowser?"
"I let him out," said Jim.
"A dog that has been at my side for nine days is suddenly willing to venture out without me?"
"I knew we would be busy." Jim winked.
"Yet you're wearing the collar."
"Bowser doesn't need it, not in this town."
My head said it was irrational to feel possessive over a dog that actually belonged to Jim. My heart said something else. If I understand things right, Jim got Bowser the day before he disappeared. Bowser had spent pretty much all of the last two weeks with me. But an argument wasn't going to get me where I wanted to be with Jim. "Come on, lets get some breakfast. I'm sure whatever Mrs. Brumfield made for me is cold by now, but even cold, I'm sure it'll be delicious."
Jim glanced away. "Could I borrow your robe?"
"Can't you slip back into whatever you were wearing?" I said glancing around the room. I realized that all the clothes in the room were mine. "So how did you get in here with no clothes?"
He didn't answer my question. "Your robe? I'm getting hungry."
"And where have you been for the last nine days?"
"I can't tell you. Not yet."
All of my frustrations from the last week--the mystery, the realization that Barken didn't have much going for it, the feeling of possessiveness towards Bowser--boiled over.
"You can't tell me? The love of your life? Fine. I'm sick of this town. I gotta get out of here. I brought your damn dog across the country and waited for you to appear. Well, now that you're here, my commitments to this town are finished. I have a life to get back to." I dropped my suitcase on the bed and began to circle the room, gathering up stuff as I went.
"You won't stay in Barken for me?"
"You won't come to Detroit for me?" I shot back. As I passed him, I put a hand against his cheek. "I love you, Jim, but this relationship has become too one sided. If you want to live in Barken, be my guest." I waived my arm as if I were offering him the city. "But I don't. I'm not insisting on Detroit, but since we had a wonderful time this past year it's as good as any for a start. You didn't like the fun we had?"
"I liked it very much."
"Then why not come with me and leave small town life behind?"
"I can't. I have to live in Barken."
I tossed an armload of clothes into the suitcase. "Then this is goodbye."
I watched as Jim sighed wearily and walked to the door. He had turned the knob before he realized the only thing he was wearing was the dog collar. He let go of the knob, turned around and leaned against the door frame and folded his arms across his chest. I was able to gather up several more things before he said, "May I borrow your robe?" His voice was soft.
"Yeah. Sure. I have to get dressed anyway."
I slipped the robe off and handed it to him, then pulled on t-shirt and shorts.
He stood there with the robe in his hand for several moments before putting it on. "You're going to need me to drive you to the Houston airport, won't you," he said. I wasn't sure if it was a question.
"Yeah. Thanks."
I heard him sniff and wipe his eyes. I suddenly realized I had to do the same. This time he did open the door.
I took Jim's absence as a chance to go to the dining area. Beside a plate of muffins was a note, "Knew you wouldn't be up early so didn't bother with anything fancy." For muffins, they were actually quite fancy.
I had cleaned everything out of the bathroom when Jim returned dressed as I was in t-shirt and shorts. He handed me the robe, then went back to lean on the door frame to watch me.
I folded the robe and laid it in the suitcase, then scanned the room for anything I might have missed. It looked like I had it all. I was suddenly hit with a wave of dizziness. I had to put a hand against the wall to hold myself up.
Jim said, "Are you okay?"
"Just feeling dizzy for a moment. I'll be fine."
Jim sighed, then said, "Strip."
"Strip what?"
"Your clothes," he said, stepping forward from his place on the door frame.
"You find a dizzy man a turn-on? I was so sure you weren't into kink."
"Not at all. Troy, dear boy, you're about to become a citizen of Barken." He had come halfway across the room.
"I don't want to be a citizen of Barken! And since when do citizen initiation rites require nakedness?"
He was beside me now and pulled on my hand. "Look at your arm."
It was covered with white hairs! I held out the other arm and saw the same thing. I stared at them in wonder and was sure I could see the hairs become more numerous. I looked at Jim with my mouth hanging open and was surprised to see short hairs appearing on his face in the familiar pattern of Dalmatian spots.
"Come now. It isn't good to get tangled up in your clothes. Let's get you out of them."
"You got a lot of explaining to do!" My voice sounded raspy.
"And now is the time to do it." Jim reached for my belt as my shorts slipped off my butt. "Shirt," said Jim as he instead reached down to undo my shoelaces. I pulled off my shirt, then stepped out of my shorts.
My whole body was covered in short hair! All that I could see was white.
Jim said, "There is something in the soil of Barken that gives its citizens the ability to become dogs once they stay here long enough. The first time is involuntary, but after that you can learn to control it."
I could feel bones moving now--in my head, arms, and legs. My fingers had shrunk quite a bit in size. I glanced at Jim--who had the head of a dog! I could see the distinctive pattern of Bowser's spots.
He must have been able to figure out my expression as he said, "Yes, Bowser and I are one and the same. I think I'll hold this in-between form so that I am able to talk to you."
I could feel new muscles in my butt as my tail grew in. I tried to speak, but couldn't form coherent words. It all came out as growls and barks.
"When one moves away from Barken," said Jim, "a person loses the ability to change, sometimes within six months, sometimes after three years." No longer having to deal with my clothes, Jim took off his own. I was looking at a curious blend of Jim and Bowser-- doggie fur, head, and tail, with human arms, legs, and body. "I lost the ability to change when I happened to be in dog form."
Standing only on hind paws had gotten precarious, so I allowed my legs to collapse and sat on the floor. I saw that my point of view shifted from Jim's waist to his knees. Once on the floor, I could figure out how to gather four legs under me.
I noticed that I did not feel terror or disgust at what was happening, but felt a completeness I didn't know was missing. Even so, I trembled as I thought about what had just happened. I had become a dog!
Jim sat down beside me and scratched me between the ears, which felt marvelous. He then pulled me onto his lap and put his furry arms around me. I pulled in his smell and catalogued it in my mind -- this comforting smell is Jim.
"It was bad luck," Jim said, "that I ended up locked in my dog form just before my last exam. You may wonder why I took the chance, but I didn't know if I was cutting it close or had two more years and I sleep so much better as Bowser even cooped up in a dorm room. I couldn't change back to human until Barken had a chance to work its magic on me again. I wasn't too concerned with how long it was taking as I knew you would stick around for me and I wanted Barken to work its magic on you too." He sighed as he ran his fingers through the fur on my back.
"Yesterday, I sensed I would regain my ability soon. I knew you were getting fed up with Barken and I was afraid you would leave before your first change. I buried you in the sand yesterday hoping I could speed up Barken's magic."
He pulled me off his lap. "Let's see which breed you've become. Could you turn around, please?" I did so as he catalogued what he saw. "White muzzle, tan head, left ear tipped in white, the right in black, white forelegs, tan neck, black back and flanks, back legs have white socks and tan thighs, tan butt, tan and white tail, and white belly. You stand about as tall as I do, just under two feet. Shorthair coat, which is and advantage in Barken. Hmm." He held his lower jaw in his hands, considering me. "We in Barken have to know our breeds as people tend to get upset if you refer to them by the wrong one. Troy, dear boy, I'd say you are a beautiful English foxhound. Of course, even if you became a mongrel I'd consider you beautiful."
Jim scooted over to sit beside me again. "Well, it takes about twelve hours in dog form after your first change before you can teach yourself how to change back to human. After that, you'll be able to shift as much as you want or even choose an in-between form." He scratched me between the ears again. "That means we have all day in dog form--we might as well enjoy it."
Jim completed his shift to Bowser. I was pleased to see we were about the same size as dogs just as we were as humans. Jim spent a few moments demonstrating how to walk on four feet, then nosed the door open and once outside, demonstrated how to run. It was a fabulous day!
Jim and I managed to introduce two customs into Barken life over the next few months. The first caught on immediately when Jim started to wear his Dalmatian clothes around town., though by noon of the first day he knew it was crazy to wear a turtleneck in Barken in June and was soon busy applying ink to a t-shirt and a pair of bleached cutoff jeans.
The day after that, Jim studied the broad patches of color in the fur of my foxhound form and then presented me with cap, t-shirt, and cutoffs appropriately dyed. I was embarrassed with the tan splotch across my human butt, though the locals didn't seem to notice the problem I had with it.
Within a week, Ron's Grocery sold out of bleach and tan, brown, and black dye and Gretchen's Garments in the mall had trouble keeping white tees and cutoffs in stock. One could be pretty good at guessing a person's breed by the clothes they wore that summer.
As for the other new custom... Shortly after arriving in Barken I noticed that Walt and Amanda didn't wear wedding rings and, when I began to look for it, saw that no one else in town did either. I wondered about it--until my first change. Then it was obvious that a ring only got in the way when a person shifted; one had to remember to take it off or risked losing it.
I got an idea when Jim and I started discussing a commitment ceremony and I talked it over with him. He liked the idea very much. So with Mayor Grimsley officiating and what seemed like the whole town watching I was able to say, "I, Troy, present to you, James, this collar as a symbol of my love. I declare to all witnesses that you are my spouse in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, whether rich or poor, until death separates us." I essentially gave Jim the collar he had worn in Detroit though now it had my name in the disk next to his. He had a duplicate made, which he fastened around my neck as he said his own vows.
Mrs. Latour suggested I start the high school students--all twenty of them over four grades--with physics as the seniors hadn't taken it yet. She then worked closely with me over the summer to plan and prepare to teach three different kinds of classes. Now that I've been teaching for several months, I understand why some people--like Jim--can get passionate about it. I end my workday sitting at the back of the gym watching my love leading the high schoolers through band rehearsal and from there I can see the joy in his face.
The conventions of Barken society strongly suggest that you appear in public as full human or full dog. The way Jim explained it was that some people have rather strange ideas of what is a comfortable in-between form. So Jim and I are human in school and teach students that are human (usually) and we can do our afternoon romps as dogs. It is only in the privacy of our home during the evening and night that we explore what it is like to be human with fur and tail.
Barken may not have many concerts, movies, or theater. Houston is close enough for that when I need it. It hardly matters. Now that I am a citizen of Barken, I know I can't live anywhere else for long. Nothing can offer the joy of spending time as a dog.